Unit 2
Natural disasters
To explore the rules of to-infinitives as attributives and adverbials of result
To apply the rules
To practice the rules
A
Exploring the rules
Anna is interviewing her teacher, Mr. Li, about his experiences during a hurricane. Find the sentences with to-infinitives and fill in the table below. The first ones have been done for you.
A1
Sentences with to-infinitives:
I was staying in Atlanta, and that was one of the cities to be hit.
I turned on the TV for some local news, only to hear that a hurricane (n. 飓风) was on its way.
3) The roads were blocked, so there was noting for me to do but stay inside.
4) I had enough food and water to last a whole week!
5) When the wind and rain stopped, I looked out of the window, only to see huge trees lying across the street and water everywhere!
不定式前面的for短语用于引出其逻辑上的主语
{5C22544A-7EE6-4342-B048-85BDC9FD1C3A}To-infinitive as attributives
To-infinitive as adverbials of result
I was staying in Atlanta, and that was one of the cities to be hit.
That morning, I turned on the TV for some local news, only to hear that a hurricane was on its way.
The roads were blocked, so there was nothing for me to do but stay inside.
I had enough food and water to last a whole week!
When the wind and rain stopped, I looked out of the window, only to see huge trees lying across the street and water everywhere!
Working out the rules
When the to-infinitive is used as an attributive, it is often put ______ (before/after) the noun or pronoun it modifies.
When the to-infinitive is used as an adverbial of result, it can refer to an ______________ (expected/unexpected) result. In this case, we often use only before the to-infinitive.
after
unexpected
A2
v. 修饰
动词不定式作定语
动词不定式作定语,一般置于被修饰的名词后面,与名词之间常有一定的逻辑关系。具体如下:
1. 名词或代词为动词不定式的逻辑主语。如:
Wendy was the first student to arrive at school.
2. 名词或代词为不定式的逻辑宾语。如:
I have a meeting to attend.
如果不定式是不及物动词,需要加介词才能与名词之间构成动宾关系。如:
This is a good topic to talk about.
3. 名词与不定式是同位语关系。如:
Who has the ability to do the work?
She expressed a wish to make a change.
They don’t have the chance to carry out their strategy in this region.
They are trying to find out a way to help the villages get rid of poverty.
常接不定式作定语的名词有:ability, ambition, chance, wish, attempt, decision, moment, need, plan, promise, reason, time, way, courage, opportunity 等。
4. 动词不定式作定语,有被动形式。如:
The house to be built there will be a library.
He was the first person to be awarded such a prize.
She made a list of the people to be invited.
5. 当中心词是序数词或被序数词、形容词最高级及the next, the only, the last等限定时,常用不定式作后置定语。
She was the first woman to win the gold medal in the Olympic Games.
She is the only person to be admitted to the committee.
动词不定式作结果状语,常见于以下结构:
动词不定式作结果状语
1. 在too…to…(太……而不能)结构中,表示反面结果,如:
It’s never too late to learn.
He is too excited to speak.
2. 在…enough to…(如此……以至于……)结构中。如:
I was fortunate enough to get the ticket.
I don’t know him well enough to ask him for help.
She was not strong enough to travel.
3. 在never to… 结构中。如:
He left home, never to return.
She left, never to be seen again.
4. 在only to…结构中,不定式常表示没有预料到的结果。如:
I hurried to the station, only to find the train gone.
I rushed to the destination, only to find him not there.
He returned after the war, only to be told that his wife had left him.
5. 在so… as to…结构中。如:
Jane sang so well as to come out first in the singing competition.
The dogs are so fierce as to frighten away the deer.
Who could be so mean (adj. 刻薄的,不善良的)as to do a thing like that?
6. 在such + 名词 +as to…结构中。如:
We are not such fools as to believe him.
She won’t be such a careless person to forget to lock the door.
B
Applying the rules
Match the first half of the sentences below with the correct to-infinitives. Write the letters in the blanks. Then try to understand the functions of the to-infinitives.
B1
1. I went to the annual earthquake workshop
2. The authorities told the local people
3. They arrived at the airport
4. Before we returned home, the flood damage needed
5. This was the last city
a to be cleared of people
before the volcano erupted.
b to be repaired.
c to stay inside when the
typhoon arrived.
d only to find the flight had been cancelled due to the snowstorm.
e to learn some safety tips.
e adverbial
c object
complement
d adverbial
b object
a attributive
to find books about
hurricanes
Below is Anna’s to-do list from yesterday afternoon. Complete the diary entry below using to-infinitives.
B2
This afternoon, I went to the school library _________________ _____________. At 3 p.m., I arrived at Mr Li’s office, only __________________________. Just then, I saw a note from Mr. Li on the office door saying he was in the meeting room.
to find he was not in / out
I went there and we talked about his experiences during a strong hurricane. Mr Li described the hurricane in great detail. He also mentioned a charity event to raise funds for the disaster area. Our interview ended at 3:50 p.m. because Mr Li had a staff meeting ___________________ at 4 p.m. Next I went through my notes of Mr. Li’s experiences at 5 p.m. I went to the school computer room _____________________________.
to attend
to make PPT slides for my project
staff n. (全体员工),可接单数或复数谓语动词。
a member of staff / a staff member 一名员工
a staff of 10/50 10/50名员工
Jim is talking to his friend Julie about his experience after the earthquake. In pairs, complete the conversation below using to-infinitives.
B3
Julie: I heard the earthquake in your city was terrible. Did you move to a safe place?
Jim: Yes. My neighborhood _____________________________. People from other neighborhoods followed later.
was actually the first to leave
Julie: Is it true that the emergency services provided everyone with sleeping bags?
Jim: Yes. They did this ___________________________________.
Julie: Did you miss home?
to make sure everyone had a place to sleep
Jim: Yes, I did. I __________________________________, but I had to wait three weeks before it was safe to go back.
had nothing to do but miss home
Julie: What did your home look like when you returned?
Jim: I came home ___________________________________. Nothing was left in one piece.
only to find that everything had changed
Julie: I’m sorry to hear that. Did the authorities give you any advice?
Jim: Yes. They __________________________________.
encouraged us to rebuild our homes
China has become the first country ________ (land) a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. (2020全国卷I)
…it means we have the chance ___________ (obtain) information about how the moon is constructed. (2020全国卷I)
Lamb and mother reunited, I turned back to the tractor only _________ (see) it move suddenly away form me. (2020浙江)
to land
to obtain
to see
I. Fill in the blankets with the correct forms.
1. The children all turned _________ (look) at the famous actress as she entered the classroom.
2. Passengers are permitted _________ (carry) one piece of hand luggage onto the plane.
3. There may be an opportunity for you ____________ (see) the premier.
to look
to carry
to see
4. It took years of work ___________ (reduce) the industrial pollution.
5. The kids had been practicing hard for the party, only ____________ (tell) it was cancelled.
6. The new building ___________________ ( complete) next year will be a city museum.
to reduce
to be told
to be completed
II. Use to-infinitives to rewrite the following sentences.
1. Before a flood occurs, we must do something that can reduce the risk to people and their valuables.
Before a flood occurs, we must do something to reduce the risk to people and their valuables.
2. Firstly, you should prepare disaster supplies like a light source, sleeping bags, and at least 3 days of food and drinking water.
Firstly, you should prepare disaster supplies like a light source, sleeping bags, and food and drinking water to last at least 3 days.
3. You should bring the most important objects to the upper levels of your house. In this way, they will not be washed away by the flood.
You should bring the most important objects to the upper levels of your house to avoid being washed away by the flood.
4. After a flood, listen for official news report and find out when it’s safe to return to your home.
After a flood, listen for official news report to find out when it’s safe to return to your home.
Review to-infinitives as attributives and adverbials.
Do the Exercises on Page 64.