一、【Text】课文

We often read in novels how a seemingly respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been concealed from strangers for years. The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of situation. The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cupboard '. At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and a reputation is ruined. The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.

It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction. To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard. The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact. George studied medicine in his youth. Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of detective stories. I once spent an uncomfortable weekend which I shall never forget at his house. George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used. He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner. After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I decided to hang one of the two suits I had brought with me in the cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified. A skeleton was dangling before my eyes. The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the impression that it was about to leap out at me. Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George. This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton ! But George was unsympathetic. 'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend. 'That's Sebastian. You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.'

二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语

●skeleton n. 骷髅

●seemingly adv. 表面上地

●respectable adj. 体面的，雅观的

●conceal v. 隐藏，隐瞒

●vivid adj. 生动的

●dramatic adj. 令人激动的，扣人心弦的

●ruin v. 毁坏

●heroine n. 女主人公

●fiction n. 小说

●varying adj. 不同的

●medicine n. 医学

●guestroom n. (家庭中的)来客住房

●unpack vt. (从箱中)取出

●stack adj. (整齐地)堆放，排放

●underclothes n. 内衣

●drawer n. 抽屉

●petrify v. 使惊呆

●dangle v. 悬挂

●sway v. 摇摆

●unsympathetic adj. 不表同情的，无动于衷的

●medical adj. 医学的

■skeleton n. 骷髅

a skeleton in the cupboard==a skeleton in the closet == a family skeleton 家丑

It’s time to bring a family skeleton out of the cupboard

skeleton key 万能钥匙

a walking skeleton 骨瘦如柴的人

reduced to too a skeleton 瘦的皮包骨

He has nothing to eat for a couple of days so he has been reduced to too a skeleton.

■seemingly adv. 表面上地

■respectable adj. 体面的，雅观的

respectable decent, graceful, deserving respect: 体面的，雅观的，可敬的

Eg.: He is a most respectable man.

The tie is for a respectale man only.

respectable: 可敬的

respectful : 充满敬意的，尊敬人的

A respectable person is respectful to others.

respective 各自的

Eg.:Our students return to their respective classroom.

■conceal v. 隐藏，隐瞒

conceal : hide, 比hide更加正式，语气强烈

conceal sth. from sb.

Eg.: He concealed his disappoint from his friends.

He concealed his bets from his wife.

When the mother coming, the little girl hid behind the curtain.

hide, hid, hidden

■vivid adj. 生动的

vivid 生动的，栩栩如生的,鲜艳的，活泼的

Eg.: There is a vivid proverb.

vivid blue 碧蓝色

he is vivid with life. 他是生气勃勃。

Yours discription is really vivid.

more vivid, the most vivid

■dramatic adj. 令人激动的，扣人心弦的

dramatic 比exciting更加强烈

The dramatic things is still vivid in his mind.

■ruin v. 毁坏

■heroine n. 女主人公

■fiction n. 小说

fiction 和novel

fiction (集合名词)不可数 (poetry )

novel 某一部具体的小说 (poem)

I prefer reading fiction to hearing about real invent.

■varying adj. 不同的

=various

different 与......不一样

My idea differents from yours.

■medicine n. 医学

■guestroom n. (家庭中的)来客住房

■unpack vt. (从箱中)取出

■stack adj. (整齐地)堆放，排放

stack up the books

The housewife is stacking up the clothing.

■underclothes n. 内衣

underclothing, underwear

■drawer n. 抽屉

■petrify v. 使惊呆

= shock, dumbfound

Heard the news I was petrified.

■dangle v. 悬挂

■sway v. 摇摆新概念3

■unsympathetic adj. 不表同情的，无动于衷的

sympathetic 同情的

sympathy n. in sympathy 同情地 (= sympathetically )

■medical adj. 医学的

三、【课文精析】

how引导宾语从句

has some terrible secret

which 引导的定语从句，修饰说明secret

seemingly: 9=from appearence )从表面上看来，

a seemingly respectable person:表面上受尊重的人

possess

= have got, own )

不定式to作定语，修饰说明vivid saying, 来描述这种场景。

some—表示“某一个”，修饰单数可数名词

ruin 泛指概念，表示毁坏的过程不是一下完成的 (spoil )

The rain ruined / spoiled our holiday.

destroy: 把凭借某种外力来破坏和摧毁事物，完全摧毁

The earthquake destroyed almost entired city.

damage: 侧重强调把…弄坏，但是可以修复

one's hair stands on end :某人感到毛骨悚然的

I thought I was alone in my room until I heard the mysterious noice again, and my hair stands on end.

make/set one's hair stand on end: 使某人感到毛骨悚然的

in her youth:在她年轻时

everyone

every one of与介词of 连用时要分开

it is all very well but 不赞成不满意的反语，“好倒是好，但是……”

Eg: It is all very well for them to ask me to do it, but I am too busy.

It is all very well for you to suggent taking a few days rest, but how can finish our work in time.

occur: 某个事件出乎意料的发生(正式)

happen: 某个事件出乎意料发生

take place: 事件根据安排“举行”

Eg.: When did the accident happen / occur?

It occured to me that / to do.

It occured to me to open the window.

When will the wedding take place?

To varying degrees: 从不同角度来讲

which引导定语从句修饰secret

learn: 了解某个事实，学习某种知识、技能

know 知道某个事实，具有某方面的知识、技能，认识、了解某个人(状态动词，不能用于进行时态)

I learned that I had passed the test.

She knows about computers.

She is learning about computers.

instead of + doing----表示相反、没有、取而代之的是......

stood in front of sth. petrified: 站在…前，目瞪口呆

frightened: 在某个特定的场合下，受到惊吓

terrified:表示惊吓的程度，更加强烈，感到恐怖

afraid (of ): 表示一种状态，永久性的恐惧

it gave me the impression that:给某人以印象

make a lasting impression on sb: 给某人以不可磨灭的印象

have a false impression of sb: 对某人有错误的看法

give sb impression that: 给某人印象

impress sb with sth 用…给某人留下印象

be about to do sth.: 即将，就要。暗示动作即将发生(多与when连用)

I was about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door.

leap out at sb. 跳出来扑向某人

drop----是我所发出的主动动作，所以用-ing形式

as if 引导虚拟语气