Unit 3 Text A

1. The Sense of Wonder 21st Century College English: Book 3 Unit 3 Text A

2. Unit 3: Text A • Lead-in Activities • Text Organization • Reading and Writing Skills • Language Points • Guided Practice • Assignments The Sense of Wonder

3. Lead-in Activities Warm-up Questions 1. If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would you choose to give up? And having lost it, what do you think you’d miss the most? 2. It’s common to speak of “ the five senses”---but are there only five? Some researchers say that we all have and use other senses as well. What others can you think of ?

4. Para. 1 Paras. 2-5 Paras. 6-9 Text Organization The structure of Text A I. Children lose their sense of wonder before they reach adulthood. II. How to preserve or keep alive the sense of wonder? III. What is the value of preserving or strengthening the sense of wonder?

5. The author’s argument is based on the facts: She wishes that children’s sense of wonder would be indestructible and last throughout life. It is a misfortune to have the sense of wonder dimmed or even lost. Text Organization I. Children lose their sense of wonder before they reach adulthood.

6. Para. 2 Para. 3 Para. 4 Para. 5 Text Organization II. How to preserve or keep alive the sense of wonder? Who can be of help? How can parents be of help? An argument that parents with little knowledge are capable of developing children’s sense of wonder. Exploring nature is one way to open our eyes to unnoticed beauty.

7. Children need an adult who can rediscover with them the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. But parents often feel inadequate and incapable of doing that. Text Organization Who can be of help?

8. Parents should understand that the key point is not to present the children with ready facts but to teach the children how to feel, to arouse their emotion, and pave the way for children to develop a desire to know during early childhood. Text Organization How can parents be of help?

9. Even if the parents have little knowledge at their disposal, they can still expose their children to nature by looking up at the sky, listening to the wind and feeling the rain. • City dwellers can also observe nature by watching the migrations of birds, studying the changing seasons and pondering the mystery of growing seeds in a pot of earth. Text Organization An argument that parents with little knowledge are capable of developing children’s sense of wonder.

10. Exploring nature asks us to observe with seeing and questions eyes. By asking ourselves: “What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?”, we force ourselves to look at it again in a new light. Text Organization Exploring nature is one way to open our eyes to unnoticed beauty.

11. Para. 6 Para. 7 Paras. 8-9 Text Organization III. What is the value of preserving or strengthening the sense of wonder? What is the value or reason of preserving and strengthening the sense of wonder? The sense of wonder has significant and lasting effects on our lives. One example illustrates this point.

12. It is more than just a peasant way of passing the golden hours of childhood. Text Organization What is the value or reason of preserving and strengthening the sense of wonder?

13. People with a sense of wonder will never be alone or weary of life. They will also be able to find inner peace and strength that will guide them through personal problems and give them satisfaction in life. Text Organization The sense of wonder has significant and lasting effects on our lives.

14. A distinguished Swedish oceanographer, Otto Pettersson, enjoyed every new experience, every new discovery and the mysteries of the universe. He lived to be 93 and in the final stage of his life, he said, “What will sustain me in my last moments is an infinite curiosity as to what is to follow.” Text Organization One example illustrates this point.

15. Reading & Writing Skills • To persuade someone that it’s easier than they think to do something worthwhile by placing most of the possible objections in “ even if” and “wherever” clauses and arguing against them or responding directly and immediately. • e.g. (Para 4) Even if you have little knowledge of nature at your disposal, there is still much you can do for your child. • Wherever you are and whatever your resources, you can still look up at the sky….You can still feel…

16. Reading & Writing Skills • To understand idiomatic expressions with the help of the context clues― examples, explanations, contrasts or parallel phrases. • (Note: In the case of idiomatic expressions, word formation clues can be misleading.)

17. wondern. — a feeling of great surprise and admiration caused by seeing or experiencing that is strange and new • Examples: • The sight of the Great Wall filled them with wonder. • The children watched the magician in silent wonder.

18. misfortune—n. bad luck • Examples: • I had the misfortune to share a room with someone who snored loudly. • She bore her misfortunesbravely. • do sth by misfortune 不幸做了某事 • suffer misfortune 遭受不幸 • companions in misfortune 患难之交 • misfortune befall (befell) sb. • ~ struck…

19. … for most of us, that clear-eyed vision — that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. clear-eyed vision — untainted outlook目光清晰的视觉 More to learn

20. … for most of us, that clear-eyed vision — that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — in apposition to “that clear-eyed vision”, a variation of the phrase “sense of wonder” 那种对于美的和令人敬畏的东西的真正直觉 More to learn

21. … for most of us, that clear-eyed vision — that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — is dimmedand even lost before we reach adulthood. dim v. make (or become) less bright or unable to see clearly 使…看不清楚；变暗淡或模糊 a. (of a light) not bright; not easy to see昏暗的；模糊的 Paraphrase ? • Examples: • Old age hasn’t dimmed her memory. • In the middle of the storm, the lights suddenly dimmed. • A dim bulb provides the only light in the hall. • I had only a dim memory of a tall, slender man. • most of us have little or no more sense of wonder as we grow up

22. If I had influence with the angels who are supposed to preside over all children, I would ask that their gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. influence with sb. — ability to obtain favorable treatment from sb., usu. by means of acquaintance, status, wealth, etc. • Examples: • She has great influence with the manager and could no doubt help you. • My influence with her is not very strong. More to learn

23. If I had influence with the angels who are supposed to preside over all children, I would ask that their gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. Adj. + influence — big, considerable, enormous, great, significant, growing, dominant, major, overwhelming, powerful, profound, strong; important, crucial, decisive, beneficial, positive, negative, direct, destructive, political, economic, etc Verb + influence — have, give sb., exercise, exert, use, extend, be under, come/fall under, be independent of, show, attribute sth. To Prep. — under the~, ~ from, ~ on/upon, ~ over, ~ with More to learn

24. If I had influence with the angels who are supposed to preside over all children, I would ask that their gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life. be head or director of • Meaning? • e.g. • The city council is presided over by the mayor. • The present director has presided over a rapid decline in the firm’s profitability. be responsible for • preside vi. • — be chairman (at a conference, meeting, etc.) • e.g. • The vice president will preside at today’s meeting. More to learn

25. keep alive their natural sense of wonder without any such gift from the angels Paraphrase ? • retain their natural sense of wonder as they grow up without being given a lasting one by the angels

26. mysteryn. — something impossible to explain because no people or only very few people have the knowledge to be able to understand it. • Examples: • Despite years of study, sleepwalking remains a mystery. • It is a mystery to me why she married him in the first place. myth---[C or U] an ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining in a literary way the early history of a group of people or about natural events and facts: ancient myths

27. Parents often feel inadequate when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature. inadequate — a.not good enough in quality, ability, size, etc. • Examples: • The safety precautions are totally inadequate. • I feel inadequate when I walk to Miranda about art because she knows so much. More to learn

28. Parents often feel inadequate when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature. confrontvt. — stand or meet face to face; bring face to face • Examples: • Can you think of some typical problems that confrontChinese learning English? • When I took office, I was confronted with new guidelines. • Becca will have to confront some frightening truths about this disease. More to learn

29. Parents often feel inadequate when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature. Paraphrase ? • physicala. • — having material existence; of or relating to material things • Examples: • the physical world • All physicalobjects occupy space. Parents often feel somewhat unable to cope with the situation in which children have a keen sense of wonder and are eager to learn about the natural world while parents themselves are not knowledgeable enough about its complexity.

30. in a mood of self-defeat Paraphrase: Feeling helpless mood n. — state of mind or feelings心境，心情；情绪 • Examples: • She’s in a good mood today. • He’s always in a bad mood on Mondays. Idioms with “mood”: in the mood for (doing) sth. /to do sth — feeling like doing sth; inclined to do sth. in no mood for (doing) sth. /to do sth — not feeling like doing sth; not inclined to to sth.

31. I don’t even know one bird from another! Paraphrase ? • I can’t even tell the differences between birds.

32. sincerely — ad. 真诚地；忠实地 “Sincerely” or “sincerely yours” is a common way to end a letter to someone who is not a friend or relative, before you sign your name. Sincere — a. free from falseness; true and honest • Examples: • sincere friendship • More than sincere words of support, we need action. • I sincerely hope she’s happy with her decision.

33. not half — not at all Not half is used in informal English to emphasize an opinion or the truth of a statement. • Examples: • Films these days aren’t half as good as they used to be. • It isn’t half cold here in winter.

34. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. If … then … The if … then …structure consists normally of the first clause that begins with ifand the second starting with then. The ifclause implies an assumption the speaker is making which is not widely held, while the then clause lays out the consequences of that line of reasoning. The structure is mainly used in written English. Thenused in the structure often means “in that case”, “therefore”, or “as a result”. • Examples: • If it’s not on the table, then it will be in the drawer. • If any questions do occur to you, then don’t hesitate to write to us. • If I haven’t heard from you by Friday, then I’ll assume you’re not coming. • If we say “y” equals “ax3”, then we get a curve like this. More to learn

35. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. impressions of the senses — things that one receives by the five powers of the body; general feelings More to learn

36. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. Question: Which figure of speech is applied in this sentence, metaphor or simile? Rhetoric: simile — use of comparison of one thing with another Usage: A is like B; A is as B e.g.That soldier is like a lion. She is as beautiful as a flower. as brave as a lion an iron will Rhetoric: metaphor — use of a word or phrase to indicate sth. different from ( through related in some way to ) the literal meaning. Metaphor. Usage: (1) A is B e.g.A good book is a good friend. Experience is the best teacher. (2) B + of + A e.g.a palace of a house She has a heart of stone. Translation: A good tongue is a good weapon. Key: 能言善辩是利器．

37. arousevt. • — cause to become active; excite 唤醒；激发 • rousevt. • cause to become active; excite (= arouse) 唤醒；激发 • wake (sb.) up 唤醒；使醒来 Examples: • He works hard to arouse his students’ curiosity. • When he’s roused, he can get very angry. • She roused him from his sleep.

38. wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response Paraphrase ? wish to obtain knowledge about things for which a feeling of sympathy, or pity, or admiration, or love, has been aroused.

39. It is more important to pave the way for children’s desire to know than to put them on a diet of facts they are not ready to assimilate. pave the way (for) — create a situation in which something specified is possible and can happen Examples: • Data from the space flight should pave the way for a more detailed exploration of Mars. • His work paved the way for the new theory. Translation: 他的经济政策为信息产业的扩展铺平了道路。 Key: His economic policies paved the way for expansion of information industry. More to learn

40. It is more important to pave the way for children’s desire to know than to put them on a diet of facts they are not ready to assimilate. Paraphrase ? assimilate — vt. take in and make a part of oneself; absorb使同化；吸收 Examples: • The assimilation of immigrants (移民) into American culture has been a constant feature of US history. It is more important to prepare the children by arousing their sense of wonder than to feed them with a lot of facts which they are not ready to take in.

41. at one’s disposal — available for one to use as one whishes 供任意使用； 可自行支配 • disposevt. • put in place; set in readiness 布置;配置 • cause to have a tendency (to do sth.)使有倾向;使愿意 • (of) get rid of 清除;去掉 • Examples: • • The conductor disposed the singers in a semi-circle. • • Her sense of humor disposed me to like her. • • All the furniture has been disposed of. Examples: • I don’t have a car at my disposal. • If you want some help preparing for the party I can be at your disposal all day.

42. whatever your resources Paraphrase ? Whatever your abilities; whatever stock of knowledge you have

43. release — vt. 1. give freedom to (sb.) 2. remove (sth.) from a fixed position; cause (sth.) to move freely n. freeing or being freed from something that confines Examples: • She gently released herself from his arms. • He releasedthe brake and the car rolled forward. • Death is often a welcome release from pain.

44. Water Cycle think of its long journey from sea to air to earth Paraphrase ? consider the water cycle, the long process of how water from the sea changes into vapor in the air, falls upon land through precipitation, and flows ultimately back into the sea

45. Darwin, Charles Robert (1809-1882) 达尔文 Natural Selection, the foundation concept supporting the theory of evolution, is the process by which environmental effects lead to varying degrees of reproductive success in individuals and groups of organisms. This revolutionary theory was developed by Charles Darwin and published in 1859 in his now famous treatise On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

46. embodyvt. • represent (a quality, idea, etc.) in a physical form体现；使具体化 • contain, include包含 Examples: • To me he embodies all the best qualities of a teacher. • The latest computer model embodies many new features. • ~ an idea in a painting在画中表现思想 • ～ principles in actions用行动来体现原则 • ～Parts of the old treaty are embodied in the new one.

47. ponder the mystery of a growing seed ponder — v. think about (sth.) carefully and for a long time, esp. in trying to reach a decision; consider Examples: • You have pondered long enough; it is time to decide. • I am pondering how to respond. • Mary pondered bitterly (on/ over) the meaning of life. Paraphrase ? • consider the inexplicable process of a seed growing into a plant

48. a matter of sth./doing sth. — a question of; an instance or a case of 一个…的 问题； 一件…的事 Examples: • Dealing with these problems is all a matter of experience. • Success in business is simply a matter of knowing when to take a chance.

49. be open to (an idea, etc.)— be ready and willing to accept and to try and understand or consider (and idea, etc.) Examples: • We are open to suggestions. • We haven’t decided on a price, but we’re open to offers.

50. with such unseeing eyes • Paraphrase ? • without noticing them