An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Directions: Watch the video and fill in the blanks.
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home
We used to go out
walking hand in _____
hand
You told me all the big
things you had planned
It wasn’t long
____
till all your dreams came true
_______ put me in second place with you
Success
You have no time
to love me anymore
Since _____
fame and fortune
knocked up on our door
And I spend all
alone
my evenings all _____
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Success has made a failure
_____ of our home
If we could share
____
an evening now and then
I’m sure we’d find true
happiness
_________ again
You never hold me
like you used to do
Oh, it’s funny what success
has done
____ to you
You have no time to
love me anymore
Since fame and fortune
knocked
_______ up on our door
And I spend all my
evenings all alone
Success has made a failure of our home
Success has made a failure of our home
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
1. Who is the most successful person in the world in your
opinion? Could you tell us something about him or her?
2. What qualities do you think successful people possess?
3. What do you think fame can bring to people?
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Directions: The following are the synonyms related to Fame and
Success. Match the word in Column A with its
definition in Column B.
Failure of Our Home
Column A
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Column B
a. the condition of being well-known to
1. achievement ( 4 )
many people, esp. for a particular
2. celebrity
reason
( 6 ) b. fame, esp. for being better than most
3. pass
others at a particular thing
4. fame
( 5 ) c. success in life or business
5. prosperity
( 1 ) d. the successful finishing or gaining sth
( 7 ) e. satisfaction after successful effort
6. distinction
( 3 ) f. a success in a examination
7. fulfillment
( 2 ) g. the state of being famous
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Directions: Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with the
missing words or expressions.
Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of
_____________ in knowing you did your best to become the
self-satisfaction
best you are capable of becoming. This is _________
one secret that
each one of us wants to and needs to know. Success has
different value to each one of us. A child finds success in
____________
acquiring the toys of his choice, a student succeeds if he
________
passes an exam, an employee if he gets
promoted and a
____________
mother if she finds her child happy. People are happy once
they ___________
taste success. Positive attitude and happiness go _____
hand
in
hand . People are famous among friends and family if
______
attitude and happiness. Hence success
they have the right
___________
and fame __________
comes from knowing the true priorities in life and
striving
hard for it with a positive attitude.
__________
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Ludwig Van Beethoven: one of the best known and most
admired German composers. He continued writing music after
he lost the ability to hear at the age of 30. His famous works
include The Fifth Symphony (《第五交响乐》) and The Emperor
Concerto (《皇帝协奏曲》).
Ludwig Van Beethoven
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
A. Biographical Background
1. Born in 1770
2. His earliest music teacher was his father, a singer in the
chapel at Bonn.
3. His father wanted to turn Ludwig into another Mozart.
4. When he was seventeen he played for Mozart, who
prophesied a great future for him.
5. He studied with Haydn from 1792 to 1794 and briefly
with other composers and teachers.
6. He began to lose his hearing around 1796, and by 1820
could hardly hear at all.
7. Died in 1827.
B. Output
1. Orchestral music
2. Chamber music
3. Piano music
4. Vocal music
An English Song —
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison: (1847–1931):an American inventor. He
profoundly influenced modern life through his inventions such
as the light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture
camera. During his lifetime, he acquired 1,093 patents, and
marketed many of his inventions to the public.
An English Song —
Directions: Watch the video and take notes, then retell the story
with the words you’ve written.
Success Has Made a
Failure of Our Home
Warm-up Questions
Word Detect
Dictation
Background Information
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Thomas Edison
inventor, industrial leader, 1,100 patents, phonograph, motion
picture camera, projector, first research laboratory, thousands of
inventions
Parts
Paras.
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
1
1~2
Questions and Answers
True or False
Blank Filling
2
3
4
3~4
Main Ideas
Fame enslaves the person who pursues it
because when he/she becomes famous,
he/she will not only attract the public’s attention,
but also has to work and live in line with the
public’s expectations. He/she then becomes
the slave of his/her own success.
For those who look for fame, failure is not
necessarily a bad thing, especially for those
who fail to perform well enough, because
people tend to be more tolerant towards and
sympathetic with them.
5
Though fame brings disadvantages to those
who achieve it, people still seek fame for
various reasons.
6
It is better to take a critical attitude towards
fame.
1. What ironic phenomenon does the author point out in
Paragraph 1?
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
Questions and Answers
True or False
Blank Filling
It is ironic that fame and the publicity that goes with it will
put an end to the talent that gave rise to the fame in the
first place.
2. Which do you think is more important for an artist, to
perform in the same style year after year to meet public
demand, or to create a new artistic style?
I think it is a difficult choice for the artist to make. On the
one hand, if the artist performs the same thing year after
year in order to meet public demand, he or she will
gradually lose artistic creativity. On the other hand, if the
artist changes artistic style, he or she will risk losing
popularity. Personally, I think being creative should be the
primary concern for an artist to further develop his or her
performing career.
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
Questions and Answers
True or False
Blank Filling
1. It is easy for a performer to believe that they are as
perfect as what the media describe. ( T )
2. People usually have lower expectations of performers. ( F )
3. When people fail, they can always find excuses and
explanations for their inability to succeed. ( F )
4. Thomas Wolfe was an American novelist, whose first
novel was rejected 39 times. ( T )
5. It is quite common that people who failed many times
may find ways to be successful and famous. ( T )
Part Division of the Text
Further Understanding
Questions and Answers
True or False
Blank Filling
1. When you are famous, it is very obvious that you are
the target of everyone .
__________________
turns all the lights on and it takes the you _________
out of you .
2. Fame _________________
You can’t be _________________
what you want to be .
3. The reasons of wanting fame are:
1) to ___________
demonstrate excellence in some fields;
gain the admiration and love of many others;
2) to ____
be the one everyone talks about;
3) to ___
show family and friends you are more than they thought
4) to _____
you were.
Detailed Reading
We may all desire to be famous and yearn for the publicity,
wealth and power that accompany fame. Few of us, however,
realize that fame also has its negative side and, sometimes, it
may even destroy one’s life. Read the following text and you
will get to know more about the adverse impact fame can
have on one’s life.
Fame
Melvin Howards
Detailed Reading
Fame is very much like an animal chasing its own tail who,
when he captures it, does not know what else to do but to
continue chasing it. Fame and the publicity that accompanies
it, force the famous person to participate in his or her own
destruction. Ironic, isn’t it?
Those who gain fame most often gain it as a result of
possessing a single talent or skill: singing, dancing, painting, or
writing, etc. The successful performer develops a style that
gains some popularity, and it is this popularity that usually
convinces the performer to continue performing in the same
style, since that is what the public seems to want and to enjoy.
Detailed Reading
But in time, the performer
becomes bored singing the same
songs in the same way year after year,
or the painter becomes bored painting
similar scenes or portraits, or the actor
is tired of playing the same character
repeatedly. The artist becomes the
slave of his or her own success
because of the public demands. If the
artist attempts to change his or her style of writing or dancing or
singing, etc., the audience may turn away and look to give the
momentary fame to another and then, in time, to another, and
so on and so on.
Fame brings celebrity and high regard from loyal fans in
each field. A performer can easily come to believe that he or she
is
as good as his or her press. But most people, most artists
do not gain fame and fortune. What about those performers who
fail, or anyone who fails?
Detailed Reading
Curiously enough, failure often serves as its own reward for
many people. It brings sympathy from others who are
delighted not to be you, and it allows family and friends to
lower their expectations of you so that you need not compete
with those who have more talent and who succeed. And they
find excuses and explanations for your inability to succeed and
become famous: you are too sensitive, you are not interested
in money, you are not interested in
the power that fame brings and you
are not interested in the loss of
privacy it demands, etc.
— all
excuses, but comforting to those
who fail and those who pretend not
to notice the failure.
Detailed Reading
History has sufficiently proven that some failure for
some people at certain times in their lives does indeed
motivate them to strive even harder to succeed and to
continue believing in themselves.
Thomas Wolfe, the
American novelist, had his first novel Look Homeward,
Angel rejected 39 times before it was finally published and
launched his career and created his fame. Beethoven
overcame his cruel and harsh father and grudging
acceptance as a musician to become the greatest, most
famous musician in the world, and Thomas Edison was
thrown out of school in fourth grade, at about age 10,
because he seemed to the teacher to be quite dull and illbehaved. Many other cases may be found of people who
failed and used the failure to motivate them to achieve,
tosucceed, and to become famous. But, unfortunately, for
most people failure is the end of their struggle, not the
beginning.
There are few, if any, famous failures.
Detailed Reading
Well then, why does anyone want
fame? Do you? Do you want to be
known to many people and admired
by them? Do you want the money that
usually comes with fame? Do you
want the media to notice everything
you do or say both in public and in
private? In some areas it is very
obvious that to be famous is to be the
target of everyone who disagrees with you as well as of the
media.
Fame turns all the lights on and while it gives power and
reputation, it takes the you out of you: you must be what the
public thinks you are, not what you really are or could be.
Detailed Reading
But why does anyone want fame? Several reasons come to
mind: to demonstrate excellence in some field; to gain the
admiration and love of many others; to be the one everyone
talks about; to show family and friends you are more than they
thought you were. Probably you can list some other reasons,
but I think these are reasonably common.
I say to those who desperately
seek fame and fortune, celebrity: good
luck. But what will you do when you
have caught your tail, your success,
your fame? Keep chasing it? If you do
catch it, hang on for dear life. See you
soon famous and almost famous!
Detailed Reading
Fame and the publicity that accompanies it, force the famous
person to participate in his or her own destruction.
1. Paraphrase this sentence.
When a person becomes famous, he or she will not only
attract the public attention, but also work and live in line
with the public expectations. This may put an end to his or
her talent.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
声誉以及随之而来的名气迫使名人陷入穷途末路。
Detailed Reading
The artist becomes the slave of his or her own success because
of the public demands.
1. Paraphrase this sentence.
In order to meet the needs of the public, the artist is no
longer the master of himself or herself.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
由于公众的要求，艺人竟变成了自己功名的奴隶。
Detailed Reading
… as good as his or her press.
1. What does “as good as his or her press” mean?
…as good as what the newspapers say about him or her.
2. Translate this part into Chinese.
自己的成就当真和新闻报道的一样大。
Detailed Reading
— all excuses, but comforting to those who fail and those who
pretend not to notice the failure.
1. Write the completed sentence.
－ All these are excuses, but they are comforting to …
2. Translate the sentence into Chinese.
所有这些都是借口，但对失败者或假装不关心自己失败的人来说，
却是安慰。
Detailed Reading
Thomas Wolfe, the American novelist, had his first novel Look
Homeward, Angel rejected 39 times before it was finally
published and launched his career and created his fame.
1. What do you know about the novel Look Homeward, Angel?
Look Homeward, Angel written by Thomas Wolfe was his
first novel, about a young man’s burning desire to leave his
small town and tumultuous(喧嚣的) family in search of a
better life, in 1929. It is “a book made out of my life” , and
his largely autobiographical story about the quest for a
greater intellectual life has resonated with and influenced
generations of readers, including some of today’s most
important novelists. Rich with lyrical prose and vivid
characterizations, this 20th-century American classic will
capture the hearts and imaginations of every reader.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
美国小说家托马斯•沃尔夫的第一部小说《安琪儿，往家里看吧！》被
退稿39次才得以出版，才开启了他的写作生涯并赢得了声誉。
Detailed Reading
There are few, if any, famous failures.
1. Why does the author say “there are few, if any, famous
failures”?
There are few famous failures because for most people
failure is the end of their struggle, not the beginning. They
stopped working hard and gave up halfway.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
成名的失败事例即使有，也不多见。
Detailed Reading
Fame turns all the lights on and while it gives power and
reputation, it takes the you out of you: you must be what the
public thinks you are, not what you really are or could be.
1. Paraphrase this sentence.
While it gives you glamour, fame exposes everything of you
to the public. You have to meet the public expectations and
fit in the public image. You can’t be what you want to be.
2. Translate this sentence into Chinese.
声誉把你置于所有的灯光下，一边给你权利和威望，一边把你变得
不像你：你必须成为大众心目中的你，而不能是那个真实的你或你
可能成为的那个人。
Detailed Reading
publicity: n.
public notice or attention
We have planned an exciting publicity campaign with our
advertisers.
她的新剧作获得广泛宣传。
Her new play has attracted a lot of publicity.
Collocations:
gain/get/receive publicity
seek publicity
avoid publicity
extensive/wide publicity
取得名气；引人注目
追求名气
避免引人注目
广为宣传
Detailed Reading
accompany: vt.
go with someone or to be provided or exist at the same time as
something
Warships will accompany the convoy.
He was accompanied on the expedition by his wife.
Detailed Reading
adverse: a.
having a negative or harmful effect on something
So far the drug is thought not to have any adverse effects.
他的健康因气候影响而严重受损。
His health was adversely affected by the climate.
CF: adverse, opposite & contrary
这些形容词均含“相反的，对立的”意思。
adverse 通常指违害利益的、不友好的等，侧重分歧。
opposite 指位置、方向、行动或想法等完全相反。
contrary 一般指与某种主张、看法或行为等正好相反，隐含否定一方并
不意味着肯定另一方的意味。
Detailed Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the
form where necessary.
1. Contrary
_______ to popular opinion, I don’t dye my hair!
2. They received a lot of _______
adverse publicity/criticism about the
changes.
3. His political position is opposite
_______ to ours.
4. She’s turned out to be the exact opposite
_______ of what everyone
expected.
adverse weather
5. The match has been cancelled due to _______
conditions.
6. My father is a very calm person, but my mother is just the
opposite
_______.
7. Contrary
_______ to all our expectations, he’s found a well-paid job
and a nice girlfriend.
Detailed Reading
chase: v.
follow rapidly in order to catch
The police car was going so fast, it must have been chasing
someone.
She was chasing (after) a man who had snatched her bag.
他追赶窃贼却未捉住。
He chased (after) the burglar but couldn’t catch him.
Patterns:
chase after fame
chase…out of
追求名望
把……赶出
Detailed Reading
ironic: a.
using or expressing irony; full of irony
It is ironic that although many items are now cheaper
to make, fewer people can afford to buy them.
发生这样的事情颇有讽刺意味。
This is a very ironic(al) thing to happen.
NB:
ironic 是irony 的形容词形式，也可写为 ironical，其副词形式为
ironically, 意为“说反话地, 讽刺地”。
Detailed Reading
style: n.
a way of doing something, especially one which is typical of a
person, group of people, place or period
His office is very special in style, with no decoration.
典型的英国生活方式
a typically British style of living
Patterns:
the latest style
in style
lack style
最新款式
华丽地，时髦地
缺乏风度
Detailed Reading
portrait: n.
a painting, photograph, drawing, etc. of a person or, less
commonly, of a group of people
She’s commissioned an artist to paint her portrait/paint
a portrait of her.
She had her portrait painted.
Collocations:
make/paint a portrait
pose/sit for one’s portrait
a family portrait
a full-length portrait
画肖像
摆好姿势让人画像
全家画像
全身像
Detailed Reading
turn away:
refuse to give one’s sympathy, help, or support to
The civil administration promises that they would not turn
away anyone who comes to the relief centre for help.
你怎么能对一个受虐待的孩子不闻不问呢？
How can you turn away from the child that is being cruelly
treated?
Detailed Reading
momentary: a.
lasting for a very short time
There was a momentary pause.
瞬间的迟疑
a momentary hesitation
Detailed Reading
fortune: n.
1) a large amount of money, goods, property, etc.
She inherited a fortune from her grandmother.
She pursued her fortune in another country.
2) chance and the way it affects your life
The family’s fortunes changed overnight.
我们相信命运之神是会眷顾我们的。
We believe that Fortune is on our side.
CF: fortune, fate & luck
Detailed Reading
这些名词均有“命运”或“运气”之意。
fortune 普通用词，指由机会或运气来决定的一种命运，如暗示一种比
fate好的运气或一种愉快的未来。
fate 较庄严用词，多指不幸的命运，暗示不可避免、令人畏惧和人的意
志无法改变，宿命论色彩较浓。
luck 普通日常用词，指好的或坏的运气，多指好运气，有时也指成功或
愉快的结局。
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above.
He seems to have had a lot of bad ____
luck in his life.
We want to decide our own fate
___.
Her _______
fortunes varied but she never lost courage.
It was just ____
luck that I asked for a job at the right time.
He had the (good) ______
fortune to train with some of the world’s
top athletes.
fate is now in the hands of the jury.
6. His ____
luck has fallen to him.
7. A stroke of ____
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Detailed Reading
sympathy: n.
(an expression of) understanding and care for someone else’s
suffering
The president has sent a message of sympathy to the
relatives of the dead soldiers.
他怀着恻隐之心, 留那些无家可归的孩子过夜。
Out of sympathy for the homeless children, he gave them
shelter for the night.
Detailed Reading
expectations: n.
when you expect good things to happen in the future
I have high expectations for this job.
His parents have great expectations for his future.
Collocations:
beyond one’s expectations
have high/great expectations for
fall short of expectations
出乎意料地
对……的厚望
辜负期望
Detailed Reading
inability: n.
lack of ability to do something
Inability to use a computer is a serious disadvantage when
you are applying for jobs.
这些显示出地方政府在解决能源问题上的无能。
These show the inability of local government to come to
grips with the energy problem.
NB:
inability的意义是“无能，没办法，无力”， 而“disability”的含义是
“限制，不利的条件，不健全“，尤指由于身体或智力受损而阻碍或限
制正常发展
For example:
She is deaf, but refuses to let her disability prevent her
from doing what she wants to do.
她虽然身有残疾, 却是个游泳好手。
She swims well despite her disabilities.
Detailed Reading
privacy: n.
someone’s right to keep their personal matters and relationships
secret
The new law is designed to protect people’s privacy.
Newspapers often don’t respect the individual’s right to
privacy.
Collocations:
disturb one’s privacy
an invasion of one’s privacy
in privacy
打扰他人的私生活
侵犯某人的隐私权
私下
Detailed Reading
motivate: vt.
make someone want to do something well
Teaching is all about motivating people to learn.
No one really knows what motivated him to do so.
Detailed Reading
launch: v.
begin sth. such as a plan or introduce sth. new such as a
product
The airline will launch its new transatlantic service next
month.
她大学毕业后决定开始新的生活。
She decided to launch out on her own after college.
Patterns:
launch into
launch against/at
开始
向……发射
Detailed Reading
target: n.
one or more people who are criticized or laughed at, or who
experience unpleasant treatment from others
Recently she has been the target of a series of obscene
phone calls.
大使馆是恐怖分子攻击的明显目标。
The embassy is an obvious target for terrorist attacks.
Patterns:
aim at a target
hit a target
瞄准目标
击中目标
Detailed Reading
reputation: n.
the opinion that people in general have about sb. or sth.
He earned/established/gained/acquired a reputation as
an entertaining speaker.
The company has a worldwide reputation for quality.
Collocations:
have a reputation for
ruin sb’s reputation
establish/build up/make a reputation for
live up to one’s reputation
以……出名
败坏某人的名誉
为……树立声誉、博得名声
不负盛名
Detailed Reading
demonstrate: vt.
show; make clear
These figures clearly demonstrate the size of the
economic problem facing the country.
她示范最有效的自卫方法。
She demonstrated how best to defend oneself.
CF: demonstrate, show & display
Detailed Reading
这些动词均含“显示、显露、展现”之意。
demonstrate 指明显地表露感情。也指用实例、实验推理等手段表演证
明，或论证某一问题。
show 最普通用词，泛指任何有意或无意地把东西给别人看的行为。
display 多指将某物陈列在显眼之处以便让人发现其优点，侧重有意识地
显示。
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the
form where necessary.
1. I must _____
show you this new book I’ve just bought.
2. Family photographs were
displayed on the wall.
____________
3. Research _______________
has demonstrated that babies can recognize their
mother’s voice very soon after birth.
4. It’s the first time the painting has been displayed
________ to the public.
5. These problems ___________
demonstrate the importance of strategic
planning.
6. These photographs show
_____ the effects of the chemical on the
trees.
Detailed Reading
celebrity: n.
someone who is famous
She has tried every means to be a celebrity.
谁是伦敦最出名的知名人物?
Who’s the most well-known celebrity in London?
Collocations:
social celebrities
gain celebrity
社会名流
成名
Detailed Reading
hang on:
keep hold of sth.
Hang on tight — it’s going to be a very bumpy（颠簸的）
ride.
For the whole afternoon my little brother hung on to me.
Patterns:
hang around
hang over
在……闲荡
把……挂在……上
Detailed Reading
for dear life:
with the greatest possible effort, especially in order to avoid
harm
As the ship began to tilt, we clung on for dear life.
当看到老虎时，我绝望地逃命。
I ran for dear life when I saw the tiger.
1. 有一技之长
possess a single talent or skill
Listening Comprehension
2. 获得声誉
gain some popularity
Word Completion
3. 年复一年
year after year
Optional Classroom
4. 千篇一律的风景或画像
similar scenes or portraits
5. 自己功名的奴隶
the slave of one’s success
6. 把短暂的声誉赐予他人
give the momentary fame to another
7. 赢得忠实的追捧者的高度关注
bring high regard from loyal fans
8. 从他人处获得怜悯
bring sympathy from others
9. 降低期望
lower one’s expectations
10. 假装不关心失败
pretend not to notice the failure
Useful Expressions
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
11. 激发某人更加努力
Listening Comprehension 12. 开始某人的职业生涯
motivate sb. to strive even harder
launch one’s career
Word Completion
13. 被赶出学校
be thrown out of school
Optional Classroom
14. 以失败为动力，奋发有为
use the failure to motivate sb. to achieve
15. 成为某人的抨击目标
be the target of sb.
16. 将某人置于众人的关注下
turn all the lights on sb.
17. 把你变得不像你
it takes the you out of you
18. 在某些方面展示才华
demonstrate excellence in some field
19. 拼命追求声誉和财富
desperately seek fame and fortune
20. 舍命也不要松手
hang on for dear life
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Directions: Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks with the
missing words or expressions.
Listening Comprehension
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in the
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
small town of Milan, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven
children. Thomas Edison was self-taught
_________ . He went to school
Picture Talking
for only three months. His teacher thought he could not learn
mental problem . But young Tom Edison
because he had a _____________
Theme-Related Writing
could learn. He learned from books and he experimented. At
Proverbs and Quotations
chemical laboratory . He
the age of ten, he built his own ________________
experimented with chemicals and electricity. He built a
telegraph machine and quickly learned to send and receive
telegraph messages . At the time, sending electric signals over
_________________
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
wires was the fastest method of sending information ____
long
________
distances . At the age of sixteen, he went to work as a
telegraph operator. He later worked in many different places.
He continued to experiment with
electricity . When he was
___________
twenty-one, he sent the United States government the
documents needed to request the _____________
legal protection for his first
invention. The government gave him his first patent on an
electric
device he called an Electrographic Vote Recorder. It
____________
used electricity to count votes in an election.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Directions: Supply the missing letters according to the definitions
on the right.
public notice or attention
having a negative or harmful effect on something
using or expressing irony; full of irony
lasting for a very short time
a large amount of money, goods, property, etc.
lack of ability to do something
make someone want to do something well
begin sth. such as a plan or introduce sth. new
such as a product
9. d emonstrate
_________ show; make clear
someone who is famous
10. c elebrity
______
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
p ublicity
______
a ______
dverse
i ronic
____
m omentary
________
f ______
ortune
i ______
nability
m ______
otivate
l aunch
_____
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Task One: Work and Think
Directions: Take the following quiz and find out what potential
you have to achieve success. Be honest with
yourself when you make your choice.
Are You on Your Way to Success?
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
1. How often do you believe you can accomplish something if
you put your mind to it?
a) Rarely.
b) Sometimes.
c) All the time.
d) Never.
2. How often do you find yourself saying things like “I can’t”,
“That’s impossible” or “not in this lifetime”?
a) Rarely.
b) Sometimes.
c) All the time.
d) Never.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
3. If you had ten million dollars, what would you do with the
money?
a) I would spend the money as soon as possible.
b) I would pursue my dreams that I have not previously had
the resources for.
c) I would do pretty much the same as I do now.
d) I would put the money in the bank.
4. Do you think that education and talent are vital to success?
a) Not really. To me, persistence and determination are more
important.
b) Yes. Those with good education and talent have an
advantage over others.
c) Absolutely yes. That’s why most people attach great
importance to education nowadays.
d) No. Some educated people lose their lives in books and
some talented people amount to nothing.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
5. How much time are you willing to commit to achieving success
in life?
a) No more than an hour a week.
b) About ten hours a week.
c) As much time as it takes.
d) Only when I have free time after watching TV.
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Quiz Results
Find each question. Write down your answer in the scorebox.
Work out your score and add them up. The highest score is
20 points and the lowest 5. The more points you have, the
more likely you are to be successful. You may also compare
your score with those of your classmates.
SCOREBOX
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Question Your Answer
Points
1.
a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, d = 1
2.
a = 3, b = 2, c = 1, d = 4
3.
a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, d = 1
4.
a = 4, b = 2, c = 1, d = 3
5.
a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, d = 1
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Your Total Score:
Your Score
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Task Two: Discuss and Debate
Step One
Directions: Some people say, “Fame is like a double-edged sword.”
What is your opinion? Work in pairs or groups and
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being
famous.
Advantages
Disadvantages
wealth
deprivation of privacy
popularity
deprivation of freedom
power
public pressure
self-confidence
arrogance
sense of achievement
target of attack by/from the media
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Step Two:
Directions: You are required to have a class debate on whether
fame does us more good than harm. Divide the class
into two groups with opposite views.
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Directions: Write a composition of no less than 150 words on
the topic “Fame — Good or Evil”. Your paper should
cover the following points:
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
1. advantages of being famous
2. disadvantages of being famous
3. your attitude towards fame
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Sample:
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
Fame — Good or Evil
Fame has always been pursued by many people for the
advantages it brings about. Fame can assure one of a high social
status, high regard, great admiration, etc. Fame can also bring
one wealth as a celebrity has more chances to earn big money.
Besides, the applauses and flowers from the fans may boost
one’s self-confidence and increase one’s sense of fulfillment.
However, fame can ruin one’s life, too. It deprives one of his
privacy. As a public figure, he is often chased by fans and
journalists, and his private life never escapes the media’s
attention or public curiosity. Fame also places one under great
pressure. He has to work in line with public expectations and thus
becomes the slave of his own success.
So fame is a double-edged sword. I don’t seek fame and I
don’t envy those who are famous. I highly appreciate what the
American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow says about fame:
“The talent of success is nothing more than doing well whatever
you do without a thought of fame.”
Useful Expressions
1. There is no such thing as genius; it is nothing but labour and
diligence.
Listening Comprehension
世间无所谓天才，它仅是刻苦加勤奋。
Word Completion
2. Success belongs to the persevering.
Optional Classroom
Activities
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
Proverbs and Quotations
胜利属于坚韧不拔的人。
3. Fame like a river is narrowest at its source and broadest afar off.
名誉如河流，发源处最狭，愈远愈宽广。
4. I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
— Thomas Edison , American inventor
我并没有失败。我只是发现了行不通的一万种方式。
—— 美国发明家 T. 爱迪生
Useful Expressions
Listening Comprehension
5. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is
more important than any other one thing.
— Abraham Lincoln, American President
Word Completion
Optional Classroom
Activities
永远记住：你自己对成功的决心比什么都重要。
—— 美国总统 亚伯拉罕•林肯
Picture Talking
Theme-Related Writing
6. Fame usually comes to those who are thinking something else.
— O.W. Holmes, American poet
Proverbs and Quotations
名声往往光顾那些没想要成名的人。
—— 美国诗人 霍姆斯 O. W.