An Integrated English Course Book 4

1. An Integrated English Course Book 4 Unit Twelve

2. General understanding of the text • How does a western family usually celebrate Christmas? • What does the title of this text suggest to you? What’s the story about? • Discuss the 5Ws in the story.When? Where? Who? What? Why? How? • What’s the author’s purpose of Writing? • How many parts can the text be divided into? What are they? (p.187)

3. How to celebrate Christmas • Docarate homes and stores with Christmas trees and bright lights • Christmas Eve • Expect a visit from Santa Claus, • a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard, dressed in a red suit with white fur and a black belt, who rode in an open sleigh pulled by eight white reindeer • Christmas Day, Boxing Day • Exchange gifts • Attend church, which presents special holiday concerts • Sing Christmas carols • Christmas dinner (turkey, roast potatoes, Christmas pudding)

4. What’s the story about? • (p. 185) • The story tells how two parents restore the real meaning of Christmas after being submerged in the sorrow of losing their son as well as Christmas for 17 years.

5. 5Ws • When and where did the story happen? • Who was “I”? Other characters in the story? • What had happened to the family? • Why didn’t the family celebrate Christmas for a long time? For how long、 • What /who made the author refind Christmas?

6. Purpose of writing • (186) • To relate how she was alienated from Christmas and how she regained the real meaning of Christmas.

7. Text structure • Part I (Paragraphs 1-5) Christmas found-- talks about the joy and happiness brought by the coming of Christmas Boy. • Part II (Paragraphs 6-8) Christmas lost-- gives an account of the sorrow and sadness caused by the sudden death of Christmas Boy. • Part III (Paragraphs 9-24) Christmas re-found-- describes the return of the joy and happiness to the family.

8. Part I (Paragraphs 1-5) • CHRISTMAS FOUND • The first three paragraphs introduce the writer’s dream, and how her dream really came true. • What was the writer’s dream? • She dreamt of having a big family vibrating with energy, life and love, especially at Christmas. • How did her dream come true? • It came true with the arrival of an adopted son, Christmas Boy, as well as two more biological children.

9. vibrate --if something vibrates, or if you vibrate it, shakes quickly and continuously with very small movements 振动, 激动, 颤动; 使颤动, 使振动 • The ground vibrated during the earthquake. 地震时地面震动。 • Their hearts vibrated to the speaker's stirring appeal. (情感上被撼动） • 他们听了演讲人激动人心的呼吁心潮起伏。 • If I could sing your name right now, the cells in your body would vibratewith remembrance. • 如果我可以立刻唱你的名字，在你的身体的细胞将会以记忆振动。

10. Language work • 1. … but we had not reckoned on the possibility of infertility. --- but we had not expected that we would be unable to have our babies. • reckon on --- to expect; depend on (something happening or getting something) 估计；料想 • We’re reckoning on a large profit. • infertility 不育--- the state of being unable to produce young

11. 2. Undaunted, we applied for adoption and, within a year, he arrived.--- Not discouraged by our infertility, we requested to adopt a child. Within a year, we succeeded in adopting one. • undaunted --- adj. not at all discouraged by danger or difficulty; bold，不气馁的；坚定而勇敢的 • daunt --- v. to cause to lose courage or the will to act使沮丧,使气馁 • He felt completely daunted by the difficulties that faced him.

12. 3. in rapid succession--- the rapid act of following one another快速且连续不断 ；接二连三 • His words came out in rapid succession. • Cf. in rapid sequence 紧接着, 一个接着一个

13. 4. … compared with my quiet childhood, that made an entirely satisfactory crowd.--- With three children, my family was filled with a big crowd, which, quite different from my quiet childhood, completely satisfied my dream of having a big family. • satisfactory --- adj. good enough to be pleasing, or for a purpose, rule, standard令人满意的；满足的 • a satisfactory excuse for his absence • c.f. satisfaction --- n. contentment; pleasure; fulfillment of a need, desire, etc. • He took great satisfaction from playing the piano well.

14. 5. As our Christmas Boy grew, he made it clear that only he had the expertise to select and decorate the Christmas tree each year. --- As our Christmas Boy grew, he showed his special skill in selecting and decorating the Christmas tree and he became the only qualified person to do those things each year.

15. 6. rush the season --- to make people prepare for Christmas hastily long before Christmas really came. • 7. He pressed us into singing carols, our froglike voices contrasting with his musical gift of perfect pitch. --- He forced all of us to sing carols, even though our voices, compared with his perfect voice with musical gift, were too harsh and husky(沙哑的) to sing.

16. 8. Each holiday he stirred us up, leading us through a round of merry chaos. --- Each holiday, he tried to excite us and turned the whole family into a cheerful disorder • stir up --- cause to move or excite激起, 鼓动, 煽动 • merry chaos --- This is an expression of oxymoron矛盾修饰法. • Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two words with opposite meanings are used together to describe the same object or phenomenon. “Chaos” refers to a state of complete and thorough disorder or confusion, which is, however, modified by an adjective incompatible to or contradictory with its original meaning.

17. There are two more expressions of oxymoron in the following part of the text, i.e. bitter-sweet memories (Paragraph 18), chilly but comforting silence (Paragraph 23). • More examples: an open secret, a poor millionaire, a private public man, changelessly changing, audible silence, conspicuous absence, war is peace, ignorance is strength, wealth is poverty. • What we can get by using oxymoron in the right context is an unexpected but acceptable, seemingly contradictory but sensible combination of opposites.

18. 9. Our friends were right about adopted children not being the same. --- Our friends were right in saying that adopted children would usually be different from biological children

19. heredity--- n. the fact that living things have the ability to pass on their own qualities from parent to child in the cells of the body • irrepressible --- adj. too strong or forceful to be held back 抑制不住的 • irrepressible high spirits, an irrepressible talker • bossy --- adj. having or showing fondness for giving orders

20. 10. Through his own unique heredity, his irrepressible good cheer, his bossy wit, our Christmas Boy made our life colorful. --- With his unique ability inherited from his own parents, his cheerful personality, as well as his wit of ordering others to cooperate with him, he changed our life into a colorful one.

21. Questions for discussion • Why did the author dream of a big family? • How did the author make her dream come true? • How does the author describe the importance of Christmas Boy to her family?

22. 1) Why did the author dream of a big family? • As the only child, the author had had a lonely childhood. Especially when she had to spend a quiet Christmas, she was really longing for a big family full of energy, life and love.

23. 2) How did the author make her dream come true? • She adopted a child since they were unable to bear a child at the beginning of their marriage, and named him Christmas Boy. Shortly after his arrival, they gave births to two biological children. Hence, the author finally had got a big family vibrating with energy, life and love.

24. 3) How does the author describe the importance of Christmas Boy to her family? • He is the only person who had the expertise to select and decorate the Christmas tree each year. He stirred up all the family members with gift list and Christmas carols in the Christmas season. And he made life colorful with his good cheer and bossy wit.

25. Part II (Paragraphs 6-8) • CHRISTMAS LOST • This part describes what kind of sorrow the death of Christmas boy has brought to this family. From then on, the family lost Christmas for 17 years.

26. Language work • 11. stop by/in --- to make a short visit to (someone’s home) • Similar expressions: drop in; drop by • 12. … where memories clung to every room. --- our home where every room would make us recall the past. • cling to --- to hold tightly, to stick firmly • She clung tightly to her few remaining possessions. • Small children cling to their mothers. 小孩子都缠着母亲. • She clung to the hope that he was still alive.

28. Questions for discussion • What happened to Christmas Boy as well as his family? • How can you know the parents suffered great sorrow at their son’s death? • What kind of life did the parents live after their adopted son died?

29. 1) What happened to Christmas Boy as well as his family? • Christmas Boy was killed in a car accident on his 26th Christmas after he decorated his parents’ Christmas tree as usual, which was such a sorrow to his parents that they sold their home in Denver and moved to California in order to forget all the miserable memories left to them.

30. 2) How can you know the parents suffered great sorrow at their son’s death? • Paragraph 7 tells us that they were grief-stricken and they sold their home and moved to California, leaving behind their friends and church, as well as the sad memories of their Christmas Boy.

31. 3) What kind of life did the parents live after their adopted son died? • With all the joys brought by Christmas Boy taken away, the parents lived in grief and pain and could not bear to visit their hometown even once in the following 17 years. And Christmas must be the most miserable time for all the members of their family and all kinds of Christmas activities had disappeared from this family.

32. Part III (Paragraphs 9-19) • CHRISTMAS RE-FOUND • This part tells us that 17 years later, the parents returned to the city, which brought back all kinds of memories of Christmas Boy. However, they gradually realized that they had found the joy of a noisy Christmas of a big family again.

33. Language work • 13. We slid into the city on the tail of a blizzard, through streets ablaze with lights.--- We drove into the city at night just after a heavy snowstorm, in order not to be noticed by any acquaintance. • on the tail of --- following closely behind; at the end of (metaphor) • blizzard --- a long severe snowstorm 暴风雪 • ablaze --- shining brightly, flashing 闪耀/着火的

34. slide • --- to go slowly and unnoticed; to pass smoothly or continuously; slip 滑动；偷偷进入[溜掉] • slide away溜掉 • slide into不自觉地陷入(某种状态); 把...轻轻[偷偷]放入 slide into bad habits, debt • slide over [round, around] 一语带过, 略过, 回避, 让...滑过 • She slid out of the room when no one was looking. • She slid over the question without answering it.

35. 14. fix one’s gaze on --- gaze at • 15. We settled into a small, boxy house, so different from the family home where we had orchestrated our lives. It was quiet, like the house of my childhood. --- We settled down in a small house, which was so different from our previous home where, with our Christmas Boy, we had changed our quiet life into a cheerful one. Now the small house reminded me of the quiet house of my childhood, which I had disliked so much.

36. 16. snowcapped mountains --- mountains whose peaks were covered with snow • 17. pull up --- to come to a stop • The car pulled up outside the station. • peal :a ringing of a set of bells 钟声；响亮的铃声 • peals of laughter 哄堂大笑，一阵大笑声 • a peal of applause [laughter] 一阵响亮的鼓掌声[笑声] • The impatient peal of the doorbell: transferred epithet转移修饰语, 移就

37. 18. There stood our granddaughter, and in her gray-green eyes and impudent grin I saw the reflections of our Christmas Boy. --- Our granddaughter was standing there, her gray-green eyes as well as her rude smile reminded us of her father, our Christmas Boy.

38. 19. Behind her, lugging a large pine tree, came her mother, stepfather and ten-year-old half brother. --- Her mother, stepfather and ten-year-old half brother came after her, dragging a large pine tree.

39. 20. flurry--- n. a sudden shared feeling of excitement阵风, 疾风, 慌张/激动 • A flurry of wind upset the small boat.一阵疾风吹翻了小船。 • a flurry of interest in the new product 对新产品突发的兴趣 • flurry v (pt, pp flurried) [usu passive] confuse and disturb; fluster 使迷乱; 使慌张 • Keep calm! Don't get flurried. 镇静! 不要慌. • Cf. flurr v. 飞起，撒开

40. 21. cheeky --- disrespectful, rude 厚颜无耻的 • 22. shape up --- begin to do right(It’s time to get back on the right track and have a Christmas tree.) • -- To improve so as to meet a standard: 调整；形成(不负期望地行动) • Either shape up or ship out. 如果不好好干就请你走人 • You’d better shape up, young man, or you will be punished.

41. 23. in a whirl--- in a confusing rush 在旋转（混乱）中 • My head's in a whirl; I must sit down and think. • 我的脑袋一片混乱，我得坐下好好想一想。 • 24. You sure as heck can --- You certainly can • heckinterj, n (infml euph 口, 婉) (used to express mild annoyance or surprise or for emphasis 用以表示轻度的懊恼或惊讶, 或用以加强语气) hell: • Oh heck, I'm going to be late. 糟糕, 我要迟到了. • How in the heck did you do that? 你究竟是怎么做的？

42. poignant --- producing a sharp feeling of sadness or pity 令人痛苦的；深刻的 • poignant sorrow, regret, memories 深沉的悲哀﹑ 痛悔﹑ 辛酸的回忆 • a poignant moment 伤心的时候. • rigid ---stiff, firm 坚硬的; 不易弯曲的; 坚固的 • Beliefs have ossified into rigid dogma. • 信仰已僵化为不可更动的教条。 • pew --- the long seat in church for people to sit教堂内的靠背长凳

43. 25. We had long ago given up the poignant Christmas services, but now under pressure, we sat rigid in the front pew, fighting back tears.--- After the death of our Christmas Boy, we had not expected to have any Christmas services any more. Now, at the demand of our granddaughter’s family, we sat in the front seat, but the sad memories stiffened our body and filled our eyes and heart with tears.

44. 26. soprano女高音--- (a woman or child with, or a musical part for) a singing voice in the highest range • 27. In a rare emotional response, the congregation applauded in delight.--- Greatly touched by her singing, the audience gave a big applause to her delightedly • 28. relish --- enjoy, be pleased with

45. 29. We had been alerted that there would be a whole mess of people for dinner — but 35! --- We had been warned that there would be a large number of people attending dinner, but we had never expected that there would be 35 of them.

46. 30. assorted relatives --- various types of relatives • 31. exuberant--- adj. (of people and their behavior) overflowing with life and cheerful excitement喜悦充溢的；活力充沛的, 精神旺盛的;

47. 32. bounce--- jump or spring up and down like a ball • 33. sort out--- separate from a mass or a group • Sort out the papers to be thrown away, and put the rest back.

48. 34. They took us in, enfolded us in joyous camaraderie. --- They received us and treated us like old friends. • take in --- receive and provide lodgings for (a person) • The kind old lady offered to take in the poor homeless stranger. • enfold --- enclose, esp. in one’s arms; embrace • camaraderie --- n. the fellowship and good will shown to each other by comrades, esp. people who spend time together at work, in the army, etc. 同志之爱；友情

49. 35. We sang carols in loud, off-key voices, saved only by that amazing soprano. --- We sang carols loudly, often in the wrong key, but every time we were led to the right key by our granddaughter’s perfect singing.

50. Questions for discussion • Did the author overcome the heartbreaking sorrow of her son’s death after 17 years? • What kind of comparison does the author intentionally make between her granddaughter and Christmas Boy? What do you think is her intention to present all these reflections of Christmas Boy? • How did the author and her husband change after they met their granddaughter and her new family? • Analyze the complicated relationship of the people at the Christmas party to figure out what is love.