第一、词汇学习

middle-aged adj. 中年的

第二、短语学习

1. cry out：大喊，大声疾呼

范例：I cry out in surprise.

我吓得叫出来。

Do not cry out before you are hurt.

没受伤，别乱喊。

2. next to：紧靠......的旁边，接近

范例：May I bring my chair next to yours?

我可以把我的椅子移到你的旁边吗？

Peter sat next to Paul on the sofa.

彼得挨著保罗坐在沙发上。

3. a number of：若干，许多

范例：A number of local personalities were present at the meeting.

一些当地名人出席了会议。

A number of records fell during the sports meet.

在运动会上破了多项记录。

4. look up：仰望，仰视

范例： At last she was able to look up with tearful eyes and a smile.

最后她终于含着泪眼，微笑着抬起头来。

I couldn't look up. My eyes were getting wet.

我眼泪盈眶，抬不起头来。

第四、写作语汇

1. faint light of a candle：昏暗的烛光

2. rough beds：简陋的床铺

3. broken stairs：破烂的楼梯

4. black with age：随着岁月而变黑的

5. in front of：在......的前面

6. a bottle of：一瓶

7. divide his attention between A and B：将注意力分散在A和B之间，一边做.....，一边做......

第五、语法点拨

1. In front of the fire was a table with a candle stuck into a bottle of beer, and an old man, with a horribly ugly face and red hair, stood next to the fire cooking.

要点解析1：第一处划线部分是介词段做定语修饰table，这个介词短语中stuck into a bottle of beer是过去分词短语做后置定语，修饰candle。

要点解析2：第二处划线部分是介词短语修饰man。

2. He was wearing a dirty old coat and seemed to divide his attention between his cooking and a number of silk handkerchieves, which were hanging near the fire．

要点解析：划线部分是非线性定语从句修饰handkerchieves。

3. Four or five boys, about the same age as the Artful Dodger, sat round the table, smoking and drinking like middle-aged men．

要点解析1：换线部分1是介词短语做定语修饰boys。

要点解析2：划线部分2是现在分词短语做伴随状况状语。