Lesson 94 Future champions未来的冠军
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What kind of race do the children compete in?
Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water. The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them. Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.
参考译文
实验证明，儿童在很小的时候就可以开始学习游泳。在洛杉矶的一个特设的游泳池里，孩子们甚至在还没有学会走路时就已经能熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。两 个月的婴儿并未显得不愿意入水。他们很快便适应了游泳，以致能捡起池底的物品。这些幼小的游泳运动员非常喜爱的一种游戏是水下三轮车比赛。三轮车并排放在 7英尺深的游泳池底上。孩子们比赛看谁先到达游泳池的另一端。很多孩子用脚蹬车，但多数孩子更愿意推或是拉着三轮车。有些孩子能够跑完游泳池的全长而不用 露出水面换气。他们将来是否能成为奥林匹克的冠军，这只能由时间来作出回答。与此同时，他们对我们中的那些游不了5码就已喘不过气来的人应该是种鼓舞。
New words and expressions 生词和短语
instruct
v. 指导，传授
Los Angeles
洛杉矶
reluctant
adj. 勉强的，不愿意的
weight
n. 重物
underwater
adj. 水下的
tricycle
n. 三轮车
compete
v. 比赛，对抗
yard
n. 码
gasp
v. 喘气
Lesson 94 自学导读First things first
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．…children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk．……孩子们甚至在还没有学会走路时就已经能熟练地在水下屏住呼吸了。
（1）expert表示“熟练者”、“专家”，后面通常跟 at／in+ doing sth．结构（cf．第59课课文详注）：
Rex soon became an expert at opening the gate.
雷克斯很快成了开门的专家。
（2）hold one's breath 为固定短语，表示“屏住呼吸”：
When the film became very exciting, Tom and Sally
would hold their breath.
电影演到激动人心处时，汤姆和萨莉就会屏住呼吸。
Last night, when I heard a strange noise coming from the bar, I held my breath and listened carefully.
昨天晚上，当我听到酒吧间有奇怪的响声后便屏住呼吸仔细听。
2．It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. 他们很快便适应了游泳，以致能捡起池底的物品。
not long before 通常译为“不久”、“很快”。 so…that 引导的是结果状语从句。 pick up 表示“捡起”。weight 在这里指比重较大（因此能沉在水底）的物品。 be accustomed to 表示“习惯的”、“适应了的”，后面通常跟名词或动名词：
My mother is accustomed to getting up early.
我母亲习惯早起。
He soon became accustomed to his new job.
他很快适应了新工作。
3．A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is…这些幼小的游泳运动员非常喜爱的一种游戏是……
popular表示“受欢迎的”、“讨人喜欢的”，常与with或among连用：
Swimming is popular with these girls.
这些姑娘们喜爱游泳。
Mary is popular with / among children.
玛丽受孩子们的欢迎。
4．Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool…
三轮车并排放在游泳池底上……
line up 为短语动词，表示“（使）排成行／排队”：
Why are people lining up over there?
人们在那边排队干什么？
Line these chairs up, please.
请把这些椅子排好。
5．Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. 他们将来是否能成为奥林匹克的冠军，这只能由时间来作出回答。
这是一个倒装句，宾语从句置于句首。通常，以疑问词引导的宾语从句会用于这种句型：
What made him do it, no one knows.
是什么使得他干了这事，没有人知道。
How they found out the truth, only George can tell.
他们是如何发现真相的，只有乔治能作出回答。
词汇学习 Word study
1．instruct vt．
（1）指导，教，传授：
Children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age.
儿童在很小的时候就可以开始学习游泳。
Dan instructs chemistry at a nearby college.
丹在附近的一所学院教化学。
（2）指示，命令，吩咐：
The doctor instructed Jimmy to stay in bed for a week.
医生嘱咐吉米卧床一星期。
I've been instructed to give you this parcel.
我奉命将这个包裹交给您。
2．compete vi．
（1）比赛，对抗（通常与 with或 against连用）：
The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool.
孩子们比赛看谁先到达游泳池的另一端。
How many people will compete in the race?
有多少人参加这个比赛？
During the singing contest, Mary competed with Helen for the first prize.
在歌咏比赛中，玛丽与海伦争夺一等奖。
（2）匹敌，比得上，媲美（通常与with连用，多用于否定句）：
Hugh's house can't compete with yours.
休的房子比不上你的。
None of his later books can compete with his first one.
他后来的书没有一本能比得上第一本。
