Unit Four Turning Off TV: A Quiet Hour

Designed by Shi Yuan

BookⅠ

The Second Two Periods

Reading and Translation

Reading and Translation

• Review—Memorize the new words • Comprehension of the text• Chinese and English phrases • Words and expressions • Difficult sentences • Assignments

Words-web

actually, barely, communicate, current disturb, gap, glance, invent, involve, mental, neighborhood, nevertheless, partly, programme, prohibit, proposal, propose, rate, social, typical, worthwhile

The author feels that the amount of time his countrymen spend on watching TV is too much. T( )

True or False

1.

The author proposes to stop the television broadcasting on evening news

in the United States.

The author proposes to stop the television broadcasting right after the early evening news in the United States.

F ( )2.

The time suggested by the author to turn off the TV is 90 minutes.

The time suggested by the author to turn off the TV is 60 to 90 minutes.

F ( )3.

Comprehension of the text True or False

Comprehension of the text Questions

• 1.How do many people in the United States spend their free time?

• Many people in the United States spend most of their free time watching television.

• 2.How does the author feel about the amount of time his countrymen spend watching TV?

• The author thinks that people should not be spending so much of their time in front of the TV.

3. What might the results be if families used a quiet hour to discuss their problems?

If families used a quiet hour to discuss their problems, they might get to know each other better and to like each other better.

4. According to the author, what could help to turn out a more literate new generation?

According to the author, if they spent a quiet hour reading good books, they would be a more literate new generation.

5. What do you think of the author’s proposal?

I think the author's proposal is constructive and feasible. If it is accepted, it would have an effect on our life.

6. Describe the television watching habits of the people around you---when they watch TV, what they watch, how much they watch, and so on.

They often watch TV at night. They usually watch soap operas for two or three hours.

Directions: read the text and summarize the benefits of turning off TV for an hour.

• communicate with each other better• find more active entertainments• read books so that they are well-educated• read stories aloud• watch the sunset• see the neighborhood• might come up with better programs

Comprehension of the text

Words and expressions

• worthwhile: sufficiently valuable or important to justify the expenditure of time or effort

• This book is worthwhile the money.• 我认为这是一份值得干的工作。• I think it is a worthwhile job.

• CF: • worthwhile, worth, worthy & worth (one’s) while 这四个词都是形容词 ,

都表示值得。

• worthwhile 作定语用较多；也可作表语，一般不再接其他成分。 There are many worthwhile programs on TV.

• worth 只作表语，表示“价值…”或“值得…”， 后多接名词、代词或动名词的主动语态，不接不定式。 This T-shirt is worth 100 yuan.

• worthy 表示“值得、相称或配得上”时，作表语用，后接不定式被动语态，或接 of 加名词、动名词被动语态；表示“可敬的”时，作定语用。 His job is worthy of praise. / His job is worthy of being praised.

• worth (one’s) while 只作表语，后多接不定式。 It’s worth your while to make another

• Collocation:

• be worth sth. = be worthy of sth• be worth doing sth = be worthy of being done /to be d

one• It’s worthwhile to do / doing sth

• Examples:• The book is worth consideration.• The book is worthy of consideration.• The book is worth considering.• The book is worthy of being considerated/ to be considerated.• It is worthwhile to consider /considering the book.

• program • (n.)• (1) list of items for TV or radio broadcast, concerts, operas and oth

er events 节目（单）• e.g. What’s the next item on the theater program?• Most newspapers carry TV programs for the day.• (2)  plan or strategy 计划，方案• e.g. According to the government report, the reemployment program

is going on well.• (3) set of instructions that a computer follows in order to perform a

particular task 程序• e.g. Bill Gates built his company by designing software programs.

• (v.) give (a computer) a set of instructions to make it able to perform a particular task 编程

• e.g. The robot is programmed to do dangerous jobs in place of men.

• current (a.)• (1)  of the present time 当前的• e.g. The woman in blue over there is the current chairp

erson of our department.• What is the current exchange rate for US dollars?

• (2) generally accepted or in fashion 通用的，通行的，流行的，公认的

• e.g. The current belief ( 许多人认为 ) is that human beings evolved from monkeys.

• In writing, do not use words that are no longer current ( 已不通行的字 ).

• current (n.)• (1) stream of flowing water, air, gas, etc. 流，水流，气流• e.g. The cold currents of air from Siberia influence the climate of Chi

na.• The body of the little boy swept away by the current was found

days later.

• (2) flow of electricity through a wire or cable 电流• e.g. alternate current 交流电• direct current 直流电

• (3) general course; tendency 趋势，倾向，潮流• e.g. Newspapers influence the current of public opinions.• A small incident can sometimes change the whole current of on

e’s life.

• propose : vt. suggest; put forward for consideration• We propose that the meeting be held on time.• 老师建议我们每天花半小时朗读。• Our teacher proposes reading aloud for 30 minutes ever

y day.

• Pattern: • {that …(should) do• propose {doing • {to do

• Note: • propose 后常跟虚拟形式的宾语从句。动词要求

用原形。类似的动词还有： suggest, demand, request, ask, move, insist, urge, require, order, command, advise, desire, recommend, maintain, vote, etc.

• e.g. He proposed that we (should) go there on foot.

• We proposed to them that the meeting (should) be put off.

• proposal (n.)

• (1) plan or scheme 提议，建议；计划• e.g. The two warring countries ( 交战国家 ) agreed to the

peace proposal.• The President rejected the proposal to put off the mee

ting.• (2) offer of marriage 求婚• e.g. The princess has had quite a number of proposals t

his year.

• prohibit: vt. forbid (especially by rules or laws) • 该航班禁止吸烟。• Smoking is prohibited on this plane.• Her parents prohibit her from going out at night.

• Pattern: • prohibit sth./doing sth. • prohibit sb. from doing sth. • Forbid sb. to do sth

• reasonable• ① (of people) fair and sensible; using or showing reason• My sister is such a reasonable woman that everyone in

this area likes her.

• ② (of emotions and opinions, etc.) in accordance with reason

• It appears reasonable to expect rapid economic growth in Asia.

• ③ (of price, or charge, etc.) not too high, not expensive• His fees were quite reasonable.

• distraction: • n. distracting or being distracted①• Noises often drive people to distraction.• ② anything that distracts attention• Total concentration is required with no distractions

• v. distract: take (one’s mind or attention) away (from sth.); stop (sb.) concentrating on sth.

• John admits that playing video games sometimes distracts him from his homework.

• Tract tractor attract contract extract

• actually: adv. really

• I don’t like the dinner, actually.

• 他看起来虽然很镇定，但实际上却非常紧张。

• He looked calm, but actually he was very nervous.

• gap (n.)

• (1)   unfilled space; opening 缺口，间隙• e.g. When Jill laughs, the gap between her teeth shows.• The sheep went out through a gap in the fence.

• (2) a wide difference of opinion, character, etc. 分歧，隔阂

• e.g. It takes years to narrow the gap between the city / rich and the countryside / the poor.

• You simply cannot bring John and Thomas together. There is a wide gap between their opinions.

• I found the gap in maths.

• rate (n.) • (1)  率，比率• e.g. inflation / birth / death / interest / marriage / exchang

e / crime rate• Speed is the rate between the change of distance and

time.• • (2) speed 速度，速率• e.g. camels travel at a rate of 10 miles an hour.

• (3) price 价格，费用• e.g. What is the postage rate for a parcel to the US?• In China, long-distance telephone rates depend on t

he distance.

• mental: adj. • ①of the mind• The mental life of human beings covers a wide range. • He is in poor mental state.

• ②concerning disorders or illness of the mind • Mental patients should be given more care.• This is a strange mental case.

• ③concerning the use of the mind • Mental workers are liable to suffer from headache. • There is no limitation to human being’s mental powers. 人类的智力

是无限的。

• Collocation: • Mental development /problem/ disease/hospital/health/treatment/pat

ients

• in part: to some degree; partly • The driver was in part responsible for the accident.• I’m afraid, you’re right in part. • Antonym: in whole; wholly

• Collocation: • for one’s part 就某人个人而言• for the most part 通常；在极大程度上 • play a part 扮演一个角色；起作用• take part in 参加，参与• take one’s part 站在某人一边

• Failure

• ① act or state of being unsuccessful; fact of neglecting or being unable to do sth.

• People tend to find some excuse for their failure to fulfill their duties.

• ② person or thing that fails• The marriage turned out to be a failure and the

y both wanted to be free of it.

• communicate (vt.)• (1) share or exchange opinions, ideas, etc. 交流 / 交换

意见、思想等• e.g. Public relations officers are experts in communicatin

g with customers.• Marriage fails when man and wife do not communica

te with each other.

• (2) pass on information, news, etc. 传达，传送• e.g. Ancient Indian tribes communicated by sign languag

e.• It’s the duty of the mass media to communicate news.

• disturb: vt.• ① make worried• The letter disturbed me greatly. • 听说母亲病了，他感到深深的不安。• He was disturbed to hear of his mother’s illness.

• ② break the peace or order of• 别打扰他。 他正在写论文。• Don’t disturb him. He’s writing an essay.• I hate disturbing people when they are working.

• get to: begin by chance; begin to

• I got to know him at the party.

• 吉姆和汤姆后来成了好朋友。• Jim and Tom got to be good friends.

• pastime: n. anything done to pass time pleasantly • Most people view playing cards as a pastime while some take it as a

way to make money. • 打高尔夫球是他最喜欢的娱乐活动。• Golf is his favorite pastime.

• CF: • pastime & entertainment 两个词都有“消遣 , 娱乐”的意思。• entertainment 是 pastime 的同义词，除了有“消遣 , 娱乐”的意思

外，还指“表演会”、“文娱节目”、“招待，请客”及“乐趣”。• This play is frequently produced at school entertainments. • 这部话剧经常在学校的游艺会上演出。• She played the piano for our entertainment.• 她弹钢琴为我们助兴。

• free from: get rid of • He is thinking about how to free himself from this terrible situation.• 还有两周他就要从监狱里释放出来。• He will be freed from prison in two weeks.

• CF: • free from & free of 两者均有“没有；免于；不受…损失”之意。能

用作谓语、定语或状语。一般来说，“ free from”更常用。• She wished to live a life entirely free from troubles.• 她希望过一种完全摆脱烦恼的生活。

• Collocation: • set free 使自由；释放；脱开 • be free from (of) 摆脱• free/free of charge 免费的 • free sb./sth. of (from) 使摆脱• free and easy 无拘无束的

• take a ride: make a trip on an animal or vehicle 骑马；骑车；乘车（火车、飞机、船等）

• e.g. to take a ride on a horse • to take a ride in a car • to take a ride in the bus • to take a ride in (on) a train• to take a ride in (on)a plane • to take a ride in (on)a boat

• typical: adj. representative or characteristic

• Her typical accent didn’t change much although she spent several years abroad.

• It is typical of him to be so hesitant.• 这样的屋顶是典型的中国式建筑风格。• Such a roof is typical of buildings in Chinese architecture.

• Pattern:• It is typical + of (sb.) to do… 做 … 是 … 的特征

• program: n.• 1) a complete show or performance, or a list of

performance • The band is giving them a wonderful program of modern

music at the party.

• 2) a plan • They spent several days working at the program of

annual conference.

• 3) a set of instructions for computer • A programmer is a person who prepares a computer

program.

• barely: adv. hardly, just, only, almost not • They barely had enough time to finish the test.

• CF: • barely& hardly 这两个词都有“几乎不、仅仅、勉强”的意思。• barely肯定意味较强，而相比之下， hardly否定意味较强。 barely 常和 eno

ugh连用。 例如：• He has barely enough money to buy the book.• 他几乎没有钱买书。• He had barely arrived when he had to leave.• 他才到就又要走了。

• hardly否定意味较强，多强调困难，常用来修饰表示能力的词。该词通常置于 any, anything, anyone, anybody, at all 等之前，例如：

• I can hardly believe this. • 这叫我简直无法相信。• Hardly anybody likes him, because he is so rude.• 几乎没有人喜欢他，因为他太粗鲁。• hardly 与 when 连用时，构成词组，意为“刚…就…”。通常 when 前面的

动词用过去完成式时，后面的用过去时。• Hardly had I got on board the train when it started to pull out.

• literate: adj. able to read and write

• Only one villager is literate here.• 父母文化修养高的孩子往往更有礼貌。• Children of highly literate parents tend to be mor

e polite.

• antonym: • illiterate / illiteracy: unable to read and write

• product: n. sth. made or grown• 这家商场出售食品。• This market sells food products.• This story is the product of his imagination.

• CF: • product, produce& production 这三个词都表示“产品、产物、产量”。

• product 一般指工业产品；亦指脑力劳动、体力劳动的成果。• produce 特指“农产品（总称）”，是不可数名词。• production 指生产的动作或产量。

• Things produced on a farm are produce; things produced by industry are products. Production is of the action of producing or the amount of products.

• come up with: produce; think of (a plan, an answer, a reply, etc.)

• He can always come up with an excuse for being late.

• 是鲍博提出了解决这个问题的一个切实可行的办法。

• It was Bob that came up with a practical solution to the problem.

• show: n.

• ①performance; radio broadcasting or TV programs; movie

• 在所有的电视节目中，我最喜欢脱口秀。• Of all the TV programs, I like talk show the best.• When will the show begin at Grand Theater?

• ②exhibition • 一年一度的全国汽车展今年将在我市举行。• The annual national auto show will be held in our city this

year.

• glance• (n.) quick look 一瞥；扫视• e.g. Father used to take a glance at / over the newspa

per headlines at breakfast.• The letter was so short that I finished it at a glance.

• (vi.) look quickly 一瞥；扫视• e.g. Skimming is to glance over a piece of writing to find

main ideas.• Father glanced over the newspaper headlines at br

eakfast.• She glanced shyly at him from behind the harp (竖

琴 ).

• CF: • glance , stare & peer 这三个动词都有“看，瞧”之意。• glance 指匆匆地或粗略地一看，侧重心不在焉地、匆忙地看一眼。• He glanced over his watch and decided to leave.• 他看了一下表决定离开。• stare 侧重因惊奇、好奇、粗鲁无礼等而睁大眼睛看。• He stared the visitor up and down.• 他把来访者浑身上下打量了一番。• peer 指眯着眼睛仔细地或略为吃力地看。• She peered at the tag to read the price.• 她仔细地看着标签上的价格。

• Collocation: • glance at/through/over 扫视，瞥，看一眼• take/give a glance 扫视，瞥，看一眼

• involve: vt.• ① have as a part or result• To apply for university study involves taking the College

Entrance Examination.• The offer of the job involves more hard work.• 学英语当然每天得做一些听、说、读、写的练习。• Learning English necessarily involves doing some listeni

ng, speaking, reading and writing every day.

• ②cause to be mixed up (in sth.)• Many government officials were involved in this smugglin

g.• 他不想把弟弟卷入这件事中去。• He doesn’t want to involve his brother into this business.

• invent (vt.)• (1) produce sth. for the first time 发明，创造• e.g. Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb.• It is often difficult to decide who really deserves the

credit (荣誉，称赞 ) for inventing a new device.• (2) make up 虚构，捏造• e.g. He invented a story to explain why his watch was mi

ssing.• Rumor (谣言，谣传 ) is invented by ill-intentioned pe

ople.

• Gilbert discovered electricity, but Edison invented the electric light bulb.

Difficult sentences

• 1. I would like to propose that for sixty to ninety minutes each evening, right after the early evening news, all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law.

• 我提议每天播完晚间新闻，美国所有电视台依法禁播六十至九十分钟。

• 2. Let us take a serious, reasonable look at what the results might be if such a proposal were accepted.

• 让我们认真，理智地看一看，如果采纳这一建议结果会怎样。

• 3. Without the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another.

• 没有电视机的干扰，晚饭后家人可以围坐在一起，倾心交谈。

• 4. It is well known that many of our problems — everything, in fact, from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illness — are caused at least in part by failure to communicate.

• 众所周知，我们的许多问题，实际上从代沟，高离婚率到精神病等所有问题，至少部分原因是由于缺乏交流而引起的。

• 5. Freed from TV, forced to find their own activities, they might take a ride together to watch the sunset.

• 一旦摆脱了电视的束缚，就得另寻其他活动，一家人可以驱车一起去看日落。

• 6. A different form of reading might also be done, as it was in the past: reading aloud.

• 还可以像过去那样进行另一种形式的阅读：朗读。

• 7. Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story.

• 一家人聚在一起，听爸爸妈妈朗读一篇优美的故事，没有多少娱乐比这更能使一家人亲密无间了。

• 8. It has been only twenty-five years since television came to control American free time.

• 电视占据美国人的空闲时间，至今才二十五年。

Assignments

• Read the new words by heart after class, next time we’ll have a dictation.

• Read the phrases again and again.• Translate the sentences into English.• Do the rest exercises.• Preview Writing.