Unit   Twelve

 Text A   Let Your Mind Wander

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一．课文简介

白日做梦一直被认为是有害的，或者至少是无用的。然而科学研究表明，白日做梦是日常生活必不可少的部分，它对保持情绪平衡、身体松弛、智力发展、注意力集中和同他人的交往和沟通有着极大的好处。许多名人及有成就者的成功都同以前的梦幻有关。把自己幻想成一个胜利者有助于你取得成就，并造就一个更有独创性，更富想象力，更加踌躇满志的你。

Para.1   The traditional idea about daydreaming

Paras.2 – 10  The advantages of daydreaming

Paras.11 – 13   Learn to daydream  （停顿）

二．词汇精讲：                 New  Words

（上面兰色标出的词汇分别与下面精讲词汇相链接，点击哪个词就出现那个词的相应解释及用法）

词汇精讲:

1.       symptom : 症状，征兆

Most infections are contagious before any symptoms are noticed. 大多数传染病在症状被发现之前已具有传染性。

He recognizes the symptoms, but refuses to admit that he has marital problems.

他承认这些征兆，但不愿承认自己的婚姻发生了问题。

2.       habitual :习惯性的，习以为常的

Ice and snow are a habitual sight in the north.冰雪在北方是常见的。

3.       detail: 详情，细节

You can get details of nursery schools from the local authority. 你可向地方当局了解有关托儿所的详细情况。

We haven’t yet had a chance to discuss the matter in detail. 我们还没有机会详细讨论这一问题。

4.       enhance： 提高，加强

The moonlight enhanced the beauty of the scene. 月光更增添了景色的秀美。

操练：老师的赞赏增强了他的信心。

      The praise of the teacher enhanced his confidence.

5.       initial : 最初的，开始的

派生词：initiative n. 创始，首创精神；initiate v. 开始，创始；发起，发动

My initial surprise was soon replaced by delight. 我最初的惊奇不久便被喜悦替代了。

6.       confront : 使面对，使面临，使遭遇

The new system was confronted with difficulties at the start. 新体制起初遇到很多困难。

Pronunciation is just one of the many problems that confront the language learner.

发音只是学语言的人所面临的诸多问题之一。

操练：我们应该正视生活中的困难，而不是逃避它们。

      We should confront the difficulties in life instead of trying to escape them.

7.       sensitivity: 敏感性，灵敏度

派生词：sensitive a. 敏感的，灵敏的

His sensitivity to the current events made us surprised. 他对时事的敏感性使我们感到惊讶。

8.       inner：内部的，里面的

反义词：outer a. 外部的，外面的

The label is on the inner side of the box. 标签位于盒子的内侧。

If she had inner doubts, it was not apparent to anyone else. 她若心中生疑亦不形之于色。

9.       reflection：反射；映像，倒影

派生词：　reflect v. 反射，反映

He gave much reflection on the problem but still had no answer. 他对那个问题思考了很久，但仍未找到答案。

操练：他用两年时间写完一本书，叫做《往事反思》

      It took him two years to finish his book “Reflections on the past”

10.   creativity: 创造力，创造性

派生词：create v. 创造；creative a. 有创造力的

11.   trace：跟踪，查找

The police are trying to trace the mother of a new-born baby found abandoned outside a hospital.

警方正努力查找一个被弃于一家医院外的新生儿的母亲。

The practice of giving eggs at Easter can be traced back to festivals in ancient China.

复活节送鸡蛋的习俗可以追溯到古代中国的一些节日。

12.   modest：谦虚的，谦恭的；适中的，不过分的

She is very modest about the prizes she has won. 她对自己得奖非常谦虚。

His needs are quite modest. 他的需求一点也不过分。

13.   investment ：投资，投入

派生词：invest v. 投资，投入

Stocks are regarded as good long-term investments. 股票被认为是理想的长期投资。

His investment in that business have done well. 他在那家商行的投资收益很好。

词组：phrases

1         to excess  过分，过度，过量

They both eat to excess.  他们俩都吃得过多。

The heavy rain filled the lakes to excess. 大雨使湖水超过了湖的容量。

2         to substitute…for ：用…替代

You can substitute vegetable oil for butter in this recipe. 在这一食谱中，你可以用植物油代替黄油。

3         be contrary to：　与.. 相反

His actions are contrary to the rules. 他的行为与这些规则相违背。

Contrary to all our expectations he’s actually found a well-paid job and a nice girlfriend.

与我们大家的预料相反，他竟然找到了一份报酬优厚的工作和一个很好的女朋友。

4         to put off： 延期；阻碍

The meeting has been put off for a week. 会议延期一周。

I can’t put off going to the dentist any longer. 我得去看医生，不能再耽搁了。

5         to gaze at ： 凝视，注视

What are you gazing at?  你在盯着看什么？

近义词：to stare at 瞪着，怒视

6         to impress …on ：使铭记，牢记

My father impressed on me the value of hard work. 父亲要我铭记努力工作的重要性。

7         be free from ：　没有…的；不受…的

He wished to live a life entirely free from troubles. 他希望能过上一种无忧无虑的生活。

操练：当锻炼想象力时，你应摆脱常规的思维模式。

　　　When practicing imagination, you should be free from the conventional mode of thinking.

8         to put aside : 把…放在一边

She put the newspaper aside and picked up a book. 她把报纸放下，拿起了一本书。

Every week I put aside a bit of money for a rainy day. 每周我都存点钱，以备不时之需。

9         be beneficial to ：对…有益，对…有利

Fresh air is beneficial to one’s health. 新鲜的空气有益健康。

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三．课文详解

Let Your Mind Wander    （链接一个人在做梦的图画）

Until recently daydreaming was generally considered either a waste of time or a symptom of neurotic tendencies, and habitual daydreaming was regarded as evidence of maladjustment or an escape from life's realities and responsibilities. It was believed that habitual daydreaming would eventually distance people from society and reduce their effectiveness in coping with real problems. At its best, daydreaming was considered a compensatory substitute for the real things in life.①

As with anything carried to excess, daydreaming can be harmful. There are always those who would substitute fantasy lives for the rewards of real activity. But such extremes are relatively rare, and there is a growing body of evidence to support the fact that most people suffer from a lack of daydreaming rather than an excess of it. ②We are now beginning to learn how valuable it really is and that when individuals are completely prevented from daydreaming, their emotional balance can be disturbed.③ Not only are they less able to deal with the pressures of day-to-day existence, but also their self-control and self-direction become endangered.④

Recent research indicates that daydreaming is part of daily life and that a certain amount each day is essential for maintaining equilibrium.⑤ Daydreaming, science has discovered, is an effective relaxation technique. But its beneficial effects go beyond this.⑥ Experiments show that daydreaming significantly contributes to intellectual growth, powers of concentration, and the ability to interact and communicate with others.⑦

In an experiment with schoolchildren in New York, Dr. Joan Freyberg observed improved concentration: "There was less running around, more happy feelings, more talking and playing in the group, and more attention paid to detail."

In another experiment at Yale University, Dr. Jerome Singer found that daydreaming resulted in improved self-control and enhanced creative thinking ability.⑧ Daydreaming, Singer pointed out, is one way individuals can improve upon reality. It is, he concluded, a powerful spur to achievement.

But the value of daydreaming does not stop here. It has been found that it improves a person's ability to be better adapted to practical, immediate concerns, to solve everyday problems, and to come up more readily with new ideas.⑨ Contrary to popular belief, constant and conscious effort at solving a problem is, in reality, one of the most inefficient ways of coping with it. While conscious initial effort is always necessary, effective