★ complete
① vt. 完成，结束
complete the building
Work on the new school will be completed next year.
② adj. 完整的，全部的
《鲁迅全集》中的“全集”就用“complete”
Do you know the complete story?
This is a complete family.
③ adj. 十足的，彻底的，绝对的
There is complete silence in the room.
That was a complete surprise.
finish v. 完成
finish/complete homework
finish/complete doing sth. 某事做完了
I finish reading a book.
★ modern
modern history/art 现代史/现代艺术
modernization n. 现代化
★ strange
① adj. 外地的，异乡的
Living in a strange land is not always a pleasant thing.
② adj. 陌生的，生疏的
That morning, he saw a strange face in the classroom.
be strange to sth. 对……不习惯，对……陌生
This city is quite strange to me.
stranger n. 陌生人
③ adj. 不平常的，奇特的，奇怪的，古怪的
The house looks strange to some people.
A strange thing happened this afternoon.
★ district
district n. 地区，行政区，地域，地带，通常隶属于某个整体或具有某些地理特征
Haidian District 北京的海淀区
The Lake District of Northern England is very beautiful. 英国北部的湖区非常美丽。
area n. 地段
region n. 地带，区域，地方，(世界上某个特定的)地区，(艺术,科学等的)领域，(大气,海水等的)层
【Text】
I had a letter from my sister yesterday. She lives in Nigeria. In her letter, she said that she would come to England next year. If she comes, she will get a surprise. We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country. Work on it had begun before my sister left. The house was completed five months ago. In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us. The house has many large rooms and there is a lovely garden. It is a very modern house, so it looks strange to some people. It must be the only modern house in the district.
参考译文
昨天我收到了姐姐的一封信, 她住在尼日利亚. 在信中她说她明年将到英国来. 如果她来了, 她会感到非常惊奇了. 我们现在住在乡间的一栋漂亮的新住宅里. 这栋房子在我姐姐离开之前就已动工了, 是在5个月以前竣工的. 我在信中告诉她, 她可以和我们住在一起. 这栋房子里有许多房间, 还有一个漂亮的花园. 它是一栋非常现代化的住宅, 因此在有些人看来很古怪. 它肯定是这个地区唯一的一栋现代化住宅.
【课文讲解】
1、If she comes, she will get a surprise.
get a surprise 感到惊奇（这里 surprise 是可数名词，指“令人惊奇的事，意想不到的事”）
It’s a surprise to me that they can’t sell their flat.
surprise 也可以作不可数名词，表示“惊讶”
She looked at the man in surprise.
to one's surprise = I get a shock. 吃了一惊
2、We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country.
a beautiful new house
离一个名词最近的词跟该词的关系最密切, 冠词肯定是放在最前面的
spare old cloth 不穿的旧衣服
a big red flag 大红旗 (flag n. 旗, 标记；v. 标记)
3、Work on it had begun before my sister left.
work（工作，作业）是抽象的不 可数名词，“……的工作”后面必须用介词 on
4、In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us.
stay with 跟……暂住在一起（stay vi. 暂住，逗留）
He stayed with his uncle last week.
【Special Difficulties】
There is and It is
在说明或询问人或物等的存在时可用 there be 结构。这种结构可以用一般现在时、一般过去时、一般将来时及现在完成时等时态。在用 there 表示过存在后，就必须用 it 或人称代词作进一步说明：
There’s a bus coming, but it’s full.
There’s a man at the door. It’s the postman.
it 作为“虚主语”表示时间、距离、天气等概念时，不能用 there be 结构
It’s fifteen miles to the station.
Exercise(用 it 或 there 填空)
3 were some men digging up the road outside my house.
there : There+be+sb.+doing+地点: 某地有某人正在做某事(典型句型)
digging up: 挖出, 找出
4 Look at those clouds. I think ___ will be a thunderstorm.
there : 在表示天气的时候, 后面如果是动词或形容词, 用 it, 如果是名词, 用 there be.
It is raining(动词)/It is cold(形容词).
There be + 名词: There is a rain. 那儿有一场雨
thunderstorm n. 雷暴, 大雷雨
9 After dinner ___ will be a long discussion on politics.
there
on politics 关于政治 (politics n. 政治, 政治学, 政纲, 政见)
10 When will ______ be convenient for you to come?
it
When will it be convenient for you? 什么时候对你来说最方便?