unit 3 out of step knowing to develop ideas by means of examples appreciating self- debasement and...

Unit 3 Out of Step

Knowing to develop ideas by means of examples

Knowing to develop ideas by means of examples

Appreciating self-debasement and Satire

Appreciating self-debasement and Satire

Knowing usage of the past perfective and past perfective

progressive

Knowing usage of the past perfective and past perfective

progressive

Knowing use of shall, should, will and wouldKnowing use of shall,

should, will and would

Pre-reading questions

1. It is said that the United States is a nation on the wheel. How important do you think the car is for an ordinary American?

2. When do you prefer to walk, and when do you drive? Do you think people will become over-reliant on cars in the future?

Cultural information

America is a country on wheels…

• There are now more than 200 million cars in the United States. In Los Angeles there evidently are more registered cars than people.

• In 2001, 70% of Americans drove to work in cars.[3] New York City is the only locality in the country where more than half of all households do not own a car.

• According to the US Bureau of Transit Statistics for 2006 there are 250,844,644 registered passenger vehicles. Of these, 135,399,945 were classified as automobiles.

America is a country on wheels…• In the year 2001, One national study found that of vehicles in

operation in the US, • 38.3% were older than 10 years, • 22.3% were between 7 and 10 years old,• 25.8% were between 3 and 6 years old • and 13.5% were less than 2 years old.• According to this study the majority of vehicles,• 60.6%, of vehicles were older than 7 years in 2001.

• number of motor vehicles has been rising by an estimated 3.69 million each year since 1960.

American Car Culture

Car culture has been a major niche lifestyle in America.

In the 1950s, the post-war boom produced a generation of teenagers with enough income to buy their own cars. These cars became so much more than just modes of transportation. They were reflections of a lifestyle. The ability to tune and soup-up muscle cars gave average Joes the opportunity to show off their power, their speed and their style in a way that personified the car as character.

1.

2.

We dream of cars as we dream of lovers.

Americans have always cherished personal freedom and mobility, rugged individualism and masculine force.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Like Granny in Jan and Dean’s 1964 song “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” we can’t keep our foot off the accelerator.We are crazy about our cars — and always have been. “The American,” William Faulkner lamented in 1948, “really loves nothing but his automobile.”

The Author: Bill Bryson （ 1951- ）

• A well-known American travel writer and

humorist

• Bill Bryson can't decide where to live -- England, Australia, Iowa, New Hampshire -- it's really a tough decision. But, as he points out in his book, I'm A Stranger Here Myself, no matter where Bill is, Bill's a stranger.

• ——Michael Feldman

Text analysis

“Out of Step” is an exposition that presents the absurdity of the Americans’ dependence on cars. The Americans, being so accustomed to using cars, have almost forgotten the existence of their legs. Wherever they go, they go in their cars. As a result, pedestrian facilities are neglected in city planning or rejected by the inhabitants.

Text StructureText Structure

Paragraphs

Main idea

1-6

7-13

14-20

The writer introduces his idea with an anecdote.

In this part, the author presents the fact that the Americans are habituated to using cars for everything.

In this part, the author shows that pedestrian facilities are neglected or discarded.

Class ActivityGroup discussion: What does the title mean?With the use of this title, the writer seems to suggest

people no longer walk in America;the few people who do walk seem to be old-fashioned and “eccentric”.

Part I: Reading ComprehensionPart I: Reading Comprehension

1.What kind of town is it?

2.How are the inhabitants like?

3.How do the inhabitants go out?

4.What is considered the author’s “eccentric behavior”?

5.Why would drivers “depart reluctantly, even guilty” when their offers was declined?

Part 1: Background informationPart 1: Background information

Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College: one of the best art colleges in the world.

• Dartmouth, a member of the Ivy League, is a private, four-year, coeducational undergraduate college with graduate schools of business, engineering and medicine and 16 graduate programs in the arts and sciences

• Dartmouth is the nation's ninth-oldest college, founded in 1769 by Rev. Eleazar Wheelock for the education of "youth of the Indian Tribes ... English Youth and others ..." Dartmouth became coeducational in 1972. Its colors are Dartmouth Green and white; its nickname is "The Big Green."

• Keggy posing on the Dartmouth College Green with Baker Memorial Library in the background.

cappuccino• A cappuccino is a coffee drink topped with

foamed milk. • 卡布奇诺（ Cappuccino）—— 20 世纪初，意大

利人阿奇加夏发明蒸汽压力咖啡机的同时，也发展出了卡布奇诺咖啡。卡布奇诺是在偏浓的咖啡上，倒入以蒸汽发泡的牛奶。此时咖啡的颜色，就象卡布奇诺教会的修士在深褐色的外衣上覆上一条头巾一样，咖啡因此而得名。

• The Nugget Theatre: A chain theatre for movies founded in early 20th cent and seen everywhere in the country.

• Murphy’s: Murphy’s Irish Red (1856-), classical brand of beer.

• Murphy’s on the Green: a Restaurant in Hanover

Part 1: Language workPart 1: Language work

sedate a. calm, serious and formal

• She is a sedate old lady; she is caring but never talks much.

• The fight against a nuclear power station site has transformed a normally sedate town into a battlefield.

v. make calm or sleepy, esp. with a drug

•The patient was heavily sedated and resting quietly in bed.

Derivation:sedately (ad.), sedation (n.), sedative (a., n.)

Part 1: Language workPart 1: Language workeccentric a. (of people or behavior) unconventional and slightly strange

The old gentleman, who lived alone all his life, was said to have some eccentric habits.

n. a person of unconventional and slightly strange views or behavior

The old gentleman enjoyed a colorful reputation as an engaging eccentric.

Part 1: Language workPart 1: Language workcurb n. (British English: kerb) a line of raised stones separating the footpath from the roadv. / n. (place) a control or limit on sth. undesirable

•Poor nutrition can curb a child’s development both physically and mentally.•There will be curbs on drunk-driving from next month.

Part 2: ComprehensionPart 2: Comprehension

1.What is the main idea of this part?

2.How does the author support his idea in this part?

3.How many examples are used in this part? Can you retell them in your own words?

4.Do you like using detailed examples to support your idea? Why / Why not?

Part 2: language workPart 2: language work

habituate v. accustom by frequent repetition or prolonged exposure

• You must habituate yourself to reading aloud.• By the end of the school term, the students

had been habituated / accustomed / used to rising at five o’clock.

Part 2: paraphrasePart 2: paraphrase

In the United States we have become so habituated to using the car for everything that it doesn’t occur to us to unfurl our legs and see what those lower limbs can do. (para. 7)

Paraphrase:

People in the United States tend to drive for basically every purpose, so much so that they have forgotten that they still have legs and about what their legs can do.


contortion n. a twisted position or movement that looks surprising or strange

• The spectators cannot but admire the contortions of the gymnasts.Derivation: contort (v.) :cause sth. to twist out of its natural shape and looks strange or unattractiveHis face contorts as he screams out the lyrics.

当他大声朗读这些抒情诗时，脸都变形了。


Comparison:

distort, twist, deform, contort & warpThese verbs mean to change and spoil the form or character of sth.

distort:To distort is to alter in shape, as by torsion or wrenching; the term also applies to verbal or pictorial misrepresentation and to alteration or perversion of the meaning of sth.

The media distorts reality; it categorizes people as all good or all bad.媒体歪曲事实，将人分为十足的好人和坏蛋。


twist: Twist applies to distortion of form or meaning.

• a mouth twisted with pain

• He accused me of twisting his words to mean what I wanted them to.

deform: If you deform sth., or if it deforms, its usual shape changes so that its usefulness or appearance is spoiled.

• Great erosion deformed the landscape.

• The earlier part of his discourse was deformed by pedantic divisions and subdivisions.


contort: If you contort sth., or if it contorts, it twists out of its normal shape and looks strange or unattractive.

His face was contorted with anger.他的脸都气歪了。He contorted the document out of its proper meaning.他曲解了文件的正确含义。

warp: Warp can refer to a turning or twisting from a flat or straight form.

• The floorboards had warped over the years.It also can imply influencing sb. in a way that has a harmful effect on how they think or behave.

• Prejudice warps the judgment.

• Years of living alone may warp one's personality.长期的孤身生活会使人的性格变得乖戾。

Part 2: Language workPart 2: Language work

His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what he had won.

他一看到自己赢得的东西，顿时两眼瞪得大大的。

The rabbits popped out as soon as we opened the hutch.

pop out: come out suddenly

我们一打开兔箱，兔子就突然跑出来了。

• pace off

• 用步子在全长中量出其中的一段距离： He paced off five meters, and then made a mark.

• 他用步子量出其中五米，然后做了一个记号。


• extravagant: • 1. adj. Someone who is extravagant spends more money

than they can afford or uses more of something than is reasonable. 奢侈的 ; 浪费的

• 例： We are not extravagant; restaurant meals are a luxury and designer clothes are out.

• 我们并不浪费；餐馆用餐是一种奢侈，品牌服装也与我们无缘• 2. ADJSomething that is extravagant costs more money than

you can afford or uses more of something than is reasonable. 贵不可及的 ; 耗费过多的

• 例： Her aunt gave her an uncharacteristically extravagant gift.• 她的姑妈给了她一件贵得离谱的礼物。• 3. ADJ Extravagant behavior is extreme behavior that is often

done for a particular effect. 过分的 ( 行为 )• 例： He was extravagant in his admiration of Hellas.• 他对希腊的崇拜过了头。


• extravagance n.

• 1. N-UNCOUNT Extravagance is the spending of more money than is reasonable or than you can afford. 奢侈

• 例： When the company went under, tales of his extravagance surged through the industry.

• 这家公司破产时，有关他的奢靡的传言传遍了整个业界。

• 2. N-COUNTAn extravagance is something that you spend money on but cannot really afford. 奢侈品

• 例： Why waste money on such extravagances?• 为什么在这样的奢侈品上浪费钱？


Part 2: paraphrasePart 2: paraphraseI confess it had not occurred to me how thoughtlessly deficient nature is in this regard. (para. 13)

Paraphrase:

I admit that I had never realized how poorly equipped our bodies are in this respect.

Part 3: comprehensionPart 3: comprehension

1.Why did the author say “Actually, I’m surprised it was that much”?

2.Why did Laconia change its downtown pedestrian mall to one with parking lots?

Part 3: language workPart 3: language workbring sth. home to sb.make sb. realize sth.• The news report has brought home to us all

the plight of the prisoners of war.Comparison: drive sth. home to sb., hit / strike homedrive sth. home to sb.: make sb. realize sth.,

esp. by saying it often, loudly, angrily, etc.• The professor drove home to them that they

must finish the writing assignment by Friday.

hit / strike home: (of remarks, etc.) have the intended (often painful) effect

• You could see from his expression that her sarcastic comments had hit / stricken home.

• exasperate v. • 1. to irritate, annoy• She was exasperated by the senseless

delays.• 她被无谓的拖延弄得很恼火。• 2. to make worse使 ( 痛苦、疾病、坏情绪等 ) 加剧，使 ( 病情等 ) 加重；使恶化 :

• a temper exasperated by worry• 因忧虑而变坏的脾气• exasperating adj. extremely annoying



entertain v. consider an idea, etc. or allow yourself to think that sth. might happen or be true

• He refused to entertain our proposal. 　 • entertain ideas, doubts, etc.

Part 3: language workPart 3: language worknegotiate v. get over or past (an obstacle, etc.) successfully; manage to travel along a difficult route• The only way to negotiate the path is on

foot.• Frank Mariano negotiates the desert terrain

in his battered pickup.

那攀登者得攀越一陡峭岩石。

那马轻易跳过了栅栏。The climber had to negotiate a steep rock face.

The horse negotiated the fence with ease.

Part 3: paraphrasePart 3: paraphrase… I was possibly the only person ever to have entertained the notion of negotiating that intersection on foot. (para. 17)

Paraphrase:

… Maybe I was the only person who had ever attempted to cross that intersection on foot.

Pedestrian mall

The preparations were woefully inadequate.

准备工作未免太不够了。woeful ignorance

可悲的无知

She told him all her woes.

woe n. → woeful a. → woefully ad.

她把自己的不幸遭遇都告诉他。


a triumphal arch

凯旋门

a triumphant cheer

胜利的欢呼声

The winning team returned home in triumph.

triumph n. → triumphant a. → triumphal a.获胜的队奏凯而归。


triumph vi. gain complete success, control, or victory, often after a long or difficult struggle. 成功 ; 获胜 e.g. The workers triumphed over many difficulties.工人们战胜了许多困难。


coo v. speak in a soft, gentle, and loving way, esp. when expressing surprise

• “How wonderful to see you again, darling,” she cooed.

• The little girl is always cooing over those parrots of hers.

geraniumgeranium

• thrive: • 1. vi. If someone or something thrives, they

do well and are successful, healthy, or strong. 兴旺发达 ; 茁壮成长

• Today her company continues to thrive.• 如今，她的公司继续蓬勃发展。• 2. vi. If you say that someone thrives on a

particular situation, you mean that they enjoy it or that they can deal with it very well, especially when other people find it unpleasant or difficult. 喜欢 ; 从容应对 ( 尤指别人不喜欢或认为困难的事 )

• Many people thrive on a stressful lifestyle.• 许多人喜欢有压力的生活方式。



anew adv. (fml.) again or one more time, esp. in a different way• The scientists started the experiment

anew.• The film tells anew the story of her rise to

stardom.

• Topic: Car Culture in China• Now more and more Chinese families have

come into possession of their private cars. How do you think this has changed and will continue to change the way of life of the Chinese and also their mentality? Do you think the possession of cars will bring the Chinese culture closer to a car culture?

• Have a discussion in a group of five or six about all these issues.

Having a discussionHaving a discussion

Viewpoints:

• For many Chinese people, owning a car has become a symbol of success and personal freedom.

• Private cars don’t provide a measure of convenience or control over one’s daily life.

• Dependence on automobiles is nothing to celebrate — especially in our cities.

• Certainly the pollution cars create is a serious issue — in Shanghai, for example, some 80% of urban air pollution comes from car exhaust. The impact on public health is severe and profound.

• When cities are built to accommodate cars, they are no longer designed to accommodate people.

• Much of Beijing was built before the massive explosion of private car ownership. The infrastructure is simply not designed to carry as many cars as are present today.

• Although private cars can provide a refuge of sorts for their owners, they also add immeasurably to the stress and alienation of urban life.

• Car culture is extremely seductive but ultimately it isn’t a healthy — or happy — culture.

Exercises

Paraphrase• 1. People in the United States tend to drive

for every purpose, so much so that they have forgotten that they still have legs and about what their legs can do.

• 2. I admit that I had never realized how poorly equipped our bodies are in this respect.

• 3. But afterwards I realized that may be I was the only person who had ever attempted to cross that intersection on foot.

Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.

• 1. agreeable: pleasant; comfortable• virtually: practically; in fact• 2. extravagant: very long• undertakings: (places of) physical exercises• 3. I had this brought home to me: I was

made to realize this• 4. decided to skip coffee and head over:

decided not to have coffee and instead to go (to the bookstore)

• 5. entertained: held in mind

Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Progressive

Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Progressive

shall, should, will, would

shall, should, will, would

AdverbsAdverbs

Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect ProgressivePast Perfect vs. Past Perfect Progressive

Past perfectWe use the past perfect to talk about a past event or situation that occurred before a particular time in the past.

• Before her sixth birthday, Jane had never been to the zoo.

• I had written the article when he came.• By six o’clock they had worked twelve hours

Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect ProgressivePast Perfect vs. Past Perfect Progressive

Past perfect progressiveWe use the past perfect progressive when we talk about a situation or activity that happened over a period up to a particular past time, or until shortly before it.

putting emphasis on the course or duration of an action

sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple

the action taking place before a certain time in the past

Use

Shall, should, will, wouldShall, should, will, would

shall — will • Shall and will are both modal verbs primarily used to

express the future tense.• In informal English, the Simple Future is usually

conjugated entirely with the auxiliary will, particularly in American English.

• In more formal English, there is a rule which states that,the auxiliary shall should be used in the first person (I /we), and the auxiliary will should be used in the second person and third person (you, he / she / it, they).

• However, shall currently tends to be falling out of use, but it continues to be used with I and we for offers and suggestions.

Shall, should, will, wouldShall, should, will, would

You should take regular exercise. Should you need any help, just call me. I should think the cost will be about £100.

— to give advice:

— in hypothetical situations:

— to give tentative opinions:

Should is used:

If I had enough money, I would buy a new car.

should — would • Should is the conditional form of shall. • Would is the conditional form of will. • In informal English today, the conditional

tense is usually conjugated entirely with would.

AdverbsAdverbs

Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Time adverbs that connect the past to the present, such as recently, lately, for weeks, are often used with the present perfect. Adverbs that refer to the definite past are used with the past tense. There are several types of adverbs: This type of adverb shows

how something is done, such as a man

“driving carefully” or a song being

“passionately sung.”

Adverbs of manner

AdverbsAdverbs

This type of adverb shows how often something happens, as in “I usually take the bus around 7” or “I often lose track of time.”

Adverbs of frequency

This type of adverb provides information on the timing and occurrence of an event, such as when you promise to “send the reports in an hour” or “attend a function next week.”

Adverbs of time

This type of adverb tells the reader “how much” of something is done or experience, as in “We eat out a lot” or “The beer was extremely cold.”

Adverbs of degree

AdverbsAdverbs

This type of adverb provides an opinion on a situation, such as when remarking that, “Unfortunately, Christmas isn't happening this year.”

Adverbs of comment

TranslationTranslation

1. 我几乎每天都步行到邮局或图书馆或书店，心情特别不错的时候，路过 Rosey Jekes 咖啡馆会进去喝一杯卡布奇诺。1. 我几乎每天都步行到邮局或图书馆或书店，心情特别不错的时候，路过 Rosey Jekes 咖啡馆会进去喝一杯卡布奇诺。

English - Chinese English - Chinese

2. 为了避免走路，我们愿意承受反常的扭曲之苦。 2. 为了避免走路，我们愿意承受反常的扭曲之苦。

3. 我肯定，他会慢跑很长的距离，会打壁球，会进行各种各样有益健康的运动，但我也同样肯定，他一定是开车去那些运动场所的。

3. 我肯定，他会慢跑很长的距离，会打壁球，会进行各种各样有益健康的运动，但我也同样肯定，他一定是开车去那些运动场所的。

4. 当时，这一切显得多么荒谬、多么令人恼怒，但过后我意识到，我或许是唯一一个有过步行穿过十字路口想法的人。

4. 当时，这一切显得多么荒谬、多么令人恼怒，但过后我意识到，我或许是唯一一个有过步行穿过十字路口想法的人。

Chinese - EnglishChinese - English

1. 这所大学是世界上历史最悠久的高等学府之一。 (venerable)

The university is one of the most venerable institutions of higher learning in the world.

If one is deficient in practical experience, he can hardly make himself a success with only what he has acquired in class.

2. 如果一个人缺乏经验，仅凭课堂里学到的东西是难以成功的。（ deficient）

3. 我火冒三丈 , 这篇专题文章本周内必须写完，但老是被打断，。(exasperate)

I felt exasperated by constant interruptions, for I had to finish writing the monograph by the end of this week.


4. 他认为用旧文体来写一个当代的主题是滑稽可笑的。(ludicrous)He feels that it is ludicrous to write on a contemporary

theme in an ancient style.

5. 上海的外滩在上世纪七八十年代是年轻情侣喜欢来的谈情说爱之地。 (coo)

The Bund in Shanghai was a place where young couples liked to come to coo in the 70s and the 80s of the last century.

His daughter is very sedate for a girl of about ten, for she likes reading more than playing.

6. 作为 10岁的孩子，他女儿算是非常恬静的，因为她喜欢读书胜于嬉戏。（ sedate）


The couple strolled hand-in-hand along the country road when the sun in its first splendor steeped the earth.

7. 当第一抹阳光洒向大地的时候，这对情人手拉手，在乡村的大道上散步。 (stroll)

The poet was commonly considered as an eccentric romantic genius when alive.

8. 这个诗人在世时被普遍认为是一个怪癖的浪漫才子。（ eccentric ）

DictationDictation

You will hear a passage read three times. At the first reading, you should listen carefully for its general idea. At the second and third reading, you are required to write down the exact words you have just heard (with proper punctuation). At the forth reading, you should check what you have written down.

Typescript of DictationTypescript of Dictation

Recently in the United States, / there has been a debate /

concerning old drivers. / There have been a series of accidents /

committed by elderly drivers / and they have given rise to new debates

on the old issue: / how old is too old to drive? / Some people point to

statistics/ showing that older drivers are safer than teenagers, / at least

until they reach seventy-five. / Moreover, elderly drivers are less likely

to drive drunk / than other drivers. However, at least twenty-one

states / have special requirements on older drivers: /those over sixty-

five and older/ are required to renew their driving license every year /

and undertake vision tests. / Taking away a license can rob older

people of their independence / and force them to rely on others/ for

trips to the grocery store or doctor’s office. / Some people argue /

whether someone continues to drive or not / should be based on

performance / not just simply age.

Essay Writing:Writing a Good

Introduction

Essay Writing:Writing a Good

Introduction

How to Write the Introduction of an Essay

The quality of an essay introduction often determines whether the essay gets read in the first place. The main task of the introduction is to give the reader a clear idea of the essay’s focal point. It must get the reader’s attention as it is the part when he decides if the essay is worth reading till the end or not.

Essay WritingEssay Writing

The introduction should be written according to the following scheme:

1. General information2. Attention grabber3. Information on the topic leading to the thesis statement4. Thesis statement

Analyst of SamplesAnalyst of Samples


Sample 1 Analysis: with an anecdote This introduction starts with an anecdote, or an incident.Last summer while working at a construction site, I met a lot of guys who were going to college. The write narrates the incident generally at first, They knew I would be attending Indiana State in the fall, and then goes to the focus: college would be very hard. That is the information of the topic. so when we would take a break from pouring concrete or framing houses, they would always try to impress me by telling me how hard college was. They spoke of impossibly difficult tests, hours upon hours of homework, and stern professors who cared nothing for their students.


Sample 1 AnalysisAnd then, the writer argues to the contrary that, as his experience at Indiana State University proves, students can do very well on some conditions, which as we predict would be an important task of elaboration.I must admit that they had me scared, but now that I have been at Indiana State for a year, I know that students can do well in their studies if they discipline themselves to study regularly, take good class-notes, and miss class only for illness and emergencies. So there is the topic and the thesis, and the contradiction between what people have told him and what he has experienced in person can be an attention grabber.


Sample2: With a question

This introduction starts with a curious question: Did you ever see a soft drink commercial that talked about soft drinks? And the answer, or the reality, is even more curious and contrary to common sense: Well, some might tell us that the drink being advertised will quench our thirst, or that a particular diet pop has only so many calories or contains no caffeine. But most of the time the emphasis in soft drink ads is on the people — surfers on the beach, slim sexy women doing aerobic dances, carloads of preppies waving pop cans, or breakdancers hip-hopping down a city street.such advertisements do not appeal to the drink, but images of surfers, sexy women, and young and fashionable people. This is a funny and curious situation indeed, and would naturally take all of our attention.


Sample2: With a question On that basis, the writer finally presents his thesis: the aim of soft drink commercials is to let us believe that the product would place us among the happy people.These ads are not selling pop; they are selling images. Most soft drink companies want us to believe that if we drink their product we will be part of a happy crowd. It is successful in that it presents a familiar but unexpected landscape by dint of a strange question, and that the thesis is a natural summary of the description of the landscape.


Sample 3: With a famous quotation

The American philosopher John Dewey once said that the job of the educational system in a democracy is “to teach students how to think, not what to think.” Dewey’s point, however, is not always upheld in our schools as teachers sometimes impose their own

political and even religious beliefs on unsuspecting students. This introduction starts by quoting John Dewey, an education authority whose words are therefore authoritative and generally true. The problem, then, is that the quoted idea is not upheld in teaching practices. Instead, teachers are not teaching students how to think; they are imposing their political and even religious beliefs on their students. It would be much plainer if the thesis is consistent with the quotation. But in this introduction, the case is different: the popular belief as represented by the famous quotation is breached. That is outrageous and

unit 3 out of step knowing to develop ideas by means of examples appreciating self- debasement and...

Documents

registered cars

muscle cars

years old

majority of vehicles

americans dependence

registered passenger

ordinary american

number of motor vehicles