Book II Unit 7. Contents Text One Pre-reading I. Warm-up questions II. Background information...

ContentsContents

Text OnePre-reading I. Warm-up questions II. Background informationWhile-reading I. Structural analysis II. Comprehension questions III. Language points IV. Difficult sentencesPost-reading I. Grammatical items II. Translation exercises III. Oral activities IV. Writing practice

Text Two I. Questions for comprehension II. Language points

海南大学外国语学院基础英语教研室

Text I--- Letter To A B Student Text I--- Letter To A B Student

Pre-readingI. Warm-up question

1. What grades do you mostly get for the English courses you have taken? Are you happy or disappointed with the grades you get?

2. How do you and your classmates regard the grades you get? Do you think the grades one gets truly reflect his ability and potential?


II. Background information II. Background information

1. About the author

Robert Oliphant---An English pro-

fessor at California State University at

Northridge, one of the nation’s largest

public universities, is the intellectual,

economic and cultural heart of Los

Angeles.


2. Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters (for example, A, B, C, D, or F), as a range (for example 4.0 –1.0), as descriptors (excellent, great, satisfactory, needs improvement), in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary institutions in some countries, as a Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA can be used by potential employers or further post-secondary institutions to assess and compare applicants. A Cumulative Grade Point Average is the mean GPA from all academic terms within a given academic year, whereas the GPA may only refer to one term.


The Grading System in America In the Unite States, grades are given on An A-F system where

A is the best and F is the worst . Some schools have E as the lowest grade ,rather than F. Most US colleges require grades of C or better in those courses directly related to one’s major for undergraduate programs.

The A-F/A-E quality index is typically quantified by correlation to a five-point numerical scale as follows:

A = 4.0 B = 3.0 C = 2.0 D = 1.0 F = 0.0 91—100 A 81—90 B 71---80 C 61—70 D 51---60 F


I. Structural analysis This text is an excerpt of a sensitive and thoughtful

letter to a student on keeping a sense of perspective on grades. It appeared in Liberal Education in 1986.

A teacher’s letter to a student explains what his B grade for the course does and does not represent in terms of the student’s achievement or success as a human being or in future accomplishments.

While-reading


The passage can be divided into four parts:

Part I (Para.1): It introduces the topic of the letter.

Part II (Para.2-5): Grades do not mean everything.

Part III (Para.6-8): Getting a B in class does not mean one

will always be a B performer in life.

Part IV (Para.9-10): In a complex society like ours, labels

are necessary but they should be kept in perspective.


II. Comprehension questionsII. Comprehension questions

1.What does the author think has given rise to a B student’s feeling of disappointment?

---In paragraph 2 the author implies that the cause of the student's disappointment is to a large extent social. In the society the importance of winning is overemphasized; it is considered shameful to be a loser. What's more, to prosper in this society ensures one's salvation in the future. In this general social climate, therefore, a B student will naturally feel disappointed.


2. Why does the author think that grades are misleading?

---Refer to Paragraph 4. A grade is just a symbol, which is supposed to reflect the level on a student's performance. A student's performance is assumed to correspond to his knowledge. But the student may have acquired more or less knowledge out of the course than the grade indicates. Therefore a grade may be misleading.


3. What do you think is the author’s attitude toward the current school curriculum?

---His attitude toward the current school curriculum is critical. Refer to Paragraph 5, in which he mentions a number of important characteristics for us humans such as courage, kindness, wisdom, and good humor. The current school curriculum has obviously neglected the aspect of character building on the part of the students.


4. How would you explain the technique the author’s instructor used to handle his class?

---The technique the instructor used was to make a clear distinction between the student as a classroom performer and the student as a human being. A poor grade, at best, indicates that the student is a poor classroom performer, but it has little to say about the ability and personality of the student as a human being. By making such a distinction, the instructor encouraged, rather than discouraged, those who were not doing well in class. As a result they all worked harder at his course.


5. What does the author think of social labels, including grades? Is his view on social labels self-contradictory? Why or why not?

---Social labels, including grades, in the author's opinion, are basically irrelevant and misleading. But on the other hand, they are necessary, because human society is complex and diversified, thus distinctions among its members have to be made, and such distinctions must be indicated by various labels.


III. Language pointsIII. Language points

respectable, respectful, respective, disrespectful, respectable: someone or something that is respectable is

approved of by society and considered to be morally correct.

---He came from a perfectly respectable middle-class family.

respectful ： feeling or showing defence and respect, committing no crimes and observing social norms, often with a connotation of the upper-class status.

respective: separate, disrespectful: not showing respect to others


norm n.:

a. an accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing things that most people agree with

---You must adapt to the norms of the society you live in.

b. the norm = a situation or type of behavior that is expected and considered to be typical

--- One child per family is fast becoming the norm in some countries.


shift vt.& vi. a. to (cause something or someone to) move or change from

one position or direction to another, especially slightly --- The wind is expected to shift (to the east) tomorrow. b. transfer sth. ---This simply shifts the cost of medical insurance from the

employer to the employee. Collocation: shift sth. (from A to / onto B) 转移或转换某事物 shift (your) ground （辩论中）改变立场或方法


eligibility n.: the qualifications or abilities required for doing something

--- I’ll have to check her eligibility to take part in this competition.

Derivation:

eligible a.

eligible (for sth. / to do sth.)


essence n.: the most basic and important idea or quality

--- The essence of his argument was that education should continue throughout life.

Collocation:

in essence 本质上，大体上 --- In essence, both sides agree on the issue.

of the essence 非常重要的，不可缺少的 --- In any of these discussions, of course, honesty is of the

essence.


offset vt.: to counterbalance or compensate for

---In basketball, he offsets his small size by his cleverness and speed.

Collocation:

offset sth. by sth. / doing sth.


go under: to fail; to be overwhelmed

--- His business went under because of competition from the large corporations.

go / be broke:

to become penniless; to go bankrupt

--- A lot of small businesses went broke during the recession.


perspective n.: a way of regarding situations, facts, etc.

--- The novel is written from the perspective of a child.

Collocation:

in / out of perspective

put / see / view sth. in perspective to compare something to other things so that it can be accurately and fairly judged


get / keep sth. in perspective to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way

---You must keep things in perspective — the overall situation isn’t really that bad.


take … at face value: to accept something for what it appears to be

--- She took his stories at face value and did not know he was joking.

correspond to: to match; to be similar or equal to --- The wing of a bird corresponds to the arm of a man. correspond with: communicate by writing letters ---For many years they have never stopped corresponding

with each other.


flunk vt. a. to fail an examination or course of study ---I flunked my second year exams and was lucky not to be

thrown out of college. b. give a failing mark to sb. --- If he is no good, flunk him. Collocation: flunk out 因成绩不及格而被学校除名 --- Dan won’t be in college next year — he’s been flunked

out.。


gear n. a. the machinery in a vehicle that turns power from the

engine into movement --- Don’t turn off the engine while you’re still in gear. b. a piece of machinery that performs a particular job --- The landing gear of a plane has jammed. c. a set of equipment or tools you need for a particular

activity --- We’re only going for two days; you don’t need to bring

so much gear. Collocation: change / shift gear 换档


coercive a.: using force to persuade people to do what they are unwilling to do

--- coercive methods / measures

Collocation:

coerce sb. into sth. / doing sth.

--- You can’t coerce her into obedience


To lose, to fail, to go under, to go broke---these are deadly sins in a world where prosperity in the present is seen as a sure sign of salvation in the future.

---Being unsuccessful in one’s life and career and financially disadvantaged is regarded as shameful or even sinful because in this world people tend to think that only those who are successful now can be saved from evil in the future


IV. Difficult sentences

In a different society, your disappointment might be something you could shrug away. But not in ours.

--- If you are in a different society, you could just ignore you disappointment, but in our society, it’s inescapable.


Nor did they resent him for shifting suddenly from a friendly gear to a coercive one.

--- The word “gear” originally means a device in a vehicle which controls the rate at which the energy being used is converted into motion. While driving, a driver sometimes shifts or changes gear. In this sentence, the shifting of gear refers to the change in the instructor’s manner of dealing with his students. When drinking with the students in the pub, he was easy-going and friendly; but in the classroom, he became stern and severe.


It is important to recognize that human beings, despite differences in class and educational labeling, are fundamentally hewn from the same material and knit together by common bonds of fear and joy, suffering and achievement. Warfare, sickness, disasters public and private — these are the larger coordinates of life.

---It is important to see the fact that although they differ in their class status and educational background, human beings are essentially the same. First of all they are, biologically speaking, constructed in the same way, and then they all share the feelings of fear and joy, and also the common experience of suffering and achieving. This commonality has bound them together. All of them will regard war, diseases, and disasters both private and public as unfortunate big events in their life time.


I. Grammatical Items• Disjunct• Relative words• Whatever, wherever, whoever, whichever, whenever, and

however

Post-readingPost-reading


DisjunctA disjunct is a type of adverbial that expresses information that

is not considered essential to the sentence it appears in, but which is considered to be the speaker’s or writer’s attitude towards, or descriptive statement of, the propositional content of the sentence.

More generally, the term disjunct can be used to refer to any sentence element that is not fully integrated into the clausal structure of the sentence. Such elements usually appear peripherally (at the beginning or end of the sentence) and are set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma (in writing) and a pause (in speech).


---Honestly, I couldn’t believe it.

---Unfortunately, Kim has had to leave us.


Execise A: Rewrite the following sentences using proper disjuncts.

1. It is hoped that the report will go out to shareholders no later than June 1.

2. It is odd enough that he did not raise any objection to the plan.

3. She was so wise to spend the money.


4. It is regrettable the book was not well served by its proof-readers.

5. It is strange enough that the burglar should not have taken the diamond away.

6. It is sad that one of the problems with being on public radio is that people tend to think you’re being sincere all the time.


Relative words are used to refer to a noun mentioned before and of which we are adding more information. They are used to join two or more sentences in the way we call “relative sentences”.

---I know many boys who / that play rugby.

---The shirt which / that Carl bought has a stain on the pocket.

---This is the boy whose mother works for the BBC.

---Barnstaple has a very old covered market where I bought some lovely old plates.

---Sunday is the day when people usually don’t go to work.


If the verb in the relative clause needs a preposition, we usually put it at the end of the clause:

---The music which / that Julie listens to is good.Sometimes, the preposition can also be placed before the

relative pronoun. ---My brother met a woman with whom I used to work. ---It was the stream in which the elephant and the mouse

preferred to swim.

Notice that we cannot use who or that after a preposition, for the relative pronoun now serves as the object of the preposition.


Exercise B: Fill in each blank with a proper relative word. Use “preposition + relative word” if necessary.

1.The man, father is a professor, forgot his umbrella.

2. Australia is one of the few countries people drive on the left.

3. James Russell is a man I have the greatest respect.

4. His glasses, he could see nothing, fell on the ground and broke.

5. He built a telescope he could study the sky.


The words whatever, wherever, whoever, whichever, whenever and however have similar meanings to “no matter who, what, which …”. A word of this kind has a double function: it acts as a subject, object or adverb in its own clause. It also acts as a conjunction joining its clause to the rest of the sentence.

---Whatever you may say, I am not going to take him back. (No matter what you say, ...)

---Wherever you go, I shall follow you. (No matter where you go, I shall follow you.)

---Whoever disobeys the law must be punished. (No matter who disobeys the law …)


These words are also used to suggest something not definitely known.

---I shall come whenever I can slip away.

---We shall send whoever is available.

---You will have to be content with whatever you can get.


II. Translation exercises 他因急性阑尾炎住院治疗 ,结果连期末考试都没参加 .

He was hospitalized with acute appendicitis, with the result that he missed the final examination.

前来听讲座的人数远远超出原来的估计 ,分发给大家的讲义不够了 .

As many more people came to the lecture than expected, there were not enough handouts to go round.


不管一天工作有多忙 ,他在睡觉前总要看一下电子信箱里有没有新邮件 .

No matter what a long day he may have, he makes a point of checking his e-mail box before going to bed.

世界各国都有失业问题 ,但各国政府处理这个问题的方法不尽相同 .

Unemployment is found in all countries in the world, but the governments vary in their way to handle the problem.


第一次来到异国的人往往会感到自己周围的一切既陌生 ,又有趣 .

Anyone who has come to a foreign country for the first time is apt to find everything around him both strange and interesting.

球迷们对这场足球比赛中双方球员场上的表现都感到十分失望 .

The football fans were very disappointed at the performance of the players of both teams.


他的话你得好好想一想 ,千万不要他说什么你就信什么 .Never take what he says at face value. Think it over yourself.

医生的一番话消除了他对手术的恐惧感 .The doctor's words removed his fears about the operation.


II. Oral activitiesII. Oral activities

Discuss with one of your classmates on the following topics.

It is not unusual nowadays that some students who did not do well at school turn out to be very successful in life after leaving school while some A students are far less successful. Thus some people believe that grades are not as important as they seem. Do you agree or disagree with their opinion? Give three reasons to support yourself. Then form two opposing groups to debate the issue.


III. Writing practiceIII. Writing practice

It is reported that a schoolboy in China was criticized by his teacher for breaking away from the conventional way of looking at spring by saying a lot of negative things about this season. The negative side of spring mentioned in his composition includes the changeable weather, too much rainfall and quick spreading of diseases such as flu. You are required to write a letter of about 200 words to a newspaper editor and in you letter first describe what has happened and then express your opinion about it.

海南大学外国语学院基础英语研室海南大学外国语学院基础英语教研室

Text II---Text II---College PressuresCollege Pressures

Lead-in questions

Do you find college life always exciting? If not, what kind of frustrations do you have?


II. Questions for comprehension1. How do you interpret the last sentence of the first paragraph

“There are no villains; only victims”?

2. From Zinsser’s quotation of a certain dean in the 2nd paragraph, what idea do you get of the difference between the students in the late 1960s and students of the time when the article was written (presumably in the 1970s–1980s)?


3. Why do students, both of those who want to enter graduate schools and those who just want to graduate and get a job, attach so much importance to grades?

4. Zinsser obviously holds a different opinion from many of the parents with regard to the courses the students should take. Describe this difference and voice your own opinion.


5. According to the text, what mentality underlies peer pressure and self-induced pressure?

6. As a college student do you feel any of the four pressures Zinsser has described in the text? Is there any other pressure you feel? Discuss with your classmates the pressure(s) you feel and try to suggest a way “to break the circles in which you are trapped.”


II. Language points

edge : an advantage over others, as in the expression “have the edge on / over,” meaning “be slightly better than someone or something because you have an advantage they do not have.”

sampling a wide variety of courses: taking numerous courses without necessarily going deep into any of them …


But they are equally battered by inflation. : But they (the colleges) are as badly affected by inflation as the parents and the students are.

We are witnessing in America the creation of a

brotherhood of paupers — colleges, parents, and students, joined by the common bond of debts.: Here in America we find coming into being a union of colleges, parents, and students; what they have in common is that they are all in debt.


tenacity: determination to continue what one is doing

Where’s the payoff on the humanities?: What financial benefit can students get from courses in humanities? “Humanities” are subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature, which are concerned with human ideas and behavior. Such courses do not usually lead immediately to profitable occupations as courses related to law and medicine do.


self-induced pressure: pressure brought on by the students themselves

The story is symptomatic of all the pressures put together.: The story indicates all the pressures combined.


Good Bye!

Book II Unit 7. Contents Text One Pre-reading I. Warm-up questions II. Background information...

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Transcript of Book II Unit 7. Contents Text One Pre-reading I. Warm-up questions II. Background information...