新编英语教程Unit1教案

Unit One

I. Lead-in

Movie Clip

Watch the following video and then do the exercise. You can find the interpretation of some words and phrases in \"Word Bank\". Book 6 Unit 1.mp4 (00:00 – 02:33)

Script

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See?

So this is where the tree went. What? Interesting.

What's so interesting?

These branches don't have a single leaf. You know, I noticed that, too.

Jack. Look at the tree and say something. Say what? What's so funny? This is amazing. Don't you see?

Hey, you know, it almost seems like every time I say something, some of the ... Hello? Hel ... lo! I want my baby back, baby back, baby back. I want my baby back, baby back ribs. Shit! Hey, how are you doing this?

Me? I'm doing nothing. You and this tree are now connected. Connected?

It seems like all your talking is making you sick. Hey, my talking is not making me sick.

Oh, really? What happens when a tree loses all its leaves, Jack? So what are you trying to say, Sinja?

It's obvious to me. The more you talk, the more leaves fall, the sicker you get. The sicker I get? So what happens if all the leaves fall off the tree? That usually means the tree is dead.

Hey, wait a second. Hold on a second. You're telling me that you think whatever happens to the tree happens to me? Yes.

So I could die.

Yes, but you would die in the most amazing way possible. I could die?

Or someone could turn you into a coffee table.

Hey, Sinja, you know, you're a real funny dude to stand here making jokes when my life is being controlled by this magic tree. How many leaves do you think are left on this tree? A thousand.

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- So what I got? A thousand words left? - Now you have 993. One word, one leaf. (From A Thousand Words)

Word Bank

dude:

an informal form of address for a man 伙计、哥们

Exercise

1. It is interesting that Jack and the tree _________________.

A. can communicate B. are of the same age C. come from the same place D. are connected

2. At the end of the conversation, Jack has ___________ words to say before he dies. A. 993 B. 995 C. 997 D. 1,000

Key: 1. D 2. A

Inspirational Quotes

When ideas fail, words come in very handy.

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Discussion

If you are to describe your campus life in only one word, what is it? Then tell us why you choose that particular word.

II. Text I

Pre-reading Questions

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1. You may have kept in your memory some words, phrases or even whole sentences that are of

great wisdom and can serve as guidelines in your life. Share them with your classmates and discuss their value.

2. The two words that, as the author of the text suggests, should be avoided are \"if only\

two be remembered are \"next time\". Can you guess, before you read the text, what message the author intends to convey to the reader with such a suggestion?

General Reading

I. Judge which of the following best states the purpose of the article. A. To explain how Freud's psychotherapy works. B. To demonstrate the power of positive thinking.

C. To call attention to the importance of the choice of words.

Key: B

II. Judge whether the following statements are true or false.

1. That wintry afternoon, the author was in a bad mood and he happened to meet an old friend of his in a French restaurant in Manhattan.

2. The Old Man asked the author to go to his office because he thought that the office was a better place than the restaurant for their talk.

3. The three speakers on the tape had all been unfavorably affected by what had happened to them.

4. In the Old Man's opinion, it was a bad way of thinking always to regret what one had done or had not done.

Key: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T

Background Notes

1. Manhattan, an island near the mouth of the Hudson River, is a borough of New York City, in

southeastern New York State, U.S.A. Commercial and cultural heart of the city, Manhattan is the site of the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the City Center of Music and Drama, and numerous other music institutions.

2. Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) is an Austrian physician and the founder of psychoanalysis.

Freud explored the workings of the human mind and developed psychoanalysis as a therapeutic technique to treat neurosis or mental disturbances.

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Text Study Text

Two Words to Avoid, Two to Remember

Arthur Gordon

1 Nothing in life is more exciting and rewarding than the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better. Such moments are rare, certainly, but they come to all of us. Sometimes from a book, a sermon, a line of poetry. Sometimes from a friend ...

2 That wintry afternoon in Manhattan, waiting in the little French restaurant, I was feeling frustrated and depressed. Because of several miscalculations on my part, a project of considerable importance in my life had fallen through. Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionately thought of him) failed to cheer me as it usually did. I sat there frowning at the checkered tablecloth, chewing the bitter cud of hindsight. 3 He came across the street, finally, muffled in his ancient overcoat, shapeless felt hat pulled down over his bald head, looking more like an energetic gnome than an eminent psychiatrist. His offices were nearby; I knew he had just left his last patient of the day. He was close to 80, but he still carried a full case load, still acted as director of a large foundation, still loved to escape to the golf course whenever he could.

4 By the time he came over and sat beside me, the waiter had brought his invariable bottle of ale. I had not seen him for several months, but he seemed as indestructible as ever. \"Well, young man,\" he said without preliminary, \"what's troubling you?\"

5 I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness. So I proceeded to tell him, at some length, just what was bothering me. With a kind of melancholy pride, I tried to be very honest. I blamed no one else for my disappointment, only myself. I analyzed the whole thing, all the bad judgments, the false moves. I went on for perhaps 15 minutes, while the Old Man sipped his ale in silence.

6 When I finished, he put down his glass. \"Come on,\" he said. \"Let's go back to my office.\" 7 \"Your office? Did you forget something?\"

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8 \"No,\" he said mildly. \"I want your reaction to something. That's all.\"

9 A chill rain was beginning to fall outside, but his office was warm and comfortable and familiar: book-lined walls, long leather couch, signed photograph of Sigmund Freud, tape recorder by the window. His secretary had gone home. We were alone.

10 The Old Man took a tape from a flat cardboard box and fitted it onto the machine. \"On this tape,\" he said, \"are three short recordings made by three persons who came to me for help. They are not identified, of course. I want you to listen to the recordings and see if you can pick out the two-word phrase that is the common denominator in all three cases.\" He smiled. \"Don't look so puzzled. I have my reasons.\"

11 What the owners of the voices on the tape had in common, it seemed to me, was unhappiness. The man who spoke first evidently had suffered some kind of business loss or failure; he berated himself for not having worked harder, for not having looked ahead. The woman who spoke next had never married because of a sense of obligation to her widowed mother; she recalled bitterly all the marital chances she had let go by. The third voice belonged to a mother whose teen-age son was in trouble with the police; she blamed herself endlessly.

12 The Old Man switched off the machine and leaned back in his chair. \"Six times in those recordings a phrase is used that's full of subtle poison. Did you spot it? No? Well, perhaps that's because you used it three times yourself down in the restaurant a little while ago.\" He picked up the box that had held the tape and tossed it over to me. \"There they are, right on the label. The two saddest words in any language.\"

13 I looked down. Printed neatly in red ink were the words: If only.

14 \"You'd be amazed,\" said the Old Man, \"if you knew how many thousands of times I've sat in this chair and listened to woeful sentences beginning with those two words. 'If only,' they say to me, 'I had done it differently — or not done it at all. If only I hadn't lost my temper, said the cruel thing, made that dishonest move, told that foolish lie. If only I had been wiser, or more unselfish, or more self-controlled.' They go on and on until I stop them. Sometimes I make them listen to the recordings you just heard. 'If only,' I say to them, 'you'd stop saying if only, we might begin to get somewhere!'\"

15 The Old Man stretched out his legs. \"The trouble with 'if only,'\" he said, \"is that it doesn't change anything. It keeps the person facing the wrong way — backward instead of forward. It wastes time. In the end, if you let it become a habit, it can become a real roadblock, an excuse for not trying any more.

16 \"Now take your own case: your plans didn't work out. Why? Because you made certain mistakes. Well, that's all right: everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are what we learn from. But when you were telling me about them, lamenting this, regretting that, you weren't really learning from them.\"

17 \"How do you know?\" I said, a bit defensively.

18 \"Because,\" said the Old Man, \"you never got out of the past tense. Not once did you mention the future. And in a way — be honest, now! — you were enjoying it. There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes. After all, when you relate the story of some disaster or disappointment that has happened to you, you're still the chief character, still in the center of the stage.\"

19 I shook my head ruefully. \"Well, what's the remedy?\"

20 \"Shift the focus,\" said the Old Man promptly. \"Change the key words and substitute a phrase 5

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that supplies lift instead of creating drag.\" 21 \"Do you have such a phrase to recommend?\"

22 \"Certainly. Strike out the words 'if only'; substitute the phrase 'next time.'\" 23 \"Next time?\"

24 \"That's right. I've seen it work minor miracles right here in this room. As long as a patient keeps saying 'if only' to me, he's in trouble. But when he looks me in the eye and says 'next time,' I know he's on his way to overcoming his problem. It means he has decided to apply the lessons he has learned from his experience, however grim or painful it may have been. It means he's going to push aside the roadblock of regret, move forward, take action, resume living. Try it yourself. You'll see.\"

25 My old friend stopped speaking. Outside, I could hear the rain whispering against the windowpane. I tried sliding one phrase out of my mind and replacing it with the other. It was fanciful, of course, but I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click.... 26 The Old Man stood up a bit stiffly. \"Well, class dismissed. It has been good to see you, young man. Always is. Now, if you will help me find a taxi, I probably should be getting on home.\"

27 We came out of the building into the rainy night. I spotted a cruising cab and ran toward it, but another pedestrian was quicker.

28 \"My, my,\" said the Old Man slyly. \"If only we had come down ten seconds sooner, we'd have caught that cab, wouldn't we?\"

29 I laughed and picked up the cue. \"Next time I'll run faster.\"

30 \"That's it,\" cried the Old Man, pulling his absurd hat down around his ears. \"That's it exactly!\"

31 Another taxi slowed. I opened the door for him. He smiled and waved as it moved away. I never saw him again. A month later, he died of a sudden heart attack, in full stride, so to speak. 32 More than a year has passed since that rainy afternoon in Manhattan. But to this day, whenever I find myself thinking \"if only\I change it to \"next time\". Then I wait for that almost-perceptible mental click. And when I hear it, I think of the Old Man. 33 A small fragment of immortality, to be sure. But it's the kind he would have wanted.

Words and Phrases

1. prospect n. sth. one expects to happen; a possibility or likelihood of sth. happening

e.g. I look forward to the prospect of being a volunteer doing social work in the Great Northwest.

There is a reasonable prospect of reaching the trapped miners within the next 24 hours. prospects pl. — opportunities

e.g. Most people are not quite optimistic about the prospects for/of employment.

Don't think too much how the job pays now. What really matters is that it holds good prospects.

2. eminent adj. famous and respected within a particular profession, e.g. eminent

doctor/surgeon/scientist, etc.

3. invariable adj. never changing

e.g. The invariable question the mother asked her child after school every day was: \"How did

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everything go today?\"

4. proceed v. begin a course of action

e.g. After the preparations had been made, we proceeded to draft the plan.

5. at some length: (formal) in some detail

e.g. She described to us her trip to New Zealand at some length. cf. at length — after a long time; at last

e.g. He thought over the mathematical problem day and night and solved it at length.

6. false move: an unwise action that turns out to be a mistake and brings one risks or failure

e.g. Be very careful with the designing of the plan; a false move and it will fall through.

7. berate v. (formal) scold or criticize angrily because of a fault

e.g. Don't berate anyone just because he has made a mistake. Don't we all make mistakes from time to time?

8. lament v. feel or express deep sorrow (for or because of sth.)

e.g. One should not lament the past mistakes, but should try to do better later.

9. ruefully adv. regretfully

e.g. He faced his recent failure ruefully.

10. promptly adv. quickly, at once

e.g. He always responded to the customers' requests promptly.

11. grim adj. harsh, unpleasant, dreadful

e.g. He was depressed when he heard the grim news that two-thirds of the workforce might be discharged.

Notes

1. the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person: the quick and spontaneous

understanding that makes you a different person

a flash of insight — an understanding that comes to one suddenly and quickly

leave (with object and adverbial or complement) — cause (object) to be or to remain in a particular state or position

e.g. Buying an expensive car has left the family penniless. The children were left in the care of the nanny.

2. chewing the bitter cud of hindsight: thinking repeatedly about the painful realization of

what had happened

Literally cud means \"partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing\" (反刍的食物). When an animal chews the cud, it chews further the partly digested food. When a person chews the cud, he thinks about something

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

reflectively.

e.g. He chewed the cud for a long while before he set pen to paper.

hindsight — understanding the reasons for an event or situation only after it has happened e.g. The accident could have been avoided with the wisdom of hindsight.

With hindsight they should not have left their little daughter alone in the country villa.

he still carried a full case load: he still kept himself fully occupied in the treatment of his patients

case load — the number of patients a doctor has to deal with

I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness.: I had long before come to know that he was good at perceiving how others thought and felt; so I was not at all surprised when he noticed my troubled state.

perceptiveness (n.) — unusual ability to notice and understand; awareness and understanding e.g. We all admired his perceptiveness; he was always so quick to respond to a new situation.

With a kind of melancholy pride: Apparently the author was still proud of his \"project of considerable importance\

common denominator: This is a term used in mathematics, meaning \"the common multiple of the denominator of several fractions\" (公分母). In this context, it means \"the characteristic shared by the three persons\if only was used by all three of them.

all the marital chances she had let go by: all the chances for her to get married she had missed

let (sth.) go by — lose sth.

e.g. The short course is a good opportunity for you to learn a skill. Don't let it go by.

There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes.: There's an obstinately unreasonable quality in all of us which makes us enjoy bringing up old mistakes again for consideration.

perverse — (of a person or one's actions) showing an obstinate desire to behave in an unreasonable way

e.g. We just couldn't understand her perverse decision against the majority.

streak — an element of a specified kind in one's character （性格行为的）倾向, an often unpleasant characteristic

e.g. Her streak of stubbornness makes her difficult to get along with. hash over — (slang) bring up (sth.) again for consideration

e.g. What has been done cannot be undone. Don't hash over past mistakes. Cheer up and try to do better next time.

substitute a phrase that supplies lift instead of creating drag: use a phrase (in place of if only) that provides encouragement that pushes you forward instead of discouragement that pulls you backward

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substitute (v.) — use (sth.) in place of (sth. else)

e.g. The old lady suffers from diabetes, so she substitutes saccharine for sugar/so she substitutes sugar with saccharine.

substitute (n.) — a person or thing acting or used in place of another e.g. The actress's substitute performed as well as the actress herself.

10. when he looks me in the eye: when he looks directly at me without showing embarrassment,

fear, or shame

11. I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click: I could sense the new

words firmly fixed in my mind without any doubt

12. that almost-perceptible mental click: the reminder provided by the Old Man that can

roughly be felt in the mind

13. a small fragment of immortality: a small piece of advice to be remembered forever

Questions

1. How were the author and the old man related?

Key: The old man was an eminent psychiatrist and the author was a client of his.

2. According to the author, how much did the session with his psychiatrist friend that afternoon

mean to him? (para. 1)

Key: To him, the session was just like \"a flash of insight that leaves him a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better.\"

3. Why did the old man let the author listen to the three speakers on the tape? (para.15)

Key: The three speakers on the tape were all unhappy, and the two words they all used frequently in what they said were \"if only\". What the old man wanted to point out to the author was that to keep saying \"if only\" would not change anything; on the contrary, it only kept the person facing the wrong way — backward instead of forward. Thus it did more harm than good to the person who kept saying them.

4. What did the old man advise the author to do to get out of his depressed state of mind? (para.

20)

Key: Shift the focus; substitute \"next time\" for \"if only\".

5. In what way are the two phrases \"if only\" and \"next time\" different? (para. 20)

Key: They point to entirely different mental directions; one is backward and negative, and the other forward and positive.

6. What do you think is the tone of the passage?

Key: It is instructive and inspirational.

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Activity

1. Failures and setbacks are an inevitable part of our life. Tell your classmates about one such

\"unfortunate\" experience and how you managed to get back on your feet.

Sentence patterns for your reference When I was ... I met ... It is true that life is ... In spite of the ..., I ...

2. Discuss the \"flash of insight\" Gordon suddenly got. What psychological effect did this piece

of advice produce on Gordon? Do you believe that one's mentality is an essential factor when one is unfortunately thrown into adversity? Give examples to support your view.

Sentence patterns for your reference In case one meets ..., it is essential that ... As in Gordon's case, ...

An example to show ... is that ...

Organization and Development

Narration

In terms of mode of development, the present text is basically a narration, in which the author, Arthur Gordon, relates his meeting with his psychiatrist friend \"the Old Man\".

Characteristics of Narration

The purpose of a narration is to recount an event or a series of events; therefore it is usually chronological in its arrangement of details. The chief purpose of narration is to interest and entertain, though, of course, it may be used to instruct and inform.

Narrative Structure of the Text

Gordon's purpose of writing, obviously, is not just to tell what happened during his meeting with his friend, but, more importantly, to instruct. The instructive significance of the story is made clear in the first paragraph. In the first few lines Gordon has already made it clear to the reader that what he is going to do is to tell how \"the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better — ... Sometimes from a friend.\"

In the first three paragraphs, which serve as a kind of introduction to the narration, we learn something about the physical circumstances for the meeting, i.e. the time — one rainy wintry afternoon, and the place — a French restaurant in Manhattan; the author's somber mood caused by his failure to complete an important project; and also something about the Old Man — his age, his profession, and perhaps more importantly, his positive attitude towards life.

The last two paragraphs form a sort of conclusion, in which what the author has learned from his friend, which is also what he wants his readers to learn, is explicitly stated: ... whenever I find myself thinking \"if only\

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III. Text II

Text Study Text

The Romance of Words Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis

1 From now on we want you to look at words intently, to be inordinately curious about them and to examine them syllable by syllable, letter by letter. They are your tools of understanding and self-expression. Collect them. Keep them in condition. Learn how to handle them. Develop a fastidious, but not a fussy, choice. Work always towards good taste in their use. Train your ear for their harmonies.

2 We urge you not to take words for granted just because they have been part of your daily speech since childhood. You must examine them. Turn them over and over, and see the seal and superscription on each one, as though you were handling a coin. We would like you actually to fall in love with words.

3 Words, as you know, are not dead things. They are fairly wriggling with life. They are the exciting and mysterious tokens of our thoughts, and like human beings, they are born, come to maturity, grow old and die, and sometimes they are even re-born in a new age. A word, from its birth to its death, is a process, not a static thing.

4 Words, like living trees, have roots, branches and leaves.

5 Shall we stay with this analogy for a few moments, and see how perfect it is?

6 The story of the root of a word is the story of its origin. The study of origins is called etymology, which in turn has its roots in the Greek word etymon meaning \"true\" and the Greek ending — logia meaning \"knowledge.\" So etymology means the true knowledge of words.

7 Every word in our language is a frozen metaphor, a frozen picture. It is this poetry behind words that gives language its overwhelming power. And the more intimately we know the romance that lies within each word, the better understanding we will have of its meaning.

8 For instance, on certain occasions you will probably say that you have \"calculated\" the cost of something or other. What does this term \"calculate\" really mean? Here is the story. Years ago, ancient Romans had an instrument called a hodometer, or \"road measurer,\" which corresponds to our modern taximeter. If you had hired a two-wheeled Roman vehicle to ride, say, to the Forum, you might have found in the back a tin can with a revolving cover that held a quantity of pebbles. This can was so contrived that each time the wheel turned the metal cover also revolved and a pebble dropped through a hole into the receptacle below. At the end of your trip you counted the pebbles and calculated your bill. You see the Latin word for pebble was calculus, and that's where our word \"calculate\" comes from.

9 There are, of course, many words with much simpler histories than this. When you speak of a \"surplus,\" for instance, you are merely saying that you have a sur (French for \"over\") plus (French for \"more\") or a sur-plus. That is, you have an \"over-more\" than you need.

10 Should you be in a snooty mood for the nonce, and happen to look at someone rather haughtily, your friends might call you supercilious, a word which comes from the Latin supercilium, meaning that \"eyebrow\" you just raised. That person you are so fond of, who has

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become your companion, — [cum (Latin for \"with\") and panis (Latin for \"bread\")] — is simply one who eats bread with you. That's all. Again, \"trumps\" in bridge is from the French \"triomphe\" or triumph, an old-time game of cards. In modern cards one suit is allowed to triumph over, or to \"trump\" the other suits. And still again, in the army, the lieutenant is literally one who takes the place of the captain when the latter is not around. From the French lieu (we use it in \"in lieu of\") and tenir, \"to hold.\" The captain, in turn, derives from the Latin word caput (head); colonel comes from columna (the \"column\" that he leads).

11 If, by any chance, you would like to twit your friend, the Wall Street broker, just tell him that his professional title came from the Middle English word brocour, a broacher, or one who opens, or broaches, a cask to draw off the wine or liquor. We still employ the same word in the original sense when we say \"he broached (or opened up) the subject.\" Finally the broacher, or broker, became a salesman of wine. Then of other things, such as stocks and bonds.

12 These are the roots of words. We next come to the branches. The branches of our language tree are those many groups of words that have grown out from one original root.

13 Let's take an example. The Latin term spectare which means \"to see\" contains the root spec, and from this one root have sprouted more than 240 English words. We find the root hidden in such words as spectacles, those things you \"see\" through; in respect, the tribute you give to a person you care to \"see\" again; inspect, \"to see\" into; disrespect (dis — unwilling; re — again; spec — to see) therefore, when you treat someone with disrespect, you make it plain that you do not care to see him again; introspection, looking or seeing within; spectator, one who \"sees\" or watches.

14 Turning to the Greek language, which has so largely enriched our own, we discover the root appearing in English as graph. This means \"to write\" and has been a prolific source of words for us. We have telegraph, which literally means \"far writing\"; phonograph, \"soundwriting\"; photograph, \"light-writing\"; stenographer, one who does \"condensed writing\"; a graphic description, one that is just as clear and effective as though it had been written down; mimeograph, \"to write a copy or imitation.\"

15 We have in our language a host of roots such as these. There is the Latin spirare, meaning \"to blow or breathe,\" from which we get such English words as inspire (breathe into); expire (breathe out); perspire (breathe through); respiration (breathing again or often). And there is also our word \"liable\" that comes from the Latin ligare, \"to bind.\" This fascinating root lig has branched out into oblige and obligate (to bind to do something); ligature (bandage or binding); ligament (something that ties two things together); and, with the root no longer so obvious, \"league\" (those nations or other organizations that are bound together); and even the word \"ally\" which is from ad and ligare, to bind to one another.

16 These, then, are the branches. We turn now to the leaves. If the roots are the origins of words and the branches are the word families that stem out of them, the leaves of this language tree would be the words themselves and their meanings.

17 Each given word, in its beginning, had, no doubt, only one meaning. But words are so full of life that they are continually sprouting the green shoots of new meanings.

18 Shall we choose just one word as an instance of the amazing vitality of language? The simple three letter word run, up to this moment of writing, has more than 90 dictionary definitions. There is the run in your stocking and the run on the bank and a run in baseball. The clock may run down but you run up a bill. Colors run. You may run a race or run a business or you may have the run of

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the mill, or, quite different, the run of the house when you get the run of things. And this little dynamic word, we can assure you, is not yet through with its varied career.

19 Is it any wonder that our unabridged dictionaries contain as many as 600,000 living and usable words, words sparkling with life, prolific in their breeding, luxuriant in their growth, continually shifting and changing in their meanings?

20 Words even have definite personalities and characters. They can be sweet, sour, discordant, musical. They can be sweet or acrid; soft or sharp; hostile or friendly.

21 From this time on, as we enter our word studies, try to become self-conscious about words. Look at them, if possible, with the fresh eyes of one who is seeing them for the first time. If we have persuaded you to do this, you will then be on the way to the success that can be won with a more powerful vocabulary.

Words and Phrases

1. good taste: appropriateness and politeness; propriety and decorum

2. the seal and superscription on each one: every detail of each word

seal — (literal meaning) a special design that is the official mark of a person or an organization

superscription — (literal meaning) the writing or printing at the top of or on the outside of (a document)

3. by any chance: (used in tentative enquiries for suggestions) possibly, perhaps

e.g. Do you have time to speak to my students by any chance?

Notes

1. Develop a fastidious, but not a fussy, choice.: When choosing words, be very attentive to

and concerned about accuracy, but don't be too hard to please.

2. fairly wriggling with life: twisting and turning fairly quickly as if they were living things

3. this poetry behind words: this quality of beauty, greatness, and deep feeling behind words

4. the Forum: the public square or marketplace used for judicial or other businesses in the

ancient city of Rome

5. Should you be in a snooty mood for the nonce: If it happens that you just want to show

contempt or disapproval towards others for the moment

6. \"trumps\" in bridge: (in the bridge card game) any card of a suit chosen to be of higher rank

than the other three suits （桥牌的）王牌

7. the Wall Street broker: a person who buys and sells goods or assets, e.g. business shares, for

others in Wall Street, a street at the south end of Manhattan, where the New York Stock Exchange and other leading American financial institutions are located

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8. Middle English: the English language from about 1150 to about 1470

Comprehension

I. Answer the following multiple-choice questions.

1. According to the authors, which of the following does NOT correctly describe a characteristic of words?

A. Just like humans, words are given birth to, grow mature, and die. B. Words can be used to represent human thoughts.

C. Once they come into being, words remain fixed in form and meaning. D. Words undergo a dynamic process of change. 2. The term etymology refers to the study of _________.

A. the various meanings of the same one word B. the origins of words

C. the changing meanings of words

D. the subtle differences between similar words

3. In the analogy between words and trees, the branches of trees refer to _________.

A. the many meanings the same one root has

B. the various words that are formed with the same root C. the numerous stories about the same one word

D. the different collocations a word has with other words

4. The word run is used by the authors as an example to illustrate _________.

A. the multiple meanings a word may acquire B. the different collocations a word may have C. the different origins a word is assumed to have D. the various ways a word may be used

Key: 1. C 2. B 3. B 4. A

II. Discuss the following questions.

1. What is the authors' purpose of writing? Where in the essay is it first made clear? Is it echoed somewhere else?

2. To show the dynamic nature of words, the authors have used two analogies. What are they? Which one do they concentrate on?

3. Where in the essay can you find the authors' explanations of the roots, the branches, and the leaves of English language respectively?

4. In the essay the authors have used various examples to illustrate what is meant by the root of a word, the branches, and the leaves of the language. Now try to provide similar examples of your own. You can refer to dictionaries and books, especially those on English lexicology.

Key:

1. The authors' purpose of writing is to call upon the readers to pay more attention to words,

which they tend to take for granted. This is made clear at the very beginning of the article by

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the sentence \"From now on we want you to look at words intently, to be inordinately curious about them and to examine them syllable by syllable, letter by letter.\" This is echoed by the sentence in the last paragraph: \"From this time on, as we enter our word studies, try to become self-conscious about words.\"

2. The two analogies the authors have made are \"human beings\" and \"living trees\". But in the

article they concentrate on the analogy of \"living trees\".

3. Their explanations can be found in paras. 6, 12, and 16 respectively: The story of the root of

a word is the story of its origin. The branches of the language tree are those many groups of words that have grown out from one original root.

The leaves of this language tree would be the words themselves and their meanings. 4. Open to discussion.

IV. Paragraph Writing

Writing Technique

Opening

Purpose of Opening

An opening of an essay usually consists of one paragraph. The purpose of the opening is to introduce the body of the essay. A good opening establishes a context for the message the writer wishes to convey. With a proper context, the reader will be more likely to understand the intended message.

Function of Opening

An opening has at least two major functions. First, it announces the writer's central topic. Second, it stimulates the reader's interest.

It should be noted that the purpose of an opening is to introduce the body of the essay. The opening presents the topic, and the topic is then left for the body to develop. In addition to announcing the topic and engaging the readers' interest, the opening may also provide necessary background information that readers will need in order to understand what follows. The opening may also preview the main points to be covered in the body of the essay.

Example 1

I have always enjoyed my visits to the zoo, no matter what zoo I visit. All zoos offer me many enjoyable sights, but the three things I enjoyed most are the animals, the special exhibits, and my fellow visitors. Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world, a place that cannot be found anywhere else.

The above example is typical of many openings where the writer begins by merely announcing his statement of message (Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world, a place that cannot be found anywhere else.) without trying to engage the reader's interest. This, therefore, may not prove effective, for the reader might not be interested in the essay.

Therefore, it may be necessary to rework it with the possible reactions of the readers in mind.

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Read the following revised opening:

Revised Example 1

I have just had six days of screaming headlines that have announced murders, increased international tension, and unimaginable suffering. I have also had six days of huge electric bills, rising food costs, and boring work. Six days are enough. It is time to go to the zoo. Zoos give me a place to go when I am tired of dealing with this over-complicated world. It is not that I will be able to permanently escape the world's and my problems, but it will give me a rest. And an occasional rest does help.

Analysis

With more information added, the reader might be more prepared to read further. He may even be able to predict most of the points to be presented in the body of the essay to support the message. The message was equally clear in the original example. What differs noticeably is that in the revised opening a more interesting context is created for the reader, who will be able to understand the desire for a rest because the problems mentioned here are those faced by everybody. Most people would like a rest to avoid these problems. Perhaps a visit to a zoo could help.

Example 2

Here is the opening paragraph in a paper about education in England:

The fact that less than 5 percent of the British population graduate from universities may seem surprising, especially when viewed beside the American percentage of over 30 percent. To understand this contrast, one needs to consider social differences between the two countries, as well as differences in their theories of education.

In the above example, it can be expected that the discussion to follow focuses on the \"social differences\" and \"differences in their theories of education\" that give rise to the \"contrast\" — the central point.

Exercise

Compose an opening (in one paragraph) for an essay on a subject of your own choice. Delay the announcement of the subject until the final sentences and make an overt effort to engage your reader's interest.

Hints:

You are suggested to write three sentences for the paragraph. The first two sentences should provide enough information for and naturally leads to the third sentence. Also note that the third sentence is your real \"opening\

Writing Practice

What is the most powerful word on the Internet? Write an essay of about 300 words on this topic and begin your essay with an engaging opening paragraph.

Hints:

You can focus on what the word is, why the word is powerful, and how powerful it is. Interesting

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examples may also help. In the opening paragraph, you can compare several words close to the target word to engage your readers.

V. Comprehensive Exercises

Listening Audio Clip

Book 6 Unit 1.mp3 (00:00 – 00:52)

Exercise

Listen to the following talk and fill in the following blanks with information from the talk.

What brain-damaged patients, all children, and (1) _______ twister speakers have in (2) _______ is that they are all likely to make (3) _______ errors. A child will make such errors because one sound (4) _______ and interferes with the rest of the (5) _______. (6) _______ speakers will have difficulties if what they have said (7) _______ on what they are speaking. Adult speakers make (8) _______ such errors, and their errors are usually (9) _______, i.e. what they are (10) _______ to say influences what they are speaking.

Key:

(1) tongue (2) common (3) speech (4) persists (5) phrase (6) Young (7) intrudes (8) fewer

(9) anticipatory (10) about

Translation

English-Chinese Translation

1. Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionately

thought of him) failed to cheer me as it usually did.

译文：

即使想到要见一位好朋友（私底下，我会亲切地把他想成“老头子”），我也高兴不起来，尽管通常不是这样的。

讲解： 注意拆译法和名词转动词在这里的运用。Prospect一词如果按名词处理，译文句子将有一个拗口的长主语，转译成动词并将原句分成两句，表达更为流畅。另外，as it usually did也不宜直译，根据这里的逻辑意义可以译成汉语的让步句。

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2. But when you were telling me about them, lamenting this, regretting that, you weren't really

learning from them.

译文： 但你对我讲这些事的时候，对这个叹气，对那个后悔，你其实从中什么也没学到。

讲解： Lamenting this和regretting this是if only态度的具体演绎，翻译时要重点处理，选择地道的汉语句式；really一词最好不要译成“真正地”，在语气上接近汉语的“其实”。

3. It means he has decided to apply the lessons he has learned from his experience, however

grim or painful it may have been.

译文： 这意味着无论他经历了多少痛苦和磨难，他已经决定运用从经验中学来的教训了。

讲解： 在翻译这里的however引导的状语从句时，可以按照汉语的习惯提前。另外，代词it的理解也很关键，根据语法知识，它应该指代his experience。

4. By the time he came over and sat beside me, the waiter had brought his invariable bottle of

ale. I had not seen him for several months, but he seemed as indestructible as ever. \"Well, young man,\" he said without preliminary, \"what's troubling you?\".

译文： 还没等他过来在我身边坐下，侍者已经端上了一瓶他每次必喝的麦芽酒。我有好几个月没看到他了，可他看上去还是那么坚不可摧。“好吧，小伙子，”他开门见山地说，“你遇到什么麻烦了？”

讲解： 在翻译by或until引导的时间状语从句时，可以考虑使用反译法，使表达更加流畅。Invariable也是一个比较难处理的形容词，直译成“一成不变的”容易引起误解，这里适合意译。另外，恰当地使用汉语成语（“开门见山”）也能达到简洁、达意的效果。

Chinese-English Translation

1. 由于缺少资金，整个计划失败了。(fall through) Translation:

The whole plan fell through for want of fund.

2. 他对生产成本的估算总是准确无误。(invariable) Translation:

He calculates the cost of production with invariable accuracy.

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3. 公司发言人推卸责任的讲话受到了严厉指责。(berate) Translation:

The spokesman of the corporation was berated for his irresponsible words.

4. 那名年轻的海关一眼就看出了那本假护照。(spot) Translation:

The young customs officer spotted the counterfeit passport at one glance.

5. 各有关部门的负责人认识到形势的严峻，立刻行动了起来。(promptly) Translation:

Upon realizing the severity of the situation, leaders of the departments concerned acted promptly.

6. 请把候补名单上她的名字换成你的名字。(substitute) Translation:

Please substitute her name for yours on the waiting list.

7. 她觉得她在当地综合医院任实习医师是一段宝贵的经历。(rewarding) Translation:

She found that her internship in the local general hospital was a rewarding experience.

8. 不要感叹过去的不幸。振作起来向前看。(lament) Translation:

Don't lament your past misfortunes. Keep your chin up and look to the future.

Error-correction Exercise

The passage contains TEN errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proofread the passage and correct it in the following way:

For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank provided at the end of the line.

For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a \"∧\" sign and write the word you believe to be missing in the blank provided at the end of the line.

For an unnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with a dash \"—\" and put the word in the blank provided at the end of the line.

EXAMPLE:

When ∧ art museum wants a new exhibit, it never buys things in finished form and hangs them on the wall. When a natural history museum wants an exhibition, it must often build it.

1. an 2. never 3. exhibit Are your table manners much better when you are eating at a 19

Book 6 Unit 1

friend's home or in a restaurant than they are at your own home? Probably so. Because you are aware of people judge you by your table manners. You take special pains when you are eating in the public. Have you ever stopped to realize how much less self-conscious you would be on such occasions if good table manners had become a custom for you? You can make them a habit by practising good table manners at home. Good manners in mealtimes help you and those around you to feel comfortably. This is true at home as much as it is true at someone else home or in a restaurant. Good manners make meals more enjoyable for everyone at the table. By this time you probably know quite well what good table manners are. You realize that keep your arms on the table, talking with your mouth full and wolfing down your food are considered good manners. You know also that if you are mannerly, you say \"Please\" and \"Thank you\passed to you. Have you ever thought of a pleasant attitude as being essential to good table manners? Not only are pleasant mealtimes enjoyable, but it aid digestion. The dinner table is a place for enjoyable conversation. It should never become a battleground. You are definitely growing in social maturity when you try to be an agreeing table companion. 1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________ 4. ___________ 5. ___________ 6. ___________ 7. ___________ 8. ___________ 9. ___________ 10. ___________ Key:

1. of: that （后面连接从句）

2. in the public: the （in public不带定冠词） 3. custom: habit （个人的习惯是habit）

4. comfortably: comfortable （feel后面接形容词构成谓语） 5. else: else's （需要用所有格）

6. keep: keeping （用动名词形式与后面的talking with和wolfing down构成平行结构） 7. good: bad/poor （根据上下文意思判断） 8. ask ∧ things: for （ask for表示“请求”） 9. it: they （指代对象是mealtimes）

10. agreeing: agreeable （agreeable是“令人愉快”的意思，与agreeing不同）

Skill Development

动词和形容词后的介词

英语的动词（练习的第）或系表结构中的形容词之后（练习的第1项）都可以加介词，构成不同的含义和用法。常见的改错题主要围绕加介词和不加介词的意义差别进行考核。 要识别此类错误，要注意辨析动词的及物和不及物用法，以及系表结构的带介词和不带介词的用法之间的差别。例如be aware后面可以接“of+名词”，也可以接that引导的宾语从句。而ask既有及物的用法（+somebody），也有一些不及物的用法（ask for, ask about, ...）。

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根据语法知识（出现that从句，不能用“of+名词”结构）和上下文意思（ask for是“请求”，而不是“问”的意思），可以发现这里的错误。

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