Step 1 單詞都在文中標出了，大家發(fā)揮一下想象和推理能力，猜猜那些生詞都是什么意思吧。閱讀中非常需要這種猜測推理能力的哦。
A noble gangster
There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for ‘protection’. If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Obtaining ‘protection money’ is not a modern crime. As long age as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.
Six hundred years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was had, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had a picture painted which was dedicated to the memory of ‘the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue’.
Step 2詞匯的意思都在這里了哦?？纯茨愣疾聦α嗣? Step 3 特別的單詞總是要特別的待遇，下面的單詞記住，有空多練習。
1. gangster n.歹徒，強盜
典型范例 gangster films 警匪片
聯想記憶 robber 搶劫犯 mugger 戶外行兇搶劫犯 pickpocket 扒手
2. band n.幫，團伙
典型范例 a band of kidnappers 一幫綁匪
聯想記憶 a bunch of thugs 一群暴徒 a nest of bandits 一窩土匪
3. protection n.保護
鏈接詞匯 protect n.保護 protect sb./sth. against/from sth. 保護，防御 You need warm clothes to protect you against the cold.你需要穿暖和些，以免著涼。
聯想記憶 keep sb. from sth. (fml):protect … from 保護或保佑某人 She prayed to God to keep her son from harm.她祈禱上帝保佑兒子平安。 guard sb./sth. against sth. 防御，保衛(wèi)，守衛(wèi) Soldiers have been called in to guard the embassy against further attacks. 已調集士兵保衛(wèi)使館，以免再遭襲擊。 shelter sb./sth. from sth. 保護，庇護 The overhanging roof sheltered us from the rain. 伸出來的屋頂使我們避雨。 He sheltered her from gossip. 他保護她免受流言蜚語的傷害。
4. promptly adv. immediately,instantly,swiftly 準時地,及時地,迅速地 典型范例 He replied promptly to my letter. 他迅速地給我回了信。
鏈接詞匯 prompt adv. punctually, sharp 準時地，整（指時間）
5. destroy v. 毀掉，消滅 典型范例 The flood destroyed their home town.洪水摧毀了他們的家園.
同義辨析 destroy, damage, ruin, spoil, wreck
destroy 指劇烈地破壞，徹底消滅。例： destroy a house/city/sb.’s hope/reputation 摧毀房屋/城市/某人的希望/名譽 damage 指部分地損壞，尤指外部損壞。例： damage a car/furniture/sb.’s relations 損壞汽車/家具/某人的關系 ruin 指徹底地毀壞某計劃、身體等，一般不指具體建筑物的破壞。例： A thunder storm ruined our picnic.雷雨破壞了我們的野餐計劃。 He has ruined his health through drinking.他飲酒過度，搞壞了身體。 spoil 毀掉，寵壞。例： spoil a plan/holiday/the pleasure/children 毀壞計劃/假日/掃了興/寵壞了孩子 wreck 指因沖擊而使事物“毀壞，毀滅”，尤指火車、船只遭暴風雨而被“毀壞”，也可指希望、計劃等被“毀滅”。例： wreck cars/ships/plans/one’s hope 毀壞汽車/船/計劃/希望 The ship was wrecked on a sunken rock. 此船觸礁沉沒。
6. remarkable adj.不尋常的 固定搭配 be remarkable for 因……而引人注意，（某一點）很突出 She is remarkable for her sweet temper. 她突出的特點是性情溫和。
7. hire v. ①租出（進）②雇傭（通常指短期雇傭體力勞動者） Does this firm hire out cars? 這家公司出租小車嗎？
同義辨析 rent,hire,employ,engage,take on rent v.租出（進），例： We rented a room from Mrs.Wang.(Mrs.Wang rented a room to us.)我們向王太太租了一間房子。 hire 除表示租進，租出外還有雇傭之意。 He is hired by a small company.他受雇于一家小公司。 employ v.雇傭（通常用于長期雇傭或聘請腦力勞動者），例： We employed him as an adviser.我們聘請他當顧問。 engage v.雇傭（通常用于聲譽較高的職務，如教師，律師等），例： We engaged her as an interpreter.我們聘請她做翻譯。 take on 雇傭（用語口語），例： She was taken on as a graduate trainee.她畢業(yè)后被雇傭為見習生。
Step4 講解看再多還不如自己動手一練。
1. His __________ payment of bills has given him a good reputation. a. immediate b. promote c. prompt
2. Being efficient and warm-hearted ,she did her work _____ well. a. notably b. promptly c. remarkably
3. He is wasting his time joining that _____; all they do is to get into troble. a. band b. gang c. circle
4. The old woman gave the tramp a nice dinner, and ____ for her kindness, the tramp mended the fence for her. a. as a payment b. in return c. to thank
5. He _______ a name for himself in the small town by helping anyone who was in troble. a. came to be known b. made a name for c. won a reputation
6.A sculpture was made in honour of the _____ policeman. a. affectionate b. valiant c. honouring
7.The monument in the town center was dedicated to the _____ of the men who died in the war. a. souvenir b. memory c. remembrance
8.The latest increase in local taxes finally put the man out of _____. a. business b. trade c. occupation
A noble gangster
There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for ‘protection’. If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Obtaining ‘protection money’ is not a modern crime. As long age as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.
Six hundred years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was had, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero. When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had a picture painted which was dedicated to the memory of ‘the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni Haukodue’.
Step 2詞匯的意思都在這里了哦?？纯茨愣疾聦α嗣? Step 3 特別的單詞總是要特別的待遇，下面的單詞記住，有空多練習。
1. gangster n.歹徒，強盜
典型范例 gangster films 警匪片
聯想記憶 robber 搶劫犯 mugger 戶外行兇搶劫犯 pickpocket 扒手
2. band n.幫，團伙
典型范例 a band of kidnappers 一幫綁匪
聯想記憶 a bunch of thugs 一群暴徒 a nest of bandits 一窩土匪
3. protection n.保護
鏈接詞匯 protect n.保護 protect sb./sth. against/from sth. 保護，防御 You need warm clothes to protect you against the cold.你需要穿暖和些，以免著涼。
聯想記憶 keep sb. from sth. (fml):protect … from 保護或保佑某人 She prayed to God to keep her son from harm.她祈禱上帝保佑兒子平安。 guard sb./sth. against sth. 防御，保衛(wèi)，守衛(wèi) Soldiers have been called in to guard the embassy against further attacks. 已調集士兵保衛(wèi)使館，以免再遭襲擊。 shelter sb./sth. from sth. 保護，庇護 The overhanging roof sheltered us from the rain. 伸出來的屋頂使我們避雨。 He sheltered her from gossip. 他保護她免受流言蜚語的傷害。
4. promptly adv. immediately,instantly,swiftly 準時地,及時地,迅速地 典型范例 He replied promptly to my letter. 他迅速地給我回了信。
鏈接詞匯 prompt adv. punctually, sharp 準時地，整（指時間）
5. destroy v. 毀掉，消滅 典型范例 The flood destroyed their home town.洪水摧毀了他們的家園.
同義辨析 destroy, damage, ruin, spoil, wreck
destroy 指劇烈地破壞，徹底消滅。例： destroy a house/city/sb.’s hope/reputation 摧毀房屋/城市/某人的希望/名譽 damage 指部分地損壞，尤指外部損壞。例： damage a car/furniture/sb.’s relations 損壞汽車/家具/某人的關系 ruin 指徹底地毀壞某計劃、身體等，一般不指具體建筑物的破壞。例： A thunder storm ruined our picnic.雷雨破壞了我們的野餐計劃。 He has ruined his health through drinking.他飲酒過度，搞壞了身體。 spoil 毀掉，寵壞。例： spoil a plan/holiday/the pleasure/children 毀壞計劃/假日/掃了興/寵壞了孩子 wreck 指因沖擊而使事物“毀壞，毀滅”，尤指火車、船只遭暴風雨而被“毀壞”，也可指希望、計劃等被“毀滅”。例： wreck cars/ships/plans/one’s hope 毀壞汽車/船/計劃/希望 The ship was wrecked on a sunken rock. 此船觸礁沉沒。
6. remarkable adj.不尋常的 固定搭配 be remarkable for 因……而引人注意，（某一點）很突出 She is remarkable for her sweet temper. 她突出的特點是性情溫和。
7. hire v. ①租出（進）②雇傭（通常指短期雇傭體力勞動者） Does this firm hire out cars? 這家公司出租小車嗎？
同義辨析 rent,hire,employ,engage,take on rent v.租出（進），例： We rented a room from Mrs.Wang.(Mrs.Wang rented a room to us.)我們向王太太租了一間房子。 hire 除表示租進，租出外還有雇傭之意。 He is hired by a small company.他受雇于一家小公司。 employ v.雇傭（通常用于長期雇傭或聘請腦力勞動者），例： We employed him as an adviser.我們聘請他當顧問。 engage v.雇傭（通常用于聲譽較高的職務，如教師，律師等），例： We engaged her as an interpreter.我們聘請她做翻譯。 take on 雇傭（用語口語），例： She was taken on as a graduate trainee.她畢業(yè)后被雇傭為見習生。
Step4 講解看再多還不如自己動手一練。
1. His __________ payment of bills has given him a good reputation. a. immediate b. promote c. prompt
2. Being efficient and warm-hearted ,she did her work _____ well. a. notably b. promptly c. remarkably
3. He is wasting his time joining that _____; all they do is to get into troble. a. band b. gang c. circle
4. The old woman gave the tramp a nice dinner, and ____ for her kindness, the tramp mended the fence for her. a. as a payment b. in return c. to thank
5. He _______ a name for himself in the small town by helping anyone who was in troble. a. came to be known b. made a name for c. won a reputation
6.A sculpture was made in honour of the _____ policeman. a. affectionate b. valiant c. honouring
7.The monument in the town center was dedicated to the _____ of the men who died in the war. a. souvenir b. memory c. remembrance
8.The latest increase in local taxes finally put the man out of _____. a. business b. trade c. occupation