College English NEW

Father Knows Better

Unit Three

Table of Contents

I. Brief Introduction to PlayII. Reading Comprehension of the PlayIII. Language PointsIV. StructureV. Text B

The major components of a play

Theme, Conflict,Characters, Climax, Settings, Stage directions,Language, Narration,

1. The functions of stage directions

1) To set up stage properties in the proper place2) To indicate a change in setting3) To direct actors’ movement, gesture, facial expression, tone of voice, etc.

Up Left Up Right

Stage Left Stage Right

Down Left Down Right

Center Stage

Cats at Fair

Cats

Hamlet

Hamlet

2. Conflicts --- the essence of a play

Forms of conflicts: 1) Human against human

2) Human against environment 3) Human against himself

II. Reading Comprehension of the Play

Question 1:

What are the three scenes of the play according to the play-script?

1. At a Fast-food Restaurant 2. Inside Thompson's’ Dining

Room 3. Inside an Office of a High School

Scene 1 Father embarrassed Sean by talking too proudly to the restaurant Manager.

Scene 2 Father embarrassed Dane by persuading a workmate into pressing his son to ask her to the senior prom.

Scene 3 Father embarrassed Heidi by boasting to an official of her new school about how bright she was.

Question 2:

Are the children grateful for what their father does for them?

No, they are not. Actually, they feel a bit

annoyed and helpless.

Question 3:

Why did Father come to the restaurant?

He showed his pride in his son Sean and

expressed his slight worries about his son.

Question 4:

Why did Father invite Dan Lucas to lunch?

He wanted Dan Lucas to make his son

invite Diane to the Senior Prom.

Question 5:

Why was Heidi so eager to go to class?

She felt embarrassed by Father’s

boasting to an official about how bright

she was.

Generation Gap

Question 6:Question 6:

What’s the theme of the play?What’s the theme of the play?

III. Language Points

无论如何 ;

位置 , 场所 ;

总体的 , 全部的 ;

光荣的 , 极好的 ;

福利 , 安宁 ;

坦白的 ;

吞 , 咽 ;

才能 , 天资 ;

歇斯底里般的 ；

at any ratelocationoverall

glorious

welfare frank

swallow

talent

hysterical

1. Dictation

2. Location n. a place or position (L.3) 位置 , 场所

Witness showed the police the exact location of the accident.

Have they decided the location of the new campus yet?

be located (situated) in 坐落于，位于His house _____ in the new shopping center.

A. locates B. has located

C. is located D. has been locating

C

Locate v. [T] SLIGHTLY FORMAL to find or discover the exact position of something:

Police are still trying to locate the suspect.

They feel difficult to locate the spy plane.

3. Embarrass v. (L. 10)

make (sb.) feel awkward or ashamed

When I began to sing, he laughed and made me embarrassed.

I chose my words carefully in order to avoid embarrassing anyone.

The march could embarrass the government.

embarrassing (adj.) :

making sb. feel ashamed or guilty

embarrassed (adj.):

sb. feeling shy, ashamed about sth.

Embarrassment (n.)

be embarrassed by sth. 被…搞得很尴尬

4. Dumb (L.16) a. unable to speak; foolish;

1) unable to speak 哑的 ; 哑口无言的 , 不愿说话的 He was born dumb,but he has still managed to get a

job. I was dumb with disbelief. 我难以置信 , 一时竟说

不出话来

2) (infml) foolish I was so dumb that I left my keys at home again. Don’t be so dumb. You can’t get a loan from the ba

nk if you are laid-off.

3) silent; stupid (sth. is dumb) dumb show

Are they brave or just dumb? What a dumb idea! This dumb T-shirt

5. Consist of, (L.20) be made up of

The book consists of essays written over the last twenty years.

The committee consists of scientists and engineers.

consists inThe beauty of the artist‘s style

consists in its simplicity.

consist of 由…组成consist in = lie in; exist in 在于 ; 等于consist with=consistent with与…一致 ; 等于

compose, consist , contain, constitute 这四个词都有 “组成的意思 .compose 常用过去分词形式 , 与 of 连 用 , 构成短语 becomposed of ; consist 为不及物动词 , 与 of 连用 , 但它只有动形式 , 它们的主语均为整 体 .

contain 表示“包含 , 包括” , 及物动词 . Constitute 及物动词 , 意思“构成” , 主语为部分 .

6. Proof (L.190) n. 证据

Her fingerprints left on the scene were a proof of her guilt.

Researchers in America have found proof that non-smokers can develop cancer by working in smoky rooms.

proof against : 不受…影响 / 伤害的

Few are proof against all temptation.

No household security devices are proof against the determined burglar.

Her virtue would be proof against his charms.

-proof “ 防 / 抗…的” fire-proof, heat-proof, bullet-proof glassa bullet-proof vest, a water-proof jacketwind-proof jacket

evidence The police have found no fresh evidenc

e of a terrorist link with the murder. testimony

Witness n. v.

1) a person who sees an event happening, especially a crime or an accident:

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident to come forward.

According to (eye) witnesses, the robbery was carried out by two teenage boys.

Witness box

2) be witness to sth , to see something happen:

She was witness to the tragic event. signed the treaty in the presence of two witnesses.

They were married a year after they first met, with two friends acting as witnesses.

7. Fade v. (L.57) 褪色 , 褪去 ; 逐渐消失

1) lose color or brightness; cause to lose brightness The color in this silk material will not fade. The sun has faded the color of the curtains. Time has faded her beauty.2) disappear slowly His enthusiasm for early-morning exercises

faded as the weather was getting colder and colder.

They watched the mountains fade into darkness.

8. Interrupt (L.76) v. stop sb. From continuing… 打断 ; 中止

The knock on the door interrupted me while I was on the phone.

Trade between the two countries was interrupted by the war.

I’m sorry to interrupt you, but you’re not really answering my question.

[ 记 ]inter (between) + rupt (break)

Interchange (v) 交换 , 轮替 ; interplay (v) 相互作用

My little son kept ____ me whenever I read newspaper.

A. interfering B. interruptingC. intervening D. interpreting

B

Interfere (vi) interfere in/with;

intervene (vi) intervene in/between

9. Bet (L.79) v. 与 / 以…打赌 ; 确信

1) 与 / 以…打赌 I bet them US$20 that we would be first. He spends all his money betting on horses.

2) 确信 , 敢说 I bet they would be surprised by the news. I bet he’ll change his mind again.

your best bet---the best decision or choice:Your best bet would be to take a bus to the airport.

a safe bet something that you are certain will happen:

It's a safe bet (that) Martin will be the last to arrive.

Gamble --- to bet money, in a game or on a horse race

I like to gamble when I play cards - it makes it more interesting.

He gambles on the horses (= horse races).He gambled away all of our savings.

10. Distract (L.81) take (sb.’s attention) from sthIf something distracts you or your attention, it

makes you stop concentrating on what you are doing.

Tom admits that playing computer games sometimes distracts him from his homework.

The noise in the street distracted me from my reading.

I have an exam tomorrow, don’t distract me _____ my study please.A. on B. from C. to D. with

distract sb/sth; be distracted by/with; distract sb./sth. from sth./doing sth.

Focus one’s attention on the details.Concentrate one’s mind on the details.

B

11. Community (L.123) 社区 , 社团

College students have learned a lot in community service.

The whole community was astir when the leader came.

He enjoys a good reputation in the community of scholars.

他在学术界享有很好的声誉 .

Community 指同住一地区且具有相同文化和历史背景的“民众社区” ,

如 community center,

speech community; society 意思是“社会” ,

前面可加 a, 除非特指 , 一般不加定冠词 the

12. exhaust (L..129)

1) make sb. very tired,either physically or mentally

We are all exhausted after the journey. Four hours’ work almost exhausted her.be exhausted: be tired; be exhausted; be worn out

2) Use up completely

After exhausting all her ready excuses, she could think of nothing else to say.

3) dwell on I think we have exhausted this subject;

let’s go on to the next.

exhausted (adj.) 极其疲倦的 ; exhaustive (adj.) 彻底的 ,完全的

be exhausted by/with 因…而疲劳

13. humiliate v. (L.163) 使蒙羞 , 羞辱

He felt humiliated by her scornful remarks.

humiliating adj. Humiliation n.[ 易混 ] humidity (n) 湿度 ; humanity (n) 人性 , 人道

humiliate oneself = lose one’s face = eat one’s humble pie

14. Constant a. 始终如一的 ; 不断的

1) unchanging The price of the product is not constant

but varies with supply and demand. Driving at a constant speed saves gas.2) without stopping I’ve got tired of your constant

complaints. He left the office because he could no

longer stand the constant gossip.

Continuous 连续的 , 不间断的 ; continual时断时续的 ; continued 连续的 , 继续的 ; constant 不断的 , 永恒的

He became a _____ customer of the restaurant.

A. continuous B. continual C. continued D. constant

D

15. Junior (L.. 197) 年少的 ; 资历浅的

1) younger He is three years junior to me./He is

my junior by three years. Do you want John Brown Senior or

John Brown Junior, the father or the son?

Though Helen is older, she is junior ___ Mary.

A. to B. than C. over D. below

A

注意 :当父子俩的名相同时 ,junior 用于表示儿子的名字 , 以区别父亲 .e.g. Martin Luther King (Jr.)

2) lower in rank than othersHaving worked for five years,

Jack is still a junior clerk in the office.

He has a junior position in the company.[注 ]Inferior, junior (adj.) 次等的

Inferior 意思是“次的 ,低劣的” , 可指社会地位重要性质量等 ,反义词 superior ,两项之间比较用介词 to 连接 ;junior 意思是“较年幼的 ,下级的”表示年龄或资历次于某人 ,反义词 senior两项之间比较用介词 to.

16. in unison (L.18) 一致地 , 一起1) =simultaneously 一起 ; 同时The bank has acted in unison with other big banks in lowering interest rates.

The international community is ready to work in unison

against terrorism. 孩子们发现一起演奏乐器很难 . [ 译 ] The children find it

difficult to play their instruments in unison. 2) 一致 (=in agreement)

Despite our differences, we have acted in unison in our outside

dealings.

17. Trade (sth.) for (sth. else) (L.61) :

exchange (sth.) for (sth. else) 用…来交换…1) I’ll trade my stamp collection for your model boat.2) She traded her roller-skates for my walkman

3) 农民们用农产品换取工业制成品和货币 .

[译 ] Farmers trade farm produce for manufactured

goods and money.

18. Keep / leave (sb.) in suspense (L.73) 使产生悬念 ,

1) Don’t keep us in suspense any longer; tell us what happened!

2) I won’t leave you in suspense any longer. Here are the results of the mid-term exam.

3) 观众的悬念到剧终才解开 .

[译 ] The audience is kept in suspense to/until the very end of the play.

Suspense (n.)悬而未决的状态 ; suspend (v.); suspension (n.) 悬 ;暂停 暂停 , 终止

19. narrow down (L.125) 减少 ,缩小 ,筛选

1) She has narrowed down the choice of dresses to three or four fashionable ones.

2) The police department attempted to narrow down the list of suspects.

3) Over a hundred applicants will be narrowed

down to a short list of five candidates.[译 ] 一百多名申请者已筛选至五名 .

20. Come over (L.133), affect (of a feeling)

1) A fit of dizziness came over her.2) A great sense of calm came over me w

hen I realized that I was no longer responsible for the situation.

3) 他从没有这么粗鲁地对我 . 他是怎么啦 ?

[译 ] He has never been so rude to me. What’s come over him?

21. Be in charge of (L.172) 主管 ,负责

He was left in charge of the shop while the manager was away.

The executive in charge of the project was having some difficulties in negotiating terms with the contractors.

“ 主管 ,负责” take charge of /be in charge of ; be responsible for/take responsibility of

charge(1) charge …for 索要 The bookstore charged me $20 for the novel.

(2) charge with 控告

Accuse也有“控告”的意思 ,比 charge 意味更强 , 且较为正规 , 与

of 搭配 . charge 与 with 搭配 .轻的够不上控告的行为 , 常用

“责备” blame …for 或

“抱怨” complain( to sb.) about/of sth.

22. be short with sb 无理的 ,粗暴的

I am sorry I was so short with you.in short=in summary=briefly : 总之short of=in need/want of :缺少 , 不足

Be short of sth. Be short of moneyBe short of water / oil / minerals

IV. Structures

1. Know better than (L.158)2. Have + O.+do/doing/done

(L.164)3. More than (L.180)

1. Know better than (to do /that)

明事理不至于干某事1) You should know better than to go

swimming right after eating.

2) Mary knows better than to cheat on

exams.

3) 我知道他在打电话时 , 不应该去打搅他 .

I knew better than to interrupt him when

he was on the phone.

比较级可以用于委婉否定 . 它可表示委婉的批评 ,温和的责备 .类似的有 :

You might have been more careful.

You ought to have more sense than to go swimming straight after a meal.

= You ought to know better than to go…

2. Have+o.+ do/doing/doneHave+O.+do/doing/done 这种表示法意思为“使某人 /某物做某事” ,

“经历…”类似的动词还有 make,keep 等

1) have+O.+do,O. 和动词 do 的关系为主动的 . The teacher had the students take down note.

2) have+O.+doing,O. 和动词 do 的关系为主动 , 且强调正在进行或表示预期目的 .

With five minutes, Alice had us all playing hide-and-seek.

We’ll soon made your car going again. He kept us laughing during the break.

3) have+O.+done,O. 和动词 do 的关系为被动 We’d better have the room cleaned. (=The room will be cleaned.) You really must have your watch repaired.

Have sth. to oneself 完全由…使用 ,独自享用

The boys will have the back rooms to themselves.

You can have the place entirely to yourself.

3. More than

More than1) +数词 , 表示“多于” (over) I know him for more than twenty years.

2) +名词 / 动词 , 表示“只不过是” (not only;merely) He is more than a father to her.

3) + 形容词 /副词 / 分词 , 表示“极其 , 非 常” (very;extremely)

She was more than kind to us.

I was more than upset by the accident.

More…than… 与其说…不如说He is more lucky than clever.

He is more a writer than a teacher.

与其说他是老师 , 不如说他是作家 .

Detailed understanding of the text (Scene 1)

1. (L.8) Nobody could …he isn’t.

没有人会认为他不好 .

2. (L.11) Been saving money for it for a long time.

Complete the sentence: He has been…

Note: the difference in speaking and writing.

3. Figure out Heidi’s attitude towards Father at

the very beginning of the play.

Scene 1

4. Sean’s response to Father’s arrival

Unwilling , a bit annoyed yet helpless

( See L.26; L34-35;L49)

5. What did Father mean when he said “ I’m sure… (L39)”

He was very proud of his son as he thought his son

would work well, but he was a little worried that his

son was a boy and he might make some mistakes in

his work.

6. What’s the manager’s response to Father?

He had no interest in it. Maybe he’s too young to

understand Father’s feelings.

Scene 2

1. What’s the children’s attitude to Father according to Sean’s speech?(L.60-64)

Father was always meddling with his children’s affairs,which they disliked yet they loved Father.

2.Paraphrase “ But I think that’s sometimes the problem” ? Would you please give us an example?

P: Because Father loves us and mother, he always slips into meddling with our affairs .

3. Does Diane like Kyle?

Yes. She told her mother that she wished he would ask her to the senior prom.

4. What’s Diane’s responses to Father’s surprise?

She was put on guard when Father said,” I have a surprise for you.”. Then she felt embarrassed …Later she became hysterical as…. Finally, she lost her temper when she learned the truth.

5. Why did mother convert the subject and mentioned

the dessert?

Knowing her children's attitude towards Father's meddling, she tries to

maintain the peace and Father's dignity.

Scene 3 1. Why did Heidi change school?

She was admitted to Benjamin Harrison High School.

2. What do you think of Mrs. Higgins?

She is efficient and matter-of-fact so she focused her

topics on the enrollment of a new student.She tried

to be polite to Father even though she got impatient

and a bit annoyed. 3. Translate the sentence,” The teachers more than

willing to answer questions.” into Chinese.

老师乐于回答各种问题 . More than 表示“非常”

Discussions

1. How do you understand the title?

Literally,it means Father was wise enough not to do sth. Actually, it is satirical here. The children said it to show their disapproval of Father’s meddling with their affairs.

2. Father Knows his efforts are not always welcomed.

Why would he keep doing?

Father loves Mother and children and he is willing to

do everything for their sake.

3. What’s the causes of generation gap?

How to solve it?

V. Text B

1. embrace (L.8) 拥抱 ; 包含 ; 包围

1) 她亲切拥抱离家十年后回来的儿子 .

2) 此书涉及许多主题 .

1) She embraced her son tenderly when he came back after ten years’ absence.

2) This book embraces many subjects.

2. Justify( L.19) 证明…是正当的 / 有理1) The end justifies the means.译 : 只要目的正当 , 可以不择手段 .

2) 事情的发展证明我们的意见是正确的 .

The course of the event justified our views.

Language study in text B

3. mood (L.56) 情绪 , 心情 At midday my mood began to change. [usage]be in no mood for sth./ to do sth 没有心情

/ 无意干某事 He was not in any mood to do a deal with me. be in a/the mood for sth./to do sth a man of moods 有心情 / 有意干某事 In+~ 发脾气 , 不耐烦 She was in a bit of a mood this morning.

4. acknowledge (L.71)

He had acknowledged the receipt of my letter.

She was acknowledged as an expert on the subject.

acknowledge (1)[v-ing] He acknowledged having made a

mistake.(2) [o.+to do] He is generally acknowledged to have

the finest collection of Dutch paintings in private hands.

5. sake (L.73)

(1)for the sake of sth.=for sth’s sake 为…目的 / 缘故

Never do wrong for the sake of money.

The company might well decide,for the sake of efficiency, to consolidate certain operations.

(2)for sb’s sake 看在某人的份上 ; 为了帮助某人

For both our sakes, stay with me a little longer.

(3) For its own sake 为了兴趣

I’m studying maths for its own sake.

(4) for any sake=at any rate=in any way 无论如何

6. contrary

1). Contary ideas,opnions, or attitudes are completely different ones from others 不同的 (=different,opposite)

E.g. It is still a useful exerise to set such contary ideas side by side.

2)to the contary 相反的 ( 地 ) This method, despite thousands of published statements to

the country, has no damaging effects whatsover. 3) contary to=despite Contary to popular belief, the desert can produce crops. 4) on the contary 正相反 (adv.)