Unit One Growing up Text A Writing For Myself Reference Book: (New) Integrated Course 1 Student’s and Teaching’s Book Teaching Method: Combining explanation and practice Objective: 1 grasp the main idea and structure of the text 3 master the key language points and grammatical structure in the text 4 conduct a series of reading listening speaking and writing actives related to the theme of the unit Teaching Period ( 01 & 10) 10 Teaching Processes : Pre-reading 1 Warming-up Introduce some relevant materials and Quotations 2 Culture Note Background information Grade schools in the U.S.: It is necessary to have some knowledge of grade schools in the U.S. because Ss have to realize that "the third year in high school" (Para. 1) equals "the eleventh grade" (Para. 9). U.S. students generally go through elementary schools (kindergarten to 5th or 6th grade), middle schools (grades 6-8) or junior high schools (grades 7-9), and high schools (grades 9-12 or 10-12). What American teachers wear in school: Nowadays, people in the U.S. love to dress casually. Even among those companies with a rigid dress code some now allow employees not to wear suits on Fridays. U.S. teachers wear fairly formal clothes to school, but not necessarily suits and ties. Bow ties are considered even more old-fashioned than ties. Spaghetti and the proper way of eating it: Spaghetti is the Italian-style thin noodle, cooked by boiling and served with sauce. Usually you would put a fork into a plate of spaghetti, turn the fork several times so that spaghetti will wind around the fork, then place the fork into your mouth. It's impolite to suck. 3 Discussion : What do you think of growing up? While-reading 1 T draw Ss’ attention to the subtitles in the text , then leads them through Text Organization Exercise 1. In this way Ss will have a better understanding of the text structure 2 T explains the language points in Parts I and has Ss practice them 3 Ss sum up the main ideas respectively Language Study 1. The idea of becoming a writer had come to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn't until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold.: Ever since I was a child in Belleville, I had thought of becoming a writer from time to time, but I didn't make up my mind until I was in the eleventh grade. off and on (or on and off): from time to time, now and again, irregularly Examples: 1) It has been raining on and off for a week. That's why the clothes feel damp. 2) As her patient slept soundly during the night, Nurse Betty was able to doze off and on in a bedside chair. possibility: state of being possible; (degree of) likelihood (usu. followed by that-clause or of) Examples: 1) Is there any possibility of life on Mars? 2) They haven't arrived. There is a possibility that they have taken the wrong road. take hold: become established Examples: 1) The idea of one child only has taken hold in many Chinese families. 2) Old habits die hard. That's why you should stop smoking before the habit takes hold. 2. Until then I'd been bored by everything associated with English courses.: Up to then I had lost interest in things related to English courses. bore: make (sb.) feel tired and lose interest Examples: 1) The speaker went on and on, and the audience grew bored by his speech. 2) Tom Sawyer grew bored with painting the garden fence, so he thought of a way to make others paint for him. associate (with): join or connect together; connect or bring in the mind Examples: 1) We associate Egypt with pyramids. 2) I can't associate this gentle young woman with the radical political essays she has written. 3) Jim wished to forget everything associated with his former life. 3. I hated the assignments to turn out long, lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers to read and for me to write.: I found it painful to write long, boring essays as required by teachers; neither did teachers enjoy what I wrote. turn out: produce Examples: 1) New computers are soon outdated since newer models are turned out constantly. 2) American film studios turn out hundreds of films every year. 4. When our class was assigned to Mr. Fleagle for third-year English I anticipated another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects.: When it was decided that Mr. Fleagle would teach us English during my third year in high school, I expected the English course to be as boring as before. anticipate: expect (usu. followed by gerund or that-clause) Examples: 1) The police had anticipated trouble from the soccer fans and were at the ground in large numbers. 2) They anticipate that deaths from AIDS will have doubled by 2002. 3) We anticipate running into problems in carrying out the medical welfare reform. 5. tedious: boring and lasting for a long time Examples: 1) The movie was so tedious that many viewers left before it was over. 2) Laura found George to be tedious and decided not to see him any more. 6. reputation: (an) opinion (about sb. or sth.) held by others Examples: 1) Premier Zhu Rongji has a high reputation as a statesman in the world. 2) Jim Kerry has quite a reputation for being comic. 7. inspire: fill (sb.) with confidence, eagerness, etc. Examples: 1) Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches inspired people to fight for equal treatment of African Americans. 2) The last leaf on the tree that never fell off inspired the dying patient with the will to live on. 8. rigid: (often disapproving) fixed in behavior; based on correct or accepted rules Examples: 1) If he had been a little less rigid about things, his daughter would not have left home at such a young age. 2) The rigid headmaster would button up his clothes even on the hottest days. 9. out of date: old-fashioned Examples: 1) New words are constantly added to our vocabulary while some old words go out of date. 2) Although her clothes were out of date, the old woman appeared clean and dignified. 10. severe: 1) completely plain Examples: The widow wore a severe black dress to her husband's funeral. Earnest Hemingway is known for his severe writing style. 2) stern, strict Examples: a) Only those who have undergone severe training can be accepted into the air force. b) Fu Lei was so severe with his son that even his wife would cry. 3) causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, etc. Examples: a) The severe chest pain experienced by the Vice-President proved to be a heart attack. b) A factory must turn out newer and better products to win in the climate of severe business competition. 11. I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr. Fleagle and for a long time was not disappointed.: I expected that things wouldn't improve with Mr. Fleagle as our English teacher, and for a long time I was right in my expectations. (Note that here is a touch of irony.) 12. Late in the year we tackled the informal essay.: Late in the year we learned how to write informal essays and practiced writing them. tackle: deal with Examples: 1) Toshiba recently designed a robot that can tackle almost any kinds of house-work. 2) The classroom was quiet as students were busy tackling the final exam. 13. finally: at last (usu. used in the following situations: indicating that sth. is the last one in a series of things or events; introducing a final point, asking a final question, or mentioning a final item; when sth. happens that you have been waiting for a long time, you can say that it finally happens) Examples: 1) Mr. Smith lived in Turkey, France, and Norway before finally settling in Mexico. 2) Finally, I should like to thank you all for coming and to wish you a pleasant journey home. 3) Finally he came to realize his mistake and apologized to his parents. After years of war the two countries finally signed a peace agreement. 14. face up to: be brave enough to accept or deal with (a problem or difficulty) Examples: 1) Yeltsin faced up to the fact that he was no longer fit for the Russian presidency and resigned on New Year's Eve. 2) Now that your daughter is born, you'll have to face up to the responsibilities of being a father. 15. scan: look through quickly Examples: 1) The banker scanned the financial section of a dozen newspapers over breakfast. 2) Scan the table of contents and tell me how many chapters are on child development. 16. This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental images.: At the sight of the title I saw an unusual series of pictures in my mind's eye. sequence: connected line of events, ideas, etc. Examples: 1) A sequence of bad harvests forced some African countries to ask for foreign aid. 2) The Fall of the Roman Empire was written in historical sequence. image: a picture formed in the mind Examples: 1) Many pop stars try to improve their public image by participating in charity events. 2) Through months of letter writing John formed an image of his pen pal. 17. vivid: able to produce sharp clear pictures in the mind; lifelike Examples: 1) In the little girl's vivid imagination the curtain wrapped around her body became a princess's gown. 2) The birds were painted in such a vivid way that a cat jumped up to catch them. 18. recall: bring back to the mind; remember (usu. followed by noun/gerund, or that-clause) Examples: 1) I recognize the face but can't recall her name. 2) I don't recall ever meeting her. 3) She recalled that she had to see the doctor again that afternoon. 19. argument: disagreement, quarrel Examples: 1) The bride and her mother got into an argument about whether to wear white or red on her wedding day. 2) Mary found that compromise was always the best policy when she had an argument with her husband. 20. put down: write down Examples: 1) What's the use of a password to your computer if you put it down on a piece of paper stuck to the computer screen? 2) The housekeeper put down the daily expenses in a little notebook. 21. violate: act against Examples: 1) Speeding in downtown areas violates traffic regulations. 2) A country isn't respected if it violates an international agreement. 22. compose: write or create ( music, poetry, etc.) Examples: 1) The president's speech is really brilliant. Do you think it was composed by himself or by someone else? 2) John Lennon composed the song Beautiful Boy for his son. 23. turn in: hand in (work that one has done, etc.) Examples: 1) For your final grade, each of you must turn in a 7-page paper. 2) It is said that if a policeman is ordered to turn in his gun, it is meant as a punishment. 24.1 was preparing myself for a command to report to Mr. Fleagle immediately after school for discipline... : I expected that Mr. Fleagle would order me to see him soon after school for the purpose of punishing me ... command: 1) n. order Examples: The commander gave the command that all prisoners of war should be well treated. b) The rebellious army would not obey any command from the President. 2) v. give an order to Examples: 1) The captain commanded his men to leave the ship immediately. 2) The king commanded that the victory day become a national holiday. (As with the verbs "suggest, demand", subjunctive mood is used in a that-clause after command.) 25. what's more: in addition, more importantly Examples: 1) How can you love this man? He watches TV all day long, and what's more, he seems not to have brushed his teeth for months! 2) Ms. Stewart manages a successful business and gives a weekly TV cooking show. What's more, she has already published three books on gardening. 26. hold back: prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.) Examples: 1) People could hardly hold back their anger when they found that millions of dollars of public funds had been used to build luxurious houses for city officials. 2) Johnny cried bitterly in the classroom, not even attempting to hold back the tears. 27. avoid: keep or get away from (usu. followed by noun/gerund) Examples: 1) The little boy who had broken a neighbor's window ran away to avoid punishment / being punished. 2) He stayed away from the cafe so that he could avoid running into his former girl friend. 28. In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling. : In my eleventh grade, and one might say at the last possible moment, I had found something I wished to take up as a career. the eleventh hour: the last moment before sth. important happens Example: The president's visit was called off at the eleventh hour. 29. career: a job or profession for which one is trained and which one intends to follow for the whole of one's life Examples: 1) My farmer parents have never expected me to make novel writing my career. 2) In her long career as a journalist, Barbara Walters has interviewed famous people from all over the world. 30. congratulation: expression of joy for sb.'s success, luck, etc. (usu. in plural form, followed by on) Examples: 1) They offered their congratulations on the artist's winning the Life Achievement Award. I heard that you have become CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of a high-tech company. Congratulations!