Fresh Start

Unit one

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Contents A. Text one I. Pre-reading: (I). Warm-up questions (II). Background information II. While-reading: Text Analysis (I) Structure analysis (II) Comprehension questions (III) Language points (IV) Difficult sentences III. Post-Reading: (I) Grammatical items (II) Translation Exercises (III) Oral activities (IV) Writing practice B. Text two （ I ） Questions for text comprehension （ II ） Language points

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I. Pre-reading: (I). Warm-up questions (II). Background information

1.Compare your sophomore feelings with your freshman ones.

2.Embarrassing incidents.

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3.Tell the gist of the text 4.Divide the text according to its structures

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This text is a piece of narrative writing, in which

the author tells about her experience during the

first year at university, which at first seems to

be very awkward but turns out to be on the

right track at last.

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In the text, three incidents are narrated by the author:

the first is about her going into the wrong classroom; the second is about her falling down in the cafeteria; the last is about her witnessing the same embarrassing fall

happening to someone admired by her. Despite the differences between these three incidents, they actually revolve around one theme:

The growth of the author, who is able to draw lessons from the mistakes she has made and finally succeeds in adjusting herself to the college life.

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II. While-reading: Text Analysis

Paragraph 1 Comprehension – Why did the author have the impression that

“everyone on campus was watching me”? – What was her plan?

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Vocabulary and grammar

I first began to wonder what I was doing on a college campus anyway when my parents drove off, leaving me standing pitifully in a parking lot, wanting nothing more than to find … (structure)

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Why did the author have the impression that “everyone on campus was watching me”?

The author, being over-sensitive, was uneasy with her identity as a freshman. She thought a new student would attract others’ attention, as what she did or said was liable to be too naïve to be right. That feeling is a typical symptom of lacking in self-confidence

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Para 2 – Para 9 text comprehension

Why did the author exclaim “What confidence, what reserve, what muscles!” when she saw the football player?(Para 2)

Why did a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck?

Why did she remain in the wrong room?

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Why did the author exclaim “What confidence, what

reserve, what muscles!” when she saw the football player?

College life was a new experience to the author. That she marveled at the real football player showed her excitement about her new life. And more importantly, her response revealed her admiration of an image which was almost exactly the opposite of her own. This admiration would later become the motivation of her change.

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… glancing at the campus map clutched in my hand.

Glance--to look quickly at sth/sb: She glanced at her watch. He glanced around the room. I ◆ ◆glanced up quickly to see who had come in.

Clutch: vt. to hold or grasp tightly; vi. to try to grasp or seize (+at): The frightened woman clutched her bags to her breast. He clutched at the rope ◆we had thrown to him but could not reach it.

Why “clutched” here?

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The next morning I found my first class and marched in.

March: originally it means to walk with stiff regular steps like a soldier; here it means to walk somewhere quickly in a determined way: She marched over to me and demanded an apology. •She marched out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

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Language work

Another problem awaits me Showing energetic demeanor After deliberation

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Another problem awaited me…

Await (formal) [Transitive] to wait for sb/sth: He is in custody

awaiting trial. Her latest novel is eagerly ◆awaited.

[Transitive]to be going to happen to sb: A warm welcome awaits all our guests. Who ◆knows what dangers may await us?

[Intransitive]to be in store: A busy day awaits.

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Showing… energetic demeanor

The way in which a person behaves, dresses, speaks etc that shows what their character is like; deportment (fml); bearing

His quiet, reserved demeanor is quite impressive.

He maintained a professional demeanor throughout.

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After deliberation…

deliberation: careful consideration or discussion of something---deliberate(v.)

After much deliberation, first prize was awarded to James.

They deliberated on whether to continue with the talks.

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Para 4

I cracked my anthology of American literature and scribbled the date at the top of a crisp ruled page.

crack: to make a quick loud sound like the sound of something breaking, or make something do this: Dennis rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles.

draw (a line) using a ruler, etc; mark parallel lines on (writing-paper, etc) : Do you want ruled paper or plain?

ruled paper has lines printed across it

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Language work

A cold sweat I grope for my schedule I settle into… under my breath The snakes…tipped me off

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A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. Sweat, when denoting drops of salty liquid that come out through

your skin when you are hot, frightened, ill, or doing exercise, is uncountable. If you would like to refer to the drops, use “beads of sweat”, e.g. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

But the singular form of “a sweat” is usually used when you are to describe the state of sweating or being covered with sweat, e.g. They say a good sweat will cure a cold.

Be in a sweat. Break (out) in/into a sweat. Drops in stock market prices have investors breaking out into a

sweat. “A cold sweat” connotes the state of nervousness or fear, in

which you start to sweat, even though you are not hot: I woke up from the nightmare in a cold sweat.

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I grope for my schedule…

Grope (around / for sth): to try and find sth that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands: I groped for the light switch. He ◆groped around in the dark for his other sock.

She groped for the railing to steady her as ◆she fell. (figurative) 'It's so ..., so ...' I was ◆groping for the right word to describe it.

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I settled into… under my breath.

settle into/in: to begin feel happy and relaxed in a new situation, home, job or school

It takes a few months to settle into life at college. How’s your new home? Are you settling in OK? assume(formal) : to pretend to have a particular

feeling or qualitypose (disapproving) a way of behaving that is not sincere and is only intended to impress other people: This show of concern is just a pose.

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The bottled snakes… tipped me off.

tip off: (informal) to warn sb about sth that is going to happen, especially sth illegal; for instance, to give the police a secret warning or piece of information, especially about illegal activities cf. tip (noun) tip-off(noun)

Somebody must have tipped the burglars off that the house would be empty.

The police was tipped off about the robbery. The man was arrested after an anonymous tip-

off.

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The Second and third incidents

How did the students react when she slipped and fell down? And how did the author feel about it?

Why did she dine on junk food for the next three days?

What happened in the cafeteria when she went there on the fourth day?

Vivid descriptions

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Keeping myself upright and getting out of the mess was not going to be easy, and this flailing of my feet was doing no good. (P.6)

Slowly I kicked off my ketchup-soaked sandals and jumped clear of the toppled tray and spilled food. (P.7)

A cleanup brigade came charging out of the kitchen. (P.7)

He got up, hands held high above his head in a victory clasp, grinning from ear to ear. (P.9)

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paraphrase

For three days I dined alone on nothing more than humiliation, shame, and an assortment of junk food from a machine strategically placed outside my room. (P.8)

My heart went out to him as people began to cheer and clap as they had for me.(P.9)

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Grammar and vocabulary

…and was heading for the salad bar… Head for: to go or travel towards a

particular place The ship was heading for Cuba. It’s about time we were heading home.

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And this flailing of my feet…

Flail: to (cause something to) wave or swing about wildly.

I flailed her arms to get her attention. James flailed about in the shallow water.

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My food tray tipped…

Tip: ~ (sth) (over) (cause sth to) turn or fall over : Careful! You‘ll tip the boat over.

cause (the contents of sth) to pour out by tilting :No rubbish to be tipped here/No tipping, eg on a notice warning people not to dump rubbish

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All the students… came to their feet…

come to one’s feet: to stand up after you have been sitting --- get/jump/rise

Mike leapt to his feet and ran towards the window.

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I sneaked out of the cafeteria as the cheers died down behind me.

Sneak: to go somewhere secretly and quietly in order to avoid being seen or heard---slink/creep

She snuck out of the house once her parents were asleep. (sneaked/ snuck)

die down: something becomes less strong, active or violent

Don’t worry, the gossip will soon die down.

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I sneaked out of the cafeteria as the cheers died down behind me.

Sneak: to go somewhere secretly and quietly in order to avoid being seen or heard---slink/creep

She snuck out of the house once her parents were asleep. (sneaked/ snuck)

die down: something becomes less strong, active or violent

Don’t worry, the gossip will soon die down.

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The very composed, very upper class…

composed: seeming calm and not upset or angry; calm and in control of your feelings

She appeared very composed despite the stress she was under.

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Grin from ear to ear

Smile very broadly, showing the teeth, expressing amusement, etc.

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Paras 10--14 the concluding part

What was the key lesson Evelyn Herald learned during her first few weeks in college?

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Paraphrase

Popularity was not so important: running with the crowd was no longer a law of survival.(P.11)

This was my big chance to do my own thing, be my own woman---if I could get past my preoccupation with doing everything perfectly.(P.11)

I gave up trying to act my way through college (this wasn’t drama school) and began not acting at all. (P.13)

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III. Post-Reading:Vocabulary and grammar

malicious: adj.having the nature or wish to hurt others I think I know who is responsible for these malicious

rumours.---malice (n.) desire to harm others or to see others suffer, extreme ill will or spite

I am quite certain that his wife bears malice to me. preoccupation: n. when someone thinks or worries about

something a lot, with the result that they do not pay attention to other things---preoccupied (adj.)

The management’s preoccupation with costs and profits resulted in a drop in quality and customer service.

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shackle: n. a metal fastening, usually one of a pair, for encircling and confining the ankle or wrist of a prisoner or captive; (figurative) a restraint or check to action or progress, often used in the plural form :the shackles of sth.(figurative)

It is hard to break through the shackles of habits. live: (self-study) It took everything I had not to stare when I caught the first

glimpse of a real live college football player. (P.2) …and had lived to tell about it.(P.10) … I had no one’s expectation to live up to but my own,…

(P.12) (“live” summary)

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An assortment of

a collection of different things or of different types of the same thing; A collection of various kinds; a variety.

A great assortment of cars was on display. He has a wide assortment of friends.

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Ketchup-soaked sandals

Soak: ~ (sth) (in sth) to put sth in liquid for a time so that it becomes completely wet; to become completely wet in this way: [VN] I usually soak the beans overnight. If you ◆soak the tablecloth before you wash it, the stains should come out. ◆ [V] Leave the apricots to soak for 20 minutes. I'm going to ◆go and soak in the bath.

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Take seriously

To take seriously a casual word dropped by a superior

Do you take seriously his prediction of a government defeat?

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live

Live up to : behave in accordance with sth. Lived to tell: live here means remain alive Real live: live [laɪv]: not dead or artificial. E.g. live fish, live animals, live births (babies

born alive) etc real live: (used esp. of surprising or unusual

experiences, etc) actual; not pretended 如假包换的

E.g. We were so excited to see real live mammoths @_@ !

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Self-consciousness

self-conscious   .self-'conscious

adj worried and embarrassed about what you look like or what other people think of youself-conscious about Jerry's pretty self-conscious about his weight.

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conscience

the part of your mind that tells you whether your actions are right or wrong: to have a clear / guilty conscience (= to feel that you have done right / wrong) This is a matter of ◆individual conscience (= everyone must make their own judgement about it). He won't let ◆it trouble his conscience.

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act

to pretend by your behaviour to be a particular type of person: [V-N] He's been acting the devoted husband all day. ◆ [V-ADJ] I decided to act dumb. He acts all macho, but he's a ◆real softie underneath.

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Structural and Rhetorical Features

Unlike an expository writing, which usually expresses the main idea in a thesis statement, in a narrative writing, the point is shown through dialogues, actions or events. The three incidents that are treated expansively in this essay are related to one another by their implicit messages.

Find out examples that offer vivid pictures of what the author did or how she looked in some embarrassing situations.

 

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Discussion and assignments

What should a college student do in China? Should he/she do as Evelyn suggests, that is, allow him-/herself to make mistakes in college? Work in groups and present a group report afterwards.

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Exercises in the book

Refer to page 6.

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Presentation, Q& A

Topics related to Freshman Year at college

Topics related to the real Purpose of entering Universities.

Questions related to the text are encouraged.

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Tip over （ or up) : to (cause to) fall over unintentionally ( 使 ) 翻倒 Who knocked the bottle over? It couldn’t have tipped over by itself. 谁把

瓶子碰倒了？它不会自己翻倒的。 Tip sbdy off: to give a warning or a piece of secret infromation to 向 .. 提

出告诫，给通风报信 e.g Thanks for tipping me off about those shares; I made a tidy profit out of them 谢谢你在那些股票上给我通了消息，我从中赚了大笔利润。

The police were tipped off that a bank robbery was being planned.

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1.Laughing again, he drew his sword and ___us, hacking wildly. a.clutched at b.charged at c.groped for d. sneaked upon 2. How do the skaters manage to __ on the slippery surface all the time? a. come to his feet b. get to his feet C. rise to his feet d. keep on his feet 3. Suddenly , the woman fainted and ____the ground. a. settled onto b. tipped over C. collapsed onto d. cracked against

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1.b 2.d 3.c

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谢谢观赏

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