Unit 6
Women, Half the sky
Text A
I’m going to buy the Brooklyn Bridge
Objectives:
Students will be able to
 Grasp the main idea and structure of
the text;
 Appreciate how the author achieves
coherence for her essay;
 Master key language points and
grammatical structures in the text;
 Write a summary of the text.
Before Reading
1. Background Information
Feminism
The Brooklyn Bridge
2. Warm-up Questions
Feminism
In the 1960s feminism(=the belief that
women and men are equal in abilities and
should have equal rights and chances)
became the subject of intense debate when
the women’s liberation movement
encouraged women to reject their
traditional supporting roles and to demand
equal status and equal rights with men in
areas such as employment and pay.
Since then the gender gap between the
sexes has been reduced.Feminism has
brought about many changes in the
English language. Many words for job
titles that included “man” have been
replaced, for example “police officer” is
used instead of “policeman” and
“chairperson” for “chairman”.
 “He”
is now rarely used to refer to a
person when the person could be
either a man or a woman. The title “Ms”
is used for women instead of “Miss” or
“Mrs.”, since it does not show whether
a woman is married or not.
The Brooklyn Bridge
(布鲁克林大桥）
The bridge over the East River in New York
City that connects Manhattan with Brooklyn.
It was opened in 1883 and has a length of
1595 feet(486 meters). The expression
selling the Brooklyn Bridge to somebody
means tricking them in a deal.
Warm-up Questions:
1.Is your mother busy? What are
her main tasks in daily life?
2. If your mother has a full-time
job, can she manage family
responsibilities and still find time
for doing other things?
Global Reading
Part Division of the Text:
Parts
Paragraphs
Part 1 Paras1-3
Part 2 Paras4-7
Part 3 Paras8-11
Main Ideas
Despite her friend’s advice, the
author, unable to resist the
temptation,falls for superwomen
stories again.
Her encounter with a superwoman and
its impact on her.
She tells about what prevents her
from becoming a superwoman herself.
Part 4 Paras12-14 She analyzes why she is still
fascinated by
modern superwomen tales.
Part 5 Para 15
She comes to the conclusion that to
her, admiring a heroine is sth worth
doing.
While reading tasks
1.What is “the Brooklyn Bridge”?
It means something impossible, an
incredible story.
2.What about Kate in the item
stuck the author most?(para1)
Kate teaches part-time at the University
of Oklahoma and is assistant principal
at County High School. In her spare
time she is finishing her doctoral
dissertation and the final drafts of two
books, and she still has time for tennis
and horse riding with her daughters.
3.What did she think of her
friend’s joke at first?(para2)
My friend’s joke hit home.
What an idiot I’d been!
4.Did she change her mind
then?In what way?(para3)
Yes, she did. She found her resolve
slipping occasionally. In weak
moments she read many success
stories in newspapers and
magazines.
5.Who were her favorite
superwomen? (para3)
Her favorite superwomen
included a politician’s daughter,
a practicing pediatrician and a
television anchorwoman
6.Why did the author feel guilty
after she met the woman
executive?(para4)
Because her own schedule rarely
succeeds, the woman executive’s
accomplishments make her feel
guilty.
7. What do you think is the author’s
profession?
I think she is a writer by profession
8.What is the author doing in her spare time?
(Para 8)
She is using her extra moments to complete
postdoctoral studies in physics, to develop
new theories of tonal harmony for piano and
horn, to bake cakes and play baseball with her
sons.
9.According to the author what
usually stands in her way of
fulfilling her plans?
Her personal matters often prevent
her from carrying out her plans.
You can find some examples in
paras9-10.
10. What does the author think she
is lacking in as far as being a
superwoman is concerned?
She thinks she is lacking in the
organizational skills and the energy
of those superwomen.
11.Why is she still so fascinated by
modern superwomen tales?
Because such stories often have an
optimistic approach to life.(para12)
12.In her eyes, what are the positive
sides of superwomen stories?
Superwomen stories always urge her
to achieve her own success.
Language points
1. item n.
1) a single piece of news
Examples:
There is a fascinating news item in today’s
China Daily.
While Jennie scanned the newspaper, a
strange item of news attracted her
attention.
2) a single article or unit on a list or among
a set
Example:
There are at least 50 items on her
Christmas shopping list.
2. undo vt.
1) (fml) disturb or upset greatly
Examples:
My daughter’s idea about wealth undid me.
The sight of the animal’s suffering undid me.
2) untie, open
Examples:
It’s so warm inside. He undid his coat and took it off.
Would you please undo this knot for me?
3. …she had a bridge in Brooklyn she’d like to sell
me: suggesting that she thought the author so
gullible that she could be persuaded to buy the
bridge from her. Here she deliberately played on
the meaning of the expression selling the Brooklyn
Bridge to somebody.
4. hit/strike home: have the intended effect
Eg: His criticism hit home, I was really selfish.
I could see from her expression that his comments had hit
home.
5. incredible: adj. that can’t be believed (synonym:
unbelievable)
Eg: It seemed incredible that people would still want to play
soccer during a war.
The boy runs at an incredible speed--- even faster than many
adults.
6. skeptical: (in the habit of ) doubting that sth. is true, right,
etc.( followed by about/of, spelled sceptical in British
English)
Eg: Some scientists think average global temperatures have
risen due to the greenhouse effect. Others are skeptical of
global warming.
He is absolutely convinced that the plan will work, but I’m still
skeptical about it.
7.consume:
1) eat or drink
Eg: Michael consumes nearly a pound of cheese per
day.
2) use up
Eg: some of the most efficient refrigerators
consume 70 percent less electricity than
traditional models.
If consumers(消费者) don’t consume, then workers
don’t work.
8. care for:
1) take care of
Eg: The college students volunteered to care for the
elderly in their community.
2) like or love (used in negative or interrogative
sentences否定句或疑句)
Eg: I don’t care much for country music.
9. rarely: not happening often
Eg: Rarely have I seen a student who is so absorbed
in history.
10. …I wondered aloud: If you wonder aloud, you
express your thoughts as they occur to you, rather
than thinking first and then speaking.
11．lap:
1) the flat area formed by your thighs when you are
sitting down
Eg; Sitting on her mother’s lap, the little girl was
very quiet.
2) a part of a long journey, between two points where
you stop
Eg: The first lap of our trip is from New York city to
Boston.
12.reproach: criticize (sb. ) for failing to do sth.
( used in the pattern : reproach sb. for sth.)
Eg: She loved her boyfriend so much that she didn’t
reproach him for breaking his promise.
He reproached himself constantly for not having
visited his sick mother before she died.
13. theory: a formal idea or set of ideas that is
intended to explain sth.
Eg: Einstein formulated the theory of relativity in
1905. ( in theory: under ideal conditions;
theoretically)
Eg: In theory every one has equal rights.
A school dental service exists in theory, but in
practice, there are few dentists to provide service.
14.harmony:
1) pleasant combination of different notes of music
played at the same time
Eg: We appreciated very much the composer’s
beautiful harmonies in the last movement.
The kids are singing in harmony.
2)a state or condition of agreement, cooperation. or
peacefulness
Eg: Since they moved to this community they have
lived in harmony with their neighbors.
15.by nature: as a result of inborn or inherent
qualities; innately
Eg: She is by nature a polite person.
I am not by nature a violent man, but these insults
were more than I could bear.
16.get one’s act together: (infml) organize oneself
and one’s activities so that one does things in an
effective way
Eg: Steve will have to get his act together if he is
going to pass the exam. He can’t just sit about
doing nothing all day.
“ Come on, you two, get your act together or we’ll
miss the bus,” she shouted at the children as they
slowly put on their coats.
17. put pencil to paper: start to write
Eg: When I put pencil to paper yesterday, vivid
memories came flooding back of my first day in
school.
18.at intervals: (1) sth. That happens at intervals
happens occasionally; sth. that exists at intervals
exists here and there.
The interview continued, with Smith breaking off at
intervals to consult his notes.
Trees have been planted at intervals along the
waterfront.
(2) used to state the precise gap in time or distance
between things
There were red warning lights at intervals along the
street.
She woke him for his medicines at intervals
throughout the night.
Phrases :
at intervals of每隔 at long intervals偶尔；间或 at
short intervals 常常 at regular intervals 每隔一定
时间，每隔一定距离
19.set aside: (1) put (time or money )away for
a special purpose
I have a little money set aside for emergencies.
(2) disregard
We should try and set aside our past
hostilities.
(3)(law) reject
The court has set aside the conviction.
20. race the clock: do something quickly in
order to finish it in the available time
The deadline will be due tomorrow. We have
to race the clock.
21. possess: (fml) have or own
The number of nations that possess nuclear weapons is on the
rise.
He was possessed by the desire to be rich.
Phrases: be possessed with/by被（鬼怪，思想）迷住，缠住 be
possessed of拥有，具有 possess sb. of sth.使某人拥有某物
Cf.: possess, own
Possess 既可指某人对某物具有所有权与支配权,也可指具有才能,特
点,品质,性格等; own 表示合法或天生的拥有某物,不能用抽象意
义
The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this
sort of situations.
The boss owned several busy stores in the town.
22. charm: (1)v. attract, give pleasure to
Her graciousness charmed everyone at the party.
be charmed by/with 醉心于,被迷住
(2)n. attractiveness
The town, clean and quiet, has a charm you could not find in a
big city.
23. take in:
(1) (usu. Passive) cheat or deceive
He is taken in by a confident artist.
(2) receive as a guest or an employee
He has nowhere to live, so we took him in.
(3) reduce in size; make smaller or shorter
The tailor took in the waist on the pair of pants.
(4) include
You should take in every aspect when you want to solve the
problem.
(5) understand
The kid can’t take in the meaning of the word.
24. positive: adj. certain, sure; helpful or constructive
We need more positive evidence to prove his innocence.
Try to have positive attitudes on everything.
The battery has a negative and a positive terminal.
25. have sth./little/much to do with:
Hard work has a great deal to do with her success.
26. a piece of cake: sth. that is very easy to do
---What do you think of this exam?
---It’s a piece of cake.
27. sophisticated: adj.
(1) worldly-wise; showing knowledge of the world.
a sophisticated girl; a sophisticated columnist
(2) advanced or complicated
the latest and most sophisticated technology
I can’t work this sophisticated new equipment.
28. move on to: stop doing one thing and begin
dealing with the next
We are about to move on to the next chapter.
Text analysis
As mentioned in Writing Strategy for
this unit, there are three main ways of
achieving coherence: the use of
transitional words and phrases, the
.repetition of key words and phrases, and
the use of parallel structure.
First, Text A does employ such
transitional words like but, however,
yet. Paras8 to 10 provide a good
example of using transitional phrases
and sentences, so much so that we
can consider this section a miniessay. Ss read Paras8,9 and 10 to
taste the smooth transitional skills
used by the author.
Second, the most striking feature of Text
A is the repetition of key words and
phrases. The occurrences of the phrase
Brooklyn Bridge or the bridge weave the
essay into a coherent piece. Synonyms like
superwoman, superwomen, heroine,
supersisters, and superheroines appear five
times to remind readers of the topic of
this essay. The five instances where the
phrase “in her spare time” is used
emphasize the amazing fact that some
super-capable women can still find spare
time in their tight schedule.
Third, there is no strictly parallel
structure in this essay. However,
some may regard the comparison
between “my” daily struggle and the
achievements of Kate L., the
daughter of a politician, the woman
executive, etc, as parallel.
Interestingly, the author uses many
words and phrases related to food.
For example, a piece of cake, you
can’t eat the cake and have it too,
strawberry jam, a whole box of
cookies, soup, juice, tea, a dieter, a
diet without treats, the old lowdream diet, to devour, to bake cakes.
Don’t they reflect the traditional
role of women as food-providers?
After Reading
• I. Useful Expressions
1. combine…with…; 2. long to do sth;
3.an alumni bulletin; 4.assistant principal;
5.in one’s spare time;
6. doctoral dissertation;
7.have time for tennis and horse riding
8. hit home; 9. be skeptical of /about sth;
10.care for;
11. law school ;
12. a television anchorwoman;
13.study for a master’s degree;
14.a woman executive;
15.as precisely as a Swiss watch;
16.wonder aloud;
17.have a familiar ring;
18.on the train ride home;
19.movers and shakers;
20.Postdoctoral studies in physics;
21.by nature;
22.get one’s act together;
23.schedules of military precision;
24.put pencil/pen to paper;
25.at frequent intervals;
26.set aside (time, money, etc);
27.as promised; 28. OK the matter;
29.race the clock; 30.if only;
31.the organizational skills; 32.take in
33.have sth/much/nothing to do with;
34.an optimistic approach to life;
35.achieve one’s heart’s desire(s)
36.a piece of cake;
37.have the cake and eat it too;
38.too sophisticated for that;
39.well done; 40.be modest about sth;
41.move on to sth; 42.a wise investment;
43.after all; 44. bide one’s time
II. Write a summary of the
text on your own.
III. Preview Text B
Language points of Text B
1. take/get/gain credit (for sth.): get honor, praise or
approval
He got credit for devising a new engine.
2. quit :(quit or quitted) v. stop; give up; leave
Don’t quit love with hate. 不要恩将仇报。
You must quit England and live in a warmer country.
I’ve given my secretary notice to quit.
Usage: quit doing sth.（接动名词做宾语） /
quit to do sth.（接不定式做目的状语）
Quit working. 停止工作
Quit to go abroad. 辞职去国外
3．reaction: n. something that you feel or do because of
something that has happened or been said
What was Jeff's reaction when you told him about the job?
reaction to the government's reaction to the fuel crisis
bring/provoke/produce a reaction
The news brought an angry reaction from unions.
somebody's first/immediate reaction
His first reaction was to deny everything.
instinctive/gut reaction (=what you immediately feel before you
have time to think)
My gut reaction was not to trust him.
There were mixed reactions (=different people reacting in different
ways) to the strike.
in reaction to something .An emergency fund was set up in
reaction to the famine.
4. plead: (pleaded or pled ) v. give (sth.) as an excuse or
explanation, esp. for doing sth. wrong; make
repeated urgent requests (for sth.)
They asked him to pay for the damage but he pleaded
poverty.
The boy pleaded for another chance to pass the test.
plead with somebody (to do something) Moira pleaded
with him to stay.
5. temporary: adj. lasting for a short time
I'm living with my parents, but it's only temporary.
You might want to consider temporary work until you
decide what you want to do.
She was employed on a temporary basis
6. renew: vt. (1)start (sth.) again; give new
energy to
Local people have renewed their efforts to save
the school.
renew a friendship/acquaintance etc (=become
friendly with someone again)
(2) to arrange to borrow a library book for a
further period of time
renew a book
7. soak up: take in, absorb
He used her handkerchief to soak up the blood.
This factory soaks up surplus labor.
7. weigh down: make unhappy and worried, etc.
He was weighed down with worries.
Chinese people were weighed down by “the three big
mountains” before liberation.
8. expense: spending of money; cost
at great/considerable/vast expense
Conference rooms were equipped at great expense.
Julie's parents had spared no expense for her wedding
(=they spent all the money necessary to buy the best
things).
at somebody's expense
a) if you do something at someone's expense, they pay
for you to do it:
Her mansion was refurnished at taxpayers' expense.
b) if you make jokes at someone's expense, you laugh
about them and make them seem stupid or silly:
Louis kept making jokes at his wife's expense.
9. stir: vt. to move a liquid or substance around
with a spoon or stick in order to mix it
together:
Stir the paint to make sure it is smooth.
stir something with something
She stirred her coffee with a plastic spoon.
stir something in/into something
Stir a cup of coffee into the mixture
stir somebody/something up : to deliberately try
to cause arguments or bad feelings between
people:
John was always stirring up trouble in class.
Dave's just trying to stir things up because he's
jealous.
10. seek after/for: try to find or obtain
We must seek for a solution to the problem
These articles are much sought after.
这些商品很受人欢迎。
Thank
you for
your excellent
cooperation！