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新视野三版 读写 B2 U3 Text A
Journey through the odyssey years
1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old
age. We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. These
challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child"s need to learn, the adult"s need to find the right career and build a family, and the senior"s need for support and good health care. 2 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing.
3 In previous times, people didn"t have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of
adolescence. Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. Then during this career they would start a family, ideal y before they turned 30.
4 Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life that comes after high school graduation, continues through college, and then leads to starting a family and having a career, the so-cal ed odyssey years. Recent trends show radical changes as young people are fol owing a
different agenda. They take breaks from school, live with friends and often
return to living with their parents. Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one job and try another or even shift to a new career. So, we need to recognize this new stage, the odyssey years, which many now consider to be an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood.
5 People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended to frame their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain
accomplishments: moving away from home, becoming financial y independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family. But that emphasis on stability did not remain static. Today, young people are unlikely to do the same. During the odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage, child bearing, and even employment.
6 The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to
move forward quickly. As the sole heir and focus of their parents" expectations, hopes and dreams, some react with rebellious and prideful attitudes and
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behavior toward their parents. They often resent the pressure they"re feeling and keep a distance from their parents or even run away from home. Their confusion comes from the difficulties to make parents understand them and the fluid journey of discovery they need in this phase of their lives. To get away from this confusion and upset, many young people resort to computer games, iPods, iPhones, or iPads, to help distract them from their pain and stress. 7 Likewise, their parents are feeling more anxious. They may
make allowances for a transition phase from student life to adult life, but they get upset when they see the transition of their grown children"s lives moving away from their expectations and stretching five years to seven years, and beyond. The parents don"t even detect a clear sense of direction in their
children"s lives. They look at them and see the things that are being delayed. 8 It"s hard to predict what"s next. New guidelines haven"t been established yet, and everything seems to give way to a less permanent version of
itself. There"s been a shift in the status and balance of power between the genders, too. More women are getting degrees than men. Male wages have remained stable over the past decades, while female wages have boomed. 9 Apart from anything else, this has had an implicit effect on
courtship. Educated women can get many of the things they want, such as security, accomplishment, and identity without marriage. However, both genders are having a harder time finding suitable mates to build their lives with. Considering all of this, it"s beneficial to know that even though graduates are delaying many things after college, surveys show they still hold highly traditional aspirations. For example, this contemporary generation rates parenthood even more highly than previous generations did!
10 This new phase will likely grow more pronounced in the coming
years. Nations around the world have witnessed similar trends toward delaying marriage and spending more years than ever shifting between higher education and settling down with a career and family.
11 Nevertheless, graduates shouldn"t be deceived into thinking they can back off simply because things have become more difficult. A large number of people chasing relatively fewer opportunities can create strong competitive pressure. So, from the outset, keep your resume professional and up-to-date. 12 To reinforce this essential message, success moving through the odyssey years will come to those who don"t expect to achieve their goals right away but know that they must have the strength, capacity and confidence to endure over the long term. If you"re a little late with your goals, don"t feel like a failure! Stay
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strong, be positive, and keep focused! Someday you will look back and wonder at the vast changes as you passed through the odyssey years.
Language Points:
1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. (Para. 1)
Meaning: Most of us know about the different life stages that we describe according to different age groups: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
2 We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. (Para. 1)
Meaning: We sequence the life stages of infancy, childhood, middle age and old age according to their natural order, with each particular life stage facing its own featured challenges.
Sentence structure note:
“with＋名词/代词＋现在分词”作独立主格结构
“with＋名词/代词＋现在分词”构成独立主格结构，主要用作状语，可以表示伴随、方式、原因、时间等。
with 之后的名词和其后的现在分词构成主谓关系，其中现在分词表示主动或正在进行的动作。例如：
*She sat down at the table, with each dish emitting a delicious smell .她在餐桌旁坐了下来，
每道菜都散发出扑鼻的香味。（状语表示伴随）
*The girl sat there quite silent with her eyes fixing on the wall.女孩坐在那里一言不发，目 不转睛地盯着墙壁。（状语表示方式）
*With our food running out, we had to walk to a vil age for help.由于我们的食物即将吃完，
我们不得不步行到一个村子寻求帮助。（状语表示原因） *With summer coming, it is becoming hotter and hotter.随着夏季来临，天气变得越来越热。（状语表示时间） Usage note: peculiar, characteristic, unusual
peculiar, characteristic 和 unusual 都可用作形容词，都含有表示“有特点的；有特色的”等意思，但有细微差别。
*1 从词义上说，peculiar 着重“独特性”，强调“与众不同的”特征；characteristic常强调所指性质的典型性,也可以表示这些性质使某一事物区别于其他的事物；unusual 强调“少见的”，与通常的情况“截然不同的”或“未曾
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预料的”特征。例如：
*The wine has a peculiar taste. 这种酒有种独特的味道。 *It’s characteristic of her that she never complained.从来不发牢骚是她的个性。
*It was not unusual for me to come home at two or three in the morning. 凌晨两三点回家对
我来说是很平常的事。
2 从用法上说，peculiar 通常和介词 to 搭配，表示“为某人或某物所特有”；characteristic通常和介词 of 搭配，表示“某物或某人有…特性、特征、特色”；unusual 通常和介词 for 搭配，表示“对…不同寻常”。例如：
*Great minds in general look at life in a way peculiar to themselves. 一般来说，伟大的思想家都以自己独特的眼光来看待生活。
With the friendly and generous care so characteristic of these people, they opened their house to over 50 guests. 这些人以特有的友好和慷慨关爱，在家接待了 50 多位客人。
It’s not unusual for teenagers to go through a phase when they feel ashamed of their parents, afraid that they might not live up to their friends’ standards. 青少年经历为自己的父母感到羞愧的阶段是很平常的，他们生怕自己的父母达不到他们朋友所设的标准。
He asked me if there was anything unusual about the man who had robbed me, but I couldn"t accurately describe the man. 他问我那个抢劫了我的男人是否有什么不寻常之处，但我不能准确地描述那个男子。
3 These challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child’s need to learn, the adult’s need to find the right career and build a family, and the senior’s need for support and good health care. (Para. 1) Meaning: By familiarizing ourselves with the particular challenges such as the needs for different age groups: child, adult, and senior, we can surely overcome all these challenges.
Meaning beyond words: If we stay positive and optimistic, we’l successful y handle the challenges at different life stages.
4 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing. (Para. 2)
Meaning beyond words: Since the sentence states that the ideas about life stages are changing, it’s predictable that the fol owing text will focus on this topic.
5 In previous times, people didn’t have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence. (Para. 3)
Meaning: In the past, people didn’t have a clear concept about separating childhood from adulthood. Children were simply seen as youngsters. Likewise,
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people didn’t think about the life stage of adolescence a hundred years ago.
6 Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. (Para. 3)
Meaning: People used to consider it normal: As soon as students graduated from college,they would become part of the adult community and find a practical and reliable job toward a career.
Meaning beyond words: Things are no longer the same as they were in the past. College graduates won’t find an ideal job right after they graduate from school. It’l take longer time before they start with their career. Usage note: sensible, sensitive
1. sensible 表示“明智的”，如：a sensible person（一个明智的人），a sensible plan（一个切合实际的计划）。
A sensible person makes good decisions and adjustments based on reason rather than emotion.
一个明智的人会根据理智而不是情感来做出合理的决定和判断。
*sensible 还可以表示“知道的；觉察的”，be sensible of … 表示“感知某事；察觉到某事”。 例如：
*I am sensible of the suffering you are undergoing. 我清楚你正在经历的痛苦。
2. sensitive 在词义上表示“敏感的；易受影响的”。例如：
*A sensitive person is easily upset by other people’s remarks or behavior. 敏感的人很容易因他人的言论或行为而生气。
*You shouldn’t be so sensitive about what people say. 你不应该对别人说什么如此敏感。
*sensitive to 表示 “对…过敏的；对…理解的”。例如：
Unfortunately, she is sensitive to penicillin, and I doubt whether any other drug will help her.
不幸的是，她对青霉素过敏，我不能确定是否有其他药物可以帮助她。
We’re trying to make people more sensitive to the difficulties faced by working mothers.
我们正在努力使人们更理解上班族妈妈所面临的困难。
7 Then during this career they would start a family, ideally before they turned 30.(Para. 3)
Meaning: While working on their career, they would get married to start their own family,preferably by age 30.
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