An Integrated English Course
Book 2
Unit Nine
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you are supposed to
 understand the main idea, structure of the
text and the author’s writing style
 master the key language points and
grammatical structures in the text
 Understand the impact of war
Teaching Procedure
Pre-reading Questions
Text I. The Diary of the Unknown Soldier
Passage
● Structure analysis
● Main idea of the passage
● Language points
● sentence studies
● vocabulary studies
Text II. Life Goes On
●
Pre-reading
Presentation on the topic
Text I. The Diary of the
Unknown Soldier
November 24, 1943
It has been almost six months since I last saw American soil,
my family, or my home. My heart aches every moment
because everywhere I look I see piles of rubble where houses
used to stand and lifeless bodies that once moved around
with the joy of life inside them. It is as if I have stared into
death’s eyes and seen its hatred, its coldness. If it would
have been some strangers’ corpses that I had been I might
have taken it lighter. But these lifeless heaps are, or used to
be, my friends and colleagues. They all came here with an air
of confidence and eagerness, ready to win. What fools they
were! Couldn’t those men see that what they received was a
one-way ticket to death, couldn’t they have opened their eyes!
Of course, I was like them, but I have changed my views
since the last D-day, when our regiment was assigned to
protect London.
Today was rainy and cold, just like any other, when, out of the
blue, German fighter planes bombarded our small, makeshift
camp. All I could hear were the sounds of bombs exploding,
crippling those people in their way. I was suddenly knocked
into a trench and able to be undetected by the planes
circling overhead. I was lucky.
When I came to, the Axis planes had gone and the few
survivors that were left began scooping up bodies. I
suffered minor head injuries, but the rest of my platoon
wasn’t so fortunate. All I can say to describe the aftermath
of the explosions is that it was a sea of blood. Right about
this time thoughts of suicide entered my head, but I
decided that I must go on. I must go on living this nightmare,
if not for myself or my country, then for my family back
home. I want my children to have a father. My family has
been sending me mail, but I have received only a few letters
so far. Oh, how I wish I could see my darling daughters!
They are experiencing tough times too, with the food
shortage problems and all. I hope the garden that they
planted is growing. My thoughts drift to my wife now. She is
so dear to me that I can’t stop thinking about her.
My job now is plane spotting. It is a civilian’s task, but there are no
more civilians left to do it. I must end this entry now because I
am too tired to go on writing. All I ask is that I be alive when
this ends. Although I’m not so sure I’ll get my wish.
November 29, 1943
I do not remember why I ever came here. Why does war have to
be the way problems are solved? War just creates more
problems; something every sensible person knows. I guess that
means people like Hitler aren’t sensible. Now my K-rations are
running down. My joints are frozen stiff and my ammunition has
been used up. Word has it that the Axis powers are sending
troops to our location within the month. My situation is grim and
the odds of winning, or even surviving, seem unlikely. More blood
has been shed and my body simply cannot take it. When I eat,
sleep, and fight I have to stare at cold, lifeless soldiers that
look like they were never alive. If I return home I vow to keep
these soldiers’ memories alive by telling their families they died
bravely in an effort to save their country from turmoil. While
that might not provide much to help them cope with their loss,
it will make the children fee life their fathers made a
difference.
A few days ago my ragtag group of soldiers journeyed to a
small European town that had been untouched by warfare.
Still, the townspeople took all of the proper wartime
precautious. One night, as I performed my routine watch, I
passed a young girl of no more than twelve or thirteen, who
was walking home. I couldn’t help thinking about my two
daughters when I saw her. I fell apart inside and broke into
tears, wondering yet again if I would ever see my family. I
would give anything to see them, even if it was for five
minutes! I am not a man made for war, nor am I an
adventurous person. I do not even remember my reason for
joining in this madness! I guess I thought it was something
that had to be done. A saying I once heard strikes a painful
note in my head, “Even one war is too many.” The person who
said it had a valid point. Never have I been so enraged at my
fellowman before. Humans do err, but that is no excuse for
ending innocent lives and destroying whole countries! No one
has that right. How can we be so selfish and ignorant as to
not care about each other! This thought makes me sicker
than when I am staring at heaps of bodies strewn over the
tattered soil.
December 24, 1943
I think we have a spy in our regiment because the nightmare
has surfaced again. Our “secret” location is being invaded by
Nazi troops as I write this down. I have hidden myself in a
small trench, my last hope for surviving. I wish, with all my
soul, that I could be home now, in my own bed, waiting for
Christmas morning to come. The children would be tucked in
their beds, and my wife and I would be soundly asleep in our
room. I am struggling to calm myself down, but my face is
covered in dirt and sweat, and my head is pounding like mad.
I am so close to death that I can actually feel its fiery
breath engulfing me. To help keep me from panicking I am
thinking of my daughters’ faces as they open their presents
on Christmas Day. The faces are all aglow with delight. I will
always remember their faces, wait --- I hear footsteps
coming in my direction. My rifle is useless since there are no
shells in it. If this is my last entry then please, whoever
finds this, return it to my family. Oh my God! I can see from
my hiding spot that a Nazi soldier is inspecting the trench.
It is only a matter of time before he finds me. I have one
last question before I die. Why?
Almost nine and a half years after the last diary
entry was written a British infantryman found
the small journal as he was clearing away
wreckage at the doomed battle site. The name
of the author is today a mystery and it was
not mentioned in the diary. Only the initial R
was found in the bottom left-hand corner of
the first page. The man, who is dubbed (named)
“The Unknown Soldier”, was never found
although we assume he is dead at this time.
1,200 words
Structural analysis
The text has 3 entries.
The first entry: the battlefield that the author and
his fellow soldiers expected, the description of
the enemy’s air raid and the feeling as a lucky
survivor
Part One: (Para. 1)
The first paragraph provides a contrast between
what the author saw in the battlefield and what
he and his fellow soldiers had expected before
they joined in the war.
Part Two: (Para. 2)
This paragraph is a description of the
enemy’s air raid before the unknown
soldier wrote this entry. It is a
flashback.
Part Three: (Para. 3-4)
As a lucky survivor of the air raid, the
author witnessed the aftermath of
the bombing (“a sea of blood”).
The second entry: the grim situation the author had
during war time and his affection for his family and his
rage for “selfish and ignorant” killing and destruction
Part one: (Para. 1)
The first paragraph consists of three points. The
author begins with his remarks on the validity of war,
and then turns to his grim situation at that time, and
shifts to those dead soldiers and their families.
Part two: (Para. 2)
Obviously this paragraph projects the author’s strong
passion: his affection for his family and his rage for
“selfish and ignorant” killing and destruction.
The third entry: the author shifted his focus from the
approaching death on the battlefield to his envisioned
peace at home
It has only one paragraph, possibly written before the
author was killed by the Nazi soldier who was
inspecting the trench. What readers can see in the
paragraph is like picture-taking with the focus shifting
from the approaching death on the battlefield to the
author’s envisioned peace at home. Then it ends
abruptly with one last question about the sensibility of
war, “Why?”, possibly with the end of his life.
Main Idea of the passage
It consists of 3 dairy entries from an
unknown solider. He witnessed the war
and recorded some snapshots in the
battlefield.
Language points
D-day
It is the planners’ designation of the day on which to start a
military operation. The actual date of the operation will
be fixed later.
All I ask is that I be alive when this ends.
In the clause after “ask”, subjunctive is preferred.
I ask that he be given his due.
He has asked that the proposal be discussed at the meeting.
K–rations
provisions for US soldiers during World War II
Word has it that ...
It is said that ...
Axis powers
They referred to the alliance of Germany, Italy and Japan in
World War II that opposed the Allies ,which were Russia,
France, Great Britain and later many others, including the
US.
It will make the children feel like their fathers made a
difference.
It will make the children feel that their father did not die
for nothing.
Humans do err.
It’s an allusion in the Bible. The original sentence is “It is
human to err.”
be dedicated to
1) to set apart for a special useTheir money was dedicated
to scientific research.
2) to commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or
action
We are dedicated to starting our own business.
Comparison: devote, dedicate, consecrate, pledge
Devote implies faithfulness and loyalty.
Nurses devote themselves to the care of the sick.
Dedicate connotes a solemn, often formal commitment.
To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes.
Consecrate suggests sacred commitment.
His entire life is consecrated to science.
To pledge is to back a personal commitment by a solemn
promise.
I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the
American people.
Fill in the following blanks with the proper forms of dedicate,
consecrate, devote and pledge.
1) The monument is
to the memory of soldiers
killed in the defense of the country.
2) The doctor
his life to improving hospital care in
his community.
3) They have
that they will always remain
faithful.
4) His entire life is
to science.
5) He
his life to helping blind people.
Key: dedicated, dedicated, pledged, consecrated, devoted
piles of: a lot of
Piles of books
Comparison: pile up
1) to accumulate
2) (informal) to undergo a serious vehicular collision
rubble n.
a loose mass of angular fragments of rock or masonry
crumbled by natural or human forces
The rubble blocked the road.
The building was reduced to rubble by bombing. We are
building a road with the foundation of rubble.
hatred n. intense animosity or hostility
He declared his hatred of enemies.
Comparison:
bear sb. hatred
I bear hatred against no man.
corpse n.
a dead body, especially the dead body of a human
The corpse is decaying.
Comparison: remains, corpse
remains: ancient ruins or fossils
corpse: the dead body of a human being
Fill in the following blanks with the proper forms
of remain and corpse:
1) He is a living________.
2) There are the
of an old castle.
Key: corpse, remains
heap n.
1) a group of things placed or thrown, one on top of the
other
a heap of dirty rags lying in the corner
2) (informal) a great deal; a lot, often used in plural form
We have heaps of homework tonight.
We are in heaps of time.
Comparison: heap, bank, mound, pile, stack
These nouns denote a group or collection of things lying one
on top of the other.
Comparison:
a heap of old newspapers
a bank of thunderclouds
a mound of boulders
a stack of firewood
a pile of boxes
With an air of: Seeming to have/be
Lily came out into the yard ~ happy confidence.
With his fiery glance and ~ of destiny, he moved through
the parting crowd toward the beggar.
Idiom:
in the air: prevalent
Excitement was in the air.
up in the air: not yet decided; uncertain
regiment n.
1) a military unit of ground troops consisting of at least two
battalions, usually commanded by a colonel
The general is reviewing a regiment.
2) a large group of people
There is a regiment of students.
Out of the blue
1) from an unexpected or unforeseen source criticism that
came out of the blue
The feeling is like a bolt out of the blue.
2) at a completely unexpected time
a long-unseen friend who appeared out of the blue
John arrived out of the blue.
bombard v.
1) to attack with bombs, shells, or missiles
His fans bombard him with letters.
The town was bombarded with enemy shells for a whole week.
2) to do something too often or too much, for example
criticizing or questioning someone, or giving too much
information
The office was bombarded by telephone calls.
makeshift adj.& n.
1) a. suitable as a temporary or expedient substitute
use a rock as a makeshift hammer
2) n. a temporary or expedient substitute for something else
purely temporary makeshifts
Comparison: makeshift, expedient, resort, stopgap
These nouns denote something used as a substitute when
other means fail or are not available.
1) The old man lacked a cane but used a stick as a makeshift.
2) The committee exhausted every expedient before filing
suit.
3) We will use force only as a last resort.
4) The crate serves as a stopgap for a chair.
Practice:
1. last way of doing something
2. use for a time for there is nothing better
3. some thing or body that fills for a time
4. useful or helpful idea for a purpose
a. stopgap
b. resort
c. makeshift
d. expedient
Key: b c a d
Scoop up: To take up or out; to lift
When the police arrived the traders ~ed their watches and
jewellery and ran off.
The children scooped up the snow with their hands to build a
snowman.
He scooped his books up off the floor.
Idiom: make a (big) scoop 赚大钱
platoon n.
1) a subdivision of a company of troops consisting of two or
more squads or sections and usually commanded by a
lieutenant
a platoon of soldiers
The lieutenant was put in charge of an infantry platoon.
2) a group of people working, traveling, or assembled together
There are platoons of empty bottles on the table.
a platoon of firefighters
buses carrying platoons of tourists
Aftermath
1) a consequence, especially of a disaster or misfortune
famine as an aftermath of drought
2) a period of time following a disastrous event
in the aftermath of war
Comparison: aftermath, result
aftermath: the consequences of an event (especially a
catastrophic event)
result: to come about as a consequence
so far1) up to the present moment
So far there’s been no word from them.
2) to a limited extent
You can go only so far on five dollars.
Idiom:
by far: to the most extreme or evident degree: She is by
far the best executive in the company.
thus far: up to this point; so far: our success has been
limited thus far
drift v.
1) to be carried along by currents of air or water
a balloon drifting eastward
as the wreckage drifted toward shore
2) to proceed or move unhurriedly and smoothly
drifting among the party guests
3) to move leisurely or sporadically from place to place,
especially without purpose or regular employment
a day laborer, drifting from town to town
Collocation:
drift off: 1) to gradually fall asleep 2) to gradually leave
Fill in the blanks with proper prepositions:
1) The ship drifted
at the mercy of the wind.
2) One by one the students drifted
into the darkness.
Key: about off
civilian n.&adj.
1) a person following the pursuits of civil life, especially one
who is not an active member of the military or police
2) of or relating to civilians or civil life; nonmilitary
civilian clothes
a civilian career
Comparison:civilian, citizen
civilian: a nonmilitary citizen
citizen: native or naturalized member of a state or other
political community
Fill in the blanks with proper prepositions:
1) In wars
as well as soldiers are killed.
2) She is an American
but lives in France.
Key: civilians, citizen
ammunition n. projectiles, such as bullets and shot, together
with their fuses and primers, that can be fired from guns
or otherwise propelled
We supply them with the ammunition.
We are in charge of transporting ammunition.
When the soldiers used up their ammunition, they went on
fighting with their swords.
grim adj.
1) unrelenting; rigid He showed a grim smile.
2) uninviting or unnerving in aspect; forbidding
“Undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw.”
(J.M. Barrie)
3) ghastly; sinister
“He made a grim jest at the horrifying nature of his wound.”
(Reginald Pound)
4) dismal; gloomy
a grim, rainy day
5) ferocious; savage the grim advance of the pillaging
army
Comparison: hold on like grim death: hold on very firmly
odds n.
1) the probability of a specified outcome
It sounds a bit over the odds.
2) (sports)
a. In the United States, a golf score one stroke higher than
the score of one’s opponent.
b. In Great Britain, a stroke added to a superior golfer’s
score or a stroke taken away from an inferior golfer’s
score in order to equalize the chances of winning a match.
Idiom: 1) at odds
In disagreement; in conflict: “The artist and the self-critic
are, with a few felicitous exceptions, forever at odds”
(Joyce Carol Oates).
2) by all odds
In every possible way; unquestionably: By all odds it is the
best film of the year.
Comparison: beg no odds of: don’t need help
shed blood: to take life, especially with violence; to kill
It was a bitter fight but fortunately no blood was shed.
shed v.
1) to cause to pour forth
shed tears
2) to diffuse or radiate; to send forth or impart shed light
3) to repel without allowing penetration
A duck’s feathers shed water.
ragtag n.& adj.
1) disparaging terms for the common people
Look at those ragtags.
2) shaggy or unkempt; ragged
3) diverse and disorderly in appearance or composition
“They’re a small ragtag army of racketeers, bandits, and
murderers” (Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.).
Comparison:
ragtag and bobtail: the riff-raff; disreputable people
err v.
(formal) to make an error or a mistake
Someone errs at some time or other.
We have erred in observation.
He erred from the right path.
Adage:
To err is human. 凡人孰能无过。
ignorant adj.
1) lacking education or knowledge
He is an ignorant man.
2) showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge
What an ignorant mistake it is!
Derivation: ignorantly adv.
Comparison: be ignorant of sth.
strew v.
1) to spread here and there; to scatter
They are strewing flowers down the aisle.
2) to cover (an area or a surface) with things scattered or
sprinkled
Italy was strewn thick with the remains of
Roman buildings.
Collocation: strew sth. on/over sth
strew sth. with sth The table is strewn with books.
tuck v. 1) to make one or more folds in
Tuck the pleats before sewing the hem.
2) to gather up and fold, thrust, or turn in so as to secure or
confine
She tucked her scarf into her blouse.
3) a. to put in a snug spot
b. to put in an out-of-the-way, snug place
a cabin that was tucked among the pines
c. to store in a safe spot; to save
tuck away a bit of lace; tuck away millions
Comparison: tuck away/ into: (British English, informal) to
consume (food) heartily
tuck in: to make (a child, for example) secure in bed for sleep,
especially by tucking bedclothes into the bed
fiery n.
1) a. easily excited or emotionally volatile; tempestuous
a fiery temper
b. charged with emotion; spirited
He gave us a fiery speech
2) having the color of fire; brightly red
fiery hair; a fiery sunset The sky is fiery.
3) a. consisting of or containing fire
b. burning or glowing
c. using or effected with fire
d. easily ignited; flammable
engulf v. to swallow up or overwhelm by or as if by
overflowing and enclosing
The whole village was engulfed in the flood.
He engulfed himself in his studies.
Comparison: swallow, engulf
swallow: to cause (food or drink, for example) to pass through
the mouth and throat into the stomach
engulf: to swallow up (as in a gulf)
aglow adj.
1) softly bright or radiant
The house is aglow with lights.
2) (of persons) showing warmth from exercise or excitement
His face is aglow with health.
Her cheeks were all aglow.
rifle n. a firearm with a rifled bore, designed to be fired
from the shoulder
He lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired.
Comparison: rifle, handgun
handgun: a firearm that can be used with one hand
rifle: a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
spot n.
1) a point located with respect to surface features of some
region
This is a nice spot for a picnic.
2) a blemish made by dirt
He had a spot on his cheek.
3) small contrasting part of something
a bald spot; a leopard’s spots
Idioms
in spots: now and then; here and there; occasionally
on the spot: 1) without delay; at once
2) at the scene of action
3) under pressure or attention; in a pressed position
infantryman n. fighters on foot with small arms
Comparison: navyman, airman, infantryman
navy man: a serviceman in the navy
airman: someone who operates an aircraft
infantryman: a soldier in the infantry
doom v.&n.
v. 1) to condemn to ruination or death
The prisoner was doomed to death.
2) to cause to an unhappy end as predetermined by the fate
He was doomed to ill fortune.
From the start, the plan was doomed to failure.
n. 3) inevitable destruction or ruin
He awaits his doom.
4) fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one
Everyone was aware of the approaching doom but was
helpless to avoid it. His doom is sealed.
cf. doomsday: the end of the world
dub v. 1) to tap lightly on the shoulder by way of
conferring knighthood
2) to honor with a new title or description
The Beatles were dubbed.
3) to give a name to sth./ sb. facetiously or playfully; to
nickname
Because he is short and chubby, they all dub him white gourd.
assume v.
1) to take upon oneself
assume responsibility; assume another’s debts
2) to undertake the duties of (an office)
assume the presidency
3) to take on; to adopt
“The god assumes a human form” (John Ruskin).
4) to put on; to don
The queen assumed a velvet robe.
5) to take for granted; to suppose
assume that prices would rise
You assume his innocence before hearing the evidence
against him.
6) to take over without justification; to seize
assume control
Word comparison:
Group 1: A. innocent B. guilty C. guiltless D. free E.
accused
A. Innocent means (of a person) not guilty of a particular
crime, or having no knowledge of the unpleasant and evil
things in life, or (of a thing) harmlessly intended. Don’t be
so innocent as to believe everything the politicians tell
you.
B. Guilty means having broken a law or disobeyed a rule. He
must have done something wrong, because he’s looking so
guilty.
C. Guiltless means not responsible for doing something wrong
or committing a crime. These men are guiltless and should
go free.
D. Free means not limited or controlled. Please feel free to
interrupt me if you don’t understand anything.
E. Accuse means charged with doing something wrong, crime,
etc. The company stands accused of failing to safeguard
the public.
Group 2: A. aftermath B. scene C. photo D. situation E.
result
A. Aftermath means the period which follows an event,
accident, etc., and the effects which it causes. Many
more people died in the aftermath of the explosion.
B. Scene means a part of a play or film in which the action
stays in one place for a continuous period of time. What
impressed me most about the movie were the scenes
filmed in New York.
C. Photo means a picture obtained by using a camera and film
sensitive to light. I spent the evening looking at some of
my old photo albums.
D. Situation means a position or state at a particular time;
set of conditions, facts, and events having an effect on a
person, society, etc. With no rain for the last three years,
the country is in a desperate situation.
E. Result means something that happens or exists because of
something else. The road has being widened, but the
result is just more traffic.
Group 3: A. odds B. ratio C. scale D. probability E. rate
A. Odds means the probability that something will or will not
happen. The odds are in your favor because you have more
experience.
B. Ratio means the relationship between two groups or
amounts, which expresses how much bigger one is than
the other. The ratio of men to women at the conference
was ten to one.
C. Scale means a set of numbers or other system used to
measure or compare things. How would you rate his work
on a scale of one to five?
D. Probability means how likely the thing will happen or be
true. The probability of her making a full recovery is
quite good.
E. Rate means a level of speed with which something happens
or changes, or the number of times it happens or changes,
within a particular period. Although she is recovering
from her illness, her rate of progress is quite slow.
Group 4: A. strew B. spread C. distribute D. lay E. scatter
A. Strew means to scatter irregularly.
There were papers strewn all over the floor.
B. Spread means to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect
on a wilder or increasing area.
The fire spread very rapidly because of the strong wind.
C. Distribute means to share or give (something) out to
several people, or to spread, scatter or supply (something)
over an area. The world’s wealth is not fairly distributed
between women and men.
D. Lay means to put (something) in esp. a flat or horizontal
position, usually carefully or for a particular purpose.
Perhaps we should lay paper over the floor while we’re
decorating the room.
E. Scatter means to (cause to) move far apart in different
directions, or to cover (a surface) with things that are
far apart in no particular arrangement. The policeman
blew his whistle and the students scattered in all
directions.
Group 5: A. dub B. entitle C. define D. name E. brand
A. Dub means to give (something or someone) a particular
name, esp. describing what you think of them. The
newspapers dubbed the nurse who murdered several
children “Angel of Death”.
B. Entitle means to give (someone) the right to do or have
something. Being unemployed entitles you to free medical
treatment.
C. Define means to say what the meaning of (something) is,
esp. (a word), or to explain and state the meaning and
exact limits of (something). Before I answer your
question, could you define your terms a little more.
D. Name means to give a name to (somebody or something).
On independence, they named the new country Ghana.
E. Brand means to say that you think (someone) is
(something bad). Because of one minor offence he was
branded a common criminal
Translation
1. He scooped up the little boy and ran from the fire.
2. The boss assigned me to check the quality of all the goods
leaving the factory.
3. We have taken all the precautions we can against the
painting being stolen.
4. The company is selling off some of its buildings in an
effort to accumulate capital.
5. When you are learning to drive, having a good teacher
makes a big difference.
6. Rumor has it that he was killed in a raid in the local area.
7. Adam’s refusal to work overtime enraged his boss.
8. I was pleasantly surprised to see an old friend who
appeared at the party out of the blue.
Text II. Life Goes On
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

Joana
Cruddas
In remembrance of a soldier, who died in an action at Ypres
The towers of St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Cloth Hall stand
tall and defiant above Ypres, Belgium. The Flemish city has been
invaded nineteen times, most famously in World War I. I am
heading towards it, clutching a wad of letters written in
September 1915 by a young British solider to his mother.




“Here I am at last … the country is flat but pretty with great
avenues of trees and hop fields dotted all over the place,” he
wrote. My two friends and I find that little has changed.
Michel Vansuyt, our silver-haired guide, shakes each of us by
the hand and asks how we want to fill out four-hour tour of the
battlefields and cemeteries. Nothing uncertainty on our faces,
he takes command and soon we are speeding towards our first
stop, Reservoir Cemetery, just outside the town.
I stare over at the impeccable lines of gravestones, neatly
planted with herbs, lavender and annuals, the low surrounding
walls blooming with wisteria. Michel looks down the register for
Peter Cruddas: Plot 9, Row 7, Number 27 --- my father’s
brother, killed at the age of 20.
I walk hesitantly towards his grave, wondering what, if anything,
I will feel.
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And suddenly there it is, and there are hundreds of others.
Nothing prepares you for the realisation that in this are alone
about 250,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were killed.
There are 75 British cemeteries, of which we visit just a
handful.
Back in the car, Michel takes us to the other side of Ypres,
following its huge medieval ramparts to the Menin Gate. The
names of 55,000 missing soldiers are engraved on its walls. We
stare in awe. Next, we head to the Hooge Crater Museum.
“More than half a million horses and mules were lost,” says
Michel as we pass a herd of cows grazing on the lush grass.
“Fifteen tonnes of unexploded ammunition are still collected
each year from the fields.” The museum is a small, dark room,
which through photos, weapons, clothing and possessions, as well
as life-size model of soldiers on horseback, sets the scene for
the rest of the day.
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Michel bombards us with information as we leave. “British
pillboxes,” he says, pointing at small brick lookouts left
undisturbed in the middle of the fields. We comment on the
heavy clods of ploughed earth. “Imagine what is was like,”
Michel says. We already are.
My uncle wrote: “Today has been soaking wet … The whole
trench is becoming a series of landslips … most of the place is
ankle-deep in water … Thank you for my boots. They are
splendid up here.”
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We pass Bethlehem Farm, near the village of Messines. In its
midst, a tiny walled enclosure holds just 44 graves. “The
smallest cemetery,” says Michel solemnly. I continue flicking
through the letters. “This afternoon I went to tea with an
officer of the Motor Machine Gun Groups who lives along the
trench. I think I must invite him to a meal with us tomorrow.”
As we pass, I wonder if he did.
Some way on we come to Tyne Cot, the largest British cemetery
in the world. Some headstones give scant information, others
have words of gratitude or love: “He died that we might live”;
“Gone from out sight but not from our hearts.”
Almost hesitantly, Michel asks if we’d like to see a Belgian
cemetery. We find ourselves among copper beech trees, dotted
between the diagonal lines of the dead. Then Michel announces,
“I’d like you to visit a German cemetery before finishing.”
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At the Langemark cemetery we are again in wooded land. But
there are no headstones, only slabs in the grass. There are no
flowers. The place is dark and dank.
I am leaning against a raised bed. Michel says, “Twenty-five
thousand unknown soldiers are buried in there.” I step away.
With some relief we return to the car. As we drive along,
Michel points to a copse. “A young soldier was wounded in there.
Twenty-four years later he returned as the Fuhrer.” My
knowledge of history is put to shame. I had not realised that
Adolf Hitler had fought in Belgium.
We draw up at a gate. Here, hidden from the road in a large
crater, lies the Pool of Peace. “It was created by an explosion so
loud it was heard in Downing Street [in London],” says Michel.
“The Germans and the British were tunneling towards each
other, but the Germans didn’t realise the British were
underneath them. You blew the Germans out.”
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We look at the still water, reflecting the trees surrounding it.
There is hardly a sound.
Our four hours are up and we turn back to Ypres. A quiet hangs
over the city. It’s 8 p.m., and the muted sound the “Last Post”
echoes across the square. I glance once more at my letters.
Telegrams of regret from Buckingham Palace, the War Office …
Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy … and one that should
have been at the top of the pile: “Ordered to return to duty
immediately. Goodbye. Cruddas.” He survived less than four
weeks’ fighting.
But this daily moment of solemnity passes quickly. Ypres is
preparing for the annual Festival of the Cats, which dates from
medieval times. Tourist stumble from the chocolate shop
clutching life-size cats made of chocolate and boxes of
chocolates decorated with poppies and John McCrae’s poem “ In
Flanders Fields”. Soon there will be dancing in the square.
934 words
Main idea of Text 2
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The author narrates his experience of visiting a cemetery in
which a great number of soldiers were buried.
Topics for discussion:
1.
2.
How does the passage impress the reader
with the cruelty of war?
In what way does the author illustrate
the title Life Goes on?
Words and Expressions for Text I
Be dedicated to: to declare to be in honor of
Heap n a pile or mass of things one top of the other
Regiment n. a large military group commanded by a colonel
Bombard v. to keep attacking heavily with gunfire
Makeshift a. used only for a short period of time because
there is nothing better
Scoop up: to take up or out; to lift
Platoon n. a small body of soldiers which is part of a company
Aftermath n. the result following a bad event
Nightmare n. a bad, fearful experience
Drift v. to be driven along
Civilian n. a person not of the armed forces
Back to the text
Ammunition n. bullets esp. things fired from a weapon
Grim a. stern, severe, or causing fear
Odds n. the probability that sth will or will not happen
Shed blood: to cause wounding or, esp. killing
Ragtag n. a confused mixture of things wich are different
from each other
Ignorant a. lacking consciousness, esp. of sth one ought to
know about
Fiery a. full of violent feelings
Engulf v. to surround and swallow up
Aglow a. bright with excitement
Dub v. to name
Assume v. to suppose
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Notes for Text II
Stand tall and defiant above Ypres: “defiant” means
“disobedient”
… He died that we might live…: He died so that we might live
… John McCrae: a WWI poet. He is remembered for what is
probably the single best-known and popular poem In
Flanders Fields published in 1919.
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