生词学习：

1.generation：（家史中的）一代

My generation behaves differently from my father's and grandfather's.

我这一代人和我父辈及祖辈表现不同。

2.grave：庄重的

His face was grave when I told him my decision.

当我告诉他我的决定时，他的脸色很严肃。

3.violent：使用暴力的, 显示暴力的

Students were involved in violent clashes with the police.

学生与警方发生了暴力冲突。

4.lunacy：精神错乱; 精神失常

Brien had tortured him to the edge of lunacy.

奥勃良快把他折磨到了神经错乱的地步。

5.cleverly聪明地

The case was cleverly put.

这问题讲得很妙。

6.lunatic：精神失常的; 疯的

7.asylum：精神病院

He was soon committed to an insane asylum.

不久他就给送进了疯人院。

8.torment：苦痛, 折磨, 烦恼

He suffered a hideous torment when the enemy caught him.

敌人抓到他后，他受到可怕的折磨。

9.dwindle：逐渐变小(或减少)

The number of people going to the cinema seems to dwindle steadily.

看电影的人数似乎在逐渐下降。

10.snappish：脾气暴燥的

He's very snappish when he arrives at work in the morning.

早上他刚开始上班时,总是恶声恶气的。

11.mad：疯的; （患）精神病的; 精神错乱的

She became mad in the end because of her marriage.

由于婚姻她最终疯了。

短语学习：

1.keep away from：远离，回避

Police warn bystander to keep away from the blazing building.

警察告诫围观者，不要靠近燃烧的建筑物。

Keep away from him because he'll bend your ear for hours if given the chance.

别接近他，他一有机会就会缠着你唠唠叨叨地谈上几个钟头。

2.had better：应该, 最好, 还是 ... 好

You had better see about rooms for us.

你最好替我们去问问有没有房间。

The man had better have hanged himself.

这家伙最好是去悬梁自缢。

3.prop up：资助

The government does not intend to prop up declining industry

政府无意扶持不景气的企业

4.in torment：在痛苦中

He was in torment after the operation.

手术后他非常痛苦。

May she wake in torment!" he cried, with frightful vehemence, stamping his foot.

愿她在苦痛中醒来！他带着可怕的激动喊着，跺着脚。

5.stay out of：避开, 不介入, 不干涉

You stay out of this!

你别参与此事！

If you want to stay out of trouble, you'd best not make any mistakes.

如果你不想找麻烦，你最好别犯任何错误。

6.a bit：有点儿,一点,少量

Your copy of the dictionary is looking a bit the worse for wear.

你这本词典看来有点儿太旧了。

His ideas on this subject are a bit foggy.

他对这个问题的看法有些模糊。

7.in a lunatic asylum：在精神病院

8.spend the last 15 years：度过了近15年的日子

句型：

Sb is not told about..

没有人告知某人某事。

语法透视：

1.All I was told about was that my father had made a suitable match.

I was told about是定语从句，先行词是不定代词all，all是做定语从句中的介词about的宾语。关系代词只能用that，不能用which，且that可以省略。

2.You'd better not stay!

Had better在句子中做谓语的话，用于肯定句中，改为否定句的话直接在better的后面加上否定词not即可。

3.So was her mother.

这是倒装句。如果句中有so这个词，要将其句子进行倒装，so放于句首，后面紧跟系动词，然后再接主语。