Unit 4
The Washwoman
Text A The Washwoman
Background Information
Introduction
Language Points
Exercises
Background Information
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991) was an
American short –story writer and novelist who
wrote in Yiddish,Born in Poland,he came to the
USA in 1935,He became a journalist at the New
York Jewish Daily Forward,which also published
his fiction,Singer is most famous for his short
stories,which deal most with the heritage,faith,
and daily lives of Polish Jews,particularly in the
Warsaw Ghetto,He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for Literature in 1978.
Introduction
This short story is about a woman
who continued to work hard in her
old age because she didn’t want to
become a burden,She washed for
others,even when she was already
past 70,But she was proud and
strong from her lifetime of hard
work,
Language Points
1,sickly-habitually ill,weak and unhealthy
e.g,She’s a sickly child and is very weak
with the flu at the moment.
Strong as he is now,he was small and
sickly in his childhood.
2.lean on/against – rest in a reclining
position for a support
e.g,She leaned on her husband’s arm,
looking pale.
3.She was a real find.—We were lucky to have
a found such an unusually good washwoman.
find –n,someone or sth,good or valuable that
is found
e.g,1,This actor was the theatrical find of
the year.
2,This rare edition of book was a great
find I made in an old bookstore.
3,My mother said she was a real find to
our family.
4.Only God knows … ---It’s impossible to say
e.g,God knows where they have gone!
The rain will stop God knows when.
5.be blessed with- be lucky enough to have
e.g,1,I’ve always been blessed with a
good appetite.
2,He is blessed with a good ear for
languages; he speaks the three
fluently.
6,be ashamed of ---feel shame because
of something done
e.g,You should be ashamed of yourself
for telling such lies.
7.at (the) most - not more than,if not less
e.g,There was only room for one more
person at most in the boat,
8.hear of --- have some knowledge of
e.g,I had never heard of Singer until
he won the Nobel Prize in 1991.
I gave the taxi -driver the name of
the street where the hotel was
located,but he said he had never
heard of it.
9,collapse – 1) fall down suddenly
e.g,The wall collapsed when a group of
children were playing next to it,
It was warned that the houses might
collapse any moment in the storm,
2) fail suddenly and completely
e.g,Many banks collapsed during the
Asian Financial crisis,
3) fall down because of weakness,illness,
tiredness,etc.
e.g,One of the runners collapsed from
exhaustion after the race,
The elderly lady collapsed into her chair
10,God forbid --- may it never happen
(expressing the hope that something will
not happen)
The expression is used alone as an
answer to a question,a suggestion,etc…
e.g,God forbid that anything should
happen to that poor man.
I hope we don’t have any trouble with
the car – God forbid !
11,What good …/What’s the good of …-
What is the use or purpose of (something or
doing something )
e.g,What good will it do to fuss over
such a small thing?
What’s the good of doing it again and
making the same mistakes?
12,crossed herself -- made a hand movement
down and across herself as a religious act
13.drive --- v,push with force ;motivate
e.g,The play Othello is about how a man
driven by suspicion and jealousy kills his
innocent wife,
He was driven to steal by extreme hunger,
Exercises
1,Nearly __ under the pain,the wounded
soldier staggered across the road,
A) fall B) collapse C) fallen D) collapsing
2,Though he was exhausted,a sense of
responsibility__ him back to the hospital to
see if his patients were all right,
A) take B) got C) drove D) uttered
3,Everything at the party ___ the thought-
fulness of the hostess,
A) told of B) mention
C) heard of D) spoke of
4,You should ___having told teachers lies,
A) ashamed B) be ashamed
C) be ashamed at D) be ashamed of
5,I can’t ____ with him on the price,
A) promise B) comprise
C) compromise D) compose
6,The minister had his secretaries ____ a
press conference,
A) arrange B) to arrange
C) arranging D) arranged
7,Our new gardener was a marvelous ____.
A) finding B) discovery
C) find D) discover
8,God ____ where she has gone,
A) knows B) knew
C) know D) known
9,The old lady leaned ____ a stick.
A) against B) on
C) off D) with
10,If you are playing football in this rainy
weather you can count me ____.
A) by B) to
C) of D) out
11,She disappeared and was never __of again.
A) spoke B) heard
C) mentioned D) said
12,At the ___ I might earn $256 a night.
A) most B) more
C) much D) many
Have A Good Day!
The Washwoman
Text A The Washwoman
Background Information
Introduction
Language Points
Exercises
Background Information
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991) was an
American short –story writer and novelist who
wrote in Yiddish,Born in Poland,he came to the
USA in 1935,He became a journalist at the New
York Jewish Daily Forward,which also published
his fiction,Singer is most famous for his short
stories,which deal most with the heritage,faith,
and daily lives of Polish Jews,particularly in the
Warsaw Ghetto,He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for Literature in 1978.
Introduction
This short story is about a woman
who continued to work hard in her
old age because she didn’t want to
become a burden,She washed for
others,even when she was already
past 70,But she was proud and
strong from her lifetime of hard
work,
Language Points
1,sickly-habitually ill,weak and unhealthy
e.g,She’s a sickly child and is very weak
with the flu at the moment.
Strong as he is now,he was small and
sickly in his childhood.
2.lean on/against – rest in a reclining
position for a support
e.g,She leaned on her husband’s arm,
looking pale.
3.She was a real find.—We were lucky to have
a found such an unusually good washwoman.
find –n,someone or sth,good or valuable that
is found
e.g,1,This actor was the theatrical find of
the year.
2,This rare edition of book was a great
find I made in an old bookstore.
3,My mother said she was a real find to
our family.
4.Only God knows … ---It’s impossible to say
e.g,God knows where they have gone!
The rain will stop God knows when.
5.be blessed with- be lucky enough to have
e.g,1,I’ve always been blessed with a
good appetite.
2,He is blessed with a good ear for
languages; he speaks the three
fluently.
6,be ashamed of ---feel shame because
of something done
e.g,You should be ashamed of yourself
for telling such lies.
7.at (the) most - not more than,if not less
e.g,There was only room for one more
person at most in the boat,
8.hear of --- have some knowledge of
e.g,I had never heard of Singer until
he won the Nobel Prize in 1991.
I gave the taxi -driver the name of
the street where the hotel was
located,but he said he had never
heard of it.
9,collapse – 1) fall down suddenly
e.g,The wall collapsed when a group of
children were playing next to it,
It was warned that the houses might
collapse any moment in the storm,
2) fail suddenly and completely
e.g,Many banks collapsed during the
Asian Financial crisis,
3) fall down because of weakness,illness,
tiredness,etc.
e.g,One of the runners collapsed from
exhaustion after the race,
The elderly lady collapsed into her chair
10,God forbid --- may it never happen
(expressing the hope that something will
not happen)
The expression is used alone as an
answer to a question,a suggestion,etc…
e.g,God forbid that anything should
happen to that poor man.
I hope we don’t have any trouble with
the car – God forbid !
11,What good …/What’s the good of …-
What is the use or purpose of (something or
doing something )
e.g,What good will it do to fuss over
such a small thing?
What’s the good of doing it again and
making the same mistakes?
12,crossed herself -- made a hand movement
down and across herself as a religious act
13.drive --- v,push with force ;motivate
e.g,The play Othello is about how a man
driven by suspicion and jealousy kills his
innocent wife,
He was driven to steal by extreme hunger,
Exercises
1,Nearly __ under the pain,the wounded
soldier staggered across the road,
A) fall B) collapse C) fallen D) collapsing
2,Though he was exhausted,a sense of
responsibility__ him back to the hospital to
see if his patients were all right,
A) take B) got C) drove D) uttered
3,Everything at the party ___ the thought-
fulness of the hostess,
A) told of B) mention
C) heard of D) spoke of
4,You should ___having told teachers lies,
A) ashamed B) be ashamed
C) be ashamed at D) be ashamed of
5,I can’t ____ with him on the price,
A) promise B) comprise
C) compromise D) compose
6,The minister had his secretaries ____ a
press conference,
A) arrange B) to arrange
C) arranging D) arranged
7,Our new gardener was a marvelous ____.
A) finding B) discovery
C) find D) discover
8,God ____ where she has gone,
A) knows B) knew
C) know D) known
9,The old lady leaned ____ a stick.
A) against B) on
C) off D) with
10,If you are playing football in this rainy
weather you can count me ____.
A) by B) to
C) of D) out
11,She disappeared and was never __of again.
A) spoke B) heard
C) mentioned D) said
12,At the ___ I might earn $256 a night.
A) most B) more
C) much D) many
Have A Good Day!
