New seating plan （新的座位表）

对班主任来说，为学生们编排座位表是一件相当令人头痛的事情。无论老师认为新的安排有多好，也总会有学生抱怨。

　　TEACHER'S STS

　　Dear students，

　　I don't like an extra holiday like today （Why are there so many typhoon holidays this year？） because it makes me unable to finish the things that I plan to do. That is why I immediately came back to school when the typhoon signal number eight was replaced by signal number three. I had better give you this STS tomorrow so that you can write me something during your long weekend holiday.

　　I have almost finished the job of drawing up a new seating plan. I have re-seated most of you according to your own choices. Of course， it may not be your first choice—— maybe it is your second or third choice. If you don't believe it， you may come to me and check the records of your own choices. If you have written down a wrong choice， I am sorry， I can do nothing about it. Be smart next time， Okay？ There are three people who cannot be assigned a seat that is included in their choices. They are Eva， Carrie and Eric. I'm afraid they have to choose again from the eight remaining seats. But don't from the eight remaining seats. But don't forget next time they may enjoy priority over others in choosing a seat.

　　It is a headache for most class teachers to draw up a seating plan because no matter how he does it， there must be complaints from students. The most common complaint is that the class teacher does not treat everyone fairly. I agree that most class teachers love some students more than others. There is no equal love. They may be inclined to give better seats to those students that they love more. But believe me——I did not do anything like this though I really want to help some of you to get a good seat. The method that I have just used. I strongly believe， is fair to most of you. However， to a few of you. it may be unfair for you to be seated once again in the middle of those who always talk. Well， I promise you —— I will try my best to make them not talk. I would like to remind those talkative students that they have made a promise. Be nice to those sitting next to you； they are eager to listen to what the teacher says.

　　If you happen to be the unlucky one who gets a bad seat， keep hoping that some weeks later there will be a change. I agree that this world is unfair. Why did my elder brother have to die so early （at the age of 37）？ He was a good man and he never did anything to harm others but he had to die in pain（cancer）。 Yes， this world is unfair but we should try our best to be fair to others. Do you agree with me？

　　Dennis

　　这里用了两个like，前者是动词，意思是“喜欢”；后者是介词，意思是“像……这样的”，相当于such as.

　　留意正确用法：

　　·… makes me unable to … √

　　·… makes me cannot … ×

　　这里的 That is why 可用So或Therefore 代替。

　　这里的 had better 并非过去时，它的意思是“……/还是以……为好”。

　　指某一项或多项工作时，用job（s）比用work更贴切。work是不可数名词。

　　不少学生将course误写为cause.

　　maybe是副词，解作perhaps.切勿写作may be.

　　另外一种说法是：There is nothing I can do.

　　说 cannot be allocated也可，但如果用 cannot be given 则不太恰当，因为give并无分配的意思。

　　留意remain的不同用法：

　　·the eight remaining（形容词） seats √

　　·the eight seats that remain（动词） √

　　三种说法： take/has/enjoy priority over…均解作“比……有优先权”。

　　留意正确用法：

　　·there are complaints √

　　·there have complaints √

　　·there must be complaints √

　　·there must have complaints ×

　　…does not treat everyone fairly 也可简单地写作…is not fair to everyone.

　　inclined to 意思是“有倾向地做某事”暗示他们有点儿偏心。

　　将though置于句中，传意效果更佳。

　　留意正确用法：

　　·I strongly believe that … √

　　·I weakly believe that … ×

　　·I believe， though not strongly， that … √

　　make可以有“命令”、“吩咐”、“说服”、“警告”等意思。

　　这里的talkative意思是“多话的”，属于负面形容词。

　　… to those sitting next=… to those who sit next

　　listen 是不及物动词（intransitive verb），正确用法是：

　　·listen it×

　　·listen to it√

　　留意happen的不同意义：I happened（刚巧）to be there when the accident happened（发生）。

　　留意正确用法：

　　·there is a change √

　　·there has a change ×

　　·there will be a change √

　　·there will have a change ×

　　另外一种更能表现英语能力的说法是：he never did any harm to others.

　　in pain 相等于painfully.

　　LANGUAGE SKILL

　　English-style sentence structure

　　当某些英语句子的结构跟汉语句子的结构相似时，学生们会比较容易学习和掌握其中的意思和技巧。下面的例句便属于这一类型，试将下列的句子译成汉语，看看效果如何。

　　EXAMPLE

　　1.The most common complaint is that the class teacher does not treat everyone fairly.

　　2.I agree that most class teachers love some students more than others.

　　3.I agree that this world is unfair.

　　将上述句子译成汉语后，会发现效果也很理想。但实际上，很多英语句子的结构跟汉语句子的结构差异甚大。同学们应努力学习更多地道的英语句式，在写作时便不会生硬地将脑袋里的汉语译成英语。

　　此外，多用独特的英语句式，更能突出文章的英语“味道”和表现自己的英语能力。请参考本单元的例子，并留意画上横线的短语。

　　EXAMPLE

　　1.…I am sorry， I can do nothing about it.

　　2.There are three persons who cannot be assigned a seat …

　　3.It is a headache for must class teachers to draw up a seating plan.

　　4.If you happen to be the unlucky one who …