Unit 5

The Day Mother Cried

Story — Mother’s Love

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1. What did the boy ask for from his mother? 2. What did the mother do to answer the boy?

3. What did the boy feel after reading the answer?

4. What did the boy write as the answer?

5. What did you get from the story?

Money for what he had done for her.

She turned over the paper and wrote her answer on it.

He was moved and there were big tears in his eyes.

Paid in full.

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his Mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00 For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00 For going to the store for you: 50 cents Baby-sitting my little brother while you

went shopping: 25 cents

• Taking out the garbage: $1.00 • For getting a good report card: $5.00 • For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00 • Total owed: $14.75 • Well, his mother looked at him standing there,

and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he’d written on, and this is what she wrote:

• For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No charge

• For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No charge

• For all the trying times and all the tears that you’ve caused through the years: No charge

• For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No charge

• For the toys, food, clothes and even wiping your nose: No charge.

• Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No charge

• When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes and he looked straight at his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you.” And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: “PAID IN FULL”.

American Women in the Working World

• In the United States, more than of the women over 16 years old are now reported to be in the labor force, full or part time. Women hold more than of all the jobs in the nation and their rushing into the job market continues at a rapid pace. Most of them, of course, are still employed in jobs traditionally filled by women: clerical, sales and service. Growing numbers, however, are moving into those higher level , well-paid positions and exclusively for men, such as , law and management.

• Most women work because their families need the .With the prices of food, fuel, housing, transportation and education rising steadily, more and more families are depending upon a second . Many women work also because they want to have careers of their own and enjoy full with men.

• With more and more women going out to work, it is now hard to find the once “typical” family of father at work, mother in apron at home, and two children in the nest.

• Today it is far more for both parents to be working and for husbands to in the household work of taking care of the children, cooking the meals, doing the dishes and washing the clothes.

American Women in the Working World

• In the United States, more than 50% of the women over 16 years old are now reported to be in the labor force, full or part time. Women hold more than 42% of all the jobs in the nation and their rushing into the job market continues at a rapid pace. Most of them, of course, are still employed in jobs traditionally filled by women: clerical jobs, sales and service. Growing numbers, however, are moving into those higher level jobs , well-paid positions and professions exclusively for men, such as medicine , law and management.

• Most women work because their families need the money .With the prices of food, fuel, housing, transportation and education rising steadily, more and more families are depending upon a second income. Many women work also because they want to have careers of their own and enjoy full quality with men.

• With more and more women going out to work, it is now hard to find the once “typical” family of father at work, mother in apron at home, and two children in the nest.

• Today it is far more common for both parents to be working and for husbands to share in the household work of taking care of the children, cooking the meals, doing the dishes and washing the clothes.

The Cost of Attending Colleges in the U.S.

• 1. Tuition fees for public elementary and secondary schools:

• 2. Proportion of students entering college:

• 3. Two types of colleges: 1) 2)

• 4. Average tuition fees for college and university a year:

free____

half of them__________

public______ private______

$12, 000 -14, 000 ______________

• 6. Ways to pay back loans: • 1) • 2)

• • 3)

5. Resources for tuition fees: 1) 2) 3)

work during vacation_________________

do part-time job during term time__________________________

apply for loan from the government____________________________

Students may take up 11 years to repay.

_________________________________

If the student becomes a teacher in public school, he / she only pays a portion of the loan.

________________________________________

If the student becomes a teacher in depressed areas, 15% of the loan will be wiped out each year.

__________________________________________

In the United States, every child has the right to attend public elementary and secondary schools without tuition fees. About 12% of all children of elementary and secondary school age attend parochial ( 教区 ) and other private schools and their parents have to pay tuition fees.

Today about half of the high school graduates go to colleges and universities, of which about one-third are public institutions supported and controlled by federal, state, or local governments. A student at a state college or university doesn’t have to pay a lot if his or her parents live in the state. But private colleges and universities can be very expensive.

It has been a very common practice for students to work to earn money, not only by taking full-time jobs during vacations but also by taking part-time jobs during term-time. As the total cost of study and living on campus averages $12,000 —14,000 a year those earnings are useful and often essential.

Students can also borrow a certain amount of money from the government if they are in need of it. The Higher Education Act of 1965 allows students to receive loans in their first year in college. Students may take up to 11 years to repay the loans, and those who themselves become teachers in public schools only have to repay a portion of the loan. Those who teach in depressed areas are specially favored and teaching in depressed-areas each year wipes out 15% of the loan.

Poem Appreciation

Not until I became a mother did I understand How much my mother had sacrificed for me;Not until I became a mother did I feel How hurt my mother was when I disobeyed;Not until I became a mother did I know How proud my mother was when I achieved;Not until I became a mother did I realizeHow much my mother loves me.

— Victoria Farnsworth

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• 1. Does your mother work?• 2. What’s her job?• 3. Who does the household work, your father

or your mother or both of them?• 4. Do you often help out a little at home? Why

or why not?• 5. Do your parents understand you?• 6. Do you really understand your parents?• 7. Have you ever seen your mother ( or father)

cry? When was that and why?

Warm-up Questions

Part Paras Main Ideas

11 ~ 6

I was shocked at finding my mother crying because she would probably lose her new job.

2 7 ~

17

I previously assumed my mother was a capable woman. She tried all she could to save up money to send us to university.

3 18 ~ 21

I realized my mother’s pressure and vulnerability as a human being.

4 22 ~ 24

I understood my mother’s perseverance and its influence on me.

Questions and Answers

• 1. What did the author plan to do when he came home from school one winter day?

• He planned to read a new issue of his favorite sports magazine.

2. Who did he see in the living room?He saw his mother there.

3.What was she doing?

• She was crying.

4. Why was his mother in tears? She was going to lose her new job.5. How did he feel when he saw his mother

crying? He felt helpless and out of place.

Multiple Choice

A) a failure

B) a fruitless attempt

C) a success

D) a profitable thing2. His mother was a _______ person once she

set her mind to something.

KEY

KEY

1. Mother’s plan to open a day

nursery turned out to be______.

A) resolute

B) strong

C) powerful

D) learned

A) was busy helping her mother with the

household work

B) cared very little about the household work

C) was busying with schoolwork

D) understood his mother’s trouble at work

3. In this part, we can conclude

that the author__________.

KEY

4. The author said that the typewriter his mot

her bought was_____.A) useless

B) useful

C) of some use

D) of little use

KEY

5. The author didn’t feel any surprise when he learnt that his mother got a job at the radio station because he was sure that_________.

A) anybody could do it

B) it was an easy job

C) his mother was always a good typist

D) his mother was able to do anything

KEY

Question and Answer

Why did the author mention the old typewriter several times?

• a. It serves as a symbol of Mother’s persistence in the face of setbacks and failures.

• b. It often reminds the author of his mother’s courage to go on.

• c. It becomes a kind of stimulus for the author when he meets any difficulty or failure.

job at the radio station

Opened a nursery

Information Finding

Directions: Go through the text again and pick out the jobs the author’s mother has done.

a motel

journalistAn office job

a Saleswoman

Chronology of the Story

1 Some years before

• The family moved to town.

2 A few months after they’d sold the motel

Mother started to learn typing.

3.Near Christmas

Mother got a job at the radio station.

4.MondayMother went to work for the first day.

5. Tuesday Mother had some trouble with her typing. 6.Wednesday Mother cried. 7.A week later Mother took a new job selling dry goods.

8.Two years later Mother got a better job.

9.Several years later when I graduated Mother had already been a journalist. 10.Now I keep the old typewriter as the best mem

ento.

Detailed Reading

issue: n. a particular edition of a magazine or newspaper

Do you have today’s issue of China Daily?

• 最新一期的《翻译》上有你的文章。The latest issue of Translation contains an arti

cle written by you.

• issue & edition • 这两个名词均有“期刊、出版物”的意思。issue 指的是报纸、期刊等发行或刊物。常用的搭配

有 the latest issue （最新一期期刊） , the back issue （过期期刊）等。例如：

The current issue of Beijing Review came out on October 7.

• edition 指的是出版或发行的版本。常用的搭配有 first edition( 第一版 ), revised edition( 修订版 ) 等。例如：

• The last edition of the newspaper appears at midnight.• at issue 在争论中， 不和

have sth. to oneself: have sth. for one’s own private use

Would you like to have a table to yourself when you dine?

• 孩子们都出去了，我就一个人独自占有整个房子了。

I had the entire house to myself when the children were out.

burst into:1) move somewhere suddenly or quickly,

especially into or out of a placeHe burst into the classroom, grabbed his books and

burst out again. 2) suddenly begin to make a sound, especially to

start singing, crying, or laughing; suddenly start to burn very strongly

The plane burst into flames.Mary burst into tears at the news. burst into laughter / anger / song burst into crying / laughing

approach:1. v. move towards or nearer to sb. or sth We are getting nervous as the exam is approaching. When Christmas approaches, families decorate their hous

es with many Christmas things.2. n.1) method of doing sth or dealing with a problem He seems to have a new approach to learning English.

2) the approach of a particular time or event is the fact that

it is getting closer The leaves were turning brown with the approach of

autumn.

Collocations: at the approach of 在……快到的时候be difficult / easy of approach

地方）难以 / 容易到达的；（人）难以 / 容易接近的

make an approach to 对……进行探讨 make approaches to sb. 设法接近某人；想博得某人的好感

catch on:

1) begin to understand or realize sth. The first time the teacher explained, only a fe

w students caught on. This man caught on to operating computer qui

ckly.

2) become popular or fashionable哪几首歌现在最流行？Which songs catch on well these days?

Collocations:

catch at

试图抓住；渴望获得catch out发现catch up

赶上，追上；跟上并理解

send away for:request (sth.) or order (goods) to be sent by postYou can send away for this book if it is not availa

ble in your town.I have sent away for some things I saw in the catal

og. send for 派人去拿；召唤 send off 邮寄；发送 send out 发出（函件、货物等）

qualify: v.

• if sth. qualifies you to do sth., you have the necessary skills, knowledge, ability, etc. to do it

This training will qualify you as a computer operator.

His skills qualify him for the job.Pattern: qualify sb. for sth.

qualify sb. to do sth. qualify sb. as sth. His training qualifies him as a lawyer.

run out:

1) use all of sth. and not have any more left He is always running out of money before pay

day.

Mary never runs out of good ideas for party decorations.

• 2) if an agreement, official document, etc. runs out, the period for which it is legal or has an effect ends

The contract will run out next month.

help out:

give help; (help sb.) at a time of need Would you please help me out with this math

problem?Mary lives on campus, but on weekends, she

goes back home to help out in the kitchen.

on guard:

• ready to defend or protect; watchfulBe on guard against thieves.

• 我的话使他警觉起来。My words put him on guard.

hold back:

stop yourself from feeling or showing a particular emotion; keep sth. secret

• 老板忍不住告诉了他真相。The boss couldn’t hold back from telling him

the truth.She is accustomed to holding back her emotio

ns.

recall, remember& remind均有“记忆，记住，回忆”之意。

• recall 比 remember 文雅，指想方设法回忆已经遗忘之事。

Try to recall exactly what happened.remember 含义较广，多指无意识地回忆起往

事，也可指通过主观努力去记忆。His contribution should also be rememberedremind 指经某人或某事的提醒而回忆起某件

已遗忘之事。What you said reminded her of college days.

Discussion

What is the author’s different understanding of his mother before and after that afternoon?

Before that afternoon — a woman of strong character, hard-working, eager to learn new things, good at learning and able to do anything

After that afternoon — a woman under pressure, vulnerable, being likely to cry, be hurt and fail in life

Useful Expressions

• 1. 充满期待• be filled with anticipation

• 2. 独自享用have sth. to oneself

• 3. 冲进客厅• burst into the living room

4. 惊得目瞪口呆be shocked into stillness5. 强作欢笑manage a weak smile6. 做全职工作hold a full time job7. 邮购send away for8. 除……之外in addition to

• 9. 自叹不走运• feel sorry for oneself

• 10. 前进的勇气the courage to go ahead

• 11. 下决心• set one’s mind to

• 12. 深深吸一口气take a long breath

• 13. 寻求安慰seek comfort

• 14. 感受某人的痛苦• sense one’s pain• 15. 收拾餐桌• clear the table• 16. 招生额满• have a full enrollment• 17. 函授课程• correspondence course• 18. 妨碍某人• stand in one’s way

• 19. 写信索要send away for• 20. 将某人搂在怀里put one’s arms around sb.• 21. 逐字• word for word22. 抑制强烈的感情hold back strong emotions• 23. 千百次• on a thousand occasions• 24. 在远远的那一头at the far end of…

Writing Practice

• Rewrite the text based on the Chinese given below.• 在我的办公室里有一台绿色的旧打字机，

对我来说，这是一件纪念品，它常常使我想起妈妈学用打字机的日子……

• 1. 买打字机的时间、原因• 2. 妈妈学用打字机的经历• 3. 给我留下的深刻印象