Unit3 Text 1
Out oF SteP
Warm-up Activity
get out of my
way,
get out of my
step ,
get out of my
life
Pre-reading questions
1. The United States is said to be a nation
on wheels.How important do you think
is the car to an ordinary American?
2. If you have a car,will you be driving it
wherever you go? If not, when do you
prefer to walk, and when to drive?Do you
think people will become over-reliant on
cars in the future?
Words and Expressions
Sedate: adj. Tending to
avoid excitement or great
activity and to be calm and
relaxed.
Eccentric: adj .
(of people or behavior)unconventional and
slighly strange views or behavior.
E.g. The old
gentleman,who lived
alone all his life,was
said to have some
eccentric habits.
Curb: n. A line of raised stones
separating the footpath from the
road
E.g. Poor nutrition can curb
a child’s development both
physically and mentally.
Back
Contortion: n. movement of the body
or face into an unusual shape of
position
E.g.
The spectators cannot but
admire the contortions of
the acrobats.
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Deform: v. Refers to change
that disfigures and often
implies the loss of desirable
qualities such as beauty
Eg. The earlier part of his
discourse was deformed by
pedantic
Back
Warp : v. It can refer to a turning or
twisting from a flat or straight form
Eg. The floorboards had warped over the years.
It .also can imply the bending or turning of
something from a true course or direction.
Eg. Prejudice warps the judgment.
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Bring sth home to sb
Make sb realize sth
Eg. The news report has brought home to us all
the plight of the prisoners of war.
Anew :again or once more, esp. in a
different war
E.g.
The scientists started the experiment
anew.
The film tells anew the story of her
rise to stardom.
Structural analysis of the text
Out of step is an exposition that presents
the absurdity of Americans’ car
dependence. Americans,being so
accustomed to using cars, have almost
forgotten the existence of their
legs.Wherever they go,they go in their
cars.As a result,pedestrain facityes are
neglected in city planning or rejected by
the inhabitants.
Text Structure
Part I (paras. 1-6) In this part, the author
presents the fact that the Americans are
habituated to using cars for everything.
Part II (paras. 14-20) In this part, the
author explains that pedestrian facilities
are neglected or discarded.
Main Idea of the Text
In the text, the author brings the
attention of Americans to the fact that
they walk too little by citing many
of his personal experiences as well
as others.
Phrase Paraphrasing
1. I had this brought home to me one summer
when we were driving across Maine and
stopped for coffee in one of those endless zones
of shopping malls,motels,gas stations and fastfood places.
was made to realize this
2. I noticed ,there was a bookstore
across the street so I decided to skip
coffee and head over.
decided not to have coffee
and instead to go(to the
bookstore
Sentence Paraphrasing
1. I confess it had not occurred to me how
thoughlessly deficient nature is in this regrad.
I admit that I had never realized how poorly
equipped our bodies are in this respect.
2. …but afterward I realized that I was possibly
the only person ever to have entertained the
notion of negotiating that intersection on foot
…maybe I was the only person who had ever
attempted to cross that intersection on foot.
Sentence Translation
1.We will go through the most extraordinary
contortions to save ourselves from walking.
为了避免走路，我们愿意承受反常的扭曲之苦。
2. At the time, it seemed ridiculous and
exasperating, but afterwards I realized that I
was possibly the only person ever to have
entertained the notion of negotiating that
intersection on foot.
当时，这一切显得多荒唐，多令人恼怒，但
过后我意识到，我或许是唯一 一个有过步行
穿过十字路口想法的人
Grammatical Point
E.g. Although the bookshop was no more than
70 or 80 feet away,I discovered that there was
no way to cross on foot without dodging over
six lanes of moving traffic.
no more than 不过， 仅仅
Exercises
1. It will take no more than five days to read the
book.
2. It’s no more than a misunderstanding .
3. It’s no more than ten minutes’ walk from the
station.
4.Our new foreign trade policy is no more than
some general practice in international trade.
Writing practice
Write a 200-word composition on the topic
“The Harm of Fake Commodities”. In the first
part of your composition, describe how you first
met and how long you have know each other. In
the second part, say something about how you
spend time together. In the last part, explain
in brief why you think he/she is your best
friend.