Unit one

Love

Reading questions

Work in groups to answer the following questions

I. what do you think about Erich Fromm’s view on motherly love and fatherly love?

Sample

Motherly love by its very nature isunconditional . Mother loves the newborninfant because it is her child, not because

the child has fulfilled any specific condition, or lived up to any expectation. Fatherly love is conditional love. Its principle is “I love you because you fulfill my expectations, because you do your duty, because you are like me"

II. Can you tell the difference between them according to your

personal experiences?

sample.

It is true that motherly love is unconditional. I believe what I’ve got from my mother is the deepest love I’ve ever received. When I was at home, mother took good care of me and did what she could to meet my needs. For example, she remembered all

my birthdays and bought nice birthday gifts for me, but she never celebrated hers. At home she woke me up in the morning after she had prepared breakfast. Sometimes she even combed my hair while I was having breakfast so that I could get to school on time. She treated my classmates kindly when they were with me. I know

that’s because they were my good friends. Now I’m away from home, she calls me every two or three days asking about my college life and what she can do for me. It seems that my live is much more important than hers.

As for fatherly love, I’m not sure if his love is conditional, but it’s different from

mother’s love. Father also loves me very much. He pays more attention to my education and what I’m going to be in future. He doesn’t care much about my daily life, but asks me to keep him informed of my study and progress. During my last year in high school, he was usually patient with me. He encouraged me when I

wasn’t doing well at school and helped me when I had difficulties. Father must have been a math wizard in his school days. He seemed to know all the solution to my math problems and could point out my weaknesses. Following his instructions, I began to feel interested in math myself.

Text structure

I. Introduction (para.1-4)

The father’s physical condition and how he managed to get to work .

II. Part two (para.5-7)

The son’s comment on the father’s personality .

III. Part three (para.8-11)

The father’s attempt to experience things directly or indirectly.

IV. Part four (para.12-13)

The father’s influence on his son.

text Study

More than I realizedMore than I realized, Dad has helped me kee, Dad has helped me keep my balance. p my balance. (Subtitle)(Subtitle)

more than I realized: more than I realized: beyond my realization beyond my realization 在句中为插入成分，解在句中为插入成分，解

释整个句子。释整个句子。more than + more than + 主语主语 ++ （（ can/couldcan/could ） …） …expect/imagine/believe …expect/imagine/believe …在此，“在此，“ more than” more than” 具有否定的含义。具有否定的含义。

Example:

经过艰苦的建设工作，这个城市之美不是经过艰苦的建设工作，这个城市之美不是言语所能描绘的。言语所能描绘的。

After hard construction work, the beautAfter hard construction work, the beauty of the city is more than words can dy of the city is more than words can describe.escribe.

1. When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. (line 1)

This can be paraphrased as “I was embarrassed when other people saw me together with my father”.

2. He was severely crippled and very short.. (line 2)

Here cripple means disabled. The root word “disable” can always be

used in passive voice, meaning to make a person unable to use his body properly.

Example: He was disabled in the war. He lost his left arm.

3. If he ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on. (line 4)

The phrase “let on” means reveal.Example: He never let on about his

family’s past.

4. It was difficult to coordinate our steps ---his halting, mine impatient. (line 5)

Here “his halting, mine impatient” means “his steps being halting, my steps being impatient”.

5. He went to work sick, and despite nasty weather.. (line 8)

Sick Sick : adj. : adj. 在此作主语的补语在此作主语的补语 ,, 强调一种伴随状态。强调一种伴随状态。Sick here carries the meaning “unhealthy,

morbid condition” 反常Example: she has a sick (morbid) fascinati

on with work. 她对工作极端的着迷。

6. and would make it to the office even if others could not. (line 10)

“Make it” here means arrive in time.This phrase is a very formal way to say so

meone succeed in one’s career.example: He’s never really made it as an

actor. 他当演员从未有所成就。

7. my sisters or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., (line 13)

There are 5 boroughs or districts in N.Y.: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Central Park and Harlem are located in Manhattan. Brooklyn is located just across the river from Manhattan.

8. ...that the warmer tunnel air kept ice-free. (line 18)

Here “-free” is used to form adjs and adv, meaning without, or free from.

More expressions: duty-free, rent-free, trouble-free, salt-free, carefree.

9. ..the subway station was the basement of his office building, (line 19)

Basement is completely or partly below street level.

Cellar is the underground room without windows and used for storing goods.

10. I marvel at how much courage it must have taken for a grow man to…(line 22)

Marvel at sth (fml) means to be very surprised and often admiring.

Example: I marveled at the maturity of such a young child. 小小年纪如此成熟时我赞叹不已。

11. …for a grown man to subject himself to such indignity and stress. (line 23)

Subject sb/sth to sth means cause sb/sth to experience or undergo sth. 使某人某物经历或遭受某事物。

翻译：一个成年男子要有多少勇气才能承受这种屈辱和压力 。

Example: she was repeatedly subjected to torture.

她不断地受到折磨。

12. Now that I am older, (line 29)

now…(that)… means because of the fact (that)… 由于，既然。

Example: Now that you mention it, I do remember the incident.

经你一提，我想起那件事了。

13. when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. (line 45)

See to it that: make sure or check that sth is done. 注意，务必做到，保证。词组后的谓语动词一般不用进行时态或将来时态。 to it 可省。

Example: See to it that you are ready on time.

14. He has been gone many years now,(line49)

Here “gone” means dead. In English there are many ways to say that someone is dead: go west, pass away. They are called euphemism, instead of saying something more accurate or direct.

Words and phases

1. adjust (sth/oneself): become or make suited to new condition; adapt.

Prep. to is often added to the back.Example: The body quickly adjusts (itse

lf) to changes in temperature.Freshmen have difficulty in adjusting to

college life.

adjust, fit adjust, fit 与与 suitsuit

adjustadjust 强调调整自身以适应新的环境或新的需 强调调整自身以适应新的环境或新的需 要，能和反身代词及介词 要，能和反身代词及介词 to to 连用。连用。

fit (vt./vi.) fit (vt./vi.) 和 和 suit (vt./vi.) suit (vt./vi.) 常易混淆。常易混淆。fitfit 指适合某种目的和用途指适合某种目的和用途 ;;suitsuit 指配合适当。指配合适当。 (to match or make (to match or make appropriate)appropriate)

Her skirt Her skirt fitsfits her. her.• 她的裙子很合身。她的裙子很合身。• （指尺码合适，不大不小）（指尺码合适，不大不小）

Her skirt Her skirt suitssuits her. her. • 她的裙子很合适。她的裙子很合适。• （指穿着好看，款式花样合适）（指穿着好看，款式花样合适）

相关短语：fit in (with)fit in (with) 一致，相合一致，相合他想参加下个月的英语演讲比赛，这正符合我他想参加下个月的英语演讲比赛，这正符合我

的想法。的想法。

His thought to take part in next month’s EHis thought to take part in next month’s English speaking competition fits in with nglish speaking competition fits in with mine. mine.

suit for/tosuit for/to 适合于适合于那种新产品不适合顾客的需要。那种新产品不适合顾客的需要。

That new product was not suited for/to That new product was not suited for/to the customer’s needs. the customer’s needs.

2. baseball: it is a game popular in the USA, in which two teams of nine players try to get points by hitting a ball and running around four bases.

3. coordinate: make various things work effectively as a whole. Noun form is coordination.

Example: Dancers need coordination.

We need a computer to coordinate our work.

4. envious means jealous. But jealous is considered to be a more unpleasant feeling than envious.

Usage: I am envious. I am full of envy. I envy her.

5. halting is a adj. It’s root word is halt which can be used as a noun and verb.

Usage: call a halt to sth. 叫停 “halt! Who goes there?”

6. to keep one’s balanceto keep one’s balance: : to keep steady, remain upright to keep steady, remain upright 保保

持平衡，站稳持平衡，站稳Example: 在学习上，你不要偏科。 在学习上，你不要偏科。

You should keep the balance of your stYou should keep the balance of your study. udy.

7. in frustrationin frustration:: 沮丧，挫折 沮丧，挫折 (( 表状态或原因）表状态或原因）

类似的否定词组有：类似的否定词组有：• in relief;in relief;• in surprise;in surprise;• in astonishment;in astonishment;• in horror;in horror;• in fun; etc.in fun; etc.