Unit Seven
I Became Her Target
I. Teaching Objectives
1. Learn about using vivid words for vivid pictures.
2.Grasp the key words, Phrases and structure.
3.Master the skills of writing and reading in this unit.
1) Learning to generalize the statement by reading the concrete facts.
2) Understanding the effective and artistic Use of words.
II. Teaching Content
1. Lead-in activities
2. Text Organization
3. Skill learning in writing and reading
4. Language points ( key words, phrases and difficult sentences)
5. Grammar Focus (subjunctive mood with if-clause, ”if” as the formal subject for an infinitive
clause.)
6. Guided Practice (exercises, oral practice and group work)
III. Teaching Process
1.Warm-up Activity
1) Discussion
Have you ever been in a situation where you were considered “different” from everyone else?
What happened? How did you feel?
A teacher who knows his/her subject well is a successful teacher?
2) Questions about Text
What happened to the writer when he was 12 years old? How do you think you’d have felt in
his position?
3)Presenting the text by summing up the discussion.
The author recalled his favorite teacher, Dorothy Bean, with deep emotions. The story
concerned how Miss. Bean helped the author, an black boy, built his confidence and did away
with loneliness in schools. And the author was accepted by his white students. Miss. Bean’s
justness and love changed a lonely child’s life who lacked confidence.
4)Background Information
A). grade schools in the United States
Generally, American schools consist of elementary schools (kindergarten to 5 th or 6 th grade),
middle schools (grades 6-8) or junior high schools (grades 7-9), and high schools (grades 9-12
or 10-12). Many children go to kindergarten at age of five, and every child begins first grade at
age six. Students do not pay tuition in grades 1-12.
B).Negroes, blacks and African Americans
The term Negro, which is capitalized, became the preferred term in the early 20 th century, but
has been out of date since the 1960s. It was replaced by the term black (not capitalized) which
reflects a greater pride in African identity.
In current usage, “black” is used in most spoken or informal contexts, and “African American”
in most formal or written contexts.
2.Text Organization
Part I Para.1-2 This part introduces the teacher and the author's situation: a black newcomer in
the neighborhood ignored by others and feeling lonely.
Part II Para 3-4 It's so lucky that a teacher, Dorothy Bean treated me differently.
Part III Para5-the end. some stories between the author and the teacher show us how the teacher
helped him in developing him and making him another kid in the school.
Story 1 Para5-6 The teacher asked me a question and made me no more a dark
presence.
in class.
Story 2 Para. 7-11 The teacher trained to have a critical and creative thinking.
Story 3 Para. 12-the end While I was absent-minded in class, the teacher reminded
me.
in his particular way, making me part of a story in class, so I was known to
everybody.
3. Skill learning in writing and reading.
1) Skill learning in reading
Ss understand passages by guessing the unknown words and expressions and analyzing the
types of context clues.
A) Words with similar meaning
Try to find words similar in meaning to the one you don't know. For example, the text
Our Changing Lifestyles: Trends and Fads, contains this sentence:
Why have teenagers in the past 25 years used ----at different times the slang words
groovy, or awesome in conversation instead of saying wondrful?
B) Words used in contrast
Look for words opposite in meaning to the one you don't know. For example,
Fads are not unique to the United States. Dr. Santino believes that fads are common in
any country that has a strong sonsumer economy. (From Our Changing Lifestyles)
You can tell that the meaning of "unique" must be the opposite of the word "common",
which you are already familiar with. Therefore, "unique" must mean "not common, very
unusual or special".
2) Skill learning in writing
A)The author applies the way of contrasting, direct commenting and actual facts or stories to
illustrate how differently the teacher treats hims and how greatly the teacher helps him. So
readers can have an understanding what personlities the teacher has as a teacher.
B)a dark presence
The author is a black and his presence is a dark one. This discription embodies the author's
protest against racial discrimination. Negro is no more than an abstract concept and Negroes are
taken no notice of wherever they are, in the classroom and in society. They are no more than
dark objects.
4. Language Points
1) battling their way across France
Paraphrase-----making their way across France by fighting a series of battles.
Similarly: elbow onew's way through a crowd
push onew's way to the front
2) a school that was otherwise alll white
Paraphrase-----a school in which all pupils would have been white if I had not entered it.
otherwise: under other circumstances; in other respects
eg. This is a very bad defect in an otherwise perfect piece of work.
The window panes are gone, but otherwise the house is in good condition.
3). ignorant adj. ) ~ (of), (of persons) knowing little or nothing; not aware B) showing
ignorance; resulting form ignorance
eg. He’s not stupid, merely ~.
What his plans are I am quite ~ of.
ignorance n. the state of being ignorant; want of knowledge
eg. We’re in complete ~ of his plans.
If he did wrong, it was from / through ~.
ignore vt. take no notice of; refuse to take notice of
4) The prevailing wisdom in the neighborhood was that we were spoiling it and we ought to go
back where we belonged.
Paraphrase----The most common opinion of people living in that area was that our presence
was ruining the area. Thus, they felt we ought to move back to the area (for blacks) from
which we had come.
5). spoil v. A) make useless or unsatisfactory B) harm the character or temperament of by wrong
upbringing or lack of discipline
eg. Holidays ~t/ed by bad weather.
Don’t ~ your appetite by eating sweets just before dinner.
Parents who ~ their children
He likes having a wife who ~s him.
6)...but nothing much came of it---...but nothing seious happened as a result of the angry talk.
come of: be the result of, result from
eg. You're always fooling around. No good will come of it. I assure you.
Nothing much willl come of their ideas.
7) The problem of easing in their new black pupil.
Paraphrase------the problem of carefully and gently fitting their new black pupil in the
the class.
eg. Because of his sore back, he placed his bage onto the back seat of the car and eased
himself.
into the driver's seat.
You can't just blurt out such a sensitive question; you have to ease your way into it.
8) Miss Bean went right at me.
Paraphrase----Miss Bean attacked me at once.
go at: rush at, make an attack at
eg. The food arrived and he went at it as if he had never eaten before.
The two boxers went at each other furioiusly.
9)They did establish the fact that I could speak English.
Paraphrase-----they actually proved that I was bale to speak English, and thus was not
completely foreign.
establish:show beyond dispute; prove; gain full recognition or acceptance of sombody as
eg. He established his innocence by showing that he was in another city when the murder was
committed.
The victory established him as a leading politician.
10)a question that required me to clean up the girl's mess and established me as a smart person.
Paraphrase-----a question that required me to set right the girl's wrong answer and that
(when I answered it smartly) clearly demonstrated that I was a smart person.
11) human dimensions-----qualities of a human being (such as, among other things, confidence,
dignity and self-respect.)
12) a dark presence
Paraphrase-----a nobody; an unknown black person or thing that nobody really cared
about or considered carefully
13) be for-------in favor of
eg. The majority of the people are for peace.
14) she shot back.
Paraphrase-----she quickly asked me another question.
shoot:send forth like a shot or an arrow, send right away and swiftly
eg. The reporters shot question after question at the mayor.
She shot a suspicious look at the young man when he claimed he was in possession of an
original painting by Picasso.
15). venture v. A) ~ (on), take the risk of, expose to, danger or loss B) go so far as, presume,
dare n. undertaking in which there is a risk.
eg. ~ one’s life to save sb from drowning
~ too near the edge of a cliff
~ on a dangerous journey
~ (to put forward) an opinion
~ a guess
venturesome adj. (of persons) ready to take risks; (of acts, behaviors) involving danger; risky
venturous (= adventurous) adj.
[C] venture forward
venture out to sea
venture at it
I venture to disagree/ to suggest that…
[Proverb] Nothing venture, nothing gain / win / have 不入虎穴，焉得虎子
16). confident adj. ~ (of / that), feeling or showing confidence; certain
eg. He feels ~ of passing / that he will pass the exam.
The little girl gave her mother a ~ smile.
We are ~ of success.
confidence n.
eg. I am telling you this in strict ~.
The two girls sat in a corner exchanging ~s about the young men they knew.
There’s a lack of ~ in the government.
[C] in strict confidence
take sb into one’s confidence
have / lose confidence in sb
put little / complete / no confidence in sb / sth
Useful phrases and expressions in Unit 7
battle one’s way
一路奋战
move in
搬进，入住
be ignorant about / of sth.
对某事一无所知
come of …
是…的结果
chase sb. home
追某人到家
for a time
有一段时间
things begin to change
情况开始改变
a pleasant-looking single women
外表和蔼的单身女士
come to know
逐渐明白
be viewed as …
被当作…， 被认为…
establish… as
确立为，确定为
a liberal person
开明的人
clean up the mess
将一团糟的东西整理好
venture an answer / opinion
敢于回答/发表看法
be for / against sth.
赞成/反对某事
stare at
盯着看
form opinions
形成观点
by chance
偶尔，碰巧
ice breaker
打破僵局的东西
for the most part
通常
be determined to do / that
决心
in one’s mid-forties
四十五岁左右
perch on
栖息…， 架在…
response to
对…反应，回答
substitute A for B
用 A 代替 B
light up
照亮，面露喜色
be at ease
自在，不拘束
on occasion
有时，偶尔
call sb. by his first name
直呼某人的名字
the offending students
捣乱的学生
say in a lowered tone of voice
低声说
care about
关心，热爱
pop quizzes
临时测验
provide background information
提供背景知识
be pleased with
对…满意
an easy grader
打分宽松的人
be to no avail
毫无结果
a walking library
会走路的图书馆，活书库
be surrounded by
被…包围
in the presence of sb
某人在场时
share their joy and disappointment 共享喜悦或失望
a menial task
卑下的工作
make (no) sense to sb
对某人有（无）意义
voice one’s opinion / pleasure
表达看法/快意
illustrate a truth / theory
阐明真理/理论
major in
选修专业
call roll
点名
complain about
抱怨
lose touch with
失去联系
ship …off
送走…
be disgusted with
讨厌
die a failure
在失败中死去
call for help
求助，救助
in a moment of crisis
在危机时刻
count on
期待，依靠
5. Grammar Focus
1). So or not represent a whole clause
A) so or not can represent a whole clause after believe, expect, suppose, think, hope, be afraid,
and after it appears/seems
eg. Do you think we’ll have good weather?
I expect so / suppose so / think so.
B) for the negative we use a negative verb with so
eg. Will the party be a success?
I don’t believe so / expect so / suppose so / think so.
C) we can also use an affirmative verb with not for the negative
eg. You won’t be late, will you?
No, I believe not / hope not.
He drinks a lot, doesn’t he?
I suppose not / it seems not
D) after hope and be afraid, the negative is formed only with an affirmative verb + not
eg. Do you have the driver’s license?
I’m afraid not.
2). Do / did used for “emotive emphasis”
A) use do / did + infinitive in the affirmative when we wish to add special emphasis
eg. You do look nice today!
She does talk a lot, doen’t she?
B) the structure is chiefly used when another speaker has expressed doubt about the action
referred to
eg. He hasn’t met the newcomer yet. He did meet him yesterday.
It seems that he heard nothing about the plan. Yes, he did hear about it.
6. Guided Practice
1) Do VIII and IX.
2) Ask Ss to analyze the passage based on Reading Analysis on Page 192.
7. Summary
Ask Ss to retell the story in their own words.
8.After-Class Assignments
1) Do Vocabulary Ex. IV.
2) Do Translation EX.X.
3) Write a journal about one of your fomer teacher.
Text B Firm, Fair, and Friendly
1. Text-related Information
1)Mark Twain
Mark Twain（1835-1910, 美国作家) is the pseudonym of Samuel Longhorn Clemens,
American humorist, writer, and lecturer who won a worldwide audience for his stories of
youthful adventures, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer《汤姆·索耶历险记》(1876) and
Life on the Mississippi (1883). His novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn《哈克贝里·费恩
历险记》(1884), which concerns the adventures of a young runaway and an escaped slave, is
considered the greatest achievement in American literature.
2) Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway (欧内斯特•海明威), American novelist and short-story writer, was the
foremost spokesman for the “lost generation” of young intellectuals who were disillusioned
and embittered by World War I. He is famous for his novels such as The Sun Also Rises《太
阳照样升起》(1926), A Farewell to Arms 《永别了，武器》(1929), For Whom the Bell Tolls
《丧钟为谁而鸣》(1940), and The Old Man and the Sea (1952), which won the Pulitzer
Prize in 1953. Hemingway received the
Nobel prize for literature in 1954.
2. Language Points
1) a … man … with … thinning hair. Para. 2
Paraphrase------ a… man… beginning to go bald
2) … perched precariously on his nose Para. 2
Paraphrase-------sitting unsteadily on his nose
3) He never called us by our first names.
Background:
In U.S. schools and colleges, it is usual for a teacher to call students by their first name.
(Students would call a teacher Mr. Jones or Ms. Jones.) The fact that Mr. Jones uses last
names is a mark of formality.
4) …he could communicate his displeasure all right. Para. 3
Paraphrase------…he could certainly make his students strongly aware of his displeasure (by
some other means).
5) … to keep them current on the reading. Para. 4
Paraphrase------… make certain that they didn't fall behind the reading schedule.
6) … nailed you for sloppy work or inattention
Paraphrase------caught you for work done carelessly or absent-mindedness in class
7) He wasn't an easy grader.
Paraphrase------he wasn't a teacher who gave good grades easily
8) …, usually to no avail, …
Paraphrase------(our complaints) usually were of no help at all