An Integrated English Course
Book 3

Unit 1

Unit 9

Unit 2

Unit 10

Unit 3

Unit 11

Unit 4

Unit 12

Unit 5

Unit 13

Unit 6

Unit 14

Unit 7

Unit 15

Unit 8

Unit 16
Unit 1
Fresh Start
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Fresh Start.

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.

be aware of the cross-cultural differences of a freshman’s
experience in college.
Text 1. Fresh Start


Do you remember your first days at college?
Did anything special happen then?
Are you afraid of making mistakes that cause
embarrassment?
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1)
this is the introductory paragraph.
1. What does “first-gradish” mean? (“having the qualities and
characteristics of a first-grade student”)
2. Why did the author have the impression that “everyone on
campus was watching me”? (being too sensitive, was uneasy
with her identity as a freshman. She thought a new student
would attract others’ attention, as what she did or said was
liable to be too naive to be right.)
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-9)
The writer recalls a few incidents during her first days of college.
1. Why did the author exclaim “what confidence, what reserve, what
muscles!” when saw the football player? (college life is new to her,
it shows her excitement about the new college life.)

2. Why did a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck? (she
found she was in a wrong class.)
4. Why did she remain in the wrong room? (She didn't’t want others
to notice her ignorance.)
5. How did the students react when she slipped and fell down? (They
cheered and clapped. She felt embarrassed and humiliated.)
6. Why did she dine on junk food for the next three days? (She
thought she had become the laughing-stock on campus. She
couldn't’t stand by being laughed at by the students in cafeteria.)
Part Three: (Paragraph 10-14):
This is the concluding part.
1. What was the key lesson Evelyn Herald learned
during her first few weeks in college? (The key lesson was
that since people grow by trial and error, one should relax and
be oneself.)
2. What lessons have you learned from Evelyn
Herald’s experiences after reading the article
“Fresh Start”?
LANGUAGE WORK

Distinct: clearly seen, heard, felt, understood, etc.;
noticeable
E.g. 1) Now that the boss no longer present, there was
a distinct change in her attitude.
2) The children have distinct memories of their
grandfather in his last days.

Clutch: vt. to hold or grasp tightly; vi. to try to grasp or seize
E.g. 1) The frightened woman clutched her bags to her breast.
2) He clutched at the rope we had thrown to him but could
not reach it.

Reserve: self-restraint in expression; the habit of not showing
one’s feelings or thoughts
E.g. 1) Being a man of reserve, Mr. York was never popular
with his colleagues.
2) Judy has tried every moment to break through the
reserve of her stepson.

Whereabouts: n. approximate location; ad. about where; in, at
or near what location
E.g. The orphan’s whereabouts is/are still unknown.
Whereabouts do you live?

Tip off: to give an advance warning or hint to
E.g. Somebody must have tipped off the burglars off
that the house world be empty.

Flail: to (cause something to) wave or swing about wildly
E.g. 1) I flailed her arms to get her attention.
2) The baby’s feet flailed under the quilt.

Rear end: buttocks

Somebody’s heart goes out to somebody: used to say that
someone feels a lot of sympathy towards another person
E.g. His heart went out to Mrs. Bradshaw and her
fatherless child.

Slink: to go or move in a quiet, stealthy way; to move as if one
feels guilty or ashamed, or does not want to be seen
E.g. 1) She tried to slink out of the office so that nobody
would see her.
2) The cat slunk through the grass toward its prey.

Malicious: having the nature or wish to hurt others
E.g. a malicious remark

Shackle: a metal fastening, usually one of a pair, for encircling
and confining the ankle or wrist of a prisoner or captive; a
restraint or check to action or progress, often used in the plural
form
E.g. 1) The policeman placed shackles on the suspect’s
hands.
2) It is hard to break through the shackles of habit.
QUESTIONS

What is the text concerned with?

What is the message of the text?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2


A University Stands and Shines was the author’s response to a
toast in his honor. In the text, he highly evaluates the
significance of university and the honor of being a member of
a university.
A Topic to discuss
How do you think a university is even more enduring than
religions and dynasties?
Unit 2
Tyranny of the Urgent
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Tyranny of the Urgent.

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.
Text 1. Tyranny of the Urgent


Do you often feel pressed by time? Do you
hate meeting deadlines?
Do you think the busier you are, the more
accomplished your life will be?
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-2)
The first two paragraphs serve as an introduction. In the first
paragraph, the writer mainly explains why people wish for a
thirty-four hour day. In the second paragraph, he goes on to
explain why this extra time may not help people much. The
following questions are suggested:
1. How does the author introduce his topic? (by a rhetorical
question)
2. Does the author believe that this extra time will help people to
ease the pressure? (No. The author does not think that the
prolongation of time may solve the problem of shortage of time
once for all because one’s work is endless.)
Part Two: (Paragraphs 3-5)
This is the main body of the essay. The writer explains the
people of priorities and explores the cause of “tyranny of the
urgent”.
1. What is the problem of priorities? (What should people deal
with first when confronted with endless work?)
2. When are people liable to frustration? (When they find
numerous tasks unfinished and especially when they find that
they have left the important tasks aside.)
3. Why do people often delay an important task? (People are
constantly driven by urgent tasks while they are usually given
more time to accomplish important tasks. As a result, they are
likely to lack a sense of urgent for important tasks.
Part Three: (Paragraph 6):
In this paragraph, the writer comes to the conclusion that we
have become slaves to the “tyranny of the urgent”.
1. Why does the author say: “A man’s home is no longer his
castle”? (A castle is a strongly-built building fortified
against attacks, especially as in former times. In old days, one
might be kept away from all the worries about work once he
was back home. But in modern times, with the development of
telecommunication, one can hardly avoid being interrupted
even when he is at home.)
2. What does “tyranny of the urgent” mean? (It implies that
the urgent things outweigh everything else.)
LANGUAGE WORK

Trail: a stream of dust, smoke, people, vehicles, etc. behind
something moving
E.g. 1) He went inside, leaving a trail of muddy footprints
behind him.
2) The typhoon has left a trail of muddy foot prints behind
him.

Haunt: to be always in the thoughts of
E.g. 1) The decision to leave her children now haunts
her.
2) Thirty years after the fire he is still haunted by
images of death and destruction.

Exacting: (of a person or piece of work) demanding much care,
effort and attention
E.g.1) The trains used in the Channel Tunnel have to
conform to exacting fire safely standards.
2)Volunteers are needed for an exacting
assignment.

Dilemma: a situation in which one has to make a difficult
choice between two courses of action, both perhaps equally
undesirable
E.g. 1) The doctor’s dilemma was whether he should tell the
patient the truth or not.
2) The president finds himself in a dilemma over how to
tackle the crisis.


Priority: something that needs attention, consideration, service,
etc. before others
E.g. 1) You have to learn to get your priorities straight.
2) Getting your priorities in order is an effective way not
to waste time on trivial or even meaningless pursuits.
Misgiving: (a feeling of ) doubt, distrust, or fear, especially
about a further event
E.g. 1) We had misgivings about flying near mountains in such
weather.
2) The plan seemed utterly impractical and I was filled
with misgiving about it.

Crowd out: to keep out for lack of space
E.g. Pressure on study space has crowd out new students from
many university libraries.

Maxim: a short saying that expresses a general truth or rule for
good and sensible behavior
E.g. Aesop’s fables illustrate moral maxims.

Rebuke: to speak angrily to someone
E.g. 1) Her mother rebuked her for frightening
her brother.
2) He was rebuked for cheating.

Breach: to break (a promise, agreement, etc.); to make an
opening in a wall or fence
E.g. 1) They breached the agreement they had made with their
employer.
2) The defenses were easily breached.

Imperious: (too) commanding; expecting obedience from
others
E.g. 1) She sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand.
2) From across the table he gave an imperious look.

Devour: to used up all of something; to eat hungrily and in
large quantities, so that nothing remains.
E.g. 1) In the light of recent incidents, we are asking our
customers to take particular care of their personal
belongings.
2) In the light of this information, it is now possible to
identify a number of key issues.

Prominence: the fact or quality of being well-known and
important
E.g. 1) He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.
2) Most of the papers give to prominence to the same story
this morning.
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

Time illustrates the author’s view on time from several aspects,
trying to imply than to value time is to be wise.

A topic for discussion
What is your view on time?
Unit 3
Chinese Food
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Fresh Start.

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.

be aware of the cross-cultural differences of food between
Chinese and Western.
Text 1. Chinese Food


How important is food to the Chinese people?
What are the characteristics of Chinese
cuisine?
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-4)
Discuss the difference in Chinese and Western attitudes
toward food. Here are some questions for consideration:
1.
In the life of an individual, how, according to Kenneth Lo, is
food different from music, a lecture or conversation, or
matters of business? (As music, a lecture or conversation, or
matters of business will never be integrated into one’s body or
spiritual and moral fiber, one may not attend to them wholeheartedly. Yet, food is different. As it is going to be part of our
bodies, it requires our serious treatment.)
2.
How does Lo make his point clear? (by comparison and
contrast)
3.
What is the Chinese attitude of food? (They regard food as
their first happiness.)
Part Two: (Paragraphs 5-6)
Deal with the reasons of the international success
of Chinese food.
1.
Why does the writer mention “from Hong Kong to Honolulu
to Huboken to Huddersfield”? (These places with “H” as the
initial are located in different areas of the world. They are
randomly chosen, just to show the ubiquity of Chinese food.)
2.
What has helped the spread of Chinese food to the rest of the
world? (First, many people from Hong Kong, China opened
restaurants in various places. Secondly, the Western people
have become interested in the pursuit of sensual pleasures
and are eager to the old Western habits. Finally, sensual
concept is an inherent element of Chinese food.
Part Three: (Para. 7-9) Elaborate the nature of Chinese food.
1. How does the writer explain that the traditional high-quality
Chinese meal is a serious matter? (He uses figures to explain
how complicated and time-consuming it is to prepare the
Chinese meal. The he lists several methods of cooking to
show that cooking itself is no easy work.
2. What else must be pleased besides the palate? Why? (The eye
must be pleased, to. The philosophy that underlies Chinese
food and everything else is Taoism, which signifies the
proper human conduct and the ultimate harmony of the
universe. In the enjoyment of food, the eye, as well as the
palate, is the essential element to be please.)
LANGUAGE WORK

Derive from: to come from a source or origin
E.g. The word “deduct” derives from Latin.

Ecstasy: sudden intense feeling or excitement
E.g. They went into ecstasies over the view.

Smother: to cover closely or thickly
E.g. The cook smothered a steak with mushrooms.

Marked: striking; conspicuous
E.g. John worked really hard. He showed marked
improvement in all the tests.

Assert: to declare strongly
E.g. He asserted boldly that he was innocent of the crime.

Bedeck: to decorate; to hang ornaments or decorations on
E.g. He led us into a room bedecked with tinsel.

Infamous: deserving of or causing an evil reputation
E.g. He is famous for saying that cheating is the way the game is
played.

Part and parcel: an essential part that must not be ignored
E.g. It’s best to accept that some inconveniences are
part and parcel of travel.
 Phenomenal: very remarkable
E.g. He enjoyed phenomenal success as a race
care driver.
 Inherent: existing as a natural and permanent quality
E.g. She stared fastidiously at the dirty table.
He fastidiously copied every word of his
notes onto clean paper.
Fastidiously: with excessive care of delicacy
E.g. She stared fastidiously at the dirty table.
He fastidiously copied every word of his notes
onto clean paper.
 Chore: a hard or unpleasant task; a small job that someone has
to do regularly
E.g.In 1862, a technique was contrived to take a
series of photographs showing stages of movement.
 Conform: to act in accordance with; to comply with
E.g. He clothes are conformed to fashion.
Though educated, we conform to some old customs.

Palate: the sense of taste
E.g. We’ll have a dinner to delight the palate.
I let my palate dictate what I eat.
 Elusive: hard to express or define
E.g. He tried to recall the elusive thought he had had months
before.
 Piquant: having a pleasant sharp or strong taste
E.g. With that piquant tomato sauce, the dish tastes much better.

MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

Say No to Western Fast Food introduces a new phenomena
which is happening around China now. It implies the harm the
fast food brings to people. On the other hand, it doesn't’t deny
the advantage of eating in the fast food restaurants. The article
compares fast food with Chinese traditional food, emphasizing
the significance of keeping food tradition in China.

A topic for discussion
What should we learn from the western restaurants and what
should not we learn from the western restaurant, according to
the author of text II?
Unit 4
Why I Want a Wife
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Why I Want a Wife.

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.
Text 1. Fresh Start


What role does a wife usually play in a
traditional Chinese family? What role does
an American wife play in her family? Are
there any similarities or differences
between them?
Is there any change in women’s status in
China and around the world?
The passage can be divided into four parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-2)
The author’s recent encounter with a friend of hers who has just
had a divorce and who is looking for another wife make her
think about the topic of wanting a wife.
The writer introduces her identity in the first paragraph and
starts her bitter satire, in the second paragraph, on those men
desiring for a wife who fits in with their ideal notions by
pretending that she would like to have a wife with all possible
virtues.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 3-7)
The writer divides a wife’s duties and responsibility into
various functions or services according to the ideal notions
most men are likely to have for a wife.
Three main duties are taking care of the baby; arranging the
husband’s social activities; and satisfying husband’s sexual
needs.
“wife” is consistently used in the text to help emphasize a
wife’s role, duties and responsibilities by de-emphasizing her
sex.
The writer presents in an ironical tone all the duties a wife
should fulfill.
Part Three: (Para. 14-20):
By the way he behaved when confronted with another sad
moment---the loss of his grandpa, the author shows us that he
came to understand what his grandpa had taught him.
One would divorce the present wife and marry another new
one, leaving the ex-wife solely responsible for the care of the
children when one find a more suitable wife.
LANGUAGE WORK

Incidentally: in a way that was not planned, but as a result of
something else

Ex-wife: former wife

If need be: if necessary

Rambling: (of a speech, writing) disorder and wandering
E.g. 1) I’ve just had this rambling, incoherent letter from my
sister.
2) His actions were accomplished by a rambling
monologue.

Replenish: to fill up again
E.g. 1) Let me replenish your glass.
2) Food stocks were replenished by imports from
the USA.

Sensitive to: strongly or easily influenced or changed by
E.g. She is sensitive to the change of weather.

Clutter up: to make untidy or confused, especially by filling with
useless or unwanted things.
E.g. 1) This room is so impressive that it would be a shame to
clutter it up.
2) She says she deliberately tried to clutter up her mind.




Entail: to make (an event or action) necessary; to involve
E.g. 1) The changed outlook entails higher economic
growth than was previously assumed.
2) Repairing the roof will entail spending a lot of
money.
Adherence to: acting in accordance (with something);
following (something)
E.g. 1) He was noted for his strict adherence to the rules.
2) The villager’s adherence to their religious beliefs
impressed all the visitors.
Monogamy: the custom or practice of having only on wife or
husband at one time
Replace…with: to change one for another, often better, newer.
E.g. We’ve replaced those typewriters with computers.
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

Of Marriage and Single Life expresses the writer’s view on
marriage or single life for a man. It illustrates the advantages
on marriage an being single, mean it indicates the features on
both sides for a man. The writer tries to enlighten people what
kind of life people will choose eventually, get married or being
single without suggesting directly.

A topic for discussion
Based on your reading and person views, decide whether you
would like to be married or single in your life.
Unit 5
The Company Man
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Company Man.

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.
Text 1. The Company Man


What do you think is the life of a typical
workaholic like?
How important do you think work is to a
person?
 Highlights
The text talks about a company man devoted all his thoughts
and energy to work and everything else secondary to that and
the end might be considered tragically heroic: he worked
himself to death. The author paints an ironic picture of the
cutthroat life of a company man and his family. The man was a
workaholic who died of a heart attack, which surprised no one.
His wife lost him years ago to his work, and his children did
not know him well.
The passage can be divided into four parts.
Part One: (Paragraph 1)
This is introductory part of the text. The first sentence provide
the information about “who”, “what”, “how” and “when”.
“Finally” suggests the doomed ending of the workaholic.
“Precisely” emphasizes his devotion to work, as he died on a
Sunday, a day when people are supposed to take a rest.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-6)
This part reports how devoted the man was to his work.
Unlike most essays which usually make it clear who the
character is at the very beginning, this essay begins with the
pronoun “He”. At the end of the third paragraph where the
name was finally mentioned, readers only get to know the first
name of the deceased, not his full name. This, on the one hand,
is meant to get the fact that workaholicism has become a
common phenomenon. The deceased was only one of the
many workaholics who bury themselves in their work and
forget all about their individuality.
The man that the author describes in the text was a workaholic
who cared about nothing but work while many others in his
company worked four days a week, he worked long hours for
six days every week.
Part Three: (Para. 7-13):
This part describes Phil’s role in his family. At home, the wife
has lost her husband too his work for many years. And his
eldest son tried to know what his father was like from his
neighbors. His daughter found nothing to talk with him and his
youngest son had very little to share with him. To his children,
he seems like a stranger.
The author repeats “he finally worked himself to death, at
precisely 3:00a.m. Sunday morning” three time. By repeating
this sentence, the author relates the two contradictory ideas---work on Sunday and thus reveals the personality of the man
and suggests that the man is destined to be exhausted.
Part Four: (Paragraph 14-16)
After the cause of Phil’s death being restated, the author goes
on to report the company president’s inquiry for his successor.
By putting contradictory actions or ideas together such as
“work himself…at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning”, “On Sundays,
Phil wore a sports jacket to the office” “…he (his son) went
around the neighborhood researching his father”, the author
creates the imagine of a workaholic, one who worked on days
when others were having their holidays and one who failed to
be a qualified husband and father while being successful in his
career. The article ends with a president’s question “who’s
been working the hardest?” this question shows that being
hard-working is the deciding factor in determining whether
one will be promoted. From this, we can learn that it was this
social value of the competitive society that determined Phil’s
attitude towards work and caused his death.
LANGUAGE WORK

Precisely: exactly
E.g. They arrived at five o’clock precisely.

Overweight: weighing more than is normal, necessary, or
allowed, especially having more body weight than is
considered normal or healthy for one’s age or build.

Fat: implies excessive weight and is generally unfavorable in
its connotations;
E.g. Charlie is not merely overweight but downright fat.

Obese: implies gross overweight;

Fleshy: suggests a not necessarily excessive abundance of flesh;
E.g. Susan quite likes her boyfriend’s firm, fleshy arms.

Stout: is sometimes used a polite term to describe fatness. In
stricter application stout refers to person with a thickset, bulky
figure;
E.g. Even slim girls can become stout matrons.

Pudgy: means short and fat;
E.g His pudgy fingers look really funny.

Plump: applies to pleasing fullness of figure
E.g. Everybody loves Rita, the plump, rosy little girl.

A chubby person is round and plump;
E.g. a chubby toddler; chubby cheeks



Survive: to live longer than; to outline
E.g. it’s amazing that she could have survived all her children
and grandchildren.
Marketable: wanted by purchasers or employers
E.g. They have failed to launch a marketable model for years.
Straighten out: to solve or settle; to remove difficulties (from
something) or the doubt or ignorance (in somebody’s mind)
E.g. We need someone capable of straightening out all the
confusion.
QUESTIONS
 What
is the text concerned with?
 What
is the message of the text?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

The Unhappy American Way attempts to tell the readers the
major causes that prevent people from being happy is that
most Americans act on some principles rather than on impulse..
They believe in a general theory on how to make one happy,
but the theory is basically false. A competitive struggle
dominates life in which happiness lies in getting ahead of
those who are your neighbors, colleagues or friends. They
forget joys devoid of competitive elements. If people desire to
live a healthy and happy life, they should allow impulse to
have sufficient scope to remain alive and they should preserve
a range of interest.

A topic for discussion
What are the causes prevent people from being happy as much
as possible?
Unit 6
Knowledge and Wisdom
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Company Man.

comprehend the topic sentences in Text 1 thoroughly and be
able to paraphrase them.
Text 1. The Company Man


What kind of people are considered wise?
What are the elements that constitute
wisdom?
How can you become wise? Do you think what
you are doing in college contributes to
wisdom?
 Highlights
The author of the text tries to tell us the essence of wisdom lies
in impartiality, the ability to defy the physical world. Russell
believes knowledge itself cannot save the world. Knowledge
without wisdom will not benefit the world and in some cases
will even pose a serious threat to humanity. So a wise perosn
has to have a comprehensive view. The author also implies that
the process of growing wise is that of tearing itself away from
the physical and emotional world and moving into a higher
stage, the spiritual world.
The passage can be divided into two parts.
Part One: (Paragraph 1)
The first paragraph serves as introduction. The view is
commonly accepted by most people that knowledge is not equal
to wisdom as history has suggested that the acquisition of
knowledge does not necessarily lead to the increase of wisdom.
In the first paragraph, the author states the purpose of writing,
which is the discussion of what contributes to wisdom and how
to teach wisdom.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-5)
This part is the main body of the essay. The four paragraph tell
us what wisdom is. The author holds that these factors
contribute to wisdom: a sense of proportion, an awareness of
the ends of human life and emancipation from personal
prejudice. “A sense of proportion” means the ability to take
account of all the importance factors in a problem and to attach
to each its due weight. In other words, it refers to the ability to
judge correctly what factors are of more importance and what
are of less importance.
“The ends of human life” refers to the goals of human life.
The author suggests that people cannot avoid being partial. The
difference between a wise man and an unwise man is the
former has a lesser degree of partiality. As one becomes more
impartial, his wisdom grows.
Part Four: (Paragraph 14-16)
After the cause of Phil’s death being restated, the author goes
on to report the company president’s inquiry for his successor.
By putting contradictory actions or ideas together such as
“work himself…at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning”, “On Sundays,
Phil wore a sports jacket to the office” “…he (his son) went
around the neighborhood researching his father”, the author
creates the imagine of a workaholic, one who worked on days
when others were having their holidays and one who failed to
be a qualified husband and father while being successful in his
career. The article ends with a president’s question “who’s
been working the hardest?” this question shows that being
hard-working is the deciding factor in determining whether
one will be promoted. From this, we can learn that it was this
social value of the competitive society that determined Phil’s
attitude towards work and caused his death.
LANGUAGE WORK

Surpass: to do or be better than
E.g. 1) The student was surpassing himself in mathematics.
2) Tom surpassed all expectations.

Cease: to come to an end
E.g. He never ceased from his activities as propagandist.

Means: a method that enables a purpose to be fulfilled
E.g. 1) He was prepared to use any means to get what he
wanted.
2) The quickest means of travel is by plane.

Contribute to: to help to cause or bring about
E.g. Her singing will contribute greatly to the success of the
party.

Attach due weight to: to ascribe proper importance to
E.g. 1) They will surely meet with due punishment.
2) Due care must be taken while one is driving.

Populous: densely populated

Spectacular: strikingly large and obvious

Pursuit: the action of following somebody or something
E.g. 1) The police care raced through the streets in pursuit of
another car.
2) He devoted every spare moment to the pursuit of his
passion.


Many eminent historians have done more harm than good:
what many eminent historians have done is more damaging
than help
E.g. 1) She is more thoughtless than stupid.
2) Their beliefs are more Christian than Buddhist.
Lack: the state of not having enough of something; to be
without or deficient in; not o have enough of
E.g. 1) He failed in the appeal for lack of evidence
2) There is no lack of entertainment abroad the ship.

Inculcate: to fix (ideas and principles, etc.) in the mind of
(somebody)
E.g. 1) It’s important to inculcate you with a respect for culture.
2) They will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture.

Standard-bearer: a leading figure in a cause or movement

Emancipation from : freedom from political, moral,
intellectual or social restraints offensive to reason or justice

Confer: to grant
E.g. 1) The queen conferred knighthoods on several
distinguished men.
2) The honor was conferred on him just after the war.

Search for: to look carefully in order to find something
E.g. She searched through her purse for the keys.

Appalling: horrifying, shocking
E.g. 1) When will this appalling war end?
2) He became, as it were, a man without a country.

Instill: to gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude,
especially a desirable on) in a person’s mind
E.g. It is a part of the teacher’s job to instill self-confidence
into his or her students.

Be bound up with: be involved in, dependant on, connected
with
E.g. 1) The survival of these creatures is intimately bound up
with the health of the ocean.
2) Dominant and submissive behavior is closely bound up
with childhood.

Impartially: the condition of treating all rivals or disputants
equally
E.g. 1) Certainly ministers are pressing for new rules or
disputants equally.
2) Political impartiality is strengthened.
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

How to Become a Man of Genius is mainly target at D. H.
Lawrence. The essay indicates the major conflict between
Russell and Lawrence for the emotional, physical side. Russell
despites Lawrence for his primitive man’t understanding of the
relationship between men and women and his reliance on
passion and desire for emancipation. And Lawrence criticizes
the cold and impotent nature of rationality each of them is just
the opposite of the other..
Unit 7
The Chaser
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Chaser.

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.
Text 1. The Company Man


Do you believe love can be fostered? How can
you lure one into love with you?
What is likely to happen when a couple no
longer love each other?
 Highlights
The text is a story tells a young man who fall in love onesidedly are seldom right enough to win young lady’s heart. He
went to an old man to buy love lotion for the girl he fancies.
The conversation between the young man and the old man
indicates serious philosophy. One of the moral lessons the text
contains is anything precious, love included, is most likely to
have an end. A person can easily fall in love and get married,
but what await him or her could be endless remorse, and a
with 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.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraph 1)
The first paragraph describes a timid, skeptical and hesitant
character, Alan Austen.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-12)
The old man is trying to sell his mixture.
Paragraph 2 indicates the young man is very nervous and timid.
Paragraph 3 from the greeting of the old man, it indicates the old
man is expecting Alan’s arrival.
The following paragraphs implies the experienced old man had
encountered many young men who had been in the grip of
romantic desire before, but who eventually got tried of the
possessive love they had experienced. He knew for sure that
Austen’s possessive love would not 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 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 Three: (Paragraphs 13-45):
This part mainly developed through the dialogue between the
old man and Alan. Alan got to know about the love potion and
in the end bought it.
For Alan, love means entirely passion for lover.
The surprising ending suggests that the wise old man had a
good understanding of men like Austen: they were filled with
illusion 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.
LANGUAGE WORK

Peer: to look very carefully or with difficulty, especially as if
not able to see clearly
E.g. She peered over my shoulder at the computer screen and
asked about the figures.
Peep: to look at something quickly and secretly, especially
through a hole or other small openings
E.g. Now and then she peeped to see if he was noticing her.

Make somebody’s acquaintance: to meet somebody for the
first time
E.g. He made her acquaintance at a dance.

Imperceptible: that cannot be noticed or felt because so small,
slight or gradual
E.g. Martha’s hesitation was almost imperceptible.

Apprehensively: full of anxiety about the future
E.g. They looked at each other apprehensively.
Students are waiting with apprehension for their final exam
results.

Oblige: (1) to do somebody a favor; to fulfill the wises of
E.g. She asked him to lend her his car, and he willingly
obliged her.
(2) to make it necessary for somebody to do something
E.g. The heavy snow obliged me to abandon the car and
continued ton foot.

Rapture: great joy and delight
E.g. They stared with rapture at the new opera house.

Overwhelm: (1) to give somebody a particular feeling very
strongly
E.g. The family of the victim was overwhelmed by /with grief.
The need to talk to someone, anyone, overwhelmed me.
Overwhelming: very large or very great
E.g. The overwhelming majority of small business went back
within the first twelve months.

Fervently: with deep sincere feelings
E.g. It is a cause of which we have campaigned fervently these
past four years.
We fervently believe in the peaceful reunification of the
motherland.

Be better off: to have more than one used to have or most other
people
E.g. Mr. Cooper was much better off when he got promoted,
and even could afford foreign travel.
Be better off doing/ to do something: to be wiser to do
something specified
E.g. If you’ve got heavy bags you are better off taking/to take a
taxi.
QUESTIONS
 What
is the text concerned with?
 What
is the message of the text?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

The story describes a hero tried all means to instruct a girl on
how to become a smarter person and he suggested a kind of
intimate relationship between them. But the girl pointed out
different fallacies in his logic. It tells us one should not be too
calculate in everything, particularly in love that is the result of
natural affection developed over a long time.

A topic for discussion
Is love built up gradually between loves or generated naturally?
Unit 8
Fan, Oh Boy. Fun. You
Could Die from It
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Oh Boy. Fun. You Could Die from It.

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.
Text 1. The Company Man

What is the greatest fun in your life?

How important is fun in your life?
 Highlights
According to the author, fun is not a family visit to Disney
World; not is it celebrating big occasions. Fun is simple
pleasure in life, which lies rather in one’s work and the
fulfillment of one’s duty. The author points out that fun cannot
be compared with duty and morality. People should not be
obsessed with fun; instead they should devote themselves to
their work and the fulfillment of one’s responsibility.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraph 1-5)
The first five paragraphs, which from the introduction to the
essay, provide a stipulate definition to “fun”.
The first two paragraphs state fun is hard to have and fun is a rare
jewel. The author uses definition, comparison and a series of
questions to introduce the topic.
By making a startling statement and raising a series of questions,
the author points out that fun has become the major concern of
people. It has overweighed many other questions.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 6-11)
In this part of the essay, the writer offers the extended
definition of the word “fun” by negation.
In paragraph 6, the author lists several things that are supposed
to bring people fun, like family outings, sex, education, work,
Wart Disney, church and staying fit.
In paragraph 8, the author tried to clarify something will not
bring people fun, like in a test, dirty bumper, stick refrigerator
doors are some to the things that are not sources of fun. Some
people resort to thrilling ways such as adventures, immoral
actions, crimes or alcohol to have fun. The author creates a
conversational style by using “everything, everybody, Golly
gee”.
Paragraph 9 tells us when people live under pressure stress,
they can hardly relax and the monotonous routine work is not
exciting enough for them. Only when they indulge themselves
in drugs and alcohol can they forget the worries of the day and
have a little fun.
Paragraph 10 with high expectation for fun, people are not
content with the joy that big occasion such as holidays,
weddings or birthdays bring them. To make up for the
inadequacy of fun and joy, they are still expecting the next big
occasion which might bring them excitement.
Part Three: (Para. 12-15): the essay concludes with an
anecdote that further explains what fun is.
Paragraph 12 according to the author, we should treat fun
respectfully. Fun is not supposed to be everywhere. We cannot
easily get fun out of everything.
Paragraph 13 the author develops the idea that fun is a mystery.
In paragraph 14, the author claims that as a rule, no holiday, no
big occasions would take place on this day. But if we treat fun
properly, we can have fun even on such an ordinary day.
LANGUAGE WORK

Overshadow: to make somebody or something less successful,
important, or impressive by comparison with others; to
dominate
E.g. 1) Ben overshadows all his colleagues.
2) She is overshadowed by her younger and more
attractive sister.

Flunk: to fail, especially in a course or an exam
E.g. The boy was upset because he flunked in an English exam
flunk out: to expel or be expelled from a school or course
because of work that does not meet required standards
E.g. We didn’t flunk out, but our records weren’t so good.

Epitome: an ideal; a typical representation
E.g. His father is the epitome of goodness.
Epitomize: to be an epitome of something
E.g. 1) He epitomizes the loving father.
2) She epitomizes all the good qualities for her family.

Damper: something that stops an occasion from being as
enjoyable as it was intended to be
E.g. The bad news put a damper on the party.

Blaspheme: to swear, to use words which show a lack of respect
for God or religion
E.g. The bank manager began to rage and blasphemed Islam.



Malted milk: a soluble powder made of dried milk, malted
barley, and wheat flour
Chunky: 1) (of candy, etc.)containing small, thick pieces
E.g. chunky peanut butter; chunky soup
2) (of a man) short and strong; stocky
E.g. A chunky man usually has a wide upper body and looks
strong.
Scan: 1) to examine something carefully, with the eyes or with
a machine, in order to obtain information
E.g. She anxiously scanned the faces of the young men
leaving the train in
the hope of finding her son.
2) to scan a text can also mean to look through it quickly in
order to find a piece of information that one wants or get a
general idea of what the text contains
QUESTIONS
 What
is the text concerned with?
 What
is the message of the text?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT 2

The Age of Thrill tells us our age is the age of thrill. It
generates many more thrills than any of the previous ages did
and people in our age expect to be thrilled as continuously as
people in no other ages did. Happiness is not rooted in thrills,
which are merely amusements. Happiness chiefly derives from
affection for people and interest in various objects in the
external world. Those who are truly happy to do not dependent
on thrills for their happiness, for thrills can only help to get rid
of the feeling of boredom.

A topic for discussion
Should we deny ourselves entirely the excitement of thrills?
Unit 9
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

have a good understanding of the personality traits and the tips
given in the text.
Text I On Becoming a Better Student
Topics for Pre-reading Discussion
1.
What are the greatest problems your group has in
English study? Specify two or three, or recommend
your effective study habits.
2.
As a student, what is your expectation of teachers? Do
you expect them to be omniscient and omnipotent, or
as human as you are?
3.
What do you think are the personality traits of a fine
student?
Highlights

Donna Farhi Schuster is a certified yoga teacher from the San
Francisco Bay Area. This article originally appeared in Yoga
Journal in September/October 1987.

The text presents a snapshot of major qualities of a good
student and tips for an aspiring student in a clear and concise
way so as to give students some guidelines on how to “become
a better student”.

The author wants to tell us that good study skills and positive
personality traits are actually more important to academic
success than intelligence and hard work.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-2) the writer explains what teaching and learning is
meant to be – students should learn how to learn by themselves.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 3-9) the writer discusses various factors that will make a
good student – curiosity, discipline, risk-taking, initiative, and enthusiasm.
Part Three: (Para. 10): the writer gives advice to the aspiring students – be
attentive, be seen, be on time, be consistent, listen with your whole body,
appreciate constructive criticism, ask pertinent questions, don’t be too free to
express your disagreement, and let your teacher know how much you
appreciate him or her.
LANGUAGE POINTS

1.
We may even have the expectations that they be
endless repositories of skill and knowledge from
which we may partake at will.

=> Verbs to express order, decision, suggestion, etc.,
and their derivatives (as “expectations” here) are usu.
followed by clauses in the be-pattern subjunctive
mood.

2.
repository: n. a place where things are stored.

e.g.: My father is a repository of interesting facts.

3.

e.g.: You can use my car at will (=at any time you want to).

4.

e.g.: He felt heavily weighted with such high expectations from
his parents.

5.

Translate the sentence “All the words and theories and techniques
are of no use to students who have yet to open themselves with
receptivity and to take it upon themselves to practice.”
at will: whenever, wherever, etc., one wishes.
feel weighted: feel anxious or nervous
partial negation in “all… not” structure








6.
receptive: adj. able or quick to receive new ideas, suggestions,
etc.
e.g.: Generally speaking, young people are more receptive to new
developments than old people.
7.
paraphrase: “learn how to find themselves through their own
investigation”.(para.2)
8.
embody: v. to serve as a symbol or expression of an idea,
suggestion, etc.
e.g.: He embodies all the best qualities of a teacher.
9.
not so much… as: not… but rather
e.g.: Success in life does not depend so much on one’s school record
as on one’s honesty and diligence.
Compare “not so much as”: She is a manager in a company, but it is
strange that she cannot so much as write her own name well.









10.
in a good/bad/favorable light (so as to be seen well or
badly)
e.g.: It is hard to view his conduct in a favorable light.
11.
discipline:
a. training, esp. of the mind and character, aimed at producing
self-control, obedience, etc.
E.g.: Military discipline is imposed on freshmen each year
b. result of such training; ordered behavior.
E.g.: The test-takers showed perfect discipline during the
examination.
c. a branch of knowledge; a subject of study.
E.g.: We are going to take a wide range of scientific disciplines
in the university.









12. but: only; cannot but: can only
e.g.: I could not but admit that you were right and I was wrong.
13. dry (quality): plain, without anything pleasant or interesting.
e.g.: They offered no apology, just a dry explanation for the delay.
14.
for open discussion: “Our culture is in need of redefining
what it means to study.” (para. 5)
15. compare discrete with discreet:
These small companies now have their own discrete (=
independent, separate) identity.
We must be extremely discreet (=careful); the police suspect
something.
16. (fail to) live up to one’s principles, one’s reputation, one’s
parents’ expectations, etc.

17.
well-paved road; pave the way for/to

e.g.: The agreement paved the way for a lasting peace.

18.
for discussion or debate: “To be a student is to
take risks.” (para.6)

19.
paraphrase: “Children enter school as question
marks and leaves as periods.” (para.6)

20.

e.g.: He had relinquished all hope that she was alive.

21. paraphrase and illustrate: “failures has
tremendous social stigma.” (para.6)
relinquish: to give up; abandon






22.
compare precedence with precedent
precedence: the condition of being dealt with before other things or
of being considered more important than other things.
e.g.: The needs of the community must take precedence over
individual requirements.
precedent: earlier decision, case, event, etc. that is regarded as an
example or rule for what comes later
e.g.: The Queen has broken with precedent by sending her
children to ordinary schools.
23. ask students to illustrate “There is nothing quite so satisfying
as undergoing a difficult process and after long hard work
discovering the true nature of that process.” (para.7)









24.
be proportion to sth./be in proportion to sth.
e.g.: Payment will be proportional to the amount of work done, not
to the time spent doing it.
25.
spoon-feed: give too much help or teaching in a way that
does not allow him to think for himself
e.g.: Some teachers are just spoon-feeding their students.
26.
initiative:
a. the ability to make decisions and take action without asking for
the help or advice of others;
e.g.: A man who lacks the initiative never makes a good leader.
b. the position of being able to take action or influence events;
e.g.: Because of a stupid mistake, we lost the initiative in the
negotiations.

27.
prior: coming or planned before

e.g.: She was unable to attend the meeting because of a prior
engagement.

All the arrangements should have been completed prior to our
departure.

28.

e.g.: Chinese spelling presents many pitfalls for foreign students.

29.
complacency: usu. derogative, a feeling of satisfaction, esp.
without good reason.

e.g.: The situation is increasingly desperate; I can see no
justification for your complacency.
pitfall: mistake that may easily be made.

30.
strain (every nerve) to do sth.

e.g.: There was so much noise that I had to strain to hear what he
was saying.

31.
go out of one’s way to do sth.: take particular care and
trouble to do sth.

e.g.: The shop assistant went out of her way to find what we
needed.

32.

e.g.: Your remarks are not pertinent to our present discussion.

33.

e.g.: The little girl badgered her father into taking her to the cinema

The reporters were requested to stop badgering the chairman
with questions.
pertinent (to): relevant (to)
badger: to repeatedly tell sb. to do sth. or ask sb. questions
QUESTIONS

What does the author mean by saying “it is really
not possible to teach”? (para.2)

What is an “investigative spirit”? (para.4)

According to the writer, what should study mean?
(para. 5)

Why does the writer say that “A creative person
uses these failures as stepping stones”? (para.6)

How do you understand the statement “To learn,
then, is to open oneself”? (para.8)
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

In a vivid story, the writer tells us how she had been so confident,
arrogant and even rude a student, how she became poorly-spirited
after several disastrous events, and how she regained the selfconfidence and self-respect with the help of a teacher.

Through this story, the writer tries to illustrate that the greatest of
human potentials is the potential of each one of us to empower
and acknowledge the other, and that our greatest genius may be
the ability to prime the healing and evolutionary circuits of one
another.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.The old Greek tragedies warn us that when hubris rises, nemesis
falls. (para.3)

2.Intellectual decline such as this often happened to young women
when they became interested in other things. (para.4)

3.Every day brought its defeats and disacknowledgements, and after
my previous career I was too proud to ask for help. (para.5)

4.Hegal, agnosticism, structuralism, phenomenology, and the
intellectual passions of the Sorbonne cracked the ice of my selfnoughting…(para.7)

5.I felt my mind fall into its usual painful dullness. (para.12)

6.I was off and running and haven’t shut up since. (para.15)

7.I would go so far as to say that the greatest of human
potentials is the potential of each one of us to empower and
acknowledge the other. (para.18)

8.The process of healing and growth is immensely quickened
when the sun of another’s belief is freely given. (para.19)

9.It can be a look that goes straight to the soul and charges it
with meaning. (para.19)

10.Something so tremendous and yet so subtle wakes up inside
that you are able to release the defeats and denigrations of
years. (para.20)

11.Our greatest genius may be the ability to prime the healing
and evolutionary circuits of one another. (para.21)
Unit 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

Ø
grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

Ø
comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Ø
learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

Ø
have a good understanding of the different love from the
mother and the father.
Text I The Wonderful Lousy Poems



Topics for pre-reading discussion
Ø
How different is your father from your mother in
their methods when they try to give you proper
education?
Ø
Whose love do you think is important to your
growth?
Highlights

Budd Schulberg is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and
contributor to major national magazines.

The Wonderful Lousy Poems is a story about the author’s past experience: as a
son of “a Hollywood tycoon”, he wrote his first poem when he was eight or
nine years old. His mother gave an affirmative response to the poem while his
father rejected the same poem.

The story is narrated from the author’s point of view, in the tone of
recollections of the past. With great vividness and truthfulness, the author tries
to prove that a combination of his mother’s love and his father’s love
contributes to his growth.

It is implied that what we should do is to navigate our own craft and follow our
true course, just as Budd does.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-6) this is the introductory part of the
whole text, beginning the right story.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 7-20) his father came home, and beyond his
expectation, the poem was denounced as “lousy”.
Part Three: (Para. 21-24): in the last part, the author makes a
comparison between the father’s love and the mother’s love.
LANGUAGE POINTS
oxymoron in the title “wonderful lousy poem”

1.

oxymoron means that words expressing contradictory and
inconsistent ideas are joined together to produce a peculiar
rhetoric effect, esp. for emphasis.


e.g.: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (from Romeo and Juliet
by Shakespeare)
“New York has the poorest millionaires, the littlest great
men, the haughtiest beggars, the plainest beauties, the lowest
skyscrapers, the dolefulest pleasures of any town I ever saw.”
(by O. Henry)

2.
tycoon: wealthy and powerful businessman of
industrialist

e.g.: an oil tycoon; a newspaper tycoon

3.
prime mover: person or thing that has great influence
in the development of sth. important

e.g.: He was the prime mover in the revolt against the
government.

4.
“You didn't really write this beautiful, beautiful poem!”
＝>How could you write such a beautiful poem!
I couldn't imagine that you could write a poem beautiful as
this!







5. nothing short of: nothing less than; almost the same
as
e.g.: A hundred dollars for a room – that is nothing short
of robbery!
6. have no idea: don’t know; be incompetent
e.g.: He had no idea how to manage people.
He hasn’t the slightest idea how to manage people.
7. can hardly/not wait to: be very eager to
e.g.: I cannot wait to tell them the good news.








8.
the best part of: most, nearly
e.g.: We waited for the best part/the better part of an hour.
She lived there for the greater part of her life.
9.
elaborate: full of detail; carefully worked out and with
a large number of parts
e.g.: She made elaborate preparations for the part only to find
on one came.
10.
do justice to: to treat in a fair or proper way; to get the
best results from
e.g.: The photograph does not do justice to the rich colors of
the garden.
11.
paraphrase: “The suspense was exquisite.” (para.6)







12.
call sth. down on sb.: to invoke (curses, oaths, etc.) on sb.
e.g.: The priest called down God’s anger on the people.
13.
oath
a. (words used in making) a solemn promise or solemn declaration
(usu. appealing to God as a witness)
E.g.: There is a standard form of oath used in law courts.
b. casual and improper use of the name of God to express anger,
surprise, etc.
E.g.: He hurled a few oaths at his wife and walked out, slamming
the door.

14.
sentence: to state that sb. is to have a certain punishment

e.g.: He has been sentenced to three years in prison.

A crippling disease sentenced him to a lifetime in a
wheelchair.

15.

When I tried to remember his name, my mind went completely
blank.

When I tried to remember his name, my mind was a complete
bland.

16.

e.g.: They didn’t fight, but stood there glaring at each other.
blank: adj. empty of expressionless; n. an empty space
glare: to look/stare in a angry way







17.
paraphrase: “How wonderful it would be if this very
first work of mine drove away the angry clouds that now
darkened my important father’s face!” (para.9)
18.
verdict: decision
e.g.: The judge directed the jury to return a verdict of guilty.
19.
hold/keep/stand one’s ground: maintain one’s claim,
intention, argument, etc.
e.g.: She held her ground in spite of all the counter-arguments.
20.
paraphrase: “it is hard to hear clearly when your head
is making its own sounds of crying.” (para.18)
21.
tear sth. apart/to shreds/to bits, etc.: destroy or defeat
sth. completely; criticize sth. harshly
e.g.: The critics tore her new play to pieces.







22.
reluctant: unwilling and therefore slow to cooperate,
agree, etc.
e.g.: She was really reluctant to accept our proposal.
23.
work sth. up: to cause oneself to have, develop.
e.g.: I’m afraid I can’t work up much enthusiasm for this
scheme.
24.
ask students to illustrate “There is nothing quite so
satisfying as undergoing a difficult process and after long hard
work discovering the true nature of that process.” (para.7)
25.
dawn (on sb): (gradually) become clear to one’s mind
e.g.: It finally dawned on me that he had been lying.

26. “Only when it was all finished and I was in a
triumphant glow of achievement did he take me down a
peg”

a. partial inversion

e.g.: Only in this way can we accomplish it on time.

Often does he warn us not to touch the poisonous
chemical.

b. take sb. down a peg (or two): make (a proud or
conceited person) more humble

e.g.: Many pop stars need taking down a peg or two.

27.
on the crest: at the highest/greatest point

e.g.: After its election victory, the party was on the crest
of a wave of popularity.

28.
paraphrase: “Now, on the crest of having written a
novel, I could absorb a sharp critical blow.” (para.22)

29.
paraphrase: “Those conflicting but complementary
voices of my childhood echo down through the years.”
(para.24)

30. paraphrase: “I try to navigate my little craft so as
not to capsize before either.” (para.24)
QUESTIONS

1．Why did he look forward to his father’s arrival?
(para.6)

2．Why did he describe his father’s anger with an
actress? (para.8)

3．Why did he lower his head and stare down into
his plate when his father was reaching for his poem?
(para.9)

4．question open for discussion: How do you think
of Buddy’s parents’ different kind of love?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

Through his own experience, Malcolm, the author, tells us that
the relationship between a son and his father changes over
time: to a little boy, a father seemed a god with strange
strengths and uncanny powers; he could teach him a variety of
rules guiding his growth; with the time, the son was not trying
to please his father so much as trying to impress him; then
even the son began to see the father’s weakness although never
throwing these up at him; gradually, politics and issue gave
way to talk of empty errands and to ailments; and finally the
son was learning to understand the problems involved in the
father’s aging and dying.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.It may grow and flourish in mutual maturity. It may sour in
resented dependence or independence. (para.2)

2.a father seemed a god with strange strengths and uncanny
powers enabling him to do and know things that no mortal could
do or know. (para.3)

3.He was there, too, with his big arms and his own tears and
some thoughts on the natural order of life and death, although
what was natural about a speeding car that didn’t stop always
escaped me. (para.6)

4.He provided perspective, not telling me what was
around the great corner of life but letting me know there
was a lot more than just today and the next. (para.7)

5.I could tell we had each taken our own, perfectly
normal paths. (para.10)

6.No amount of love could make someone else care about
life; it was a two-way street. (para.15)
Question for consideration

How well can a person younger than forty understand
the problems involved in a parent’s aging and dying?
=> (This question is open for discussion; the following
is for students’ reference.) Young people take it for
granted that their parents will look after them all their
lives, and will provide them with food, clothing and
shelter. They hardly think of the fact that their parents
will become old and one day one of them will die.
Unit 11
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

Ø
grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

Ø
comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Ø
learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

Ø
reconsider the dilemma: to lie or not to lie.
Text I The Real Truth About Lies



Topics for pre-reading discussion
Ø
Have you ever been lying to others with a
seemingly good intention? How’s the consequence?
Ø
If somebody lies to you for your own good, how
would you feel?
Highlights

This text is of journalistic style. From the very
beginning the writer shows us that most people lie in
their daily lives, and then he goes on to explain that
telling white lies is a common practice. In the end, after
dealing with the grave consequence of telling lies, the
writer discusses how to decide which lies are to be
avoided.
The passage can be divided into four parts:
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-6) Reporting two survey results,
the writer introduces the topic that telling lies is
common.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 7-11) people are lying with a
familiar reason: they don’t want to hurt others.
Part Three: (Para. 12-15) in this part the writer deals with the
consequences of telling lies – the ubiquity of lies may cause
people to be distrustful of each other, thus leading to the
collapse of the whole society.
Part Four: (Para. 16-18) as a conclusion, the writer discusses
whether lies should be avoided at all costs and argues that
most acceptable lies are based on what moralists call the
principle of love and care rather than that of trust.
LANGUAGE POINTS

1.
volunteer: give or offer willingly of without being paid

e.g.: Many people volunteered for relief work there right after
the earthwake.
Jenny volunteered to clear up afterwards.


2.
profess: to make a claim; to state openly that one has

e.g.: She professed total ignorance of the matter.

3.
earth-shattering: earthshaking; of the greatest importance
to the whole world

e.g.: The president’s assassination was an event of earthshattering importance.

4.
feign: to pretend to have or be

e.g.: He feigned death to escape capture.

5.

e.g.: He spared her feelings by not criticizing her husband in
front of her.

No trouble was spared to make sure the guests enjoyed
themselves.

6. preoccupation: the state of constantly thinking or
worrying about sth.

e.g.: Such an excessive preoccupation with your health can’t
be normal.
spare one’s feelings: avoid hurting sb’s feelings










7.
prevarication: the state of avoiding giving a direct answer or
making a firm decision
e.g.: The report was full of lies and prevarications.
No prevarications! Just tell us exactly what happened.
8.
devote: to give completely to
e.g.: He has devoted his life to helping blind people.
Several pages of the paper were devoted to an account of the
election.
9.
ethics: moral rules or principles
e.g.: Whether a country should have nuclear weapons or not
should be a question of ethics, not of politics.
10. pundit: (sometimes humorous) an expect; an authority
e.g.: The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the
problem.









11.
white lie: harmless or trivial lie
12.
ubiquitous: present everywhere
e.g.: Is there no escape from the ubiquitous cigarette
smoke in bus?
13.
suppose: take sth as a fact
e.g.: Suppose that you have a million pounds – how
would you spend it?
I don’t suppose that you would gibe me a lift to the
station, would you?
You are supposed to return the book by Friday.
14.
blurt out: say sth. suddenly and tactlessly
e.g.: He blurted out the bad news before I could stop him.







15.
compliment: praise
e.g.: I must compliment you on the way you handled the meeting.
16.
the slippery slope: course of action that can easily lead to
disaster, failure, etc.
e.g.: Extreme nationalism can be the start of the slippery slope
towards fascism.
Once you’ve given in to temptation for the first time you are
on the slippery slope.
17. wear down: to lessen the strength or determination of
e.g.: We wore down their opposition after several hours’ argument.

18.
perception: quality of understanding; insight

e.g.: His analysis of the problem showed great perception.

19.

e.g.: Her views of man had been warped by several bad
experiences.

20.

e.g.: A non-proliferation treaty was called upon to stop the
spread of nuclear weapons.

21.

e.g.: She was very cynical about the peace conference and said
the president was only there to boost his popularity.
warp: to turn or twist out of shape
proliferation: rapid growth or increase
cynical: (sometimes derogative) like or typical of a cynic




22. falter: to lose strength or effectiveness; weaken
e.g.: The business faltered badly last year but it seems to be
recovering now.
23. paraphrase: “The most understandable and forgivable lies
are an exchange of what ethicists refer to as the principle of
trust for the principle of caring.” (para.16)
=> The rule of honesty is most acceptably violated so as to
establish the principle of showing love and care.










24.
set sb. up:
a. make sb. healthier, stronger, etc.
e.g.: A week in the country will set her up nicely after her
operation.
b. to cause to seem guilty
e.g.: The criminals claimed that they had been set up by the
police.
25.
associate:
a. n. partner, colleague, companion
e.g.: He is not a friend, but a business associate.
b. to combine or to connect
e.g.: I’ve never associated myself with political extremism.
QUESTIONS

1．What is the writer’s purpose of reporting two
survey results first? (para.6)

2．What does this sentence mean: “What a tangled
web we weave, when first we practice to deceive?”
(para.11)

3．What is the grave consequence of telling lies?
(para.15)

4. Question open for discussion: Do you think the
lies will be well received once they are exposed?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

This text is about the question of whether patients
should be told the truth about their illnesses.

Many physicians may slip into deceptive practices in the
belief that this may benefit them psychologically and
help them recover.

But new studies show that most patients want to know
the truth even in the case of grave illnesses.

The writer argues that lying makes it difficult for the
patients to make choices for their own health, and can
also cause doctors to lose their integrity and credibility.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.Ours is a profession which traditionally has been guided by a
precept that transcends the virtue of uttering the truth for
truth’s sake, and that is “as far as possible do no harm”. (para.4)

2.But the illusory nature of the benefits such deception is
meant to produce is now coming to be documented. (para.6)

3.The suspicion of deceit undercuts the work of many doctors
who are scrupulously honest with their patients. (para.9

4.Yet even in hospitals with the most eloquent bill of rights,
believers in benevolent deception continue their age-old
practices. (para.10)

5.Neither in medicine, nor in law, government, or the social
sciences can there be comfort in the old saying, “What you
don’t know can’t hurt you.”. (para.11)
Question for consideration

If you were a patient, would you like to know
the truth that you would have only a few
months to live? And if you were a doctor, how
would you break the news to your patient?
Unit 12
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to
grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

Ø

Ø
comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Ø
learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

Ø
have a good idea of the meaning and importance of walking
to health.
Text I Out of Steps
Topics for pre-reading discussion

How will you interpret the title Out of Steps before reading the
text?

It is said that the United States is a nation on the wheel. What is
your view on this? Do you think people will become over-reliant
on cars in the future?

When do you prefer to walk, and when to drive or take a bus/taxi?
Highlights

“Out of Steps” is taken from Bryson’s book I’m a Stranger Here
Myself published in 1999, which presents the absurdity of the
American’s dependence on cars.

In the text we may find the 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, pedestrian
facilities are much neglected in city planning or even ridiculously
rejected by the inhabitants.

The writer is appealing people to walk, instead drive, as much as
possible, which will be beneficial to health.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-6) This is the introductory part
of the whole text, beginning with an anecdote.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 7-12) in this part, the author employs two
typical examples to present the fact that the Americans are
accustomed to using cars for everything.
Part Three: (Para. 13-20): in the last part, the author
explains that pedestrian facilities are neglected or even
discarded.
LANGUAGE POINTS

1.
sedate: (of a person or his behavior) calm and dignified

e.g.: She does care but never talks much: she is a sedate old lady.

2.
venerable: deserving respect because of age, character,
associations, etc.

e.g.: a venerable scholar; the venerable walls of the cathedral

3.

a. consisting of private houses, without offices or factories: a quiet
residential street

b. for which one must live or stay in a place for a certain period

e.g.: You can’t vote in this country unless you’ve got residential
qualifications.
residential:

4.
debonair: (usu. of men) cheerful and self-assured

e.g.: He strolled about, looking very debonair in his elegant
new suit.

5.

e.g.: I should never have dreamt of saying such a thing.

6.

e.g.: If you go to the palace in tennis shoes, they will think
you’re rather eccentric.
not dream of: not do under any circumstances
eccentric: peculiar, not conventional
The club seemed to be full of eccentrics.








7.
habituate sb. to sth.: to allow (oneself) to get used to sth.
e.g.: Over centuries, these animals have become habituated to
living in such a dry environment.
8.
contortion: movement of the body or face into an unusual
shape or position
e.g.: The spectators cannot but admire the contortions of he
gymnasts.
9.
ludicrous: causing laughter, ridiculous, absurd
e.g.: Granddad looks absolutely ludicrous in mum’s old sunhat.
10. pop out: come out suddenly
e.g.: His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what he
had won.









11.
extravagant:
a. using of spending too much
e.g.: Don’t be so extravagant; spend your money more
carefully.
b. going beyond what is reasonable
e.g.: He makes the most extravagant claims for his new
system.
12.
treadmill: (fig.) tiring or monotonous routine work
e.g.: I can’t get off the office treadmill.
13.
in this/that/one regard: in this/that connection
e.g.: We have succeeded in one crucial regard: making this
scandal public.







14.
paraphrase: “I’m surprised it was that much.” (para.14)
15.
bring/drive sth. home to sb.: sth comes home to sb.; sth.
becomes clear to sb.
e.g.: At last it has been brought home to us that they have been
tricking us all the time.
16. dodge: to avoid (by moving suddenly aside)
e.g.: He always manages to dodge doing the housework.
17. exasperate: irritate or annoy greatly
e.g.: It’s exasperating to run for a train and then miss it by half a
minute.

18.
negotiate:

a. get over or past successfully

e.g.: The horse negotiated the fence with ease.

b. to talk with another person or group in order to try to settle
an argument or meet in agreement

e.g.: The government says it will never negotiate with the
terrorists.

19.

e.g.: Their furniture was more aesthetic than practical.

20.

e.g.: The scientists had to start the experiment anew.
aesthetic: pleasing to look at
anew: again, esp. in a different way
QUESTIONS

1．What do you think makes the author sad at the
end of the passage?

2．What is the tone of the author in the passage?

3．Question open for discussion: Do you think the
author’s attitude towards cars together with his
preference for walking at times is a bit eccentric?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

In this text, the writer is trying to argue that the skyline as a
whole evokes the universal feeling of exaltation and aspiration
out of the seemingly irrational, unplanned, and often
infuriating chaos.

There actually exists an unforeseen unity which is fluid and
ever-changing. Such a unity is achieved mainly by means of
two elements, namely the gridiron ground plan and the vertical
grid of steel cage construction.

So far as the first element is concerned, the artificial geometric
grid imposed upon the land without regard to contours has one
important quality of rational simplicity. The second element is,
in effect, only a three-dimensional variant of the gridiron street
plan.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.No building ever built in New York was placed where it was,
or shaped as it was, because it would contribute to the aesthetic
effect of the skyline lifting it here, giving it mass there, or
lending a needed emphasis. (para.3)

2.And it is this simple gridiron street pattern which, horizontally,
controls the spacing and arrangement of the rectangular shafts
which go to make up the skyline. (para.5)

3.Nut there is nothing inherent in cage construction which
would invite such judgments. (para.7)

4.His lesser contemporaries worked for years on the blind
assumption that the proportion and asymmetry of masonry
architecture must be preserved in the new technique. (para.8)

5.Many of us remember with affection that admirably simple
mechanism, forever susceptible to added gadgets or improved
parts, each of which was interchangeable with what you
already had. (para.9)
Question for consideration

Do you agree with the writer’s view on
modern construction?
=>(This question is open for discussion)
Unit 13
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

Ø
grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

Ø
comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Ø
learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

Ø
have a good understanding of the benefits of having friends.
Text I A Magic Circle of Friends



Ø
Topics for pre-reading discussion
What is your understanding of “friends”?
Ø
Do all your friends mean the same to you? Can
you describe the relationship between you and your
friends?
Highlights

It is believed that friends are indispensable in our life, for friends
can always offer us the kind of help which we need badly when
we are experiencing great difficulty.

The author of this text provides us with an example from her own
experience when she returned to school as an elderly student: the
cheering her friends offered her; the joy they found in each
other’s company; the enjoyment and happiness they felt when
they agreed or disagreed on a certain issue.

Finally they made it: they graduated and made a big difference.

The article is meticulously calculated and finely constructed to
show us what the magic circle of friends has done for them.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1) This is the opening remarks in which the
author reveals to us her opinion of herself. She thinks herself as a
unique item, i.e., quite different from others.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-14) this is the body of this article in which
the author elaborates on the kinds of friends she has, the effect of
their friendship on her life, her attitude toward people, and her
world-view.
Part Three: (Para. 15): in the closing remarks the author reiterates
the effects of having friends, that is, you become really different
from other people even when you are old.
LANGUAGE POINTS

1.
start from scratch: at the beginning, not using anything
already done

e.g.: It’s completely ruined, so we’ll have to start from scratch.

2.

e.g.: They caught him peeking through the keyhole at what was
going on in the room.

3.

e.g.: She used to be so quiet, but now she’s coming out of her
shell and chatting to everybody.

peek: to take a quick look at sth. esp. when one should not
out of one’s shell: becoming less shy, reserved, etc.
4. paraphrase: “We share a fear that sits in the back of the mind
like a spider ready to pounce” (para.2)

5.
pounce: jump suddenly in order to take hold of sth. firmly

e.g.: Policemen were hiding in the bank, ready to pounce on the
thieves.

6.
paraphrase: “We reach over the phone lines for that word of
comfort, the encouragement we need to go on when our own store
of will power has become depleted.” (para.3)

7.

e.g.: This expense has depleted our funds.

8.
paraphrase: “For years, in a locked-up corner of our minds,
we had held the unspoken fear that we might actually be braindead.”
deplete: reduce greatly







9.
exhilarating: exciting
e.g.: Our first parachute jump was an exhilarating
experience.
10. paraphrase: “We delved in this newly found
camaraderie with an intensity we did not know we could
achieve outside of love and pregnancies.” (para.7)
11. delve: to search deeply
e.g.: He delved into the family archives looking for the
facts.
12. brash: confident in an annoying way
e.g.: His brash answer annoyed the interviewers.






13.
end up: to finally be in a particular place or situation
e.g.: She’ll end up penniless if she goes on spending like that.
14.
pick up the slack: to do the work which sb. else has
stopped doing but which still needs to be done.
e.g.: If Sue gets a job, Mick will have to pick up the slack at
home.
15.
bonus: a pleasing additional thing
e.g.: The warm weather in winter has been a real bonus to the
tourists.







16.
shot (at): an attempt to do or achieve sth. that you have
never done before
e.g.: I’ve never tried bowling before, but I thought I’d give it a shot.
17.
paraphrase: “time has also brought us a sense of flexibility
and an appreciation for the serendipitous properties of practically
any action.” (para.11)
18. turn out: to be known or discovered finally and surprisingly
e.g.: It turned out that she had known him when they were
children.
19.
envision: envisage, foresee
e.g.: Nobody can envision the consequences of total nuclear war.

20. late bloomer: sb. who becomes good at sth. after
people usu. become good at it

e.g.: At school she was a late bloomer, and it wasn’t
until she went to university that her talents became
apparent.

21. paraphrase: “We are sought by schools, thanks to
the sheer numbers we represent…” (para.12)

22. sheer: nothing but

e.g.: The sheer size of the country (= the simple fact
that it is so big) causes tremendous communication
problems.











23. not to mention: in addition, esp. sth. for emphasis
e.g.: He has a big house and an expensive car, not to mention a villa
in France.
24. bolster: to support, strengthen, or increase
e.g.: These price cuts are sure to bolster demand for their products.
25. trepidation: a state of anxiety about sth. bad that might happen
e.g.: I waited for the results in a state of some trepidation.
26. souvenir: an object kept as a reminder of sth.
e.g.: He bought a little model of the Eiffel Tower as a souvenir of his
holiday in Paris.
27. cajole: persuade sb. by flattery or deceit; coax sb.
e.g.: She’s always cajoling people into doing things for her.
28. make a difference (to): have an effect (on)
QUESTIONS

1．Why does the writer say her friends were
her best fans? (para.4)

2．What does the author mean by saying “The
process is in itself an achievement”? (para.11)

3．Question open for discussion: What kinds
of people will you choose as your friends?
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

In this text, the writer presents us a detailed elaboration
focused on “peer pressure”, i.e. the influence from your friends
or acquaintances who are about the same age as you.

After defining “peer pressure”, the author goes on to discuss
the reason why people give in to “peer pressure”, and then he
gives us some acceptable and practical suggestions to get away
from “peer pressure”.

Finally the author emphasizes that “peer pressure” is not
always a bad thing: it can be quite positive and helpful in
shaping people’s behaviors.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.It’s only human nature to listen to and learn
from other people in your age group. (para.4)

2.The idea that “everyone’s doing it” may
influence some kids to leave their better judgment,
or their common sense, behind. (para.7)

3.all it takes for someone to stand her ground on what
she knows is right is for one other peer to join her.
That principle holds ture for people of any age in peer
pressure situation. (para.8)

4.Sometimes it takes adult guidance to help with such
a big plan, but the power of the peer group for
positive change is a major force. (para.16)
Question for consideration

How can your friends influence you? What is
your idea about “peer pressure”?
=>(This question is open for discussion)
Unit 14
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

Ø
grasp the author’s purpose of writing and make clear the
structure of the whole passage.

Ø
comprehend and paraphrase the useful or important
expressions/sentences.

Ø
learn the new words and structures, and use them freely in
conversation and writing.

Ø
have a good understanding of the true relationship between
parents and children.
Text I Father Forgets



Topics for pre-reading discussion
Ø
What kind of father do you have? And what
relationship between your father and you?
Ø
How do you think parents should treat their
children?
Highlights

In this text, the writer, narrating in the chronological order, tries to
elucidate that love is the essence between parents and children.

He in the story has come to his son’s bedside making confession.
He is feeling remorse for his rudeness toward his son.

As he has been measuring his child by the yardstick of his own
years, he has always been unhappy with his son and formed a
habit of complaining, of finding fault, of reprimanding.

But his son never fails to show sincere love for him, which has
made him feel much guilty.

Now he realizes that the full joy of parenthood lies in mutual
respect and love between them and their child.
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1) this is the introductory part of
the whole text: an affectionate father filled with
remorse comes to his son who is in sound sleep and is
ready to make a confession.
Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-8) in this part, the father
recalls his harsh and inappropriate behavior towards
his son.
Part Three: (Para. 9-15): in the last part, the father,
with his deep regrets and self-examination, made a
confession of his own selfishness and also a
resolution to be a real daddy.
LANGUAGE POINTS

1.

e.g.: He crumpled the paper (up) into a ball.

(fig.: collapse) Her resistance to the proposal has crumpled.

crumple: to become full of irregular folds
Compare “crumble”: be broken or rubbed into very small
pieces, and (fig.) gradually deteriorate or come to an end
e.g.: The great empire began to crumble.


2.
stifling: causing a feeling of repression, uneasy

e.g.: It is stifling in the classroom with all its restrictive rules.

3.
remorse: a strong feeling of guilt and regret

e.g.: He was filled with remorse for having refused to visit
his dying father.

4.

e.g.: I was cross with him for being so late.

5.

e.g.: He has been taken to task for his habitual lack of
punctuality.

6.

e.g.: I have no fault to find with your work.
cross (with sb.) (about sth.)
take sb. to task for/about/over sth.: criticize
find fault with sb./sth.: look for and discover mistake








7.
gulp: swallow greedily or rapidly
8.
make for sb./sth.
a. move in the direction of
e.g.: It’s getting late; we’d better turn and make for
home.
b. help to make sth. possible
e.g.: Constant arguing doesn’t make for a happy
marriage.
9.
humiliate: to cause to feel ashamed or to lose one’s
face
e.g.: It was so humiliating to be corrected by the teacher
in front of so many schoolmates.








10.
snap: speak or say in a sharp (usu. angry) voice
e.g.: He never speaks calmly – just snaps all the time.
11.
tempestuous: stormy; very strong and passionate
e.g.: For decades, the Hollywood couple’s tempestuous
relationship made the headline.
12.
wither: to become or cause to become reduced
e.g.: Their hopes gradually withered away.
13.
reprimand ab. For sth.: to express strong official
disapproval of
e.g.: The military court ordered him to be reprimanded for
failing to do his duty.









14.
paraphrase: “I was measuring you by the yardstick of my
own years.” (para.9)
15.
yardstick: standard
e.g.: Is profit the only yardstick of success?
16.
spontaneous: happening as a result of natural feelings or
causes
e.g.: Her successful jump brought a spontaneous cheer from the
crowd.
17. atone: to make repayment
e.g.: He tried to atone for his rudeness by sending her some
flowers.
18. resolve: resolution; a firm decision
e.g.: He made a resolve to give up smoking and drinking.

19.
chum up (with sb.): become friendly to sb.

e.g.: She’s chummed up with the boy in the next room.

20. paraphrase: “I will bite my tongue when
impatient words come.” (para.12)

21.

e.g.: You must be weary after so long a trip by train.

22.

e.g.: He built a chapel as a shrine to the memory of
his dead wife.
weary: very tired
shrine: holly place
QUESTIONS

1．What is the tone of the father throughout
the passage?

2．What made the father so repent?

3．Why is the father so cross with his son?

4．Question open for discussion: compare
Chinese parents with western parents in their
child-rearing styles.
MAIN IDEAS 0F TEXT II

As a letter from father to son, this text gives us many helpful
suggestions for our initiation in the great society of the world:

1.
One should possess the art of pleasing: do as you would
be done by, i.e., observe carefully what pleases you in others,
and probably the same thing in you will please others;

2.
Banish the egotism out of your conversation: never think
of entertaining people with your own personal concerns or
private affairs;

3.
Remember there is a local property to be observed in all
companies: what is extremely proper in one company may be,
and often is, highly improper in another;

4.
Try to discover every man and woman’s prevailing
vanity by observing his or her favorite topic of conversation;

5.
Little attentions are very pleasant. So observe the little
habits, the likings, the antipathies and the tastes of those whom
you would win favor from.
Paraphrase the following sentences from the text II

1.It can hardly be reduced to rules; and your own
good sense and observation will teach you more of it
than I can. (para.1)

2.Remember that there is a local property to be
observed in all companies. (para.3)

3.You will easily discover every man’s prevailing
vanity by observing his favorite topic of conversation.
(para.5)

4.It was his favorite and frequent subject of conversation,
which proved to those who had any penetration that it was his
prevailing weakness, and they applied to it with success.
(para.5)

5.Women have, in general, but one object. Which is their
beauty; upon which scarce any flattery is too gross for them to
swallow. (para.6)

6.But there is no living in the world without a complaisant
indulgence for people’s weaknesses, and innocent, though
ridiculous vanities. (para.7)

7.Such attention to such trifles flatters self-love much more
than greater things, as it makes people think themselves almost
the only objects of your thoughts and care. (para.8)
Question for consideration

What is your personal understanding of all
these “necessary arcanums”?
＝> (for open discussion)
Unit 15
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 Roots of
Happiness: An Empirical Analysis

comprehend Text 1 thoroughly and be able to
paraphrase them some sentences.
Text 1. The Roots of Happiness: An
Empirical Analysis
What is happiness? List some popular
sayings on the definition of happiness.

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life,
the whole aim and end of human existence.
-- By Aristotle

True happiness is not attained through selfgratification, but through fidelity to a worthy
purpose.
--By Helen Keller

Hope is itself a species of happiness, and,
perhaps, the chief happiness which this world
affords.
--By Samuel Johnson

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a
single candle, And the life of the candle will not
be shortened. Happiness never decreases by
being shared.
--This happy thought by Buddha


what do you think are the ingredients of
happiness? Make a list of the determinants of
happiness.
Such as : Health; Culture; Love and
Marriage; Work; Personality
ANALYSIS
The passage can be divided into three parts. Part
One: (Paragraphs 1)
The first paragraph serves as an introduction. The
following questions could be asked:
1) Why does the author say that the question of the
roots of happiness has been much of speculation?
 2) How many questions are raised in the first
paragraph?
 3) Why does the author ask so many questions in the
first paragraph?

Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-18)
In this part the author discusses the determinants
of happiness. This part can be further divided
into three subdivisions.

Para. 2-9: displaying the findings of those
unimportant factors.

Para. 10-14: discussing those factors that are of
moderate importance to happiness

Para. 15-18: dealing with the factors that are very
important .
Here are some questions for the students to
consider:

1) What is IQ?

2) what is the middle class?

3) Why does health have moderate impact on
happiness?

4) Name the factors that are not important to
happiness, somewhat important to happiness and that
are very important to happiness. Compare the number
in each list. What sights have you gained from the
difference?
Part Three: (Para. 19-22):
In this part, the author draws conclusions from
his research. Here are some questions for the
students to consider.

1) Are most of the determinants of happiness
subjective or objective?

2) How does the author explain the fact that age,
health, job are not very important to one’s subjective
well-being?

3) why, according to the author, affluent people may
still not be happy?
LANGUAGE WORK

much of speculation
mostly a conjecture without firm evidence
speculation: the act of guessing without knowing all
the facts about something, or the guesses that you make
E.g.Their speculations are still far from the truth.

hypothesis
an idea that is suggested as a possible way of explaining a
situation, proving an idea etc., which has not yet been
shown to be true
The hypothesis will be tested.

abound

to exist in very large numbers or quantities
E.g. These essays abound in wit.

highlight

To make a problem or subject easy to notice so that
people pay attention to it
E.g. The rime minister’s speech highlighted the
importance of military defense.



determinant :
 something that strongly influences what you do or how
you behave
E.g. The windows and the views beyond them are major
determinants of a room’s character.
influential
Having a lot of influence and therefore changing the
way people think and behave.
E.g. He has been influential in shaping economic policy.
voracious consumption
the state of using in large amounts
E.g. He has a voracious appetite.

Come out short




To end up lacking in money
affluent:
having plenty of money
E.g. they have a relatively affluent way of life.
shift some :
to change by a small degree
Hassle:
Something that is annoying, because it causes problems or
is difficult to do .
E.g. It was worth all the hassle to have the room redecorated.

balance… out: to become equal
negligible
too slight or unimportant to have any effect
 stereotype
a fixed idea or image of what a particular type of
person or thing is like
E.g. She believes that she is not a good mother
because she does not fit the stereotype of a woman
who spends all her time with the children.

Spectrum:
a complete range of opinion, ideas, situations etc. ,
going from one extreme to its opposite
E.g. The proposal has been supported by people on
all sides of the political spectrum.
 religiosity’ :the state of being excessively religious



foster: to help an idea to develop over a period of
time
place a priority on : to deal with… first and give
it preferential treatment



Disparity:
 a difference between two or more things, especially
an unfair one.
quadriplegic:
 a person who is permanently unable to move any
part of their body below their neck.
extraversion:
The state of being outgoing and socially confident
Text II
Of Happiness
Back ground information
About the author Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
Aristotle was born in 384 BC. at Stagirus, a Greek
colony and seaport. While he was still a boy his father died.
At age 17 his guardian, Proxenus, sent him to Athens, the
intellectual center of the world, to complete his education.
He joined the Academy and studied under Plato, attending
his lectures for a period of twenty years. In the later years of
his association with Plato and the Academy he began to
lecture on his own account, especially on the subject of
rhetoric.
At the death of Plato in 347, the pre-eminent ability of
Aristotle would seem to have designated him to succeed to
the leadership of the Academy. But his divergence from
Plato's teaching was too great to make this possible.
The works of Aristotle fall under three headings:
(1)dialogues and other works of a popular character;
(2) collections of facts and material from scientific treatment
(3) systematic works.
Aristotle's systematic treatises may be grouped in several
division: Logic , Physical works , Psychological works ,
Works on natural history , Philosophical works
MAIN IDEA 0F TEXT II
Of Happiness

Human efforts, the gift of God and chance are
three major possibilities of how happiness is
acquired . Happiness is a kind of energy of
soul according to virtue. That is why beast
devoid of soul and virtue can not be happy.
Therefore, Virtuous energies are the essential
constituents of happiness and the contrary
energy are the negation of happiness.
Unit 16
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you 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 “Take Over, Bos’n!”

comprehend Text 1 thoroughly
Topics for discussion

1.Can you imagine the feeling of the survivors of a
shipwreck who are drifting on the sea waiting to be
rescued? What menace do you think they have to
face?

2.What do you think is the relationship between
crewmen on a ship? Is there any difference
between their relationship and that of “land”
people?
An integrated Analysis of Text 1
“Take Over, Bos’n!”
Structural analysis of the text and language points
The passage can be divided into three parts.
Part One: (Paragraphs 1-2) This is the introductory part of
the story. The following questions can be asked:

1).How does the author begin the story?

2).Do you suppose Snyder pointed the gun at the other
nine men?
Part Two: (Paragraphs 3-23) In this part, the author
narrates and describes in detail the desperate situation
they were in and the responsibility Snyder shouldered.
The following questions can be asked:

1).What was the cause of the confrontation?

2).What kind of man was Jeff Barrett?

3).Why did Snyder insist that they wait till night for the
last few drops of water?

4).What did Snyder imagine would happen when he was
asleep?

Part Three: (Paragraphs 24-28) This is the end of
the story. The following questions can be asked:

1).What happened while Snyder was asleep?

2).What made Barrett give up his chance of
drinking the water?
Language points

Stern
n. the rear end of a ship or boat
go and stand in/at the stern of the boat
a. a. hard, grim, or severe n manner or character
Sterner measures must be taken to combat drug
trafficking.

Guts

1) the internal organs of the abdomen
Oh, I have a terrible pain in the guts. It feels like food
poisoning.

2) courage or determination
Michael was well-known at college, for he had the
guts to challenge any professor.

Pounce
to spring or fly down suddenly in order to seize
something
The falcon pounced on /upon the rabbit.
Canteen
 1)a small, usually leather container in which water or
other drink is carried
There is little water left in the canteen.
 2)a place serving food and drink in a factory, an office, a
school, etc.
Students prefer to eat in the school canteen because there
is a wide variety of foods on the menu, which changes
every day.
 Ration
to limit the amount of something that each person is allowed
to have
The government had to ration the food during the war.

Compare: gaze, stare, gape, glare, peer, ogle
These verbs all mean to look long and intently.

Gaze refers to prolonged looking that is often indicative
of wonder, fascination, awe, or admiration:
To gaze at the moon; to gaze into his eyes

To stare is to gaze fixedly; the word can indicate
curiosity, boldness, insolence, or stupidity;
The old couple stared at them in disbelief

Gape suggests a prolonged open-mouthed look
reflecting amazement, awe, or lack of intelligence:
Tourists are gaping at the sights.

To glare is to fix another with a hard, piercing stare;
She glared furiously at him when he contradicted her.

To peer is to look narrowly, searchingly, and seemingly
with difficulty;
He peered through his spectacles at the contract.

To ogle is to stare in an amorous, usually impertinent
manner;
She resented the way that the construction workers on
their lunch hour ogled passing women.
Rhetorical Features of the Text

1).“A constant threat” (Paragraph 9), which
serves as a sort of appositive.

2). “The rest watched me as Barrett did, ready
to spring the instant I relaxed” (Paragraph 7).
The underlined part of the sentence is
employed to indicate the state in which they
were.

3). “The bos’n’s mate was a heavy man, bald,
with a scarred and brutal face” (Paragraph 9).
The underlined part is a prepositional phrase
which further describes the man (the subject of
the sentence).
Text II
War
Back ground information
About the author :
George Santayana (1863?-1952) lived eight years in Spain,
forty years in Boston, and forty years in Europe.
Philosopher, poet, literary and cultural critic, George
Santayana is a principal figure in Classical American
Philosophy. His naturalism and emphasis on creative
imagination were harbingers of important intellectual turns
on both sides of the Atlantic.
He was a naturalist before naturalism grew
popular; he appreciated multiple perfections before
multiculturalism became an issue; he thought of
philosophy as literature before it became a theme in
American and European scholarly circles; and he
managed to naturalize Platonism, update Aristotle,
fight off idealisms, and provide a striking and
sensitive account of the spiritual life without being a
religious believer.
Questions for discussion

1. Why is it that to fight is a radical instinct?

2. What is the original sin from which flows
every other wrong?