Lesson 59 Collecting 收藏
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽錄音,然后回答以下問題。
What in particular does a person gain when he or she becomes a serious collector?
People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things. As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.
Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste. Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless bait, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
Collecting as a serous hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's treasures is always a joy. One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of, stamps, records, first editions of books china, glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy animals, there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition, to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in general matters which have some bearing on it. There are also other benefits. One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes, to exchange articles, to show off the latest find. So one's circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to any one country. Over the years, one may well become a authority on one's hobby and will very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences. In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then from being able to take about it. Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
amass
v. 積聚
indiscriminate
adj. 不加選擇的
clutter
n. 一堆雜物
string
n. 細(xì)線
requisite
n. 必需品
mania
n. 癖好
sketch
n. 草圖,圖樣
remote
adj. (機(jī)會(huì),可能性)少的,小的
strong-minded
adj. 意志堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的
relaxation
n. 休息,娛樂
verify
v. 查證,核實(shí)
bearing
n. 關(guān)系,聯(lián)系
like-minded
adj. 志趣相投的
specimen
n. 標(biāo)本
constructively
adv. 有益的,積極的
contented
adj. 心滿意足的
boredom
n. 煩惱,無聊
Multiple choice questions多項(xiàng)選擇題
Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
Comprehension理解
1 What differentiates the indiscriminate collector from the serious one?
a.What he collects is only of personal rather than communal interest.
b.He lacks the physical and mental energy to go out and about.
c.His possessions are varied but over the years they gain in value.
d.He confines his collection to the home and therefore does not travel.
2 The author's friend is typical of the indiscriminate collector in that ______ .
a.she keeps newspapers in the hope that one day they may come in useful
b.she collects sketches of clothes to save herself the cost of buying them
c.she is too narrow-minded to be able to stop a sentimental practice
d.she never gets round to sorting out the clutter she has accumulated
3 The serious collector can spend his leisure time ______ .
a.a(chǎn)t home, as his collection is sufficient entertainment in itself
b.a(chǎn)t the same time as looking joyfully at his treasures
c.educating himself and others by verifying facts in reference books
d.occupying himself by constructing a house for his collection
Structure 結(jié)構(gòu)
4 ______ belongings people accumulate. There are two reasons for this…(11.7-9)
a.As they got older more
b.In getting older there are more
c.Only when they get older, do more
d.The older they get the more
5 ______ in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.(1.11)
a.People deliberately collect
b.People deliberately collect some things
c.People collect deliberately
d.People collect deliberately some things
6 ----but it litters up her desk ______ that every time she opens it…(11.16-17)
a.so far
b.a(chǎn)s long as
c.in as much
d.so much
7 Something to do, from finding the right place ______ the latest addition to…(11.21-22)
a.where he puts
b.in order to put
c.for to put
d.to put
8 ----and then, if______ successful, to larger audiences.(11.28-29)
a.they will be
b.one is
c.it has been
d.they were
Vocabulary 詞匯
9 Some things are collected ______ in the home so as to avoid waste.(1.11)
a.systematically
b.intentionally
c.purposefully
d.organizationally
10 Collecting as a serious hobby is ______ and has many advantages.(1.18)
a.a(chǎn)ltogether separate
b.rather unlike
c.fairly diverse
d.very distinguished
11 ----the right place for the latest addition to ______ facts in reference books.(11.22-23)
a.insuring
b.certifying
c.identifying
d.checking
12 ----but also in general matters which ______.(11.23-24)
a.stand up to it
b.relate to it
c.bear it out
d.carry it off