高中英語必修4Unit4教案

to twiddle one’s thumbs  無聊地繞動著兩個大拇指，表示無所事事，懶散。
thumbs down 大拇指朝下，表示反對或拒絕。
thumbs up 翹起大拇指，表示贊成或夸獎。
但值得一提的是在英美等西方國家，有時會看到有人站在馬路邊，朝駛過來的車輛伸出一只翹起大拇指的拳頭。這是請求搭便車的意思。所以搭車也可以說“to thumb a lift”。
2. introduction of a book about body language of horses:
 horses communicate with remarkable accuracy in a language of posture, gesture and sound. they express their needs, wishes and emotions to each other and to the rare human being who understands them. after reading this unprecedented (空前的), exciting and up-lifting book, you will understand the equine (horse’s) language. you therefore will know how to recognize:
 a happy horse. a frightened horse. an angry horse. a bored horse. a grieving (令人憂傷的) horse. a frustrated (受挫折的) horse. a horse in pain. a playful horse. a proud horse. an eagerly competitive horse. and many horses more!
 moreover, you will know how to reassure the frightened, calm the angry, comfort the grieving, divert (使解悶)the bored-and deal with most other human-equine difficulties. you will know how to educate a foal (駒) or rehabilitate (挽救) a rogue (無賴). you will know how to look at race horses on their way to the starting gate and tell the likely winners from the losers.
 you even will know how to buy a horse.
 but best of all, you will finally understand what these grand animals are all about, and you will know better than ever before how they (and we) fit into nature’s scheme (plan)of things.
3. an extra reading passage about body language:
 when we communicate with other people it is not only our words that contain the meaning. an important part of that meaning comes from what is called “non-verbal (非言辭的) communication”. by this we mean facial expression; gestures with hands, arms, legs; the way we sit or stand; the way we touch other people; the distance we keep between ourselves and the people we are talking to; our dress and our appearance. all these say something to other people.
 facial expressions and gestures are used by everyone often spontaneously (自發地), even unconsciously. smiling, for example, is found in most cultures as a sign of happiness or pleasure. gestures such as pointing, waving, shaking or nodding the head are also widely used, although the gestures themselves do not always mean the same in every culture. i once asked a portuguese student why bank officials in lisbon seemed so dour (gloomy)-sorry lisbon bank clerks, but it’s true-and he told me that if they smiled too much they would not seem serious about their work.