Integrated English -3
Unit Seven
The Chaser
Text structure
What type of writing is this text?
(argumentation, narration, exposition)
What are the 5Ws in the story?
How does the story develop? Or how
many parts can we divide the story into?
What are they? What’s the main idea of
each part?
Narration
5 Ws in this story
Who (the protagonist主人公；主角):
Alan Austen
When: some day in the early 1900s
Where: a tiny room in the neighborhood
of Pell Street
What: to buy a love potion
Why
How does the story develop
Part 1

Introducing the protagonist (Para.1)
Part 2

The old man is trying to sell his mixture.
(Para. 2-12)
Part 3

Austen knew about the love potion and in the
end bought it. (Para. 13-45)
Part I –Introduction
What is the image of Alan Austen in this
part?
Alan Austen is depicted as a timid,
skeptical and hesitant character. Through
descriptions like “as nervous as a kitten,”
“peering about for a long time on the dim
landing,” the writer creates a sense of
apprehension.
Language work
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
nervous as a kitten
busy as a bee
merry as a cricket
slippery as an eel
blind as a bat
timid as a hare
watchful as a hawk
tame as a cat
gentle as a lamb
cheerful as a lark
innocent as a dove
bold as a lion
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
as
stupid as a donkey
obstinate/ stubborn
a mule
tricky as a monkey
cunning as a fox
proud as a peacock
mute as a fish
wet as a drowned rat
silly as a goose
graceful as a swan
strong as a horse
fierce as a tiger
peer
-- to look very carefully or with difficulty, especially
as if not able to see clearly 仔细看（由因看不清楚）




peer shortsightedly 因近视而仔细看
peer at sb over one‘s spectacles 戴着眼镜认真打量某人
peer into the mist 向雾中张望
peer out of the window/over the wall/through a gap 凝
视窗外[隔墙细看/从缝隙中窥视]
cf. peep: -- to look at something quickly and
secretly, especially through a hole or other small
openings 偷看，窥视

Now and then she peeped to see if he was noticing her.
Part 2 (Para. 2-12)
1. What does the first sentence in this part “He
pushed open this door, as he had been told to
do ...” suggest?
2. How did the old man greet him?
3. What’s Austen’s reaction to the old man’s
selling pitch (or promotion)?
4. Why do you think the old man told Austen
about the life-cleaner before selling the love
potion?
Sentences -1 (Para.2)
On one of the dirty, buff-colored walls were a
couple of shelves, containing in all perhaps a
dozen bottles and jars. (Para.2)
There were two shelves on one of the dirty
yellowish walls. On the shelves, there were
perhaps a dozen bottles and jars.
倒装：当句首状语为表示地点的介词词组时，
句子须倒装。强调状语on one of the dirty
buff-coloured walls。

Round the corner walked a large policeman.
, containing = which contains; attributive
clause、
in all: with everything included or counted 总
计，合计
2. make somebody’s acquaintance:
-- to meet somebody for the first time

He made her acquaintance at a dance.
stock in trade (Or stock-in-trade)库存,
常用手段




All its stock in trade is glossy paper backs.
该店的全部现货是光面的平装书。
Flattery is his stock in trade.
阿谀奉承是他的惯用手段。
deal in 经营；从事



My bank deals in stocks and shares now.
我们银行现在经营债券与股票。
As a scientist, I do not deal in speculation.
Sentences -2
I don’t deal in… --but such as it is, it is varied.
(Para. 5)
我不卖泻药和漱口水 –虽然不多，但品种齐全。
such as it is (they are): （用于对不够好的事
物等表示歉意或者贬抑）虽然质量不过如此，尽
管价值不过尔尔。



You can use my notes, such as they are.
我的笔记虽不怎么样，你可将就着用。
You're welcome to join us for supper, such as it is
we're only having soup and bread.
欢迎你和我们一起吃晚饭, 只是没什么好吃的--只有汤
和面包.
3. imperceptible:
-- that cannot be noticed or felt because
so small, slight or gradual 觉察不到的，些
微的


an imperceptible change in temperature
Martha’s hesitation was almost imperceptible.
Word derivation:





perceive v.
perception n.
perceptible a.
imperceptible a.
imperceptibly adv.
indifferent (to sb/sth) having no
interest in sb/sth; neither for nor against
sb/sth; not caring about sb/sth 不感兴趣;
不置可否; 漠不关心; 满不在乎




How can you be indifferent to the sufferings
of starving people?
你怎能对饥民的疾苦无动於衷呢?
"Oh no, no danger", he said as indifferently
as he could.
“哦，没有，没有什么危险。”他说这话的时
候尽可能装出一副泰然无事的样子来。
4. apprehensively:
-- full of anxiety about the future

They looked at each other apprehensively.
Word derivation:




apprehensive a.
apprehension n.
She was apprehensive about/for her son’s
safety every time he went out on his
motorcycle.
Students are waiting with apprehension for
their final examination results.
Part 2 (Para. 2-12)
1. What does the first sentence in this part “He
pushed open this door, as he had been told to
do ...” suggest?
2. How did the old man greet him?
3. What’s Austen’s reaction to the old man’s
selling pitch (or promotion)?
4. Why do you think the old man told Austen
about the life-cleaner before selling the love
potion?
1. What does the first sentence in this part
“He pushed open this door, as he had
been told to do ...” suggest?
It suggests that Alan Austen was very
nervous and that if he had not been told
to, he wouldn’t have dared to enter the
room.
2. How did the old man greet him?
From the old man’s greetings “Sit down,
Mr. Austen,” readers are given the
impression that the old man was
expecting Austen’s arrival.
3. What’s Austen’s reaction to the old
man’s selling pitch (or promotion)?
Through his stuttering and incomplete
sentences, his apprehension and horror
are clearly manifested.
4. Why do you think the old man told Austen
about the life-cleaner before selling the love
potion?
The experienced old man had encountered
many young men who had been in the grip of
romantic desire before, but who eventually got
tired of the possessive love they had
experienced. He knew for sure that Austen’s
possessive love wouldn’t last long. It would
eventually bore and anger him. He expected
that when his enthusiastic passion changed
into hatred, Austen would come to him again,
because he had already seen those
disillusioned(幻想破灭的) customers return to
buy the “chaser” so that they could be free
from the women for whom they had previously
bought the love potion.
Part 3
This part is mainly developed through
the dialogue between the old man and
Alan Austen.
1. Why did Austen want to buy the love
potion?
2. What is Austen’s understanding of love?
3. What does the last paragraph suggest?
Sentences -3
It would be no good charging…(Para.13)
-- It is not good to ask for such a high price for a love
potion…
It is no good doing sth. “it” is a formal subject;
“doing sth.” is the real subject. 动名词不能用不
定式来代替。Other similar expressions:
It is no use/no good/fun/a waste of time + doing
sth.

It is no use your complaining; the company won’t do
anything about it. 抱怨是没有用的，公司是不会管的。
save up 存钱，储蓄




It took me a year to save up for a new car.
我花了整整一年的时间才存下足够的钱买一辆
新车。
I was looking for a temporary job so that I
would save up some money to go travelling.
我在找一个临时工作，以便节省一些钱供旅游
用。
5. oblige:
(1) to do somebody a favor; to fulfill the
wishes of 为某人效劳，帮忙


Could you oblige me with five pounds until
the weekend? 能借我5英镑吗, 周末还你?
I should/would be obliged if you could speak
louder. (grateful to sb for sth)
(2) to make it necessary for somebody to
do something 强迫或要求某人做某事


The heavy snow obliged me to abandon the
car and continued on foot.
Eric felt obliged to resign after such an
unpleasant quarrel with the vice president.
detachment
[U] detaching or being detached 派遣; 分遣

the detachment of units from the main force
从主力部队派遣的小分队.
[U] (a) state of being not influenced by others
不受他人影响; 独立; 客观:

show detachment in one's judgments
表现出独立的见解.
(b) lack of emotion; indifference 冷静; 超然

He answered with an air of detachment.
他以超然的神态回答.
[C] group of soldiers, ships, etc sent away from
a larger group, esp to do special duties 分遣队;
支队; 特遣舰队

a detachment of signallers 通讯兵支队.
6. substitute:
-- to put something or somebody in place
of another 代替，替换


They were expected to substitute violence for
dialogue.
to substitute A for B = to replace B with A
Sentences -4
“For indifference”, said the old man, “they
substitute devotion. For scorn, adoration.
(Para.23)
The old man said: “The love potion will make the
girl devoted to you instead of being indifferent to
you; and it will turn her contempt towards you
into a strong love.”
作者故意打乱语句的正常顺序以表示强调。The
normal order: They substitute devotion for
indifference. (省略）They substitute adoration
for scorn.
7. rapture: great joy and delight 兴高采
烈，欣喜若狂


They stared with rapture at the new opera
house.
Smith was in /went into raptures at/about the
news.
Word derivation:


rapturous a. 狂喜的，着迷的
rapturously ad.
8. overwhelm:
(1) to give somebody a particular feeling very
strongly 控制；深刻影响


The family of the victim was overwhelmed by/with grief.
The need to talk to someone, anyone, overwhelmed me.
(2) to make powerless by using force 制服/击败


Government troops overwhelmed the rebels.
The attacker overwhelmed the young man by squeezing
his throat.
overwhelming a.: very large or very great
压倒性的

The overwhelming majority of small businesses went
broke within the first twelve months.
9. fervently:
-- (formal) with deep sincere feelings 强烈
地，炽热地


It is a cause for which we have campaigned
fervently these past four years.
We fervently believe in the peaceful
reunification of the motherland.
Word derivation:



fervent a. fervency n.
a fervent desire to win
There is growing sense of national fervency
in the state.
grounds
[C esp pl 尤作复数] ~ (for sth/doing sth/to
do sth) reason(s) or justification for saying,
doing or believing sth 说﹑ 做或相信某事的原因
或理由




You have no grounds for complaint/for complaining.
你没有抱怨的理由.
Desertion is a ground (ie legally sufficient reason) for
divorce. 被配偶遗弃是离婚的充足理由.
They had no grounds to arrest him.
他们没有理由逮捕他.
On what grounds do you make that accusation?
你根据什麽提出那项控告?
indulge in sth
-- allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of sth 让
自己尽情享受某事物:

I shall forget about dieting today. I'm just going to
indulge, ie eat and drink what I like. 今天我要把节食
计画置之脑後, 想吃什麽就吃什麽.
~ oneself/sb (with sth) 放纵自己[某人]:

I'm really going to indulge myself tonight with a
bottle of champagne.
indulgent adj inclined to indulge 放纵的; 纵容
的:

indulgent parents, ie parents who allow their children
to have or do anything 纵容子女的父母.
indulgently adv.
10. be better off:
-- to have more money than one used to have
or most other people


Mr. Cooper was much better off when he got
promoted, and even could afford foreign travel.
She’ll be 50 a week better off.
be better off doing / to do something:
-- to be wiser to do something specified

If you’ve got heavy bags you are better off taking /
to take a taxi.
be better off with somebody / something:
-- to be happier or more at ease with sb / sth

You’d be better off with her as a roommate.
well off 富裕的; 处境好的
Part 3 -- Questions
1. Why did Austen want to buy the love
potion?
2. What is Austen’s understanding of love?
3. What does the last paragraph suggest?
1. Why did Austen want to buy the love
potion?
He was driven by the overpowering
(irresistible) desire to win the love of
Diana.
2. What is Austen’s understanding of love?
 Austen was filled with illusions and
unrealistic expectations of love. To him,
love meant the entire possession of the
lover. When the old man talked about
the magic effect of the love potion and
described the expectant possessive love,
Austen cried “That is love!”, which
suggests that he was overwhelmed with
joy.
3. What does the last paragraph suggest?
The surprising ending here suggests that
the wise old man had a good
understanding of men like Austen: They
were filled with illusions about love but
once in the possession of this love, they
were most likely to be tormented to
such a degree that they would like to
buy the life-cleaner. The cynical tone of
the old man gives what he said a double
meaning.
Text comprehension -I
A. The whole story is a satire. First, the
idea that there exists a love potion in the
world is a satire on love. If love could be
bought, then love would no longer be
priceless. Second, that the old man
reminds Alan repeatedly of his stock of
glove-cleaner to show the idea that he
may need it someday is a satire on the
fate of love. Love, however fiery(炙热的，
热烈的) and fierce at the beginning, may
probably end up in death. So the whole
story is satirical in tone.
Text comprehension -II.
1. F. Refer to Paragraph 5. Though the
old man’s stock in trade is not large, it is
of more than one kind, and of a special
effect.
2. F. Refer to Paragraph 19. The effects
of the love potion, according to the old
man, are strong, permanent, and
everlasting.
3. T. The young man has fallen in love
with a girl who is very fond of parties but
who does not seem to be so fond of him.
That is why he decides to go to the old
man for the love potion and whenever the
old man mentions the magic of his potion,
he can’t help “crying.” From that, we can
see the man loves the girl deeply.
4. F. The old man sells the love potion
almost for nothing because by doing so
his customers will come back for a much
dearer commodity, the glove-cleaner, to
help them out. It is the “death potion”
that the old man makes most of his
profits from, and intends to sell to his
customers.
Text comprehension -III.
1. What the old man means is that young
men who fall in love one-sidedly are
seldom rich enough to win young girls’
heart; if the young man was rich enough,
it would be much easier for him to win
the girl’s heart. His words imply that
money is one of the crucial factors for
love. If a man is not rich, he can never
expect to be loved by a girl.
2. The love potion has a powerful, everlasting
effect. It replaces indifference with
devotion and scorn with adoration. It will
make a gay girl want nothing but solitude
and her lover’s company. She will feel
jealous for him when her lover is with other
girls; she will want to be everything to him.
She will be only interested in her lover and
take every concern of him. Even if he slips
a bit, she will forgive him though terribly
hurt. In a word, she will fall in love with
him if she drinks the love potion.
3. The author seems to imply by the great
gap between the prices of the love potion
and the glove-cleaner that love is far from
being precious. It is easy for a man to fall
in love, yet hard for him to stick to it.
That’s why he has to pay a great amount
of money to get himself out of it. The
other reason for the low price of the love
potion may be that by doing so, the old
man can attract more customers to his
primary commodity, the glove-cleaner.
4. One of the moral lessons that can be
drawn from the story is that anything
precious, love included, is most likely to
have an end. A person can easily fall in
love and get married, but what awaits
him/her could be endless remorse (or
deep regret), and a wish that it might end
as soon as possible. So one should be
wise and keep their eyes open when they
are in love though love is said to be blind.
5. The young man’s speech is short and
changing. At first, he speaks in a hesitant
and tentative manner, but later on his
speech changes into a succession of cries
and exclamations. In contrast, the old
man’s speech tends to be long, stable and
well-developed throughout the story. Their
speeches form a sharp contrast which helps
to bring out the two characters. The young
man is green, passionate, and hopelessly in
love, while the old man is calm, sensible,
experienced and a bit satirical. It is by this
contrast that the theme of the story is
brought out more effectively.
Text comprehension -IV.
1. “... Just because I have decided to do
you a favour / sell you the love potions, I
feel safe telling you all the secret about
my medicines.”
2. “They, the love potions,” said the old
man, “will help change the girl’s attitude
toward you. She will no longer neglect or
contempt you. Instead, she will begin to
give you deep-felt love and care.”
Structural analysis of the text
The last line “Au revoir” carries an ironic
double meaning. It’s a conventional way
to say goodbye. And with all those clues
given in the story, it also suggests that
the old man expects the young man will
return for the glove-cleaner.
Rhetorical features of the text
“Young people who need a love potion
very seldom have five thousand dollars.
Otherwise they would not need a love
potion” (Paragraph 13).
“Please a customer with one article, and
he will come back when he needs another.
Even if it is more costly.” (Para. 15)
Vocabulary exercises – I.
1. feeling very much worried and afraid
2. everything I sell could be well deemed
as extraordinary
3. difficult to notice
4. which is more than enough
5. have much more everlasting effects
than only the momentary impulse
6. with extreme happiness and
enthusiasm
Vocabulary exercises – II.
1. creaky
3. acquaintance
5. raptures
7. overwhelmed
2.
4.
6.
8.
peered
detachment
giddy
obliged
Vocabulary exercises – III.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
save up
care about
indulges in
reached for
peered about
deals in
Vocabulary exercises – IV.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
obscurity
acquainted
perceptible
apprehension
indifferent
rapt
Vocabulary exercises – V.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
expect
have
accept
imagine
was
achieve
Grammar exercises – I.
In the normal word order, the italicized
parts of these two sentences should have
been placed after the object. But as it is,
they are moved to the initial position to
achieve emphasis or to highlight the
contrast.
Grammar exercises – II.
1. Music Mary likes; sports she doesn’t.
2. Growl you may, and go you must.
3. They have promised to finish the work, and
finish it they will.
4. His face not many admired, while his
character still fewer could praise.
5. A professor he was, but in name only.
6. He might have agreed under pressure; agree
willingly he would never.
Grammar exercises – III.
1. They pronounced guilty every one of the
accused.
2. He had called an idiot the man on whose
judgment he now had to rely.
3. We cannot set totally aside a whole system of
rules devised by Congress itself.
4. The problem then arose of what contribution
the public should pay.
5. He gave the parcel to the sergeant who
occupied the trench opposite.
6. Send the parcel to my father not to my mother.
Grammar exercises – IV.
1. My decision to resign was wise.
2. Their readiness to accept the peace agreement
really surprised the diplomatic world.
3. My determination to pass the test helped me.
4. Her failure to get into college disappointed her
parents.
5. My willingness to co-operate was appreciated.
6. His refusal to help surprised me.
Grammar exercises – V.
1. All that glitters is not gold.
Although he is a successful
businessman, all is not sweet in his life.
2. However much you spend, I will
reimburse you.
However hard I try, I cannot find the
answer.
Translation exercises –I.
1. To me, you are definitely more than an
acquaintance.
2. Many artisans deal in a variety of
handicrafts (handcrafts) in the region.
3. They went into raptures over the
unexpected success.
4. Much to my surprise, he analyzed with
detachment the dangerous situation that
threatened all of them.
5. She peered at the stranger from behind
the curtain.
6. During the holidays, he indulged in the
luxury of a bath of sunshine on the beach.
7. When she learned the news of his death,
she was overwhelmed with grief.
8. I’m not in favor of buying a house on
the installment plan; instead, I maintain
that every one of us should save up for a
rainy day.
buy goods on the installment plan 用分期付款法购
买货物
pay by /in installments 以分期付款方式支付
for a rainy day 以防不时之需
Exercises for Integrated skills -Dictation
Rumor is the most primitive way of
spreading stories / by passing them on from
mouth to mouth. But civilized countries in
normal times / have better sources of news
than rumor. / They have radio, television, and
newspapers./ In times of stress and
confusion, however,/ rumor emerges and
becomes widespread. / At such times the
different kinds of news are in competition;/
the press, television, and radio versus the
grapevine.
Rumors are often repeated / even by
those who do not believe the tales. / There is
a fascination about them. / The reason is that
the cleverly designed rumor / gives expression
to something deep in the hearts of the
victims;/ the fears, suspicions, forbidden
hopes,/ or daydreams which they hesitate to
voice directly. / Pessimistic rumors about
defeat and disasters / show that people who
repeat them are worried and anxious. /
Optimistic rumors about record production or
peace / are soon coming point to complacency
or confidence – / and often to overconfidence.
Cloze
1. if
3. through
5. does
7. want
9. sung
11. but
13. precious
2. no
4. with
6. that
8. Here
10. and
12. upon
14. nor
Text II Love Is a Fallacy
Questions for discussion
1. The hero was a highly intelligent man
as his brain was extremely powerful,
precise and penetrating while Petey Burch
was a very dumb man as he was
emotional, unstable, impressionable and,
worst of all, crazy about the fashion.
2. She was a beautiful and gracious girl,
almost the right kind of wife in promoting
a lawyer’s career, which was what he
desired to pursue as his profession in the
future, despite the fact that she was not
intelligent enough, but he was determined
that she would become smart under his
guidance.
3. The girl constantly missed the point in
his instructions and made a lot of silly
mistakes. He felt disappointed and
vaguely felt that this project had no hope
of success. A wave of despair swept over
him and he almost concluded that he
could not possibly instill logic into her
mind.
4. When he tried various means to
suggest a kind of intimate relationship
between them, the girl refuted him by
pointing out different fallacies in his logic.
He felt very much dismayed as every
fallacy the girl pointed out was what he
had just tried to make the girl recognize
while he was leaching her how to be
smart.
5. One of the very important lessons
contained in the text is that one should
not be too calculated in everything,
particularly in love which is the result of
natural affection developed over a long
period of time.
Topics for discussion
Love on the first sight / Love is blind
A recipe for love
Romantic love and successful marriage
Love is a fallacy
Writing assignment 5
Some people enjoy living together with
their parents after they have grown up,
while others prefer living separately.
What’s your opinion?
Write an essay of about 200 words.
You are required to provide a title for the
essay.
Peer-review your essays and submit the
best essay of your group on Nov. 4
(Thursday).