Notes on the text
課文注釋
1 dos and don'ts，要做的事和不要做的事。
2 year in year out，年復(fù)一年。
3 a thousand and one，許許多多。
4 beyond attainment，做不到的、達(dá)不到的。
5 carry out ，實(shí)行，照辦、執(zhí)行。
6 slip back into our bad old ways，滑回到那些壞的*慣上去。
7 keep…to oneself， 作“將……秘而這宣”，“保密”講。
8 of an evening= in the evenings。
9 apply oneself to，全力以矗赴地干。
10 It was this that betrayed me.
這是強(qiáng)調(diào)句型，被強(qiáng)調(diào)的部分this指sat down…in an exhausted condition。
11 fend off，擋回，避開(kāi)。
12 doze off，打瞌睡。
參考譯文
新年是下決心的時(shí)候，至少在大多數(shù)人的心里會(huì)編排出一份“應(yīng)做什么”和“不應(yīng)做什么”的令人生畏的單子。相同的決心以單調(diào)的規(guī)律年復(fù)一年地出現(xiàn)。我們決心每天早晨起得早些；吃得少些；多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間與孩子們一起做游戲；做大量的家務(wù)；對(duì)不喜歡的人友善一些；小心駕車(chē)；每天都要帶著狗散步；等等。以往的經(jīng)驗(yàn)告訴我們有些事是辦不到的。如果我們煙癮大，戒不掉，那是因?yàn)閷医鋵覕?，失去了信心。我們大多?shù)人想自我完善卻遭到失敗，這是因?yàn)槲覀兊囊?guī)劃過(guò)于宏大，而又根本沒(méi)有時(shí)間去實(shí)施。我們還犯有一個(gè)根本性的錯(cuò)誤，即把我們的決心向大家宣布。這樣一旦滑回到那些環(huán)的*慣上去，我們?cè)趧e人眼里會(huì)顯得更加難堪。我深知這些問(wèn)題，于是，今年我對(duì)自己的計(jì)劃要嚴(yán)加保密，只給自己定下兩項(xiàng)適中的任務(wù)：每天早上鍛煉身體，每天晚上多看點(diǎn)書(shū)。新年除夕舉辦的通宵晚會(huì)，使我理直氣壯地在新年頭一天免去了這兩項(xiàng)任務(wù)。不過(guò)，新年第二天，我全力以赴地照著去做了。
早鍛煉一共只有11分鐘，我打算在別人起床之前進(jìn)行。這就要求我比平日早11分鐘把自己從床上拽起來(lái)，這種自我約束是很艱苦的。不過(guò)開(kāi)頭兩天我還是成功地躡手躡腳地來(lái)到樓下起居室，被誰(shuí)也沒(méi)發(fā)現(xiàn)。我在地毯上跳過(guò)來(lái)蹦過(guò)去，扭曲身子，擺出各種姿勢(shì)，弄得渾身不舒服，然后坐到桌邊吃早飯，一副筋疲力盡的樣子。正是這副模樣泄露了我的秘密。第二天早晨全家人結(jié)隊(duì)來(lái)到起居室看我表演。這真叫人不好意思，但我心平氣和地頂住了全家人的嘲笑和奚落。不久，大家對(duì)我習(xí)以為常了，而這時(shí)我的熱情卻減退了。我花在鍛煉上的時(shí)間逐漸減少，慢慢地從11分鐘減到了零。到了1月10日，我恢復(fù)了原來(lái)的作息時(shí)間。我辯解說(shuō)，早晨少耗費(fèi)精力鍛煉，晚上下班回家看書(shū)時(shí)頭腦更清醒些。有幾天晚上，我極力擺脫了電視的誘惑，坐在自己房間里，兩眼盯在書(shū)上?？墒?，有一天夜里，我感到又冷又孤單，便來(lái)到樓下坐在電視機(jī)前假裝看書(shū)。這下我可完了，因?yàn)椴灰粫?huì)兒，我就恢復(fù)了以前的壞習(xí)慣，在屏幕前打起瞌睡來(lái)。但我還沒(méi)有放棄多看些書(shū)的決心。事實(shí)上，我剛買(mǎi)來(lái)一本叫《一分鐘讀一千字的訣竅》的書(shū)。也許這本書(shū)能解決我的問(wèn)題，但我一直還沒(méi)時(shí)間去看這本書(shū)！
Multiple choice questions 多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension 理解
1 In making his New Year resolutions, the writer ______ .
a．decided against choosing any of his old favourites
b．did not tell his family of them in case they announced them in public
c．was careful to choose two which he thought were within his scope
d．underestimated the time it would take him to get up in the mornings
2 The family realized what one of his resolutions was when they ______ .
a．noticed how tired he looked when he came to breakfast
b．heard him jumping about on the carpet in the living room
c．came down earlier than usual and saw him doing his exercises
d．saw him reading instead of looking at television
3 The writer's efforts to read more have so failed because ______ .
a．he is not able to read quickly enough in the time he has available
b．he enjoys watching television more than he does reading
c．his room is too cold for comfort and he misses his family
d．he has not been able to resist the hypnotic effects of television Structure 結(jié)構(gòu)
4 Past experiences has taught us that we ______ certain accomplishments. (11. 7-8)
a．never attain
b．would never attain
c．a(chǎn)re never attaining
d．will never attain
5 ----we look even more foolish than we ______ when we slip back into our old ways. (11. 11-12)
a．would
b．should
c．need
d．ought
6 I jumped about on the carpet and ______ uncomfortable positions that I sat down exhausted. (11. 20-21)
a．so twisted me into
b．so twisted myself into
c．twisted myself into such
d．twisted me into such
7 I argued that ______ less time exhausting myself, I would… (11. 25-26)
a．to spend
b．by spending
c．my spending
d．to have spent
Vocabulary 詞匯
8 This year I attempted to keep my resolutions ______ . (1. 12)
a．private
b．personal
c．intimate
d．solitary
9 ______ , I managed to creep down into the living room…(1. 19)
a．Meanwhile
b．Little by little
c．Just the same
d．By all means
10 The whole family ______ to watch the performance. (11. 21-22)
a．gathered round
b．marched by
c．flocked in
d．joined in
11 My enthusiasm for my new resolutions soon ______ . (11. 23-24)
a．faded
b．evaporated
c．ran out
d．fell out
12 I soon ______ into my old habit of dozing off…(11. 29-30)
a．returned
b．slipped back
c．went back
d．took again
1 dos and don'ts，要做的事和不要做的事。
2 year in year out，年復(fù)一年。
3 a thousand and one，許許多多。
4 beyond attainment，做不到的、達(dá)不到的。
5 carry out ，實(shí)行，照辦、執(zhí)行。
6 slip back into our bad old ways，滑回到那些壞的*慣上去。
7 keep…to oneself， 作“將……秘而這宣”，“保密”講。
8 of an evening= in the evenings。
9 apply oneself to，全力以矗赴地干。
10 It was this that betrayed me.
這是強(qiáng)調(diào)句型，被強(qiáng)調(diào)的部分this指sat down…in an exhausted condition。
11 fend off，擋回，避開(kāi)。
12 doze off，打瞌睡。
參考譯文
新年是下決心的時(shí)候，至少在大多數(shù)人的心里會(huì)編排出一份“應(yīng)做什么”和“不應(yīng)做什么”的令人生畏的單子。相同的決心以單調(diào)的規(guī)律年復(fù)一年地出現(xiàn)。我們決心每天早晨起得早些；吃得少些；多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間與孩子們一起做游戲；做大量的家務(wù)；對(duì)不喜歡的人友善一些；小心駕車(chē)；每天都要帶著狗散步；等等。以往的經(jīng)驗(yàn)告訴我們有些事是辦不到的。如果我們煙癮大，戒不掉，那是因?yàn)閷医鋵覕?，失去了信心。我們大多?shù)人想自我完善卻遭到失敗，這是因?yàn)槲覀兊囊?guī)劃過(guò)于宏大，而又根本沒(méi)有時(shí)間去實(shí)施。我們還犯有一個(gè)根本性的錯(cuò)誤，即把我們的決心向大家宣布。這樣一旦滑回到那些環(huán)的*慣上去，我們?cè)趧e人眼里會(huì)顯得更加難堪。我深知這些問(wèn)題，于是，今年我對(duì)自己的計(jì)劃要嚴(yán)加保密，只給自己定下兩項(xiàng)適中的任務(wù)：每天早上鍛煉身體，每天晚上多看點(diǎn)書(shū)。新年除夕舉辦的通宵晚會(huì)，使我理直氣壯地在新年頭一天免去了這兩項(xiàng)任務(wù)。不過(guò)，新年第二天，我全力以赴地照著去做了。
早鍛煉一共只有11分鐘，我打算在別人起床之前進(jìn)行。這就要求我比平日早11分鐘把自己從床上拽起來(lái)，這種自我約束是很艱苦的。不過(guò)開(kāi)頭兩天我還是成功地躡手躡腳地來(lái)到樓下起居室，被誰(shuí)也沒(méi)發(fā)現(xiàn)。我在地毯上跳過(guò)來(lái)蹦過(guò)去，扭曲身子，擺出各種姿勢(shì)，弄得渾身不舒服，然后坐到桌邊吃早飯，一副筋疲力盡的樣子。正是這副模樣泄露了我的秘密。第二天早晨全家人結(jié)隊(duì)來(lái)到起居室看我表演。這真叫人不好意思，但我心平氣和地頂住了全家人的嘲笑和奚落。不久，大家對(duì)我習(xí)以為常了，而這時(shí)我的熱情卻減退了。我花在鍛煉上的時(shí)間逐漸減少，慢慢地從11分鐘減到了零。到了1月10日，我恢復(fù)了原來(lái)的作息時(shí)間。我辯解說(shuō)，早晨少耗費(fèi)精力鍛煉，晚上下班回家看書(shū)時(shí)頭腦更清醒些。有幾天晚上，我極力擺脫了電視的誘惑，坐在自己房間里，兩眼盯在書(shū)上?？墒?，有一天夜里，我感到又冷又孤單，便來(lái)到樓下坐在電視機(jī)前假裝看書(shū)。這下我可完了，因?yàn)椴灰粫?huì)兒，我就恢復(fù)了以前的壞習(xí)慣，在屏幕前打起瞌睡來(lái)。但我還沒(méi)有放棄多看些書(shū)的決心。事實(shí)上，我剛買(mǎi)來(lái)一本叫《一分鐘讀一千字的訣竅》的書(shū)。也許這本書(shū)能解決我的問(wèn)題，但我一直還沒(méi)時(shí)間去看這本書(shū)！
Multiple choice questions 多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension 理解
1 In making his New Year resolutions, the writer ______ .
a．decided against choosing any of his old favourites
b．did not tell his family of them in case they announced them in public
c．was careful to choose two which he thought were within his scope
d．underestimated the time it would take him to get up in the mornings
2 The family realized what one of his resolutions was when they ______ .
a．noticed how tired he looked when he came to breakfast
b．heard him jumping about on the carpet in the living room
c．came down earlier than usual and saw him doing his exercises
d．saw him reading instead of looking at television
3 The writer's efforts to read more have so failed because ______ .
a．he is not able to read quickly enough in the time he has available
b．he enjoys watching television more than he does reading
c．his room is too cold for comfort and he misses his family
d．he has not been able to resist the hypnotic effects of television Structure 結(jié)構(gòu)
4 Past experiences has taught us that we ______ certain accomplishments. (11. 7-8)
a．never attain
b．would never attain
c．a(chǎn)re never attaining
d．will never attain
5 ----we look even more foolish than we ______ when we slip back into our old ways. (11. 11-12)
a．would
b．should
c．need
d．ought
6 I jumped about on the carpet and ______ uncomfortable positions that I sat down exhausted. (11. 20-21)
a．so twisted me into
b．so twisted myself into
c．twisted myself into such
d．twisted me into such
7 I argued that ______ less time exhausting myself, I would… (11. 25-26)
a．to spend
b．by spending
c．my spending
d．to have spent
Vocabulary 詞匯
8 This year I attempted to keep my resolutions ______ . (1. 12)
a．private
b．personal
c．intimate
d．solitary
9 ______ , I managed to creep down into the living room…(1. 19)
a．Meanwhile
b．Little by little
c．Just the same
d．By all means
10 The whole family ______ to watch the performance. (11. 21-22)
a．gathered round
b．marched by
c．flocked in
d．joined in
11 My enthusiasm for my new resolutions soon ______ . (11. 23-24)
a．faded
b．evaporated
c．ran out
d．fell out
12 I soon ______ into my old habit of dozing off…(11. 29-30)
a．returned
b．slipped back
c．went back
d．took again