Unit Four

1
Unit Four

• American Dream

2
Great Depression
The Wall Street stock-market crash of 1929
precipitated the Great Depression, the worst
economic downturn in the history of the United
States. The depression had devastating effects on
the country. The stock market was in shambles.
Many banks couldn't continue to operate. Farmers
fell into bankruptcy. A quarter of the working
force, or 13 million people, were unemployed in
1932, and this was only the beginning. The
depression lasted over a decade, with hundreds of
thousands of Americans losing their jobs,
businesses failing, and financial institutions
collapsing.
3

• But how could I turn away a person who had come
  to me for help?
• --how could I refuse a person who
• 1--to refuse to let someone enter a place or join
  an organization, for example because it is full
• The show was so popular police had to turn people
  away.
• Thousands of applicants are turned away each
  year.
• 2.--to refuse to give someone sympathy, help, or
  support
• Anyone who comes to us will not be turned away.
• The insurance company has promised not to turn
  away its existing customers.
• 3--to stop supporting someone, or stop using or
  being interested in something, or to make someone
  do this
• Consumers are turning away from credit cards.

4

• mow--to cut down (grass or grain) with a scythe
  or a mechanical device.
• weed --to remove (weeds). Often used with
  out
• sweep --to clean or clear, as of dirt, with or as
  if with a broom or brush
• clean up a process by which you get rid of dirt
  or waste from a place
• The cleanup of the oil spill took months.

5
mow the garden weed the
yard sweep the lawn clean up any little
tasks take care of heavy objects lift the
walks fix things
6

• assume1.to think that something is true,
  although you do not have definite proof
• I didn't see your car, so I assumed you'd gone
  out.
• it is/seems reasonable to assume (that)
• It seems reasonable to assume that the book was
  written around 70 AD.
• 2. assume a manner/air/expression etc (put on)
• formal to behave in a way that does not show how
  you really feel, especially in order to seem more
  confident, happy
• Andy assumed an air of indifference whenever her
  name was mentioned.
• 3. to start to have a particular quality or
  appearance(take on)
• These relationships assume great importance in
  times of crisis.
• The problem is beginning to assume massive
  proportions .

7

• compliment--to say something nice to someone in
  order to praise them
• compliment somebody on something
• Bob complimented me on my new hairstyle.
• The groom was so nervous he forgot to compliment
  the bridesmaids.
• take something as a compliment
• fish for compliments--to try to make someone say
  something nice about you

8

• work out1. ?PLAN? --to think carefully about how
  you are going to do something and plan a good way
  of doing it
• UN negotiators have worked out a set of
  compromise proposals.
• We need to work out how we're going to get there.
• 2. ?CALCULATE?--to calculate an answer, amount,
  price etc
• See if you can work this bill out.
• 3. ?UNDERSTAND?--especially British English to
  think about something and manage to understand it
• The plot is very complicated - it'll take you a
  while to work it out.
• 4?GET BETTER?--if a problem or complicated
  situation works out, it gradually gets better or
  gets solved
• Things will work out, you'll see.
• I hope it all works out for Gina and Andy.

9

• And winds blew cold.
• --and winds blew, it became cold.
• I went into my house and I was unhappy.
• ltgtI went into my house unhappy.
• The kids rushed into the classroom and they were
  excited.
• ltgtThe kids rushed into the classroom excited.

10

• blueprint
• 1.a plan for achieving something
• a blueprint for health-care reform
• 2.a photographic print of a plan for a building,
  machine etc on special blue paper
• a blueprint for the new shopping mall
• 3.technical a pattern that all living cells
  contain, which decides how a person, animal, or
  plant develops and what it looks like
• By changing the tomato's genetic blueprint ,
  scientists can alter the rate at which it ripens.

11

• Still, how could I turn him down?
• -- Still, how could I refuse him?
• turn down----to reject or refuse, as a person,
  advice, or a suggestion
• We politely turned down the invitation.
• --to diminish the speed, volume, intensity, or
  flow of
• Turn down the radio, please.

12

• lot--?SOMEBODY'S SITUATION?
• singular your lot is your work, duties, social
  position etc, especially when they could be
  better
• She seems happy enough with her lot.
• The unions have always tried to improve the lot
  of their members.

13

• check on somebody/something phrasal verb
• 1. to make sure that someone or something is
  safe, is in a satisfactory state, or is doing
  what they should be doing
• Honey, can you go upstairs and check on the kids?
• My neighbor comes in once a week to check on
  things and feed the fish.
• 2. to try to find out if something is true or
  correct
• He wanted to check on the girl's story.

14

• He grew in stature in my mind.
• --His image grew taller and greater in my mind.
• 1. the degree to which someone is admired or
  regarded as important
• of world/international/national stature
• Armstrong was a musician of world stature.
• He grew in stature (became more admired or
  popular) during the campaign.
• 2. someone's height or size
• Bernard was short in stature, with a large head.

15
But, after all, the balance sheets were exactly
the same. -- But, after all, what Tony had
achieved was exactly the same as that of the
greatest industrialists. balance sheet--a
statement of a business or an institution that
lists the assets, debts, and owners' investment
as of a specified date.
16
The only difference was where you put the decimal
point. --The only difference between Tony and
those greatest industrialists is their starting
point and their final result.
17
Text B Ben Carson Man of Miracles
18

• performing delicate and lifesaving operation.
• --make lifesaving operations which require great
  care.
• delicate 1.needing to be dealt with carefully or
  sensitively in order to avoid problems or failure
• There's something I have to speak to you about -
  it's a delicate matter .
• delicate negotiations
• 2. easily damaged or broken (synonymfragile)
• The sun can easily damage a child's delicate skin
  .

19

• despair-- 1. a feeling that you have no hope at
  all
• She killed herself in despair.
• The noise from the neighbors used to drive him to
  despair .
• to the despair of somebody
• To the despair of the workers, the company
  announced the closure of the factory.
• 2. -- to make someone feel very worried, upset,
  or unhappy
• be the despair of somebody
• She is the despair of her teachers.
• despair (vi) --to feel that there is no hope at
  all
• Despite his illness, Ron never despaired.
• despair of (doing) something
• He despaired of ever finding her.

20

• could succeed against seemingly impossible odds
• --they could succeed when there seemed to be
  great difficulties.
• odds--difficulties which make a good result seem
  very unlikely
• Against all the odds, he recovered from his
  terrible injuries.
• The hospital's director has been battling against
  the odds to improve patient care.
• Their job was to hold on despite impossible odds
  , in order to give the rest of the army time to
  strike.

21

• to deliver the main address-- to give the main
  speech
• address--countablea formal speech that someone
  makes to a group of people
• an address to the European parliament
• presidential/inaugural etc address
• The new President delivered his inaugural address
  in Creole.
• address (v.) 1.formal to speak to someone
  directly
• She turned to address the man on her left.
• 2--to make a formal speech to a large group of
  people
• He addressed an audience of 10,000 supporters.
• 3--to use a particular title or name when
  speaking or writing to someone
• The president should be addressed as 'Mr.
  President'.

22

• she showered them with encouragement
• she frequently encouraged them.
• 2--transitive to give someone a lot of things
• shower somebody with something
• She showered him with kisses.
• shower something on/upon somebody
• She had no children and showered her love on her
  three nieces.
• 3--to scatter a lot of things onto a person or
  place, or to be scattered in this way
• shower down/over/upon
• The top shelf broke and books showered down.
• The ship was showered with hot ash from the
  volcano.
• Hundreds of leaflets were showered over the town.

23

• She would tell her beaming son.She would tell
  her smiling son.
• 1--to smile very happily
• Sherman looked at his sons and beamed proudly.
• beam with
• Connie beamed with pleasure.
• beam at
• McLeish beamed at her.
• 2--to send a radio or television signal through
  the air, especially to somewhere very distant
• the first sports broadcast to be beamed across
  the Atlantic
• 3--to send out a line of light, heat, energy etc
• The sun beamed through the clouds.
• X-rays are beamed through the patient's body.

24

• soar1. ?AMOUNTS/PRICES ETC?
• to increase quickly to a high level
• Her temperature soared.
• The price of petrol has soared in recent weeks.
• 2. ?IN THE SKY?
• a) to fly, especially very high up in the sky,
  floating on air currents
• She watched the dove soar above the chestnut
  trees.
• b) to go quickly upwards to a great height
• The ball soared to left field.
• 3. ?SPIRITS/HOPES?
• Adam's smile sent her spirits soaring .
• 4. ?LOOK TALL?
• Here the cliffs soar a hundred feet above the
  sea.
• a soaring skyscraper

25

• He boiled with anger.
• boil--intransitive if you are boiling with
  anger, you are extremely angry
• Lewis was boiling with rage and misery.
• make somebody's blood boil --to make someone
  extremely angry
• The way they treat people makes my blood boil.

26

• grant--an amount of money given to someone,
  especially by the government, for a particular
  purpose
• The university gets a government grant.
• Anyone wishing to apply for a grant should write
  to the Treasurer.
• grant of
• a grant of 50,000
• grant from
• These studios are funded by a grant from the
  Kress Foundation.

27
Siamese twins--one of two people who are born
joined to each other - sometimes considered
offensive Synonymconjoined twin Notes Date
1800-1900 Origin From such a pair (Chang and
Eng) who were born in Siam (now Thailand)
28

• ease--?MOVE?
• intransitive,transitive always
  adverb/preposition
• to move yourself or something slowly and
  carefully into another place or position
• She eased her shoes off.
• ease yourself into/through etc something
• Phil eased himself into an armchair.
• ease your way past/through etc something
• He eased his way through the crowd.
• Jean eased back on the pillows and relaxed.

29

• and clapped for a solid five minutes.
• They clapped continuously for five minutes.
• solid--?CONTINUING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION?
• (informal) used to emphasize that something
  continues for a long time without any pauses
• The lecture lasted two solid hours.
• On Saturday I went to bed and slept fourteen
  hours solid.

30

• Tears welled in Ben Carsons eyes.
• --Ben Carsons eyes were filled with tears.
• well--also well up ( literary)
• 1. if a liquid wells or wells up, it comes to the
  surface of something and starts to flow out
• I felt tears well up in my eyes.
• 2. if a feeling wells or wells up in you, you
  start to feel it strongly
• Anger welled up within him.