Unit 7

Learning about English

Unit 7

Part Ⅰ Pre-reading activities

Part Ⅱ Text A

Part Ⅲ Text B

Part Ⅳ Post-reading activities

Pre-reading Activities:

Listen to the passage carefully and then think over

the following questions:

1. What is the passage about?

2. What’s your impression of the English language?

3. Can you give one or two examples to illustrate the messiness of the English language?

4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to be about?

Pre-reading Activities:

Look at these following pairs and try to master theusages of them: a wise guy / a wise man overlook / overseeburn up / burn down go off / go on when stars are out / when lights are out wind up a watch / wind up a speecha slim chance / a fat chance fill in a form / fill out a form

back

The Glorious Messiness of English

Text A

Robert MacNeil

Cultural Notes:

Winston ChurchillChurchill became Britain’s Prime Minister

and Minister of Defense in 1940, and was

reelected as Prime Minister in 1951. His

radio speeches during World War gave Ⅱthe British people a strong determination

to win the war.

(1874-1965)

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

Cultural Notes:

Julius Caesar (100-44BC)

He is the best-known of all the ancient Roman leaders, andthe first to land in Britain with an army in 55 and 54 BCrespectively, although Britain did not become part of theRoman empire until nearly a hundred years later.

Cultural Notes:

William Caxton (c.1422-1491)

He set up the first printing firm in Britain. He printed hisfirst book in 1474. By printing books in English, Caxton hada strong influence on the spelling and development of thelanguage. Many of the books he published were Frenchstories which he translated himself.

Cultural Notes:

Otto Jesperson (1860-1943)

Danish philologist, grammarian, and educationist. Hepromoted the use of the “direct method” in languageteaching with the publication of his theoretical work How toTeach a Foreign Language (1904). Other books include hisseven-volume Modern English Grammar (1909)

Cultural Notes:

Viking:

A member of people from Scandinavia who attacked parts of

northern and western Europe, including Britain and Irelandin the 8th to 11th centuries. In Britain, they were also knownas Norsemen. They were feared as violent and cruel, butthey were also noted for their skills in building ships and assailors.

Cultural Notes:

Norman:

Any of the people from Normandy in northern France whosettled in England after their leader William defeated theEnglish King at the battle of Hastings in 1066. The Normanstook control of the country, a process known as the NormanConquest. The language of government became first Latin,and then Norman French, and this caused many new wordsto be added to the existing English language.

Language study

   1. massive: large in scale, amount, or degree Examples: The ancient temple’s massivemassive stone pillars had begun to crumble. The scale of the problem is so massivemassive that it will require all our resources to deal with it.    2. snack: a small meal Examples: I usually have a snacksnack of hamburger and a glass of coke at lunchtime. The children in the kindergarten have a midmorning snacksnack of milk and biscuits.

Language study

   3. corrupt: (1) cause errors to appear in Examples: The academy ruled that such foreign expressions were not permitted, as they corruptedcorrupted the language. Has Japanese been corruptedcorrupted by the introduction of foreign words? These jargons merely corruptcorrupt your good English. (2) cause to act dishonestly in return for personal gains Examples: We believe film of violence would corruptcorrupt young people.

Language study

To our great surprise, the former mayor turned out to have been corruptedcorrupted by the desire for money and power.

To gain more profits, the businessman tried every means to corruptcorrupt the officials in the local government.

4. ban: forbid (sth.) officially (used in the pattern: ban sth.; ban sb. from sth./doing sth.) Examples: Scientists from many countries called on the international community to created an international convention to banban human cloning as soon as possible. Tom was bannedbanned from driving for six months after being caught speeding again.

Language study

n. ban (followed by on) Examples: The government is considering a total banban on cigarette advertising. The banban on underground nuclear tests is a vital step

toward disarmament. 5. invent: (1) make or design (sth. that has not existed before); create (sth.) Examples: James Watt inventeinvented the steam engine. Alexander Graham Bell inventedinvented the telephone.

Language study

(2) give (a name, reason, etc. that doesn’t exist or is not true) Examples: All the characters in the novel are invented.invented. Standing still in the teacher’s office, the boy tried to inveninvent a plausible excuse for his absence from class. Cf.: invent, discover If somebody invents something, they are the first person to think of it or make it. Examples: Walter Hunt and Elias Hone inventedinvented the sewing machine.

Language study

If somebody discovers something, they find out about something which exists but which was not previously known. Examples:

The planet Pluto was discovereddiscovered in 1930. 6. fascinating: of great interest or attraction Examples: The story of his adventures in the Arctic was fascinatingfascinating to

listen to. It is fascinatingfascinating to imagine what might have happened if

the US had not declared war against Japan in World WarⅡ.

Language study

7. tolerance: (1) the quality of allowing other people to say and do as they like, even if you don’t agree or approve of it (followed by of/for) Examples: School teachers have to have a great deal of tolerancetolerance in order to

deal with difficult children. I think tolerancetolerance between students is extremely necessary since

they live and study together. (2) the ability to hear sth. painful or unpleasant (followed by of/for)

Language study

Examples: Human beings have limited tolerancetolerance of noise. The patient had no tolerancetolerance for pain. 8. necessity: (1) sth. you must have in order to live properly or do sth. Examples: Water is a basic necessity of life. A lot of people would consider a TV as more of a necessity than a luxury item. The workers’ wages were so low that they hardly had enough money to buy the bare necessity of life.

Language study

(2) circumstances that force one to do sth.; the state of

being necessary; the need for sth. (followed by of/for)

Examples:

There is absolutely no necessitynecessity for you to be involved in

the project.

The reached an agreement on the necessitynecessity of educational

reforms.

9. arouse: provoke (a particular feeling or attitude)

Examples:

These educational toys give children a feeling of self

worth by arousingarousing their interest in challenging tasks.

Language study

The man’s strange behavior arousedaroused the policeman’s suspicions.

10. surrender: give in (followed by to )

Examples: After several weeks of severe attacks, Afghanistan’s Taliban forces surrendered to the North Alliance.

After the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the

Japanese surrendered.

We’ll never surrender to terrorism despite the terrorist

attacks.

Language study

11. virtually: for the most part, almost Examples: It’s virtuallyvirtually impossible to tell the imitation from the real thing. It has been raining virtuallyvirtually non-stop for the past several days.12. invade: enter with armed forces Examples: In July 1937 the Japanese army invadedinvaded China. The Germans invadedinvaded Poland in 1939, leading to the start of World WarⅡ.

Language study13.mystery: sth. that people can’t, or have not been able to

understand or explain Examples: The politician’s sudden death remains a mysterymystery to us all. How Egyptian pyramids were built still remains a mysterymystery. No one has ever been able to explain the mysterymystery of the Bermuda Triangle.14. resemble: be like or similar to Examples: I’d say he resemblesresembles his mother more than his father. In his childhood, Stevie Wonder loved music and would pound spoons or forks on any surface that resembleresemble a drum.

Language study

15. systematic: done according to a system Examples: Our professor not only imparts knowledge to us, but also teaches us how to read books in a systematicsystematic way. The staff made a systematicsystematic check to make sure that no name had been omitted from the register.16. descend: come down (from a source), go down

(followed by from) Examples: These ideas descenddescend from those of the ancient philosophers. The Japanese are thought to be descendeddescended from tribes from the north of China.

Language study

17. establish:

(1) cause to be, set up

Examples:

The school was established in 1905 by an Italian

Professor.

The bank helps people wanting to establish their

business.

(2) place or settle sb./oneself in a position, an office, etc.

(used in the pattern: establish sb./oneself as)

Examples:

She established her fame as an actress.

Language study

18.drift: move or go somewhere in a slow casual way Examples: Jimmy spent the year driftingdrifting around Europe. As rural factories shed labor, people driftdrift towards the city. The football match was over, and the crowds drifteddrifted away from the stadium.19.climate: (an area or region with) a regular pattern of weather condition Examples: Brought up in the south of China, she wouldn't't’t enjoy living in such a cold climateclimate. Due to the greenhouse effect, changes in the earth’s climateclimate have taken place.

Language study

20.addition: a person or thing added (followed by to ) Examples: The baby is a welcome additionaddition to the Smith family. The young professor will be a most valuable additionaddition to our

board.21.conquer: take possession and controlled of (a country, city, etc.) by force; defeat Examples: Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance conqueredconquered Kabul a month ago. She has conqueredconquered the hearts of many men. The Spanish once conqueredconquered most of South America.

Language study

22.royal: of a king or queen, or other members of their family, and things relating to them Examples: The new born baby was welcome not only by the Japanese royalroyal family but by the country at large. The royalroyal wedding drew large crowds from across the country.23.alternative: one of two or more possibilities (followed by to) Examples: Check out the alternativesalternatives before deciding whether to go to a nearby college. What was the alternativealternative to going home?

Language study24.modify: change slightly Examples: The school authorities plan to modifymodify the school regulations. The computer programmers tried to modifymodify the design of the software to make it suitable for commercial production.25.enrich: (1) make rich or richer Examples: That once coastal village has been enrichedenriched by the profits from

tourism. The development of oil fields enrichedenriched many Arabian countries.

Language study

(2) improve Examples: It is important to enrichenrich the soil prior to planting. Travel enrichesenriches people’s lives.

26.classic: a work of art recognized as having lasting value Examples: Both Tom Jones and Wuthering Heights are classicsclassics. His manual on botany has become a classicclassic among

scientists.

Language study

27.source: a place from which sth. comes or is obtained Examples: Tourism, which is a major sourcesource of income for the city, has been serious affected by the terrorist attacks. The sourcesource of the anthrax outbreak in the USA remained a mystery.28.fortunately: by good luck Examples: FortunatelyFortunately, my friend survived the car accident. FortunatelyFortunately a life guard noticed that the woman was

drowning and she was rescued. I had forgotten my key, but fortunatelyfortunately the door wasn’t

locked.

Language study

29.strictly speaking: if one uses words, applies rules, etc. in their exact sense Examples: He’s not strictly speakingstrictly speaking an artist; he is more of a performer. Strictly speakingStrictly speaking she was not qualified for the job. But

we employed her because of he honesty.30.to a (very real, certain, etc.) extent: to the degree specified Examples: I agree with him to some extentto some extent but there are still some areas of sharp disagreement between us.

Language study

31.out of control: no longer able to be controlled

Examples:

The fire was out of controlout of control by the time the second fire

engine arrived.

There was nothing they could do about it. The situation

was out of controlout of control.

32. put into practice:

Examples:

Having delayed several times, we must put this plan into put this plan into practicepractice now.

They weren't’t allowed to put into practiceput into practice in their daily lives the teachings they received.

Language study

33.strike out: start being independent; start doing want one wants to do in life Examples: After working for his father for about ten years, he decided to strike outstrike out on his own.

34.pass (sth.) on to (sb.): hand or give (sth.) to (sb.) Examples: When you have finished reading the novel, please pass itpass it on to Laura.on to Laura. The King passed on much of his fortune to the princess.passed on much of his fortune to the princess.

Text Organization:

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

1 1-3 Massive borrowing from other languages is a major feature of the English language.

2 4 -16Tells about the history of the English language from the Indo-European parent language to modern English.

3 17-19

Tolerance, love of freedom, and respect for the rights of others—these qualities in the English-speaking people explain the richness of their language.

Text Organization: back

Paras Content

4 - 9The introduction of the Indo-European language---the parent language of English

10-11Germanic tribes came to settle in Britain and brought Anglo-Saxon words---Old English

12The Christian religion enriched English with words from Greek and Latin

13 The Vikings from Scandinavia came with words from Old Norse

14 The Norman Conquest--- French influence

15The European Renaissance and the printing press brought many new words from Greek and Latin

16The American revolution--- the emergence of a new variety--- American English

Text B

The Role of English in the 21st Century

Melvyn A. Hasman

Language study

1. status: (high) social position

Example: Women have very little statusstatus in many countries.

2. exceed: go beyond in quantity, degree, etc.

Examples: The price will not exceedexceed 100 pounds.

Their success exceededexceeded all expectations.

3. trend: general tendency or direction

Example: The trendtrend of prices is still upwards.

4. crude: not refined

Example: His paintings are rather crudecrude.

5. contribute to: help to cause

Language study

Example: The chairman encourages everyone to

contributecontribute toto the discussion.

6. give way to: yield to

Example: One should not give way togive way to difficulties.

7. integrate: make into a whole

Example: The buildings are well integratedintegrated.

8. unique: being the only one of its kind

Example: She is the uniqueunique person to do this job.

9. authority: power to give orders and makes others to obey

Example: The leader must be a person of authorityauthority.

Language study

10. to name a few: to give just a few examples

Example: Mammal is any of the class of animals that

give birth to live offspring and feed them on

milk, to name a fewto name a few, cat, dog, and sheep, etc..

11. aspect: an element or side of a situation or idea

Example: We should look at every aspectaspect of the problem.

12. predict: declare or tell in advance

Example: The earthquake had been predictedpredicted several

months before.

13. genuine: real, not fake or artificial

Example: This is a genuinegenuine pearl.

Language study

14. in transition: in the course of changing into another state or condition Example: His attitude is in transitionin transition.15. rid oneself of: free oneself from Example: Many students want to rid themselves ofrid themselves of heavy homework.16. shift: change or move from one position or direction to another Example: The wind shiftedshifted from east to north.17. substantial: large in amount; considerable Example: Her contribution to the discussion is substantialsubstantial.

Language study

18. economic: of an economy or economics

Example: It is not always economiceconomic for buses to run on

Sundays.

19. professional: of or belonging to a profession

Example: The doctor was accused of professionalprofessional

misconduct.

20. dominate: have control of or a very strong influence on

Example: He has authority, but he doesn't try to

dominatedominate others.

Text Organization back

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

1 1-4The globe spread of English over the past 40years has been remarkable.

2 4 -16There are three factors contribute to this spread of English.

3 17-19The future of the English language is unpredictable.

Post-reading Activities

Text A:1. Try to draw a picture or a chart of the development of the

English language. (Keys)

2. Translation practice

Text B:

1. Language practice

2. Comprehension check

Development of English back

Indo-European languagethe parent language

Old English

Anglo-Saxon wordsby Germanic tribes Greek and Latin words

by Christian religion

Middle English

Old Norse by Vikings French words by

Norman Conquest

Modern English

Printing press European Renaissance

Br. English Am. English

Translation

Translate the following passage into English, using the words and

phrases given below:

mystery descend enrich pass on to

tolerance independent source out of control

 

虽然英语是如何产生的还是个谜，语言学家倾向于认为它和许多

欧洲语言来自同一个源头，即印欧母语。英语最初是在公元五世纪入侵英国的盎格鲁萨克逊人中间使用的。他们将英语的基本词汇传给了我们。在十五个多世纪的发展中，英语大量借用了其他语言。这种借用大大丰富了英语的词汇。随着移民来到美洲建立了独立的美利坚合众国，英语又增添了一个新的变种：美语。虽然有人担忧英语的发展失控了，但大多数以英语为母语的人对他们语言的宽容性感到自豪。

Translation

Keys: Though how the English language come into existence

remains a mystery, linguists/language scientists now tend to believe that English and most other European languages have descended from a common source: the Indo-European parent language. English was first spoken by the Anglo-Saxons who invaded England in the fifth century. They passed onto us the basic vocabulary of English. In its over 15 centuries of development, English has borrowed from other languages massively, and such borrowing has greatly enriched its vocabulary.

Translation

As settlers, landed in America and established the United

States as an independent nation, a new variety was added to

the English language: American English. Though some

people worry that the language is running out of control,

many native speakers of English take pride in the tolerance

of their language.

back

Language Practice

Use the proper form of the following words orphrases to fill in the blanks.

give way to substantial in transitionprofessional economic authority crude shift unique rid oneself of predict integrate aspect genuine to name a fewdominate trend status had contributed to exceeding

Language Practice

1. If you think I will ______your threats, you are mistaken. 2. Everybody thinks that it will be a very close race and no one

dare to _______ its outcome. 3.We should be thankful to Emily for he______contribution to our

project. 4. Daniel found it difficult to ______himself into a society whose culture was completely different fro his own. 5. The Chinese economy is still _______from a planned to a market economy. 6. Lighting is a vitally important ______of filmmaking. 7. It’s the sort of ad that is intended to appeal to teachers, lawyer, doctors and other______.

Language Practice

8.The handbag is worth the money. It is made of ______leather.

9. The government’s policies have led us into the fastest ______growth for years.

10. “Quite a number of students gave excellent answers to

my last question. David Smith, Jane Anderson, Edward

Newman, ______,” said the professor in his comments

on our performance in the exam.

11. The new professor is a leading ______on the history of

Sino-British relations.

12. Gone are the days when superpowers could ______the

world.     

Language Practice

13. “No admittance” was painted in such ____ letters on the

door that anyone would see right away the painter was a

green hand.

14. The ______at the moment is towards a more natural and

less made-up look.

15. The government’s economic policy is to ______the

emphasis from primary industry to tertiary industry.

16. In his closing remarks, the chairman expressed thanks to

all those whose work ______the success of the

conference.

    

Language Practice

17. As many as 100 species of fish, some of them ______to

these waters, may have been affected by the pollution.

18. Richard got two tickets for ______speed limits within

one week. He really has to take care.

19. It’s not impossible to ______ this bad habit, but it will

take a lot of effort.

20. Many sociologists have called our attention to the

______of women in the rural areas.

Language Practice

Keys:1. give way to 2. predict 3. substantial

4. integrate 5. in transition 6. aspect 7. professional 8. genuine 9. economic 10.to name a few 11. authority 12. dominate 13. crude 14. trend 15. shift16. had contributed to 17. unique 18.exceeding19. rid yourself of 20. status back

Comprehension Check

Choose the best answer for each of the following:

1.How many people are learning English across the globe?

a. 5% of the world population.

b.10% of the world population.

c. 20% of the world population.

d.50% of the world population.      

Comprehension Check

2.The leading language for scientific purpose in the 1930s was_______.

a.Latin

b.English

c.German

d.French

     

Comprehension Check

3.Written English is becoming more informal due to the influence of ______.

a.pop music

b.American standards

c.the Internet

d.the growing number of English speakers

Comprehension Check

4. English is unique in______.

a. is alphabet

b. the simplicity of its grammar

c. its informality

d. its wide range of sources

Comprehension Check

5.The writer points out that the different

varieties of English______.

a. make communication difficult

b. allow the language to adapt to local

circumstances

c. are not equally acceptable

d. require a central authority to set standards

Comprehension Check

6.The middle section of the essay, paragraphs 11-

17, could best be subtitled______.

a. The growth of English

b. The forces behind the spread of English

c.  English past and present

d. The future of English