An Integrated English Course
Book 4
Unit Ten
Questions for General Understanding
1.
2.
3.
4.
What do you know about the narrator?
What type of writing is the text?
What’s the author’s purpose of writing?
How many parts can the text be divided
into? (p. 155)
1. About the narrator
• James Earl Jones
• James Earl Jones Turned Fear Into Fame
Fear -- Feel It and Keep Moving
• Many of us allow our fear to stop us in our tracks. All it
takes is a less than encouraging word, a negative facial
expression, or a less than positive opinion, and we give up
before we even get started. We’re afraid of:
• • the word “no” because it means failure
• the word “yes” because it means responsibility
• the disapproving look because it means rejection
• the whispers and grins because they mean judgment, and
• the absence of support because it means abandonment
• Let’s look at these five catalysts (催化剂) to failure and
how they can be overcome.
• Abandonment
Little James Earl was scared. His father had
left the family to become a prize fighter and
actor. His mother had left to earn money as
a tailor. The Great Depression had stolen his
family and he was about to lose the only life
he had ever known.
• His grandparents had adopted him and now
they were on their way to Michigan.
• Rejection
Though his life in Mississippi had been one of
abandonment, it was all the 5-year-old boy had
known. The move to Michigan so traumatized him
he developed a stutter.
• His first day of school was a disaster. His
stuttering made his classmates laugh at him. It was
the final straw for a frightened little boy. He
closed his mouth and simply quit talking… for
eight years!
• James Earl was completely mute – with the
exception of conversations he had with himself
when he was all alone. He found solace in the
written word – creating poetry to release the
raging in his soul.
• Judgment
As is often the case, one person who saw beyond
his limitations released James Earl from his selfimposed prison. That one person was an English
teacher who saw talent in the silent 13-year-old.
She pushed him beyond his fear by forcing him
into public speaking – insisting he recite a poem in
front of the class every day.
• Can’t you imagine his terror when he first stood in
front of his classmates? What made him do it?
Was it only the teacher’s insistence? No. It was a
deep desire to break free from his prison and
speak all the things that had sat silently in his heart
during all those years. He chose to feel the fear –
and then do it anyway!
• Failure
He stuttered. He stammered. He endured the
sympathetic and scornful looks of fellow
students. He endured the laughing. But he
did it. He faced the fear and forced himself
to speak. Day after day. Week after week.
He hung onto the encouragement of the
teacher who believed in him. And it worked.
His stuttering became less. He learned to
control his voice.
• Responsibility
His victories made him look for more
challenges. James Earl began to take acting
lessons. His early lessons in perseverance
gave him the courage to push beyond the
prejudices against black actors. He chose to
take as many different types of roles as he
could – stretching his limitations and
refusing to be pigeon-holed with any
stereotypes.
• Beyond the Fear
James Earl Jones is now known for his deep authoritative
voice. Perhaps you know him as the voice of Star War’s
Darth Vader or as Mufasa in the Lion King. You see him
almost daily on commercials. He has starred on Broadway
and been in many movies. He has been laden with Tony,
Emmy and Obie Awards.
• People look at him today and see a confident actor with a
deep, resonant voice. The next time you see him, look deeper.
..
• James Earl Jones’ great secret to success is that he chose to
push beyond his fears. He chose to change the reality of a
young boy who had lived in silence for eight years. He chose
to face ridicule and scorn in order to be free. I can only
imagine how many years passed before he could open his
mouth without being afraid of what would come out.
• So many of us let our fears stop us. We’re afraid of how we
will appear. We’re afraid of what people will think. We’re
afraid we’ll fail. And so. . . we do nothing. We exchange fear
for regret. Fear will pass. Fear can be conquered. Fear will
fade away in the face of determined action.
• Regret – well, you'll live with that for the rest of your life.
• What are you afraid of ? Name the fear. Choose to face it.
And take action to conquer it today! You, too, can live a life
of success by feeling the fear and moving beyond it.
• About the Author...
The story for this article was taken from Ginny Dye’s Daily
Secrets For Success. Let these daily motivational stories stir
your heart, fuel your desire and propel you into action.
Subscribe at http://www.DailySecretsForSuccess.com
• Source: Family-Content.com
2. Type of writing
• Narrative
3. Purpose of writing (154)
• To reveal how the narrator overcame his
stuttering and became a good speaker with
the help of Prof. Crouch.
4. Text structure
• Part I (Paragraph 1-2) Beginning
-- presents a striking contrast between his successful career as an
actor and television announcer and his severe stutter in his early
childhood .
• Part II (Paragraphs 3-22) Development
-- the author recollects how his high school teacher, Professor
Crouch, helped him to overcome his stutter and find his voice.
• Part III (Paragraphs 23-29) Ending
-- the author tells the reader how his voice was found with the
help of Prof. Crouch who turned a new leaf to his life and
brought him great successes in memorable roles on stage, in
films, and on television, and how grateful he is to his teacher,
“the father of my resurrected voice”.
Part I (Paragraph 1-2)
• In this part, the writer describes how
successful his career is at present and what
an important role his voice plays in his
career. It forms a sharp contrast with the
fact that he suffered from a stuttering
problem as a child.
voice
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
be in (good) voice 嗓子好
find one's voice (吓得或羞得说不出话之后)恢复说话
give one's voice for 赞成
give voice to 说出, 表达, 吐露
have a [no] voice in sth. 对某事有[无]发言权
in a hushed voice 低声(私语)地
in bad [out of] voice 嗓子不好
in my voice 以我的名义(莎士比亚语)
lift up one's voice 大声疾呼, 叫嚷
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
lose one's voice 嗓子哑了
lower one's voice 低声说话, 压低嗓子
raise one's voice against sth. 为抗议某事而大声疾呼
recover one's voice 开口说起话来
round voice 宏亮而柔和的嗓音
speak under one's voice 低声说
strain one's voice 喊坏嗓子; 扯起嗓子喊
the public voice 舆论
the still small voice 良心的呼声
The voice of one man is the voice of no one.
[谚]一个人的意见不起作用。
• with one voice 异口同声地; 一致地
Language work
• 1. trilogy:
-- a series of three books, plays, operas, etc.
that have the same subject or the same
character, but are each complete works in
themselves
• He is best known for his trilogy on
working-class life.
• Star Wars is an epic (史诗的) space opera franchise(特权，
经营权) initially conceived by George Lucas. The first film in
the franchise was simply titled Star Wars, but later had the
subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope added to distinguish it from
its sequels and prequels(介绍性的片集). Star Wars was
released on May 25, 1977 by 20th Century Fox, and became a
worldwide pop culture (通俗文化) phenomenon, spawning
two immediate sequels released in three-year intervals.
Sixteen years after the release of the trilogy's final film, the
first in a new prequel trilogy of films was released, again
released in three-year intervals, with the final film released on
May 19, 2005.
• The original trilogy comprised of Star Wars, released on May
25, 1977, The Empire Strikes Back（帝国反击战）, released
on May 21, 1980, and Return of the Jedi（绝地武士归来/绝
地大反攻）, released on May 25, 1983.
• 2. the voice-over announcer:
-- an announcer who makes a
commentary (解说词) or gives an
explanation which is heard as part
of a film or television program, but
he himself is not actually seen.
Questions for discussion
Q: Did you expect a person as described in
Paragraph 1 could have suffered from
stutter?
A: It is really out of anyone’s expectation that
a person with the experience of stuttering
may have such a great achievement,
especially in a career dependent primarily
upon voice and fluency.
Part II (Paragraphs 3-22)
• Development: How I found my voice
• It mainly describes the writer’s stuttering problem
when he was a child and the process of how Prof.
Crouch helped the boy tackle the problem by way
of the forced public speaking. As a result, his
effort woke up the boy’s courage to overcome his
humiliation, and the boy’s stutter disappeared.
Language work
• 3. I always sat down, my face burning with shame.
-- I always sat down, and blushed because I felt ashamed.
• More examples of absolute structure:
• A number of officials followed the emperor, some to hold his
robe, others to adjust his girdle, and so on. (infinitive clause)
• His voice drowned by the noise, the speaker stopped in the
middle of his lecture. (-ed participle clause)
• He went off, gun in hand, (prepositional phrase)
• The floor wet and slippery, we stayed outside. (adjective
phrase)
• Paul was lying on the lawn, his hands __
under his head.
A. were crossing
B. were crossed
C. crossing
D. crossed
• ANSWER: D
• The boys leaned against the willow tree,
fishing poles _____ on sticks, eyes ____ at the
bobs floating on the ripples.
A. resting… gazing
B. resting… gazed
C. rested… gazing
D. rested… gazed
• ANSWER: A
• 4. It was traumatic moving from the warm,
easy ways of catfish country to the harsh
climate of the north, where people seemed
so different.
• We moved from the familiar and pleasant
country to the north where I felt cold both in
body and in heart. That was really an
upsetting experience in my life.
fervent
• adj showing warmth and sincerity of feeling;
enthusiastic; passionate 热诚的; 热情的; 热烈的;
强烈的
• a fervent farewell speech 热情的告别演说
• fervent love, hatred, etc 强烈的爱﹑ 恨等
• a fervent admirer 痴心的倾慕者
• He's a fervent believer in free speech.
• 他是言论自由的强烈信仰者。
• She has a fervent desire to win.
• 她有着强烈的获胜欲望。
• 5. in a nondenominational fellowship:
• -- in a close relationship without caring
about the different religions
• nondenominational
-- not restricted to a particular religious
denomination
• adj. 不限于一宗教宗派的, 与宗教宗派无关的
• 6. Granddad’s Irish heritage came out in his
love for language; during the week he used
“everyday talk”, but on Sunday he spoke
only the finest English.:
• -- Granddad had a love for language, which
might have been inherited from his Irish
ancestors. In weekdays, he used plain
English, but when in church on Sunday, he
spoke perfectly standard English.
come out
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. 出现
The moon came out from behind the clouds.
月亮从云后露出脸来。
2. 出版
When will his new novel come out?
他新创作的小说什么时候出版?
3. 结果是
The party came out all right. 晚会开得很好。
4. 传出
When the news came out, everyone was shocked.
消息传来,人人都感到震惊。
5. 总计
The total came out at 1010. 总数算出来为一千零十。
• 7. come close to:
-- become almost the same as
• 8. assess:
-- consider or judge the quality or worth of
something
• They say they can assess intelligence from these tests.
• 9. round up: 集中，赶拢
-- gather together animals or people, often when
they do not want to be gathered together
• We rounded up some friends to play poker and
drink beer.
我们聚集了一些朋友来喝啤酒、打扑克牌。
• 10. vent: give free expression to
• (idm 习语) give (full) vent to sth: express sth freely （任
意地）表达某事
• He gave vent to his feelings in an impassioned speech.
他慷慨陈词抒发感情.
• vent sth (on sb): find or provide an outlet for (an emotion)
发泄（情感）
• He vented his anger on his long-suffering wife. 他拿一贯受气的
妻子出气.
• (idm 习语) grit one's teeth
• (a) keep one's jaws tight together 咬紧牙关
• (b) (fig 比喻) summon up one's courage and determination
鼓起勇气下定决心
• When things get difficult, you just have to grit your teeth
and persevere. 遇到困难只需咬紧牙关坚持下去.
• 11. That awful feeling of my voice being
trapped got worse as 1 grew older.:
-- As I grew older, I became more selfconscious of my stuttering.
• 12. retreat:
-- a quiet or private place that one goes to in
order to rest or concentrate on a particular
problem or task
Mennonite
• 门诺宗信徒；门诺派教徒 ['menənait]
• 以门诺·西门（Menno Simons）的名字命名的新教教会
信徒。起源可追溯到1525年成立的瑞士兄弟会，他们
是一些反对婴儿受洗并强调政教分离的不从国教派。
因受迫害而散居欧洲各地，先是在荷兰与波兰北部找
到了政治自由，再从那些地区迁往乌克兰与俄罗斯。
1663年他们首次移民北美洲。19世纪70年代，许多俄
罗斯门诺宗信徒因丧失兵役豁免权而移民美国中西部
和加拿大。如今，在全世界许多地方都能找到门诺宗
信徒，尤其是南、北美洲。他们的信条强调《圣经》
的权威、早期教会的典范和洗礼对承认信仰的重要性
。他们崇尚简朴的生活，许多人拒绝宣誓及服兵役。
Chaucer
• Chaucer, Geoffrey
(?1340-1400) an English writer who wrote
the long poem The Canterbury Tales, one
of the most important works in English
literature. It is about a group of pilgrims (朝
圣者) travelling to Canterbury, who tell
each other stories.
The beginning of The Knight's Tale
from the Ellesmere manuscript.
•
Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;
Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,
And in his tyme swich a conquerour,
That gretter was ther noon under the
sonne.
Ful many a riche contree hadde he wonne,
What with his wysdom and his chivalrie;
He conquered al the regne of Femenye,
That whilom was ycleped Scithia,
And weddede the queene Ypolita,
And broghte hir hoom with hym in his
contree,
With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee,
And eek hir yonge suster Emelye.
And thus with victorie and with melodye
• (8) he couldn’t stand not being a part of our
school.
• Paraphrase: ... he wanted very much to be a
teacher of our school.
• Why?
Robert Frost (1874-1963)
• American poet, one of the finest of rural New England's 20th century pastoral
poets. Frost published his first books in Great Britain in the 1910s, but he
soon became in his own country the most read and constantly anthologized
poet, whose work was made familiar in classrooms and lecture platforms.
Frost was awarded the Pulitzer Prize four times. Nature and Frost's rural
surroundings were for him a source for insights "from delight to wisdom", or
as he also said: "Literature begins with geography."
FIRE AND ICE
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;
我通知了住在山那边的邻居；
And on a day we meet to walk the line
有一天我们约好，巡视地界一番，
And set the wall between us once again.
在我们两家之间再把墙重新砌起。
We keep the wall between us as we go.
我们走的时候，中间隔著一沿墙。
To each the boulders that have fallen to each. 落在两边的石块，由各自去料理。
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls 有些是长块的，有些几乎圆得像球，
We have to use a spell to make them balance: 需要一点魔术才能把它们放稳当：
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”「给我好好待著，等我们转过身再滚落！」
We wear our fingers rough with handling them. 我们搬弄石头，把手指都磨粗了。
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
啊！这不过又是一种户外游戏，
One on a side. It comes to little more:
一个人站在一边。此外没有多少用处：
There where it is we do not need the wall:
在墙那地方，我们根本不需要墙：
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
他那边全是松树，我这边则是苹果园。
My apple trees will never get across
我的苹果树永远也不会踱过去，
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. 吃掉他松树下的毬果。我对他说。
He only says, “Good fences make good
他只是说：「好篱笆造出好邻居。」
neighbours.”
• 13. savor:
-- enjoy and appreciate something like food, or drink,
or an experience, as much as one can
加调味品于, 尝到或闻到, 尽情享受
• I savored every mouthful of breakfast, reluctant to let it end.
• He savored his success. 他回味自己的成就。
• Life seems to have lost most of its savor for him.
对他来说，生活似乎已失去了一切乐趣。
• (10) we found a kinship
• Paraphrase: we found a strong connection between us.
press
• press sb (for sth): try repeatedly to persuade sb (to
do sth) 一再劝说某人（做某事）; 催促; 敦促:
• The bank is pressing us for repayment of the loan.
• 银行催我们偿还贷款.
• They are pressing us to make a quick decision.
• 他们正在敦促我们迅速作出决定.
turn away
• She turn away in horror at the sight of so
much blood.
• 她一看见这么多血就立刻吓得转过脸去。
• Some refugees were turned away. There
were too many hungry mouths to feed
already.
• 一些难民们被打发走了，因为需要提供食物的
饥民太多了。
• 14. labor:
-- work with difficulty, for example
because one is not strong enough or clever
enough
• He was laboring under the strain of a
worsening political crisis.
• His classmates were laboring with elementary
algebra.
• 15. ... I started, anger flooding me ... :
-- ... I started, overwhelmed with anger ...
breathless
• 1. having difficulty in breathing 气喘吁吁的,呼吸困难的
• The climb made him breathless.
• 2. (因兴奋、恐惧等)呼吸急促的;屏息的
• The children were breathless as they watched the tightrope act.
• 孩子们在看走绳索表演时呼吸都屏住了。
• 3. 扣人心弦的,令人喘不过气的
• breathless tension 令人透不过气来的紧张
• 4. 呼吸停止的;死的
• The body lay breathless on the bed: there was no sign of life.
• 躺在床上的人停止了呼吸,已经死了。
• 5. 无风而沉闷的;闷气的 unpleasantly hot
• the breathless air of a hot summer day 炎热的夏日那令人窒息的空
气
• at (a) breathless pace/speed: extremely fast
• Cf. out of breath 喘不过气来，上气不接下气
地
• I‘m out of breath after running up the stairs. 奔上楼
梯我气喘吁吁。
• Cf. gasp: take one or more quick deep breaths
with open mouth (大口)喘气
• gasp like a fish out of water
像鱼离开水似的大口 喘气
• The exhausted runner was gasping for
air/breath. 那人跑得疲惫已极, 上气不接下气.
• 16. I stood amazed and floated back to my desk in
a daze, amid wild applause.:
-- I stood there, amazed at my performance, then
not knowing how, I drifted back to my seat, and
my classmates gave me a big applause.
• (idm 习语) in a daze: in a confused state 处於茫
然状态:
• I've been in a complete daze since hearing the sad
news. 我听到那坏消息, 一直全然不知所措.
• amid, also amidst prep (dated or fml 旧或文) in
the middle of (sth); among 在...当中; 在...中:
• Amid all the rush and confusion she forgot to say
goodbye. 她在忙乱中忘记了告辞.
dubious
• dubious about sth/doing sth: not certain and
slightly suspicious about sth; doubtful 半信半疑;
可疑:
• I remain dubious about her motives.
我对她的动机仍存疑念.
• uncertain in result; in doubt 结果未定的; 不能确
定的:
• The results of this policy will remain dubious for some
time. 这项政策的效果短期内难以确定.
doubtful
• doubtful (about sth/doing sth) (of a person) feeling doubt;
unsure （指人）感到怀疑, 不能确定:
•
feel doubtful about whether to go or not 拿不定主意去不去
• causing doubt; uncertain 令人生疑的; 不肯定的:
• The weather looks rather doubtful, ie unsettled.
天气看来靠不住（可能会变天）.
• a doubtful (ie unreliable) ally 不可靠的盟友
• unlikely; improbable 未必的; 不大可能的:
• It is extremely doubtful that anyone survived the explosion.
在那场爆炸中很难有幸存者.
•
[attrib 作定 语] possibly dishonest, disreputable, etc;
causing suspicion; questionable （诚实﹑ 名声等）不大好
的, 可疑的, 有问题
• a rather doubtful character, neighborhood, past
很可疑的人物﹑ 邻居﹑ 过去.
suspicious
• suspicious (about/of sth/sb) having or showing suspicion
有疑心的; 表示怀疑的:
• a suspicious look, attitude 怀疑的样子﹑ 态度
• I'm very suspicious about her motives. 我对她的动机甚为怀 疑.
• He is suspicious of (ie does not trust) strangers. 他不信任陌生人.
• causing suspicion 引起怀疑的; 可疑的:
• a suspicious action, remark 可疑的行动﹑ 言语
• a suspicious character, ie sb who may be dishonest 不可靠的人
• It's very suspicious that she was in the house when the crime
happened. 案发时她在房子里, 此点非常可疑.
• 17. Most have no problem singing because
the lyrics’ rhythmic pattern flows by itself.:
-- Most stutterers can sing without
stuttering because they can sing along with
the rhythm pattern which just flows by
itself.
• 18. He never pushed anything at me again;
he just wanted all his students to wake up.:
-- From then on he never gave me pressure,
and what he tried to do was to help students
realize and tap their potential.
Questions for discussion
1) What are supposed to be the causes of his
stuttering?
2) Why could he talk to all kinds of animals
on the farm, but not in front of people?
3) What attracted Prof. Crouch to the
writer’s school?
4) How did Prof. Crouch help the author to
find his voice?
• 1) What are supposed to be the causes of
his stuttering?
• The first cause is that he moved “ from the
warm, easy ways of catfish country to the
harsh climate of the north, where people
seemed so different”.
• The second is that he felt great pressure
from his grandfather who had an inherited
love for language and was always accurate
and fluent in speaking.
• 2) Why could he talk to all kinds of animals
on the farm, but not in front of people?
• Shame and humiliation held him back from
public speaking. The more he worried about
being laughed at because of his stuttering,
the more he retreated from other people.
And it got worse as he grew older.
• 3) What attracted Prof. Crouch to the
writer’s school?
• It was his deep love for poems that attracted
Prof. Crouch to the writer’s school.
• 4) How did Prof. Crouch help the author to
find his voice?
• He “tricked” the boy by questioning
whether the poem was really written by
himself. The teacher’s disbelief made the
boy very angry, and to prove he really did it,
he recited the whole poem to the class
without any stuttering. which gave him a
big surprise and a lot of self-confidence at
the same time.
Part III (Paragraphs 23-29)
• The concluding part shows various honors
and successes the writer has obtained,
which further emphasizes the great effect
the teacher has brought about on the
writer’s career as well as his whole life. He
would never forget that it was Prof. Crouch
who had made him a successful actor and
announcer out of a stuttering boy.
Language work
•19. I ... supported myself between roles by
sweeping floors of off-Broadway stages.:
-- Before acting any new role, I ...
supported myself by sweeping the floors of
off-Broadway stages.
/ ... supported myself by sweeping floors of
off-Broadway stages before there was any
new role for me to play.
• 20. “Can I fly you in from Michigan to see
it?”:
-- “Can I offer you a flight from Michigan to
New Haven to see my acting?”
• (25) …helped in part by the realization that…
• Paraphrase: The realization ... partly helped
me to understand him, so I said, “I
understand. Professor.”
• 21. ... he was still living in a world vibrant
with all of the beautiful treasures he had
stored. :
-- ... he had stored many poems by
memorizing them so he could enjoy his life
with the rhythms of poetry even after he had
lost his sight.
/ ... he was still living in a world that was
exciting and lively because of all the
beautiful poems he had memorized.
• 22. resurrect:
-- cause something to live again after it has
disappeared
• That noise is enough to resurrect the dead!
• 那噪音都能把死人吵活!
• resurrect old customs, habits, traditions, etc 恢复旧
的习俗﹑ 习惯﹑ 传统等
• The Home Office (英国内政部) have resurrected
plans to build a new prison just outside London.
• the Resurrection [sing] (religion 宗) : the
rising of Jesus from the tomb 耶稣复活
Easter: origin
• Origin of Easter - A Christian Commemoration
The origin of Easter, a holiday associated with the
observance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is
actually based on an ancient pagan (异教的，非
基督教的) celebration. Christians recognize this
day as commemorating the culminating (达到高
潮) event of their faith, but like so many other
"Christian" holidays, Easter has become
commercialized and mixed with non-Christian
traditions like the Easter Bunny, Easter parades
and hunting for Easter eggs. How did this happen?
• The origin of Easter involves the birth of Semiramis' (塞米勒米斯,
古代传说中的亚述女王) illegitimate son, Tammuz. Somehow,
Semiramis convinced the people that Tammuz was actually
Nimrod reborn. Since people had been looking for the promised
savior since the beginning of mankind (see Genesis 3:15), they
were persuaded by Semiramis to believe that Tammuz was that
savior, even that he had been supernaturally conceived. Before
long, in addition to worshipping Tammuz (or Nimrod reborn), the
people also worshipped Semiramis herself as the goddess of
fertility. In other cultures, she has been called Ishtar, Ashtur and
yes, Easter.
• The origin of Easter goes back to the springtime ritual instituted by
Semiramis following the death of Tammuz, who, according to
tradition, was killed by a wild boar (野猪). Legend has it that
through the power of his mother's tears, Tammuz was "resurrected"
in the form of the new vegetation that appeared on the earth.
• According to the Bible, it was in the city of Babel that the
people created a tower in order to defy God. Up until that
time, all the people on the earth spoke one language. The
building of the tower led God, as recorded in Genesis 11:7,
to confuse their tongues to keep them from being further
unified in their false beliefs. As the people moved into
other lands, many of them took their pagan practices with
them.
• Contemporary traditions such as the Easter Bunny and the
Easter egg can also be traced back to the practices
established by Semiramis. Because of their prolific nature,
rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its
goddess, Ishtar. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable
about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven
and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or
Semiramis) was "hatched."
About Easter
• Jesus Christ died on a cross on a Friday almost two
thousand years ago. Christians believe that on the
following Sunday, Christ rose from the dead and, in doing
so, proved that He is the Son of God. The day Jesus died
and was buried is known as Good Friday(复活节前的星期
五;耶稣受难日). The following Sunday is Easter.
• Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Son of God each
year between March 22nd and April 25th (the first Sunday
after the vernal equinox).
• Religious celebrations include family gatherings and
special Easter church services.
• Easter in 2009 is on April 12.
Easter Traditions
• Easter traditions differ around the world. Here are just a few of them.
• Children in the United States and Canada say the Easter bunny or rabbit
brings eggs at Easter. In Germany and England, they say the hare
brings them. The hare looks like a rabbit, but it's larger, with longer
ears and legs.
• In Australia, rabbits are quite a nuisance as they are not native to the
land. For this reason, there is an attempt being made to dub the Bilby as
the chief egg bringer of the land. For lack of a better description, the
Bilby looks a bit like a cross between a mouse and a rabbit.
• But there are more foods than eggs to enjoy on Easter!
• People in Russia eat an Easter bread that is full of plump white raisins
and tastes like cake. In some countries of Eastern Europe, people enjoy
an Easter Cake called babka. It‘s shaped like a skirt -- babka means
“little old woman”. Easter cakes in Italy are shaped like a rabbit, which
is a symbol of birth and new life and many other countries make
cookies and cakes shaped like a lamb, a symbol of Jesus. Hot cross
buns are another traditional Easter bread with icing (糖衣) in the shape
of a cross.
Easter eggs are a popular sign of
the holiday. (Left)
Coloured Easter eggs in the
United States. (Right)
Questions for discussion
• 1) Why did the writer want to show his
successes to his teacher?
• 2) What kind of comments did the writer
make about his teacher?
• 1) Why did the writer want to show his
successes to his teacher?
• Because he wanted to show his gratitude to
his teacher.
• 2) What kind of comments did the writer
make about his teacher?
• He spoke highly of him, respecting him as a
father who provided a new life for him by
helping him find his voice and leading him
to the world of literature.
Text comprehension
• Exercise III (p. 155)
• 1. Why could the narrator hardly believe that such
good things as described in Paragraph 1 could ever
happen to him?
• Because the great achievements were far beyond the
expectations of such a poor stutterer as he used to
be. When he was young he was completely unable to
speak in public due to his serious stuttering. Thus he
could never imagine that he would make such good
achievements.
• 2. Why does the narrator describe his
moving at the age of five as traumatic?
• Because he felt that the place he moved to
was drastically different climatically and
culturally from where he had been.
• 3. Why did the narrator quit Sunday school
and church?
• Because he wanted to avoid the humiliation
he suffered there for his stuttering.
• 4. Why does the narrator say the farm
animals knew he could talk?
• Because the animals never laughed at him,
he was not nervous at all when he talked to
them as a way of venting his feelings.
• 5. Why couldn’t Prof. Crouch stand not
being a part of the narrator’s school?
• Because he loved English classics,
especially poetry, which was one of the
subjects taught at the narrator’s school. His
deep love for poetry was vividly described
in the metaphor: “He held a book of poems
as if it were a diamond necklace, turning
pages as if uncovering treasures.”
• 6. What event made the narrator open his
mouth in public without stuttering for the
first time?
• It was Prof. Crouch’s trick. When the
narrator handed in his poem, Prof. Crouch
purposefully challenged him for his
authorship. Consequently the narrator was
provoked into reciting his poem in the
presence of his classmates without
stuttering.
Paraphrase
• 1. ... he wanted very much to be a teacher of our
school.
• 2. ... we found a strong connection between us.
• 3. I ... supported myself by sweeping floors of offBroadway stages before there was any new role for
me to play.
• 4. The realization ... partly helped me to understand
him, so I said, “I understand. Professor.”
• 5. ... he was still living in a world that was exciting
and lively because of all the beautiful poems he had
memorized.
Rhetorical features of the text
• The New Testament is repeated because the author
takes it as his greatest honour to read such an
important book on tape. It is distributed this way
because the author wants to tell the reader from the
beginning of his personal account what
achievements he has made since he got over his
stuttering problem and express his gratitude to the
father of his resurrected voice. By mentioning the
New Testament again at the end of the narration, the
author successfully harks back (return) to the
opening paragraph and thus unifies the text into an
organic whole.
Grammar exercises -I
• Can and could can express ability,
permission and possibility.
• In sentence 1, could express possibility. In
sentence 9, can expresses permission. In
sentences 3, 4, 5, could expresses the
general past ability, while in sentences 2, 6,
7, 8, 10, could is used in the negative
sentence to refer to the past ability, general
or specific.
Grammar exercises -II
•
•
•
•
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
am feeling → can feel
could→ was able to
can → will be able to
/
could → was able to
/
can; be able to
1. can只有两种时态, 即can 和could, 而be
able to 有多种时态, 如was/were able to,
will/shall be able to, have/has been able to
等:
• I’ll be able to drive the car in a week.
• Through his diligent work, the deaf-mute
has been able to read and write in a sign
language.
2．表示过去通过努力终于做成了某事要用
be able to，而不能用can。如：
• I was able to swim to the bank after the
boat turned over.
3．can 可以表 “允许”, 与may可以互换,
此时不能用be able to 代替。如：
• “Can / May I sit here？” “Yes,
please.”
4. can能表猜测，be able to不能。can的这种用法
主要用于疑问句和否定句。
• Somebody is knocking at the door. Who can it be?
• It can’t be our teacher who is knocking at the door.
• 其肯定形式是must be。如:
• It must be our teacher who is knocking at the door.
• must have done something 表示对现在完成或过
去动作的猜测，其否定形式是can’t have done。
如:
• “His parents must have gone abroad.” “No, I don’t
think so. They can’t have gone, for I saw them
only this morning.”
• 5. can 是情态动词，只能用作谓语成分，
be able to是普通动词短语，既可以作谓
语，也可以作非谓语。如：
• Being able to speak English fluently, he has
no difficulty in communicating with the
Americans at the party.
• How I long to be able to communicate with
the foreigners in fluent English!
• 6. be able to 后边接动词不定式表示一种实际情
况时，其否定形式不是be not able to，而是
cannot。如：
• Were you able to catch the first bus yesterday
morning?
• No, I couldn’t.
• 7. 一般说来, be able to 后边的动词不定式没有
被动语态。如:
• I’m sure he is able to correct his mistakes in
grammar.
• 不说: *I’m sure his mistakes are able to be
corrected by him.
Practice 1
1. –Take a seat, please. You must be very tired after a
day’s work.
--Thank you, but I ______ tired.
A. can’t be
B. am not
C. mustn’t be D. may not
2. I hope you _______ catch up with your classmates
in a few weeks.
A. to be able to
B. can
C. be able to
D. able to
Answer: B B
3. -- “What do you think of the news in today’s
newspaper?”
-- “It _______ be true.”
A. mustn’t B. isn’t be able to C. can D. can’t
4. Through generations of hardworking, our country
________ produce IC with its own intellectual
property rights.
A. is able to B. can C. has been able to D. could
5. Our teacher was ill yesterday, and so we ________
have a day off.
A. could B. can C. were able to D. may
ANSWER: D C C
6. He studied very hard last term, so he ______ get the
first prize in the final examination.
A. could B. was able to C. might D. would
7. You _____________too careful in your lessons.
A. are never able to be
B. can never be
C. can be
D. must
8. He must have worked out the problem last night, ___?
A. mustn’t he B. hasn’t he
C. didn’t he
D. can’t he
• ANSWER: B B C
9. -- Was he able to pass the test for the
driver’s license?
-- No, he ___________.
A. was not able
B. couldn’t
C. wasn’t able to D. wasn’t able to pass
10. I __________ make a living in the USA
because I’m not good in English.
A. am unable to
B. am not able to
C. can
D. am impossible to
• ANSWER:ＢＡ
Grammar exercises -III
1. Could we meet again tomorrow?
2. She could sing tike an angle when she was a kid.
3. John was so drunk that he couldn’t open the
door.
4. I don’t type very well, but I could finish the
reports without making too many mistakes.
5. /
6. You could talk with your teacher.
7. No one knows where he is. He could be in
Paris. He could be in London.
8. Could 1 use your phone?
Translation -I
1. People were flooding in from the
surrounding countryside.
2. His performance has come close to
perfection.
3. Mary was in a daze all the way to London.
4. In this mountain retreat you can find the
best climate in the country.
5. He leaned back into his seat and relaxed,
savoring the comfort.
6. What makes this young couple proud is that
their child could recite poems from memory
at the age of three.
7. He repeated in public what he had said in
private.
8. A family vibrant with life and love is to be
built with the joint efforts of all its members.
Translation -II
•从8岁到11岁，我在英格兰巴思的一所教会小学上学
。那是一所很小的学校，由4个班级组成，每个班大
约有25个孩子，按年龄分班。一般都是由一个老师负
责教一个班的全部课程。但是，校长罗纳德∙布罗克
斯先生偶尔也会到班里来，用大约一个小时的时间讲
授他特别喜欢的课程。他对我很感兴趣，并且很快就
知道我喜欢破解难题。他经常在我今教室的路上拦住
我，从口袋里掏出一张纸条给我，上面通常写着数学
或逻辑学方面的难题。随着时间的推移，题目难度逐
步增大，可我非常喜欢。这些小纸条点燃了我对数学
和解题的热爱，这种热爱一直保持到今天。当我找出
答案时，我会觉得那种智力活动很有价值，或许更重
要的是，那是一种巨大的乐趣。
Text II Thank you, Mr. Chips
• 1. That’s because he is not a physicist.
What’s more, he even failed in a math test
in the MIT entrance examination when he
was young and never had much formal
physics training in his lifetime.
• 2. He won the Nobel Prize in physics
because he invented microchips and
launched a technological revolution, which
benefited the people all over the world.
• 3. No, he didn’t. To him, the job of an
engineer is to solve problems. When he
solved one problem, he began to solve
another without paying attention to his
personal gains.
• 4. No. The last paragraph tells us that our
media-saturated society is always looking
for new faces and genuine national heroes
like Kilby have been overlooked.
Quiz -- Vocabulary
1. 三部曲/剧
2. 布道,讲道
3. 导师,顾问
4. 使复活/复兴
5. 充裕的,丰富的
6. 口吃,结巴
7. 羞辱
8. 撤退;隐居地
9. 军事演习;调动
10. 茫然,迷茫
11. 怀疑的;无把握的 12. 创伤的
13. 演说的;雄辩的 14. 窃笑
Vocabulary --Key
1. trilogy
3. mentor
5. abundant
7. humiliate
9. maneuver
11. dubious
13. oratorical
2. sermon
4. resurrect
6. stutter
8. retreat
10. daze
12. traumatic
14. snicker
Dictation
•As human beings,/ we have the special ability to
share our thoughts by talking. / We start by
forming a thought in our brains. / In the brain,/
this thought is changed into a code called
language./ Finally, the brain sends a message to
the muscles,/ telling them to move/ and make
the right sounds come out. / Then the mouth,
face, neck, tongue, and throat muscles move
into motion./
• Sometimes this process doesn’t work
perfectly, though./ There might be an
interruption or break/ in the flow of speech.
/ This interruption is called disfluency. /
• Disfluency becomes a speech problem/
when it gets in the way of everyday talking/
and is noticeable to other people./ It can
make it hard to get thoughts out./ It can also
cause a lot of embarrassment or frustration/
for the person who is talking.
Oral practice
• Work in pairs.
• Tell a story about someone who experienced
failure (or abandonment, misjudgment,
rejection, fear, or misfortune, natural
disaster) but chose to face and change the
reality and has become successful.