New Horizon College English
Book Two
Unit One
Section A
Time-Conscious Americans
• Teaching Aims:
• 1. To help the students understand the structure
and the main idea of the text;
• 2. To help the students understand the difficult
sentences in the text;
• 3. To help the students learn some important
words, phrases and structures in the text;
• 4. To help the students master the writing of a
paragraph of a general statement supported by
specific details and reasons;
• 5. To help the students learn some cultural
differences between China and America.
• Preview:
• 1.Read the text again and again and try to
understand the Band-4 words with the help
of the context.
• 2. Divide the text into three parts and try to
find the main idea of each part and the
central idea of the whole text.
• 3. Pay special attention to the following
difficult points:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(1). This attitude results in…(L 2)
(2). Time is one of the two elements… (L 3)
(3). City people always… (L 11)
(4). This is because… (L 18)
(5). Americans do not assess… (L 27)
(6). …we communicate rapidly… (L 33)
(7). However, people…(L 40)
(8). This is due partly to… (L 46)
(9). Assignments are… (L50)
• 4. Try to find some famous sayings or
proverbs about time.
• 5. What does “time-conscious” mean? Do
you think you are time-conscious?
• Please give some examples of being
time-conscious.
• 6. Active Words:
• replace, brief, convention, assess, generally,
device, electronic, significance,conduct,
obtain, whereas, skillful,skillfulness,
competent, fulfill.
• 7. Try to find some great differences
between Sino-American culture.
• Warming-up
• 1. Do you know any famous sayings or
proverbs about time?
Proverbs of time
Read the following proverbs. Have you ever learnt them?
What are the Chinese versions for them?
. 1.Time works wonders.
1
时间创造奇迹。
2. Time tries truth.
时间检验真理。
3. Time is the best healer.
时间是治愈创伤的良药。
4. Time and tide wait for no man.
时间不等人。（时不我待。）
5. All time is no time when it is past.
机不可失，时不再来。
• 2. What does “time-conscious” mean? Do
you think you are time-conscious?
• Please give some examples of being
time-conscious.
• 3. What’s the Americans’ attitude towards
time?(Paragraph 2)
• 4. How do Americans save time in their
daily life ?(Paragraphs3,5-7)
• 5. How do they save time in doing business?
• (Paragraph 4)
1) Americans believe no one stands still.
2) We are slaves to nothing but the clock.
3) Time is treated as if it were something almost
real.
4) We want every moment to count.
5) Time is always ticking in our inner ear.
6) Assignments are felt to be added weight by
the passage of time.
Structure Analysis
Central topic:
Time-conscious Americans
(“Time is one of the two
elements that Americans
save carefully, the other
being labor” Para. 1)
Americans save time carefully. (Para. 1)
Americans’ attitude towards time and how they try to save time
in daily life and in business (Paras. 2-7)
Time is a precious
source.(Para. 2)
Americans save
time in their
daily life.(Para.3)
Americans save
time in doing
business. (Para.4)
Americans produce
labor-saving devices
in order to save
time.(Paras.5-7)
It is taken as a sign of skillfulness or being competent to solve a
problem or fulfill a job successfully with speed in the US. (Para.8)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Difficult Sentences
1. This attitude results in…(L 2)
2. Time is one of the two elements… (L 3)
3. City people always… (L 11)
4. This is because… (L 18)
5. Americans do not assess… (L 27)
6. …we communicate rapidly… (L 33)
7. However, people…(L 40)
8. This is due partly to… (L 46)
9. Assignments are… (L50)
• Important Sentence Structures
• 1. much less (L28)
• ( See Exercise Ⅶ, P10)
much less (also still less) and even less likely
FOR EXAMPLE:
We must not think of this writer as a radical socialist
politician, much less a leader of a revolution.
我们不应该把这位作家看作是激进的社会政治家，更别说是革
命的领袖了。
Now you try:
她连水也不肯喝一口, 更别说留下吃饭了。
She wouldn’t take a drink, still/much less stay for dinner.
• 2. whereas (L47)
• (See Exercise Ⅷ)
whereas conj.
but, in contrast: while
FOR EXAMPLE:
We thought she did not like us, whereas in fact she was very
shy.
我们以为她不喜欢我们，然而事实是因为她很害羞。
They want a house, whereas/while we would rather live in a
flat.
他们想住一所房子, 可我们宁愿住在一套公寓房里。
Now you try:
他们国家石油丰富, 而我们国家则一点也没有。
Their country has plenty of oil, whereas/ while ours
has none.
• 3. given (L35): taking into account
• ( Compare: given---if sb. is given
• e.g. Given me more time, I will do it
better. )
given (that) prep. taking into account
FOR EXAMPLE:
Given their inexperience, they’ve done a good job.
Given that they are inexperienced, they’ve done a good job.
考虑到他们缺乏经验，他们算做得不错了。
Notice that “given” is followed by a noun phrase,
while “given that” is followed by a finite clause.
Now you try:
看她对孩子们的兴趣，教书应是适合她的职业。
Given her interest in children, teaching should
be the right career for her.
• 4. The more…the more… (L53)
• ( Revision )
• (The more books we read, the cleverer we
will be. )
• 5. have little or no relation to (L 37)
• The change of his mind has no relation to
• the weather.
有些人不关心野生动物保护，因为他
们认为这与他 们手头的事情无关。
• Some people don’t care about the
preservation of wild animals, for they
think it has no relation to the matter at
hand.
•
Important Words and Phrases
• 1. result in (L2) ( His laziness resulted in
his failure in the competition.)
• result from ( The car accident resulted
from the bad weather. )
• as a result ( He fell from the bike. As a
result, he couldn’t go to work.)
• as the (a)result of ( He hurt his leg as a
result of his fall from the bike. )
• 2. replace (L9)
• take the place of
• instead of
• e. g.
• Typewriters have been replaced by
computers .
• In Guilin city, many new buildings have
taken the place of old houses.
• As you are busy, I’ll attend the meeting
instead of you.
• 3. be worthy of (L50)
• worth
• worthwhile
be worthy of merit, deserve
FOR EXAMPLE:
He is worthy of our praise/help. 他值得我们表扬/帮
助。
acts worthy of punishment 应该受到惩罚的行为
Compare: worth, worthy, worthwhile
be worthy of merit, deserve
worth It is worth (doing) sth.
worthy Sth. is worthy of + n. /being done /to
be done
worthwhile It is worthwhile doing/to do sth.
Now you try:
这件事值得考虑。
The matter is worth consideration/considering.
The matter is worthy of consideration/being/to be
considered.
It is worthwhile considering/to consider the matter.
• 4. competent (52)
• be competent for
• be competent to do sth.
• e.g. She is competent for the task of
selling cars.
•
I’m competent to teach English at
college.
• Practice: Make a sentence with each of the above
mentioned words, phrases and structures :
• 1. much less
• 2. whereas
• 3. given (that)
• 4. The more…the more…
• 5. have little or no relation to
• 6. result in , result from, as a result, as a (the)
result of
• 7. replace, take the place of, instead of
• 8. be worthy of , worth, worthwhile
• 9. competent (52)
• be competent for
• be competent to do sth
Expressions & Patterns---Expressions
• 1. 落后
to fall behind (L.1)
活学活用

非洲的工业远远落后于欧洲。
Africa falls far behind Europe in industry.
• 2. 导致，造成
to result in （L.2)
活学活用

不良的生活习惯会造成疾病。
Bad living habits will result in disease.
• 3. 投身于（研究、实验和探索）
commit to （researching,experimenting and exploring）(L.2)
活学活用

各行各业的人们都已投身于抗击非典的战役中。
People of all walks of life have
committed themselves to the fight
against SARS.
• 4.针对某个人
to take it personally (L.18)
活学活用

你不应该把她对你的计划的
批评当作对你个人的攻击。
You mustn’t take her negative comments of your plan
personally.
• 5. 解释······的原因
to account for (L.6)
活学活用

这个贪官无法解释他的收入来源。
This corrupt official couldn’t account for the source of
his income.
• 6. 在压力下
be under pressure (L.11)
活学活用

大学毕业生现在处于很大的
就业压力下。
College students are under the big pressure
of employment .
• 7. 在规定的时间内(赶回去工作)
(get back to work) within the time allowed (L.15)
活学活用

要求大四的学生在规定
的时间里交论文。
The senior students are required
to hand in their papers within the
time allowed.
• 8. 不得当地（浪费时间）
（waste the time） beyond a certain appropriate point
(L.20)
活学活用

没有人喜欢她，因为她的举止总是不得体。
Nobody likes her, because she always behaves
beyond a certain appropriate point.
• 9.喝着茶或咖啡招待客人的礼节性交往
the ritual interaction that goes with a welcoming
cup of tea or coffee (L.23)
活学活用

健全的头脑要有健康的身体。
A healthy mind goes with a
healthy body.
• 10. 增进相互间信任
to develop a sense of trust
(L.29)
活学活用
尼克松总统的来访增进了
中美两国之间的信任。
The visit of President Nixon developed a sense of trust
between China and America.
• 11. （成功地）完成（一项工作）
to fulfill （a job successfully）
(L.53)
活学活用

我们社会的每一个公民都
应该履行他的义务。
Each citizen in our society should fulfill his duties.
• 12. 涌入
pour into (L.54)
活学活用

大批的民工涌入
大城市寻找工作。
A great number of peasant workers poured into
big cities to look for jobs.
After-reading Activities---Summary of the Text
Summarize the passage using the tips below.
1. concerned about time
2. consider time a precious resource.
3. always in a rush
4. exchange smiles or brief conversations
5. use quite a few labor-saving devices
6. more and more popular
7. is saved for after-work hours or for social
weekend gatherings
8. fulfilling a job successfully is a sign of
Americans are particularly concerned about
time. They clearly realize that life is short and
consider time a precious resource. Visitors
may find that Americans are always in a rush
and under great pressure in daily life. They
don’t usually exchange smiles or brief
conversations because they resent wasting
time. Americans generally assess and inquire
about others professionally rather
than socially, so they start talking business
directly without opening exchanges.
In order to save time, Americans use quite a few
labor-saving devices like telephones, faxes, or
emails. Electronic communication is becoming
more and more popular, while most personal
visiting, which though pleasant, takes longer, is
saved for after-work hours or for social weekend
gatherings. In the US, unlike in some other
countries, quickly solving a problem or fulfilling a
job successfully is a sign of skillfulness or being
competent.
Further Discussion
1. Work in pairs, and comment on one of the following
statements:
1) Americans believe no one stands still.
2) We are slaves to nothing but the clock.
3) Time is treated as if it were something almost
real.
4) We want every moment to count.
5) Time is always ticking in our inner ear.
6) Assignments are felt to be added weight by the
passage of time.
• 2. Talk about the differences in the
following aspects between American culture
and Chinese culture:
•
•
•
•
•
1) Individualism
2) Privacy
3) Casualness
4) Openness and Straightforwardness
5) Independence
• 1) Americans adore individualism, while Chinese
stress more on family and social rank.
• 2) Generally speaking, Americans respect others’
privacy; they never ask others questions like age,
salary and marital status even between intimate
friends. Self-invited quests are never welcomed.
• 3) Americans are very casual in social
communication. It’s very natural for them to call
the first name of their teachers or elders; whereas
in Chinese this is considered rather to be rude.
• 4) Americans are very open and straightforward in
professional discussion. On the contrary, the
Chinese will not argue face to face.
• 5) Americans are usually independent and
their parents also encourage them to leave
home early and have an independent
life.The Chinese youth develop rather
slowly in this area.
3. How to Manage the Following
Situations?
Situation 1 – an appointment
Situation 2 – home visit
Situation 3 – to a party
Situation 4 – being invited to dinner
Situation 5 – an interview
Situation 1: Dr. Tom McDivern from NY is
practicing medicine in a rural area in Saudi
Arabia. His opening day was booked fully a
week ago. But half an hour passed, neither
of his first two patients arrived.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
punctual
Americans tend to be _________.
To the Arabians, _________
half an hour
or 40 minutes late is acceptable.
________________
Situation 2: On your way home, it occurred
to you that your American friend Mary had
invited you to visit her when you were free.
Then you dropped in on her house.
But when you knocked at the door …
Mary felt
surprised. Why?
In China, it’s OK
to visit friends
without calling
ahead of time.
While in the U.S.,
it’s impolite to do
so.
What is the polite way
in the U.S.?
Calling ahead of time.
Situation 3: Your American friend invited
you to her party tonight at 7:30. When are
you supposed to get there? Why?
A. Before 7:00,
to help her to prepare.
B. 5’－10’ late,
not to be the first guest.
C. After 8:00, I’m the VIP.
D. 5’－10’ earlier,
it’s a polite way to show my respect for her.
In the U.S.,
people tend to be
5’－10’ late (B)
_____________.
In China,
before 7:00 (A)
close friends tend to arrive _______________，
but acquaintances tend to arrive
5’－10’ earlier (D)
_______________.
Situation 4: Your American friend invited
you to her house for dinner at 6:30.
When are you supposed to get there?
The Americans
A. Right on time.
C. Half an hour late.
B. Be fashionably late.
D. About 5’－10’ earlier.
The Chinese
To Visit Friends in the U.S.
Before you go, it’s always best to
1. ________________
give them a phone.
Listen to the recording
2. ________________
send them a letter.
and fill in the blanks.
3. ________________
send them an e-mail.
fashionably late
When you go to a party, you’d be ______________.
When you go to somebody’s house for dinner, you’d
be _________,
punctual i.e. not to be ______,
late not to be _____,
early
just ____________.
right on time
Situation 5:
Guess
During an interview, the American
boss asks about your idea on salary
as a secretary, which answer will
be good for you?
1. Any sum of
money is OK for
me.
2. At least $2500,
I’m the best.
3. $1,000 a
month.
I can make it.
4. Oh, money is not
important to me.
I don’t come here
simply for money.
Tips
In America, a person’s success is based on how
much money he makes. And Americans are not
afraid of showing their confidence.
To most Chinese, it’d be the responsibility of
the company to decide the salary according to
the employee’s performance.
THIS MAY BE DUE TO
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Cultural differences
exist in the ways of …
1. greetings
2. thinking
3. expressing ideas
4. educating
5. parenting
6. responding to compliments & praise …
topic sentence
and
supporting sentences
1. What is a topic sentence?
A topic sentence is a summary of the ideas in
the paragraph. It should contain a topic and its
controlling idea. The controlling idea determines
exactly what you will say and how you will say it.
2. What are supporting sentences?
Supporting sentences are developmental sentences in a
paragraph. Their purposes are to describe, explain,
illustrate, or prove the main idea . These sentences may
be major support sentences or minor support sentences.
develop the topic
sentence by telling
something new or
different about it
give more details
about each major
support sentence
to make it better
understood.
Let’s take paragraph 3 of passage A as an example:
topic
sentence
major
supporting
sentences
(description)
major
supporting
sentences
(reason)
Everyone is in a rush—often under pressure
City people always appear to be
hurrying to get where they are going...
Racing through daytime meals is part of
the pace of life in this country.
Drivers will be abrupt and people will
push past you.
This is because people value time highly,
and they resent someone else “wasting”
it beyond a certain appropriate point.
major
supporting
sentence
Racing through daytime meals is part
of the pace of life in this country.
to explain why people race through
daytime meals
Working time is considered precious.
minor
supporting
sentences
Others are waiting for you to finish so
they can get back to work within the
time allowed.
Topic sentence: Everyone is in a rush
reason
description
City people
always
appear to be
hurrying ...
Racing
through
daytime
meals...
Drivers are
abrupt and
people will
push past
you.
Working time is considered precious. Others
in public eating-places are waiting for you to
finish so they, too, can be served and get
back to work within the time allowed.
People value
time highly, and
they resent
someone else
“wasting” it.
3. How to write a topic sentence?
Since the controlling idea or purpose must be stated
clearly and precisely enough to indicate what the
paragraph includes, your topic sentence must be:
specific instead of general
precise instead of vague
Compare the following two sentences:
Astronauts must be very capable.
Astronauts must be scientists as well as expert test
pilots.
Countryside is much better than a city.
Countryside is a better place to live than a city in
several aspects.
College students will be assured good jobs on
graduation.
College students tend to get better jobs than those
who haven’t a college diploma.
People living in apartment never talk to each other.
People living in apartment seldom talk to each other.
Global warming is caused by a build-up of gases in
the earth’s atmosphere.
Global warming is, to some extent, caused by a
build-up of gases in the earth’s atmosphere.
• Homework:
• 1. Make at least one sentence with each of
the active words.
• 2. Recite Para.3.
• 3. Do the required exercises(Exercises Ⅲ--Ⅹ) after the text.
• 4. Write a paragraph about “television
commercials”. Fashion an effective topic
sentence and support it with details.
Sample
The same television commercials repeat again and
again in one evening. Perhaps the following two factors
can account for this. The first reason is simply a matter
of economics. It must make sure that as many people as
possible will see it. Thus, more consumers will be
attracted and a bigger profit may be gained. Another
reason for repeating the commercials so often is the
belief that repetition helps to imprint the message on the
mind. Some feel that repetition—even to the point of
irritation—is supposed to make people remember the
product.
Comments
The topic sentence is
“The same television commercials repeat again and
again in one evening. Perhaps the following two factors
can account for this.”
It clearly tells the reader the main idea of the
paragraph: It will explore the reasons for so
many television commercials. And then the
writer pointed out two reasons to support his
topic sentence. Each of them contributes to the
main idea. Thus, the paragraph is well organized.
• Section B
• Tasks:
• 1. To help the students review the reading
skill--- Reading for the Main Idea
• 2. To help the students learn some Band-4
words, phrases and structures in the text
• Active Words in Section B:
• desirable, spite, tradition, amuse,
amusement, moreover, isolate, avoid, reject,
helpful, recognition, favorable, appreciate,
furthermore.
I. Reading Skill
Reading for the Main Idea
The main idea of a passage is the thought
that is presented from the beginning to the
end. In a well-written paragraph, most of
the sentences support, describe or explain
the main idea.
The main idea frequently appears in the
first sentence, sometimes in the middle or
at the end.
Example
The U.S. is definitely a telephone country.
Almost everyone uses the telephone to
conduct business, to chat with friends, to
make or break social appointment, to say
“thank you”, to shop and to obtain all kinds
of information. Telephones save the feet
and endless amounts of time.
Main idea:
The
U.S. is definitely a telephone country.
____________________________________
II. Exercises
1. The first stage is called “the honeymoon”. In
this stage, you feel excitement about living in
a different place. And everything seems to
be marvelous. You like everything, and
everybody seems to be so nice to you. Also,
the amusement of life in a new culture
seems as though it will have no ending.
Main idea:
The
first stage of culture-shock
____________________________
adjustment
is “the honeymoon”.
____________________________
2. Eventually, however, the second stage of
culture shock appears. This is the “hostility
stage”. You begin to notice that not
everything is as good as you had originally
thought it was. You become tired of many
things about the new culture. Moreover,
people don’t treat you like a guest anymore.
Everything that seemed to be so wonderful
at first is now awful, and everything makes
you feel distressed and tired.
Main idea:
The second stage of culture-shock,
_______________________________
“hostility stage”, eventually occurs.
_______________________________
3. Do you think studying in a different country is something that
sounds very exciting? Like many young people who leave home
to study in another country, do you think you would have lots of
desirable fun? Certainly, it is a new experience, which brings the
opportunity of discovering fascinating things and a feeling of
freedom. In spite of these advantages, however, there are also
some challenges you will encounter. Because your views may
clash with the different beliefs, norms, values, and traditions that
exist in different countries, you may have difficulty adjusting to a
new culture and to those parts of the culture not familiar to you.
This is culture shock. Evidently, at least four essential stages of
culture-shock adjustment occur. (Para.1)
Main idea: Studying in a different country is a new
experience, but there are also some challenges.
Ⅲ. Matching Game
fascinating
appreciate
devise
evidently
marvelous
amuse (vt.)
be hostile to sb.
distress
cope with









think out, design
obviously
be of an enemy
interesting and attractive
understand and enjoy
deal with … successfully
make sb. laugh or smile
wonderful, outstanding
great pain, sadness
Ⅳ. Word Using
1. have difficulty (in) doing sth./with + n. (L7)
在做 …… 方面有困难
Key
Translation
He seems to have some difficulty in learning
他好像在英语语法方面有些困难。
English grammar./He seems to have some
difficulty with English grammar.
Question:
Did you have any difficulty adjusting to
university life when you were a freshman?
2. (sth.) be familiar to sb. (L8)
对 …… 熟悉, 熟知
Translation
e.g.
Key
talked
offacts
other
cultures
as ifknown
they
If He
sth.are
is the
familiar
tothat
you,
it’sfamiliar
well
to
这些是每个男生都熟悉的事实。
These
are
to every
were more familiar to him than his own.
you or you often experience or encounter it.
schoolboy.
Cf. (sb.) be familiar with sth. 通晓 ……
(sb.) be familiar with sb. 与 …… 亲密
If you were familiar with sth., you’ve a good
knowledge of it or you know it in detail.
3. would rather do sth. (L26)
prefer to
Translation
Key
I’d
rather
you do
stayed
with
*would
rather
A than
dome
B tomorrow.
宁愿做A不做B
我宁愿你明天和我在一起。
*would rather sb. did sth. 宁愿某人做某事
他宁愿失去工作，也不愿做假账。
He would rather lose his job than make false
=one person would prefer another to do sth.
accounts.
Use it
In the English class,
1. You’d rather …
2. You’d …
Phrases concerned:
rather than — 而不是 …… ；与其 …… 不如 ……
She, rather than you, should be responsible for it.
other than — 除了（用于否定句）=except;
You can’t get to the island other than by boat.
other than — 不同于，非 =not
I borrowed some books other than novels.
4. acquire (L47)
vt. get sth. with effort, learned
Choosee.g.
the best answer
acquired
somethat
French
during his
It’sHe
through
learning
the individual
____
D
staying
in Europe
last
many
habitual
ways
of year.
reacting to situation.
A. retains
B. gains
C. achieves
D. acquires
acquire — 获得 （知识/习惯等），尤指努力后获得；
achieve — 取得（成就，进步等）；
retain — 保持；
gain — “赢得”（名声等好的东西）；
近形词：acquire, inquire, require, request
inquire — v. ask
inquire sth. of sb. —向某人询问某事；
inquire after —问候某人；
inquire into — investigate
require — vt. “要求、规定；需要”
require sth. of sb. — ask sth. of sb.要求某人某事
request sth. from/of sb. —请求某人某事
request that sb. should do …
Test Yourself—Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice
For each sentence there are four choices
marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the
ONE answer that best completes the
sentence.
1. The government has devoted a larger part
of its national ___________ to agriculture
than most other countries.
A. resources
B. potential
C. budget
D. economy
2. In western countries, it is the _________ for
men to wear suits on formal occasions.
A. conviction
B. convention
C. confession
D. concession
3. The annual income of school teachers in this
place was __________ at $ 900.
A. budget
B. predicted
D. assessed
C. account
4. His long illness and _____________ absence
put him far behind in his study.
B. consequent
A. sequent
C. frequent
D. subsequent
5. If you want to learn English, you must first
find a ____________ teacher.
A. able
B. desirable
D. significant
C. competent
6. Jane was the only one who _______ all the
conditions: she was of the required age,
height and degree.
A. fulfilled
B. recovered
C. appreciated
D. rejected
7. We ______ his idea for a music club, and
decided to have an art club instead.
A. turned
B. rejected
C. accepted
D. isolated
8. I appreciate ________ herself to the cause of
education..
A. of her devoting B. her to devote
C. her devoting
D. to devote
9. It is most ________ that he attend the
conference.
A. desirous
B. desiring
C. desired
D. desirable
10. The neighbors let their radio blare late in
night just to ______ us.
A. spit
B. despite
C. spite
D. inspire
11. She couldn’t hide her _______ at his
foolish mistake.
A. amusement
B. fascination
C. hostility
D. recognition
12. The publisher’s ______ of his manuscript
depressed him.
B. rejection
A. ejection
C. injection
D. dejection
13. It is highly desirable that every effort
_______to reduce pollution in Beijing.
A. was made
B. be made
C. will be made
D. would be made
14. He is an artist, so these economic terms are
not familiar _________ him.
A. with
B. of
D. on
C. to
15. Happiness does not necessarily ________
wealth.
A. go after
B. go with
C. go on
D. go out
• Homework:
• 1. Do the exercises after the text.
• 2. Read the complementary reading material
using the reading skill---reading for the
main idea.
• 3. Make at least one sentence with each of
the active words and the mentioned word
and structures in this section.