Lesson 48 Did you want to tell me something?

【New words and expressions】（6）
pull v. 拔
cotton wool 药棉
collect v. 搜集
collection n. 收藏品，收集品
nod v. 点头
meanwhile adv. 同时

★pull v. 拔
① vt.&vi. 拉，拖，牵，扯（反义词push vt. 推）
I felt someone pulling my arm.
pull one's leg 开某人玩笑
You are pulling my leg. 你在开我玩笑
Don't pull my leg any more. 不要再开我玩笑
You are kidding. 你在开玩笑
No kidding! 不要开玩笑了!
You are joking. （joke [dVEuk] n.笑话, 玩笑 v.(和……)开玩笑）
② vt.&vi. 拔，抽
You’re pulled out the wrong teeth!
He pulled an address book from his pocket.

★collect v. 搜集
★collection n. 收藏品, 收集品
collect salary 领工资；collect money 筹集资金；
collect stamp 集邮；collect children 收养孩子

★nod v. 点头
① vt.&vi. 点头，点头示意/招呼
I asked him if he wanted to come and he nodded his head.
When we meet each other in the office, he always nods at me.
② vi. 打盹，打瞌睡（常与off连用）
He used to nod off during the French class.
As he was very tired, he nodded over his reading.
因为他很累，所以他一边看书一边打盹。

★meanwhile adv. 同时
meanwhile = at the same time = in the same time
用法和 however 一样,不能连接两个句子,但是意思上有承接概念

【Text】
Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer. My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for a while. I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton wool. He knew I collected match boxes and asked me whether my collection was growing. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London. In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises. Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything. When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.

参考译文
牙科医生们总是在你无法作出回答的时候向你提出问题. 我的牙科医生刚刚给我拔掉了一颗牙, 叫我休息一会儿. 我想说点什么, 但我嘴里塞满了药棉. 他知道我收集火柴盒, 于是问我收藏的米柴盒是否在增加. 接着他又问我的兄弟近来如何, 问我是否喜欢伦敦的.新工作. 作为对这些问题的回答, 我不是点头, 就是发出奇怪的声音. 与此同时, 我的舌头正在忙着寻找刚拔掉的那颗牙的伤口. 我突然非常着急起来, 但却什么也说不出来. 当那位牙医最后将药棉从我嘴中取出时, 我总算有可能告诉他, 他拔错了牙.

【课文讲解】
1、Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer.
impossible通常不以人作主语，而以不定式或从句作主语：
It is impossible for him to help you. =It is impossible that he will help you.

2、In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises.
in answer to… 作为对……的回答；响应……的请求
In answer to my request, he wrote a letter to George. 应我的请求，他给乔治写了封信。
in return for 作为对……的报答

3、Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had been.
meanwihile 在此期间，与此同时
He won’t come until ten o’clock. Meanwhile you can have a rest.
Mary was talking to me about her new dress. Meanwhile I was thinking about something else.
be busy doing sth. 忙于做某事
search out 找出，搜寻
Have you searched out the books I needed?
where = 介词 + which
That is the house which I lived in. 这是我住的房子
=That is the house where I lived.
where称为关系副词,另外还有when也是关系副词
This is the river where I swim. （where作定语从句的标志,修饰前面的river）
The tooth had been in the hole. (in the hole = where)

4、When the dentist at last removed the cotton wool from my mouth, I was able to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.
remove可以表示“拿去，除去，去掉”，通常结构为“remove +名词 +from”，也可以单独使用：
I’ve removed that picture from the wall.
Please remove your hat.

【Multiple choice questions】
11 Meanwhile my tongue was busy…. ___b___ my tongue was busy…
a. However b. In the mean time c. Nevertheless d.Although
meanwhile=at the same time =in the mean time