精选阅读词汇笔记

精选阅读词汇笔记（一）fal编辑以下文章均选自真题及其他各类托福练习，在了解托福阅读文章的题材，形式的同时，应该重点掌握和注意下划线的词汇：P1ThefirstprofessionalclownbornintheUnitedStateswasJohnDurang(1768-1822),whocamefromadecidedlynoncircusfamily.Durangwasthefirstinalonglineofgreatclownstodynamicallycombinegenuinedramaticandcomedictalentwithahighlydevelopedproficiencyinawiderangeofcircustechniques.Helefthomeattheageof15totourasadancerwithatravelingperformer.Hislackofformaltrainingdidnotstophimfrombecominganaccomplishedpuppeteer,clown,Harlequin,dancer,ropewalker,equestrian,Shakespeareanactor,scenedesigner,andpyrotechnist.JohnBillRickettswasimpressedenoughtoofferhimajobin1793,butDurangdeclinedbecauseitrequiredsuperiorhorsemanship,askillwhichhehadnotyetacquired.In1795Rickettsrepeatedhisoffer,andthistimeDurangaccepted.Heimmediatelybeganpracticingtrickridingandwassoonabletoaddequestrianclowningtohisrepertoire.By1797DuranghadbecomeakeymemberofRickett'scompany,andthatsummerheandRickettsledthetroupeonatourintoCanada.Duringcontinuedhisremarkablecareerforthenext20years,performingintheatersandcircusesandevenmanaginghisowndramatictouringtroupefornineconsecutivesummers.BeforehediedJohnDurangrevealedyetanothertalentbywritinghismemoirs,theonlyextensivefirst-personaccountofcircuslifeintheearlyUnitedStates.clown:n.小丑,粗鲁愚蠢的人decidedly:adv.决定,断然；明了,无凝circus:n.马戏团,马戏,竞技场dynamically:ad.动态的genuine:a.真正的,真实的,诚恳的dramatic:a.戏剧性的,生动的comedic:a.喜剧的proficiency:n.精通,熟练,精练technique:n.技术,方法,表演法lack:n.缺乏,无,不足;vt.缺乏,短少,不足,需要;vi.缺乏accomplished:a.完成的,实现的,善社交的,有造诣的,熟练的puppeteer:n.操纵木偶的人,操纵傀儡harlequin:n.丑角ropewalker:n.走钢丝,绳索特技表演者equestrian:a.骑马的,马的,在马背上的;n.骑手Shakespearean:a.莎士比亚的scene:n.场,景,情景,景色,镜头,发生地点,布景,道具pyrotechnist:n.烟火制造者offer:n.出价,提议,意图,报价;vt.提供,出价,奉献,使出现,企图,演出;vi.出现,献祭,提议decline:n.衰微,跌落,下降;vt.使降低,婉谢;vi.下降,衰落,偏斜superior:n.长者,高手,上级;a.上好的,出众的,高傲的horsemanship:n.马术acquired:a.已取得的,已获得的,已成习惯的,后天的accepted:a.一般承认的,公认的immediately:ad.立刻,刚,立即trick:n.诡计,欺诈,谋略,癖好,恶作剧,决窍;vt.戏弄,欺骗,装饰;vi.哄骗,戏弄;a.有决窍的,特技的,欺诈的,漂亮的,靠不住的,有效的equestrian:a.骑马的,马的,在马背上的;n.骑手repertoire:n.全部剧目,保留剧目,全部技能troupe:n.一团,一班,剧团;vi.巡回演出consecutive:a.连续的,联贯的,始终一贯的reveal:vt.露出,显示,透露,(神)启示,揭露,泄露;n.窗侧,门侧memoir:n.传记,实录,追思录,回忆录,自传P2Sleepispartofaperson'sdailyactivitycycle.Thereareseveraldifferentstagesofsleep,andtheytoooccurincycles.Ifyouareanaveragesleeper,yoursleepcycleisasfollows.Whenyoufirstdriftoffintoslumber,youreyeswillrollaboutabit,yourtemperaturewilldropslightly,yourmuscleswillrelax,andyourbreathingwillslowandbecomequiteregular.Yourbrainwaversslowdownabittoo,withthealpharhythmofratherfastwavespredominatingforthefirstfewminutes.Thisiscalledstage1sleep.Forthenexthalfhourorso,asyourelaxmoreandmore,youwilldriftdownthroughstage2andstage3sleep.Theloweryourstageofsleep,thesloweryourbrainwaveswillbe.Then,about40to60minutesafteryouloseconsciousness,youwillhavereachedthedeepestsleepofall.Yourbrainwaveswillshowthelargeslowwavesthatareknownasthedeltarhythm.Thisisstage4sleep.Youdonotremainatthisdeepfourthstageallnightlong,butinsteadabout80minutesafteryoufallintoslumber,yourbrainactivitylevelwillincreaseagainslightly.Thedeltarhythmwilldisappear,tobereplacedbytheactivitypatternofbrainwaves.Youreyeswillbegintodartaroundunderyourclosedeyelidsasifyouwerelookingatsomethingoccurringinfrontofyou.Thisperiodofrapideyemovementlastsforsome8to15minutesandiscalledREMsleep.ItisduringREMsleepthatmostdreamsseemtooccur.ProvidedthatyoudonotwakeupduringthefirstREMsleepperiod,yourbodywillsoonrelaxagain,yourbreathingwillgrowslowandregularoncemore,andyouwillslipgentlybackfromstage1tostage4sleep---onlytoriseonceagaintothesurfaceofnearconsciousnesssome80minuteslater.activity:n.活动,动作,活力cycle:n.周期,循环,自行车,一段时间,整套;vi.循环,轮转,骑自行车;vt.使循环,使轮转occur:vi.发生,想到,存在average:n.平均,平均数,海损;a.一般的,通常的,平均的;vt.平均为,均分,使平衡;vi.买进,卖出drift:n.漂流物,观望,漂流;vt.vi.(使)漂流slumber:n.睡眠,沉睡状态;vi.熟睡,打盹,蜇伏;vt.睡着渡过(时间)roll:n.卷,滚动,名单,压路机,案卷,翻滚;vi.滚,滚动,飘流,起伏,绕,卷;vt.使滚动,卷,绕slightly:ad.些微地,苗条地muscle:n.肌肉,臂力relax:vi.放松,松懈,松弛,变从容,休息,休养;vt.使松驰,缓和,使松懈,使休息breathing:n.呼吸,瞬间,微风;a.呼吸的,逼真的alpha:n.希腊字母的第一个字母,最初,开端rhythm:n.旋律,节奏,韵律,匀称,节律predominate:vt.掌握,控制,支配;vi.统治,成为主流consciousness:n.意识,知觉,自觉reach:n.伸出,延伸,区域,岬,河段,范围;vt.到达,达到,伸出,延伸,影响;vi.达到,延伸,伸出手,传开delta:n.三角州,希腊字母的第四个字instead:ad.改为,抵作,更换,替代disappear:vi.消失,不见pattern:n.模范,典型,式样,模式,样品,格调,图案;vt.模仿,仿造,以图案装饰;vi.形成图案dart:n.飞镖,投射;vt.投射;vi.疾走,突进eyelid:n.眼皮,眼睑rapid:a.迅速的,飞快的,急促的,险峻的;n.急流REM:rapideyemovementprovided:conj.倘若gently:ad.轻轻地,逐渐地P3Beforethe1850'stheUnitedStateshadanumberofsmallcolleges,mostofthemdatingfromcolonialdays.Theyweresmall,church-connectedinstitutionswhoseprimaryconcernwastoshapethemoralcharacteroftheirstudents.ThroughoutEurope,institutionsofhigherlearninghaddeveloped,bearingtheancientnameofuniversity.InGermanyadifferentkindofuniversityhaddeveloped.TheGermanuniversitywasconcernedprimarilywithcreatingandspreadingknowledge,notmorals.Betweenmid-centuryandtheendofthe1800's,morethanninethousandyoungAmericans,dissatisfiedwiththeirtrainingathome,wenttoGermanyforadvancedstudy.Someofthemreturnedtobecomepresidentsofvenerablecolleges---Harvard,Yale,Columbia---andtransformthemintomodemuniversitie