New Horizon College EnglishBook Ⅰ

Unit 8 Section A:

There’s a Lot More to Life than a Job

Contents

I. Background Information

II. Pre-reading Activities

III. Text Analysis– Structure

IV. Intensive Reading

V. Writing Skill

VI. Exercises

I. Background Information

1. Robins Resident Center is a service/training center for the U.S. Air Force, which is located in Macon State College. For specific information about the Center, you can check out the web page at http://www.maconstate.edu/about/rrc-map.asp and http://www.robins.af.mil/fsc/fscweb-page/rap/resident-center.htm. You can also visit the web site http://www.maconstate.edu for some information about Macon State College.

2. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), the son of an eminent Dublin surgeon,

was among the outstanding Victorian dramatists. He is renowned for a brilliant series of domestic comedies -- Lady Windermere’s Fan(1892), A Woman of No Importance(1893), and An Ideal Husband(1894). To learn more about Oscar Wilde, check out the web site at http://65.107.211.206/victorian/decadence/wilde/wildeov.html. Additional annotated links t web sites about Wilde can be found at http://www.showgate.com/tots/gross/wildeweb.html.

II. Pre-reading ActivitiesListen to the short passage twice and answer questionsQ1. How do young students and older teachers see the

role of education differently?

Reference key: Most young students only want t learn what is needed for career success. Educators, on the other hand, have lived long enough to realize that quality of life is not entirely determined by a balance sheet.

Q2. What is “quality of life” and how can it be improved?

Reference key: The quality of life is not entirely determined by a balance sheet. Human beings have collected a great amount of knowledge in many different fields, and people can lead better lives if they understand these things.

Q3. According to the writer, what must educators prepare students for?

Reference key: educators must prepare students for telling right from wrong, as well as preparing for a job.

Script Should schools simply prepare students for a job, or i

s there more to life? This is the focus of the following article. According to the author, educational institutions face a difficult choice. Most young students only want to learn what is needed for career success. Educators, on the other hand, have lived long enough to realize that quality of life is not entirely determined by a balance sheet. Human beings have collected a great amount of knowledge in many different fields, and people can lead better lives if they understand these things. The author tells of a cartoon where businessmen are having difficulty tilling “right from wrong”. He concludes that educators must prepare students for such difficulties, as well as preparing them for a job.

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III. Text Analysis-- Structure

Part 1 ( Paras. 1-3): Introduction: People regret that youth is wasted by young people.

Part 2 ( Paras. 4-18):Main body: Today’s college beginners are more consumeristic and less idealistic than even before. We can educate people for life as well as for a career. Education helps us to see what is beyond our immediate needs.

Part 3 ( Paras. 19): Conclusion: Convince students that there’s a lot more to life than a job.

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IV. Intensive Reading

Part 1 ( Paras. 1-3):

Q1: What’s the main idea of the writer?

Answers: The youth is wasted on the young. Q2: What is the conclusion drawn from the survey

based on the responses from over 188,000 students?

Answers: Today’s college beginners are “more consumeristic and less idealistic” than at any time in the seventeen years of the poll.

1. It has often been remarked that the saddest thing about youth is that it is wasted on the young. (Para.1)

Meaning:

It has often been said that the saddest thing about youth is that youth, i.e. the opportunities, good health, etc. that are available when people are young, are wasted or not appreciated by young people.

2. … “If only I knew then what I know now.”

(Para 2) if only: 1) used to express a wish that past events had been different e.g. If only I had gone by taxi. 要是我乘出租车去就好了。 If only he’d remembered to bring her here. 要是他没忘记把她带来就好了。 2 ） used to express a wish or a desire, esp. one that cannot be ful

filled e.g. If only I could be there and talk with the pop singer! 要是我能在那儿和那位流行歌手交谈就好了！ If only she would marry me! 她要是愿意嫁给我就好了！

3. …what I had already suspected…(Para 3)

suspect: vt. Have an idea that one thinks is possibly true

e.g. The young man is more intelligent than we suspected him to be.

这个年轻人比我们猜想的更聪明。 I suspected that this event was just the be

ginning of a lot of trouble.

我怀疑这一事件只不过是诸多麻烦的开始。

4. …if it ( whatever it may be) won’t compute and you can’t drink it, smoke it or spend it, then “it” holds little

value. (Para 3)

Meaning: If something ( no what it may be) cannot be counted in terms of money and you cannot drink it, smoke it or spend it, then it is of little value. In short, only material things are of value to young people.

If it … won’t compute: if it… can’t be counted in terms of money.

Here the verb “compute” is used in notional passive, that is, it is active in form but passive in meaning. More examples of notional passive:

e.g. The book translates well . 这本书很好翻译。 This material washes easily. 这种衣料容易洗涤。 The clock winds at the back. 这种钟在背面上弦。

Part 2 ( Paras. 4-18): Q1: What do most people between 30 and 50 finally

become aware of?

Answers: Work is not the only thing they live for, and they are meant to do more.

Q2: What is the implication of the cartoon mentioned in the text?

Answers: Without proper education, it will be more and more difficult for people to develop their moral sense.

Q3 : What is the implication of the cartoon mentioned in the text?

Answers: Without proper education, it will be more and more difficult for people to develop their moral sense.

1. …the students’ major objective “ is to be financially well off…” (Para 5)

Objective: 1)n. purpose, aim e.g. His sole objective is to win a gold medal at the Olym

pic Games. 他惟一的目标是在奥林匹克运动会上获得一枚金牌。 All our main objectives have been achieved. 我们所有的主要目标都已经到达了。 2 ） a. impartial ( antonym: subjective) e.g. I firmly believe that any report should be as objective

as possible. 我坚信任何报告都应该尽可能地客观。

2.Interest in teaching, social service and the humanities is at a low, along with ethnic and women’s studies.

(Para 6)

Meaning: Students show little interest in subjects like teaching, social service and the arts; nor are they interested in ethnic or women’s studies.

at a low: at a low level or figure e.g. Share prices have been at an all-time low.

股票价格指数已跌至历史最低点。 The economy has been at a bit of a low. 经济情况不太好。

3. …along with ethnic and women’s studies.

(Para 6) along with: together with e.g. Jack escaped from the prison along with two other

prisoners. 杰克和另外两名囚犯一起越狱逃跑了。 Many fresh vegetables are on sale along with some c

anned food. 许多种新鲜蔬菜和一些罐头食品在降价出售。

Ethnic and women’s studies: the study of ethnic and women’s issues (e.g., Black-American History, Works of Women Writers, etc.)

4. can’t we educate people for life as well as for a

career? (Para 9) as well as: in addition to e.g. He was appointed general manager for his

rich experience as well as excellent educational background.

他由于学历高和工作经验丰富而被任命为总经理。 He gave the poor woman a temporary job a

s well as some money. 他给那个可怜的女人提供了一份临时的工作，还给了她

一些钱。

5. …finally arrive at the inevitable conclusion that they were meant to do more than serve a corporation,…(Para 11)

be meant to: be supposed to

e.g. You are meant to take your shoes off before you enter a temple in India.

在进入印度的庙宇之前应先脱鞋。 We are meant to fill in a tax form and pay i

ncome tax every year. 每年我们都得填写税单并缴纳所得税。

6. …the meaning of life does not dawn until middle age,…(Para 13)

dawn (on/upon): vi. Grow clear in one’s mind

e.g. The truth began to dawn upon the poor man.

这个可怜的人慢慢明白了真相。 It had just dawned on Jim that he had been

fooled by the woman.

他才意识到自己被这个女人愚弄了。

7. And we are better for our understanding of these other contributions – be they scientific or artistic. (Para 14)

be they scientific or artistic: whether they are scientific or artistic

notice that the present subjunctive “be” is sometimes used in formal writing to admit sth., such as a condition or sth. Needed to end an argument. Examples:

If any person be found guilty, he shall have the right of appeal. 任何人被判有罪，都有上诉权。

8. Weekly we read of unions that went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. (Para. 15)

Meaning: Every week we read about labour unions that started strikes t demand higher pay for labourers, but the unexpected result was that the employer had to close his business.

read of: find out about sb./ sth. by reading e.g. I once read of this place in one of the book

s piled here. 我在这堆书中的哪一本里读到过这个地方。

9. … “could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?” (Para. 16)

distinguish (one thing) from (another)/distinguish between (two things): understand the difference between

e.g. I can’t distinguish Jack from his twin brother since they look so much like each other.

杰克和他的双胞胎兄弟非常相象，我分不清他们俩。 How can he be a judge if he can’t distinguish right

from wrong?

如果他不能明辨是非，怎么能当法官呢？

10. In the long run that’s what education really ought to be about. (Para. 17)

in the long run: after a long period of time, in the end e.g. It’ll be cheaper in the long run to use real leather be

cause it will last longer. 从长远看，用真皮更合算，因为真皮耐用。 The opposite of this expression is “ in the short run”.

An example: e.g. Of course plastic is cheaper than leather in the sho

rt run, but it won’t last long. 从短期看， 塑料当然比真皮便宜，但塑料不经用。

Part 3 ( Paras. 19):

Q1: What is the writer’s hope for education?

Answers: He hopes educators will not only prepare students for a career but also help them realize that there is a lot more to life than a job.

1.Let’s hope our educators answer students’ cries for career education,…(Para. 19)

Meaning: Let’s hope our educators can meet the demand of students and prepare them for future careers, …

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V. Writing Skill

-- using some specific examples to support a general point

Task: Write down some examples to support the following general points, then choose one of the topics to write a paragraph.

a. General idea:

Education helps the youngsters form the purpose of their lives.

b. General idea:

Today’s youngsters have the wrong view of the value.

a. General idea: Education helps the youngsters form the purpose of their lives.

Referent examples: Everybody receive education. Education can teach the youngsters the truth. Education can helps the youngsters form a mo

ral sense.

b. General idea: Today’s youngsters have the wrong view of the value.

Referent examples: Many youngsters become more and more mate

rialized. Most of the youngsters can’t accept the traditio

nal wisdom about the value of life. Everything is calculated in terms of money.

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VI. Exercises

1 Combine the sentences with the conjunction “while”

2 Rewrite each of the short sentences emphasizing the italicized parts by putting them at the beginning of the sentence.

3 Essay summary.

1.Combine the sentences with the conjunction “while”

Model:

I agree it is a tough problem. I don’t think it cannot be solved.

While I agree it is a tough problem, I don’t think it cannot be solved.

More practice

(1).Sara cannot come to help us . She will give us some suggestions.

While Sara cannot come to help us, she will give us some suggestions.

(2).People admit pollution is very serious. Few are willing to take any measures.

While people admit pollution is very serious, few are willing to take any measures.

2.Rewrite each of the short sentences emphasizing the italicized parts by putting them at the beginning of the sentence.

Models:

(1) Developing a meaningful philosophy of life is less important than ever.

Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life.

(2) They will give up the plan on no account.

On no account will they give up the plan.

More practice

(1) He knows little how much his parents love him.

Little does he know how much his parents love him.

(2) He did not realize what a serious mistake he had made until he read the report.

Not until he read the report did he realize what a serious mistake he had made.

3.Essay summary

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The End