断断续续地

断断续续地 Unit 1 Growing Up Writing for Myself Russell Baker Teaching Objectives Students will be able to 1. grasp the main idea (the essence of writing is to write what one enjoys writing) and structure of the text (narration in chronological sequence); 2. appreciate the narrative skills demonstrated in the text (selection of details, repetition, coherence); 3. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text; 4. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit. Pre-reading Tasks----Introduction 1 Background information Grade schools in the U.S.: It is necessary to have some knowledge of grade schools in the U.S. because Ss have to realize that "the third year in high school" (Para. 1) equals "the eleventh grade" (Para. 9). U.S. students generally go through elementary schools (kindergarten to 5 thth or 6grade), middle schools (grades 6-8) or junior high schools (grades 7-9), and high schools (grades 9-12 or 10-12). The U.S. Grade School System In the United States, education is the responsibility of individual states, not of the federal government, so requirements may vary from one state to another. The following is a generalization: kindergarten ：under 5 years old elementary/ primary school (grades 1~6): 6~11 years old junior high/middle school (grades 7~8): 12~13 years old senior/high school (grades 9~12): 14~17 years old college, institute, academy （学院），university What American teachers wear in school: Nowadays, people in the U.S. love to dress casually. Even among those companies with a rigid dress code some now allow employees not to wear suits on Fridays. U.S. teachers wear fairly formal clothes to school, but not necessarily suits and ties. Bow ties are considered even more old-fashioned than ties. Spaghetti and the proper way of eating it: Spaghetti is the Italian-style thin noodle, cooked by boiling and served with sauce. Usually you would put a fork into a plate of spaghetti, turn the fork several times so that spaghetti will wind around the fork, and then place the fork into your mouth. It's impolite to suck. The Right Way of Eating Spaghetti ---- 1.Hold the fork in your hand as if to poke the spaghetti. ---- 2.Scoop up a small amount of spaghetti on your fork and raise it about 30cm above your plate. ---- 3.Make sure the spaghetti on your fork is completely disconnected from the remainder on your plate. ----- 4.Put the prongs of the fork at an edge of the plate that is free of food. ---- 5.Quickly point the prongs of the fork straight down toward the plate and place the points on the plate. ---- 6.Twirl the fork to gather the spaghetti around the prongs. ---- 7.With a quick scooping movement, gather up the roll around the prongs and place it in your mouth. ---- 8.Gently gather up any stray spaghetti ends that don’t make it all the way into your mouth. 2 Understanding the text. Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. Sir Francis Bacon A lot of things will happen unexpectedly during the course of growing up. It’s easy to understand how reading has changed a lot of people’s lives, their opinion of life, their ideals, etc. And in the text “Writing for Myself”, one thing changed the author’s life completely, now let’s turn to the text and find out what happened. ----1 How did Baker use to feel about English course? ----2 When did he begin to think it possible for him to become a writer? ----3 What did Baker hear about Mr.Fleagle? ----4 What was his own impression of his new English teacher? ----5 Why did he put off the writing assignment until the last minute? ----6 What was the topic that held his attention? ----7 Why did he want to write about that topic? ----8 What did he think Mr.Fleagle would do if he were to write the essay the way he wanted? Why? ----9 What was Baker prepared for when he found all the papers were given back bus his? ----10. What was MR.Fleagle’s announcement? ----11 Whose essay was Mr.Fleagle reading to the class? How did the class react? ----12 Why did Baker feel so delighted? 3 Grasp the structure of the text: Paragraphs Headings 1) Baker’s feelings about English courses 2) Baker’s impression of his new English teacher 3 )A topic that attracts Baker’s attention 4) Vivid memories the title brought back 5) Baker’s sudden desire to write about that topic Anticipating punishment 6 ) Anticipating punishment 7) Mr. Fleagle’s announcement 8 ) Classmates’ response to the essay 9) What Baker discovered While-reading Tasks: ----Language Points 1 words and phrases off and on (or on and off) : from time to time, now and again, irregularly 断断续续地 ; 有时 It has been raining on and off for a week. That's why the clothes feel damp. As her patient slept soundly during the night, Nurse Betty was able to doze off and on in a bedside chair. possibility: state of being possible; (degree of) likelihood (usu. followed by that-clause or of) 可能 ( 性 ) Is there any possibility of life on Mars? They haven't arrived. There is a possibility that they have taken the wrong road. take hold: become established 生根 , 确立 The idea of one child only has taken hold in many Chinese families. Old habits die hard. That's why you should stop smoking before the habit takes hold. bore: make (sb.) feel tired and lose interest 使 ( 人 ) 厌烦 The speaker went on and on, and the audience grew bored by his speech. Tom Sawyer grew bored with painting the garden fence, so he thought of a way to make others paint for him. associate (with): join or connect together; connect or bring in the mind 联想起来 ; 使联想 We associate Egypt with pyramids. I can't associate this gentle young woman with the radical political essays she has written. Jim wished to forget everything associated with his former life. turn out: produce 编写 ; 生产 , 制造 New computers are soon outdated since newer models are turned out constantly. American film studios turn out hundreds of films every year. anticipate: expect (usu. followed by gerund or that-clause) 预期 , 期望 The police had anticipated trouble from the soccer fans and were at the ground in large numbers. They anticipate that deaths from AIDS will have doubled by 2002. We anticipate running into problems in carrying out the medical welfare reform. tedious: boring and lasting for a long time 乏味的 ; 冗长的 The movie was so tedious that many viewers left before it was over. Laura found George to be tedious and decided not to see him any more. reputation: (an) opinion (about sb. or sth.) held by others 名声 ; 名誉 Premier Wen jiabao has a high reputation as a statesman in China.. Jim Kerry has quite a reputation for being comic. inspire: fill (sb.) with confidence, eagerness, etc. 激励 , 鼓舞 Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches inspired people to fight for equal treatment of African Americans. The last leaf on the tree that never fell off inspired the dying patient with the will to live on. rigid: (often disapproving) fixed in behavior; based on correct or accepted rules 一成不变的 ; 严格的 If he had been a little less rigid about things, his daughter would not have left home. at such a young age. The rigid headmaster would button up his clothes even on the hottest days. out of date: old-fashioned 过时的 New words are constantly added to our vocabulary while some old words go out of date. Although her clothes were out of date, the old woman appeared clean and dignified. severe: 1) completely plain 朴素的 ; The widow wore a severe black dress to her husband's funeral. Earnest Hemingway is known for his severe writing style. 2) stern, strict 严格的 Only those who have undergone severe training can be accepted into the air force. Fu Lei was so severe with his son that even his wife would cry. 3) causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, etc. 严重的 , 剧烈的 The severe chest pain experienced by the Vice-President proved to be a heart attack. A factory must turn out newer and better products to win in the climate of severe business competition. tackle: deal with 处理 , 应付 Toshiba ( 东芝 ) recently designed a robot that can tackle almost any kinds of house- work. The classroom was quiet as students were busy tackling the final exam. finally: at last (usu. used in the following situations: indicating that sth. is the last one in a series of things or events; introducing a final point, asking a final question, or mentioning a final item; when sth. happens that you have been waiting for a long time, you can say that it finally happens) 最终 , 终于 Mr. Smith lived in Turkey, France, and Norway before finally settling in Mexico. Finally, I should like to thank you all for coming and to wish you a pleasant journey home. Finally he came to realize his mistake and apologized to his parents. After years of war the two countries finally signed a peace agreement. face up to: be brave enough to accept or deal with (a problem or difficulty) 勇敢地接受或面对 Yeltsin faced up to the fact that he was no longer fit for the Russian presidency and resigned on New Year's Eve. Now that your daughter is born, you'll have to face up to the responsibilities of being a father. scan: look through quickly 浏览 , 粗略地看 The banker scanned the financial section of a dozen newspapers over breakfast. Scan the table of contents and tell me how many chapters are on child development. sequence: connected line of events, ideas, etc. 一连串相关的事物 ; 次序 , 顺序 A sequence of bad harvests forced some African countries to ask for foreign aid. The Fall of the Roman Empire was written in historical sequence. image: a picture formed in the mind 形象 ; 印象 ;( 图 ) 像 Many pop stars try to improve their public image by participating in charity events. Through months of letter writing John formed an image of his pen pal. vivid: able to produce sharp clear pictures in the mind; lifelike 生动的 ; 逼真的 ; 清晰的 In the little girl's vivid imagination the curtain wrapped around her body became a princess's gown. The birds were painted in such a vivid way that a cat jumped up to catch them. recall: bring back to the mind; remember (usu. followed by noun, gerund, or that-clause) 回乡起 , 回 忆起 I recognize the face but can't recall her name. I don't recall ever meeting her. She recalled that she had to see the doctor again that afternoon. argument: disagreement, quarrel 论据 , 论点 ; 争论 The bride and her mother got into an argument about whether to wear white or red on her wedding day. Mary found that compromise was always the best policy when she had an argument with her husband. put down: write down 写下 What's the use of a password to your computer if you put it down on a piece of paper stuck to the computer screen? The housekeeper put down the daily expenses in a little notebook. violate: act against 违背 , 违反 Speeding in downtown areas violates traffic regulations. A country isn't respected if it violates an international agreement. compose: write or create ( music, poetry, etc.) 创作 The president's speech is really brilliant. Do you think it was composed by himself or by someone else? John Lennon composed the song Beautiful Boy for his son. turn in: hand in (work that one has done, etc.) 交 ( 作业 ) For your final grade, each of you must turn in a 7-page paper. It is said that if a policeman is ordered to turn in his gun, it is meant as a punishment. command: 1) n. order 命令 , 指令 The commander gave the command that all prisoners of war should be well treated. The rebellious army would not obey any command from the President. 2) v. give an order to 命令 , 指令 (As with the verbs "suggest, demand", subjunctive mood is used in a that-clause after com- mand. ) The captain commanded his men to leave the ship immediately. The king commanded that the victory day become a national holiday. what's more: in addition, more importantly 而且 , 此外 ; 更有甚者 How can you love this man? He watches TV all day long, and what's more, he seems not to have brushed his teeth for months! Ms. Stewart manages a successful business and gives a weekly TV cooking show. What's more, she has already published three books on gardening. hold back: prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.) 控制 ( 感情 、 眼泪等 ) People could hardly hold back their anger when they found that millions of dollars of public funds had been used to build luxurious houses for city officials. Johnny cried bitterly in the classroom, not even attempting to hold back the tears. avoid: keep or get away from (usu. followed by noun/gerund) 避免 The little boy who had broken a neighbor's window ran away to avoid punishment / being punished. He stayed away from the cafe so that he could avoid running into his former girl friend. career: a job or profession for which one is trained and which one intends to follow for the whole of one's life 生涯，事业；职业 My farmer parents have never expected me to make novel writing my career. In her long career as a journalist, Barbara Walters has interviewed famous people from all over the world. congratulation: expression of joy for sb.'s success, luck, etc. (usu. in plural form, followed by on) 祝贺，恭喜 They offered their congratulations on the artist's winning the Life Achievement Award. I heard that you have become CEO (Chief Executive Officer 执行总裁 ) of a high- tech company. Congratulations! 2 paraphrase difficult sentences -1)The idea of becoming a writer had come to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn't until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold. : Ever since I was a child in Belleville, I had thought of becoming a writer from time to time, but I didn't make up my mind until I was in the eleventh grade. -2)Until then I'd been bored by everything associated with English courses.: Up to then I had lost interest in things related to English courses. -3)I hated the assignments to turn out long, lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers to read and for me to write.: I found it painful to write long, boring essays as required by teachers; neither did teachers enjoy what I wrote. -4)When our class was assigned to Mr. Fleagle for third-year English I anticipated another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects.: When it was decided that Mr. Fleagle would teach us English during my third year in high school, I expected the English course to be as boring as before. -5)I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr. Fleagle and for a long time was not disap- pointed.: I expected that things wouldn't improve with Mr. Fleagle as our English teacher, and for a long time I was right in my expectations. (Note that here is a touch of irony.) -6)Late in the year we tackled the informal essay.: Late in the year we learned how to write informal essays and practiced writing them. -7)This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental images.: At the sight of the title I saw an unusual series of pictures in my mind's eye. -8)I was preparing myself for a command to report to Mr. Fleagle immediately after school for discipline... : I expected that Mr. Fleagle would order me to see him soon after school for the purpose of punishing me ... -9) In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling. : In my eleventh grade, and one might say at the last possible moment, I had found something I wished to take up as a career. the eleventh hour: the last moment before sth. important happens 决定性的时刻 Example: The president's visit was called off at the eleventh hour. 3 Writing features Selection of details: Russell baker is very good at selecting details to prove his point. For example, in Para.2 he creates an unfavorable image of Mr. Fleagle by describing his “formal, rigid and hopelessly out-of-date” eyeglasses, hairstyles, clothes, jaw, nose, and manner of speaking. Repetition Russell Baker employs repetition not only to make it easy for readers to follow what he is saying, but also to impress them more deeply. For example, in paragraph 2, there are 9 prim or primly in 3 sentences! Thus readers will have in their mind a vivid picture of what Mr. Fleagle looked like. Another example can be found in Para.5. Count how may I wanted there are in this paragraph (There’re 5!). They help to emphasize Russell Baker’s strong desire to write for himself. Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. synonymous words and phrases. Here are some examples: a. dull, lifeless, cheerless, tedious b. turn out, write, compose, put down c. anticipated, prepare for d. formal, rigid, prim, correct, proper, respectable e. vivid memories of sth. come flooding back to sb., sth. reawakes in one’s mind, sb. recalls sth. f. recapture, relive g. pleasure, delight, happiness h. contempt, ridicule i. topic, title Additional Reading-----Summer Reading 1 Comprehension check -------Tell the following statements true or false. -1)The author thought that Mr.Ballou was rich but mean. -2) Before his encounter with Mr.Ballou, the author used to read anything and everything. -3) The author found the first book Mr.Ballou gave him dull but well-written. -4) From what he said to the author we can figure that Mr. Ballou did not do much reading. -5)Mr.Ballou finally paid off what he owned to the author. -6)The author’s life changed largely due to Mr.Ballou’s influncec. 2 Vocabulary accumulations on purpose: If you do something on purpose, you do it intentionally, not accidentally. 故意地，特意地 e.g: I’m sorry I broke the glass-----I didn’t do it on purpose. point: a particular time, place or stage reached in process阶段，程度，地步 e.g: He admired his uncle, almost to the point of hero worship. figure: (v) expect or think that something will happen认为，估计 e.g: I figure the manager will be back soon. I figured you’d want tea. figure out: work out想出 e.g: I can’t figure out this maths problem. motion: make a signal to (someone), usually with your hand or head向。。。做手势；向。。。点头（摇头）示意 e.g: The policeman motioned the people away from the area of accident. save : prevent (time, money or effort)being wasted ot spent节约；省去，免去 e.g: Thanks for your help---it’ll save me a lot of work. save sb. the trouble of doing sth.省去某人做某事的麻烦 w.g: If you lend me 5 dollars, then you save the trouble of going to the bank. think up : create an idea or plan by using imagination or intelligence想出；设计出 e.g: They tried to think up ways to overcome difficulty. clear up: give or find an explanation for sth., or to deal with a problem or disagreement澄清，解答 e.g: Before we sign the contract there are a few points we should clear up. plunge into: suddenly become very involved in an activity（专注而认真地）开始从事，投身 e.g: At the age of 52, he plunged into writing the first book on crime. comprise: to consist of, be composed of, to include, contain包含，含有；由。。。组成 e.g: Fifty states comprise the United States. adjust: 1) to change so as to match or fit校正，调整 e.g: adjust a watch He adjusted his ties. 2) adjust to使适应 e.g: He adjusted to the life in the big city. appeal: 1) to resort呼吁，要求 e.g: The government is appealing to everyone to save water. 2) to make or apply for an appeal（法）上诉 e.g: She appealed to the high court against her sentence. clash(vt): to come into conflict; be in opposition冲突，抵触 e.g: The two armies clashed outside the town. (n) 1)a loud, harsh noise碰撞声 e.g: the clash of weapons 2) a conflict冲突 e.g: A border clash between the two armies started the war. represent: 1) stand for or be a sign of象征，示 e.g: The red lines on the map represent railways. 2) to serve as the official and authorized delegate or agent for代表 e.g: The foreign ministers will represent their governments at the conference. assume: suppose (sth.) to be a fact假定，假设 e.g: Assuming it rains tomorrow, what shall I do? 3 Translation a And I learned something about the measure of my neighbors by their preferred method of payment: by the job, by the month----or not at all. b Grass was grass, and the little that Mr.Ballou’s property comprised didn’t take long to trim. c Within a few pages, the yard, the summer, disappeared, and I was plunged into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust, the extraordinary clash of good, represented by one decent man, and evil. d Summer reading was not the innocent entertainment I had assumed it to be, not a light-hearted, instantly forgettable escape in a hammock(though I have since enjoyed many of those ,too). 4 Language sense enhancement Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. - ---------Francis Bacon Reading, according to Bloom(Harold Bloom) will not make one behave better, nor it will change the world. One need not read with either objective in mind, because deep reading will enlarge your humanity, and this alone is worthwhile. But I would add this: reading, reflection, and action based upon reflection can make you a better person, and you can change the world. ----------President of Yale University to Freshmen Exercises-------Consolidation of Words and Sentences 1 Listening (Script) Most American colleges and universities use the grading system of A, B, C, D and F. An A is worth four points, a B three points, a C two points and a D one point. Getting a grade like a B-plus or a C-minus adds or subtracts a few tenths of a point. An F is a failing grade worth zero toward a student's grade point average. A small number of colleges -- perhaps about twenty nationally -- reject the traditional grading system. The Evergreen State College, for example, was established in nineteen sixty-seven and has never used letter or number grades. Evergreen State is a public four-year college in the northwestern city of Olympia, Washington. It has more than four thousand students, including twenty-six international students currently. Evergreen State is organized into programs taught by teams of professors. Each program brings together different subjects and extends in length over two or three quarters. Students are required to do a major research project at the end of each program. The professors write detailed evaluations of the students. These are combined with evaluations written by the students themselves. Students also meet with their professors to discuss their work. The director of admissions, Doug Scrima, says employers and graduate schools like these evaluations, called narratives. He says they show more about the quality of students' work than traditional grades do. Most teachers would probably agree that traditional grades are sometimes unfair. But professors at big schools say there is not enough time to write evaluations for each student in large classes. Some classes have hundreds of students. Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a small women's school that does not use grades. Kathleen O'Brien is the chief academic officer. She says letter grades do not effectively document learning or provide good direction to students. She says even at big schools there are classes small enough to give evaluations. But she says the American university system is not organized to accept this kind of change. We will talk more about grades next week. But first, let us know how you feel about grades. You can submit comments on this story and find earlier reports in our Foreign Student Series at voaspecialenglish.com. 2 Integrate the new words with the old ones----find out on page 43 the synonyms of the following words or expression. from time to time--------- connect------------ produce------- expect---------------- write down--------- picture------------ long and boring-------- encourage--------- hand in----------- old-fashioned------- order---------- strict------------ deal with------------ task----------- be brave to accept--------- in addition-------- write or create------- keep from--------- look through quickly-------- prevent expression of feelings----- 3.Use the new words in context --1) The director wanted to hear all the _________for and against the proposal before he made a decision. --2) The President came under attack from all sides for his inability to _________the country’s severe social problems. --3) We offer them our sincere______ on winning the match. --4) Parts of my childhood are so ________ to me that they could be memories of yesterday. --5) When I saw my little boy crying bitterly over the death of his pet dog, I could hardly ______my tears. --6) Andrew ____decided, after much thought, to leave his job. --7) Linda managed to support herself by working __________as a waitress. --8) The company has an excellent ________for high-quality leather shoes. --9) Our manager is so ___in his thinking, he never listens to new ideas. --10) People often _________the old days ___good times. 4 Sentence structure --It is said (reported, believed, estimated…) that…something/somebody… Something/somebody is (are) said (reported, believed, estimated) to… British army is reported ________________(进驻了伊拉克) The English teacher is said _________（将被调到另一个学校） The project is estimated__________(下一周完工) The essay is believed ___________(让大家觉得很无聊) .., as (introduce a comparison) I will offer my congratulations to her, __________(按照你建议的那样) His career turned out quite successful,__________(正像你预料的) My reputation as a inspiring tutor has been ruined, _____(正如我所担心的) Disaster relief supplies was distributed to the area,________(按照我们所的) 5 Topic for oral practice-----The book that has changed me Students are required to retell the content of a meaningful book or a story, the time they read it , why they were touched by it and the influence on their life. They should pay attention to details. Then they should write a well organized essay based on their talk.