Text 2 Word Study
1. argue argue against …據(jù)理反對(duì); 證明……是不能成立的: 1) All the evidence argued against the theory that the disease was transmitted by water. 所有證據(jù)都證明這個(gè)理論是不能成立的: 這種疾病是由水傳播的。 2) Father argued fiercely against any increase in expenditure for the children’s birth-day party. 父親據(jù)理反對(duì)增加孩子們生日聚會(huì)的花費(fèi)。 argue about 爭(zhēng)論關(guān)于某事：I won’t argue about the matter. argue sb. into doing sth. 通過爭(zhēng)論使某人做某事：We argued him into surrendering the control of the chain company. 我們通過爭(zhēng)論使他放棄對(duì)鏈鎖公司的控制。 同根詞 argument n. 辯論，爭(zhēng)論；論點(diǎn)，論據(jù)。argumentation n. 立論，論證；辯論，爭(zhēng)論。argumentative adj. 愛爭(zhēng)論的，好辯論的。
2. sure adj. 確實(shí)，無疑，有把握：I think he’s coming, but I’m not quite sure. You are sure of a warm welcome. 你一定會(huì)受到熱烈歡迎。You’re sure to fail if you do it that way. You seem very sure of yourself, young man. 小伙子，你未免太自信了吧！ 常用成語：for sure肯定： One thing is sure. We’ve won a great victory. I think he lives there but I couldn’t say for sure. 我想他住在那里，但我不能肯定。 make sure 確保： I think the door is locked, but I’d better go and make sure. 我想門已經(jīng)鎖了，但我最好還是去查一下。 to be sure 當(dāng)然：He’s clever, to be sure, but not very hard-working. 當(dāng)然，他很聰明，但是不怎么勤奮。
3. critical adj. 決定性的，關(guān)鍵的；危急時(shí)刻的。 be critical of 批評(píng)的, 愛挑毛病的: 1) Don’t be so critical of everyone else. (不要對(duì)別人如此挑剔。) 2) If you really understood the difficulties facing the government, you wouldn’t be so critical of its spending reductions.（如果你真地理解政府面臨的困難, 你就不會(huì)對(duì)其削減開支的做法如此挑剔。）
Text 3 Word Study
1.press vt./vi. 1) 按，壓，踩：Press the button to start the engine. (請(qǐng)按按鈕起動(dòng)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)。) I don’t like shoes that press. (我不喜歡緊的鞋。) 2) 熨燙 vt.：Will you press my trousers for me before tomorrow? 3) (人群)擠，涌：The people were pressing so hard against the President’s car that they almost overturned it. 4) 敦促，催逼：His daughters pressed Shelley to join them. It’s no use pressing him; he doesn’t like to be hurried. The matter does not press. (這件事不緊迫。) The police pressed the students back behind the barriers. (警察迫使學(xué)生退到路障后面。)
press n. 新聞界，輿論，報(bào)章雜志（和the連用）：Defend the freedom of the press. (維護(hù)新聞自由。) The press will give us a great backing. (輿論會(huì)大力支持我們的。) The meeting was reported by the press.
同根詞：pressing adj. 緊迫的，急待解決的：Is the matter pressing? Their attention ought to be focused on the more pressing problems. The professor is returning on account of pressing duties at home.
常用成語：1) be pressed for time (money) 缺乏時(shí)間、金錢：We are pressed for time. We must hurry up. (我們時(shí)間不夠。我們必須趕緊。) 2) press ahead with 加緊（努力）：We must press ahead with our efforts to reach an agreement. 3) press for 急切要求： They are pressing for reforms. (他們急切要求改革。) Everyone began pressing him for details. (人人都要求他說明細(xì)節(jié)。)
2.opt v. (=decide to do sth.; choose) 決定做某事，選擇：He opted to go Paris rather than London. （他決定去巴黎而不是倫敦。） Fewer students are opting for science courses nowadays. (現(xiàn)在選修理科的學(xué)生少了。)
同根詞：option n. 選擇余地；選擇權(quán)：1) You have the option of leaving or staying. 2) Every voter should exercise his option. optional 可選擇的；選修的：You don’t have to have this radio in your new car; it’s an optional extra.
3. imagine vt. 想象。同根詞：imaginable(可以想象出的)；imaginary（假想的）； imaginative（有想象力的）：1) He is the most suitable person imaginable. (他是可以想象出的最合適的人。) 2) The story is not real; it is only imaginary. （這個(gè)故事不是真實(shí)的，只是假想的。） 3) The artist’s imaginative use of color delighted the critics. (這位畫家富有想象力的使用色彩使這些評(píng)論家興高采烈。) image影像，偶像，雕像。imagination n. 想像力：He has plenty of imagination.
4. fund n. 基金，積累的一筆�？睿篐ard up families receive cash subsidies from the welfare funds. (經(jīng)濟(jì)困難的家庭從福利基金中得到現(xiàn)金補(bǔ)貼。) fund (復(fù)數(shù)) 資金，存款，現(xiàn)款，錢：Through lack of funds the scheme fell through. (由于缺乏資金，這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃失敗了。) They ought to be furnished with the necessary funds. (他們應(yīng)該得到這些必要的資金。)
fund vt. 資助，為…提供資金：1) We are hoping that the government will fund the project. (我們正在盼望政府給這個(gè)項(xiàng)目提供資金。) 2) The university scientists’ research for a cure of this disease is being funded by the government. (這座大學(xué)的科學(xué)家為治療這種疾病所進(jìn)行的研究正得到政府的撥款。)
同根詞：overfund vt. 為…提供過量資金。underfund vt. 對(duì)…提供資金不足。
Text 4 Word Study
1.rule out (=exclude, eliminate; make impossible, prevent, forbid) 把…排除在外，不把…考慮在內(nèi)；使不可能，禁止。例如：The regulations rule out anyone under the age of eighteen.(這些規(guī)章排除了18歲以下的任何人。) The possibility of suicide was ruled out.（自殺的可能性被排除了。） I’m sure that the doctor would rule out visits from you as much too exciting for the patient.（我確信，醫(yī)生會(huì)禁止你們?nèi)ヌ酵�，因�(yàn)檫@樣會(huì)使病人過分興奮。）
2. present adj. 1) 在場(chǎng)，出席：Every member of the class was present. 2) 存在：Carbon is present in many minerals. 3) 現(xiàn)在的：At the present moment he is supposed to be in Paris.
present n. 現(xiàn)在：I live in the present, not in the past. 常用成語： at present 目前：At present we are living in New York. for the present 暫且：For the present we had better do nothing.
present n. 禮物：I am just going out to get some presents for my sister.
present vt. 1) 贈(zèng)送：He carried a copy out into the kitchen and presented it to Maria. 2) 頒發(fā)，遞交：The principal will present the diplomas. 3) 提出 (論點(diǎn)，看法等)：The speaker presented arguments for his side. 4) 呈現(xiàn)出，顯露出：Although he may be troubled, he always presents a calm smiling face. 5) present itself (機(jī)會(huì)等)出現(xiàn): A good opportunity has presented itself for doing what you suggested.
3. thought 思想，思考。
常用成語： give thought to 思考。例如：You will easily solve the problem only if you will give a bit of thought to it.
at the thought of 一想到…。 例如：I was delighted at the thought of seeing you again.
in thought 在沉思中。 例如：A.作表語：He was in deep thought. (=He was deep in thought.) B.作狀語：He walked slowly back towards the site in deep thought.
on second thoughts 經(jīng)過再三考慮。例如：But on second thoughts I made up my mind to travel without any food with me.
同根詞：thoughtful 深思的，思考的；體貼人的，關(guān)切的。 thoughtless 考慮不周的；不體貼別人的。
4. adjust (to) vt./vi. 調(diào)整，校正，（使）適應(yīng)。例如：1) The desks and seats can be adjusted to the height of any child. 2) I must adjust my watch, it’s slow. 3) Astronauts in flight must adjust to weightlessness.
同根詞：adjustable 可調(diào)節(jié)的。例如：An adjustable electric lamp can be placed in various positions.
adjustment n. 調(diào)整，調(diào)節(jié)，適應(yīng)。 例如：They have made a most satisfactory adjustment to their environment.
5. 否定副詞：barely (=only just; scarcely) 僅夠；幾乎沒有。例如：1) We barely had time to catch the train. 2)He was so weakened by the disease that he could barely stand up.
scarcely (only just; hardly) 僅僅；幾乎不。例如：1) I scarcely know him. 2) Scarcely had she entered the room when the phone rang.
hardly (=only just; scarcely) 僅夠；幾乎沒有。例如：He can hardly arrived yet. (他大概還沒有到。)
rarely (not often, seldom) 不常，很少。例如：Only rarely do I eat in restaurants.
6. let down (=disappoint; fall short of the expectation of ) 使…失望；辜負(fù)…的期望。例如：Don’t let me down. I need your help.
let in (=allow to enter) 讓…進(jìn)來。例如：Let me in.
let off 放（槍、炮、煙火等）；寬恕，從寬處理。例如：The mother said she would let off her son washing the dishes if he could finish his assignment before supper. (1995年試題)
let alone 不干涉，不管；更不用說。例如：1) Since she is angry, we might as well let her alone. (既然她生氣了，我們不妨不要管她。) （1981年試題） 2) Countless divorced politicians would have been elected out of office years ago had they even thought of a divorce, let alone gotten one. (無數(shù)離婚的政治家，如果那時(shí)即使想到要離婚，更不用說真的離婚了，本來就會(huì)落選的。)
II. Writing: (提綱式議論作文)
Directions: In this part, you are to write an essay of 160 -- 200 words within 30--35 minutes entitled“Importance of Confidence”. Your essay should be based on the information given in the outline below:
1.Importance of confidence
2.Reasons for lack of confidence
3.Necessity to build up confidence
