3. Worse was to come.更糟的事就要发生了。
〖明晰〗worse adj. (bad的比较级)更坏的、更差的、更恶化的。常用句式有：to make the matter worse (＝and what is worse 或worse than all更糟的是。worse在本课作名词“更坏的事”，如：I have worse to tell. 我还有更坏的事要说。 Worse cannot happen.事情不可能更坏了。
4. They had rough weather, and Kunta\'s back bled from rolling over on the hard wooden boards . 途中天气非常恶劣，由于在硬木板上滚来滚去，昆塔的背流出了血。
〖明晰〗(1) bled 是动词bleed(流血)的过去式。如：His wound bled freely.他的伤口大量出血。/ He is bleeding like crazy from the stomach.她腹部流血不止。
(2) roll over从(边)上滚下；翻转；滚翻。如：
The policeman rolled the body over to look for the missing gun . 警察把尸体翻过来寻找失踪的手枪。
I had to hear Beethoven before I could ask him to roll over . 我得先听一下贝多芬曲，才能请他把唱片翻过来。
5. The moment he reached the country , he started his search . 他一到那个国 家，就开始寻找。
〖明晰〗the moment (instant , hour , time , minute) 以及directly, immediately, 都可用来引导时间状语从句，译作“一……就”，相当于as soon as.
如：(SEFC B2 L59) The young lady rushed into the room immediately she heard the noise . 那少女一听到响声，就冲进房间里。
6. All the stories of families, heroes, wars and journeys are passed down from generation to generation . 所有家族、英雄、战争以及旅行的故事都是一代代地传下来的。
〖明晰〗(1) pass down＝hand down流传；遗传；传递。如：
The special technique has been passed down over four generations . 那种技术已传了四代。
(SEFC B3 L10) customs and memories were handed down by the elders of the race . 传统习俗以及记忆中的人和物，被这个种族的年长者传了下来。
In poor families , clothes may be passed down from one child to the next . 在穷苦人家，一个小孩穿过的衣服会留给另一个年龄小的穿。
(2) from generation to generation 一代一代，世世代代(＝generation after generation.)
7. A few people in each group are given the task of remembering the group\'s family history that goes back over centuries . 每一个部落中有几个人，他们的任务是记住这个部落追溯到几百年前的家族史。
〖明晰〗(1) go back to (＝date from, trace back to )；追溯，返回到。如：
His family goes back to the time of Norman Conquest . 他的家族可追溯至诺曼底人征服英国的时代。
She found her pocketbook when she went back to the store . 她回到店里找到了她的钱包。
(2) over centuries 在几百年中。over可表“在……期间；到……过完”。 如：(SEFC B3 L27) They had been built over period of six centuries up until 1431 . 他们都是在1431年以前长达六个世纪期间建成的。
over several decades 在几十年中 / stay over Sunday呆过星期天 / work over night 通宵工作。
8. seize , take , grasp , arrest
〖明晰〗(1) seize“抓住”有猛然抓住并不脱手之意。如：
The policeman seized the thief by the collar. 那个警察抓着小偷的衣领不放。
(2) take“抓住”，属一般用语。如：
He took his girl friend by the arm. 他抓着女友的胳膊。
(3) grasp“抓住，抓紧；抱住；理解，领会”。如：
Grasp the rope and I\'ll pull you up. 抓住绳子，我就拉你上来。
I didn\'t quite grasp your meaning. 我不太理解你的意思。