新编英语教程7课文讲解(综合英语7)

新编英语教程7课文讲解(综合英语7) A New English Course (Level 7) Unit One Text I English and American Concepts of Space I. About the Author --- Edward Twitchell Hall (1914 ---), U.S. anthropologist, author, and teacher, received his Ph.D. degree in anthropology from Columbia University. He has taught at various institutions, such as Harvard Business School, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Northwestern University. His works include: The Silent Language (1959), a study of nonverbal communication, and The Hidden Dimension (1966), a study of “social and personal space and man’s perception of it.” The present text, a selection from The Hidden Dimension, gives a contrast between English and American concepts of personal space. About the author: Down the drain Edward T.Hall’s The Hidden Dimension, perhaps the scariest book (even scarier than 1984) I ever read. Scary, because it isn’t fiction, but a rather elaborate essay on anthropology and proxemic behavior. If Hall’s right, things as disregard for other cultures, mindless urban development and demographic growth have generated a behavioral sink in which stress, crime, intolerance and physical and psychic disease grow everyday, and to make things worse, our governments take measures that only accelerate the process. We are all going down the drain. Put Ed Hall’s Insights to Work in Your World Ed Hall is one of the preeminent cultural anthropologists of all times. His works, studies, and insights into the rich modern anthropology reflect a life long passion he developed as a teenager in the 1930’s Southwest U.S. assigned to work on white-managed WPA crews alongside Navajo workers whose cultural bearings and world views were vastly different than his own people’s views. Hidden Dimensions examines the cultural contexts of space, how people define their personal and community spaces as part of their cultural norms. How far apart or close do people of a similar culture feel comfortable standing or sitting next to one another and in what circumstances? When do you feel someone is “in your space”? This personal comfort zone differs culture to culture. Yours may be different than mine. Hall develops these “proxemics” (proximity) in this book by observing and visiting with peoples from around the globe, and shares the wisdom gained with you so that you might expand your own world views and spatial orientations when mixing with foreign cultures to your own. Well worth the sheckles to add this great work to your life’s library. Collect all of Hall’s works. Best of the Best A fabulous writing on how human beings react to and make use of special distance from a physical and psychological viewpoint, i.e. the study of proxemics. The type of book that should be reissued without fail by the publisher, though it is old, since it is a classic in its field. Actual numerical distances and their effect / use / experience by humans are explained as well as much about eyesight and its abilities. Hall also explains how different Euro cultures (German, French, and others) plus how Americans use space differently. I’m seldom this positive about any book but must give this one a highest rating. II. Organization and Development Like most writings of an academic nature, this article is neatly-structured. Its thesis is clearly stated in the first paragraph and is developed in the rest of the article by contrast. Can you identify the sentence in the first paragraph that states the thesis? stThe sentence in the 1 paragraph that states the thesis: If there ever were two cultures in which differences of the proxemic details are marked it is in the educated English and the middle-class Americans. The contrasts Hall has made are frequently marked by words or phrases generally known as sentence adverbials or connectives. Locate such items throughout the writing and try to tell what contrast they introduce. Words or phrases used to indicate contrasts: Paragraph 1 “whereas” --- contrasting space for Americans with the social system for the English as a factor determining a person’s social status “however” --- contrasting the importance of one’s address in the United States with that of the position in the social system into which a person is born in Britain Paragraph 3 “on the other hand” --- contrasting what is said in the 2nd paragraph with rdwhat is said in the 3, i.e. the American’s sense of space that can be called his own with the Englishman’s sense of shared space Paragraph 5 “on the other hand” --- contrasting the different ways in which Americans and the English behave when seeking seclusion The contrast Hall has made serves to explain the apparent clash between the English and Americans, i.e. why they behave differently when they have the same need to satisfy. III. Notes 1. In what sense does Hall use the word “separated” in the first sentence? Made culturally different. 2. What, according to the author, has really separated the English and the Americans? Not the different ways in which the English language is used as assumed by most people, but the different ways of handling time, space and materials. Broadly speaking, communication is of two 3. communications on other levels --- kinds: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication consists of word language and the variations in meaning which a person puts into words through the way they are said. Thus different intonation may impart different meanings. Nonverbal communication consists of non-word language such as gestures and bodily action, visual aids like graphs and photos, certain activities, and time, space, and materials as mentioned by the author. What the author means here is that words do not account as much for the differences of the two peoples as the other levels of communication. 4. ego --- 1) self, especially as contrasted with another self or the world; 2) one’s opinion of oneself; self-esteem, e.g.: He has an enormous ego. (= thinks he is a very fine person). 3) tech. (in Freudian psychology) the one of the three parts of the mind that connects a person to the outside world, because it can think and act; conscious self 5. rephrase the sentence: The differences for which language gets blamed may not be due so much to words as to communications on other levels beginning with English intonation (which sounds affected to many Americans) and continuing to ego-linked ways of handling time, space, and materials. Some people complain about the English language for its being so different in the two countries. These differences, however, may have resulted not from the words people use, but rather from individual linguistic habits, which are displayed in the adoption of a particular intonation (English intonation sounds unnatural to Americans), and extend down to the way people look at the world. 6. Proxemics is the study of the communicative value of space and distance in various cultures. It includes the study of the physical distance between people when they are talking to each other, as well as their postures and whether or not there is physical contact during their conversation. These factors can be looked at in relation to the sex, age, and social and cultural background of the people involved, and also their attitudes to each other and their state of mind. Of interest are such features as the physical distance considered proper or comfortable between two people engaged in conversation or standing near each other in public places. These and other nonverbal behavioral features, which vary from culture to culture, have been called “silent language” by Edward T. Hall. “The proxemic details” (1.6) refers to facts or pieces of information related to proxemics, e.g., how closely two people should stand or sit apart when talking to each other, whether one should have his office door open or closed, etc. 7. A public school in Britain is a private secondary boarding school with a pre-university curriculum. Admission is by entrance examination. The term “public school” emerged in the eighteenth century when the reputation of certain grammar schools spread beyond their immediate environs. They began taking pupils whose parents could afford residential fees and thus became known as “public schools”, in contrast to “local schools”. A public school is different from a comprehensive school, where children of all abilities and social backgrounds are taught together. A public school generally prepares students academically for higher education. Therefore, students who go to public schools are supposed to be better educated than those who go to comprehensive schools. 8. Middle-class Americans are a heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed principally of business and professional people such as managers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, government officials, some farmers and skilled workers. They are characterized by a comfortable material standard of living, and respect for property. Since World War II, the middle class has been the largest social class in the United States. In the U.S.A., most people identify themselves as “middle-class.” 9. disparity --- (C,U) (between, in, of) fml (an example of) being completely different or unequal; a noticeable difference e.g. There is (a) considerable disparity in the rates of pay for men and women. 10. What does the “social system” in England refer to? The traditional way of stratify societying into classes, which remains important / influential even today. 11. Rephrase the sentence: One of the basic reasons for this wide disparity is that in the United States we use space as a way of classifying people and activities, whereas in England it is the social system that determines who you are. One of the important factors that has contributed to such a big difference is that the place where one lives, to Americans, can present a symbol of one’s status or activity, while in England, the class one belongs to identifies one’s position in society. 12. Why do you think one’s spatial location means almost as much to the Americans as one’s social location does to the English? Think of the different history of the two countries. Britain has a long history of feudal social hierarchy, which had been firmly rooted and survived the bourgeois threvolution in the 17 century. This system has not been completely overcome and the country is still a kingdom today. Aristocratic titles have been hereditary and are still regarded as a mark of a person’s social status. On the other hand, the United States has a short history of about 200 years, which began with a vast expanse of land that provided abundant space for people to fully exercise their imagination and develop their talent. A person’s background is far less important than what space he can find for himself and what he can achieve in that space. 13. prestigious --- having prestige, i.e. general respect or admiration felt for someone or something, because they have high quality, social influence, success, etc. 14. fishmonger --- a person who owns or works in a shop (fishmonger’s) which sells fish: I bought a nice piece of cod from the fishmonger / at the fishmonger’s. 15. stall --- a table or small open-fronted shop in a public place: a market stall 16. allot --- give as a share or set apart for a purpose e.g. Most of the money has already been allotted. They allotted us three weeks to finish the job. We were unable to finish it in the allotted time. 17. What conclusion has the author reached by the end of the first paragraph? Spatial allocation does not have the same implication for the English and for Americans. 18. How is the first paragraph related to the second one? The last sentence of the first paragraph introduces the next two paragraphs, which illustrate differences between the English and the Americans in the allotment of space. 19. den --- infml. a small quiet comfortable room in a house, where a person, usually a man, can be alone (小书斋; 小巧而舒适的私室) e.g. Father’s in his den. --- the home of a usu. Large fierce wild animal, such as a lion --- a center of secret, esp. illegal, activity, e.g. a den of thieves 20. “the shop” --- a place where things made or repaired “工场” 21. What does the author try to contrast in the second and the third paragraph? How differently space is allotted in Britain and the United States, the former having a strong sense of “shared space” and the latter of “one’s own space.” 22. vacate --- give up the occupancy of; stop using; leaving (a room or place) so that it is available for someone else to use 23. inconsequential --- unimportant; insignificant 24. be entitled to --- possess the right to have or to do something 25. Rephrase the sentence: As a consequence, the English are puzzled by the American need for a secure place in which to work, an office. As a result, it is hard for the English to figure out why Americans invariably feel it is necessary to find themselves a space, such as an office, where they may work without being disturbed. 26. implication --- something that is suggested or implied by a particular situation, event, or statement 27. typify --- v. 1) (not in progressive forms) be a typical example of; show all the most usual characteristics of something, e.g. The shoe-shine boy who becomes a millionaire typifies the American Dream. 2) (not in progressive forms) to be a typical mark or sign of 成为…的标记: the high quality that typifies all this work 3) fml. to represent in a typical manner, e.g. by an image, model, or likeness, e.g. In this book we have tried to typify the main classes of verbs. 在本书中, 我们 力图以明显的方式把动词分成几大类. 28. strain --- a state of tension within or among people; e.g. the current strain in relations between the two countries 29. How do you interpret “experiencing strain in his relationships with Americans” in paragraph 4? Having trouble getting along with Americans 30. Rephrase the sentence: It took some time but finally we were able to identify most of the contrasting features of the American and British problems that were in conflict in this case. It was not until some time later that we managed to discover the major differences that had frustrated both sides in the above story. 31. How differently would the English and the Americans behave when they want to be alone? The Americans would go to their own rooms and shut the door, whereas the English, instead of finding architectural screens to shut themselves off, would provide subtle clues to others present that they do not wish to be disturbed. 32. How would the English and the Americans feel if they are not talked to by people present in the same room? Americans would feel that they are being rejected. The English would feel happy that others have recognized the unseen barrier they have erected to keep off intrusion. 33. Rephrase the sentence: They have in effect internalized a set of barriers, which they erect and which others are supposed to recognize. They have virtually built up, for themselves, a wall, which may keep them safe from disturbance when necessary and which, they assume, others should be able to perceive and respect. 34. The article is written not by a lay person based on casual observations but by a professor of anthropology based on his research findings. Some words the author uses has added to the academic flavor of the writing. Can you identify some of them and explain what they mean? Proxemic (l.6) --- adj. of proxemics, a branch of sociology that studies spatial relations, people’s sense of space and their need of space in different situations, etc. Subject (l.20) --- a person that undergoes scientific experimentation or investigation Ego (l.4) --- the self of a person Condition (l.35) --- determine, accustom Seminar (l.47) --- regular meeting of a group of students under the guidance of a tutor or a professor Unit Two TEXT I Tourists I. About the author --- Nancy Mitford (1904---1973), English writer of novels, biographies, and essays, is noted for her witty novels of upper-class life. Her workers include: Pursuit of Love (1945), Vlotaire in Love (1957), and The Sun King (1966), about Louis XIV. One of her most widely read books was Noblesse Oblige: An Inquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy (1956). The text is from an essay called “The Tourist,” part of a collection published under the title of The Water Beetle (1962). II. Organization and Development Although part of a collection, the selection is quite complete in itself as far as structure is concerned. The author seems to have followed a well-worked-out outline. Now try to restore that outline, indicating the main parts and the major subdivisions under each of them. Outline for reference: 1. The island and the tourists The island: location, natural features, the cathedral and its bells The tourists: number, transport, lack of taste, ill-mannered behavior, American-Englishmen-Germans 2. Behavior of the islanders The author’s general attitude Comparison of the island to a stage Young men from Burano (Little Eric) Old women selling laces The priest The tourists’ response 3. Torcello back to its life routine Young men Old women Father of the clover babies The brief description of the small island creates the impression that it might be a nice, quiet retreat for writers like the author herself, but it might not be a good tourist resort. This helps to strengthen the point the author wants to make, i.e. the tourists who swamp the place are aimless in their touring. III. Notes 1. Based on the author’s description, try to think of just a few words and phrases that bring out the most important features of the island Torcello. Small, ancient, abundant in wild flowers, crisscrossed by waterways 2. Rephrase the sentence: The most intensive study I ever made of tourists was at Torcello, where it is impossible to avoid them. Since tourists can be seen almost everywhere at Torcello, I decided to observe them closely. 3. minute: very small 4. lagoon: an area of calm sea water partly or completely separated from the sea by banks of sand, rock, coral, etc. 5. a great cathedral --- referring to SantaMaria Assunta Cathedral, which was founded in about 639, and rebuilt in the ninth and the eleventh century. It is a Byzantine cathedral, decorated with fine Veneto-Byzantine mosaics. 6. What does the word “chorus” in line 8 refer to? bells ringing out 7. Explain the sentence: Bells from the campanile ring out reproaches three times a day …joined by a chorus from the surrounding islands. --- From the campanile, or the high bell tower, can be heard the reproaches, or sets of verses representing reproaches of Jesus Christ to his people, three times a day. Such reproaches ring out from the nearby islands too. “cloches, cloches, divins reproches” = (French) “bells, bells, divine reproaches” 8. lonely as a cloud --- This is an echo of William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (1804). The first verse of the poem is as follows: I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. 9. Rephrase the sentence: Torcello which used to be lonely as a cloud has recently become an outing from Venice. Torcello was at one time an island scarcely visited by people, but today it has grown to be a magnet for tourists from Venice. 10. chartered --- hired for use by a particular group or person 11. yacht --- a large boat, often motor-driven, used for pleasure; a light sailing boat 12. towpath --- a path (as along the bank of a canal or river) traveled by men or animals towing / pulling boats 13. Possibly there is a double meaning in the phrase much restored in line 13. The early mosaics are made to look new again; the scenes from hell are brought back to life. 14. a great, sad, austere Madonna --- the image of Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, in mosaics, who appears sorrowful and stern 15. Byzantine art --- the symbolical system of art which was developed by the early Greek or Byzantine artists out of the Christian symbolism. Its chief features are the circle, dome, and round arch; and its chief symbols the lily, cross, vesica, and nimbus. 16. Explain the sentence in line 14 “Byzantine art is an acquired taste.” One needs to cultivate a certain taste to be able to appreciate Byzantine art. 17. Rephrase the sentence: Byzantine art is an acquired taste and probably not one in ten of the visitors has acquired it. Byzantine art is a highly refined heritage, but few of the tourists here have arrived at that sophistry as to be able to appreciate it. / To appreciate Byzantine art, one needs to cultivate a particular sense of beauty, but few of the tourists to Torcello have been so equipped. 18. the village green --- a small stretch of grass in the village 19. Attila --- king of the Huns, a nomadic people from central Asia, from 434 A.D. to 453 A.D., and one of the greatest of the barbarian rulers who attacked the Roman Empire. In 452 he invaded northern Italy and sacked several cities there. 20. leave the devil of a mess behind them --- leave behind them all kinds of litter / a terrible mess. Devil is often used to give force to various expressions, especially of displeasure, e.g. We had a devil of a job trying to persuade her. Why the devil did he come? What the devil is she doing now? 21. marching as to war --- This is an echo of a Christian hymn written by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924). The first stanza goes thus: Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the Cross of Jesus Going on before! (1864) 22. a Leader --- apparently referring to the tourist guide 23. a standing order --- a permanent request (for something by a customer) 24. From what Mitford has said of the tourists in the first paragraph, can you imagine what, in her opinion, a good tourist should be like? He should have a clear purpose when going sightseeing, be appreciative of what there is supposed to be seen; he should not litter, or do anything harmful to the environment. 25. What different images has Mitford created of the Americans, the Englishmen, and the Germans with her brief description of them? Americans --- well-to-do but having no taste at all Englishmen --- mean, not attentive to public hygiene Germans --- well-organized and well-disciplined but not appreciative 26. extract --- obtain by much effort 27. Rephrase the sentence: As they are obliged, whether they like it or not, to live in public during the whole summer, they very naturally try to extract some financial benefit from this state of affairs. They have no choice but to come into contact with the tourists throughout the summer, and it is not hard to imagine why they should not try to earn some money out of this opportunity. 28. What does the word Italian in line 31 refer to? The Italian nation as a whole 29. gondolier --- the boatman who propels a gondola, a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice 30. sandolos --- small boats used on the Venetian canals 31. Buona fortuna --- (Italian) Good luck 32. trinket --- a small ornament (as a jewel or ring) of little value 33. point de Venise lace --- lace that is made with a needle or needle point. Burano is known for its Venetian point lace industry. 34. four-leafed clovers --- or four-leafed clovers, four-leaf clovers. A four-leafed clover is a clover plant that has a set of four leaves instead of the usual three, and is believed to bring good luck to a person who finds it. Clover – is a small usu. three-leafed plant with pink, purple, or white flowers, often grown as food for cattle. 35. holy processions --- religious parades 36. Rephrase the sentence: The priest organizes holy processions to coincide with the arrival of the steamer. The priest arranges for the religious pageant to begin the moment the ship arrives. 37. flapping --- swaying loosely, and making a noise, especially when moved by wind 38. Daily Mail --- name of a newspaper 39. Where in paragraph 2 does Mitford reveal her attitude towards the way the islanders behave? She is somewhat sympathetic to them. Refer to lines 29-31, “As they are obliged, whether they like it or not … from this state of affairs.” 40. A metaphor runs through paragraphs 2 and 3. What is it? Which sentence sets up the comparison? Pick out words that continue the metaphor. The island is compared to a stage, and the activities to a play. Line 31, “The Italian is a born actor …” dress up, sweet-faced old women, apparently, organizes holy procession to coincide, the curtain, shed their jackets, let the smiles fade 41. How do you understand the last sentence “Tocello is itself again”? The play is over; ordinary life on the island is restored, and the islanders are their normal selves again. Unit Three Text I The Subway Tom Wolfe I. About the Author The Author --- Tom Wolfe (Thomas K. Wolfe, Jr., 1931-), U.S. author, is one of the new journalists, who write, like journalists, about the people, the places, and the events of the contemporary world, but who write with the imagination, the personal vision, and the rhetorical flair which is usually associated with the creative writer. Wolfe’s writings appear in magazines such as Confidential and Harper’s Bazaar. Wolfe, like any good reporter, observes closely from a particular angle of vision --- often satiric --- and he projects what he feels and thinks into his description by the details he selects to show us and the words he chooses to describe them. His works include: The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965), New Journalism (1973), and In Our Time (1980). II Organization and Development The topic sentence of paragraph 2 extends, at least in part, to paragraph 3. For paragraph 5, the following words from paragraph 4 with some modifications may serve the purpose of a topic sentence: “However, some men do fall to the state of being a bum. For example, on the East Side IRT subway line…” In paragraph 3, apart from sticking to using “he” as the subject in a series of sentences to describe the actions of the two black boys in the car, the conjunction “then” is used twice to show the chronological progression of the actions. The last four sentences of paragraph 4 all keep to “he” as the subject. III. Notes 1. the living symbol of all that adds up to lack of status in New York --- the very indication that those who take the subway have a low social position 2. disorientation --- confusion, loss of one’s bearings 3. express stop --- a major rapid transit stop where “express trains” stop, as contrasted to a “local stop” where all trains stop 4. Rephrase the following. In a way, of course, the subway is the living symbol… every express stop. In New York’s underground transportation system, one finds many examples of what is low-class behavior in New York. The subway is disorganized and people move about wildly at each express stop. 5. vistas --- sweeping views 6. eerie --- frightening because of strangeness or gloominess 7. How is the statement “The whole place is a gross assault on the senses” supported by details in the first paragraph? assault on the sense of hearing --- noise of the trains, high-pitched harshness, metallic tones from records assault on the sense of touch --- pushing and being pushed in crowds assault on the sense of smell --- unbearable odors assault on the sense of sight --- The sight of customers with bread flakes caked on their mouths and flatulent cheeks at lunch counters is far from pleasant. 8. qualm --- feelings of uneasiness or uncertainty as to whether something is right 9. What does the word “qualms” in line 7 mean? What does the whole sentence containing the word imply? unease, a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp. concerning moral conduct Pushing others in a crowded public place is considered rude, but in the N.Y. subway the passengers, when in a crowd, seem to have forgotten this basic moral norm. 10. tactile --- relating to the sense of touch 11. crucifying --- torment, torture 12. Rephrase the sentence Your tactile sense takes a crucifying you never dreamed possible. You are being bumped, shoved and prodded amidst the crowd more than you ever have been before / more than you ever expected. 13. 45 r.p.m. records --- The abbreviation “r.p.m.” stands for “revolutions per minute.” It is a measure of the speed of a record. A 45 r.p.m. record goes round in a circle 45 times in a minute. 14. hot dog --- a long bread roll which is cut along the middle and has a cooked sausage in it elastic 15. tensile --- 16. oleaginous --- oily, fatty 17. flatulently --- with gases from the stomach 18. ancient man --- very old man. Ancient is used humorously here. 19. Manhattan --- one of the boroughs of New York City that contains the leading banking and commercial organizations of the city, as well as fashion and art centers, the chief theatrical district of the United States, wealthy residential sections, and such well-known districts as Broadway, Greenwich Village, Harlem, and Wall Street. 20. redemption --- forgiveness from the consequences of sin and evil which Christians believe was made possible by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. This is a religious term 21. How is paragraph 3 connected to paragraph 2? Can you restore the missing words of the first sentence of paragraph 3? The word “also” sets up a link between the two paragraphs. “The underground spaces seem to attract also beggars.” 22. Traditional rhetoric does not approve of the use of “and” in a sentence-initial position. Leave out the word “And” in the second sentence of paragraph 3 and see what difference it makes. Beggars are least expected to be associated with status competition. The word “And” here helps bring out a fact that is contrary to ordinary expectations. Leaving out the word would render the sentence a mere statement of a fact. 23. status competition --- struggling to achieve a more desirable social position 24. IRT line --- the Interborough Rapid Transit line 25. maniacal --- frantic, crazy 26. ricochet off --- bounce off 27. calling one another --- s and ---s and telling each other to find their own --- car ---- The blanks stand for obscene curse words or swear words that are unfit for 28. Rephrase the sentence Also beggars. … to go to find their own --- car. In New York’s much-hated subway, beggars compete against one another. On the seventh Avenue IRT line, the competition grows so fierce that it borders on craziness. Some evenings when beggars spot each other between stops, they curse each other call each other names and warn each other to stay away from where they are. 29. mediocre --- commonplace, not special 30. What does the author mean by the sentence “A mere blind man with a cane and a cup is mediocre business” in line 23? This typical image of a beggar is a common sight and is not likely to attract any attention. 31. bongo drum --- either of a pair of small drums played with the hands 32. Dixie cup --- paper cup used for beverages, ice cream, etc. 33. multiple schlerrossis (= sclerosis ) --- Either out of ignorance or out of an intention to attract people’s attention, the young black man has misspelt the word “sclerosis.” And, with tongue in cheek, the author describes the misspelt word as an attention-catching frightening German term with an excessive use of letters of consonant sounds, as the following sentence indicates. 34. lollygagger --- one who fools round 35 condescension --- treating someone in a way that shows one is superior to the other 36. Rephrase the sentence So today he does much better. … to which men fall. Since he has perfected this strategy, he makes ends meet today --- people tend to give him money; he really is not a bum --- he has a job. He is now in a position to look down upon others who have unfortunately become bums. 37. Paragraph 4 has two parts. Where is the dividing point? What has effected the young black man’s improvement? Can you think of one word that best describes his attitude as indicated by the last sentence of paragraph 4? the word “however” in line 40 He has changed his way of begging by trying to appeal to people’s sympathy “self-satisfied” 38. The phrase “for example” at the beginning of paragraph 5 indicates that an example is provided for illustration. What is the example? And what does it illustrate? the old man described in paragraph 5 This is used to illustrate “the states to which men fall,” upon which the young black man can look with condescension now. tiles which were put in as early as 1905 39. 1905 tiles --- 40. slouch --- sit in a tired way with one’s shoulders drooping down 41. congealed --- stiffened 42. color of congealed Wheatena laced with pocket lint --- ashen grey speckled with pale white Wheatena is the brand name of a cereal. Congealed Wheatena is cooked cereal which has cooled off and become thick and almost solid. Pocket lint is the fluff or fuzz one finds in the pocket. 43. juice-head --- (slang) alcoholic 44. wino --- one who is chronically addicted to drinking wine 45 green fatigues --- plain green clothes 46. Rephrase the last sentence People briefly look at his body, which is covered with lint and dirt, but walk right on by him. No one knows how long it will be before two policemen spot him. They will have to hold their breath from his stench when they take him to the police station. They will give him a set of green work clothes which will make him more presentable --- presentable enough to have a seat on the subway at night next to other presentable people. 47. In writing a description, the writer’s choice of words should be both accurate and effective so that he presents the right picture to his readers and also produces the intended effect on them. Wolfe has successfully attained both aims. What effect would have been lost if he had used “pouring” and “groups” respectively for “squeezing” and “clots” (paragraph 5)? Try to find other similar instances in the selection. Few descriptions are “pure” descriptions, i.e. the author aims at accurately presenting a picture only, without concerning himself with what he has presented. Wolfe’s attitude towards the New York City subway is definitely unfavorable; that is why he has chose among a group of synonyms the ones with negative connotations. Similar instances include: oleaginous (line 11), haunts (line 15), maniacal (line 21), scrape him up (line 60) instead of their connotationally more neutral synonyms “mushy, frequents, crazy, remove”. Unit Four Text I Style and Purpose I. About the Author Randolph Quirk (1920-), British university professor and official, has taught in University College, London; Yale University and the University of Michigan, U.S>A.; University of Durham, etc. He is Vice-Chancellor of the University of London (1981-) and Chairman of the Committee of Enquiry into Speech Therapy Services, British Council English Committee (1976-). Among his publications are: The Use of English (1962), A Grammar of Contemporary English (1972, with Greenbaum, Leech, Svartvik), and Style and Communication in the English Language (1982). The text is an excerpt from Chapter 14 in The Use of English. II. Organization and Development Para 2 Example: riding a bike Point to illustrate: learn to be conventional before trying to be original Para 3 Examples: “freezing hot-ice-cream”, “Bitter Sweet” Point to illustrate: Unconventionality can sometimes produce special effect Paras 4-5 Example: letter-beginnings and endings Point to illustrate: Style varies on a scale; mixing different styles may have harmful effect. Paras 6-7 Example: phrases like “incredible insight, lofty flights of imagination, …” Point to illustrate: Common collocations when used indiscriminately become clichés, the use of which should be avoided, especially in writing III. Notes 1. the intricacy of co-ordination in using language--- the complexities involved in the arrangement, combination, and organization of words 2. constraints --- restrictions, limitations 3. as we saw in the previous chapter, in the different constraints operating in speech and writing --- The previous chapter refers to Chapter 13, entitled “Problems of Usage,” in the author’s The Use of English (1968). In this chapter, the author discusses the selection of “linguistic expressions which will not merely suit the topic but which will suit our audience.” In other words, “language must be used not merely to “get out”” what we have in our minds but also to “get it across” as completely and effectively as possible to someone else. Moreover, the author points out that apart from grammar and vocabulary, there are constraints such as 1) effective communication of the simplest utterances depending on the extent to which it fits in with the listener’s expectations, and these expectations are largely derived from his previous experience in the language, 2) the ease with which a mode of expression may be understood, 3) the use of redundancy, 4) habitual collocations, 5) punctuation, and 6) avoidance of ambiguity, clumsiness, or obscurity, etc. 4. Rephrase the sentence: Part of the intricacy … What makes the use of a language complicated can partly be explained by the fact that there are many restrictions upon the spoken and written forms (of the language) 5. Rephrase the sentence The stylistic range of English is wide… The ways of expressing thoughts through the use of the English language vary so much that it is practically impossible to classify them neatly. 6. congruous with --- compatibale with 7. scale --- a graded series / scheme / system of rank of order, something graded especially when used as a measure or rule 8. on this scale --- on the scale of styles, for example, the five-point scale of style from frozen, formal, consultative, casual, to intimate as devised by Martin Joos in his The Five Clocks: A Linguistic Excursion in the Five Styles of English Usage (1961). 9. What does “this scale” in line 8 refer to? The stylistic range of English. 10. conventions of collocation --- generally accepted practice of placing words together in a way that sounds natural 11. What are the major factors that constrain a user of language when he is putting words together to form discourse? The conventions of collocation: what words can go together Grammar: rules governing the formation of sentences Stylistic constraints: selection of the appropriate style and consistency in style 12. Rephrase the sentence It may seem paradoxical to lay such … It probably sounds contradictory that while some are trying to encourage people to be creative in their application of the English language, we seem to be so particular about the accepted rules that govern the formal use of the language. 13. “Look, Mother: no hands!” --- This is what a child might say to his mother when he has his hands off the handlebars of the bicycle when cycling, which is rather unconventional. 14. the art of cycling in the conventional manner --- the skill of writing in the customary way. Here,, an analogy is made between the skill of writing and the art of cycling. A person who can write at will is compared to a cyclist who can ride his bicycle at ease. 15. How does Quirk compare progress in the art of writing with riding a bike? Before you have mastered the art of cycling in the conventional manner, e.g. holding the bar with both hands, you should not try to be unconventional by removing your hands from it. The same rule applies to the use of language. 16. the words of Mr. Robert Graves --- the quoted words are: “every English poet master the rules of grammar before he attempts to bend or break them” should… (The Times, 21 October 1961), from Chapter 13 of the author’s The Use of English (1968), p.231. Robert Graves (1895-1985), English poet, has sought personal integrity in his poetry, avoiding fashion. 17. norm --- a standard, e.g. of behavior or ability, that is regarded as average or generally accepted 18. Rephrase the sentence Without a norm … It is no sense easy for us even to tell what creativeness really is or how creativeness is to be achieved, unless we have some criterion to base our judgment on. 19. fetching gimmick --- tempting name or device to attract attention 20. hoary witticism --- a very old amusing remark 21. The hand that rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket. --- Mother died. This is a combination of two phrases. “The hand that rocked the cradle” is the first half of the saying “The hand that rocked the cradle rules the world,” meaning “the example and influence of a mother are powerful and far-reaching in their effect.” “Kick the bucket” is a slang phrase meaning “die.” 22. tension --- imbalance; opposition 23. formalities --- a way of writing letters in accordance with accepted rules for official occasions rdrd24. “Further to yours of the 23 ult.” --- “With reference to your letter of the 23 of the last month” further to --- with reference to. This is a phrase used in old-fashioned business letters. ult. --- ultimo, meaning “of last month.” This is used after a date in a business letter, but its use is becoming rare. 25. What point or points does Quirk want to make with the various example he cites in paragraph 4 and 5 which are related to letter-writing? Adopt the style suitable to the situation of use, and do not mix different styles. 26. … what was said in the previous chapter about expected collocations. --- In Chapter 13, entitled “Problems of Usage,” in The Use of English, the author mentions “an amusing instance” of misunderstanding caused by “expected collocations.” In a television programme in the autumn of 1959, the British Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Macmillan, was discussing political problems with President Dwight Eisenhower of the U. S. A., and one remark by Mr. Macmillan, “We never jobbed backwards” (meaning: “We haven’t spent our time resentfully thinking of what might have been.”) was reported by The Times as “We’ve never jogged backwards.” The mistaken reportage made in both cases was due to the fact that the expression used by Mr. Macmillan was not commonly understood. Thus, the reporters, influenced by normally expected collocations of the word backwards, produced their own versions. 27. Harold Pinter (1930- ), English dramatist, studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his theatrical career as an actor. Pinter is the most significant English playwright of the 1960s and one of the most original dramatists of the twentieth century. The superficial structure of his plays conforms to the conventions of the realistic theater, but the relationships of his characters and the sequence of dialogues and events are unconventional, unpredictable, and ambiguous. His plays are often about how people maneuver verbally for power over each other. The use of understatement, small talk, reticence, and even silence, conveys the substance of a character’s thought, which often lies several layers beneath and contradicts his speech. It is difficult to explain the meaning of Pinter’s plays in a conventional sense. 28. Rephrase the sentence we may not feel any… We may not think it at all disagreeable or offensive, which is typical of our feeling about a cliché. 29. Is there a hard-and-fast rule that forbids the use of clichés? No. Everything depends on what is expected at particular points in the stylistic range. For example, “incredible insight” may well be accepted when used in criticism that is spoken on an informal occasion. 30. indiscriminately --- without making judgments or a proper choice 31. consummate --- perfect 32. hackneyed --- meaningless because used and repeated too often; trite 33. tautologous --- unnecessarily repetitive, obvious 34. veribage --- too many unnecessary words in speech or writing 35. woolliness --- confusion, obscurity Unit Five TEXT I The Santa Ana I. About the Author The author --- Joan Didion (1934 - ), U.S. novelist, essayist, journalist, and film scenarist, received her B.A. degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1956. She is a native of California. Her principal works are the novels Run River (1963), Play It As It Lays (1970), A Book of Common Prayers (1977), and a collection of essays entitled Slouching Towards Bethlhem (1968), in which the present text appears. In this essay, Didion describes some of the tension of life in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. II. Organization and Development The purpose is to show how greatly weather condition can affect the life quality of man. This is not clearly stated until the end of the passage. After a detailed description of the various effects winds like Santa Ana can produce on people, such a conclusion becomes self-evident. Follow the order of the paragraphs. Paragraph 1: how she feels when a Santa Ana is approaching Paragraph 2: what she was told and how she understands what she was told; the way her neighbor behaves Paragraph 3: what another person has written about the Santa Ana, and reported effects of similar winds Paragraph 4: fires caused by the Santa Ana in Los Angeles Paragraph 5: effects of the longest Santa Ana, which struck the city in 1958 She begins with the most immediate, and personal ones, and then goes on to the less immediate ones, i.e. those provided by others and effects of winds similar to the Santa Ana, and concludes with details directly related to Los Angeles. There are very few examples related to her personal experience. This gives more strength to what she tries to exemplify; what she feels about the Santa Ana is not idiosyncratic, but generally recognized, among those living in Southern California. III. Notes 1. Throughout the passage, Didion has given two definitions of the Santa Ana. Where can you find them? “… a hot wind from the northeast whining down through the Cajon and …” in is a foehn wind… it paragraph 1 and “The Santa Ana, which is named for one of … occurs on the leeward slope of a mountain range and … appears finally as a clold mass” in paragraph 3. 2. the Cajon --- a mountain pass in Southern California, to the northeast of Los Angeles. Its elevation is 4260 feet (ca. 1400 meters). 3. (the) San Gorgonio Pass --- a mountain pass in southern California, to the east of Los Angeles. Its elevation is 2616 feet (ca.800 meters). 4. Route 66 --- one of the state highways in California near Los Angeles 5. flash point --- the lowest temperature at which the vapor from oil will burn if a flame is put near it; a point at which violent actions may be expected 6. How do you understand the phrase “… a hot wind …, drying the hills and the nerves to the flash point” in paragraph 1? The wind is so hot and dry that it causes forests on the hills to become easily inflammable and it drives people to the breaking point. 7. hear sirens in the night --- From the context, the “sirens” refers to those used on fire engines. 8. sulk --- be silently bad-tempered 9. cut my losses --- give up trying (in order to avoid negative results) 10. The words “mechanistic” has occurred twice in this passage. Where? What do you think the word actually means? In the last sentence of paragraphs 1 and 3. Pertaining to the theory of mechanism, especially phenomena explainable only by reference to physical or biological factors. tending to explain all actions of living things as if they were 11. mechanistic --- machines; explaining an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon by physical or chemical processes 12. a … mechanistic view of human behavior--- explaining human behavior as being determined by forces of nature or natural phenomena 13. Rephrase the sentence To live with the Santa Ana … view of human behavior. When confronted by the Santa Ana, one has to believe, willingly or unwillingly, that people’s acts are controlled by natural forces. the American Indians, or native people in North America 14. the Indians --- 15. surreal --- having a strange dreamlike unreal quality 16. trespasser --- one who enters privately owned property without permission 17. Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), U.S. novelist and screenwriter, famous for his tough crime novel 18. booze party --- a party at which people consume alcoholic drinks excessively 19. What does the sentence “Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks” in paragraph 3 suggest? The wind has such an exasperating effect on people that it can even put the meek little wives into a vicious killing mood. 20. Rephrase the sentence That was the kind of wind it was. That was the type of impact brought about by the wind. 21. bear out --- support the truth of 22. Rephrase the sentence I did not know then that there was any … wisdom. I was not able to figure out at that time how such an impact could have been possible, but it is yet one more instance where science has proved man’s instinctive wiseness in his hypothesis that anything can happen in a natural calamity like this. 23. What does the sentence “… science bears out folk wisdom” in paragraph 3 mean? People’s intuitions are proved to be scientifically sound and valid. a warm, dry wind that blows down the side of a mountain. Foehns 24. a foehn wind --- occur frequently in the Alps of Europe, where they usually blow from a southerly direction. In the winter, the foehn is easily recognizable, because it brings fair, warm weather. 25. hamsin --- a variant spelling of Khamsin, hot dust-laden winds originating in the Sahara desert 26. malevolent --- having a wish to harm others, showing intense ill will; here, strong, adverse, harmful 27. mistral --- a cold wind which blows occasionally from the north, especially in winter, and brings unusually cold weather to Mediterranean France 28. sirroco --- a strong southerly wind that blows from the Sahara desert and affects principally the countries surrounding the central part of the Mediterranean Sea 29. leeward slope --- the slope which is sheltered from the wind 30. Swiss cantons --- territorial divisions in Switzerland. In Switzerland, there are twenty-two cantons and six demi-cantons. They are the basic units of the Swiss Confederation. 31. mitigating circumstance --- fact that makes an act (in this context, a crime) less serious 32. To what extent can science account for the effect winds like the Santa Ana have on people’s behavior? Refer to the last few lines of paragraph 3: “… for ten or twelve hours which precede them, the air carries an unusually high ratio of positive to negative ions … what an excess of positive ions does is make people unhappy.” 33. torrential --- (rain) pouring down rapidly and in great quantities 34. incendiary --- causing fires 35. Malibu --- a small city in southern California to the west of Los Angeles 36. Bel Air --- western residential section of Los Angeles 37. Santa Barbara --- a resort city in southern California, 160 km. Northwest of Los Angeles 38. the San Gabriel Mountains --- mountain ranges in southern California, to the northeast of Los Angeles 39. What misconception do Easterners have of the weather in California? How would you describe the weather in California based on the passage? Easterners tend to think that the weather in Southern California lacks seasonal variation. Generally agreeable but not totally free of extremely violent outbursts of disastrous rains and winds. 40. How do you interpret the sentence “… what it is about the place” in paragraph 5? How it affects the place 41. Rephrase the sentence Just to watch the front-page… about the place. Read the cover page of any newspaper about Los Angeles when it has been hit by a Santa Ana, and you will be able to understand / will not fail to imagine what has become of the city. 42. Force 12 … on the Beaufort Scale --- The Beaufort scale is a scale in which the force of the wind is indicated by numbers from 0 to 12. It was devised (ca. 1805) by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort of the British navy. Force 12 wind is violent and destructive, its velocity is 73-82 miles (117-131 km.) per hour. The term for Force 12 wind used in U.S. National Weather Service forecast is hurricane. 43. oil derricks --- a tower built over an oil well to raise and lower the drill 44. people ordered off the downtown streets --- People were ordered to stay away from the downtown streets. 45. a box score --- a day-by-day count 46. Pasedena --- a city in southern California, ca. 16 km. northeast of Los Angeles. It is a residential, industrial, and educational center lying in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. 47. South Gate --- an industrial city in southern California just south of Los Angeles 48. radically --- drastically; severely 49. Rephrase the sentence It is hard for people who have not lived in … in the local imagination. Only those who have lived in Los Angeles can possibly picture how vividly people feel about a Santa Ana. 50. Nathanael West (1902-1940), U.S. novelist, was employed from the mid-1930s in Hollywood as a motion-picture scriptwriter. The Day of the Locust (1939), his most mature work and a striking commentary on his Hollywood experience, exposes the bizarre characters and the boredom surrounding the motion-picture industry. He was killed in an automobile accident near El Centro, California. 51. indelibly --- unforgettably, memorably, ineradicably 52. the Harbor Freeway --- one of the freeways or expressways in Los Angeles. A freeway is a very wide road built for fast travel. It is called a motorway in Britain. 53. New England --- a term first used by the early settlers from England which refers to the extreme northeastern section of the U.S.A. The area now encompasses the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. 54. accentuate --- make (something) more noticeable 55. how close to the edge we are --- “Edge” here means the point at which something dreadful and menacing may start to happen; or the “breaking point.” 56. What does the pronoun “its” in “its impermanence” and “its unreliability” near the end of the passage refer to? The quality of life in Los Angeles 57. What comparison can you find in the last paragraph? Which structure is used to make the comparison? the different weather condition in New England and Los Angeles and how they affect the way of life in the two places The structure “As …, so …” is used. 58. What do you think is Didion’s attitude toward a natural force like the Santa Ana? Support your view with sentences from the text? She feels powerless in the face of blows dealt by nature; she believes that man cannot surmount the vagaries of nature. Note especially the last sentence of paragraph 1 and the last two sentences of the passage. 59. In the simplest terms, a wind like the Santa Ana, as Didion puts it, “makes people unhappy” (paragraph 3). Pick out specific instances from the text to explain what is meant by “unhappy.” In paragraph 1, “The baby frets. The maid sulks. I rekindle a waning argument…” In paragraph 2, “… the Indians would throw themselves into the sea … one woke in the night troubled… My only neighbor would not come out of her house for days, and there were no lights at night, and her husband roamed the place with a machete.” In paragraph 3, “every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks… doctors hear about headaches and nausea and allergies, about “nervousness” and “depression”… the the suicide rate goes up… blood does not clot children become unmanageable… normally.” In paragraph 5, “… a prominent Pasadena attorney, depressed about money, shot and killed his wife, their two sons, and himself.” Unit Six TEXT I How to Get Things Done I. The Author --- Robert Charles Benchley (1889-1945), U.S. humorist, was drama critic of Life (1920-29) and New Yorker (1929-40), and star of fifty short films. He was one of the foremost writers of humorous nonfiction, theater reviews and book reviews from the 1920s to the mid-1940s. Among his books are: No Poems: Or Around the World Backwards and Sideways (1932), From Bed to Worse: Or Comforting Thoughts About the Bison (1934), Benchley Roundup (1954), and Benchley Lost and Found (1970). The present text was written for the New York Tribune in 1930. II. Organization and Development Introduction --- paras.1-4 Body --- paras. 5-18 End --- paras. 19-20 The beginning of the body is marked by the sentence “Let us see how this works out in practice.” And the first few words of para.19 “And so you see…” mark the end of the narration and also bring in the conclusion. Words, phrases, and even sentences are used to make clear the elapse of time, e.g. Then (para.8), before the afternoon is half over (para.12), in a few hours (para.18). The purpose of using these time markers is to make the reader aware how well the author is getting along with his work schedule (or how far behind the schedule he is). III. Notes 1. dissipated --- typical of a person who wastes his life in search of foolish or dangerous pleasure 2. rotogravure --- a photogravure process in which the impression is produced by a rotary press 3. the rotogravure sections and society notes --- sections of newspapers devoted to rotogravure pictures and to news about the socially distinguished people 4. riding to hounds --- going fox-hunting on horseback 5. Louis XIV (1638-1715) was King of France (1643-1715), the longest reign in French history. During his minority, the real power was in the hands of Cardinal Mazarin. His majority was declared in 1651, but he did not take over the government until Mazarin’s death in 1661. It was under Louis XIV that absolute monarchy, based on the theory of divine right, that is, the doctrine that sovereigns derive their right to rule by their birth alone, reached its height. Louis XIV adopted the Sun as his personal emblem, and he is therefore called the Sun King. His reign can be characterized by the remark attributed to him, “L’etat, c’est moi”, meaning “I am the state.” His reign was superficially splendid, but basically disastrous for France. 6. spelling out GREETINGS TO CALIDORNIA in formation with three thousand school children --- Benchley joined three thousand school children who marched in a procession showing the words GREETINGS TO CALIDORNIA. 7. “All work and all play” --- This is a play on the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” People assume that I am a genius in that I know how to work hard and how to enjoy myself at the same time. 8. Rephrase the sentence The psychological principle is this: According to a psychological theory, a man who intends to avoid the thing he has to do would be more than willing to engage himself in a thousand other things he does not have to do. 9. What is the psychological principle the author adheres to? How do you interpret it? In para.4, “Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” This may sound a bit paradoxical. On the other hand, it could serve as a good excuse for procrastination --- I don’t have to do what I’m scheduled to do; somehow what is supposed to get done will be done; on the other hand, there seems to be some truth in it --- just keep on working and do not mind the schedule; sooner or later you will get done what you are supposed to get done. 10. Of the five things the author was supposed to do before the end of the week, which do you think is the most important one? How did he list these five tasks? The writing of the newspaper article. The most important, but also the most laborious task, is placed last on his list. He knew that even if he had placed this one on top of all others, he would still have got this one done last. The other four tasks are either more interesting or less laborious than this one. 9. this paper --- apparently referring to the New York Tribune 10. With these five tasks staring me in the face --- With these five tasks to be done immediately or urgently. “Stare someone in the face” means “be too obvious to miss”. exertion; using up 11. expenditure --- 12. Mens sana in corpore sano --- (Latin) A sound mind in a sound body 13. Rephrase the sentence I feel that the least that I can do is to treat my … I believe that I should not allow myself to be cruel to my own health, because a physically sound body is vital for an ever-thinking man like me. 14. glutinous --- sticky 15. Rephrase the sentence We workers must keep cool and calm, otherwise we would … If we are not able to face a problem calmly, we are simply wasting our time, rushing about, and accomplishing nothing. 16. fidget --- move or act restlessly or nervously 17. Dr. Charles William Beebe (1877-1962), U.S. biologist, explorer, and writer on natural history who combined biological research with a rare literary skill. From 1899 he was associated with the New York Zoological Society as curator of ornithology and director of the Department of Tropical Research. His books on birds, fishes, and insects are full of charm and fascinating observations. 18. “Silver Hatchet” fish (Argyopelius) --- a deep-sea, large mouthed, hatchet-shaped fish, deep in front, slender toward the tail and thin from side to side. 19. onerous --- difficult; burdensome; troublesome 20. Viper fish --- eel-shaped deep-sea fish with gaping mouths and large fangs 21. grind --- dreary monotonous routine 22. How many times has Benchley made mention of his conscience in the article? And for what purpose? Twice. In para.14, “…do much to salve my conscience.” In para.16, “…with a perfectly clear conscience…” His purpose is to tell his readers that he did know what he should be doing at that moment, and he felt guilty for not doing that, but the sense of guilt was dulled by a seemingly good reason. This is the kind of mentality typical of procrastinators. 23. Rephrase the sentence Now, if there is one thing that I hate to do… If there is anything I dislike doing, and there certainly is, it is answering correspondence. 24. epistolary --- relating to letter writing 25. get into the swing of --- become very involved in something and enjoy doing it 26. Antwerp was the principal seaport of Belgium and one of the major seaports in Europe. It is Belgium’s largest city and second largest metropolitan area. A historic city and cultural center, Antwerp is noted for its many old and beautiful building and collections of Dutch and Flemish paintings. 27. copy-paper --- paper for the author’s article. Here, “copy” is used in the sense of “written material to be printed”. 28. salve --- soothe, relieve, make less painful 29. I am up with one of the older and more sluggish larks --- I get up rather late. The phrase “up with the lark” means “to get out of bed very early in the morning.” When the lark is “older and more sluggish,” naturally it will not be up so early. 30. dynamo --- a machine which turns some other kind of power into electricity 31. snake-charming --- (entertaining people by) controlling the behavior of a snake by playing music 32. avowed --- self-declared 33. bracket --- a piece of metal, wood, or plastic, often L-shaped, that is fastened to a wall to support (a shelf) 34. to one’s chagrin --- to one’s annoyance and disappointment, caused by failure or unfulfilled hopes 35. kill two birds with one stone --- get two good results from one action 36. spick and span --- completely clean and tidy 37. William Hogarth (1697 - 1764), English engraver and painter, was the most important of the early English artists. The value of his work is in the brilliance of its social and moral satire. In his many series of paintings and engravings, he criticized, with savage humor, the vices and follies of eighteenth-century Londoners. His works are especially notable for the accuracy of detail with which they depict the dress and manners of the time. Hogarth is also known for his masterful portraits. Examples of Hogarth’s paintings can be found in Encyclopedia Americana, Collier’s Encyclopedia, and Merit Students Encyclopedia. 38. “stills” --- photographs of scenes from a (cinema) film 39. Apart from putting off writing the newspaper article, what other evidence can we find that Benchley is disposed to procrastinate? The article was written in 1930, but some of the unanswered letters dated from 1928. 40. How was the writing of the newspaper article procrastinated again and again on that day? Go through the paragraphs beginning from para. 6 --- storing up strength before he started doing anything at all, sharpening five pencils but not for writing, thumbing through the pile of magazines he had purposely placed within reach. Then, back to the article. Wrote the title. But, his eye caught the basket of letters. Wrote a few letters. By then he was determined to put it off until the next day. Look for information in books, so the need to put up the bookshelves, so the need to go out and buy the nails and the brackets, and why not a hair-cut on the way? So two days passed and he had done four of five things (a big victory!), but not the article. 41. How does Benchley mock at himself and other procrastinators? They always have a good reason for not doing what they are supposed to do. Mind they do not stand idle; instead, they always have something to do and always get something done, too. 42. What is the author’s tone for paragraph 19? Happy, content, triumphant, justified 43. How do you understand the concluding paragraph of the article? A very humorous ending. He seems to be worried that he is going at too fast a rate and that he will have no more things to do except the writing of the article. 44. Benchley is considered a master of non sequitur humor, i.e. humor based on irrelevance or illogicality between adjacent statements. Try to find examples in paragraphs 1,3,6, and 11. asked me how I managed to get so much work done and still keep Para 1. --- … looking so dissipated Para. 3. --- …have refined it so that it is now almost too refined. I shall have to begin coarsening it up again pretty soon. Para.6 --- With these five tasks staring me in the face… that I go right back to bed as soon as I have had breakfast… Para 11 --- …but to learn that it has eyes in them is a discovery so astounding that I am hardly able to cut out the picture. Unit Seven TEXT I The Aims of Education I. About the author II. Organization and Development First part: paras. 1-3 Second part: paras. 4-9 In the first part: 1. Distinction between culture and training 2. Inert ideas, ideas passively received without being utilized, are not only useless but even harmful to education In the second part: 1. Two educational commandments 2. Ideas should be combined and put into application 3. The understanding provided by the literary side of education: the joining of ideas 4. The understanding provided by the scientific side of education: the proof of ideas; propositions should be used in combination 5. The relation between theory and utilization III. Notes 1. culture --- This might be understood as “general knowledge” as contrasted with the “expert knowledge in some special direction” in line 4. 2. Rephrase the sentence A merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on God’s earth. A person equipped only with book knowledge is the least useful person to humanity. 3. Rephrase the sentence Their expert knowledge … Their specialized expertise helps prepare them for their prospective intellectual development, and their ability to think will contribute to the perfection of their reasoning and judgment. 4. Whitehead makes an important distinction in the first paragraph. What is it? How do you interpret it? The distinction between culture and training. Training refers to the acquisition of skills and information, which is part of education, but not the most essential part; culture refers to the cultivation of the ability to think, to make discoveries, which is the ultimate aim of education. 5. Archbishop Temple (1821-1902), English archbishop of Canterbury from 1896 to 1902, graduated from Oxford University with high honors in 1842. He served as headmaster of Rugby School from 1858 to 1869. referring to Rugby School, one of England’s oldest public schools and 6. Rugby --- one of the most prestigious. 7. Rephrase the sentence Surprise was expressed at the success in … However mediocre one might have been as a school boy at Rugby, it was still possible for him to stand out surprisingly from all others when he grew up. 8. What is the topic sentence of paragraph 3? How is it supported in the paragraph? Inert ideas are not only useless but even harmful. Schools of learning, overladen with inert ideas exhibit pedantry and routine. Women, who are uneducated and thus not infected with inert ideas, are the more cultured part of their community. Intellectual revolutions fail to have the desired effect when they, in their turn, bind humanity with inert ideas of their own fashioning. 9. corruptio optimi, pessima --- (Latin) the corruption of the best is the worst of all 10. What does “it” in line 26 refer to? An intellectual revolution 11. Where in the selection do we find a turn of direction? How is it indicated? Beginning from paragraph 4. White proceeds from criticisms of education to what should be done to guard against such mental dryrot. “Let us now ask…” 12. Rephrase the sentence The child should make them his own,… The young person should try to acquire these important ideas until he has fully mastered them, and also should learn to use these ideas in diverse contexts in life, when they are needed. 13. understanding --- Here, “understanding” does not refer to the intellectual grasp of ideas. It refers rather to the comprehension of life by means of ideas in a sense which includes more than logical analysis. 14. “To understand all, is to forgive all.” --- When all the facts are known and understood, it is possible to forgive a person for anything. 15. Saint Augustine (354 - 430), Bishop of Hippo, Christian theologian and philosopher, was the most eminent of the Latin Church Fathers, whose writings influenced all later Christian thought. He is generally recognized as the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity. 16. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was general and emperor of France and one of the most celebrated personages in the history of the West. 17. Whitehead has referred to a number of common notions in the text such as culture, understanding, and prove. How are they defined differently by the author as compared with the way they are normally interpreted? “culture” --- normally defied as education or a set of beliefs shared by members of a community is defined by Whitehead as activity of though, etc. In contrast with informedness, culture means the ability to think, to judge, and to create. “understanding” --- not just logical analysis, but in the sense it is used in the French proverb “To understand all, is to forgive all.” “prove” --- not just to show the truth of some idea, but the worth of it. 18. Which does Whitehead think is more apt to convey disconnected ideas to students, the literary side of education or the scientific side? Explain your answer. The literary side of education With regard to literature, the present is the meeting hall of the saints; temporal distance matters little, brilliant ideas raised in the past are as valuable at the present time as they were at the time when they were brought up. In scientific training, the first thing to do with an idea is to prove it, but this proof of truth does not necessarily constitute the first introduction to the idea. 19. How does Whitehead emphasize the importance of the present in paragraph 6? Why does he think the present is so important? The present is where ideas are connected, it is the hall of meeting for all past saints and the point of departure for the future. 20. Rephrase the sentence No more deadly harm can be done to young minds than by depreciation of the present. Undervaluing this day and age is most detrimental to the intellectual development of the young. 21. What are the two processes involved in the proof of an idea? Proof of truth and proof of appreciation, an appreciation of the importance or the worth of the idea 22. In paragraph 5, Whitehead advocates the combination of ideas which are introduced into a child’s education. How is this point echoed later in the text? In paragraph 9. Propositions should not be used in isolation. Interrelated truths are utilized en bloc, and the various propositions are employed in any order and with any reiteration. 23. What does Whitehead propose concerning the teaching of theory? Theory should be taught with application. Theoretical exposition should be short and simple, but thorough and accurate. 24. en bloc --- (French) as a whole, all together as a single unit Unit Eight TEXT I Fifth Avenue, Uptown: A Letter from Harlem James Baldwin I. Introductory Remarks to the Text Since we have learnt American Literature last term, we all know Ralph Waldo Ellison and his Invisible Man (1952). Ralph Ellison was a midwesterner, born in Oklahoma, who studied at Tuskegee Institute in the southern United States. He had one of the strangest career in American letters --- consisting of one highly acclaimed book, and nothing more. The novel is Invisible Man (1952), the story of a black man who lives a subterranean existence in a hole brightly illuminated by electricity stolen from a utility company. The book recounts his grotesque, disenchanting experiences. When he wins a scholarship to a black college, he is humiliated by whites; when he gets to the college, he witnesses the black president spurning black American concerns. Life is corrupt outside college, too. For example, even religion is no consolation: A preacher turns out to be a criminal. The novel indicts society for failing to provides its citizens --- black and white --- with viable ideals and institutions for realizing them. It embodies a powerful racial theme because the “invisible man” is invisible not in himself but because others, blinded by prejudice, cannot see him for who he is. II. Background Knowledge about the Author James Baldwin (1924-1987) and Ralph Ellison mirror the African-American experience of the 1950s. Their characters suffer from a lack of identity, rather than from over-ambition. Baldwin, the oldest of nine children born to a Harlem, New York, family, was the foster of a minister. As a youth, Baldwin occasionally preached in the church. This experience helped shape the compelling, oral quality of Baldwin’s prose, most clearly seen in his excellent essays, such as “Letter from a Region Of My Mind,” from the collection The Fire Next Time (1963). In this, he argued movingly for an end to separation between the races. Baldwin’s first novel, the autobiographical Go Tell It On the Mountain (1953), is probably his best known. It is the story of a 14-year-old youth who seeks self-knowledge and religious faith as he wrestles with issues of Christian conversation in storefront church. Other important Baldwin works include Another Country (1962), a novel about racial issues and homosexuality, and Nobody Knows My Name (1961), a collection of passionate personal essays about racism, the role of the artist, and literature. III. Organization and Development The present text is an excerpt taken from a longer article; nevertheless, it still enjoys integrity in terms of organization. Clearly, it contains two major parts. What are they? How do they jointly contribute to the primary purpose of the author? Furthermore, we should consider how the paragraphs in each of the two parts are interrelated. Identify the topic sentence of each paragraph and see how the paragraphs are developed and supported, taking note especially of the way argumentation alternates with other forms of discourse. First part --- paras. 1-3 Second part --- paras. 4-5 The first part deals with the ghetto itself and Blacks’ reaction to it, and the second with the police and Blacks’ hatred of white domination. Both parts are related to the central theme of the writing: Blacks have been despised by the white world; they find the insult unbearable; and they want to be treated equally. The topic sentence of paragraph 1: The projects in Harlem are hated. This is developed to a great extent in the second paragraph, the topic sentence of which is “The projects are hideous”, and is reiterated in an even stronger version at the end of the paragraph: “the projects would still be hated because they are an insult to the meanest intelligence.” In this paragraph, we also find a solid description of the projects (hideous in two senses) to support the author’s argument. The topic sentence of paragraph 3: A ghetto can be improved in one way only: out of existence. Here, we find the strongest statement of the author’s view with regard to the projects. The topic sentence of paragraph 4: the only way to police a ghetto is to be oppressive. Note the key word in this statement is “oppressive.” The transition between paragraphs 4 and 5 is indicated by “on the other hand.” The topic sentence of paragraph 5 is the last sentence: Negroes want to be treated like men. This implies that at present they are not being treated like men because of segregation and oppression, no matter how good-natured and innocent the white policemen are. In the first paragraph, the author says they are hated almost as much as policemen, and this is saying a great deal. Obviously, the text can be divided into two parts. The theory of clause relations put forward by Michael Hoey has three discourse patterns (Problem-Solution Pattern, Matching Pattern, General-Particular Pattern), based on this theory, this text belongs to Problem-Solution pattern. The common reaction---evaluation. mode for this pattern is: situation---problem--- Part I 1. Situation: a) Lexical signals: The projects are hated. (Hated is the lexical signal to show the situation.) b) Narrative question (through repetition): They are hated almost as much as policemen, and this is saying a great deal. (to express the degree to which the hatred is) c) Interpretative question (through conjuncts): And they are hated for the same reason: both reveal, unbearably, the real attitude of the white world. (to express the reason) d) Subordinate relationship (subordinators): no matter how many liberal speeches are made, no matter how many lofty editorials are written, no matter how many civil rights commissions are set up. (by means of three parallel subordinators, the deep-rooted hatred is clearly demonstrated here.) 2. Problem: a) Lexical signals: The projects are hideous.( popular housing shall be as cheerless as a prison) b) narrative question: They are lumped all over Harlem, colorless, bleak, high and revolting. c) interpretative question (through several parallel parts, three semicolons are used here to illustrate the problems on all aspects): The wide windows look out on Harlem’s invincible and indescribable squalor: the present dark community began about forty years ago (old); the unrehabilitated houses, bowed down, it would seem, under the great weight of frustration and bitterness they contain; the dark, ominous schoolhouses from which the child may emerge maimed, blinded, hooked, or enraged for life; and the churches, churches, block upon churches, niched in the walls like cannon in the walls of a fortress. d) Subordinate relationship (by means of subordinators to illustrate the seriousness of the problem): Even if the administration of the projects were not so insanely humiliating, the projects would still be hated because they are an insult to the meanest intelligence. 3. Reaction: a) lexical signals: Slum or ghetto (Harlem got its first private project, Riverton --- which is now, naturally, a slum) b) narrative question: (what are the reactions?) they hated it long before the builders arrived. They began hating it at about the time people began moving out of their condemned houses to make room for this additional proof of how thoroughly the white world despised them. And they had scarcely moved in, naturally, before they began smashing windows, defacing walls, urinating in the elevators, and fornicating in the playgrounds. c) interpretative question: (the result of the reaction) Liberals, both white and black, were appalled at the spectacle. I was appalled by the liberal innocence --- or cynicism, which comes out in practice as much the same thing. Other people were delighted to be able to point to proof positive that nothing could be done to better the lot of the colored people. d) subordinate relationship: They were, and are, right in one respect: that nothing can be done as long as they are treated like colored people. 4. evaluation: a) lexical signals: The evaluation is negative “no”. b) narrative question: A ghetto can improved in one way only: out of existence. c) interpretative question: The people in Harlem know they are living there because white people do not think they are good enough to live anywhere else. No amount of “improvement” can sweeten this fact. d) subordinate relationship: whatever money is now being earmarked to improve this, or any other ghetto, might as well be burnt. Part II 1. Situation: a) lexical signals: to police a ghetto is to be oppressive. b) narrative question: The very presence of the policemen is an insult. c) interpretative question: they represent the force of the white world, and that world’s real intentions are, simply, for that world’s criminal profit and ease, to keep the black man corralled up here, in his place. The badge, the gun in the holster, and the swinging club make vivid what will happen should his rebellion become overt. d) coordinate / subordinate relationship: Rare, indeed, is the Harlem citizen, from the most circumspect church member to the most shiftless adolescent, who does not have a long tale to tell of police incompetence, injustice, or brutality. 2. Problem: a) lexical signals: The first sentence in paragraph 5 implies that at present they are not being treated like men because of segregation and oppression, no matter how good-natured and innocent the white policemen are. b) narrative question: He, too, believes in good intentions and is astounded and offended when they are taken for the deed. c) interpretative question: He has never, himself, done anything for which to be hated --- which of us has? d) subordinate relationship: --- and yet he is facing, daily and nightly, people would gladly see him dead, and he knows it. 3. Reaction: a) lexical signals: there are few things under heaven more unnerving than the silent, accumulating contempt and hatred of a people. b) narrative question: He moves through Harlem, like an occupying soldier in a bitterly hostile country, which is precisely what, and where , he is, and is the reason he walks in twos and threes. c) interpretative question: and he is not the only one who knows why he is always in company: the people who are watching him know why, too. d) Coordinate / subordinate relationship: and these days, of course, in terms increasingly vivid and jubilant, it speaks of the end of that domination. 4. Evaluation: a) lexical signals: Negroes want to be treated like men. b) narrative question: The white policeman standing on a Harlem street corner finds himself at the very center of the revolution now occurring in the world. He is not prepared for it --- naturally, nobody is --- and, what is possibly much more to the point, he is exposed, as few white people are, to the anguish of the black people around him. Even if he is gifted with the merest mustard grain of imagination, something must seep in. c) interpretative question: He becomes more callous, the population becomes more hostile, the situation grows tense, and the police force is increased. d) coordinate / subordinate relationship: One day, to everyone’s astonishment, someone drops a match in the powder keg and everything and civil-rights commissions are loud in the land, demanding to know what happened . IV. Difficult Points and Language Points 1. Fifth Avenue is a street in Manhattan, New York City, which runs from north to south. It begins at Washington Square, extends uptown (northward) in a straight ththline, and ends at the Harlem River, which cuts across 138 Street. Between 34 thand 59 Streets (at the southern end of the street), Fifth Avenue is mainly a business section of large department stores and smaller shops; it passes the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s ththCathedral. From 59 to 110 Streets, it borders Central Park. At the south and southeast end of the park are elegant hotels and apartment houses. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum are on Fifth Avenue ththbetween 70 and 80 streets. North of the park, Fifth Avenue runs through congested Harlem. 2. Harlem is the congested residential and business section of upper (i.e., northern) thManhattan, New York City, bounded roughly by Central Park and 110 Street on ththe south, the East River and Harlem River on the east, 168 Street and Amsterdam Avenue on the north and Morningside Park on the west. The rapid influx of Blacks to Harlem began in the decade 1910 to 1920. Today, it is the largest Black community in the U.S.A. 3. Fifth Avenue, Uptown --- This, according to the author, refers to the area bounded thby Lenox Avenue on the west, the Harlem River on the east, 135 Street on the thnorth and 130 Street on the south. 4. The projects --- referring to the public housing projects 5. Why are the projects in Harlem hated as much as the police? What is the “real attitude of the white world” referred to in paragraph 1? They both reveal the attitude of the white world toward Black people at that time, which was one of racial segregation. Some white people looked upon Black people as an inferior race and concluded they must be placed under police surveillance and contained in separate areas rather than mixed with Whites. 6. commission --- a body of persons appointed to perform certain duties 7. hideous --- extremely ugly and unpleasant 8. bleak --- cold, bare, and cheerless 9. invincible --- undefeatable, unchangeable 10. indescribable --- impossible to describe, either because extremely good or extremely bad, or because description is too difficult to attempt 10. squalor --- wretchedness, squalidness, degraded condition; misery 11. (un)rehabilitate --- to put back into good condition e.g. a plan to rehabilitate inner-city areas 12. maimed --- injured for life 13. hooked --- (be) addicted to drugs 14. niched --- placed as in a niche, i.e. a hollow area in a wall 15. Where in paragraph 2 is Baldwin being ironic? In the sentence beginning with “Even if … .” The examples do not really support what has been said about the administration. 16. at one’s discretion --- completely according to one’s own decision 17. Stuyvesant Town --- part of New York City named after Peter Stuyvesant(1610---1672), Dutch colonial official, last Dutch governor of New Netherland (later New York City) 18. What initially gave rise to Harlem’s private project? How did Black people react to it? Why? Blacks were not allowed to live in Stuyvesant Town. They felt bitter and reacted with violent actions because the project symbolized White people’s despise for Blacks. 19. defacing --- to spoil the surface or appearance of, e.g. by writing or making marks 20. fornicate --- v. esp. law or bibl to have sexual relations with someone to whom one is not married. 21. cynicism --- the attitude of a cynic, i.e. one who is contemptuously distrustful of human nature; fault finding; scorn 22. proof positive --- another way of saying “positive proof” 23. the colored people --- (a derogatory term) referring to Black people 24. Rephrase the sentence: Other people were delighted to be able to … Other people were happy to utilize this as evidence, to support their position that “Blacks are hopeless.” 25. What different attitudes has Baldwin specified in paragraph 3 toward the violent and unseemly behavior of the Blacks immediately after they moved into Riverton? The liberals --- appalled at their actions Others --- happy to find evidence that Blacks are hopelessly beyond remedy The author himself --- finds the Blacks’ actions understandable and justifiable 26. earmark --- set aside for a particular purpose 27. Rephrase the sentence: A ghetto can be improved … There is hope of a ghetto’s being made any better except by totally eliminating it. 28. What does the author think about the improvement of the ghetto? Any effort to improve the ghettos will not make them any more likable or liveable, for their very existence is something to be hated by Blacks. 29. What similarity is indicated by the word “similarly” at the beginning of paragraph 4? A ghetto can be improved only in one way and a ghetto can be policed in only one way too. 30. swagger --- to walk with a swinging movement, in a way that shows too much self-confidence or self-satisfaction e.g. He swaggered down the street after winning the fight. 31. Make complete the sentence “… and it would be …” in line 40. How do you understand the sentence “Their very presence … feeding gumdrops to children”? …it would still be an insult even if… They could be very nice to the children, but this would not change the fact that to keep a Black ghetto under white surveillance is an insult to Black people. 32. corralled --- driven into an enclosed area (as if he were an animal) corral n. --- an enclosed area where cattle, horses, etc. are kept 33. Rephrase the sentence: They represent the force of the white world, … They symbolize the dominating power of White people, whose actual purpose is to confine the Black people here in the ghetto, and keep them in line, so that Whites can exploit them and live a comfortable life. 34. holster --- a leather holder for a pistol (= a small gun), esp. one that hangs on a belt round the waist 35. the (swinging) club --- a thick heavy stick, used as a weapon 35. circumspect --- prudent, discreet, acting after careful thought 36. shiftless --- lazy and lacking the desire to succeed 37. What does the relative pronoun “who” in line 46, refer to? What does the whole sentence mean? the Harlem citizen It is hardly possible to find anyone in Harlem who does not have anything to report about police incompetence and so on. 38. insuperably --- insurmountably; here, incomparably 39. What is meaning of the word “callous” in this passage? How, according to the author, have “blank, good-natured, thoughtless, and insuperably innocent” white policemen become “callous” human beings? unfeeling By nature they are well-intentioned and innocent, not wanting to do anything to be hated. They can sense, but cannot understand, the hostility of the people around them. They feel uneasy when observing the way Black people are treated. To retreat from this uneasiness, they become callous. upsetting, discouraging 40. unnerving --- 41. hostile --- antagonistic; belonging to an enemy 42. Rephrase the sentence: He moves through Harlem, therefore, … He swaggers around Harlem, acting much like an invading solider in an extremely unfriendly country; this is exactly the role he is playing, and exactly the place he is patrolling, which may well explain why he is not seen walking in the area all by himself. 43. anguish --- suffering, agony, despair 44. the merest mustard grain of imagination --- the least bit of sense mustard --- (a yellow-flowered plant whose seeds produce) a hot-tasting powder that is mixed with water and eaten in small quantities esp. with meat 45. seep --- pass slowly through small openings 46. callousness --- insensitiveness, hardheartedness, indifference 47. Rephrase the sentence: He can retreat … Even the least sensitive person will not fail to sense some part of the local situation / conditions. 48. What comparison is used to depict the situation in Harlem? What does the author predict about the future of the Black world? The explosive situation is compared to a powder keg. The author foresees drastic changes in Harlem: the old social order will change because Blacks will demand to be treated justly. The author --- James Baldwin (1924 - 1987), U.S. writer who won critical acclaim as a leading black novelist and essayist in the 1950s before becoming a major spokesman for his race in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, grew up in the Harlem slums. His first novel Go Tell It on the Mountain appeared in 1953, which was followed by Notes of a Native Son (1955), a collection of essays, which many readers consider his finest work. His The Fire Next Time (a polemical essay, 1963) is a revelation of the deep anguish of the blacks. In his writings and numerous public appearances, Baldwin portrayed the Negro as victimized by the “guilty imagination of the white people who invest him with their hates and longings.” “Fifth Avenue, Uptown,” first appearing in Esquire July 1960, was published in Nobody Knows My Name in 1961. The present text is from the second half of the essay, comprising paragraphs 11 to 15.