A New English Course (Level 7)
Unit One
Text I
English and American Concepts of Space
I. About the Author --- Edward Twitchell Hall (1914 ---), U.S. anthropologist, author,
and teacher, received his Ph.D. degree in anthropology from Columbia University. He
has taught at various institutions, such as Harvard Business School, the Illinois
Institute of Technology, and Northwestern University. His works include: The Silent
Language (1959), a study of nonverbal communication, and The Hidden Dimension
(1966), a study of “social and personal space and man’s perception of it.” The present
text, a selection from The Hidden Dimension, gives a contrast between English and
American concepts of personal space.
About the author:
Down the drain
Edward T.Hall’s The Hidden Dimension, perhaps the scariest book (even scarier
than 1984) I ever read. Scary, because it isn’t fiction, but a rather elaborate essay on
anthropology and proxemic behavior. If Hall’s right, things as disregard for other
cultures, mindless urban development and demographic growth have generated a
behavioral sink in which stress, crime, intolerance and physical and psychic disease
grow everyday, and to make things worse, our governments take measures that only
accelerate the process. We are all going down the drain.
Put Ed Hall’s Insights to Work in Your World
Ed Hall is one of the preeminent cultural anthropologists of all times. His works,
studies, and insights into the rich modern anthropology reflect a life long passion he
developed as a teenager in the 1930’s Southwest U.S. assigned to work on
white-managed WPA crews alongside Navajo workers whose cultural bearings and
world views were vastly different than his own people’s views.
Hidden Dimensions examines the cultural contexts of space, how people define
their personal and community spaces as part of their cultural norms.
How far apart or close do people of a similar culture feel comfortable standing or
sitting next to one another and in what circumstances? When do you feel someone is
“in your space”? This personal comfort zone differs culture to culture. Yours may be
different than mine. Hall develops these “proxemics” (proximity) in this book by
observing and visiting with peoples from around the globe, and shares the wisdom
gained with you so that you might expand your own world views and spatial
orientations when mixing with foreign cultures to your own.
Well worth the sheckles to add this great work to your life’s library. Collect all of
Hall’s works.
Best of the Best
A fabulous writing on how human beings react to and make use of special
distance from a physical and psychological viewpoint, i.e. the study of proxemics.
The type of book that should be reissued without fail by the publisher, though it is old,
since it is a classic in its field. Actual numerical distances and their effect / use /
experience by humans are explained as well as much about eyesight and its abilities.
Hall also explains how different Euro cultures (German, French, and others) plus how
Americans use space differently. I’m seldom this positive about any book but must
give this one a highest rating.
II. Organization and Development
Like most writings of an academic nature, this article is neatly-structured. Its
thesis is clearly stated in the first paragraph and is developed in the rest of the article
by contrast. Can you identify the sentence in the first paragraph that states the thesis?
The sentence in the 1st paragraph that states the thesis:
If there ever were two cultures in which differences of the proxemic details are
marked it is in the educated English and the middle-class Americans.
The contrasts Hall has made are frequently marked by words or phrases
generally known as sentence adverbials or connectives. Locate such items throughout
the writing and try to tell what contrast they introduce.
Words or phrases used to indicate contrasts:
Paragraph 1
“whereas” --- contrasting space for Americans with the social system for the
English as a factor determining a person’s social status
“however” --- contrasting the importance of one’s address in the United
States with that of the position in the social system into
which a person is born in Britain
Paragraph 3
“on the other hand” --- contrasting what is said in the 2nd paragraph with
what is said in the 3rd, i.e. the American’s sense of space that
can be called his own with the Englishman’s sense of shared
space
Paragraph 5
“on the other hand” --- contrasting the different ways in which Americans
and the English behave when seeking seclusion
The contrast Hall has made serves to explain the apparent clash between the
English and Americans, i.e. why they behave differently when they have the same
need to satisfy.
III. Notes
1. In what sense does Hall use the word “separated” in the first sentence?
Made culturally different.
2. What, according to the author, has really separated the English and the
Americans?
Not the different ways in which the English language is used as assumed by most
people, but the different ways of handling time, space and materials.
3. communications on other levels --- Broadly speaking, communication is of two
kinds: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication consists of word language and
the variations in meaning which a person puts into words through the way they are
said. Thus different intonation may impart different meanings. Nonverbal
communication consists of non-word language such as gestures and bodily action,
visual aids like graphs and photos, certain activities, and time, space, and
materials as mentioned by the author. What the author means here is that words do
not account as much for the differences of the two peoples as the other levels of
communication.
4. ego --- 1) self, especially as contrasted with another self or the world;
2) one’s opinion of oneself; self-esteem, e.g.: He has an enormous ego. (=
thinks he is a very fine person).
3) tech. (in Freudian psychology) the one of the three parts of the mind that
connects a person to the outside world, because it can think and act; conscious self
5. rephrase the sentence:
The differences for which language gets blamed may not be due so much to words
as to communications on other levels beginning with English intonation (which
sounds affected to many Americans) and continuing to ego-linked ways of handling
time, space, and materials.
Some people complain about the English language for its being so different in the
two countries. These differences, however, may have resulted not from the words
people use, but rather from individual linguistic habits, which are displayed in the
adoption of a particular intonation (English intonation sounds unnatural to
Americans), and extend down to the way people look at the world.
6. Proxemics is the study of the communicative value of space and distance in various
cultures. It includes the study of the physical distance between people when they
are talking to each other, as well as their postures and whether or not there is
physical contact during their conversation. These factors can be looked at in
relation to the sex, age, and social and cultural background of the people involved,
and also their attitudes to each other and their state of mind. Of interest are such
features as the physical distance considered proper or comfortable between two
people engaged in conversation or standing near each other in public places. These
and other nonverbal behavioral features, which vary from culture to culture, have
been called “silent language” by Edward T. Hall.
“The proxemic details” (1.6) refers to facts or pieces of information related to
proxemics, e.g., how closely two people should stand or sit apart when talking to
each other, whether one should have his office door open or closed, etc.
7. A public school in Britain is a private secondary boarding school with a
pre-university curriculum. Admission is by entrance examination. The term “public
school” emerged in the eighteenth century when the reputation of certain grammar
schools spread beyond their immediate environs. They began taking pupils whose
parents could afford residential fees and thus became known as “public schools”, in
contrast to “local schools”. A public school is different from a comprehensive
school, where children of all abilities and social backgrounds are taught together. A
public school generally prepares students academically for higher education.
Therefore, students who go to public schools are supposed to be better educated
than those who go to comprehensive schools.
8. Middle-class Americans are a heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed
principally of business and professional people such as managers, doctors, lawyers,
teachers, government officials, some farmers and skilled workers. They are
characterized by a comfortable material standard of living, and respect for property.
Since World War II, the middle class has been the largest social class in the United
States. In the U.S.A., most people identify themselves as “middle-class.”
9. disparity --- (C,U) (between, in, of) fml (an example of) being completely different
or unequal; a noticeable difference
e.g. There is (a) considerable disparity in the rates of pay for men and women.
10. What does the “social system” in England refer to?
The traditional way of stratify societying into classes, which remains important /
influential even today.
11. Rephrase the sentence:
One of the basic reasons for this wide disparity is that in the United States we use
space as a way of classifying people and activities, whereas in England it is the
social system that determines who you are.
One of the important factors that has contributed to such a big difference is that
the place where one lives, to Americans, can present a symbol of one’s status or
activity, while in England, the class one belongs to identifies one’s position in
society.
12. Why do you think one’s spatial location means almost as much to the Americans
as one’s social location does to the English?
Think of the different history of the two countries. Britain has a long history of
feudal social hierarchy, which had been firmly rooted and survived the bourgeois
revolution in the 17th century. This system has not been completely overcome and
the country is still a kingdom today. Aristocratic titles have been hereditary and are
still regarded as a mark of a person’s social status. On the other hand, the United
States has a short history of about 200 years, which began with a vast expanse of
land that provided abundant space for people to fully exercise their imagination and
develop their talent. A person’s background is far less important than what space he
can find for himself and what he can achieve in that space.
13. prestigious --- having prestige, i.e. general respect or admiration felt for someone
or something, because they have high quality, social influence, success, etc.
14. fishmonger --- a person who owns or works in a shop (fishmonger’s) which sells
fish: I bought a nice piece of cod from the fishmonger / at the fishmonger’s.
15. stall --- a table or small open-fronted shop in a public place: a market stall
16. allot --- give as a share or set apart for a purpose
e.g. Most of the money has already been allotted.
They allotted us three weeks to finish the job.
We were unable to finish it in the allotted time.
17. What conclusion has the author reached by the end of the first paragraph?
Spatial allocation does not have the same implication for the English and for
Americans.
18. How is the first paragraph related to the second one?
The last sentence of the first paragraph introduces the next two paragraphs, which
illustrate differences between the English and the Americans in the allotment of
space.
19. den --- infml. a small quiet comfortable room in a house, where a person, usually a
man, can be alone (小书斋; 小巧而舒适的私室) e.g. Father’s in his den.
--- the home of a usu. Large fierce wild animal, such as a lion
--- a center of secret, esp. illegal, activity, e.g. a den of thieves
20. “the shop” --- a place where things made or repaired “工场”
21. What does the author try to contrast in the second and the third paragraph?
How differently space is allotted in Britain and the United States, the former
having a strong sense of “shared space” and the latter of “one’s own space.”
22. vacate --- give up the occupancy of; stop using; leaving (a room or place) so that it
is available for someone else to use
23. inconsequential --- unimportant; insignificant
24. be entitled to --- possess the right to have or to do something
25. Rephrase the sentence:
As a consequence, the English are puzzled by the American need for a secure
place in which to work, an office.
As a result, it is hard for the English to figure out why Americans invariably feel it
is necessary to find themselves a space, such as an office, where they may work
without being disturbed.
26. implication --- something that is suggested or implied by a particular situation,
event, or statement
27. typify --- v. 1) (not in progressive forms) be a typical example of; show all the
most usual characteristics of something, e.g. The shoe-shine boy who becomes a
millionaire typifies the American Dream.
2) (not in progressive forms) to be a typical mark or sign of 成为…的标记:
the high quality that typifies all this work
3) fml. to represent in a typical manner, e.g. by an image, model, or likeness,
e.g. In this book we have tried to typify the main classes of verbs. 在本书中, 我们
力图以明显的方式把动词分成几大类.
28. strain --- a state of tension within or among people; e.g. the current strain in
relations between the two countries
29. How do you interpret “experiencing strain in his relationships with Americans” in
paragraph 4?
Having trouble getting along with Americans
30. Rephrase the sentence:
It took some time but finally we were able to identify most of the contrasting
features of the American and British problems that were in conflict in this case.
It was not until some time later that we managed to discover the major differences
that had frustrated both sides in the above story.
31. How differently would the English and the Americans behave when they want to
be alone?
The Americans would go to their own rooms and shut the door, whereas the
English, instead of finding architectural screens to shut themselves off, would
provide subtle clues to others present that they do not wish to be disturbed.
32. How would the English and the Americans feel if they are not talked to by people
present in the same room?
Americans would feel that they are being rejected. The English would feel happy
that others have recognized the unseen barrier they have erected to keep off
intrusion.
33. Rephrase the sentence:
They have in effect internalized a set of barriers, which they erect and which
others are supposed to recognize.
They have virtually built up, for themselves, a wall, which may keep them safe
from disturbance when necessary and which, they assume, others should be able to
perceive and respect.
34. The article is written not by a lay person based on casual observations but by a
professor of anthropology based on his research findings. Some words the author
uses has added to the academic flavor of the writing. Can you identify some of
them and explain what they mean?
Proxemic (l.6) --- adj. of proxemics, a branch of sociology that studies spatial
relations, people’s sense of space and their need of space in different situations, etc.
Subject (l.20) --- a person that undergoes scientific experimentation or
investigation
Ego (l.4) --- the self of a person
Condition (l.35) --- determine, accustom
Seminar (l.47) --- regular meeting of a group of students under the guidance of a
tutor or a professor
Unit Two
TEXT I
Tourists
I. About the author --- Nancy Mitford (1904---1973), English writer of novels,
biographies, and essays, is noted for her witty novels of upper-class life. Her
workers include: Pursuit of Love (1945), Vlotaire in Love (1957), and The Sun King
(1966), about Louis XIV. One of her most widely read books was Noblesse Oblige:
An Inquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy (1956).
The text is from an essay called “The Tourist,” part of a collection published under
the title of The Water Beetle (1962).
II. Organization and Development
Although part of a collection, the selection is quite complete in itself as far as
structure is concerned. The author seems to have followed a well-worked-out outline.
Now try to restore that outline, indicating the main parts and the major subdivisions
under each of them.
Outline for reference:
1. The island and the tourists
The island: location, natural features, the cathedral and its bells
The tourists: number, transport, lack of taste, ill-mannered behavior,
American-Englishmen-Germans
2. Behavior of the islanders
The author’s general attitude
Comparison of the island to a stage
Young men from Burano (Little Eric)
Old women selling laces
The priest
The tourists’ response
3. Torcello back to its life routine
Young men
Old women
Father of the clover babies
The brief description of the small island creates the impression that it might
be a nice, quiet retreat for writers like the author herself, but it might not be a good
tourist resort. This helps to strengthen the point the author wants to make, i.e. the
tourists who swamp the place are aimless in their touring.
III. Notes
1. Based on the author’s description, try to think of just a few words and phrases that
bring out the most important features of the island Torcello.
Small, ancient, abundant in wild flowers, crisscrossed by waterways
2. Rephrase the sentence:
The most intensive study I ever made of tourists was at Torcello, where it is
impossible to avoid them.
Since tourists can be seen almost everywhere at Torcello, I decided to observe them
closely.
3. minute: very small
4. lagoon: an area of calm sea water partly or completely separated from the sea by
banks of sand, rock, coral, etc.
5. a great cathedral --- referring to SantaMaria Assunta Cathedral, which was founded
in about 639, and rebuilt in the ninth and the eleventh century. It is a Byzantine
cathedral, decorated with fine Veneto-Byzantine mosaics.
6. What does the word “chorus” in line 8 refer to?
bells ringing out
7. Explain the sentence:
Bells from the campanile ring out reproaches three times a day …joined by a
chorus from the surrounding islands. --- From the campanile, or the high bell tower,
can be heard the reproaches, or sets of verses representing reproaches of Jesus
Christ to his people, three times a day. Such reproaches ring out from the nearby
islands too.
“cloches, cloches, divins reproches” = (French) “bells, bells, divine reproaches”
8. lonely as a cloud --- This is an echo of William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered
Lonely as a Cloud” (1804). The first verse of the poem is as follows:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
9. Rephrase the sentence:
Torcello which used to be lonely as a cloud has recently become an outing from
Venice.
Torcello was at one time an island scarcely visited by people, but today it has
grown to be a magnet for tourists from Venice.
10. chartered --- hired for use by a particular group or person
11. yacht --- a large boat, often motor-driven, used for pleasure; a light sailing boat
12. towpath --- a path (as along the bank of a canal or river) traveled by men or
animals towing / pulling boats
13. Possibly there is a double meaning in the phrase much restored in line 13.
The early mosaics are made to look new again; the scenes from hell are brought
back to life.
14. a great, sad, austere Madonna --- the image of Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, in
mosaics, who appears sorrowful and stern
15. Byzantine art --- the symbolical system of art which was developed by the early
Greek or Byzantine artists out of the Christian symbolism. Its chief features are the
circle, dome, and round arch; and its chief symbols the lily, cross, vesica, and
nimbus.
16. Explain the sentence in line 14 “Byzantine art is an acquired taste.”
One needs to cultivate a certain taste to be able to appreciate Byzantine art.
17. Rephrase the sentence:
Byzantine art is an acquired taste and probably not one in ten of the visitors has
acquired it.
Byzantine art is a highly refined heritage, but few of the tourists here have arrived
at that sophistry as to be able to appreciate it. / To appreciate Byzantine art, one
needs to cultivate a particular sense of beauty, but few of the tourists to Torcello
have been so equipped.
18. the village green --- a small stretch of grass in the village
19. Attila --- king of the Huns, a nomadic people from central Asia, from 434 A.D. to
453 A.D., and one of the greatest of the barbarian rulers who attacked the Roman
Empire. In 452 he invaded northern Italy and sacked several cities there.
20. leave the devil of a mess behind them --- leave behind them all kinds of litter / a
terrible mess. Devil is often used to give force to various expressions, especially of
displeasure, e.g. We had a devil of a job trying to persuade her.
Why the devil did he come?
What the devil is she doing now?
21. marching as to war --- This is an echo of a Christian hymn written by Sabine
Baring-Gould (1834-1924). The first stanza goes thus:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the Cross of Jesus
Going on before! (1864)
22. a Leader --- apparently referring to the tourist guide
23. a standing order --- a permanent request (for something by a customer)
24. From what Mitford has said of the tourists in the first paragraph, can you imagine
what, in her opinion, a good tourist should be like?
He should have a clear purpose when going sightseeing, be appreciative of what
there is supposed to be seen; he should not litter, or do anything harmful to the
environment.
25. What different images has Mitford created of the Americans, the Englishmen, and
the Germans with her brief description of them?
Americans --- well-to-do but having no taste at all
Englishmen --- mean, not attentive to public hygiene
Germans --- well-organized and well-disciplined but not appreciative
26. extract --- obtain by much effort
27. Rephrase the sentence:
As they are obliged, whether they like it or not, to live in public during the whole
summer, they very naturally try to extract some financial benefit from this state of
affairs.
They have no choice but to come into contact with the tourists throughout the
summer, and it is not hard to imagine why they should not try to earn some money
out of this opportunity.
28. What does the word Italian in line 31 refer to?
The Italian nation as a whole
29. gondolier --- the boatman who propels a gondola, a long narrow flat-bottomed
boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice
30. sandolos --- small boats used on the Venetian canals
31. Buona fortuna --- (Italian) Good luck
32. trinket --- a small ornament (as a jewel or ring) of little value
33. point de Venise lace --- lace that is made with a needle or needle point. Burano is
known for its Venetian point lace industry.
34. four-leafed clovers --- or four-leafed clovers, four-leaf clovers. A four-leafed
clover is a clover plant that has a set of four leaves instead of the usual three, and is
believed to bring good luck to a person who finds it.
Clover – is a small usu. three-leafed plant with pink, purple, or white flowers,
often grown as food for cattle.
35. holy processions --- religious parades
36. Rephrase the sentence:
The priest organizes holy processions to coincide with the arrival of the steamer.
The priest arranges for the religious pageant to begin the moment the ship arrives.
37. flapping --- swaying loosely, and making a noise, especially when moved by wind
38. Daily Mail --- name of a newspaper
39. Where in paragraph 2 does Mitford reveal her attitude towards the way the
islanders behave?
She is somewhat sympathetic to them. Refer to lines 29-31, “As they are obliged,
whether they like it or not … from this state of affairs.”
40. A metaphor runs through paragraphs 2 and 3. What is it? Which sentence sets up
the comparison? Pick out words that continue the metaphor.
The island is compared to a stage, and the activities to a play.
Line 31, “The Italian is a born actor …”
dress up, sweet-faced old women, apparently, organizes holy procession to coincide,
the curtain, shed their jackets, let the smiles fade
41. How do you understand the last sentence “Tocello is itself again”?
The play is over; ordinary life on the island is restored, and the islanders are their
normal selves again.
Unit Three
Text I
The Subway
Tom Wolfe
I. About the Author
The Author --- Tom Wolfe (Thomas K. Wolfe, Jr., 1931-), U.S. author, is one of the
new journalists, who write, like journalists, about the people, the places, and the
events of the contemporary world, but who write with the imagination, the personal
vision, and the rhetorical flair which is usually associated with the creative writer.
Wolfe’s writings appear in magazines such as Confidential and Harper’s Bazaar.
Wolfe, like any good reporter, observes closely from a particular angle of vision --often satiric --- and he projects what he feels and thinks into his description by the
details he selects to show us and the words he chooses to describe them. His works
include: The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965), New
Journalism (1973), and In Our Time (1980).
II Organization and Development
The topic sentence of paragraph 2 extends, at least in part, to paragraph 3.
For paragraph 5, the following words from paragraph 4 with some modifications
may serve the purpose of a topic sentence: “However, some men do fall to the state of
being a bum. For example, on the East Side IRT subway line…”
In paragraph 3, apart from sticking to using “he” as the subject in a series of
sentences to describe the actions of the two black boys in the car, the conjunction
“then” is used twice to show the chronological progression of the actions.
The last four sentences of paragraph 4 all keep to “he” as the subject.
III. Notes
1. the living symbol of all that adds up to lack of status in New York --- the very
indication that those who take the subway have a low social position
2. disorientation --- confusion, loss of one’s bearings
3. express stop --- a major rapid transit stop where “express trains” stop, as contrasted
to a “local stop” where all trains stop
4. Rephrase the following.
In a way, of course, the subway is the living symbol… every express stop.
In New York’s underground transportation system, one finds many examples of
what is low-class behavior in New York. The subway is disorganized and people
move about wildly at each express stop.
5. vistas --- sweeping views
6. eerie --- frightening because of strangeness or gloominess
7. How is the statement “The whole place is a gross assault on the senses” supported
by details in the first paragraph?
assault on the sense of hearing --- noise of the trains, high-pitched harshness,
metallic tones from records
assault on the sense of touch --- pushing and being pushed in crowds
assault on the sense of smell --- unbearable odors
assault on the sense of sight --- The sight of customers with bread flakes caked on
their mouths and flatulent cheeks at lunch counters is far from pleasant.
8. qualm --- feelings of uneasiness or uncertainty as to whether something is right
9. What does the word “qualms” in line 7 mean? What does the whole sentence
containing the word imply?
unease, a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp. concerning moral conduct
Pushing others in a crowded public place is considered rude, but in the N.Y.
subway the passengers, when in a crowd, seem to have forgotten this basic moral
norm.
10. tactile --- relating to the sense of touch
11. crucifying --- torment, torture
12. Rephrase the sentence
Your tactile sense takes a crucifying you never dreamed possible.
You are being bumped, shoved and prodded amidst the crowd more than you ever
have been before / more than you ever expected.
13. 45 r.p.m. records --- The abbreviation “r.p.m.” stands for “revolutions per minute.”
It is a measure of the speed of a record. A 45 r.p.m. record goes round in a circle 45
times in a minute.
14. hot dog --- a long bread roll which is cut along the middle and has a cooked
sausage in it
15. tensile --- elastic
16. oleaginous --- oily, fatty
17. flatulently --- with gases from the stomach
18. ancient man --- very old man. Ancient is used humorously here.
19. Manhattan --- one of the boroughs of New York City that contains the leading
banking and commercial organizations of the city, as well as fashion and art centers,
the chief theatrical district of the United States, wealthy residential sections, and
such well-known districts as Broadway, Greenwich Village, Harlem, and Wall
Street.
20. redemption --- forgiveness from the consequences of sin and evil which Christians
believe was made possible by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. This is a religious
term
21. How is paragraph 3 connected to paragraph 2?
Can you restore the missing words of the first sentence of paragraph 3?
The word “also” sets up a link between the two paragraphs.
“The underground spaces seem to attract also beggars.”
22. Traditional rhetoric does not approve of the use of “and” in a sentence-initial
position. Leave out the word “And” in the second sentence of paragraph 3 and see
what difference it makes.
Beggars are least expected to be associated with status competition. The word
“And” here helps bring out a fact that is contrary to ordinary expectations. Leaving
out the word would render the sentence a mere statement of a fact.
23. status competition --- struggling to achieve a more desirable social position
24. IRT line --- the Interborough Rapid Transit line
25. maniacal --- frantic, crazy
26. ricochet off --- bounce off
27. calling one another --- s and ---s and telling each other to find their own --- car ---The blanks stand for obscene curse words or swear words that are unfit for
28. Rephrase the sentence
Also beggars. … to go to find their own --- car.
In New York’s much-hated subway, beggars compete against one another. On the
seventh Avenue IRT line, the competition grows so fierce that it borders on
craziness. Some evenings when beggars spot each other between stops, they curse
each other call each other names and warn each other to stay away from where they
are.
29. mediocre --- commonplace, not special
30. What does the author mean by the sentence “A mere blind man with a cane and a
cup is mediocre business” in line 23?
This typical image of a beggar is a common sight and is not likely to attract any
attention.
31. bongo drum --- either of a pair of small drums played with the hands
32. Dixie cup --- paper cup used for beverages, ice cream, etc.
33. multiple schlerrossis (= sclerosis ) --- Either out of ignorance or out of an
intention to attract people’s attention, the young black man has misspelt the word
“sclerosis.” And, with tongue in cheek, the author describes the misspelt word as an
attention-catching frightening German term with an excessive use of letters of
consonant sounds, as the following sentence indicates.
34. lollygagger --- one who fools round
35 condescension --- treating someone in a way that shows one is superior to the other
36. Rephrase the sentence
So today he does much better. … to which men fall.
Since he has perfected this strategy, he makes ends meet today --- people tend to
give him money; he really is not a bum --- he has a job. He is now in a position
to look down upon others who have unfortunately become bums.
37. Paragraph 4 has two parts. Where is the dividing point? What has effected the
young black man’s improvement? Can you think of one word that best describes
his attitude as indicated by the last sentence of paragraph 4?
the word “however” in line 40
He has changed his way of begging by trying to appeal to people’s sympathy
“self-satisfied”
38. The phrase “for example” at the beginning of paragraph 5 indicates that an
example is provided for illustration. What is the example? And what does it
illustrate?
the old man described in paragraph 5
This is used to illustrate “the states to which men fall,” upon which the young
black man can look with condescension now.
39. 1905 tiles --- tiles which were put in as early as 1905
40. slouch --- sit in a tired way with one’s shoulders drooping down
41. congealed --- stiffened
42. color of congealed Wheatena laced with pocket lint --- ashen grey speckled with
pale white
Wheatena is the brand name of a cereal. Congealed Wheatena is cooked cereal
which has cooled off and become thick and almost solid. Pocket lint is the fluff
or fuzz one finds in the pocket.
43. juice-head --- (slang) alcoholic
44. wino --- one who is chronically addicted to drinking wine
45 green fatigues --- plain green clothes
46. Rephrase the last sentence
People briefly look at his body, which is covered with lint and dirt, but walk right
on by him. No one knows how long it will be before two policemen spot him. They
will have to hold their breath from his stench when they take him to the police
station. They will give him a set of green work clothes which will make him more
presentable --- presentable enough to have a seat on the subway at night next to
other presentable people.
47. In writing a description, the writer’s choice of words should be both accurate and
effective so that he presents the right picture to his readers and also produces the
intended effect on them. Wolfe has successfully attained both aims. What effect
would have been lost if he had used “pouring” and “groups” respectively for
“squeezing” and “clots” (paragraph 5)? Try to find other similar instances in the
selection.
Few descriptions are “pure” descriptions, i.e. the author aims at accurately
presenting a picture only, without concerning himself with what he has presented.
Wolfe’s attitude towards the New York City subway is definitely unfavorable; that
is why he has chose among a group of synonyms the ones with negative
connotations.
Similar instances include: oleaginous (line 11), haunts (line 15), maniacal (line 21),
scrape him up (line 60) instead of their connotationally more neutral synonyms
“mushy, frequents, crazy, remove”.
Unit Four
Text I
Style and Purpose
I. About the Author
Randolph Quirk (1920-), British university professor and official, has taught in
University College, London; Yale University and the University of Michigan, U.S>A.;
University of Durham, etc. He is Vice-Chancellor of the University of London (1981-)
and Chairman of the Committee of Enquiry into Speech Therapy Services, British
Council English Committee (1976-). Among his publications are: The Use of English
(1962), A Grammar of Contemporary English (1972, with Greenbaum, Leech,
Svartvik), and Style and Communication in the English Language (1982). The text is
an excerpt from Chapter 14 in The Use of English.
II. Organization and Development
Para 2 Example: riding a bike
Point to illustrate: learn to be conventional before trying to be original
Para 3 Examples: “freezing hot-ice-cream”, “Bitter Sweet”
Point to illustrate: Unconventionality can sometimes produce special effect
Paras 4-5 Example: letter-beginnings and endings
Point to illustrate: Style varies on a scale; mixing different styles may have
harmful effect.
Paras 6-7 Example: phrases like “incredible insight, lofty flights of imagination, …”
Point to illustrate: Common collocations when used indiscriminately become
clichés, the use of which should be avoided, especially in writing
III. Notes
1. the intricacy of co-ordination in using language--- the complexities involved in the
arrangement, combination, and organization of words
2. constraints --- restrictions, limitations
3. as we saw in the previous chapter, in the different constraints operating in speech
and writing --- The previous chapter refers to Chapter 13, entitled “Problems of
Usage,” in the author’s The Use of English (1968). In this chapter, the author
discusses the selection of “linguistic expressions which will not merely suit the
topic but which will suit our audience.” In other words, “language must be used
not merely to “get out”” what we have in our minds but also to “get it across” as
completely and effectively as possible to someone else. Moreover, the author
points out that apart from grammar and vocabulary, there are constraints such as 1)
effective communication of the simplest utterances depending on the extent to
which it fits in with the listener’s expectations, and these expectations are largely
derived from his previous experience in the language, 2) the ease with which a
mode of expression may be understood, 3) the use of redundancy, 4) habitual
collocations, 5) punctuation, and 6) avoidance of ambiguity, clumsiness, or
obscurity, etc.
4. Rephrase the sentence:
Part of the intricacy …
What makes the use of a language complicated can partly be explained by the fact
that there are many restrictions upon the spoken and written forms (of the
language)
5. Rephrase the sentence
The stylistic range of English is wide…
The ways of expressing thoughts through the use of the English language vary so
much that it is practically impossible to classify them neatly.
6. congruous with --- compatibale with
7. scale --- a graded series / scheme / system of rank of order, something graded
especially when used as a measure or rule
8. on this scale --- on the scale of styles, for example, the five-point scale of style
from frozen, formal, consultative, casual, to intimate as devised by Martin Joos in
his The Five Clocks: A Linguistic Excursion in the Five Styles of English Usage
(1961).
9. What does “this scale” in line 8 refer to?
The stylistic range of English.
10. conventions of collocation --- generally accepted practice of placing words
together in a way that sounds natural
11. What are the major factors that constrain a user of language when he is putting
words together to form discourse?
The conventions of collocation: what words can go together
Grammar: rules governing the formation of sentences
Stylistic constraints: selection of the appropriate style and consistency in style
12. Rephrase the sentence
It may seem paradoxical to lay such …
It probably sounds contradictory that while some are trying to encourage people to
be creative in their application of the English language, we seem to be so particular
about the accepted rules that govern the formal use of the language.
13. “Look, Mother: no hands!” --- This is what a child might say to his mother when
he has his hands off the handlebars of the bicycle when cycling, which is rather
unconventional.
14. the art of cycling in the conventional manner --- the skill of writing in the
customary way. Here,, an analogy is made between the skill of writing and the art
of cycling. A person who can write at will is compared to a cyclist who can ride his
bicycle at ease.
15. How does Quirk compare progress in the art of writing with riding a bike?
Before you have mastered the art of cycling in the conventional manner, e.g.
holding the bar with both hands, you should not try to be unconventional by
removing your hands from it. The same rule applies to the use of language.
16. the words of Mr. Robert Graves --- the quoted words are: “every English poet
should… master the rules of grammar before he attempts to bend or break them”
(The Times, 21 October 1961), from Chapter 13 of the author’s The Use of English
(1968), p.231.
Robert Graves (1895-1985), English poet, has sought personal integrity in his
poetry, avoiding fashion.
17. norm --- a standard, e.g. of behavior or ability, that is regarded as average or
generally accepted
18. Rephrase the sentence
Without a norm …
It is no sense easy for us even to tell what creativeness really is or how
creativeness is to be achieved, unless we have some criterion to base our judgment
on.
19. fetching gimmick --- tempting name or device to attract attention
20. hoary witticism --- a very old amusing remark
21. The hand that rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket. --- Mother died.
This is a combination of two phrases. “The hand that rocked the cradle” is the first
half of the saying “The hand that rocked the cradle rules the world,” meaning “the
example and influence of a mother are powerful and far-reaching in their effect.”
“Kick the bucket” is a slang phrase meaning “die.”
22. tension --- imbalance; opposition
23. formalities --- a way of writing letters in accordance with accepted rules for
official occasions
24. “Further to yours of the 23rd ult.” --- “With reference to your letter of the 23rd of
the last month”
further to --- with reference to. This is a phrase used in old-fashioned business
letters.
ult. --- ultimo, meaning “of last month.” This is used after a date in a business letter,
but its use is becoming rare.
25. What point or points does Quirk want to make with the various example he cites
in paragraph 4 and 5 which are related to letter-writing?
Adopt the style suitable to the situation of use, and do not mix different styles.
26. … what was said in the previous chapter about expected collocations. --- In
Chapter 13, entitled “Problems of Usage,” in The Use of English, the author
mentions “an amusing instance” of misunderstanding caused by “expected
collocations.” In a television programme in the autumn of 1959, the British Prime
Minister, Mr. Harold Macmillan, was discussing political problems with President
Dwight Eisenhower of the U. S. A., and one remark by Mr. Macmillan, “We never
jobbed backwards” (meaning: “We haven’t spent our time resentfully thinking of
what might have been.”) was reported by The Times as “We’ve never jogged
backwards.” The mistaken reportage made in both cases was due to the fact that the
expression used by Mr. Macmillan was not commonly understood. Thus, the
reporters, influenced by normally expected collocations of the word backwards,
produced their own versions.
27. Harold Pinter (1930- ), English dramatist, studied acting at the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art and began his theatrical career as an actor. Pinter is the most
significant English playwright of the 1960s and one of the most original dramatists
of the twentieth century. The superficial structure of his plays conforms to the
conventions of the realistic theater, but the relationships of his characters and the
sequence of dialogues and events are unconventional, unpredictable, and
ambiguous. His plays are often about how people maneuver verbally for power
over each other. The use of understatement, small talk, reticence, and even silence,
conveys the substance of a character’s thought, which often lies several layers
beneath and contradicts his speech. It is difficult to explain the meaning of Pinter’s
plays in a conventional sense.
28. Rephrase the sentence
we may not feel any…
We may not think it at all disagreeable or offensive, which is typical of our feeling
about a cliché.
29. Is there a hard-and-fast rule that forbids the use of clichés?
No. Everything depends on what is expected at particular points in the stylistic
range. For example, “incredible insight” may well be accepted when used in
criticism that is spoken on an informal occasion.
30. indiscriminately --- without making judgments or a proper choice
31. consummate --- perfect
32. hackneyed --- meaningless because used and repeated too often; trite
33. tautologous --- unnecessarily repetitive, obvious
34. veribage --- too many unnecessary words in speech or writing
35. woolliness --- confusion, obscurity
Unit Five
TEXT I
The Santa Ana
I. About the Author
The author --- Joan Didion (1934 - ), U.S. novelist, essayist, journalist, and film
scenarist, received her B.A. degree from the University of California at Berkeley in
1956. She is a native of California. Her principal works are the novels Run River
(1963), Play It As It Lays (1970), A Book of Common Prayers (1977), and a collection
of essays entitled Slouching Towards Bethlhem (1968), in which the present text
appears. In this essay, Didion describes some of the tension of life in Los Angeles,
California, U.S.A.
II. Organization and Development
The purpose is to show how greatly weather condition can affect the life quality
of man. This is not clearly stated until the end of the passage. After a detailed
description of the various effects winds like Santa Ana can produce on people, such a
conclusion becomes self-evident.
Follow the order of the paragraphs.
Paragraph 1: how she feels when a Santa Ana is approaching
Paragraph 2: what she was told and how she understands what she was told; the way
her neighbor behaves
Paragraph 3: what another person has written about the Santa Ana, and reported
effects of similar winds
Paragraph 4: fires caused by the Santa Ana in Los Angeles
Paragraph 5: effects of the longest Santa Ana, which struck the city in 1958
She begins with the most immediate, and personal ones, and then goes on to the
less immediate ones, i.e. those provided by others and effects of winds similar to the
Santa Ana, and concludes with details directly related to Los Angeles.
There are very few examples related to her personal experience. This gives more
strength to what she tries to exemplify; what she feels about the Santa Ana is not
idiosyncratic, but generally recognized, among those living in Southern California.
III. Notes
1. Throughout the passage, Didion has given two definitions of the Santa Ana. Where
can you find them?
“… a hot wind from the northeast whining down through the Cajon and …” in
paragraph 1 and “The Santa Ana, which is named for one of … is a foehn wind… it
occurs on the leeward slope of a mountain range and … appears finally as a clold
mass” in paragraph 3.
2. the Cajon --- a mountain pass in Southern California, to the northeast of Los
Angeles. Its elevation is 4260 feet (ca. 1400 meters).
3. (the) San Gorgonio Pass --- a mountain pass in southern California, to the east of
Los Angeles. Its elevation is 2616 feet (ca.800 meters).
4. Route 66 --- one of the state highways in California near Los Angeles
5. flash point --- the lowest temperature at which the vapor from oil will burn if a
flame is put near it; a point at which violent actions may be expected
6. How do you understand the phrase “… a hot wind …, drying the hills and the
nerves to the flash point” in paragraph 1?
The wind is so hot and dry that it causes forests on the hills to become easily
inflammable and it drives people to the breaking point.
7. hear sirens in the night --- From the context, the “sirens” refers to those used on
fire engines.
8. sulk --- be silently bad-tempered
9. cut my losses --- give up trying (in order to avoid negative results)
10. The words “mechanistic” has occurred twice in this passage. Where? What do you
think the word actually means?
In the last sentence of paragraphs 1 and 3.
Pertaining to the theory of mechanism, especially phenomena explainable only
by reference to physical or biological factors.
11. mechanistic --- tending to explain all actions of living things as if they were
machines; explaining an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon by physical
or chemical processes
12. a … mechanistic view of human behavior--- explaining human behavior as being
determined by forces of nature or natural phenomena
13. Rephrase the sentence
To live with the Santa Ana … view of human behavior.
When confronted by the Santa Ana, one has to believe, willingly or unwillingly,
that people’s acts are controlled by natural forces.
14. the Indians --- the American Indians, or native people in North America
15. surreal --- having a strange dreamlike unreal quality
16. trespasser --- one who enters privately owned property without permission
17. Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), U.S. novelist and screenwriter, famous for his
tough crime novel
18. booze party --- a party at which people consume alcoholic drinks excessively
19. What does the sentence “Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and
study their husbands’ necks” in paragraph 3 suggest?
The wind has such an exasperating effect on people that it can even put the meek
little wives into a vicious killing mood.
20. Rephrase the sentence
That was the kind of wind it was.
That was the type of impact brought about by the wind.
21. bear out --- support the truth of
22. Rephrase the sentence
I did not know then that there was any … wisdom.
I was not able to figure out at that time how such an impact could have been
possible, but it is yet one more instance where science has proved man’s instinctive
wiseness in his hypothesis that anything can happen in a natural calamity like this.
23. What does the sentence “… science bears out folk wisdom” in paragraph 3 mean?
People’s intuitions are proved to be scientifically sound and valid.
24. a foehn wind --- a warm, dry wind that blows down the side of a mountain. Foehns
occur frequently in the Alps of Europe, where they usually blow from a southerly
direction. In the winter, the foehn is easily recognizable, because it brings fair,
warm weather.
25. hamsin --- a variant spelling of Khamsin, hot dust-laden winds originating in the
Sahara desert
26. malevolent --- having a wish to harm others, showing intense ill will; here, strong,
adverse, harmful
27. mistral --- a cold wind which blows occasionally from the north, especially in
winter, and brings unusually cold weather to Mediterranean France
28. sirroco --- a strong southerly wind that blows from the Sahara desert and affects
principally the countries surrounding the central part of the Mediterranean Sea
29. leeward slope --- the slope which is sheltered from the wind
30. Swiss cantons --- territorial divisions in Switzerland. In Switzerland, there are
twenty-two cantons and six demi-cantons. They are the basic units of the Swiss
Confederation.
31. mitigating circumstance --- fact that makes an act (in this context, a crime) less
serious
32. To what extent can science account for the effect winds like the Santa Ana have on
people’s behavior?
Refer to the last few lines of paragraph 3: “… for ten or twelve hours which
precede them, the air carries an unusually high ratio of positive to negative
ions … what an excess of positive ions does is make people unhappy.”
33. torrential --- (rain) pouring down rapidly and in great quantities
34. incendiary --- causing fires
35. Malibu --- a small city in southern California to the west of Los Angeles
36. Bel Air --- western residential section of Los Angeles
37. Santa Barbara --- a resort city in southern California, 160 km. Northwest of Los
Angeles
38. the San Gabriel Mountains --- mountain ranges in southern California, to the
northeast of Los Angeles
39. What misconception do Easterners have of the weather in California? How would
you describe the weather in California based on the passage?
Easterners tend to think that the weather in Southern California lacks seasonal
variation.
Generally agreeable but not totally free of extremely violent outbursts of
disastrous rains and winds.
40. How do you interpret the sentence “… what it is about the place” in paragraph 5?
How it affects the place
41. Rephrase the sentence
Just to watch the front-page… about the place.
Read the cover page of any newspaper about Los Angeles when it has been hit by
a Santa Ana, and you will be able to understand / will not fail to imagine what
has become of the city.
42. Force 12 … on the Beaufort Scale --- The Beaufort scale is a scale in which the
force of the wind is indicated by numbers from 0 to 12. It was devised (ca. 1805)
by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort of the British navy. Force 12 wind is violent and
destructive, its velocity is 73-82 miles (117-131 km.) per hour. The term for
Force 12 wind used in U.S. National Weather Service forecast is hurricane.
43. oil derricks --- a tower built over an oil well to raise and lower the drill
44. people ordered off the downtown streets --- People were ordered to stay away
from the downtown streets.
45. a box score --- a day-by-day count
46. Pasedena --- a city in southern California, ca. 16 km. northeast of Los Angeles. It
is a residential, industrial, and educational center lying in the foothills of the San
Gabriel Mountains.
47. South Gate --- an industrial city in southern California just south of Los Angeles
48. radically --- drastically; severely
49. Rephrase the sentence
It is hard for people who have not lived in … in the local imagination.
Only those who have lived in Los Angeles can possibly picture how vividly
people feel about a Santa Ana.
50. Nathanael West (1902-1940), U.S. novelist, was employed from the mid-1930s in
Hollywood as a motion-picture scriptwriter. The Day of the Locust (1939), his
most mature work and a striking commentary on his Hollywood experience,
exposes the bizarre characters and the boredom surrounding the motion-picture
industry. He was killed in an automobile accident near El Centro, California.
51. indelibly --- unforgettably, memorably, ineradicably
52. the Harbor Freeway --- one of the freeways or expressways in Los Angeles. A
freeway is a very wide road built for fast travel. It is called a motorway in
Britain.
53. New England --- a term first used by the early settlers from England which refers
to the extreme northeastern section of the U.S.A. The area now encompasses the
states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
Connecticut.
54. accentuate --- make (something) more noticeable
55. how close to the edge we are --- “Edge” here means the point at which something
dreadful and menacing may start to happen; or the “breaking point.”
56. What does the pronoun “its” in “its impermanence” and “its unreliability” near the
end of the passage refer to?
The quality of life in Los Angeles
57. What comparison can you find in the last paragraph? Which structure is used to
make the comparison?
the different weather condition in New England and Los Angeles and how they
affect the way of life in the two places
The structure “As …, so …” is used.
58. What do you think is Didion’s attitude toward a natural force like the Santa Ana?
Support your view with sentences from the text?
She feels powerless in the face of blows dealt by nature; she believes that man
cannot surmount the vagaries of nature.
Note especially the last sentence of paragraph 1 and the last two sentences of the
passage.
59. In the simplest terms, a wind like the Santa Ana, as Didion puts it, “makes people
unhappy” (paragraph 3). Pick out specific instances from the text to explain what
is meant by “unhappy.”
In paragraph 1, “The baby frets. The maid sulks. I rekindle a waning argument…”
In paragraph 2, “… the Indians would throw themselves into the sea … one woke
in the night troubled… My only neighbor would not come out of her house for
days, and there were no lights at night, and her husband roamed the place with a
machete.”
In paragraph 3, “every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the
edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks… doctors hear about
headaches and nausea and allergies, about “nervousness” and “depression”… the
children become unmanageable… the suicide rate goes up… blood does not clot
normally.”
In paragraph 5, “… a prominent Pasadena attorney, depressed about money, shot
and killed his wife, their two sons, and himself.”
Unit Six
TEXT I
How to Get Things Done
I. The Author --- Robert Charles Benchley (1889-1945), U.S. humorist, was drama
critic of Life (1920-29) and New Yorker (1929-40), and star of fifty short films. He
was one of the foremost writers of humorous nonfiction, theater reviews and book
reviews from the 1920s to the mid-1940s. Among his books are: No Poems: Or
Around the World Backwards and Sideways (1932), From Bed to Worse: Or
Comforting Thoughts About the Bison (1934), Benchley Roundup (1954), and
Benchley Lost and Found (1970). The present text was written for the New York
Tribune in 1930.
II. Organization and Development
Introduction --- paras.1-4
Body --- paras. 5-18
End --- paras. 19-20
The beginning of the body is marked by the sentence “Let us see how this works
out in practice.” And the first few words of para.19 “And so you see…” mark the end
of the narration and also bring in the conclusion.
Words, phrases, and even sentences are used to make clear the elapse of time, e.g.
Then (para.8), before the afternoon is half over (para.12), in a few hours (para.18).
The purpose of using these time markers is to make the reader aware how well the
author is getting along with his work schedule (or how far behind the schedule he is).
III. Notes
1. dissipated --- typical of a person who wastes his life in search of foolish or
dangerous pleasure
2. rotogravure --- a photogravure process in which the impression is produced by a
rotary press
3. the rotogravure sections and society notes --- sections of newspapers devoted to
rotogravure pictures and to news about the socially distinguished people
4. riding to hounds --- going fox-hunting on horseback
5. Louis XIV (1638-1715) was King of France (1643-1715), the longest reign in
French history. During his minority, the real power was in the hands of Cardinal
Mazarin. His majority was declared in 1651, but he did not take over the
government until Mazarin’s death in 1661. It was under Louis XIV that absolute
monarchy, based on the theory of divine right, that is, the doctrine that sovereigns
derive their right to rule by their birth alone, reached its height. Louis XIV adopted
the Sun as his personal emblem, and he is therefore called the Sun King. His reign
can be characterized by the remark attributed to him, “L’etat, c’est moi”, meaning
“I am the state.” His reign was superficially splendid, but basically disastrous for
France.
6. spelling out GREETINGS TO CALIDORNIA in formation with three thousand
school children --- Benchley joined three thousand school children who marched in
a procession showing the words GREETINGS TO CALIDORNIA.
7. “All work and all play” --- This is a play on the saying “All work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy.”
People assume that I am a genius in that I know how to work hard and how to
enjoy myself at the same time.
8. Rephrase the sentence
The psychological principle is this:
According to a psychological theory, a man who intends to avoid the thing he has
to do would be more than willing to engage himself in a thousand other things he
does not have to do.
9. What is the psychological principle the author adheres to? How do you interpret it?
In para.4, “Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is
supposed to be doing at that moment.” This may sound a bit paradoxical. On the
other hand, it could serve as a good excuse for procrastination --- I don’t have to do
what I’m scheduled to do; somehow what is supposed to get done will be done; on
the other hand, there seems to be some truth in it --- just keep on working and do
not mind the schedule; sooner or later you will get done what you are supposed to
get done.
10. Of the five things the author was supposed to do before the end of the week,
which do you think is the most important one? How did he list these five tasks?
The writing of the newspaper article.
The most important, but also the most laborious task, is placed last on his list.
He knew that even if he had placed this one on top of all others, he would still
have got this one done last. The other four tasks are either more interesting or less
laborious than this one.
9. this paper --- apparently referring to the New York Tribune
10. With these five tasks staring me in the face --- With these five tasks to be done
immediately or urgently. “Stare someone in the face” means “be too obvious to
miss”.
11. expenditure --- exertion; using up
12. Mens sana in corpore sano --- (Latin) A sound mind in a sound body
13. Rephrase the sentence
I feel that the least that I can do is to treat my …
I believe that I should not allow myself to be cruel to my own health, because a
physically sound body is vital for an ever-thinking man like me.
14. glutinous --- sticky
15. Rephrase the sentence
We workers must keep cool and calm, otherwise we would …
If we are not able to face a problem calmly, we are simply wasting our time,
rushing about, and accomplishing nothing.
16. fidget --- move or act restlessly or nervously
17. Dr. Charles William Beebe (1877-1962), U.S. biologist, explorer, and writer on
natural history who combined biological research with a rare literary skill. From
1899 he was associated with the New York Zoological Society as curator of
ornithology and director of the Department of Tropical Research. His books on
birds, fishes, and insects are full of charm and fascinating observations.
18. “Silver Hatchet” fish (Argyopelius) --- a deep-sea, large mouthed, hatchet-shaped
fish, deep in front, slender toward the tail and thin from side to side.
19. onerous --- difficult; burdensome; troublesome
20. Viper fish --- eel-shaped deep-sea fish with gaping mouths and large fangs
21. grind --- dreary monotonous routine
22. How many times has Benchley made mention of his conscience in the article?
And for what purpose?
Twice. In para.14, “…do much to salve my conscience.” In para.16, “…with a
perfectly clear conscience…” His purpose is to tell his readers that he did know
what he should be doing at that moment, and he felt guilty for not doing that, but
the sense of guilt was dulled by a seemingly good reason. This is the kind of
mentality typical of procrastinators.
23. Rephrase the sentence
Now, if there is one thing that I hate to do…
If there is anything I dislike doing, and there certainly is, it is answering
correspondence.
24. epistolary --- relating to letter writing
25. get into the swing of --- become very involved in something and enjoy doing it
26. Antwerp was the principal seaport of Belgium and one of the major seaports in
Europe. It is Belgium’s largest city and second largest metropolitan area. A historic
city and cultural center, Antwerp is noted for its many old and beautiful building
and collections of Dutch and Flemish paintings.
27. copy-paper --- paper for the author’s article. Here, “copy” is used in the sense of
“written material to be printed”.
28. salve --- soothe, relieve, make less painful
29. I am up with one of the older and more sluggish larks --- I get up rather late. The
phrase “up with the lark” means “to get out of bed very early in the morning.”
When the lark is “older and more sluggish,” naturally it will not be up so early.
30. dynamo --- a machine which turns some other kind of power into electricity
31. snake-charming --- (entertaining people by) controlling the behavior of a snake by
playing music
32. avowed --- self-declared
33. bracket --- a piece of metal, wood, or plastic, often L-shaped, that is fastened to a
wall to support (a shelf)
34. to one’s chagrin --- to one’s annoyance and disappointment, caused by failure or
unfulfilled hopes
35. kill two birds with one stone --- get two good results from one action
36. spick and span --- completely clean and tidy
37. William Hogarth (1697 - 1764), English engraver and painter, was the most
important of the early English artists. The value of his work is in the brilliance of
its social and moral satire. In his many series of paintings and engravings, he
criticized, with savage humor, the vices and follies of eighteenth-century
Londoners. His works are especially notable for the accuracy of detail with which
they depict the dress and manners of the time. Hogarth is also known for his
masterful portraits. Examples of Hogarth’s paintings can be found in Encyclopedia
Americana, Collier’s Encyclopedia, and Merit Students Encyclopedia.
38. “stills” --- photographs of scenes from a (cinema) film
39. Apart from putting off writing the newspaper article, what other evidence can we
find that Benchley is disposed to procrastinate?
The article was written in 1930, but some of the unanswered letters dated from
1928.
40. How was the writing of the newspaper article procrastinated again and again on
that day?
Go through the paragraphs beginning from para. 6 --- storing up strength before he
started doing anything at all, sharpening five pencils but not for writing, thumbing
through the pile of magazines he had purposely placed within reach. Then, back to
the article. Wrote the title. But, his eye caught the basket of letters. Wrote a few
letters. By then he was determined to put it off until the next day. Look for
information in books, so the need to put up the bookshelves, so the need to go out
and buy the nails and the brackets, and why not a hair-cut on the way? So two days
passed and he had done four of five things (a big victory!), but not the article.
41. How does Benchley mock at himself and other procrastinators?
They always have a good reason for not doing what they are supposed to do. Mind
they do not stand idle; instead, they always have something to do and always get
something done, too.
42. What is the author’s tone for paragraph 19?
Happy, content, triumphant, justified
43. How do you understand the concluding paragraph of the article?
A very humorous ending. He seems to be worried that he is going at too fast a rate
and that he will have no more things to do except the writing of the article.
44. Benchley is considered a master of non sequitur humor, i.e. humor based on
irrelevance or illogicality between adjacent statements. Try to find examples in
paragraphs 1,3,6, and 11.
Para 1. --- …asked me how I managed to get so much work done and still keep
looking so dissipated
Para. 3. --- …have refined it so that it is now almost too refined. I shall have to
begin coarsening it up again pretty soon.
Para.6 --- With these five tasks staring me in the face… that I go right back to bed
as soon as I have had breakfast…
Para 11 --- …but to learn that it has eyes in them is a discovery so astounding that I
am hardly able to cut out the picture.
Unit Seven
TEXT I
The Aims of Education
I. About the author
II. Organization and Development
First part: paras. 1-3
Second part: paras. 4-9
In the first part:
1. Distinction between culture and training
2. Inert ideas, ideas passively received without being utilized, are not only
useless but even harmful to education
In the second part:
1. Two educational commandments
2. Ideas should be combined and put into application
3. The understanding provided by the literary side of education: the joining of
ideas
4. The understanding provided by the scientific side of education: the proof of
ideas; propositions should be used in combination
5. The relation between theory and utilization
III. Notes
1. culture --- This might be understood as “general knowledge” as contrasted with
the “expert knowledge in some special direction” in line 4.
2. Rephrase the sentence
A merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on God’s earth.
A person equipped only with book knowledge is the least useful person to
humanity.
3. Rephrase the sentence
Their expert knowledge …
Their specialized expertise helps prepare them for their prospective intellectual
development, and their ability to think will contribute to the perfection of their
reasoning and judgment.
4. Whitehead makes an important distinction in the first paragraph. What is it? How
do you interpret it?
The distinction between culture and training.
Training refers to the acquisition of skills and information, which is part of
education, but not the most essential part; culture refers to the cultivation of the
ability to think, to make discoveries, which is the ultimate aim of education.
5. Archbishop Temple (1821-1902), English archbishop of Canterbury from 1896 to
1902, graduated from Oxford University with high honors in 1842. He served as
headmaster of Rugby School from 1858 to 1869.
6. Rugby --- referring to Rugby School, one of England’s oldest public schools and
one of the most prestigious.
7. Rephrase the sentence
Surprise was expressed at the success in …
However mediocre one might have been as a school boy at Rugby, it was still
possible for him to stand out surprisingly from all others when he grew up.
8. What is the topic sentence of paragraph 3? How is it supported in the paragraph?
Inert ideas are not only useless but even harmful.
Schools of learning, overladen with inert ideas exhibit pedantry and routine.
Women, who are uneducated and thus not infected with inert ideas, are the more
cultured part of their community.
Intellectual revolutions fail to have the desired effect when they, in their turn, bind
humanity with inert ideas of their own fashioning.
9. corruptio optimi, pessima --- (Latin) the corruption of the best is the worst of all
10. What does “it” in line 26 refer to?
An intellectual revolution
11. Where in the selection do we find a turn of direction? How is it indicated?
Beginning from paragraph 4. White proceeds from criticisms of education to what
should be done to guard against such mental dryrot.
“Let us now ask…”
12. Rephrase the sentence
The child should make them his own,…
The young person should try to acquire these important ideas until he has fully
mastered them, and also should learn to use these ideas in diverse contexts in life,
when they are needed.
13. understanding --- Here, “understanding” does not refer to the intellectual grasp of
ideas. It refers rather to the comprehension of life by means of ideas in a sense
which includes more than logical analysis.
14. “To understand all, is to forgive all.” --- When all the facts are known and
understood, it is possible to forgive a person for anything.
15. Saint Augustine (354 - 430), Bishop of Hippo, Christian theologian and
philosopher, was the most eminent of the Latin Church Fathers, whose writings
influenced all later Christian thought. He is generally recognized as the greatest
thinker of Christian antiquity.
16. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was general and emperor of France and one of
the most celebrated personages in the history of the West.
17. Whitehead has referred to a number of common notions in the text such as culture,
understanding, and prove. How are they defined differently by the author as
compared with the way they are normally interpreted?
“culture” --- normally defied as education or a set of beliefs shared by members of
a community is defined by Whitehead as activity of though, etc. In contrast with
informedness, culture means the ability to think, to judge, and to create.
“understanding” --- not just logical analysis, but in the sense it is used in the
French proverb “To understand all, is to forgive all.”
“prove” --- not just to show the truth of some idea, but the worth of it.
18. Which does Whitehead think is more apt to convey disconnected ideas to students,
the literary side of education or the scientific side? Explain your answer.
The literary side of education
With regard to literature, the present is the meeting hall of the saints; temporal
distance matters little, brilliant ideas raised in the past are as valuable at the
present time as they were at the time when they were brought up.
In scientific training, the first thing to do with an idea is to prove it, but this proof
of truth does not necessarily constitute the first introduction to the idea.
19. How does Whitehead emphasize the importance of the present in paragraph 6?
Why does he think the present is so important?
The present is where ideas are connected, it is the hall of meeting for all past
saints and the point of departure for the future.
20. Rephrase the sentence
No more deadly harm can be done to young minds than by depreciation of the
present.
Undervaluing this day and age is most detrimental to the intellectual development
of the young.
21. What are the two processes involved in the proof of an idea?
Proof of truth and proof of appreciation, an appreciation of the importance or the
worth of the idea
22. In paragraph 5, Whitehead advocates the combination of ideas which are
introduced into a child’s education. How is this point echoed later in the text?
In paragraph 9. Propositions should not be used in isolation. Interrelated truths are
utilized en bloc, and the various propositions are employed in any order and with
any reiteration.
23. What does Whitehead propose concerning the teaching of theory?
Theory should be taught with application. Theoretical exposition should be short
and simple, but thorough and accurate.
24. en bloc --- (French) as a whole, all together as a single unit
Unit Eight
TEXT I
Fifth Avenue, Uptown: A Letter from Harlem
James Baldwin
I. Introductory Remarks to the Text
Since we have learnt American Literature last term, we all know Ralph Waldo
Ellison and his Invisible Man (1952).
Ralph Ellison was a midwesterner, born in Oklahoma, who studied at Tuskegee
Institute in the southern United States. He had one of the strangest career in American
letters --- consisting of one highly acclaimed book, and nothing more. The novel is
Invisible Man (1952), the story of a black man who lives a subterranean existence in a
hole brightly illuminated by electricity stolen from a utility company. The book
recounts his grotesque, disenchanting experiences. When he wins a scholarship to a
black college, he is humiliated by whites; when he gets to the college, he witnesses
the black president spurning black American concerns. Life is corrupt outside college,
too. For example, even religion is no consolation: A preacher turns out to be a
criminal. The novel indicts society for failing to provides its citizens --- black and
white --- with viable ideals and institutions for realizing them. It embodies a powerful
racial theme because the “invisible man” is invisible not in himself but because others,
blinded by prejudice, cannot see him for who he is.
II. Background Knowledge about the Author
James Baldwin (1924-1987) and Ralph Ellison mirror the African-American
experience of the 1950s. Their characters suffer from a lack of identity, rather than
from over-ambition. Baldwin, the oldest of nine children born to a Harlem, New York,
family, was the foster of a minister. As a youth, Baldwin occasionally preached in the
church. This experience helped shape the compelling, oral quality of Baldwin’s prose,
most clearly seen in his excellent essays, such as “Letter from a Region Of My
Mind,” from the collection The Fire Next Time (1963). In this, he argued movingly for
an end to separation between the races.
Baldwin’s first novel, the autobiographical Go Tell It On the Mountain (1953), is
probably his best known. It is the story of a 14-year-old youth who seeks
self-knowledge and religious faith as he wrestles with issues of Christian conversation
in storefront church. Other important Baldwin works include Another Country (1962),
a novel about racial issues and homosexuality, and Nobody Knows My Name (1961), a
collection of passionate personal essays about racism, the role of the artist, and
literature.
III. Organization and Development
The present text is an excerpt taken from a longer article; nevertheless, it still
enjoys integrity in terms of organization. Clearly, it contains two major parts. What
are they? How do they jointly contribute to the primary purpose of the author?
Furthermore, we should consider how the paragraphs in each of the two parts are
interrelated. Identify the topic sentence of each paragraph and see how the paragraphs
are developed and supported, taking note especially of the way argumentation
alternates with other forms of discourse.
First part --- paras. 1-3
Second part --- paras. 4-5
The first part deals with the ghetto itself and Blacks’ reaction to it, and the
second with the police and Blacks’ hatred of white domination.
Both parts are related to the central theme of the writing: Blacks have been
despised by the white world; they find the insult unbearable; and they want to be
treated equally.
The topic sentence of paragraph 1: The projects in Harlem are hated. This is
developed to a great extent in the second paragraph, the topic sentence of which is
“The projects are hideous”, and is reiterated in an even stronger version at the end of
the paragraph: “the projects would still be hated because they are an insult to the
meanest intelligence.” In this paragraph, we also find a solid description of the
projects (hideous in two senses) to support the author’s argument.
The topic sentence of paragraph 3: A ghetto can be improved in one way only:
out of existence. Here, we find the strongest statement of the author’s view with
regard to the projects.
The topic sentence of paragraph 4: the only way to police a ghetto is to be
oppressive. Note the key word in this statement is “oppressive.”
The transition between paragraphs 4 and 5 is indicated by “on the other hand.”
The topic sentence of paragraph 5 is the last sentence: Negroes want to be treated
like men. This implies that at present they are not being treated like men because of
segregation and oppression, no matter how good-natured and innocent the white
policemen are.
In the first paragraph, the author says they are hated almost as much as
policemen, and this is saying a great deal. Obviously, the text can be divided into two
parts.
The theory of clause relations put forward by Michael Hoey has three discourse
patterns (Problem-Solution Pattern, Matching Pattern, General-Particular Pattern),
based on this theory, this text belongs to Problem-Solution pattern. The common
mode for this pattern is: situation---problem---reaction---evaluation.
Part I
1. Situation:
a) Lexical signals: The projects are hated. (Hated is the lexical signal to show the
situation.)
b) Narrative question (through repetition): They are hated almost as much as
policemen, and this is saying a great deal. (to express the degree to which the hatred
is)
c) Interpretative question (through conjuncts): And they are hated for the same
reason: both reveal, unbearably, the real attitude of the white world. (to express the
reason)
d) Subordinate relationship (subordinators): no matter how many liberal speeches
are made, no matter how many lofty editorials are written, no matter how many civil
rights commissions are set up. (by means of three parallel subordinators, the
deep-rooted hatred is clearly demonstrated here.)
2. Problem:
a) Lexical signals: The projects are hideous.( popular housing shall be as
cheerless as a prison)
b) narrative question: They are lumped all over Harlem, colorless, bleak, high
and revolting.
c) interpretative question (through several parallel parts, three semicolons are used
here to illustrate the problems on all aspects): The wide windows look out on
Harlem’s invincible and indescribable squalor: the present dark community began
about forty years ago (old); the unrehabilitated houses, bowed down, it would seem,
under the great weight of frustration and bitterness they contain; the dark, ominous
schoolhouses from which the child may emerge maimed, blinded, hooked, or
enraged for life; and the churches, churches, block upon churches, niched in the
walls like cannon in the walls of a fortress.
d) Subordinate relationship (by means of subordinators to illustrate the seriousness
of the problem): Even if the administration of the projects were not so insanely
humiliating, the projects would still be hated because they are an insult to the
meanest intelligence.
3. Reaction:
a)
lexical signals: Slum or ghetto (Harlem got its first private project, Riverton
--- which is now, naturally, a slum)
narrative question: (what are the reactions?) they hated it long before the
builders arrived. They began hating it at about the time people began moving
out of their condemned houses to make room for this additional proof of how
thoroughly the white world despised them. And they had scarcely moved in,
naturally, before they began smashing windows, defacing walls, urinating in the
elevators, and fornicating in the playgrounds.
c)
interpretative question: (the result of the reaction) Liberals, both white and
black, were appalled at the spectacle. I was appalled by the liberal innocence --or cynicism, which comes out in practice as much the same thing. Other people
were delighted to be able to point to proof positive that nothing could be done
to better the lot of the colored people.
d)
subordinate relationship: They were, and are, right in one respect: that
nothing can be done as long as they are treated like colored people.
4. evaluation:
a) lexical signals: The evaluation is negative “no”.
b) narrative question: A ghetto can improved in one way only: out of existence.
c) interpretative question: The people in Harlem know they are living there
because white people do not think they are good enough to live anywhere else.
No amount of “improvement” can sweeten this fact.
d) subordinate relationship: whatever money is now being earmarked to improve
this, or any other ghetto, might as well be burnt.
b)
Part II
1. Situation:
a) lexical signals: to police a ghetto is to be oppressive.
b) narrative question: The very presence of the policemen is an insult.
c) interpretative question: they represent the force of the white world, and that
world’s real intentions are, simply, for that world’s criminal profit and ease,
to keep the black man corralled up here, in his place. The badge, the gun in
the holster, and the swinging club make vivid what will happen should his
rebellion become overt.
d) coordinate / subordinate relationship: Rare, indeed, is the Harlem citizen,
from the most circumspect church member to the most shiftless adolescent,
who does not have a long tale to tell of police incompetence, injustice, or
brutality.
2. Problem:
a)
lexical signals: The first sentence in paragraph 5 implies that at present they
are not being treated like men because of segregation and oppression, no matter
how good-natured and innocent the white policemen are.
b) narrative question: He, too, believes in good intentions and is astounded and
offended when they are taken for the deed.
c) interpretative question: He has never, himself, done anything for which to be
hated --- which of us has?
d) subordinate relationship: --- and yet he is facing, daily and nightly, people
would gladly see him dead, and he knows it.
3. Reaction:
a) lexical signals: there are few things under heaven more unnerving than the
silent, accumulating contempt and hatred of a people.
b) narrative question: He moves through Harlem, like an occupying soldier in a
bitterly hostile country, which is precisely what, and where , he is, and is
the reason he walks in twos and threes.
c) interpretative question: and he is not the only one who knows why he is
always in company: the people who are watching him know why, too.
d) Coordinate / subordinate relationship: and these days, of course, in terms
increasingly vivid and jubilant, it speaks of the end of that domination.
4. Evaluation:
a)
lexical signals: Negroes want to be treated like men.
b) narrative question: The white policeman standing on a Harlem street corner
finds himself at the very center of the revolution now occurring in the world.
He is not prepared for it --- naturally, nobody is --- and, what is possibly
much more to the point, he is exposed, as few white people are, to the
anguish of the black people around him. Even if he is gifted with the merest
mustard grain of imagination, something must seep in.
c) interpretative question: He becomes more callous, the population becomes
more hostile, the situation grows tense, and the police force is increased.
d) coordinate / subordinate relationship: One day, to everyone’s astonishment,
someone drops a match in the powder keg and everything and civil-rights
commissions are loud in the land, demanding to know what happened .
IV. Difficult Points and Language Points
1. Fifth Avenue is a street in Manhattan, New York City, which runs from north to
south. It begins at Washington Square, extends uptown (northward) in a straight
line, and ends at the Harlem River, which cuts across 138th Street. Between 34th
and 59th Streets (at the southern end of the street), Fifth Avenue is mainly a
business section of large department stores and smaller shops; it passes the Empire
State Building, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s
Cathedral. From 59th to 110th Streets, it borders Central Park. At the south and
southeast end of the park are elegant hotels and apartment houses. The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum are on Fifth Avenue
between 70th and 80th streets. North of the park, Fifth Avenue runs through
congested Harlem.
2. Harlem is the congested residential and business section of upper (i.e., northern)
Manhattan, New York City, bounded roughly by Central Park and 110th Street on
the south, the East River and Harlem River on the east, 168th Street and Amsterdam
Avenue on the north and Morningside Park on the west. The rapid influx of Blacks
to Harlem began in the decade 1910 to 1920. Today, it is the largest Black
community in the U.S.A.
3. Fifth Avenue, Uptown --- This, according to the author, refers to the area bounded
by Lenox Avenue on the west, the Harlem River on the east, 135th Street on the
north and 130th Street on the south.
4. The projects --- referring to the public housing projects
5. Why are the projects in Harlem hated as much as the police? What is the “real
attitude of the white world” referred to in paragraph 1?
They both reveal the attitude of the white world toward Black people at that time,
which was one of racial segregation. Some white people looked upon Black people
as an inferior race and concluded they must be placed under police surveillance and
contained in separate areas rather than mixed with Whites.
6. commission --- a body of persons appointed to perform certain duties
7. hideous --- extremely ugly and unpleasant
8. bleak --- cold, bare, and cheerless
9. invincible --- undefeatable, unchangeable
10. indescribable --- impossible to describe, either because extremely good or
extremely bad, or because description is too difficult to attempt
10. squalor --- wretchedness, squalidness, degraded condition; misery
11. (un)rehabilitate --- to put back into good condition
e.g. a plan to rehabilitate inner-city areas
12. maimed --- injured for life
13. hooked --- (be) addicted to drugs
14. niched --- placed as in a niche, i.e. a hollow area in a wall
15. Where in paragraph 2 is Baldwin being ironic?
In the sentence beginning with “Even if … .” The examples do not really support
what has been said about the administration.
16. at one’s discretion --- completely according to one’s own decision
17.
Stuyvesant Town --- part of New York City named after Peter
Stuyvesant(1610---1672), Dutch colonial official, last Dutch governor of New
Netherland (later New York City)
18. What initially gave rise to Harlem’s private project? How did Black people react
to it? Why?
Blacks were not allowed to live in Stuyvesant Town. They felt bitter and reacted
with violent actions because the project symbolized White people’s despise for
Blacks.
19. defacing --- to spoil the surface or appearance of, e.g. by writing or making marks
20. fornicate --- v. esp. law or bibl to have sexual relations with someone to whom
one is not married.
21. cynicism --- the attitude of a cynic, i.e. one who is contemptuously distrustful of
human nature; fault finding; scorn
22. proof positive --- another way of saying “positive proof”
23. the colored people --- (a derogatory term) referring to Black people
24. Rephrase the sentence:
Other people were delighted to be able to …
Other people were happy to utilize this as evidence, to support their position that
“Blacks are hopeless.”
25. What different attitudes has Baldwin specified in paragraph 3 toward the violent
and unseemly behavior of the Blacks immediately after they moved into Riverton?
The liberals --- appalled at their actions
Others --- happy to find evidence that Blacks are hopelessly beyond remedy
The author himself --- finds the Blacks’ actions understandable and justifiable
26. earmark --- set aside for a particular purpose
27. Rephrase the sentence:
A ghetto can be improved …
There is hope of a ghetto’s being made any better except by totally eliminating it.
28. What does the author think about the improvement of the ghetto?
Any effort to improve the ghettos will not make them any more likable or liveable,
for their very existence is something to be hated by Blacks.
29. What similarity is indicated by the word “similarly” at the beginning of paragraph
4?
A ghetto can be improved only in one way and a ghetto can be policed in only one
way too.
30. swagger --- to walk with a swinging movement, in a way that shows too much
self-confidence or self-satisfaction
e.g. He swaggered down the street after winning the fight.
31. Make complete the sentence “… and it would be …” in line 40. How do you
understand the sentence “Their very presence … feeding gumdrops to children”?
…it would still be an insult even if…
They could be very nice to the children, but this would not change the fact that to
keep a Black ghetto under white surveillance is an insult to Black people.
32. corralled --- driven into an enclosed area (as if he were an animal)
corral n. --- an enclosed area where cattle, horses, etc. are kept
33. Rephrase the sentence:
They represent the force of the white world, …
They symbolize the dominating power of White people, whose actual purpose is
to confine the Black people here in the ghetto, and keep them in line, so that
Whites can exploit them and live a comfortable life.
34. holster --- a leather holder for a pistol (= a small gun), esp. one that hangs on a
belt round the waist
35. the (swinging) club --- a thick heavy stick, used as a weapon
35. circumspect --- prudent, discreet, acting after careful thought
36. shiftless --- lazy and lacking the desire to succeed
37. What does the relative pronoun “who” in line 46, refer to? What does the whole
sentence mean?
the Harlem citizen
It is hardly possible to find anyone in Harlem who does not have anything to
report about police incompetence and so on.
38. insuperably --- insurmountably; here, incomparably
39. What is meaning of the word “callous” in this passage? How, according to the
author, have “blank, good-natured, thoughtless, and insuperably innocent” white
policemen become “callous” human beings?
unfeeling
By nature they are well-intentioned and innocent, not wanting to do anything to be
hated. They can sense, but cannot understand, the hostility of the people around
them. They feel uneasy when observing the way Black people are treated. To retreat
from this uneasiness, they become callous.
40. unnerving --- upsetting, discouraging
41. hostile --- antagonistic; belonging to an enemy
42. Rephrase the sentence:
He moves through Harlem, therefore, …
He swaggers around Harlem, acting much like an invading solider in an extremely
unfriendly country; this is exactly the role he is playing, and exactly the place he is
patrolling, which may well explain why he is not seen walking in the area all by
himself.
43. anguish --- suffering, agony, despair
44. the merest mustard grain of imagination --- the least bit of sense
mustard --- (a yellow-flowered plant whose seeds produce) a hot-tasting powder
that is mixed with water and eaten in small quantities esp. with meat
45. seep --- pass slowly through small openings
46. callousness --- insensitiveness, hardheartedness, indifference
47. Rephrase the sentence:
He can retreat …
Even the least sensitive person will not fail to sense some part of the local
situation / conditions.
48. What comparison is used to depict the situation in Harlem? What does the author
predict about the future of the Black world?
The explosive situation is compared to a powder keg. The author foresees drastic
changes in Harlem: the old social order will change because Blacks will demand to
be treated justly.
The author --- James Baldwin (1924 - 1987), U.S. writer who won critical acclaim
as a leading black novelist and essayist in the 1950s before becoming a major
spokesman for his race in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, grew up in the
Harlem slums. His first novel Go Tell It on the Mountain appeared in 1953, which was
followed by Notes of a Native Son (1955), a collection of essays, which many readers
consider his finest work. His The Fire Next Time (a polemical essay, 1963) is a
revelation of the deep anguish of the blacks. In his writings and numerous public
appearances, Baldwin portrayed the Negro as victimized by the “guilty imagination of
the white people who invest him with their hates and longings.” “Fifth Avenue,
Uptown,” first appearing in Esquire July 1960, was published in Nobody Knows My
Name in 1961. The present text is from the second half of the essay, comprising
paragraphs 11 to 15.