Unit 1 

Text I Never Give In, Never, Never Background information:

      1. About the text: This text is a speech made by Churchill when he visited Harrow School on Oct. 29,1941. In 1888, Churchill entered this school, which was founded in 1572 under a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth. In 1940 he came to this school for a short visit and he came again a year later to hear the traditional songs of this school.

      2. about the author: Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was a combination of soldier, writer, artist, and statesman, renowned for his courage, imagination, oratory and intellect. In world war II he served as Prime Minister of UK from 1940 to 1945 and played a leading role in the resistance against German domination of Europe. Analysis

      This text is an inspiring speech made by Winston Churchill, when he visited Harrow School. The whole speech can be divided into three parts.

1.Part I is the opening remarks 2.Part II is the body of the speech3.Part III is the closing remarks Part I paragraph 1

      The following questions may be asked:1. What was Churchill’s intention of singing some of their songs? 2. Why did Churchill use ill-favoured words such as ups and downs and

misfortunes when talking about the menace of the enemy? 3. What lesson had they learnt? 4. Why did Churchill say the mood was different?

Part II paragraph 2-5       Questions to be considered:1. What did Churchill mean by saying “we must learn to be equally good at what

is short and sharp and what is long and tough”? 2. Why did Churchill quote Kipling as saying “

Part III paragraph 6-8       The following question could be asked:

1. Why did Churchill replace the word “darker” with “sterner”? Language Work

      Ups and downs : a mixture of good things and bad things The organization has experienced its ups and downs since it was founded in 1999. Sitting beside the window, he recalled the ups and downs of his parenthood. 

      Position: situation at a particular timeIt is time those companies revealed more about their financial position. Their soccer team is going to be in a very difficult position if nothing particular shows up. 

      What is short and sharp and what is long and tough: difficulties and hardships of any kind, imminent or distant, temporary or long-lasting.

      Noble chance of war: impressive opportunities of war 

      Throwing our minds back to our meeting here 10 months ago: recollecting our meeting at Harrow School 10 months ago.

Please throw your mind back to 1945, when people all over the world were engaged in a great and cruel war against the Fascists.

      Convictions of honour and good sense: strong beliefs in honour and good judgment of duty and justice

        Very different is the mood today: how other nations view Britain and how

the Britain people think and feel about the war is quite different today from ten months ago.

        Our country stood in the gap: our country shouldered the responsibility in

isolation. At the critical moment of world economic recession, a powerful government is needed to stand in the gap. Structural Analysis

      Part I is the opening remarks in which Churchill summarized the great events that had happened in the past ten months and the purpose of his second visit to Harrow School.

      Part II is the body of the speech in which he analyzed the world situation and how other nations looked at Britain and then called on the people not to give in.

      Part III is the closing remarks in which he told the audience that he wanted to change a word in the song and explained why he wanted to do so.

 Rhetorical Features

      The following antonyms are used in the speech: ups/downs, short/long, triumph/disaster, darker days/great days. Some of these antonyms are used to describe the terrible nature of the war, some of them are used to express the determination of the British people to fight on for the final victory, and some are used to encourage the audience not to lose hope.  Text II Winston Churchill

        Reference for questions1. Churchill stepped onto the world stage at the outbreak of World War I in the

capacity of the First Lord of the Admiralty of Great Britain. 2. Because he knew very well that his country alone was not demographically

strong enough to win the victory of the war, and the intervention of the USA would bring the war to its end much sooner.

In order to get the USA involved in the war, he established a personal relationship with Roosevelt, and he was optimistic and believed that things would work his way. The later development of the world situation proved that he was right.  

Unit 2Text I Space Invaders Background information:

      1. About the text: This text was originally published in New Yorker on July 24, 1993. later in 2001 it appeared again in The Princeton Anthology of Writing: Favorite Pieces by the Ferries Writers at Princeton University.

      About the author: Richard Stengel is a senior writer working for Time magazine.

      3. malthusian logic: the theories of the British economist Thomas Robert Malthus(1766-1843), which state that population increases faster than the means of subsistence unless war, famine, or disease intervenes or efforts are made to limit population.

      4. long island: an island in southeastern New York. The New York city boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are at its west end.

 Analysis

      The writer points out that nowadays people are more and more concerned about themselves and want to have a larger personal space than decades ago, and then he analyses the cause of space invasion.

It can be divided into three parts Part I paragraph 1-2

      The following question may be asked:1. How did the author describe the violation of personal space that happened in a

bank? Part II paragraph 3-7

      The following questions could be asked :1. Is “personal space” a phrase of the seventies? Is it out of date nowadays? Why

or why not? 2. Do you agree with the author about the reasons of space invasion given in

Paragraph 4? What other factor have caused it? 3. What does the author mean by saying “personal space is mostly a public

matter”? 4. Do space invaders respect other people’s personal space?

Part III paragraph 8-9       Questions to be asked:1. Do you agree with the writer’s view that the contraction of the outer, personal

space is proportion to the expansion of the inner space of modern man? 2. Do you think we Chinese people have comparatively more personal space or

less? Is Chinese personal space now the same as it was decades ago? 3. Why does the author decide to expand his contracting boundaries of personal

space?  Language Work

      snake : move in a twisting way the train was snaking its way through the mountains.

      Some tired velvet ropes : some slackened velvet ropes

        inch: move very slowly and carefully

Howard inched the van forward. 

      Shuffle: walk by dragging one’s feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground

He slipped on his shoes and shuffled out of the room. shuffle sth. off: avoid talking or thinking about sth. because it is not considered important He shuffled the question off and changed the topic. shuffle out of sth. Try to avoid some unpleasant task by acting dishonestly I mistrust the way in which they shuffle out of sustained efforts.

      Ring: a quality, or an impression of having the quality that is mentioned Her story has a ring of truth about it. The books he mentioned had a familiar ring about them. 

      Penetrate: succeed in forcing through sth. They penetrated into the territory where no man had ever been before.

      Wedge: force into a narrow space Open the door wide and wedge it with a pad of newspaper. 

      “don’t tread on me” could have been coined only by someone with a spread: “don’t step into my space”. This could have been said only by a person who has a large personal space.

      Personal space is psychological, not physical: it has less to do with the space outside us than our inner space: personal space is more a psychological matter than a physical one.

        Be proportional to: increase or decrease at the same rate as the other thing

The output should be proportional to the input. As a rule the suicide rates are proportional to the size of the city. Structural Analysis

      The author looks at the causes of space invasion in Paragraph 4. He attributes this phenomenon to population explosion first, then to the hot weather and the stimulation of caffeine.

      He examines the nature of space invasion and thinks that space invasion is a public matter. It is more psychological than physical.

 Rhetorical Features

      Listed below are the verbs used by the author to give a vivid and accurate description of the behavior of the space invaders

1) Verbs used to described the behavior of space invaders: inch, wedge, zigzag, jostle, refuse, press, bump, etc. 2) Verbs used to describe the reaction of those whose space is being invaded: advanced, sidle, shuffle Text II space and distance Reference for questions:

1. no. the distance we keep from other people depends on our interpersonal relationship.

2. Tell your classmates whether you prefer to sit in the front, in the middle, or at the back of a room. There can be different reasons for different people to make the same choice.

3. In any cases we will turn off the TV before the conversation starts.   

Unit 3 Text Ⅰ Alienation and the InternetBackground information1. 1.      About the author: Will Baker is an essayist in Vermont of the United States. 2. 2.      mantra (Paragraph 4): Originally it is a word or sound in Hinduism and

Buddhism repeated to aid concentration in meditation. Here it means a statement or slogan repeated frequently. For instance, the environmental mantra that energy has for too long been too cheap.

 3. 3.      Utopia ((Paragraph 7): Originally it refers to an imaginary island described in

Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) as enjoying perfection in law, politics, etc. Here it is used for an ideal state.

 Analysis1. 1.      What is the author’s long cherished position about the strong points of the

Internet?As a marvelous forum for the free exchange of ideas, the Internet can help realize the human potential by globalizing ideas and ultimately promote the social progress.

 2. 2.      How did the author start his argumentation?

He started his argumentation by presenting an apparent contradiction: on the one hand, the Internet facilitates global unification by enabling the free exchange of ideas; on the other, it alienates the participants. 

3. 3.      When and how did the fragmentation of society begin?According to the author, the fragmentation of society probably began after World WarⅡ when soldiers returned home from the overseas battlefields. They believed that only when people purchased cars could society progress. To push forward the social progress, they promoted the possession of automobiles. 

4. 4.      Why does the author discuss the question whether the Internet is a real place?To prove that the overuse of the Internet may distort the user’s sense of reality, the author has to define the key concept “the sense of reality”. Whether or not the Internet is a real place is directly connected with the concept. 

5. 5.      According to the author, what underlies the trend of overusing the Internet in our society?People tend to overuse the Internet because it is the best way of getting immediate gratification, which is most valued by society. 

6. 6.      Does the author believe it is within human capacity to reap the benefit of the Internet without being penalized?Yes. He thinks that people are able to maintain their sense of place while exploiting the resources of the Internet.

 Language work1. 1.      further: help forward

Additional training is probably the best way to further your career these days.The interests of an organization will never be furthered through acts of terrorism.

 2. 2.      alienate: cause (someone) to feel very distant from or not welcome to

someone elseShe was alienated from her brother by her foolish behavior.All these changes to the newspaper have alienated its traditional readers.

 3. 3.      addicted: being dependent on something and wanting to spend as much time

doing it as possible. Some youngsters are hopelessly addicted to video games. She’s become addicted to love stories. 4. 4.      skew: cause to be not straight or exact; twist The company’s results for this year are skewed because not all our customers

have paid their bills. Today’s election will skew the results in favour of the northern end of country. 5. 5.      lament: express sadness and regret about something He lamented the death of his friend. She lamented that she had never been to Paris. 6. 6.      at the expense of: at the sacrifice of According to this study, women have made notable gains at the expense of men. The orchestra has more discipline now, but at the expense of spirit. 7. 7.      confront: meet face to face; set face to face He challenged his accusers to confront him openly. The lawyer confronted the accused man with the forged check. 8. 8.      value: regard highly; esteem We value your cooperation and would like to expand business with you. I value your comments on the report. Structural analysis

This text falls into the genre of argumentation, which is typically composed of three parts, i.e. the opening part or the thesis part, the argument part, and the summary part or conclusion part.

The first two paragraphs serve as an opening part, in which the writer presents his thesis.

The following four paragraphs constitute the body of argumentation, where the author supports his point with evidences and reasons.

The final paragraph is the conclusion of the text, where the writer reiterates his main idea.

Topic sentence: However I am also troubled by the possible unintended negative consequences.

Concluding statement: All this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.

 Rhetorical features

The author of this text seems to believe that the Internet has both advantages and disadvantages. This self-contradiction is partly illustrated by the use of antonyms such as globalization and alienation. Some other pairs of antonyms (including words and expressions) are used for the same purpose.

  

Text Ⅱ American Online: Losing the Battles, but Winning the War Reference for questions1. 1.      He imagined a world in which computers would be connected so that they

could work much faster and everybody could use them. 2. 2.      Because it was by no means easy to get a large number of subscribers,

especially at the very beginning. AOL had to start with this unique marketing approach to make its product known to the general public. As a matter of fact, it took five years for this company to attract a million subscribers.

 3. 3.      It did not expect the fast increase of subscribers and failed to satisfy the needs

of its customers. As a result, it lost a lot of money and consumer confidence. 4. 4.      It got a large amount of revenue from advertising on the Internet and selling

products online.  

Unit 4 Text I A View of MountainsBackground Information

• •         The main background information of the text and author• •         This text is the epilogue from Jonathan Schell’s book The Gift of Time:

The Cause for Abolishing Nuclear weapons now published by Henry Holt& Co. in 1998.

• •         The Jonathan Schell is the author of The Village of Ben Sue and The Fate of the Earth. He was a writer for the New Yorker from 1967 to 1987 and a columnist for Newsday from 1990 to 1996. He teaches at Wesleyan University and the New School, and is the Harold Willens Peace Fellow at The Nation Institute.

Other information of the text• •         The Nagasaki is a city which is the seaport in southwest Japan(长崎) and

is one the two cities that got nuclear bombing in the War II.• •         The Hiroshima is a city which is the seaport in southwest Japan(广岛) and

is the other city that got nuclear bombing in the War II.• •         The Kokura refers to the city which is the seaport in Kitakyushu(九

州),Japan(小仓). Analysis

This argumentative essay comprises three parts. In the first part, i.e. Paragraphs 1, the writer puts forward his thesis: a view of mountains in the background suggests the real extent to which the city was destroyed by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki is more representative of the nuclear peril threatening the world than that of Hiroshima and that we need to take actions to dispel nuclear threat from the Earth. In the last part, i.e. Paragraph 4, he restates his main idea, i.e. we should not just worry about the nuclear peril but take the actions to eliminate it to create a safer world.

• •        Analysis of Paragraph 1• •        In paragraph 1 the writer describes what Yamahata’s pictures display: The

effects of a nuclear weapon on human beings. And then he repents the main point of his argument: the true measure lies not in the wreckage but in the gone city, and this is where the significance of a view of mountains in the background of one of the pictures lies.

• •        Because there were few pictures of the destructive consequences of the first atomic bomb. In contrast, Yamahata’s photos systematically and timely record the second bomb on Nagasaki.

• •        2) Why were the bodies often branded with the patterns of their clothes?• •        Because the different colors of the patterns absorb light in different

degrees. That is , they permitted the body by type thermal pulse in different degrees in accordance with the colors of the patterns. The lighter the color, the less burned the part of the body.

• •        3) why does author particularly mention “ a view of mountains” in one of the pictures?

Because the view of mountains reminds the viewers of the city that had been erased from earth. It is in the vanished city rather than in the wreckage that the significance of the event lies. • •        Analysis of Paragraphs 2-3• •        The following questions can be considered:• •        1) Why is the meaning of Yamahata’s picture universal?• •        Because they express an apprehension of the nuclear peril that hangs over

us. What happened to any other city in the world?• •        2) Why has Nagasaki always been in the shadow of Hiroshima?• •        Because Hiroshima was the city on which the first atomic bomb was

dropped and it has drawn almost all the attention of the world. By contrast, Nagasaki has nearly been forgotten as an atomically devastated city.

• •        3) Do you agree with the author when he says the bombing of Nagasaki is the fitter symbol of the nuclear peril? Why or why not?

• •        This is an open-ended question. Students who answer “no” have to offer their own explanations; those who say “yes” can follow the writer reasoning. First it is the evidence of the danger that nuclear weapons can be used again. Second, it shows the unpredictability of nuclear attacks.

• •        4) What should we do in addition to apprehending the nuclear peril?• •        In addition to apprehending the nuclear peril, we should try to dispel it

completely from the earth. This is a more significant challenge.• •        5) What do we need to meet the more important challenge of eliminating

nuclear weaponry?• •        We need actions rather than pictures. No picture seems adequate for this

purpose.• •        Analysis of Paragraph 4• •        In this part the writer calls on us to take the responsibility of creating a

safer world for new generations. What should we do to ensure a safer world for the future generations?

This is an open-ended question. According to the text, one of the things we should do is make efforts to banish nuclear peril from the Earth forever. However, there are other things to be considered. For instance, the issue of pollution and environment protection, the development and application of high technology including cloning and nuclear energy, and the issue of terrorism. Language work

• •        1. Constitute: 1) compose; form. E.g. Nitrogen constitutes 78% of the earth’s atmostphere.2) be equal to, e.g. it is up to the teacher to decide what constitutes satisfactory work.

• •        2. Char: make or decide what constitutes satisfactory work.• •        E.g. halve the peppers and char the skins under a hot grill.• •        3. …their bodies are often branded with the patterns of their clothes…: …

their bodies are often marked with the patterns of their clothes…4. Hang over: menace; overshadowThe threat of nuclear war hangs over us, we couldn’t enjoy our vacation.5. Spare: refrain from harming, punishing or killingIt will spare him embarrassment if you speak to him about it in private.6. Depel: cause to vanish

• •        E.g. In his latest novel he aims to dispel the myth that real men don’t cry.• •        I’d like to start the speech by dispelling a few rumors that have been

spreading recently.• •        7. …we ensure their right to exist: …we guarantee a safe living

environment for them. Structural analysis• •        What makes clear the author's opinion about the meaning of Yamahata’s

pictures is the sentence that appears in the middle of the last paragraph: Performing that act is the greatest of the responsibilities of the generations now alive.

 Rhetorical features of the text• •        Apart from the two sentences that have been already mentioned, we can

find the following sentences with the “A but B” structure in the text: • •        The true measure of the event lies not in what remains but in all that has

disappeared.( Para 1)• •        …the challenge is not just to apprehend the nuclear peril but to seize a

God-given opportunity to dispel it once and for all…(para3)• •        Apart from the “A but B”sentence structure, we can also find the “A yet

B” type:• •        Nagasaki has always been in shadow of Hiroshima… ye t the bombing of

Nagasaki is in certain respects the fitter symbol of the nuclear danger that still hangs over us. (para2)

• •        Yamahata’s pictures afford a glimpse of the end of the world. Yet in our day…(para3)

• •        And we can find a sentence that organizes information in a similar way without the use of the conjunction but or yet:

• •        Arriving a half-century late, they are still news. (para2)• •        By admitting something is correct first and then saying something else is

even more correct, or admitting something is urgent first and then saying something else is more urgent with the help or the above-mentioned sentence structures, the author succeeds in making his sentences well balanced and his argumentation forceful and convincing.

  Text II Statement of the 2003 Session of United Nations Disarmament Commission

 • •        Question reference for discussion• •        1. It is uncertain and unpredictable because military confrontation caused

by disputes over territory, resource, religion and interest continues and non-traditional security threats characterized by terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have become more salient.

• •        2. The speaker proposes nine measures for nuclear disarmament. . Refer to para9-17.

• •        3. In para22-25, the speaker talks about the concrete and practical measures taken by China in recent years to build up confidence between China and its neighboring countries.

• •       4. The multilateral approach is necessary because more than mono-country possess nuclear weapons and these weapons cannot be reduced and destroyed without willing cooperation between the nuclear states, especially the nuclear powers like the United States.

• •         

Unit 5 Text I The Tapestry of Friendship Background Information

This text is taken from Close to Home, which was published by The Boston Globe Company / Washington Post Writers Group in 1979.

The author, Ellen Goodman, is a Boston Globe Online columnist and a stylish writer with a humanizing touch on any issue, public or personal. She is widely acclaimed as a voice of sanity, and readers depend on her to help them make sense of their changing lives and relationships. Goodman’s first book, Turning points, detailed the effect of the changing roles of women on the family. Five collections of her columns have been published: Close to Home; At Large; Keeping in Touch; Making Sense and Value Judgments. She is also coauthor with Patricia O’Brien of I Know Just What You Mean: The Power of Friendship in Women’s Lives. Analysis

This text distinguishes two kinds of friendship: that between men and that between women. It can be divided into four parts. Paragraphs 1-2 serve as the Prelude, where the author reveals what kind of film the woman had just seen. Paragraphs 3-6 are the Introduction, where the author advances the double standard of

friendship on the basis of the personally observed shift of focus of cinema lens. Paragraphs 7-18 are the Body, where the distinctions of the two types of friendship are detailed. The last paragraph is the Conclusion, which summarizes the fundamental difference between the male companionship and the female friendship.Paragraph 1-2In this part the author reveals what kind of film the woman had just seen and what attitude she had to it. 1) 1)      What kind of film did the woman see?

It was a movie that portrayed all aspects of the friendship between two women: its fragility, its resiliency and its connecting function. It was quite an ordinary film without thrilling scenes like the long-time car chase or the fierce gunfight. The end was of no great significance either.

2) 2)      What did she think of it?The movie was gentle and moving to the woman, because, as the following paragraphs show, with the other two movies it brought about a new definition of friendship that stood against the traditional view of friendship.

Paragraph 3-6This part describes the woman’s observation of the shift of focus of the cinema

and advances the argument for the distinction between the two types of friendship: that between men and that between women.1) 1)      Why does the author list the movies the woman had seen?

Because the three movies share the same theme: the friendship between women.2) 2)      What led the woman to think that the cinema has drastically shifted its focus?

It was the fact that at present there were many more movies about Female Friendship than movies about Male Buddiness. In contrast, in the past, the friendship between men had dominated the movies, giving a false impression that only men were capable of making friends.

3) 3)      What was the shift?On the surface, it was a shift from the friendship between men to that between women; but in nature the shift highlighted a different type of friendship: Male Buddiness is subtly distinct from Female Friendship.

4) 4)      Do you agree on the point of the distinction between the two types of friendship? Give your own reasons.(This is an open-ended question, which allows for different answers.)

Paragraph 7-18This part discusses in detail the distinctions between the Male Buddiness and the

Female Friendship. Generally speaking, the former is action-oriented while the latter is emotion-oriented. That is, the Male Buddiness is based on the need for co-operation in the activities that men are engaged in or in the adverse situations they are confronted with. In contrast, the Female Friendship borders on love, the need for mutual emotional support. 1) 1)      What’s the fundamental difference between buddies and friends?

Buddies are men’s companions; they are connected by common activities. Friends, in the narrow sense in the text, are women’s companions; they are associated by emotional attachment. Without shared activities. There would be no buddies for men; without love there would be no true friends for women.

2) 2)      What are the conditions of men becoming buddies and of women becoming friends?Men can become buddies only when they have weathered storms in commercial or athletic or military “wars” together, while women have to exchange at least three loathsome secrets before they consider themselve4s as friends.

3) 3)      Why was the woman shocked by men’s description of friendship?Because men’s standard of intimate friendship is so drastically different from women’s that under such circumstances as described in Paragraph 17 women would not count each other as close friends at all.

Paragraph 19This part is the Conclusion of the text, which restates the distinction between the

two types of friendship. The teacher can ask the students to tell in what ways buddies and friends differ. Buddies are those you can do things together with in your lifetime, but friends are those with whom you can share roses and thorns in your life.  Language Work1. 1.      It was, in many ways, a slight movie. — In many aspects it was a simple,

ordinary movie.2. 2.      big-budget chase scene — a car-chase scene that costs a lot of money3. 3.      cosmic

1) 1)      very great This earthquake was a disaster of cosmic scale.

2) 2)      relating to the universeThe other great cosmic reality is time.

4. Slowly, it panned across the tapestry of friendship…— Step by step it gave an all-sided view of the complex structure of friendship…

5. 5.      across millions of miles of celluloid — in large numbers of movies6. 6.      cull — choose from various sources

Here are a few facts and figures I’ve culled from the week’s papers. It’s a collection of fascinating stories culled from a lifetime of experience.

7. 7.      … only men… inherited a primal capacity for friendship. — …only when… were born with the instinctive capacity of making friends.inherit —1) 1)      receive (money, a house etc.) from someone after they have died

All her children will inherit equally.When I took on the job of manager, I inherited certain financial problems.

2) 2)      be born with (a physical or mental quality that a parent, grandparent or other relative has)

Rosie inherited her red hair from her mother.The child has an inherited disease which attacks the immune system.

6. 8.      “through the wars: together — corporate or athletic or military: through the commercial, athletic or military strives together

7. 9.      They had to soldier together…— They had to struggle together…8. 10.  count — consider or be considered as

I count myself fortunate to have had such a good education.I think we can count this meeting a great success.

9. 11.  wretched with embarrassment — unhappy with embarrassmentShe had had a wretched life as a child.There can be few experiences as wretched as moving house.

12. The only relationship that gave meaning to the claustrophobic life of George Babbitt had been with Paul Riesling. — What made the claustrophobic life of George Babbitt meaningful had been his relationship with Paul Riesling; without his relationship with Paul Riesling George Babbitt would have found his claustrophobic life meaningless.

Structural Analysis

In the text the author discusses the differences between a buddy and a friend in a forceful way. We can summarize the author’s viewpoint with the following sentence: A buddy is a fine life-companion but a friend is that part the race with which you can be human.

The more specific differences between a buddy and a friend are:1. 1.      Buddies bonded, but friends loved.2. 2.      Buddies faced adversity together, but friends faced each other.3. 3.      Buddies seemed to “do” things together; friends simply “were” together. Rhetorical Features

To show the differences between buddiness and friendship effectively, the author of the text coordinates sentences in various ways. Sometimes he uses conjunctions such as but, yet and while. And sometimes he simply puts two clauses together without using any conjunction at all.

For example:1) Buddies bonded, but friends loved. 2) Buddies faced adversity together, but friends faced each other.3) 3)      Men affect each other in the reflection of noble or friendly acts, whilst

women ask fewer proofs and more signs and expressions of attachment.4) 4)      Men often keep their buddies in these categories while women keep a

special category for friends. Text II My Daughter, My friend

      Reference for questions1. Through note writing the daughter told her mother how she felt and what

growing pains she had experienced as an adolescent and the mother told her daughter how she felt as a middle aged woman.

2. Mom, your letter make me feel great no matter what kind of mood I’m in. sometimes they even make me cry because they touch me so deeply. I’m really glad we have the kind of relationship that we do, even though we have our arguments.

I love you, Mom3. Here are a couple of hints for your discussion:

1) what is the usual way of communication between members of your family? 2) Do you think your family climate is democratic? 3) Do you think note writing between family members living under the same roof

can lead to some undesirable consequence? 

 Unit 6

Text I A French FourthBackground Information

This text is taken from The Atlantic Mothly, July /August 2001. The author Charles Trueheart is a correspondent for the Washington Post based in Paris. Globalization make people can touch their own cultures more easily and children abroad can learn the history of their motherland from school. The culture divide between different countries is less jarring. However, on the other hand, people are less than fully immersed in a truly foreign world.

 Analysis

This text talks about the influence of a foreign culture on expatriated families. It can be divided into three parts. In part I, the author starts with a way of celebrating his home country’s National Day; In part II he makes a contrastive analysis of the costs and benefits of the expatriated people; In part III, he talks about the effect of globalization.

Questions for part I:1) 1)      Why does the author hang the American flag from his fourth-floor

balcony in Paris?2) 2)      The author has kept the old flag for a long time. Why didn’t he get a

new one?3) 3)      Why do the author and his family go back home for the summer?Questions for part II:1) What are the costs and benefits of raising children in a foreign culture?2) 2)      What is the author’s purpose of telling the story of his own children in

Paragraph 4 and 5? How is the story related to his argument?3) 3)      Did the author achieve the purpose of his summer travel in the U.S.?Questions for part III:1) 1)       Why does the author recall his own experience as a child in

Paragraph 10?2) 2)       What are the differences between the author and his children as

expatriates at about the same time in their lives? What causes the differences?

3) 3)       Why does the author say the development is sad? 

Language work1. 1.      fold away—make something into a smaller, neater shape by folding it,

usually several timesThese camping chairs can be folded away and put in the trunk.The piece of paper was folded away carefully and trucked into her purse.

2. 2.      the date and the occasion that prompt its appearance: The event of the thirteen sates of British colonies declaring their independence on July 4, 1776 brought about the appearance of this flag.

3. 3.      suppress such outward signs of their heritage: do not give manifestations of their traditional culture handed down from their ancestors.

4. 4.      refuel: Its original meaning is to fill with more fuel for a vehicle but here it means to fill someone’s mind with more knowledge of their native culture.Oil tankers will accompany the containers for trans-ocean refuelling.In a society of intense competition, people have to refuel every year to catch up with the rapid renewal of knowledge.

5. 5.      the American in me: the feeling of being American which is deeply rooted in my mind.

6. 6.      frame of reference: a particular set of beliefs, ideas, or observations on which one bases his judgmentPlease see to it that you are dealing with someone with a different frame of reference.The observer interprets what he sees in terms of his own cultural frame of reference.

7. 7.      square dancing: a traditional American dance in which sets of four couples dance together in a square formation

8. 8.      surveys with fringe on top: old –fashioned horse-drawn carriages with fancy decorations on top

9. 9.      a much less jarring cultural divide: a much less unsuitable cultural divergence

10. 10.  Re-entry... is likely to be smoother. It seems to be easier for the children to restart the acquisition of their native culture.

 Structural analysis of the text In this text there are both general and specific discussions about how to keep

the cultural identity of the expatriated people.The author of this text follows a “specific-general” pattern in his discussion, i.e.

he first talks about what it means to his children to hang the national flag of their native land in a foreign country on July 4 th every year and then express his view on the importance for expatriated people in general to keep their cultural identity, especially when the whole world is undergoing a process of globalization. The specific points can be found in his discussion of the costs and benefits of raising children in a foreign cultural in Paragraph 4-9 while the general conclusion can be found in Paragraph 10-12, especially Paragraph 12. Rhetorical features of the text Generally speaking, the author of this text has adopted a plain language style

and nothing seems prominent and extraordinary. But a closer look will show that concessive words and expressions like but are frequently used.

I’ve never seen anyone look up, but in my mind’s eye an American tourist may notice it and smile, and a French passerby may be reminded of the date and the occasion that prompt its appearance. (Paragraph 1) The function of but here is to express the author’s good wish that American tourists and other expatriated families may notice the flag and be reminded of their national identity.

The particular narratives of American history aside, American culture is not theirs alone but that of their French classmates, too. The music they listen to is either “American ” or “European”, but is often hard to tell the difference. In my day little French kids looked like nothing other than little French Kids; but Louise and Henry and their classmates dress much as their peers in the United States do, though with perhaps less Lands’ End fleeciness. (Paragraph 11) The function of the three buts here is to show the diminishing difference between American culture and European culture.

On the other hand, they are less than fully immersed in a truly foreign world. (Paragraph 12) The function of on the other hand here is to tell the reader the possible disadvantage if the existing cultural differences all disappear as a consequence of the ongoing globalization.  Text II Stuck in the MiddleReferences for questions for discussion:

1. 1.      He was faced with racial discrimination. The American law prohibited him from owning any property or becoming a naturalized citizen, to name only a few examples.

2. 2.      No. Although she inherited some rituals from her Chinese ancestors such as being thrifty and polite, she is also influenced by the Caucasian culture and the American culture.

3. 3.      It is good for people like her because it is easier for them to merge themselves with the local people and get equal opportunities in education, employment and other things.

4. 4.      It depends on how you define a Chinese. If we look at the blood relationship, no matter whether they are 1/2, 1/4,1/8, or 1/32 Chinese, they are unquestionably Chinese in origin. But they need to have much more to be a Chinese in a broader sense. Language is one of the many things they must possess. Without being able to speak or read the Chinese language, it is simply impossible for them to know, to feel or t sense what a Chinese really is or what the Chinese culture really means.

  

Unit 7Text I The Selling of the President Background information:

      1. PR: public relations       2. IQ: an abbreviation of Intelligence Quotient. A General Intelligence

Quotive Score (IQ score) is a statistically derived number which indicates relative and comparative abilities that can be used to obtain academic skills and knowledge.

      The Associated Press: 美联社       Watergate: some republicans broke into the Democratic Party’s National

Committee offices in this building but were discovered and arrested. This political scandal led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974. the word Watergate has become synonymous with corruption and scandal.

 Analysis

      This text can be divided into three parts.1.Part I is the thesis of the author 2.Part II is the discussion of the impact of television on American presidential election3.Part III is the conclusion drawn by the author Part I paragraph 1

      The following question may be asked:1. Why does the campaign strategist say “I can elect any person to office if he

has $ 60,000, an IQ of at least 120, and can keep his mouth shut? Part II paragraph 2-11

      Questions to be considered: :1. What is the most influential medium in an election campaign and why? Does

it work in all elections? 2. How does the author start his argumentation? 3. What is the function of the two questions in Paragraph 4? 4. Why does the author mention the four presidents in Paragraph 5? 5. Why does the author say “since the 1960 presidential debates we have elected

people, not platforms”? 6. What is the difference between print information and television information? 7. What is the main idea of Paragraph 8? 8. What is the author’s opinion on the power of television?

Part III paragraph 12       The following question could be asked:1. What does the author mean by “today’s burning issue is tomorrow’s historical

footnote”?

 Language Work

      Generate: cause to arise or come about The Employment Minister said the reforms would generate new jobs. John is recalling the excitement generated by the visit to the pyramids in Egypt. 

      Quote: repeat what is said or written by someoneThe premier was quoted as saying that he would resist all attempts to disintegrated his nation. Heavy teaching loads are often quoted as a bad influence on research. 

      Versus: against Brazil versus Argentina is turning out to be a surprisingly well-matched competition.

      Stage: organize and participate in At the end of this year, the government staged a huge military parade. The workers have staged a number of strikes in protest at the republic’s declaration of independence. 

      Stand for: support the party is trying to give the public the impression that it alone stands for democracy.

      People are not taken in by advertising hyperbole and imagery: people are not deceived by advertising exaggeration and descriptions of the candidates.

        Develop a sense of what kind of person we are electing to the nation’s

highest office: become aware of what kind of person we are choosing as our new president.

 Structural Analysis

      In recent years that publicity has been supplanted by heavy spot buying on electronic media.( para. 1)

      The most talked-about medium in American politics is television. (para. 2)       Television affords us that opportunity in a way no other medium can.

(para.12) Rhetorical Features

      Positive examples: Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Reagan the purpose is to show the effectiveness of television in getting more publicity for presidential candidates.

      Negative examples: Adlai Stevenson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon the purpose is to prove the importance of the candidates’ public image on TV. Text II What Makes a Leader

        Reference for questions1. He must have bigger-than-life, commanding features for people to remember.

He must appear on the scene at a moment when people are looking for leadership. He must be able to offer a solution everybody can understand and

remember and able to do something other people can’t. H must know how to use power.

2. Enjoy strong health. Have a strong will in time of difficulties. Charisma. 3. Honest. Active. Creative. High scores in studies. Willing to work for his

classmates. Know how to organize class activities. You can certainly add more.  

Unit 8 Text I The MonsterBackground information: 1. About the text: This text first appeared as a radio talk, entitled A Monster. Later it was published with the title Of Men and Music in the United States in 1937. 2. about the author:3. Richard Wagner: German composer, born in Leipzig on 22 May 1813 and died in Venice on 13 February 1883. he did more than any other composer to change music, and indeed to change the art and thinking about it. His works are hated as much as they are worshipped, but no one denies their greatness. Analysis

      This text can be divided into three parts.1.Part I describe a man who seems to have rolled all kinds of demerits into one, a real monster. 2.Part II clarifies who this monster really is, i.e. a famous musician by the name of Richard Wagner.3.Part III justify all the peculiar behaviors of Richard Wagner. He, as “one of the world’s greatest dramatists … a great thinker … one of the most stupendous musical geniuses”, has every reason to be a monster Part I paragraph 1-9

      The following questions may be asked:1. Does the man’s appearance, described in the first paragraph, give one any

impression of “grandeur”? 2. What are the further evidences of the monster’s conceit? 3. What kinds of grammatical devices are used to emphasize the extreme extent

of his peculiar conceit? 4. What kind of versatile man is he? 5. How does the writer describe him as an emotional person? 6. How was he financially supported? Did he earn himself a good living with his

great talents? 7. What is his attitude toward love? 8. Why do you think Wagner made so many enemies?

Part II paragraph 10       The following questions could be asked :1. Why do you think the writer postpones the presentation of the monster’s name

till the 10th paragraph? 2. Has your attitude towards this monster changed a little when you finally find

out who this monster is? Part III paragraph 11-13

      questions to be asked:1. How does the writer justify every piece of evidence of the monster, which he

has presented previously? 2. What is the writer’s real intention of writing this article? 3. What is your final conclusion about Richard Wagner?

 Language Work

      And he had delusions of grandeur: and he had a false belief that he was a man of importance.

delusion: a false belief or opinion. That sick man is under the delusion that he is Napoleon. 

      Volubility: the characteristic of always being ready to produce a continuous flow of words, or being talkative

      Voluble: characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; talkative

Ted’s a voluble speaker at meetings; he doesn’t give much chance to others to say anything. 

      For the sake of 1) 1)      For the good or advantage of2) 2)      For the purpose of       Rave:1) 1)      Talk wildly as if mad2) 2)      Put into the stated condition by talking wildly

        Darkly: in a vaguely threatening or menacing manner

He spoke darkly of trouble to come hint darkly hidden dangers

      Testimony: a formal statement that sth. is true, as made by a witness in a court of law.

        Between the lines: hidden meanings

some kinds of poetry make you read between the lines. 

      And the curious thing about this record is that it doesn’t matter in the least: although the monster’s peculiar personality and behavior described previously are all facts on record, people just care nothing about them at all.

      Downright: thoroughly It makes me downright angry to see food thrown away. 

      Is it any wonder he had no time to be a man? It is reasonable for him to act like a monster in other respects when he was wholly engaged in composing music.

 Structural Analysis

      In the first 10 paras, we can find the following words and expressions used by the author to describe Richard Wagner as a monster of conceit:

delusions of grandeur/ monster of conceit/ believed himself to be one of the greatest dramatist/one of the greatest thinkers

      In the remaining paras, we can find the following words and expressions

used to describe him as a great genius: right all the time/ one of the world’s greatest dramatists/ a great thinker/ one of the most stupendous musical geniuses Rhetorical Features

      The repetitious use of the third person pronoun he creates suspense in the reader’s mind. This is one of the effective ways to hold the reader’s attention and make him move on. To use the terminology of functional linguistics and discourse analysis, this use of he is anaphoric in nature. The anaphoric use of he can be found in sentences such as “I have a friend and he is working in New York”, in which he refers back to “my friend”.

 Text II Simple Habits, Deep Thoughts

      Reference for questions1. He is simple in his habits. He does not pay much attention to his personal

appearance. His clothes are baggy and he wears bedroom slippers when walking on the streets.

2. Basically the theory proposed, among other things, that the greatest speed possible is the speed of light; that the rate of a clock moving through space will decrease as its speed increases; and the energy and mass are equal and interchangeable.

3. To illustrate his profound idea, Einstein compares it to the ways one feels when he is sitting with a nice girl and when he is sitting on a hot stove.

4. Wagner was arrogant, aggressive, and self-centered whereas Einstein was modest, amiable and easy-going. Wagner was monster but Einstein was absolutely a gentleman.

  

Unit 9ⅠTeaching PointsAfter learning this unit, students are supposed to1) 1)  grasp the author’s purpose of writing and get familiar with the structure of Text

1 by an intensive reading.2) 2)  paraphrase all the difficult sentences in Text 1.3) 3)  master all the news words or sentence patterns and be able to use them freely in

oral or written work.4) 4)  Be aware that the doctor-patient conflict is a common phenomenon in different

cultures and try to investigate that in China and try to offer some suggestions on how to solve this problem.

 ⅡTopics for Discussion1) 1)  What do you think this text is about after you know its title?2) 2)  How do you think a dying man will most probably behave?3) 3)  What attitude do you think that we should take towards financial or physical

problems? ⅢAn Integrated Analysis of Text 1 The Discus ThrowerHighlightsThis text if a piece of narration. The narrator, as a doctor, had a unique habit of “spying on” his patients for the sake of better medical treatment. He met with a particular patient with a strange habit of throwing the plate. This caused a conflict

between the man and the head nurse. Finally the patient died, and the doctor discovered that the man starved himself to death when he paid attention to the repeatedly washed place where the scrambled eggs dropped to the floor. Structural Analysis of the TextThis passage can be divided into three parts.Part One (Paragraph 1): Spying on Patients—a Habit of MineThis part serves as an introduction to the background of the story. The narrator tells about one of his unique habits of “spying on” the patient and justifies himself for the sake of better medical treatment. Part Two (Paragraphs 2-13): Encounters with a Particular PatientThis part talks about the narrator’s contact with the “discuss thrower”. The miserable condition of the patient is compared to a bonsai, as he resembles it in several ways. His confinement caused by blindness is like the restricted growth domain of a bonsai: the domain permitted by a pot. He is legless in the way the roots and braches of the miniature trees are pruned. The reason for his “discuss throwing” is that his plight throws him into despair and he hopes for nothing, only waiting for death.Part Three (Paragraphs 14-15): The Death of the PatientThis part tells about how the man is found dead and the doctor discovered the secret that the man starved himself to death as is suggested at the end of the text by the doctor’s attention to the repeatedly washed place where the scrambled eggs dropped to the floor. ⅣLanguage Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehension…he might the more fully assemble evidence?…he might gather evidence more fully than without spying?The structure “the more fully” is the elliptical form of “all the more fully”. In English the structure “all/ so much/ none + the + the comparative degree of adjectives or adverbs” is used without “than…”following it to express emphasis. Sometimes all can be omitted.e.g. 1) She was waiting for the spring. She felt the younger for it. 2) I walked around for two hours yesterday, and the doctor said I was none the worse for it. 3) I know there’s danger ahead, but I am all the more set on driving forward. furtive: attempting to avoid notice or attention; secretivee.g. 1) I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right. 2) There was something furtive about his behavior and I immediately felt suspicious. It is rusted, rather, in the last stage of containing the vile repose within.Rather, his skin gets dark brown because he was approaching the last stage of his life, that is, he was dying. Here “vile repose” is a metaphor, and it means “death”. And the blue eyes are frosted, looking inward like the windows of a snowbound cottage.And (under scrutiny) the blue eyes are not clear but covered with a gray frost-like layer, without looking outside at the external world like the windows of a snow-surrounded cottage.frosted: covered with frost or something like frost

 …he cups his right thigh in both hands.…he holds his right thigh with his hands curved like a dish.cup: support or hold something with the hands that are curved like a dishe.g. 1) He cupped his chin in the palm of his hand. 2) David knelt, cupped his hands and splashed river water onto his face. swing: move something from one side to the othere.g. 1) A large pendulum swung back and forth inside the big clock. 2) The truck driver swung himself up into the driver’s seat. probe: physically explore or examine (something) with the hands or an instrument; investigatee.g. 1) They probed in/into the mud with a special drill, looking for a shipwreck. 2) Detectives questioned him for hours, probing for any inconsistencies in his story. heft: lift or hold (something) in order to test its weighte.g. I hefted a suitcase. I see that we are to be accomplices.I see that I have to help the aide feed the patient. make one’s rounds: make one’s usual visits, esp. of inspectione.g. The production manage makes his rounds to check whether everything goes well. dignified: having or showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respecte.g. 1)He has maintained a dignified silence about the rumours. 2) The defeated candidate in the election gave a dignified speech in which he congratulated his rival. sweep: glide swiftly; speed alonge.g. 1) A 1970s fashion revival is sweeping Europe. 2) Her gaze swept across the assembled crowd. 3) The National Party swept into power with a majority of almost 200. ⅤQuestions for Consideration1) 1)  Who is more responsible and considerate, the doctor or the medical aide? Find

some clues in the text to support your opinion.2) 2)  Since doctor-patient conflict is unavoidable, can you give some suggestions to

improve this situation? Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2 A Rage against DyingOne day in 1981, Sian Evens was caught in a fire caused by the spilled gasoline from a gas tank in a kitchen and became seriously injured. She suffered third-degree burns, which means about 40 percent of her body was burned. Her father rushed to the hospital as soon as he got the message and stayed by her side as long as he was permitted. During his visits he tried to help her regain consciousness by playing music tapes and encourage her to live on by one-sided conversation. As well as Sian’s great efforts, her father’s deep love and great patience contributed immensely to her physical and mental recovery.

 A Topic for DiscussionHow do you understand the title of this passage? What does the word “rage” here refers to?   

Unit 10Ⅰ.Teaching PointsBy the end of this unit, students are required to 1) 1)   grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the structure of the whole

passage by an intensive reading of Text 1 How I Found My Voice.2) 2)   understand all the difficult sentences in Text 1 and be able to paraphrase them.3) 3)   get a list of new words and structures and try to use them freely in conversation

and writing.4) 4)   get familiar with the style of Text 1—autobiography.5) 5)   try to get a general understanding of the famous literary figures mentioned in

Text 1. ⅡTopics for Discussion1) Have you ever spoken to a large audience? How did you feel?2) Do you think voice is important to personal development?3) Suppose a friend of yours, who has accidentally broken his leg, is going to have an operation in a few days and now he is feeling nervous. Say something to calm him down and give him some encouragement. Ⅲ An Integrated Analysis of Text 1 How I Found My VoiceHighlightsThe text is the author’s memory of his unforgettable experiences of how he overcame his severe stutter and found his voice with the help of his high school teacher, Professor Crouch. Later he made great successes in memorable roles on stage, in film, and on television, and he showed his gratitude by calling his teacher, “the father of my resurrected voice”. The author wants to tell us that self-confidence is one of the indispensable qualities for our success in life. Structural analysis of the text This autobiographical narration comprises three parts.Part One (Paragraphs 1-2): The writer presents a striking contrast between his successful career as an actor and television announcer and his severe stutter in his early childhood. It is really out of anyone’s expectation that a person with the experience of stuttering may have such a great achievement, especially ina career dependent primarily upon voice and fluency. Part Two (Paragraphs 3-22):This part mainly describes the author’s stuttering problem when he was a child and the process of how Prof. Crouch helped the boy tackle the problem by way of the forced public speaking. As a result, his effort woke up the boy’s courage to overcome his humiliation, and the boy’s stutter disappeared. Part Three (Paragraphs 23-29) : The concluding part shows various honors and successes the writer has obtained, which further emphasizes the great effect the teacher has brought about on the writer’s career as well as his whole life. He would

never forget that it was Prof. Crouch who had made him a successful actor and announcer out of a stuttering boy. Ⅳ Language Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehensionthe voice-over announcer: an announcer who makes a commentary or gives an explanation which is heard as part of a film or television program, but he himself is not actually seen. the New Testament: the second part of the Bible, concerned with the teachings of Christ and his earliest followersthe Old Testament: the first part of the Bible, telling the history of the Jews and their beliefs I always sat down, my face burning with shame.I always sat down, and blushed because I felt ashamed.More examples of absolute structure:A number of officials followed the emperor, some to hold his robe, others to adjust his girdle, and so on. (infinitive clause)His voice drowned by the noise, the speaker stopped in the middle of his lecture.(-ed participle clause)He went off, gun in hand. (prepositional phrase)The floor wet and slippery, we stayed outside.(adjective phrase) It was traumatic moving from the warm, easy ways of catfish country to the harsh climate of the north, where people seemed so different.We moved from the familiar and pleasant country to the north where I felt cold both in body and in heart. That was really an upsetting experience in my life. in a nondenominational fellowship: in a close relationship without caring about the different religions Granddad’s Irish heritage came out in his love for language; during the week he used “everyday talk”, but on Sunday he spoke only the finest English.Granddad had a love for language, which might have been inherited from his Irish ancestors. In weekdays, he used plain English, but when in church on Sunday, he spoke perfectly standard English. come close to: become almost the same ase.g. The language learner tries to make his speech come close to perfection. round up: gather together animals or people, often when they do not want to be gathered togethere.g. The teacher rounded up all the students and led them to the classroom. That awful feeling of voice being trapped got worse as I grew older.As I grew older, I became more self-conscious of my stuttering. savor: enjoy and appreciate something like food, or drink, or an experience, as much as one cane.g. 1) I savored every mouthful of breakfast, reluctant to let it end. 2) He savored the words as he said it.

 labor: work with difficulty, for example because one is not strong enough or clever enoughe.g. He was laboring under the strain of a worsening political crisis. His classmates were laboring with elementary algebra. …I started, anger flooding me……I started, overwhelmed with anger… Most have no problem singing because the lyrics’ rhythmic pattern flows by itself.Most stutterers can sing without stuttering because they can sing along with the rhythm pattern which just flows by itself. He never pushed anything at me again; he just wanted all his students to wake up.From then on he never gave me pressure, and what he tried to do was to help students realize and tap their potential. I…supported myself between roles by sweeping floors of off-Broadway stages.Before acting any new role, I …supported myself by sweeping the floors of off-Broadway stages. “Can I fly you in from Michigan to see it?”“Can I offer you a flight to Michigan to see my acting?” …he was still living in a world vibrant with all of the beautiful treasures had stored.…he had stored many poems by memorizing them so he could enjoy his life with the rhythms of poetry even after he had lost his sight. resurrect: cause something to live again after it has disappearede.g. A furious argument ensued in which both sides resurrected all their old differences. Ⅴ Questions for Consideration1) What is the text mainly concerned with?2) What do you learn from the author of this text? Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2 Thank You, Mr. ChipsJack Kibly’s marvelous achievements on inventing microchips and thus launching a technological revolution led him to winning the Nobel Prize in physics, although he is not a physicist, and what’s more, he even flunked a math test in the MIT entrance examination when he was young and never had much formal physics training in his lifetime. He has never accumulated much money out of his invention, but this has not bothered him. He always tries to be a good problem-solver in his field. The author also tells us that our media-saturated society is always looking for new faces and genuine national heroes like Kilby who have been overlooked. A Topic for DiscussionWill you care your personal gains after you devote much of your time and energy to

your beloved work?   

Unit 11Ⅰ.Teaching PointsBy the end of this unit, students are supposed to 1) 1)   make clear the structure of the whole passage and grasp the author’s purpose of

writing through an intensive reading of Text 1.2) 2)   master all the new words and sentence structures and employ them in

conversation and writing.3) 3)   be able to paraphrase all the topic sentences in Text 1.4) 4)   know about the Boy Scout and its ranks.5) 5)   learn from the passage some experience in face of a great danger in the wilds. ⅡTopics for Discussion1) 1)  Can you remember any situation in your life where you were terrified?2) 2)  What will you do if you run across a fierce wild animal in the woods?Ⅲ An Integrated Analysis of Text 1 Mountain Lion’s AttackHighlightsThe writer, as a life scout and lover of kids and outdoor activities, thought the job of camp counselor would be interesting and relaxing, so he accepted it. But his original understanding of camp counselor was proved wrong through his own experience in a mountain camping when he met with great difficulty. One of these little boys was grasped by a mountain lion, then he immediately took some measures to rescue the boy, disregarding his own safety. Finally the author succeeded in saving the boy’s life. The passage ended with the lesson that the writer was taught: Be prepared to listen to divine directions at any time and at any place. Structural Analysis of the Text This narrative article comprises three parts. Part One (Paragraph 1): In this part, the writer describes the motivation of his taking a job offer: to be a camp counselor would be interesting and much fun, and he would have a lot of time playing with children. Part Two (Paragraphs 2-20): In this part, the writer talks about his personal experience as a camp counselor, which shows that this job was not as relaxing and interesting as he had assumed. On the halfway to the top of Marshall Mountain, one of the little campers was caught by a ferocious mountain lion. The author fought against it with his courage and spirit of duty. At first, he tried to frighten it away by shouting, but failed. Then he rushed forward to kick the lion and tried to show that he was dangerous, and he won the great fight in the end. Part Three (Paragraph 21): In this part, the writer concludes his narration with his motto: Be prepared to listen to divine directions. Ⅳ Language Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehension Boy Scout: member of the Scout Association, an organization which aims to teach boys self-reliance, discipline and public service through outdoor activities.Life Scout: one of the ranks of the Boy Scout. The ranks of the Boy Scout start out as a Scout, which is followed by Tenderfoot. After that is Second Class, which precedes

First Class. The next rank is Star. After that one achieves Life, which leads up to the highest rank, Eagle. One has to earn 11 merit badges before he can be a Life Scout. well on my way to making eagle: with much hope of becoming a senior scout jumped at the chance: eagerly accepted or took advantage of the chancee.g.1) Susan jumped at the chance of going abroad. 2) The guests all jumped at the invitation because it is rare for the host to arrange such a party. glue: fasten or join with gluee.g. 1) Her ear has been glued to the key-hole. 2) The approaching Session of Parliament will open millions of pairs of eyes, which have been glued up by false alarms for the last twenty-five years. roam: wander aimlessly or unsystematicallye.g. 1) A mighty horde of savages roamed the continent in search of food. 2) In the summer I often roam about the fields all day. yell: utter a loud strident cry, especially from some strong and sudden emotion, as rage, horror, or agonye.g. 1) Vicki leaped to her feet and started yelling at the audience about the death penalty. 2) With its driver yelling “I can’t stop, I can’t stop”, a car barreled onto an

elementary school playground. Could I stand my ground?Could I stick to my principle?e.g. The government was strong enough to stand its ground on foreign affairs. plod up: make one’s way up laboriouslye.g. We plodded along in profound silence in case that we would arouse the sleeping dwellers. …something kept bugging me. …I was continuously annoyed by something. shrug off: dismiss or reject in an offhand manner; be unaffected bye.g. 1) The stock market has shrugged off the collapse of Roc Company. 2) You can’t just shrug off things like this! insistent: persistent with urgencye.g. The natives were very insistent that I should try and shoot an animal otherwise I would not be a real hunter. At the real, I found myself with the least ones.I joined the smallest or youngest campers at the end of the group. We clambered on…We climbed on along the mountain trail with difficulty…

 an Indian trail sign: a sign marking the direction of paths in a forest by and for Indian tribesmen …the counselors froze. …the counselors became motionless. yelling at the top of my lungs: shouting at the utmost power of my voicee.g. The desperate shepherd was yelling at the top of his lungs for help, but unfortunately no one came. Fear for the boy wiped out my own terror… My own terror was driven away completely by the fear for the boy’s safety…e.g. They accused Nazi Regime of an effort to wipe out the identities of Jews by destroying their public enemies. in a fit of rage: very angrye.g. He tore the book into pieces in a fit of rage, because he was not interested in it at all. gave me credit for: praised me fore.g. He was given credit for his extraordinary devotion only after he died. carrying the right gear: equipping oneself with the right instruments Ⅴ Questions for Consideration1) What do you learn from the author? 2) Do you think that there is really someone who can warn the writer of the danger ahead? Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2 Terror in the NightDerek has many close calls during his 19 years of life. His mother likes to say his anger works overtime. One night in August when he camped in Glorieta, he and his girlfriend Kendra were attacked by a ferocious bear. At first they tried to avoid the danger by playing dead, but this did not stop the bear from attacking them. When they were attacked for a second time, brave Derek did everything he could to fight the animal and protect his girlfriend. He jumped up, waved his arms, stamped his feet, kicked the ground, yelled and screamed. Finally the bear backed off, and they survived.  A Topic for DiscussionWhere do you think Derek’s courage comes from? 

Unit 12ⅠTeaching PointsAfter learning this unit, students are required to1) 1)  have a good understanding of the author’s purpose of writing and appreciate the

whole passage through an intensive reading of Text 1.2) 2)  comprehend the difficult sentences in Text 1 and be able to paraphrase them.3) 3)  master the new words and structures and try to employ them freely.4) 4)  be aware of how Christmas celebrated by westerners.

5) 5)  learn a new rhetorical device—oxymoron and be able to identify it in different texts.

 ⅡTopics for Discussion1) 1)  What is the most important festival in China?2) 2)  What does the title of this text suggest to you?  ⅢAn Integrated Analysis of Text 1 Christmas Lost and FoundHighlightsWhen we look at this text more closely, we will find that it consists of three parts rather than two: Christmas found, Christmas lost and Christmas re-found, or to put it another way, joy and happiness brought by the coming of Christmas Boy, sorrow and sadness caused by the sudden death of Christmas Boy, and joy and happiness regained in the end. This story promises to touch hearts and lift spirits with the true meaning of Christmas, that is, the best of Christmas is in our hearts and the love harbored in our heart will unite people into a family and Christmas is just a chance for people to share love with each other. Structural Analysis of the TextThe text can be divided into three parts.Part One (Paragraphs 1-5): This part introduces the writer’s dream of having a big family vibrating with energy, life and love, especially at Christmas. And her dream came true with the arrival of an adopted son, Christmas Boy, as well as two biological children. Part Two (Paragraphs 6-8): This part tells readers that Christmas Boy was killed in a car accident on his 26th Christmas after he decorated his parents’ tree as usual, which gave a heavy blow to his parents. Then they submerged in the sorrow of losing their son as well as Christmas for 17 years. Part Three (Paragraphs 9-24): This part tells us that 17 years later, the parents returned to the city, which brought back all kinds of memories of Christmas Boy. However, they gradually realized that they had found the joy of a noisy Christmas of a big family again and that the love harbored in everyone’s heart will unite people, biologically connected or not, into a family and Christmas is just a chance for people to share love with each other. ⅣLanguage Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehensionreckon on: expect; dependent one.g. 1) We are reckoning on a large profit. 2) Can I reckon on you to help? Undaunted, we applied for adoption and, within a year, he arrived.Not discouraged by our infertility, we requested to adopt a child. Within a year, we succeeded in adopting one. in rapid succession: quickly and continuouslye.g. His words came out in rapid succession. …compared with my quiet childhood, that made an entirely satisfactory crowd.…with three children, my family was filled with a big crowd, which, quite different

from my quiet childhood, completely satisfied my dream of having a big family. satisfactory: good enough to be pleasing, or for a purpose, rule, standarde.g. a satisfactory excuse for his absencecf. satisfaction: contentment ; pleasure; fulfillment of a need, desire, etc.e.g. He took great satisfaction from playing the piano well. rush the season: make people prepare for Christmas hastily long before Christmas really comes He pressed us into singing carols, our froglike voices contrasting with his musical gift of perfect pitch.He forced all of us to sing carols, even though our voices, compared with his perfect voice with musical gift, were too harsh and husky to sing. Each holiday he stirred us up, leading us through a round of merry chaos.Each holiday, he tried to excite us and turned the whole family into a cheerful disorder.stir up: cause to move or excitemerry chaos: This is an expression of oxymoron. “Chaos” refers to a state of complete and thorough disorder or confusion, which is, however, modified by an adjective incompatible to or contradictory with its original meaning. Our friends were right about adopted children not being the same.Our friends were right in saying that adopted children would usually be different from biological children. Through his own unique heredity, his irrepressible good cheer, his bossy wit, our Christmas Boy made our life colorful.With his unique ability inherited from his own parents, his cheerful personality, as well as his wit of ordering others to cooperate with him, he changed our life into a colorful one.bossy: having or showing fondness for giving orders stop by: make a short visit to (someone’s home) …where memories clung to every room.…where every room would make us recall the past.cling to: hold tight to; stick firmly to e.g. She clung tightly to her few remaining possessions. We slide into the city on the tail of a blizzard, through streets ablaze with lights.We drove into the city at night just after a heavy snowstorm, in order not to be noticed by any acquaintance.slide: go slowly and unnoticed; pass smoothly or continuously; slipe.g. 1) She slid out of the room when no one was looking. 2) She slid over the question without answering it. on the tail of: following closely behind We settled into a small, boxy house, so different from the family home where we had orchestrated our lives. It was quiet, like the house of my childhood.We settled down in a small house, which was so different from our previous home

where, with our Christmas Boy, we had changed our quiet life into a cheerful one. Now the small house reminded me of the quiet house of childhood, which I had disliked so much. snowcapped mountain: mountains covered with snow pull up: come to a stope.g. The car pulled up outside the station. There stood our granddaughter, and in her gray-green eyes and impudent grin I saw the reflection of our Christmas Boy.Our granddaughter was standing there, her gray-green eyes as well as her rude smile reminded us of her father, our Christmas Boy. shape up: begin to do righte.g. You’d better shape up, young man, or you will be punished. in a whirl: in a confusing rush You sure as heck can.You certainly can. We had long ago given up the poignant Christmas services, but now under pressure, we sat rigid in the front pew, fighting back tears.After the death of our Christmas Boy, we had not expected to have any Christmas services any more. Now, at the demand of our granddaughter’s family, we sat in the front seat, but the sad memories stiffened our body and filled our eyes and heart with tears. In a rare emotional response, the congregation applauded in delight.Greatly touched by her singing, the audience gave a big applause to her delightedly. We had been alerted that there would be a whole mess of people for dinner—but 35!We had been warned that there would be a large number of people attending dinner, but we had never expected that there would be 35 of them. assorted relatives: various types of relatives sort out: separate from a mass or a groupe.g. Sort out the papers to be thrown away, and put the rest back. They took us in, enfolded us in joyous camaraderie.e.g. They received us and treated us like old friends.take in: receive and provide lodgings fore.g. The kind old lady offered to take in the poor homeless stranger.enfold: surround; envelop We sang carols in loud, off-key voices, saved only by that amazing soprano.We sang carols loudly, often in the wrong key, but every time we were led to the right key by our granddaughter’s perfect singing.

 …it occurred to me that a true family is not always one’s own flesh and blood. It is a climate of the heart.…I suddenly realized that a family is not always made up by kinship and the hearts filled with love for others would surely make up a true family. Had it not been for our adopted son, we would not now be surrounded by caring strangers who would help us hear the music again.I felt grateful to my adopted son, without whom we would not have a chance to spend Christmas with these caring people and hear the Christmas carols again, which we had not had for so many years.  zoom: move or travel quicklye.g. Jack went zooming past in his new car. Once more that day her voice, so like her father’s, lifted in song, and the mountainside echoed the chorus of “Joy to the World”, on and on into infinity.e.g. After hearing her carols at the Christmas party, for a second time she sang with a voice similar to her father’s. Her song “Joy to the World” echoed among the mountains as if it would be passed on unlimited by time and space. …I felt …a sense of peace, of the positive continuity of life.…I resumed a peaceful state of mind free of sorrow, realizing that life would be infinite with continuing love, and I began to hold a new faith in and hope for life. The real meaning of Christmas had been restored to us.I found the real meaning of Christmas again, that is, hearts with love, which I had had when my family was filled with energy and love with all my three children around me, but later I had mistakenly lost after my adopted son’s death. ⅤQuestions for Consideration1) 1)   A proverb goes like this: “Blood is thicker than water.” Do you think that there

is any contradiction between this proverb and the way the author of the text looks at human relationship?

2) 2)   Nowadays Christmas is celebrated in China. Does it mean that Christianity is getting popular in China?

 Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2 One Small Stone, UnforgettonThe author, whose father was a groundskeeper for cemeteries, enjoyed his visits to the cemeteries when he was a child. To him, cemeteries were quiet, calm places full of life stories. When he was in his teens, he felt dissatisfied with his life in the rural Indiana. As he found the life in his home area too quiet and sheltered. He believed he needed an escape from it and a new way of life. But later he changed his attitude toward life. On a particular visit home, his father asked him to take his truck out to one of the cemeteries and lay some of the stones on several of the markers. From his stone-leaving experience, he came to realize that what his father did all the years in the cemeteries, which seemed to be tedious and insignificant, gave the relatives of the dead people a lot of comfort and warmth.  

A Topic for DiscussionWhat do you learn from the author’s stone-leaving experience?  

Unit 13ⅠTeaching PointsAfter learning this unit, students are required to1) 1)   grasp the author’s purpose of writing and the structure of Text 1.2) 2)   understand the difficult sentences in Text 1 and be able to paraphrase them.3) 3)   master all the new words, expressions and sentence patterns, and use them

freely in conversation and writing.4) 4)   know the importance of harmonious relationship between man and nature, and

try to suggest some effective ways to improve present situation. ⅡTopics for Discussion1) 1)  What’s your favorite bird?2) 2)  Why do most Chinese dislike crows? ⅢAn Integrated Analysis of Text 1 Promise of BluebirdsHighlightsThe text vividly describes the harmonious relationship between man and nature through the unique friendship between an ordinary old man and bluebirds—a species of North American songbird. The author starts the story in a bitter tone against the background of a cold winter. On her way to the hospital she briefly disclosed the importance of the small birds to her father who was struggling with death. Then she recalls the life of her father, his philosophy of life and his sacrifice for the family and children. Just after he retired, he became interested in, and even hooked by, bluebirds, a kind of brilliant creature. He gave to the bluebirds not only nesting boxes but also constant care, though his emotional offering may be unintelligent to the creatures, which gave back to him a promise of hope and triumph. The spiritual support from them must have worked in his recovery from his severe heart attack. Structural Analysis of the TextThe passage can be divided into three parts.Part One (Paragraphs 1-7): These seven paragraphs function as a preclude to the story, where the author sets the wintry landscape as the background. She asked herself the question “…will he ever see one again?” To reveal the critical situation of her father who treated bluebirds as angels of spring and life. Part Two (Paragraphs 8-19): In this part, the author recollects the life of her father, who worked hard throughout his life to support his family, yet he was never beaten down by hardships because he had tried his best to make his life colorful. Just after his retirement, her father became fascinated with bluebirds and gave part of his love to this kind of brilliant creatures.Part Three (Paragraphs 20-30): In this part, the author concentrates on the friendly relation between her father and bluebirds, which implies the harmonious relation between man and nature, and illustrates the theme of this story—the promise of bluebirds. ⅣLanguage Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehensionawait: wait for (formal use)

e.g. Very little was said as they awaited the arrival of the distinguished guests. hover: (of a person) wait or linger close at hand in an uncertain mannere.g. With no idea of what to do for his next move, Ham’s hand hovered over the board. …he drifted in and out of consciousness.…he lost and regained consciousness every now and then. let go: give upe.g. She held the photos with the determined grip of a small child and wouldn’t let go. hold on to: keep one’s hand on or arounde.g. 1) His right arm was extended up beside his head, still holding on to a coffee cup. 2) Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years yet held on to his belief for the equality of his people. make sacrifices for: give up something valuable or important in order to obtain something else for other peoplee.g. He was willing to make any sacrifice for the development of his motherland. showing a fine pall of coal dust: covered with a layer of thin coal dust sparkled with devilment: betrayed or reflected his playful spirit fashion a fishing-line threader out of an old ballpoint pen: turn an old ballpoint pen into a fishing-line threadere.g. Through years of hard work, he fashioned a beautiful horse out of an oak root. Each job had its claim on your best efforts.Each job demanded your best efforts. His playful spirit would set us to giggling.His humorous temperament would cause us to laugh. …we’d been had. …we had been tricked or deceived. cleared forests for farmland: remove the forests to cultivate land for farming He was hooked.He was fascinated as if fastened by a hook. …Dad was confined to the downstairs.…Dad could not climb upstairs. …the rascals showed……the lovely bluebirds came… Sporting a resplendent blue head, back, and wings and tail…

With his head, back, and wings and tail growing attractive rich blue feathers… She remained aloof on a distant perch.She stood on a distant perch, seemingly uninterested in the new nest. Then she fought an even more vehement battle with another female.Then she fought an even more violent battle with another female in response to Caruso’s love. …the sky mirrored Caruso’s courting raiment……the sky was as blue as the color of Caruso’s courting clothing… herculean efforts: extremely great efforts ⅤQuestions for Consideration1) 1)  What is the theme of this text?2) 2)  Would you offer some suggestions to harmonize the present relationship

between man and nature? Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2 My Son, the LionKobus, the author’s husband, found a tiny lion cub and brought it home. They tried their best to look after it as if it were their son. They gave it the right food, held him and comforted him, and spent time playing with him in order to make him healthy and happy. When the family believed it was too big to manage, they sent it back to live with wild animals in a park that kept animals for tourism and filming purposes. At first, it was a bit frightened, but gradually it accustomed itself to the life there, and finally it became a real lion. This passage tells us that man should treat animals in a friendly way and help them and protect them when they are in such a need. It is necessary for man to seek a harmonious relationship with animals. A Topic for DiscussionWhat do you learn from this text?  

Unit 14ⅠTeaching PointsAfter learning this unit, students are required to1) 1)   master all the new words and employ them in conversation and writing.2) 2)   be able to paraphrase all the topic sentences in Text 1.3) 3)   be aware of the author’s purpose of writing and grasp the main structure

through an intensive reading of Text 1.4) 4)   have a good understanding of the style of the text—argumentation, most of

which consists of three parts: the thesis of the author, the evidences to support the thesis, and the summary or conclusion of the argument.

 ⅡTopics for Discussion1) 1)  What are the major differences between city life and country life?2) 2)  Where do you prefer to live, in the city or in the country? Please give evidences

to support your choice. ⅢAn Integrated Analysis of Text 1The Idiocy of Urban Life

 HighlightsThis text falls in the generic category of argumentation. The author first presents to us that the aggressively individualistic and atomized urban life today goes against both the purpose of the city and the human nature, and thus is foolish. Then he provides evidences for the idiocy of urban life, such as the pretense of city dwellers when they try to live outside the city boundaries, insignificant city work, an unreal environment in which live the city dwellers, and the damage done by the office work to the physical conditions of the workers. Finally, the author reiterates his point. Structural Analysis of the TextThis text can be divided into three parts.Part One (Paragraphs 1-2): In this part, the author contrasts human beings with rats in terms of their urban lives. It starts with a description of a civil urban life at night, when rats are active in the city. Then it is contrasted with the urban life of human beings. Finally the writer presents the thesis of his argument: aggressively individualistic and atomized urban life today goes against both the purpose of the city and the human nature, and thus is foolish. Part Two (Paragraphs 3-9): In this part, the author provides evidences for the idiocy of urban life. Para. 3-4: discussing the pretense of city dwellers when they try to live outside the city boundariesPara. 5-6: putting forward the point that city work is an unreal environmentPara. 7: proving that the city dwellers live and work in an unreal environmentPara. 8-9: showing the damage done by the office work to the physical conditions of the workers Part 3 (Paragraph 10): In this part, the writer summarizes the idiocy of urban life and the ultimate reasons for this phenomenon. On the one hand, city dwellers try to simulate rural life, and on the other hand, they disdain and mock this life.  Language Points and Difficult Sentences Comprehensioncivil: polite and formale.g. His manner was civil, though not particularly friendly. cruises easily through blinking traffic lights: moves easily through traffic lights and turn red and green alternatelycruise: (of a vehicle or its driver) travel (at an efficient speed)e.g.1) The plane is cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet. 2) We are planning to spend our retirement cruising on luxury liners around the world. during an insomniac night: during a sleepless nightThe word “insomniac” here is used as a transferred epithet to modify something inanimate.More examples of transferred epithet:Even so, the risk of discovery was beginning to cause Pettit sleepless nights.He threw a reassuring arm around my shoulder. rat race: fierce competition

 rubs to some: rubs as called by some people disdain: think oneself superior to; rejecte.g.1) The older musicians disdain the new, rock-influenced music. 2) Our new neighbors seem to be disdaining to speak to us. simulation: imitation of the conditions of (a situation etc.); resemblancee.g. I was quite deceived by her simulation of sorrow.simulate: imitate; give the appearance of e.g. In cheap furniture, plastic is often used to simulate wood. in the richer ones further out: in the richer suburbs farther away from the city boundary  prim new trees: neatly pruned new treesprim: 1) neat e.g. a prim garden 2) very formal and correct in behavior and easily shocked by anything rude e.g. She is much too prim and proper to go into a pub. frenzy: uncontrolled and excited behavior or emotion, which is sometimes violente.g. 1) A gunman killed ten people in a murderous frenzy today in that city. 2) The audience worked themselves up into a frenzy as they waited for the singer to come on stage. …to the rush-hour traffic into the city there is now added a rush-hour traffic out to the suburbs in the morning…This is a partly inverted sentence, whose normal order is: there is now a rush-hour traffic out to the suburbs in the morning added to the rush-hour traffic into the city. scandal: 1) something that causes a public feeling of outrage or indignation e.g. The minister was forced to resign after a scandal involving him and another minister’s wife. 2) malicious gossip e.g. Someone must have been spreading scandal. reel: move from side to side unsteadilye.g.1) At closing time he reeled out of the pub and across the road. 2) She hit him so hard that he reeled across the room.  the rural life that has been surrendered for the city lights: the rural life that has given way to the city lights slumping along their streets: walking with stooping head and shoulders along their streets scurry: run or move hurriedly, especially with short quick stepse.g. We all scurried for shelter when the storm began. far less the sky: looking at the sky far less than they did their buildings.

 ⅤQuestions for Consideration 1) 1)  What is this text mainly about?2) 2)  Do you agree with the author’s thesis? Ⅵ Main Ideas of Text 2In the mainstream of American thinking, there has been a strong anti-urban attitude. It is consistently believed that the city is characterized by injustice and it is a place full of corruption, filth, disease, vice, licentiousness, subversion and high prices. By contrast, the country is considered free and natural. This thinking can be traced back to Thomas Jefferson, who was the first major thinker to express a clear antipathy to city life. However all this is relevant not only to past attitudes and legislative history, but also to the modern history. Throughout the text, the author expressed his dissatisfaction with the current condition of the urban life in America and unhappy with the strong anti-urban attitude that has exited in the mainstream of American thinking for 200 years, especially in the last sentence of the text: “And we are paying for that attitude in our cities today.” A Topic for DiscussionHow did the author express his dissatisfaction towards the antipathy to the city?  

Unit 15Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, students are supposed to grasp the author’s purpose of         grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the structure of the

whole passage through an intensive reading of Text 1 Dolly’s False Legacy         comprehend Text 1 thoroughly         get a list of new words and structures and use them freely in

conversation and writing.

        Compare Text I and Text II 

I. I.       Topics for discussion         Do you know anything about Dolly, the first sheep ever cloned in

history?          What do you know about cloning technique?  

        What would happen if sometime, somewhere, someone generated a cloned human being?

 II. II.    Background Information

Photographs of a rather ordinary-looking lamb named Dolly made front pages around the world because of her starling pedigree: Dolly, unlike any other mammal that has ever lived, is an identical copy of another adult and has no father.  She is a clone, the creation of a group of veterinary researchers.  That work, performed by Ian Wilmut and his colleagues at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, has provided an important new research tool and has shattered a belief widespread among biologists that cells from adult mammals cannot be persuaded to regenerate a whole animal.  Although the Scottish researchers have made clear that they would consider it unethical to adapt their

technique to clone humans, the demonstration has raised the uncomfortable prospect that others might not be so scrupulous.  Cloning humans would mean that women could in principle reproduce without any help from men.

 III.III. Structural analysis of Text 1 Dolly’s False Legacy

 The passage can be divided into three parts.

        Part One: (Paragraph 1) serves as the introduction of the topic of cloning and the thesis of the essay. That is to say it is impossible to apply cloning to humans, today at least. The following questions can be asked:

1) 1)      What does the author think of cloning from the technical point of view? What evidence does he give to support it ?

2) 2)      What is the main point of the essay?          Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-12) This part is the body of the essay, where

the author argues against the currently discussed practicality of applying the cloning technique to humans from technical, ethical and legal perspectives.

        Para. 2-9: refute the reasons for wanting cloned children from ethical or humane viewpoint.

        Para. 10-11: argues from the technical angle that cloning is not applicable to humans at present.

        Para. 12: presents the difficulty in and necessity for legal controlling of the use of the technique.

Questions to be considered:1) 1)      What would be the similarities and differences between a cloned

child and its natural twin?2) 2)      Is it acceptable, according to the author, for sterile couples to

have a cloned child? Why or why not ?3) 3)      Why is the introduction of cloned children into hypothetical

families unacceptable?4) 4)      What is wrong with the suggestion of cloning a child as a

substitute for the one tragically killed?5) 5)      What is the technical hindrance of using the technique to clone

humans?6) 6)      What is the author’s point with regard to the legal control of the

development and use cloning? 

        Part Three: (Paragraph 3): This paragraph concludes the essay by restating the thesis that cloning technique must be used cautiously.

Questions to be considered:1) 1)      At what development stage is the cloning technique today?2) 2)      What is the author’s attitude towards cloning?

IV. Language points         Overlooked in the arguments about the morality of artificially

reproducing life is the fact that , at present, cloning is a very inefficient procedure.This is an inverted sentence, and its normal order is: “The fact that at present, cloning is a very inefficient procedure is overlooked in the argument.” The reason for this inversion is that the author wants to highlight the topic of the essay: “the argument about the morality of artificially reproducing life”.

1) 1)      fail to notice; ignore or disregard2) 2)      forgive; tolerate

We will overlook your bad behavior this time, but don’t do it again.3) 3)      provide a view from above

Our hotel room overlooked the harbor.         Distressing Upsetting The television reports about the famine were particularly distressing.

        render  (a formal word)  vt.

1)  V+ O +C(adj.):  to cause sb./ sth. to become…

      It must have rendered him unconscious for a considerable period.

His rudeness rendered me speechless.

       His fatness renders him unable to touch his toes.

 

       2)  translate

 She is rendering the book into English from French.

        Perfect

Make something completely free from faults or defects, or as close to such a condition as possibleHe is keen to perfect his golfing technique. 

        intrusion the action of intruding intrude introduce into a situation with disruptive or adverse effectInefficiency has introduced into every area of the company’s activities.

          Impose

1) 1)      lay onThe council has imposed a ban on alcohol in the city parks.

2) 2)      enforce compliance with We need to impose some kind of order on the way we do things in the office.

          fondly

with a great likingShe smiled fondly at the children. 

        framecreate or formulate (a concept, plan, or system)

          in the event of

if something should happenIn the event of a strike, the army will take over responsibility for firefighting.

          reverse

turn something the other way round or inside outI was almost knocked off my bike by a car reversing out of a garage. 

        Championdefend; supportHe has championed constitutional reform for many years. 

        enforcementthe action of compelling observance of or compliance with (a law, rule, or obligation)She’s looking for a career in law enforcement

enforce compel obedience to It isn’t always easy for the police to enforce speed limits. 

II. IV.  Main ideas of Text 2 Quietly, Animal Cloning Speeds Onward Compare Text A and Text B in this unit to see where the two authors differ from each other in their attitude towards cloning.

In text I, the author is obviously dubious about cloning. This can be proved by his use of the words and expressions that carry negative meanings, e.g.: false legacy in the title, very inefficient procedure, … incidence of death.. higher, distressing enough, and unthinkable in the text. His strong objection to whole-being cloning can be seen in many statements such as Even if the technique were perfect... in Paragraph 2, Every child should be wanted for itself… in Paragraph 9, and … we must use it cautiously in Paragraph13. In text II, the author sounds much more objective and thus less involved by frequently quoting what other people have said about cloning. We can find 6 direct quotations in Paragraph 7, 12, 14, 18, 21 and 23, and some indirect ones in Paragraph 6(say cloning supporters), 9(opponents say), and 15(scientific say)

  

Unit 16I. I.                   Teaching PointsBy the end of this unit, students are supposed to

        grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the structure of the whole passage through an intensive reading of Text 1 The Story of an Eyewitness.

        comprehend the topic sentences in Text 1 thoroughly and be able to paraphrase them.

        get a list of new words and structures and use them freely in conversation and writing.

 II. II.    Topics for discussion

        What do you think is the most destructive natural disaster?         What is the biggest natural disaster you have experienced?

 III.III. Background Information The California earthquake of April 18, 1906 ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time. Rupturing the northernmost 430 kilometers of the San Andreas fault

from northwest of San Juan Bautista to the triple junction at Cape Mendocino, the earthquake confounded contemporary geologists with its large, horizontal displacements and great rupture length. Violent shocks punctuated the strong shaking which lasted some 45 to 60 seconds. The earthquake was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada.IV. IV.  An integrated Analysis of Text 1 The Story of an Eyewitness 

Structural analysis of the text and language pointsThe passage can be divided into three parts.

        Part One: (Paragraphs 1-3) gives a brief introduction to what happened in San Francisco in 1906.The following questions may be asked:

1) 1)      Why does the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906 rank among the most destructive earthquake of all time?

2) 2)      What rhetorical devices did the author use to describe the damage to all sections of San Francisco in Paragraph 2 ?

3) 3)      Which brought more destructive damage to the city, the earthquake or the following conflagration?

 

        Part Two: (Paragraphs 4-13) This part tells the reader in more detail what the author witnessed on Wednesday morning, afternoon and night.Questions to be considered:1) 1)      How did the author describe the day of the earthquake?

Morning – 5:15 came the earthquake, flames were leaping upward, fires started, streets were humped into ridges and depressions, steel rails were twisted, telephone and telegraph systems were disrupted.Afternoon—half the heart of the city was gone, it was dead calm, strong winds were blowing upon the doomed city, heated air rising made an enormous suck.Night – the very heart of the city was destroyed, dynamite was used, structures were crumbled by man himself into ruins, firefighters fought the flames. Wednesday night was a quiet night, no crowds , no hysteria, no disorder.

2) 2)      Why do you think there was “no opposing the flames”, “no organization, no communication”, “no withstanding the onrush of the flames” after the earthquake and the fire occurred?

3) 3)      What is “the cunning adjustments of a 20th century city” and what are “the shrewd contrivances and safeguards of man”?

4) 4)      What is the main idea of Paragraph 7?5) 5)      How did the people of San Francisco behave? Why was this so

remarkable?6) 6)      According to the author, why did those trunks break many men’s

heart?7) 7)      What did the picket lines do ? 

        Part Three: (Para. 14-16): This part describes what happened the next day, that is to say how the very heart of the doomed city was being completely destroyed by the spreading fire and why the surrender was complete.Questions to be considered:

1) 1)      What are the differences between the scene of the very heart of the city at 9:00?

2) 2)      Did people try to fight against the fire?3) 3)      Why does the author say “surrender was complete”?

 V. V.     Language points

        shake downcause to descend by shaking; bring down 

        conflagration an extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property 

        … this lurid tower swayed in the sky, reddening the sun, darkening the day, and filling land with smoke…… the fire, moving back and forth slowly, make the sun redder and sky darker and covered the land with smoke. 

        There was no opposing the flames. There was o organization, no communication.:It was impossible to oppose the flames, and it was impossible to organize any battles against the fire or communicate with other people

        All the cunning adjustments of a 20th city had been smashed by the earthquake.

Human ingenuity enabled people t make all kinds of adjustments to nature. However, the achievements of their efforts had been completely destroyed by the earthquake.

          The streets were humped into ridges and depressions..

The streets were no long smooth after the earthquake…          perpendicular: at an angle of 90º to a given line, plane, or surface

horizontal: parallel t the plane of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical         The heated air rising made an enormous suck.

It is commonly known that the hot air will rise up while the cold air goes down, which forms the air current.

        Thus did the fire of itself build its own colossal chimney through the atmosphere.The fire automatically followed the heated air rising to the atmosphere, in the same way as the smoke and fire go up through the chimney.

        Panic-stricken Overcome with, characterized by , or resulting from fear or panic

a panic-striking mother looking for her child           Lighten up

Lessen the road         Before the march of the flames were flung picket lines of soldiers.

The soldiers were sent to keep the crowds of people moving before the march of the flames.

        a heart-breaking hilla steep hill that breaks man’s heart

        compel

force, or drive, especially to a course of actionHis horse was played out when a day’s hunting was over.

        soft members of the middle classthose people in the middle class who were weak both in body and spirit because of lack of effort or challenge

        at a disadvantage in an unfavorable circumstance or condition 1. 1.       

VI. VI.  Text 2 Memories of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire A topic for discussion

Compare Text II with Text I in this unit , the author of Text I looks at the destruction caused by the earthquake from the perspective of an adult whereas the author of Text II does it from the perspective of a child. Try to find their differences in attitude towards what they witness. In Text II, you can find a change of attitude on the part of an eight-year-old child in the following expressions and clauses: excited(Paragraph 4), was curious to see the nearest fire (Paragraph 6), saw many things that entertained (Paragraph 9), the gravity of the situation (Paragraph 14), sorry that others did not have the same transportation(Paragraph 17), realize as never before the importance of food, shelter and protection.(Paragraph 18).

In Text I , however, there is no such change of attitude on the part of the author because Jack London was old enough to know the gravity of the situation as soon as the earthquake began.