Language Point 1
I liked him the minute I saw him! (Para. 1)
Meaning: I liked him as soon as I saw him!
"The minute (that)" is used here as a conjunction to mean "as soon as":
Telephone me the minute he arrives! 他一到，你就给我打电话!
"The moment (that)", "the instant (that)", and "the second (that)" can be used in the same way, for example:
Telephone me the instant (that) you get the results. 你一得到结果，就给我打电话。
I loved you the moment (that) I saw you. 我对你是一见钟情。
Language Point 2
Such statements are examples of "snap judgments", opinions which are formed suddenly, seemingly on no sound reason at all. (Para. 1)
Meaning: Such statements are examples of "snap judgments"; they are opinions formed suddenly and they seem not to be based on reason.
Language Point 3
Most people say snap judgments are unsound or even dangerous. (Para. 1)
Meaning: Most people believe snap judgments are not based on reason or may even be dangerous.
Language Point 4
They also admit they often make snap judgments and find them to be fairly sound. (Para. 1)
admit: vt. say that something is true and accurate. When it is used in this sense, it is often followed by a "that" clause.
The man admitted (that) he had stolen from the bank. 那人承认偷盗了银行。
He refused to admit (that) he had destroyed the machine. 他拒绝承认自己破坏过机器。
Language Point 5
Snap judgments like "love at first sight" or "instant hate", if taken seriously, have usually been considered signs of immaturity or lack of common sense. (Para. 2)
Meaning: If they are taken seriously /If they are believed to be worth paying attention to, snap judgments have been thought to be signs of not being mature or not having common sense.
Language Point 6
Snap judgments like "love at first sight" or "instant hate", ... (Para. 2)
love at first sight: to fall in love with someone the first time you see them
The phrase "at first sight" means your first encounter with someone or something:
Nothing is ever quite as good or quite as bad as it looks at first sight. 任何事都没有乍一看那么好或者那么糟糕。
instant hate: the hate that occurs immediately you see someone or something
Language Point 7
...if taken seriously, have usually been considered signs of immaturity or lack of common sense. (Para. 2)
a sign of/signs of: something that shows the evidence of sth.
another sign of a person's nature (Para. 9)
A nod is a sign of agreement. 点头就是表示同意。
Words are the signs of ideas. 词语是思想的符号。
common sense: the ability to behave in a mature way and make practical decisions
Sometimes we guess the meanings of unknown words or expressions in a reading passage through common sense. 有时我们通过常识来猜阅读文章中的生词或词组的意
义。
Language Point 8
When someone "has a feeling" about someone else, people more often laugh than pay attention. (Para. 2)
Meaning: When someone judges someone else by using his feelings instead of thinking carefully, people more often laugh at his judgment than pay attention to it.
Language Point 9
Others say "actions speak louder than words," usually in relation to keeping promises, paying bills or sending money home. (Para. 2)
Meaning: Others say that people show what they really think and feel by what they do, rather than by what they say. This is usually connected to keeping a promise, paying bills or sending money home.
The saying "actions speak louder than words" is used to say that a person is judged by what he does, rather than what he says he will do.
Language Point 10
...in relation to keeping promises, paying bills or sending money home. (Para. 2)
in relation to: with regard to, concerned with
They looked at the map to find where they were in relation to their position. 他们查看地图，以从他们四周的情况来判断他们的位置。
Temperature changes in relation to pressure. 温度随压力的变化而变化。
keep a promise/keep one's promise/ keep promises: keep one's word
It is easier to make a promise than to keep a promise. 作出承诺容易，实现承诺不易。
Language Point 11
Because people assume "you are what you say you are", they talk a lot to become acquainted with each other. (Para. 3)
Meaning: Because people believe that they can judge a person by what he is talking about, they talk a lot to become familiar with each other.
The word "assume" means "to accept or believe that something is true even though you have no evidence".
Most people assume the lack of success is the result of his carelessness. 大部分人都认为他的失败是粗心的结果。
When the teacher saw the two students talking during the exam, she assumed they were discussing the answers and got angry. 当老师发现两个学生在考试中交谈时，就以为他们在讨论答案，为此很生气。
Language Point 12
Once two people have become acquainted, they think it was their conversation that gave them their information about each other. (Para. 3)
Meaning: Once two people have become familiar with each other, they think it is through talking they get their information about each other.
be/become/get acquainted: to get to know sth./sb.
Be/become/get acquainted is often followed by "with" to introduce an object.
Police said the thieves were obviously well acquainted with the school grounds. 警察说很明显那些贼对校园很熟悉。
She returned to Shanghai, where she became acquainted with many well-known writers. 她回到上海，在这里她结识了许多名作家。
Language Point 13
...they think it was their conversation that gave them their information about e
ach other. (Para. 3)
it is/was ... that: a sentence pattern that is used to give special importance to one part of a sentence
It was Harry that told the police. 是哈里报了警。
It is the body language that tells others about who you are. 是形体语言告诉了人家你是干什么的。
Language Point 14
As behavioral sciences develop, however, researchers find the importance of speech has been overestimated. (Para. 4)
Meaning: However, with the development of behavioral science, researchers find that the role of speech has been thought to be more important than it really is.
overestimate: vt. think something is bigger or more important, etc. than it really is
The sales manager overestimated the demand and the company was as a result left with 20,000 unsold copies. 销售经理过高地估计了需求，公司因此有两万册书没有售出去。
The failing of the project forced us to conclude that we had overestimated his abilities. 项目的失败使我们得出结论：我们过高估计了他的能力。
Language Point 15
Although speech is the most obvious form of communication, we do use other forms of which we may be only partially aware, or in some cases, completely unaware. (Para. 4)
Meaning: Although speech is the most obvious form of communication, we do use other forms of communication. We may be only partly aware of these forms, or in some cases, we may be completely unaware of them.
Language Point 16
...we do use other forms of which we may be only partially aware, or in some cases, completely unaware. (Para. 4)
partially: ad. partly; not completely
Much of the forest land in California was partially destroyed by a forest fire in 1985. 加州许多林地在1985年的森林大火中部分遭到破坏。
You are partially correct if you think air pollution is caused by factories, but a great deal of pollution is also caused by cars. 认为工厂污染了大气只是说对了一部分，许多污染是汽车所造成的。
Language Point 17
It is possible we are unconsciously sending messages with every action, messages which are unconsciously picked up by others and used in forming opinions. (Para. 4)
Meaning: We may without knowing send messages with every action and other people may also without knowing receive them and use them in forming opinions.
pick up: learn or get unconsciously and without particular effort
Children pick up foreign languages easier than adults. 孩子们学外语比成年人容易。
When I lived in China, I picked up some ideas for good cooking. 我住在中国时，学会了一些烹调知识。
Language Point 18
These unconscious actions and reactions to them may in part account for our 'feelings' and 'snap judgments.' (Para. 4)
Meaning: These unconscious actions of sending and receiving and reactions to them may partially explain the cause of our 'feelings' and `snap ju
dgments'.
account for: explain and give information about
Can you account for your being absent last Friday? 你能说明上周五缺席的原因吗？
She was unable to account for over $1,000. 她无法解释1,000多美元的用途。
Language Point 19
Imagine a few people sitting in a waiting room... (Para. 5)
Meaning: Pretend you see a few people sitting in a waiting room...
If you imagine a situation, your mind forms a picture or idea of it. Notice the use of structure "imagine someone /something + V-ing" in the sentence.
Language Point 20
...another keeps rubbing his hands together, another is biting his fingernails, still another grabs the arms of his chair tightly and one keeps running his fingers through his hair. (Para. 5)
keep (on) doing: continue to do
Whatever happens, keep (on) trying. 不管发生什么，坚持努力下去。
I don't know what's wrong with me today: I keep breaking things. 我不知道今天我怎么了，老是打破东西。
My parents kept encouraging me to study. 父母不断鼓励我学习。
Language Point 21
These people aren't talking but they're "saying" a lot if you know the "body language" they're using. (Para. 5)
Meaning: These people aren't actually speaking but they are giving a lot of information if you understand the message sent through their every action.
Language Point 22
Two of the most "telling" forms of behavior are driving a car and playing games. (Para. 6)
Meaning: The way one drives a car and plays a game shows a great deal about one's true feelings, or thoughts.
"telling" forms of behaviors: forms of behaviors that can tell something or show something
Language Point 23
Notice a person's reaction to stress in these situations and to aggressive behavior in others. (Para. 6)
reaction: the way a person reacts to something
reaction to: reply to; something produced by ...
What was his reaction to your suggestion? 他对你的建议是什么反应？
They have different reactions to the political events they read about in the newspaper. 对于从报纸上读到的政治事件，他们的反应不一。
Human reactions to body language are not always known in advance, but sometimes they are. 人对于形体语言的反映不总是可以预见的，但有时是可以预见的。
"Reaction" also means "a course of change that occurs when two or more kinds of matter are put together".
a chemical reaction between iron and oxygen 铁与氧的化学反应
Language Point 24
Those who easily become angry, excited, passive or resentful when driving or playing may be giving insights into the inside self. (Para. 6)
Meaning: When people are driving a car or playing a game, those people who easily become angry, excited, or accept what is happening without attempting to change it, or easily become upset about something that they think it is unfair may be telli
ng us something useful and valuable about their true nature.
Language Point 25
...when driving or playing may be giving insights into the inside self. (Para. 6)
give (sb.) an insight/insights into: enable sb. to see or understand something very clearly
Learning a foreign language also gave me insights into another culture. 学习外语使我对不同的文化有了深刻的理解。
Language Point 26
While clothing serves a purely practical function, how you dress also communicates many things about your social status, state of mind and even your aspirations and dreams. (Para. 6)
Meaning: "While the purpose of wearing clothes is simply practical, the way you dress also sends information /messages about your position in society, about how you feel and think, even about your strong desires and dreams to do or be something.
Language Point 27
What you communicate through your kind of dress definitely influences others to accept the picture of yourself you are projecting; in the business world, the person who dresses like a successful manager is most likely to be promoted into a managing position. (Para. 7)
Meaning: The messages sent through what and how you dress certainly have an effect on other people in regard to what you are feeling and thinking about in your mind. For example, a person in the business world who dresses in a way a successful manager does is most likely to be promoted to be a manager.
Language Point 28
...the picture of yourself you are projecting ...(Para. 7)
project oneself: present or show one's qualities
The student tries to project himself in order to make a good impression on the new teacher. 那位学生设法表现自己以获得新老师的好感。
Not many people understand that body language also helps project one's self in a certain way. 形体语言在某种程度上可以表现自我，这一点不是许多人都知道的。
Language Point 29
...the person who dresses like a successful manager is most likely to be promoted into a managing position. (Para. 7)
promote: vt. raise someone to a higher level or position
The company has promoted her twice in the last two years. 公司在去年提升了她二次。
If he is not promoted soon, he plans to get a job with another company. 如果他不能马上获得提升，他准备去另一家公司求职，
Language Point 30
Such ornaments are often the means by which a person announces a variety of things about himself: his convictions (campaign buttons), his faith (religious tokens), his membership in certain groups (club pins or badges), his past achievements (college ring or Phi Beta Kappa key) and his economic status (diamonds). (Para. 8)
Meaning: "Ornaments like these are often used by people to tell other people about various things about themselves. For example, a person wears a campaign button to show his conviction, wears
a religious token to show his faith, wears a club pin or badges to show he is a member of a certain group, wears a college ring or Phi Beta Kappa key to show he completed college studies, or wears diamonds to show how rich he is.
Language Point 31
...his convictions (campaign buttons)...(Para. 8)
conviction: n. very strong opinion or thought held to be true
She will not go against her convictions. 她不会背叛信念。
He has strong convictions about his cause; he will not change his mind. 他对事业有很强的信念，他不会改变自己的想法。
Language Point 32
Another sign of a person's nature is said to be found in his choices in architecture and furniture. A person who really would like to live in a castle would probably be more at home in the Middle Ages. (Para. 9)
Meaning: People believe that what furniture a person chooses also tells us his nature. If a person really would like to live in a castle, he would feel more comfortable in the Middle Ages.
be /feel at home: feel comfortable or relaxed in a place or situation
They were warm and friendly and I felt at home right away. 他们很热情友好，我很快就感到无拘无束了。
By the end of the year she was beginning to feel at home in her new job. 到年底前，她已经开始对新工作感到很熟悉了
Language Point 33
Those who like Victorian family houses and furniture might secretly welcome a return to more rigid social norms. (Para. 9)
Meaning: If people like Victorian family houses and furniture, they might silently accept the idea of going back to the strict way of behaving that was normal in the Victorian times.
Language Point 34
People who are content with modern design are probably comfortable with modern life-styles. (Para. 9)
Meaning: If people are satisfied with modern design, they are likely to feel at home with modern ways of life.
be content with: to be satisfied with
She is quite content with the job. 她对这工作挺满意的。
All of them are content with life there. 他们都对那儿的生活感到满意。
Language Point 35
There's a wealth of information there if you know how to "read" it. (Para. 10)
Meaning: You can get a great quantity of information from his action, his clothing and many other things if you know how to understand it.
a wealth of: a large number or quantity of
He has a wealth of experience in this area. 他在这领域有丰富的经验。