★ cushion
cushion n. 含义1. a cloth bag filled with soft material that you put on a chair or the floor to make it more comfortable 软垫，靠垫
- a velvet cushion
- a cushion cover
cushion n. 含义2. a layer of sth. between two surfaces that keeps them apart 垫状物
- A hovercraft rides on a cushion of air.
cushion n. 含义3. sth. that protects you against sth. unpleasant that might happen 缓冲
- cushion against … 对抗…的缓冲
- His savings were a comfortable cushion against financial problems.
cushion n. 含义4. the soft rubber edge of the table used for playing billiards or snooker（台球台内侧边缘的）弹性衬里
★ sensation
sensation n. 含义1. state of great surprise, excitement, interest, etc among many people 轰动
- cause a sensation 引起轰动
- News of his arrest caused a sensation.
- The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation.
sensation n. 含义2. a feeling that you get from one of your five senses, especially the sense of touch 感觉（尤指触觉）
- One sign of a heart attack is a tingling sensation in the left arm.
- This is supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant, and its effects are reinforced by the use of endearing epithets.
【同根词】
- sensational adj. 轰动性的
- a sensational discovery
- The affair was the most sensational political sex scandal of the century.
【词根】
“sens / sent” = to feel
- sensation n. 感觉；轰动；感动
- sensational adj. 轰动的；耸人听闻的；非常好的；使人感动的
- sense n. 感觉，知觉；意义
- sensitive adj. 敏感的
- sensual adj. 肉体上的；性感的
- sentiment n. 情绪，感情
- sentimentality n. 多愁善感
- assent v. & n. 同意，赞成
- consent v. & n. 同意，赞成
- consensus n. 共识
- dissent n. 异议，反对；v. 持异议，不同意
- resent v. 怨恨，憎恨
- resentment n. 怨恨，憎恨
- presentiment n. 预感，凶兆
★ plantation
plantation n. 英文解释：a large area of land in a hot country, where crops such as tea, cotton, and sugar are grown（尤指热带国家的）种植园，农场
- a banana plantation
- plantation workers / owners
【词根】
“plant” = to plant（种植）；plant（植物）
- plantation n. 种植园，农场
- plant n. 植物；工厂；设备；v. 种植；栽赃
- implant v. 灌输（思想）；在身体某部位植入
- implantation n. （思想）的灌输；（医）植入
- plantlet “let” = small n. 小植物，植物幼苗
- transplant “trans” = across v. & n. 移植（植物） ；移植（器官）
- transplantable adj.（植物或器官）可移植的
课文讲解
语法分析：
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft（独立主格）.
知识点（1）Lesson03-03
语法：形容词的顺序 大小 形状 年龄 新旧 颜色 国际 材料 用途 + 中心名词
举例：一张新的很沉的黑色的中国式的圆形的大木餐桌
a heavy big round new black Chinese wooden dining table
For most of them, 50 pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.
One of Mary's prize possessions was a little white lamb which her husband had given her.
The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and concrete.
The towers are built on immense ferro-concrete platforms which are sunk beneath the water.
知识点（2）Lesson03-03
语法注意：名词前有量词，形容词放在量词；形容词一般修饰量词而不修饰中心名词
- a nice cup of tea 一杯好茶
- a beautiful stretch of field 一片美丽的田野
- a stagnant pool of water 一潭死水
- great lengths of drill pipe
- strange new means of transport
- For most of them, 50 pence is a small price to pay for a nice big bar of chocolate.
- Our next obstacle was a shallow pool of water about half a mile across.
知识点（3）【词汇】
transport n. [U] (US transportation) 交通，交通工具
- A lot of people object to mobile phones, especially when they are used in public places like restaurants or on public transport.
- Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are daily necessities.
知识点（4）【词汇】
develop v. 英文解释：to design or make a new idea, product, system etc. over a period of time 研制，设计，开发
- Scientists are developing new drugs to treat arthritis.
- He claims that several countries have developed nuclear weapons secretly.
知识点（5）【复习】 独立主格
The village seemed deserted, the only sign of life being an ugly-looking black goat on a short length of rope tied to a tree in a field nearby.
知识点（6）【课文仿写】
造句：苹果公司 (Apple Inc.) 研制出了很多有趣的新产品，其中最成功的可能就是iPhone 了。
Many interesting new products have been developed by Apple Inc., the most successful of them being perhaps the ‘iPhone’.
语法分析：
In 1953（时间状语）, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell（同位语）, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads（who...定语从句）, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years（on which...定语从句） to the British Government and industrial circles.
知识点（1）【词汇】
electronics n. 含义1. [U] the scientific study of electric current and the technology that uses it 电子学
- a degree in electronics
- the electronics industry an electronics engineer
electronics n. 含义2. [pl.] electronic equipment 电子设备
- Weather can interfere with a car's electronics.
知识点（2）
表达“年龄”：
- in his fifties 五十岁左右
- in his early fifties 五十一二岁
- in his mid-fifties 五十五岁左右
- in his late fifties 五十八九岁
知识点（3）
turn to sth. 英文解释： to devote or apply oneself to something, as to a field of study致力于……
- Unsuccessful in mathematics, the student turned to biology.
知识点（4）课文地点介绍
Norfolk n.诺福克郡 a county in eastern England, consisting mainly of rather flat farmland and some lakes called the Norfolk Broads (诺福克郡的布罗兹湖区), where many people spend holidays sailing in small boats or barges.
知识点（5）【词汇】
industrial adj.工业的；产业的
【辨析】
industrious adj.勤奋的；勤劳的；忙碌的
知识点（6）【词汇】
circle n. 英文解释：a group of people who know each other and meet regularly, or who have similar interests or jobs（有共同兴趣、职业等的人形成的） 圈子，阶层，界
语法分析：
It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 'pad', or cushion（插入语）, of low-pressure air（介词of引出同位语）, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air（非谓语动词做后置定语,修饰low-pressure air）.
知识点（1）【词汇】
craft n. 含义1. [pl. craft] a boat or ship 船舶
- We passed several other craft on the river.
craft n. 含义2. [pl. craft] an aircraft or spacecraft 航天器，宇宙飞船
- The astronauts piloted their craft down to the lunar surface.
知识点（2）【词汇】
pad n. 英文解释：a thick flat object made of cloth or rubber, used to protect or clean sth., or to make sth. more comfortable 垫
- pad of … …的垫子
- Press on the wound with a large pad of cotton wool.
知识点（3）【词汇】
ring v. 英文解释：to surround sth. 包围，环绕
- Armed police ringed the hijacked plane.
- be ringed with sth. 被… 的包围
- Her eyes were ringed with black lashes.
知识点（4）【词汇】
curtain n. 英文解释：a thing that covers, hides or protects sth. 掩蔽物，覆盖物，防护物
- curtain of … … 的帘状物
- a curtain of fog / smoke
- They could see nothing through the curtain of rain.
语法分析：
Ever since（时间状语）, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or and vehicles（宾语从句）―for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft（for... 原因状语从句）.
知识点（1）Lesson03-02、Lesson03-29
ever since adv. & prep. & conj. continually since that time 从那以后，一直……(用完成时）
- The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since(adv.）.
- There are countless people who, ever since(prep.） their early years, have learned to associate.
- Assuming that his family had been killed during an air-raid, Hans settled down in a Village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since(adv.）.
- It's been the same way ever since(conj.） we were kids.
- He has been depressed ever since(conj.） he got divorced.
知识点（2）Lesson03-43
have difficulty (in) doing sth. 做某事很困难
= have trouble (in) doing sth.
= have a hard time doing sth.
- She had a hard time writing the dear John letter（绝交信）.
- We had no difficulty (in) finding the house.
- I had some trouble (in) reading his letter. His handwriting is very bad.
have a good time doing sth. 做某事开心、轻松
知识点（3）【词汇】
range v. (fml.) 英文解释：to assign to a category, classify 归类，分类
知识点（4）
in between adv. & prep.
= between
- I lost my keys somewhere in between the car and the house.
- One town ends where the next begins and there's a road that runs in between.
语法分析：
As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed（which...定语从句）（to ... 后置定语,修饰solution）.
语法分析：
His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air（方式状语）, no more than one or two feet thick（后置定语）. （to … 不定式做表语）
知识点（1）Lesson04-13、Lesson04-29 形容数量多少
【Part1】
语法：no more than … 只有、仅仅，只不过……
语法：not more than … 最多……，不超过……
- No more than 20 people are present.
- We were standing no more than 10 meters away from the scene of the crime and we didn't realize it.
- His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air, no more than one or two feet thick.
- When one seriously studies the social orders that have had the opportunity to develop autonomously, the figure becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation.
- Not more than 20 people are present.
- She is not more than thirty.
【Part2】
语法：no less than+数词+计量名词(时间；距离；金额) （强调数量特别大）“足足有……；有……之多”
语法：not less than+数词+计量名词(时间；距离；金额) “至少有……；不少于……”
- He won no less than $1,000,000 in the lottery.
- He won not less than $1,000,000 in the lottery.
语法：no fewer than+ 数词 + 普通名词“足足有……；有……之多”
语法：not fewer than+数词+普通名词 “至少有……；不少于……”
- No fewer than a thousand people came.
- Not fewer than a thousand people came.
注意：当代英语：less than渐渐取代fewer than
【Part3】
语法：less than+数词+计量名词(时间；距离；金额) 还不到…
- less than 20 minutes / a foot / 2 miles / 10 dollars
- The holes are only borings, less than a foot in diameter.
语法：fewer than+数词+普通名词
- There are fewer than 20 applications.
- The whole of Switzerland has fewer than six million inhabitants.
【Part4】Lesson03-36、Lesson04-21
nothing but … 只，只有
- He had nothing but a cup of tea this morning．
- William S. hart was, perhaps, the greatest of all Western stars, for unlike Gary Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns.
- I have heard of writers who read nothing but their own books; …
【Part5】【扩展】
nothing more than（贬义）只不过是
- He dismissed Bryan as nothing more than an amateur.
知识点（1）Lesson03-18 复合形容词
shaped adj. used with many nouns to make adjectives describing the shape of something形状的；[suffix] 和其他词放在一起构成复合形容词
- Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.
- I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work after I had reassembled it, for the simple reason that I was left with several curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere.
- My cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously-shaped bottle on permanent display in his study.
- She has a perfectly shaped figure.
- heart-shaped 心形的
- pear-shaped 梨形的
- V-shaped V形的
知识点（2）【词汇】
jet n. 英文解释：a narrow stream of liquid or gas that comes quickly out of a small hole, or the hole itself 喷射；喷嘴
- to clean the gas jets on the cooker
- She soaped herself beneath the refreshing jets of water.
语法分析：
It 'flies', therefore（插入语）, but it cannot fly higher―its action depends on the surface, water or ground（插入语）, over which it rides（定语从句）.
知识点（1）课文地点介绍
Solent: A narrow channel between the Isle of Wight and the southern mainland of England. The Solent provides access to the port of Southampton. 苏伦特海峡
知识点（1）【词汇】
mount v. 含义1. go up, ascend 登上
- He mounted the platform and addressed the crowd.
- A car suddenly mounted the pavement to avoid a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
mount v. 含义2. to fix sth. into position on sth., so that you can use it, look at it or study it 将某物固定住（以备使用、展示或研究）
- Triple gun-decks mounted sixty-four bronze cannon.
mount v. 含义3. to increase gradually 逐渐增加
- The death toll continues to mount.
- This modern faith in medicines is proved by the fact that the annual drug bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures and shows no signs at present of ceasing to rise.
mount v. 含义4. get onto or put sb. onto a horse, etc. for riding（使）骑上马等
- He quickly mounted his horse and rode away.
- He mounted the boy on the horse.
- The policemen were mounted on black horses.
- Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either side, …
语法分析：
Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves（方式状语）, which presented no problem（which... 非限定性定语从句）.
知识点（1）
be / pose / present a problem for … 为…构成威胁
- Racial tensions in the south of the city pose a real problem for the police.
- The high rate of inflation presents a serious problem for the government.
【扩展】【形近词组】
- be / pose / present / constitute a hazard to … 构成隐患
- be / pose / present / constitute a threat / menace to … 构成威胁
语法分析：
Since that time（时间状语）, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
知识点（1）
take up v. 英文解释：start or begin sth, esp. a job 开始（某种工作等）
- She has taken up a job as a teacher.
知识点（2）【词汇】
service n. [U] 英文解释：used to talk about whether a piece of equipment, a vehicle etc. is available to be used, or how long it can be used （设备，交通工具等）被使用，得到使用
- These trains have been in service for many years.
- The escalator is still out of service.
- Steel tools can give good service for years.
语法分析：
（并列1）The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications（后置定语，修饰large areas） such as Africa or Australia（such as… 后置定语，修饰large areas with…）; （并列2）it can become a 'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports（后置定语）; （并列3）giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; （并列4）and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail（后置定语）, which it never touches（which...定语从句）, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h. （方式状语） ― the possibilities appear unlimited.
知识点（1）【词汇】
communications n. [pl.] 英文解释：roads, railways etc that are used for travelling and sending goods 交通
- Paris has good communications with many European cities.
- Its commercial success as a city is partly due to its excellent rail and road communications.
知识点（2）【词汇】
fruit bowl n. 英文解释：A fruit bowl is a large bowl in which fruit is kept and displayed. 果盘
知识点（3）【词汇】
liner n. 英文解释：a large ship for passengers 客轮，班轮
- The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.
知识点（4）【词汇】
span v. 英文解释：to stretch right across sth, from one side to the other 跨越，贯穿
- a series of bridges spanning the river
知识点（5）
may / might / could well … 英文解释：used to say that sth. is like to happen or is likely to be true （某事）可能（发生或是真的）
- Another patient might equally well complain that her neighbours were combining to slander her and persecute her, and yet one might be cautious about believing this statement.
- Over the years one may well become an 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.
- Apart from moral considerations this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer.
知识点（6）【词汇】
possibilities n. [pl.] 英文解释：capability of being used or improved, potential 潜在价值，潜力
- The house is very dilapidated but it has possibilities.
- He was the first to see the possibilities of the plan.
知识点（7）【词汇】
unlimited adj. 英文解释：as much or as many as is possible, not limited in any 无限的，无穷的
- Demand for health care appears virtually unlimited.
- This new technology opens up almost unlimited possibilities.