Unit Three
The generation gap
Quotations about fatherhood:
Few things are more satisfying than
seeing your own children have
teenagers of their own——Doug
Larson
Raising kids is part joy and part
guerilla warfare——Ed Asner
Each generation imagines itself to
be more intelligent than the one
that went before it,and wiser than
the one that comes after it.
——George Orwell
Youth is a blunder; manhood a
struggle; old age a regret,
——Benjamin Disraeli
Part one,pre-reading task
1,Who should be sitting up and
taking notice? Why?
2,What does the singer think of his
parents?way of doing things?
* Pair interview
1,Do you know your parents? birthdays and
their wedding anniversary?
2,Do your parents celebrate your
birthday?How about their own birthday
celebration?
3,In your parents? eyes,what are you
interested in?
4,In your eyes,what are your parents
interested in?
5,In what areas do your parents
want you to improve?
6,In what ways do you want your
parents to improve?
7,Tell of an instance when your
parents and you disagree over
something.
Part two,Something about plays
Components of a play:
1.Characters,
actors or
actress 2.Settings,
in which
the play is
performed
3,Stage directions,to set up stage properties in
the proper place; to direct actors’s
movement,gesture,facial expression etc.
4,Language / Line
5.conflicts:the essence of a play,
a clash of actions,ideas which
may happen in three forms,
man v.s,man,man v.s,
environment,man v.s,
himself
6,Climax,when a
conflict develops to the
most intensified point,
it becomes a climax
7.Theme,main ideas of
a play
Stage arrangement:
Up left
Stage left
Down left
Center Stage
Up right
Stage right
Down right
Part three,Family life in America
The average day for many families
begins with getting the children up and
ready for school,There is usually a
rush for everyone to use the bathroom,
find clean clothes,eat breakfast,and
catch the bus.
The school day usually ends at about 3 p.m,
in the US and 4 p.m,in Britain,and the
working day at 5 p.m,So many parents
have to make arrangements for their
children after school.
Children may go to an after-school center or
stay with a neighbor?s children,Older
children often do activities like sports or
music at their school,or go home and do
their homework,They often also have to do
chores and may get paid by parents.
Although criticized sometimes,many
people believe that it is good for
children to learn to be independent,
From an early age children are
encouraged to decide what they want
to do,eat or wear,and their parents try
to respect their opinions.
Many American teenagers earn a good
portion of their college expenses by working
during the summer as waiters or waitress,
construction workers,mother?s helpers,gas
station attendants,telephone operators or
messengers,They are not concerned with
status,Being unskilled,they try to find jobs
at whatever level they can,They seek not
only money but also experience,They learn
work habits,responsibility,the ability to take
orders and to get along with a boss and
different kinds of people.
Part Four,Language study
Part Ⅰ of the play
1,To direct a speech or writing to a person or
group:
e.g,to address a meeting= to deliver a
speech at a meeting.
2,To deal with
e.g,The prime minister is trying to address
this serious issue/ problem.
Address (as a verb)
Embarrass,make (sb.) feel awkward or
ashamed
e.g,It embarrassed him that he had to give
a talk in front of a lot of people.
I chose my words carefully in order to
avoid embarrassing anyone.
adj,Embarrassed,shy,or ashamed about
sth.
e.g,I was really embarrassed when I
knocked the cup of tea over my teacher.
Wait (on) tables,work as a waiter/waitress
and serve others with food and even help to
clear up the table after dinner;
Dumb:
1,Foolish
e.g,Don?t be so dumb,You can?t ge a loan
from the bank if you are laid-off.
Slang,a dumb ass=a very foolish person
2,Unable to speak
e.g,Children born deaf and dumb can
nowadays be taught to speak and lip-read.
In unison,acting in the same way at the
same time
e.g,The international community is
ready to work in unison against
terrorism.
consist of,be made up of
e.g,The committee consists of
scientists and engineers.
Deserve,to be worthy of; should get sth
He deserves it =1) he deserves to be
rewarded 2) he deserves to be punished=it
serves him right
Fade,1) lose color or brightness
e.g,All color fades----especially under the
impact of direct sunlight.
2) disappear slowly
e.g,Her enthusiasm for early-morning
exercises faded as the weather was getting
colder and colder
Overall,1) in general (adv)
e.g,Overall,I like Marie,despite her faults.
2) total (only before noun)
e.g,The overall length is 15 feet.
Trade (sth) for (sth else),exchange sth for
sth else
e.g,1)The farmers traded farm produce for
manufactured goods and money.
2) I will trade my stamp collection for
your model boat.
What do you think may father?s mistake
lies in and will the similar situation be
supposed to happen around yourself in
China.
Consider it while enjoying the following
episode in a soap opera and pay attention to
both father and mother?s words as well as
their pride and love for their son,Do you
think this may also embarrass their son?
Language study:
Play part Ⅱ
Keep /leave (sb.) in suspense,delay telling
(sb.) what they are eager to know
e.g,1)I won?t keep you in suspense any
longer,Here are the results of the mid-term
exam.
2)The audience is kept in suspense to
the very end of the play.
Interrupt,stop (sb.) from continuing what
they are saying or doing
e.g,1)My daughter kept interrupting me
whenever I spoke.
2)I?m sorry to interrupt,but you?re not
really answering my question.
Bet,1) an agreement to risk money on the
result of a future event
e.g,We made a bet on the outcome of the
next election.
2) be sure:
e.g,I bet he will change his mind
again.
=I am sure he will change his
mind again.
* You bet.=Of course/ Certainly
e.g,A,Will you tell her?
B,You bet,(means?I will? )
Distract,take (sb.?s attention) away from sth,
Esp,for a short time.
This word is used in the pattern,distract
sb./sth; distract sb./sth,from)
e.g,1)Tom admits that playing computer
games sometimes distracts him from his
homework.
2) Passengers are requested not to
distract the driver?s attention while he is
driving.
My treat,means that Father is going to
invite Dan to dinner and pay for it.
e.g,A,How about going to Starbucks
tonight?
B,I really want to,but I am broke (have
no money).
A,It?s ok,my treat today,(=I will
pay/foot the bill).
Very short with her,
If you are,short with sb.”,you speak briefly
and rather rudely to them because you are
impatient or angry
Glorious,wonderful
e.g,1)To most Chinese,China has a long
and glorious history.
2) Vivid memories came flooding back
of the glorious,romantic sophomore year.
Hand down,give or leave to people who are
younger or come later
e.g,1)The art of story-telling is handed
down from mother to daughter.
2) The haunted mansion has been
handed down from his grandfather.
At any rate,whatever may happen; in any
case
* You use at any rate to indicate that the
important thing is what you are saying now,
and not what was said before.)
e.g,1)At any rate,you survived the car
accident.
2) Well,at any rate,let me thank you
for all you did for me.
Community,
the people living in one place,district,
or country,considered as a whole
e.g,1)Police work to prevent crime and
to protect the lives and property of the
people in a community.
2) College students have learned a
lot in community service.
Welfare,good health,happiness,
prosperity,etc of a person or group
e.g,1)Parents are responsible for the
welfare of their children.
2) Employers should be concerned with
the welfare of their employees.
Narrow down
e.g,1) Over a hundred applicants will be
narrowed down to a short list of five
candidates.
e.g,2) The police department attempted to
narrow down the list of suspects.
Exhaust,
1) make (sb.) very tired,either physically or
mentally
e.g,a.Four hours? work almost exhausted
her.
b.I feel exhausted/tired after a day?s
walk around the Shanghai.
exhaust 2),use up completely
e.g,a,What will we do,now that we?ve
exhausted our reserves of oil?
b,After exhausting all her ready excuses,
she could think of nothing else to say.
Exhaust pipe:排气管
Automobile exhaust,汽车废气（尾气）
e.g,Measures have been taken to reduce the
noxious gas from exhaust pipes of
automobiles(=automobile exhaust) in order
to protect the environment.
Repeatedly,again and again
e.g,We have repeatedly requested that staff
should not be allowed to smoke in the office.
Come over,(of a feeling) affect
e.g,1)A great sense of calm/relaxation came
over me when I realized that I was no longer
responsible for the situation.
2) He has never been so rude to me,
What has come over him?(means,what
kind of emotion/feeling has he been affected
by;maybe he is angry about sth.)
Why back in my day…
means,Well,when I was young,we didn't
behave like that (implies a generation gap)
Here?why? doesn't necessarily indicate a
question,it just implies a tone that may be
interpreted as?I cannot understand you kids?
Swallow,1) 吞，咽 e.g,I tried to swallow,
but my mouth was too dry.
2) hide or suppress a feeling
e.g,Susan had to restrain herself and
swallow hard in her position as a housemaid.
Frank:showing one?s thoughts and feelings
openly (followed by with/about)
e.g,1)To be frank with you,I think you are
making a mistake.
2) Our discussions were frank and fruitful
Interference,unwanted or unnecessary
involvement in sth.
e.g,Her parents? continual interference in
our affairs irritated me.
v,interfere in sth./ interfere with sb.
e.g,1) We are not expecting any foreign
countries to interfere in our internal affairs.
2) Don?t interfere with him,He is
preparing for the final exams.
c.f,interrupt/interruption,to stop the action or
continuity of sth by breaking in.
e.g,Rain interrupted our baseball game.(中断）
Traffic in the city was interrupted by a
snowstorm.
“Don?t interrupt”,he said.(别插话）
Constant,
1)without stopping
e.g,I have had a constant headache for three days.
He left the office because he could no longer
stand the constant gossip.
Working out the difference between
constant/continuous/continual by yourself
2) unchanging
e.g,Driving at a constant speed saves gas.
The temperature in the museum is maintained
at a constant 16 degree Celsius.
The price of the product is not constant but
varies with supply and demand.
Enjoying a section of the soap opera
while paying attention to mom?s words
There is sth that every parents should go
through,They see their baby leave the nest
and doesn't eat anything from them
anymore?,And ponder over this yourself.
(Setting,Mike has just moved out of the house
into the garage after quarrelling with his
father)
Language study
Part Ⅲ
In charge of
e.g,A:Who is in charge of the shop?
B,Mr,Smith was left in charge of the
shop while the manage was away/ The shop
is in the charge of Mr,Smith now./ Mr,Smith
took charge of the shop.
Exceptional,unusual
e.g,Beethoven showed exceptional
musical ability at the age of four.
Fill out,complete (a document or form)
by supplying required information
e.g,Please fill out/in the application
form and send it back by January 10.
The Policeman filled out a report of
the accident.
The old man filled out the form and
singed it at the bottom.
Proof:evidence or facts that are sufficient to
establish a thing as true or believable.
v,prove
e.g,Her fingerprints left on the scene were a
proof of her guilt.
The executive produces documents in
proof of his claim.
Researchers in America have found
proof that non-smokers can develop cancer
by working in smoky rooms.
A water-proof watch=this watch is proof(adj.)
against water,(防水）
Junior:
1) younger (followed by to)
*Its abbreviation Jr,or jr,can be used after
the name of a person who has the same
name as his father,e.g,George W,Bush,Jr.
e.g,Jane is several years junior to her
husband.
Do you want John Brown Senior or
John Brown Junior,the father or the son?
2) lower in rank than others
e.g,Having worked for five years,
Jack is still a junior clerk in the
office.
Michael had been a junior
clerk for three years before he was
promoted to senior clerk.
Post-reading activity
What do you think constitutes the good
makings of a father,enjoy the following film
episode and pay attention to how the father
in that episode try to comfort his daughter
and note the words and talking manner of
him,(his daughter also loves a guy and his
father comfort her by giving her some
advice,this is what really means?father
knows better?)
Identify all places with the sentence
father knows better? and?father,you
know better than that? and explain their
meanings and functions,Also what
does the last few words?uh,I do
mean.
Text B
Glossary,try consulting the meaning of the
following words and sentences,read them,
give your interpretation of the sentences
and try to give examples of the words.
Prizefighter
Rain down 19 blows in a row
Difference between a judge and a referee
Overestimate
In the face of clear evidence to the contrary
Succeed (as the meaning in?succeed him as
champion)
Hold the crown through his son
Justify
See the red sox play the Oakland a?s
Ball park
He?d be fresh for the game/I remembered my
own first game
Fire strike after strike
Hit a home run
Polish off
But I knew better
Ruin
Measure up to one?s expectation
What?s the meaning of?out of line? here
Life-sized
Hold out for something
Referring to the last few sentences,what
does?this time,anyway? mean.
* Pay attention to the underlined sentences
and do the translation work,
The generation gap
Quotations about fatherhood:
Few things are more satisfying than
seeing your own children have
teenagers of their own——Doug
Larson
Raising kids is part joy and part
guerilla warfare——Ed Asner
Each generation imagines itself to
be more intelligent than the one
that went before it,and wiser than
the one that comes after it.
——George Orwell
Youth is a blunder; manhood a
struggle; old age a regret,
——Benjamin Disraeli
Part one,pre-reading task
1,Who should be sitting up and
taking notice? Why?
2,What does the singer think of his
parents?way of doing things?
* Pair interview
1,Do you know your parents? birthdays and
their wedding anniversary?
2,Do your parents celebrate your
birthday?How about their own birthday
celebration?
3,In your parents? eyes,what are you
interested in?
4,In your eyes,what are your parents
interested in?
5,In what areas do your parents
want you to improve?
6,In what ways do you want your
parents to improve?
7,Tell of an instance when your
parents and you disagree over
something.
Part two,Something about plays
Components of a play:
1.Characters,
actors or
actress 2.Settings,
in which
the play is
performed
3,Stage directions,to set up stage properties in
the proper place; to direct actors’s
movement,gesture,facial expression etc.
4,Language / Line
5.conflicts:the essence of a play,
a clash of actions,ideas which
may happen in three forms,
man v.s,man,man v.s,
environment,man v.s,
himself
6,Climax,when a
conflict develops to the
most intensified point,
it becomes a climax
7.Theme,main ideas of
a play
Stage arrangement:
Up left
Stage left
Down left
Center Stage
Up right
Stage right
Down right
Part three,Family life in America
The average day for many families
begins with getting the children up and
ready for school,There is usually a
rush for everyone to use the bathroom,
find clean clothes,eat breakfast,and
catch the bus.
The school day usually ends at about 3 p.m,
in the US and 4 p.m,in Britain,and the
working day at 5 p.m,So many parents
have to make arrangements for their
children after school.
Children may go to an after-school center or
stay with a neighbor?s children,Older
children often do activities like sports or
music at their school,or go home and do
their homework,They often also have to do
chores and may get paid by parents.
Although criticized sometimes,many
people believe that it is good for
children to learn to be independent,
From an early age children are
encouraged to decide what they want
to do,eat or wear,and their parents try
to respect their opinions.
Many American teenagers earn a good
portion of their college expenses by working
during the summer as waiters or waitress,
construction workers,mother?s helpers,gas
station attendants,telephone operators or
messengers,They are not concerned with
status,Being unskilled,they try to find jobs
at whatever level they can,They seek not
only money but also experience,They learn
work habits,responsibility,the ability to take
orders and to get along with a boss and
different kinds of people.
Part Four,Language study
Part Ⅰ of the play
1,To direct a speech or writing to a person or
group:
e.g,to address a meeting= to deliver a
speech at a meeting.
2,To deal with
e.g,The prime minister is trying to address
this serious issue/ problem.
Address (as a verb)
Embarrass,make (sb.) feel awkward or
ashamed
e.g,It embarrassed him that he had to give
a talk in front of a lot of people.
I chose my words carefully in order to
avoid embarrassing anyone.
adj,Embarrassed,shy,or ashamed about
sth.
e.g,I was really embarrassed when I
knocked the cup of tea over my teacher.
Wait (on) tables,work as a waiter/waitress
and serve others with food and even help to
clear up the table after dinner;
Dumb:
1,Foolish
e.g,Don?t be so dumb,You can?t ge a loan
from the bank if you are laid-off.
Slang,a dumb ass=a very foolish person
2,Unable to speak
e.g,Children born deaf and dumb can
nowadays be taught to speak and lip-read.
In unison,acting in the same way at the
same time
e.g,The international community is
ready to work in unison against
terrorism.
consist of,be made up of
e.g,The committee consists of
scientists and engineers.
Deserve,to be worthy of; should get sth
He deserves it =1) he deserves to be
rewarded 2) he deserves to be punished=it
serves him right
Fade,1) lose color or brightness
e.g,All color fades----especially under the
impact of direct sunlight.
2) disappear slowly
e.g,Her enthusiasm for early-morning
exercises faded as the weather was getting
colder and colder
Overall,1) in general (adv)
e.g,Overall,I like Marie,despite her faults.
2) total (only before noun)
e.g,The overall length is 15 feet.
Trade (sth) for (sth else),exchange sth for
sth else
e.g,1)The farmers traded farm produce for
manufactured goods and money.
2) I will trade my stamp collection for
your model boat.
What do you think may father?s mistake
lies in and will the similar situation be
supposed to happen around yourself in
China.
Consider it while enjoying the following
episode in a soap opera and pay attention to
both father and mother?s words as well as
their pride and love for their son,Do you
think this may also embarrass their son?
Language study:
Play part Ⅱ
Keep /leave (sb.) in suspense,delay telling
(sb.) what they are eager to know
e.g,1)I won?t keep you in suspense any
longer,Here are the results of the mid-term
exam.
2)The audience is kept in suspense to
the very end of the play.
Interrupt,stop (sb.) from continuing what
they are saying or doing
e.g,1)My daughter kept interrupting me
whenever I spoke.
2)I?m sorry to interrupt,but you?re not
really answering my question.
Bet,1) an agreement to risk money on the
result of a future event
e.g,We made a bet on the outcome of the
next election.
2) be sure:
e.g,I bet he will change his mind
again.
=I am sure he will change his
mind again.
* You bet.=Of course/ Certainly
e.g,A,Will you tell her?
B,You bet,(means?I will? )
Distract,take (sb.?s attention) away from sth,
Esp,for a short time.
This word is used in the pattern,distract
sb./sth; distract sb./sth,from)
e.g,1)Tom admits that playing computer
games sometimes distracts him from his
homework.
2) Passengers are requested not to
distract the driver?s attention while he is
driving.
My treat,means that Father is going to
invite Dan to dinner and pay for it.
e.g,A,How about going to Starbucks
tonight?
B,I really want to,but I am broke (have
no money).
A,It?s ok,my treat today,(=I will
pay/foot the bill).
Very short with her,
If you are,short with sb.”,you speak briefly
and rather rudely to them because you are
impatient or angry
Glorious,wonderful
e.g,1)To most Chinese,China has a long
and glorious history.
2) Vivid memories came flooding back
of the glorious,romantic sophomore year.
Hand down,give or leave to people who are
younger or come later
e.g,1)The art of story-telling is handed
down from mother to daughter.
2) The haunted mansion has been
handed down from his grandfather.
At any rate,whatever may happen; in any
case
* You use at any rate to indicate that the
important thing is what you are saying now,
and not what was said before.)
e.g,1)At any rate,you survived the car
accident.
2) Well,at any rate,let me thank you
for all you did for me.
Community,
the people living in one place,district,
or country,considered as a whole
e.g,1)Police work to prevent crime and
to protect the lives and property of the
people in a community.
2) College students have learned a
lot in community service.
Welfare,good health,happiness,
prosperity,etc of a person or group
e.g,1)Parents are responsible for the
welfare of their children.
2) Employers should be concerned with
the welfare of their employees.
Narrow down
e.g,1) Over a hundred applicants will be
narrowed down to a short list of five
candidates.
e.g,2) The police department attempted to
narrow down the list of suspects.
Exhaust,
1) make (sb.) very tired,either physically or
mentally
e.g,a.Four hours? work almost exhausted
her.
b.I feel exhausted/tired after a day?s
walk around the Shanghai.
exhaust 2),use up completely
e.g,a,What will we do,now that we?ve
exhausted our reserves of oil?
b,After exhausting all her ready excuses,
she could think of nothing else to say.
Exhaust pipe:排气管
Automobile exhaust,汽车废气（尾气）
e.g,Measures have been taken to reduce the
noxious gas from exhaust pipes of
automobiles(=automobile exhaust) in order
to protect the environment.
Repeatedly,again and again
e.g,We have repeatedly requested that staff
should not be allowed to smoke in the office.
Come over,(of a feeling) affect
e.g,1)A great sense of calm/relaxation came
over me when I realized that I was no longer
responsible for the situation.
2) He has never been so rude to me,
What has come over him?(means,what
kind of emotion/feeling has he been affected
by;maybe he is angry about sth.)
Why back in my day…
means,Well,when I was young,we didn't
behave like that (implies a generation gap)
Here?why? doesn't necessarily indicate a
question,it just implies a tone that may be
interpreted as?I cannot understand you kids?
Swallow,1) 吞，咽 e.g,I tried to swallow,
but my mouth was too dry.
2) hide or suppress a feeling
e.g,Susan had to restrain herself and
swallow hard in her position as a housemaid.
Frank:showing one?s thoughts and feelings
openly (followed by with/about)
e.g,1)To be frank with you,I think you are
making a mistake.
2) Our discussions were frank and fruitful
Interference,unwanted or unnecessary
involvement in sth.
e.g,Her parents? continual interference in
our affairs irritated me.
v,interfere in sth./ interfere with sb.
e.g,1) We are not expecting any foreign
countries to interfere in our internal affairs.
2) Don?t interfere with him,He is
preparing for the final exams.
c.f,interrupt/interruption,to stop the action or
continuity of sth by breaking in.
e.g,Rain interrupted our baseball game.(中断）
Traffic in the city was interrupted by a
snowstorm.
“Don?t interrupt”,he said.(别插话）
Constant,
1)without stopping
e.g,I have had a constant headache for three days.
He left the office because he could no longer
stand the constant gossip.
Working out the difference between
constant/continuous/continual by yourself
2) unchanging
e.g,Driving at a constant speed saves gas.
The temperature in the museum is maintained
at a constant 16 degree Celsius.
The price of the product is not constant but
varies with supply and demand.
Enjoying a section of the soap opera
while paying attention to mom?s words
There is sth that every parents should go
through,They see their baby leave the nest
and doesn't eat anything from them
anymore?,And ponder over this yourself.
(Setting,Mike has just moved out of the house
into the garage after quarrelling with his
father)
Language study
Part Ⅲ
In charge of
e.g,A:Who is in charge of the shop?
B,Mr,Smith was left in charge of the
shop while the manage was away/ The shop
is in the charge of Mr,Smith now./ Mr,Smith
took charge of the shop.
Exceptional,unusual
e.g,Beethoven showed exceptional
musical ability at the age of four.
Fill out,complete (a document or form)
by supplying required information
e.g,Please fill out/in the application
form and send it back by January 10.
The Policeman filled out a report of
the accident.
The old man filled out the form and
singed it at the bottom.
Proof:evidence or facts that are sufficient to
establish a thing as true or believable.
v,prove
e.g,Her fingerprints left on the scene were a
proof of her guilt.
The executive produces documents in
proof of his claim.
Researchers in America have found
proof that non-smokers can develop cancer
by working in smoky rooms.
A water-proof watch=this watch is proof(adj.)
against water,(防水）
Junior:
1) younger (followed by to)
*Its abbreviation Jr,or jr,can be used after
the name of a person who has the same
name as his father,e.g,George W,Bush,Jr.
e.g,Jane is several years junior to her
husband.
Do you want John Brown Senior or
John Brown Junior,the father or the son?
2) lower in rank than others
e.g,Having worked for five years,
Jack is still a junior clerk in the
office.
Michael had been a junior
clerk for three years before he was
promoted to senior clerk.
Post-reading activity
What do you think constitutes the good
makings of a father,enjoy the following film
episode and pay attention to how the father
in that episode try to comfort his daughter
and note the words and talking manner of
him,(his daughter also loves a guy and his
father comfort her by giving her some
advice,this is what really means?father
knows better?)
Identify all places with the sentence
father knows better? and?father,you
know better than that? and explain their
meanings and functions,Also what
does the last few words?uh,I do
mean.
Text B
Glossary,try consulting the meaning of the
following words and sentences,read them,
give your interpretation of the sentences
and try to give examples of the words.
Prizefighter
Rain down 19 blows in a row
Difference between a judge and a referee
Overestimate
In the face of clear evidence to the contrary
Succeed (as the meaning in?succeed him as
champion)
Hold the crown through his son
Justify
See the red sox play the Oakland a?s
Ball park
He?d be fresh for the game/I remembered my
own first game
Fire strike after strike
Hit a home run
Polish off
But I knew better
Ruin
Measure up to one?s expectation
What?s the meaning of?out of line? here
Life-sized
Hold out for something
Referring to the last few sentences,what
does?this time,anyway? mean.
* Pay attention to the underlined sentences
and do the translation work,
