Language Point 1
Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same. (Para. 1)
Meaning: The school is the same as ten years ago even though it has been newly painted and has been surrounded by a high wire fence.
coat: n.
1) [C] a cover over a surface 覆盖层
You must put another coat of paint on this door. 你得在这扇门上再涂一层漆。
There’s a coat of dust (灰) on the table. 桌上落了一层灰。
2) [C] outer clothes 外衣
She likes the coat very much, but she can’t afford it. 她很喜欢这件外衣，但她买不起。
I tried on the coat and found it was too big. 我试了试这件外套，发现它太大了。
Language Point 2
Even with a new coat of paint and…(Para. 1)
paint: n. [U] coloring matter 油漆; 涂料
He bought some green paint for the outside walls of his new house. 他买了一些绿色涂料粉刷新房子的外墙。
Wet paint! 油漆未干！
vt.
1) put paint on 油漆；上色
The room needs painting. 房间需要刷油漆。
I painted the room blue. 我把房间漆成蓝色。
2) make a picture 绘画
I painted the view from the window. 我在窗口描绘这片景色。
This picture was painted by a famous artist. 这幅画出自一位著名画家之手。
Language Point 3
…the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same. (Para. 1)
wire: n. [C; U] thin metal in the form of a thread 金属线
String wasn’t strong enough, so we used wire. 绳子不够结实，所以我们用了铁丝。
Wire conducts electricity. 金属线导电。
Language Point 4
… the school I knew ten years ago remains the same. (Para.1)
remain: vi.
1) continue to be 继续；保持
He remained one of the most powerful people in the area. 他依然是这一地区最有势力的人之一。
She remained silent till the end of the meeting. 她一直保持沉默，直到会议结束。
2) stay or be left behind 留下
Several points remain to be settled. 还有几点需要解决。
Few of Aristotle’s works remain. 亚里斯多德的著作少有留传。
Language Point 5
Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends … (Para.2)
kite: n. [C] a light toy made of paper or cloth which flies in the air on a long line 风筝
The Kite Festival in Weifang attracts a lot of tourists to China every year. 潍坊的风筝节每年都吸引众多游客来中国。
Flying a kite requires skill. 放风筝需要技巧。
Language Point 6
No amount of kicking, screaming, or arguing could stop my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture. (Para.2)
Meaning: However we kicked, screamed, or argued, it couldn’t change my mother’s mind to send us to school to learn the language of our culture.
kick: v. hit with the foot 踢
The boy kicked the ball into a hole. 男孩把球踢进一个洞里。
She kicked me under the table. 她在桌子底下踢我。
Language Point 7
…my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture.(Para.2)
be determined to do sth.: make up one’s mind to do sth. 坚决要做某事
We are determined to win the football match. 我们坚决要赢这场足球赛。
He was determined to find the answer to the question. 他决心找到这个问题的答案。
Language Point 8
…my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture.(Para.2)
have sb. do sth.: cause sb. to do sth. 要求某人做某事
其结构是：have + 宾语 + 不带to的不定式
The doctor had me take the medicine three times a day. 医生要求我每天服三次药。
It is not good to have others do things they don’t want to do. 让别人做他们不想做的事情不太好。
Language Point 9
She held us by the collar and walked … (Para.2)
hold sb. by sth.: take sb. by a certain part 抓住某人的某个部位
I held the child by the hand and we went into the room together. 我拉着那孩子的手一起走进了房间。
Language Point 10
…walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school … (Para.2)
hilly: a. like a hill; having many slopes 像小山的；多斜坡的
Because of the hilly roads, people living here seldom ride bicycles. 由于这里的路上下坡较多，人们很少骑自行车。
Language Point 11
…walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school … (Para.2)
block: n. [C] buildings between two streets 街区
It’s three blocks to the store from here. 从这儿去商店得经过三个街区。
Let’s walk around the block before we go in. 我们进屋前先在这片街区转一转。
Language Point 12
…leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school. (Para.2)
Meaning: … leaving us crying in front of the school.
Language Point 13
… which had a faint smell of old clothes … (Para.3)
faint: a.
1) not strong or clear 细微的, 微弱的
I am sure he smoked as there is a faint smell in the room. 我断定他吸烟了，因为房间里有淡淡的烟味。
I don’t have the faintest idea about what he is going to say at the meeting. 我根本不知道他要在会上讲什么。
2) weak and about to lose sense 虚弱的，头晕的
Faint as he was, he continued to work deep into the night. 尽管感到头晕，他仍坚持工作到深夜。
Alice couldn’t accept such a serious fact and she felt faint. 艾丽斯无法接受这样严酷的现实，她感到头晕目眩。
vi. lose sense 晕倒
Several football fans fainted in the hot sun. 一些球迷在烈日下晕倒了。
After a day’s walk, the old man fainted. 走了一整天后，老人晕倒了。
Language Point 14
… which had a faint smell of old clothes … (Para.3)
smell: n.
1) [C] sth. sensed by the nose 味道
This kind of coffee has a stronger smell than others. 这种咖啡比其他咖啡味道浓。
The soup has a nice smell. 汤闻起来很香。
2) [U] the special sense that the nose has 嗅觉
Blind people usually have a keen (灵敏的) sense of smell. 盲人通常有较灵敏的嗅觉。
After that terrible cold, Tom lost his sense of smell. 重感冒之后，汤姆丧失了嗅觉。
v. notice by the sense of the nose 闻到
I smelled his breath to see if he had been drinking. 我闻了闻他的呼吸，想知道他是不是喝酒了。
Language Point 15
There was a stage far to the right … (Para.3)
stage: n. [C] the raised floor on which actors act 平台;（舞）台
He jumped onto the stage and gave a speech. 他跳上讲台演讲。
She went on the stage at the age of 18. 她18岁开始登台演出。
Language Point 16
There was a stage far to the right … (Para.3)
to the right: on the right side 在右边
There is a post office to the right and you can buy the newspaper there. 右边有一家邮局，你能在那里买到报纸。
Keep to the right when you are driving. 靠右行驶。
Language Point 17
Although the school mainly taught language -- speaking, reading, dictation -- the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. (Para.4)
Meaning: Although we mainly learned language skills, such as speaking, reading, or dictation, there was always some practice in politeness at the beginning of each lesson.
dictation: n. [U] the act of writing down what is read or said 听写
She’s taking dictation. 她正在做笔录。
The students are having an English dictation now. 学生们正在做英语听写。
Language Point 18
Although the school mainly taught language - speaking, reading, dictation - the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. (Para.4)
begin with: start with 以……开始
The meeting began with a discussion about the work. 会议开始先进行工作讨论。
You may begin the article with a question, or with an interesting example. 你可以以一个问题或一个有趣的例子作为文章的开始。
Language Point 19
With the entrance of the teacher… (Para.4)
entrance: n.
1) [C;U] coming or going into a place 进入
Our conversation was interrupted (打扰) by the entrance of the visitors. 因为有客人进来，我们的谈话被打断了。
She finally gained entrance to the medical school. 她终于进了那家医学院。
2) [C] where one goes into a place 入口
Where’s the entrance to the park? 公园的入口在哪儿？
I’ll wait for you at the front entrance of the hospital. 我在医院的正门等你。
Language Point 20
…the best student would tap a bell …(Para.4)
tap: v. hit sth. lightly 轻敲
I went up and tapped on the window. 我走上前去，敲了敲窗子。
She tapped the boy on the shoulder to get his attention. 她轻轻拍了拍男孩的肩，以引起他的注意。
Language Point 21
…and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, “How are you, teacher?” (Para.4)
get up:
1) stand up 站起来
Everyone got up when the judge came in. 法官进来时大家都站了起来。
2) rise from bed 起床；起身
What time do you get up every morning? 每天早上你几点起床？
Language Point 22
…and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, “How are you, teacher?” (Para.4)
in Vietnamese: using the Vietnamese language 用越南语表示“用某种语言”通常用介词in, 例如：
Would you please say it in Chinese? I don’t know English. 请您用汉语说好吗？我不懂英语。
Note: 问候语 How are you, teacher? (老师，您好！) 是汉语的习惯表达方式。英语中，除了doctor 和 nurse 等少数职业外，多数职业名称是不用作称呼的。在西方社会，人们常说How are you, Sir / Madam? 或How are you, Mr. / Mrs. /Miss Smith?
Language Point 23
The language always made me embarrassed. (Para.5)
embarrass: vt. make sb. feel uncomfortable or nervous before other people 使窘迫，使尴尬
Even some experienced teachers were often embarrassed by the boy’s questions.即使一些很有经验的教师也常常被这个男孩的问题难倒。
What he said at the party last night made all of us embarrassed. 他昨晚在晚会上说的话使我们都很尴尬。
Language Point 24
More often than not I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to ... (Para.5)
Meaning: I had often tried to get away from the loud voice behind me whenever I went to ...
more often than not: often 经常
More often than not the children would rather clean the yard than do their homework. 孩子们通常宁愿打扫院子，也不愿做作业。
Language Point 25
…I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice …(Para.5)
separate … from: keep sb. or sth. away from 使……与……分离
It is very difficult to separate oil from water once the two are mixed up. 一旦油和水交融在一起，就很难再把它们分开。
We’re often advised that promises can’t be separated from actions. 我们经常听到忠告——承诺不能与行动脱离。
Language Point 26
…that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. (Para.5)
supermarket: n. [C] a big shop where one can choose from a large number of different goods 超级市场
Supermarkets usually provide a wide range of services. 超市常常提供广泛的服务。
Language Point 27
The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman who could shout louder than anyone on the street. (Para.5)
belong to: be owned by 属于
The house belongs to an old couple who moved here two months ago. 这座房子的主人是一对老夫妇，他们两个月前刚搬到这里。
He once belonged to the national football team. 他曾是国家足球队的队员。
Language Point 28
In our area, the comings and goings of hundreds of Vietnamese on their daily tasks sounded crazy. (Para.6)
comings and goings: the acts of arriving and leaving 来来往往
We watched the comings and goings of the guests from our bedroom window. 我们在卧室窗口看着客人们进进出出。
Language Point 29
I did not want to be thought of as mad, as talking nonsense. (Para.6)
Meaning: I didn’t want to be considered as being crazy or saying nothing meaningful.
think of as: view to be 认为是
She was thought of as the most beautiful girl in this area. 她被看作是这一带最漂亮的姑娘。
The group was thought of as the pioneer in the field of life science. 这个小组被认为是生命科学研究方面的先驱。
Language Point 30
I did not want to be thought of as mad... (Para.6)
mad: a.
1) ill in the mind; crazy 疯的
In the past people who were considered mad lived in terrible conditions. 在过去，那些被认为精神失常的人住在条件很差的地方。
2) very angry 恼火的
Don’t get mad at him. He didn’t mean to do it. 别对他发火，他不是有意这样做的。
3) very interested in sb. or sth. 着迷的
He is mad about computer games. 他沉迷于电脑游戏。
Language Point 31
…as talking nonsense. (Para.6)
talk nonsense: say sth. that is meaningless or not true 胡说
He thinks they are talking nonsense about health foods and health. 他认为他们那些有关健康食品和健康的谈论是一派胡言。
You are talking complete nonsense. 你简直是胡说。
Language Point 32
When I spoke English, people nodded at me... (Para.6)
nod: v. bend the head forward and down 点头
Mary nodded to show that she agreed with what I had said. 玛丽点头表示同意我说的话。
“Do you understand?” asked the teacher, and everybody nodded. “你们明白了吗？”老师问，大家都点了点头。
Language Point 33
…smiled and encouraged me. (Para.6)
encourage: vt. give sb. hope or help 鼓励，鼓舞
In the most difficult times we encouraged and helped each other. 在最困难的时候我们彼此鼓励，互相帮助。
My parents encouraged me to go abroad (出国) to continue my study. 父母鼓励我出国留学。
Language Point 34
“My, doesn’t she move her lips fast,” … (Para.6)
Note: My 用于感叹句，表示惊奇、赞叹等语气：
Oh, my! 哎呀！
My, what a bad smell! 哎呀，真难闻！
Language Point 35
… were often mixed in her conversation. (Para.7)
conversation: n. [C; U] a talk between two or more people 谈话
I had a long conversation with her in the café. 我和她在咖啡馆里谈了很久。
They sat in the corner, deep in conversation. 他们坐在角落里聚精会神地交谈。
Language Point 36
Sometimes Mom might leave out “the” or “a”, or perhaps a verb. (Para.7)
leave out:
1) fail to put in 遗漏
Don’t leave out “please” when you ask others for help. 请求帮助时别忘记说 “请”字。
2) fail to accept into a group 忽略；不重视
She felt rather left out as everyone received an invitation except her. 除了她之外别人都收到了请柬，为此她感到倍受冷落。
Language Point 37
When he tripped over his own tongue… (Para.7)
Meaning: When he made a mistake in speaking…
trip: vi.
1) catch one’s foot and nearly fall 绊倒
Be careful! Don’t trip over that stone. 小心！别被那块石头绊倒。
I tripped over a chair. 我被一把椅子绊倒了。
2) make a mistake 犯错误
She often trips up over some simple words. 她经常会说错一些简单的词。
It is easy to trip up over these regulations. 人们很容易在这些规定上栽跟头。
n. a short journey 短途旅行
He was on a business trip. 他正在出差。
Language Point 38
When he tripped over his own tongue… (Para.7)
tongue: n.
1) [C] the movable part in the mouth used for talking or eating 舌头
Jim stuck his tongue out at the teacher. 吉姆冲老师吐了吐舌头。
Did I say $100? It must have been a slip of the tongue. 我说过100美元吗？那肯定是说错了。
2) [C] a language 语言
Students whose native tongue isn’t English have to take the TOEFL exam if they want to study in the U.S. 母语不是英语的学生如果想到美国学习必须参加托福考试。
Language Point 39
…he’d blame it on her… (Para.7)
blame: vt. say that sb. is responsible for sth. wrong 指责；怪罪
Don’t blame the child! It’s not his fault. 别怪孩子，那不是他的错。
You will be blamed if you don’t help a person who really needs help. 如果你不帮助一个真正需要帮助的人，你将受到谴责。
n. [C; U] responsibility 责任
I will not do such a thing: we take the money, while Tom takes the blame. 我可不想做那种事：我们拿钱，而汤姆承担罪名。
The government cannot escape (逃避) the blame for the slow economic growth. 政府要为经济停滞不前负责。
Language Point 40
“See, Mom, it’s your fault. You set a bad example.” (Para.7)
fault: n.
1) [C; U] a mistake 差错；过失
She didn’t finish the work on time, but it was not her fault. 她没有按时完成工作，但这不是她的错。
2) [C] a bad or weak point 缺陷，缺点
There is a fault in the design of the building. 这座楼在设计上有一处失误。
For all his faults, he was a good father. 他有缺点，但仍是一位好父亲。
Language Point 41
“See, Mom, it’s your fault. You set a bad example.” (Para.7)
set an example: make an example 树立榜样
The teacher set a good example for his students by treating everyone fairly. 这位老师对待每个人都很公正，从而为他的学生树立了好榜样。
Language Point 42
After two years of struggle, I finally was given a divorce from my culture. (Para. 8)
Meaning: After two years of fighting, I was finally permitted to stop learning Vietnamese and the culture.
struggle: n. [C]
1) a great effort 努力
Reading is really a struggle for the five-year girl. 对这个五岁的小女孩来说，阅读太难了。
This country experienced a tough struggle for its independence (独立). 这个国家为争取独立进行了艰苦的斗争。
2) a hard fight 搏斗
The police examined the body but found no signs of struggle. 警察检查了尸体，但没有发现搏斗过的迹象。
Several people were hurt in the struggle. 有几个人在打斗中受伤了。
Language Point 43
Sadly, I am only an American. (Para. 9)
Meaning: Now I feel sad, because I realize that I have become a person who lives in America but has lost her own culture.