通过阅读学词汇CET-6（4）

时间：2006-11-30 08:20:57

（单词翻译:单击）

Unit Four
Waiting in Line
　　The British queue up and the Americans wait in line, except for New Yorkers, who wait on line. No one seems to know the reason for this local idiom. It is
something to ponder while waiting in/on line.
　　Another thing to ponder: It is estimated that Americans spednd up to five years of their lives in that tedious, weary but unavoidable process known as waiting. Studies show that otherwise rational people act irrationally1 when forced to stand in line or wait in crowds, even becoming violent.
　　Queues are a grim reality of city life. While there seems to be no consensus2 onthe city's worst line, the ones mentioned most often in talks here and there were lunchtime lines at banks and post offices and, among younger people, movie lines and college-registration lines.
　　"Bank lines," said Mark Sloane, an investor3. "No matter what time of day you bank, the number of tellers4 is inadequate5 to the number of patrons. Even when the bank is open you see long lines infront of the money machines outside."
　　"Supermarkets," said Ed Frantz, a graphic6 artist, who once abandoned a full shopping cart in the middle of a long checkout7 line. It was not a political act. "The line was filled with coupon8 clippers and check writers," he recalled. "And suddenly I had to walk away. Food no longer mattered."
　　In any line the fundamental rule is first come, first served, or what dsocial scientists call "distributive justice." Exceptions may be made, say, in fancy restaurants where the headwaiters have their favorites, but, in general, the rule prevails.
　　If misery9 loves company, so do sports fans. Dr. Leon Mann documented this several years ago when, as a Harvard professor, he studied the long overnight queues for tickets to ball games in his native Australia.
　　"Outside the stadium something of a carnival10 atmosphere prevails," he wrote in The American Journal of Sociology. "The devotees sing, sip11 warm drinks, play cards and huddle12 together."

　Like the teams they had come to watch, the fans in line took timeouts. Some worked in shifts, with certain members leaving to take naps or eat meals, while others saved their places in line. Some staked claims in line with items of personal property such as sleeping bags and folding chairs. "During the early hours of waiting," Dr. Mann noted13, "the queues often consisted of one part people to two parts inanimate objects."
　　Nobody has ever seriously studied Helen Quinn's Saturday morning line for Metropolitan14 Opera tickets, but perhaps someone should --Miss Quinn is not an official at the Met.
　　For 15 years standees at the opera have been doing 　just that, 　thanks to Miss Quin's ticketing system. She makes, dates and numbers her tickets-- one for each of the 175 standing15 room spots available-- and dispenses17 them to early birds. Assured of a place, ticket holders18 then leave and return shortly before 8 A.M. to line up for the real tickets.

idiom n. 1.习语,成语 2.风格,特色

ponder v. 思索,考虑,沉思
[联想词]
contemplate vt. 1.盘算,计议 2.思量,周密考虑 3.注视,凝视

weary a. 1.疲劳的,疲倦的 2.使疲劳的,令人厌倦的 vi.厌倦的,不耐烦
[联想词]
tiresome a.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的

grim a. 1.讨厌的,糟糕的 2.严厉的 3.严酷的,无情的

consensus n. [单](意见等)一致,一致同意

patron n. 1.资助人,赞助人 2.老主顾,顾客

resent vt. 对...表示忿恨,怨恨

graphic a. 1.生动的,形象的 2.绘画的,文字的,图表的

coupon n. 1.礼券,优惠券 2.配券,票证

clip n. 1.夹子,回形针,别针 2.弹夹,弹仓 3.剪,修剪 4.剪报,电影片断
vt.(clipped;clipping) 1.夹住,扣住 2.剪,修剪 3.削减,缩短
[联想词]
clamp n.夹头,夹具,夹钳 vt.(用夹具等)夹紧,固定

prevail vi. 1.流行,盛行 2.获胜,占优势 3.说明,劝说,诱使
prevalent a.流秆的,普遍的

misery n. 1.痛苦,苦恼,苦难 2.悲惨的境遇,贫苦

carnival n. 1.表演会 2.庆祝,欢宴 3.狂欢节
[联想词]
feast n. 1.盛宴,筵席 2.节日

sociology n. 社会学

sip v.(sipped,sippig)小口地喝,抿,呷 n. 小口喝

huddle vi. 1.聚集在一起 2.把身子蜷成一团 vt.使聚集在一起
n.挤在一起的人,一堆杂乱的东西

inanimate a. 1.无生命的,非动物的 2.无生气的,单调的

metropolitan a.大城市的,大都会的

dispense16 vt. 1.分配,分发 2.配(药),发(药) 3.实施,执行
[联想词]
disperse vi. 1.分散,散开 2.消散,消失 vt. 1.使分散,赶散 2.使消散,驱散

 
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1 irrationally Iq5zQ5     
ad.不理性地
参考例句：
  • They reacted irrationally to the challenge of Russian power. 他们对俄军的挑衅做出了很不理智的反应。
  • The market is irrationally, right? 市场的走势是不是有点失去了理性？
2 consensus epMzA     
n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识
参考例句：
  • Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
  • What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？
3 investor aq4zNm     
n.投资者，投资人
参考例句：
  • My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
  • The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。
4 tellers dfec30f0d22577b72d0a03d9d5b66f1d     
n.（银行）出纳员( teller的名词复数 )；（投票时的）计票员；讲故事等的人；讲述者
参考例句：
  • The tellers were calculating the votes. 计票员正在统计票数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The use of automatic tellers is particularly used in large cities. 在大城市里，还特别投入了自动出纳机。 来自辞典例句
5 inadequate 2kzyk     
adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的
参考例句：
  • The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
  • She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。
6 graphic Aedz7     
adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的
参考例句：
  • The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
  • Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。
7 checkout lwGzd1     
n.（超市等）收银台，付款处
参考例句：
  • Could you pay at the checkout.你能在结帐处付款吗。
  • A man was wheeling his shopping trolley to the checkout.一个男人正推着购物车向付款台走去。
8 coupon nogz3     
n.息票，配给票，附单
参考例句：
  • The coupon can be used once only.此优惠券只限使用一次。
  • I have a coupon for ten pence off a packet of soap.我有一张优惠券买一盒肥皂可以便宜十便士。
9 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
10 carnival 4rezq     
n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演
参考例句：
  • I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
  • Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。
11 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量
参考例句：
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
12 huddle s5UyT     
vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人
参考例句：
  • They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
  • The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。
13 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
14 metropolitan mCyxZ     
adj.大城市的，大都会的
参考例句：
  • Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
  • Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。
15 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
16 dispense lZgzh     
vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施
参考例句：
  • Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
  • The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。
17 dispenses db30e70356402e4e0fbfa2c0aa480ca0     
v.分配，分与；分配( dispense的第三人称单数 )；施与；配（药）
参考例句：
  • The machine dispenses a range of drinks and snacks. 这台机器发售各种饮料和小吃。
  • This machine dispenses coffee. 这台机器发售咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 holders 79c0e3bbb1170e3018817c5f45ebf33f     
支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物
参考例句：
  • Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
  • It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

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