Text A
Detailed study of the text
The idea of helping people comes naturally to most of us.
As might be expected, most of us are willing to help others. / Most of us will naturally think of helping others.
Come to sb.: (an idea) to enter someone’s mind
E.g. It suddenly came to her that she had been wrong all along.
Suddenly the words of the song came to me.
Naturally: of course; as you would expect
E.g. the team was naturally upset about its defeat.
Naturally I want to win the game.
Cf. Speaking comes natural to her.
If we see a blind person getting off a bus, we watch to make sure that he is in no danger of falling.
If we see a blind person getting off a bus, we watch to check he is not likely go be hurt.
Note the structure “see somebody doing something”. Other verbs like watch, hear, listen to, observe can be used in this structure.
Cf. “see somebody do something”
Make sure: to check that something has been done or find out if something is true
E.g. I only came to make sure that everything was all right.
He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that there was nobody listening.
Cf. make certain
E.g. Can you draw Harry a map just to make certain he’ll find the hotel?
Be in (no) danger of: (not) to be in a situation in which something unpleasant may happen
E.g. He was in no danger of losing his life.
While in danger of being attacked by two gunmen, she was surprisingly calm.
There are many people who have nobody near to see their need for help and often nobody to give it when the need is known.
Many people cannot get help because there ate no people nearby to learn about their need for help and often even when people know thy need help, nobody gives it.
In the original sentence, “it” refers to help.
It may not nave occurred to you that you are in a position to help.
You may have never had the idea that you are able to help others.
Occur to: to come into (someone’s) mind
E.g. Did it ever occur to you that you would go abroad?
As soon as the bought occurred to him, he felt worse.
Cf. happen: to have existence or come into existence
Be in a position to do something: to be able to do something
E.g. perhaps I shall be in a position to help you next week.
Cf. be in no position to do something: to be unable to do something
E.g. the poor family was in no position to bring up the twins.
These organizations depend on voluntary help to carry out a wide variety of tasks, volunteers giving up a little of their spare time to lend a hand.
Note the absolute construction of “N+V-ing” in the sentence.
Carry out: to perform or complete (a job or activity); fulfill
Carry out: to perform or complete (a fob or activity); fulfill
e.g. The hospital is carrying out tests to find out what’s wrong with her.
Don’t blame me, I’m only carrying out my orders .
A variety of: a lot of a particular type of things that are different from each other
e.g. a variety of matters/ purposes
the girls come from a variety of different backgrounds.
Give up:
to agree to do something during the time you would normally spend doing things you enjoy.
e.g. the club secretary will need to give up an hour or two a week to do the correspondence.
to stop doing something or having something, especially something you do regularly
e.g. When Ed left, she gave up hope of ever marrying.
I’ve given up expecting him to change.
Lend a hand: to help
e.g. you may have to be lent a hand with English.
We must lend a hand with his problem.
Cf. lend an ear: to listen to someone, especially in a sympathetic way
e.g. he lend an attentive ear to the words of wisdom.
Think of the people most in need of help…
Think of the people who need help most…
Be in need of: to need
e.g. I felt lonely and in need of companionship.
The whole house is in need of decorating.
Much of the work of community service is concerned with the care of the elderly and the handicapped.
Much of the work of community service is about care the elderly and the handicapped.
Be concerned with: to be about
e.g. the chapter is concerned with changes that are likely to take place.
I want to borrow a book, which is concerned with American history.
Take care of : to look after
e.g. who’s taking care of the dog while you’re away?
Her secretary always took care of the details.
Prove: (used as a link verb) to turn out (to be)
e.g. these books proved interesting.
Her advice did prove sound.
The young man has proved competent.
Elderly people with failing eyesight are delighted…
A person with failing eyesight is the one whose eyesight is getting worse/poor.
Fail: (of health, sight, etc.) to become weak
e.g. she suffered from failing eyesight/ hearing.
His last months in office were marked by failing health.
A helping hand and a friendly face can mean a great deal to a lonely elderly person.
A person who cones to help and is friendly can be of great importance to an elderly person who lives alone and who has nobody to talk to.
People confined to wheelchair cannot go out unless somebody takes them.
People who are unable to walk can go out only if somebody takes them.
“unless” means “except of”.
e.g. you can’t get a job unless you’ve got some experience.
Be confined to: to have to sty in a place, especially because one is ill.
e.g. the elderly woman was confined to a small apartment.
I was confined to bed for 10days with a nasty bout of flu.
Although confined to a wheelchair, she is active in social life.
Cf. any soldier who leaves his post will be confined to the barracks.
… a visitor is then more than welcome.
… a visitor is then what they need most/ is extremely welcome.
The phrase “more than” is used to emphasize how welcome a visitor is.
e.g. the store is more than happy to deliver goods to your home
“I suppose you will be working late again tonight?” “more than likely, yes.”
Your school may have contact with an outside organization…
Your school may be in communication with an outside organization…
… are other sources of information, as is the public library.
… are other places from which you get information about voluntary activities and the public library is also a sources of information.
As is/was/does., Etc.: in the same way as someone or something else is , does, etc.
e.g. Eve’s very tall, as was her mother.
I voted Labor, as did my wife.
Summary of the text
It is regarded as our responsibility to give help to others when necessary. This help is often accomplished by volunteering at a community service center. Those who most need help are the old and the handicapped, who may be lonely or unable to move about freely. If you want to take part in this service, you can get information from such sources as your school, a special committee or council, the public library, churches and youth organizations.
Text-related information
Community Service: work of benefit to local community
In the passage community service refers to the help that is given by volunteers. But sometimes it is prescribed fro offenders in place of a prison sentence. A convicted defendant may be required by the court to undertake constructive unpaid work in the community (under a community service order) for a stated number of hours within the following 12 months. If the terms of the order are not adhered to the court may impose a further sentence.
the Scouts: an organization founded in 1908 by Lord Baden Powell for children and young people which teaches them to become disciplined, practical, and self-sufficient
the United Kingdom: the official name for the country consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
text B. detailed study of the text
on the move: moving from place to place
e.g. It’s hard to contact her--- she’s always on the move.
The Johnsons are on the move from the city to the country.
in part: to a certain extent; partly
e.g. His success was due in part to luck
The driver was in part responsible for the accident.
I admit that you are right in part.
grow out: to become bigger--- they extend outwards.
e.g. the plant is alive after all! There are new leaves growing out.
4. Spread out: to (cause to) stretch in space or time
e.g. the whole valley was spreading out before his eyes.
A hopeful future seemed to spread out before him.
5. take one’s place/ take the place of: to replace
e.g. Plastics have taken the place of many materials.
Who will take Mr. Robert’s place?
6. fall into: to pass into (a certain state)
e.g. He fell into serious trouble.
The company has fallen into disrepute in recent years.
If you had taken my advice, you would not have fallen into hopelessness.
7. stay behind: not to leave the cities but remain there
cf. I stayed behind to help clean up after the party.
Summary of the text
American people have always been moving from one place to another throughout the history of their development. 250 years ago, they first moved from the East Coast to the west, seeking mew land. Then the Industrial Revolution led to the movement from the country to the growing cities because people wanted to get new jobs and more comfort, but ten when the cities got too crowded, people began moving to the suburbs, as a result, these people either take up jobs in the suburbs or move daily between the suburbs and the city. However, today some Americans are mobbing back to the cities, while others are ready to move to the county.
Text-related Information
the colonies of the east coast: the 13 settlements in the east coast of the US which formed the original United States
Pioneer Americans/ the Frontier Settlers: In American history, the frontier was the westernmost at any given time in the expansion of the nation. Historians assume that the process of extending the frontier westward bean in 1607 with the settlement of Jamestown and ended around 1890, when there was no longer any new land for homesteaders.
the Industrial Revolution: the term Industrial Revolution describes the historical transformation of traditional into modern societies by industrialization of the economy. The main defining feature of the revolution was a dramatic increase in per capital production that was made possible by the mechanization of manufacturing and other process that were carried out in factories. Its main social impact was that it changed an agrarian into an urban industrial society. The historical term Industrial Revolution can be applied to specific countries and periods of the past, but the process know as industrialization is still going on, particularly in developing countries. Since industrialization makes possible long-term increases in production and income, economists seeking to create in developing countries a process similar to the one that first occurred by accident in 18tb –century Britain have carefully studied the Industrial Revolution.