Text 1

Language notes

1. Melinda, 20, was taking time off from her restaurant job to do Christmas baking.

（20岁的梅林达在饭店工作。她专门请了假来准备家里的圣诞食品。）

Take off here means to have a holiday from work on the stated day or for the stated period.
e.g. I'm taking Tuesday off because I'm moving house.

2. Steve was already in bed; Brittany was on the floor, sound asleep.

（史蒂夫已上了床，女儿布里特妮躺在地板上睡着了。）

Sound asleep means deeply asleep.

3. The clock read 9:33 a.m. when Melinda awoke with a start.

（梅林达突然醒来时，时钟已指向早上9：33分了。）

Start here means a sudden uncontrolled movement, especially of a surprise. With a start is close to the phrase all of a sudden.

4. Her eyes were frozen open, wide and staring, her mouth agape.

（她冻得眼睛张开，瞪得很大，嘴也张着。）

Agape means wide open.

5. She's coming around pretty quickly.

（她会很快苏醒）。

Come around, also come round, or come to, means to regain consciousness.

Text 2

About the author

    A Contributing Editor with both Family Circle and Reader's Digest, William Hendryx is regularly published in those magazines as well as Woman's Day and other national and international publications. Prior to becoming a magazine freelance, Hendryx worked 17 years as an award-winning copywriter/creative director in the advertising industry.

Language notes

1. Moving across the first two lanes, the car shot across the two southbound lanes without receiving a scratch.

（汽车穿过了前面两条车道，接着又冲过了那两条南向车道，车身居然没有碰上任何东西。）

Southbound means leading towards the south.

2. At this point, traffic had all but stopped.

（这时，路上的车几乎都停了下来。）

All but means almost, nearly.
e.g. It's all but impossible. (= It's almost impossible.)

3. Skip ran abreast of him toward the river.

（斯基普和他并肩朝河边跑去。）

Abreast means next to one another and facing the same way.
e.g. They were cycling abreast.

4. As Rodger Brownlee got his footing, he turned to see Skip Womack only a few feet behind.

（罗杰·布郎利站稳后，转过身来，看见斯基普·沃马克就在他面前几英尺处。）

Footing here means a firm placing of the feet.
e.g. She lost her footing on the muddy road and fell.

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