Lesson 19 Sam and His Store

1. Distant Education College, Jilin University Lesson 19 Sam and His Store 1.Warm-up Questions 2.Background Knowledge 3.Text Analysis 4.Exercises 5.Questions For Discussion Extensive Reading II

2. Distant Education College, Jilin University Warm-up Questions 1. What kind of man was Sam all his life? 2. What was Sam’s attitude toward work? 3. How did he leave the world? 4. What kind of man was George at the time of his father’s death? 5. How did George change eleven months after his father’s death? Return

3. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge 1. The Bronx: The Bronx, which is always referred to with the article “the”, is the only borough of New York City on the mainland. The number of residents of predominantly central and eastern European origin has declined over the years, while black and Puerto Rican residents have increased in number. The Bronx is famous for the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, Yankee Stadium, Poe Cottage in which the writer Edgar Allen Poe lived and the Van Cortlandt Mansion where George Washington is said to have spent a night. More

4. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge 2. Sandwich: The word “sandwich” is attributed to the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, a compulsive gambler. He did not like to stop playing cards to eat a meal. Instead he had pieces of cooked meat served to him between two slices of bread. In this way he could continue playing without stopping! Today, the sandwich has become one of the most popular snacks in the world. In the United States giant or super-sandwiches have become popular, especially among young people. Generally, the huge sandwiches are made from a whole loaf of bread that is sliced lengthwise. Then it is filled with generous amounts of cold meats, cheeses, tomatoes, and sliced onions. Sometimes different spices, salad oil or mustard are added. The sandwich is a meal in itself. More

5. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge 3. Retirement: In America the regular age for retirement is 65. At the time the worker will get a pension from the government. The pension is a set amount of money the person will receive each month for the rest of his life. In addition to the government pension the person will also receive a pension from the company where he has worked most of his adult life. Retirement means the person no longer needs to go to work. However, it does not mean he is no longer active. Retirement is a time the person can devote his energy to his hobbies, his family or whatever interests him. The activities of the retired person can be few or many depending on the individual person. Return

6. Distant Education College, Jilin University Questions for Discussion 1. What do you think of Sam and George? 2. Do you try to achieve a balance in your life between work and leisure? 3. Make a few suggestions on how this can be achieved. 4. If there were no financial cares, what would you do if you didn’t have a job? Return

7. Distant Education College, Jilin University Exercises 1. True/False Questions 2. Multiple-choice Questions Return

8. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.Sam was a hard-working person by nature. 2.Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. 3.Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. 4.Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. Answer

9. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.Sam was a hard-working person by nature. T 2.Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. 3.Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. 4.Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. Answer

10. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.Sam was a hard-working person by nature. T 2.Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. T 3.Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. 4.Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. Answer

11. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.Sam was a hard-working person by nature. T 2.Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. T 3.Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. T 4.Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. Answer

12. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.Sam was a hard-working person by nature. T 2.Sam never thought about freedom and happiness. T 3.Sam loved working without any complaints because he could get much pleasure and happiness from work. T 4.Sam’s neighbors and customers liked to buy goods at his store. T More

13. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 5.Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. 6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. 7.George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. 8.Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. Answer

14. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 5.Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. T 6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. 7.George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. 8.Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. Answer

15. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 5.Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. T 6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. T 7.George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. 8.Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. Answer

16. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 5.Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. T 6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. T 7.George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. T 8.Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. Answer

17. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 5.Sam refused to retire from his store because he couldn’t imagine how to live without working. T 6. George’s marriage breakup didn’t prevent him from working. T 7.George realized that although he was quite successful in his career, he failed to enjoy life. T 8.Sam devoted himself wholly to running his store though he knew it cost him too much freedom and personal happiness. F More

18. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. Answer

19. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. Answer

20. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. F 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. Answer

21. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. F 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. F 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. Answer

22. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. F 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. F 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. T 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. Answer

23. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 9.Sam got along well with his customers and neighbours. T 10.Finally Sam’s sons talked him into retiring. But living an idle life soon led to his death. F 11.Unlike his father, George was a loafer by nature. F 12.George learned a hard lesson from his father’s death. He no longer wished to live the life his father had lived. T 13.George quit his job, which greatly puzzled his friends. T Return

24. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 1.Sam loved his grocery dearly because _____. A)he had been its owner from the start B)the grocery helped him to make a fortune C)the grocery was a place where he could meet people D)the store was his home and the center of his life Answer

25. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 1.Sam loved his grocery dearly because _____. D A)he had been its owner from the start B)the grocery helped him to make a fortune C)the grocery was a place where he could meet people D)the store was his home and the center of his life More

26. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 2.Sam’s philosophy of life was that _______. A)as the father of the family, he had to provide an education for his sons B)in order to get the respect of others, he had to earn a decent living C)one had to work hard to get anything valuable D) he had to work long hours to sell more than other shopkeepers Answer

27. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 2.Sam’s philosophy of life was that _______. C A)as the father of the family, he had to provide an education for his sons B)in order to get the respect of others, he had to earn a decent living C)one had to work hard to get anything valuable D) he had to work long hours to sell more than other shopkeepers More

28. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 3.Sam’s youngest son, a promising geologist, decided to quit his job when ______. A)his father died B)his wife left him C)he grew tired of just working D)he won his fame Answer

29. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 3.Sam’s youngest son, a promising geologist, decided to quit his job when ______. C A)his father died B)his wife left him C)he grew tired of just working D)he won his fame More

30. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 4.George’s wife divorced him probably because _______. A)he couldn’t earn enough money for her to spend B)he always quarreled with her C) he spent little time with her D)he usually did paperwork at night when he came home Answer

31. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 4.George’s wife divorced him probably because _______. C A)he couldn’t earn enough money for her to spend B)he always quarreled with her C) he spent little time with her D)he usually did paperwork at night when he came home More

32. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 5.How did George feel about his job? A)He loved it very much. B)He felt that his job was a burden. C)He thought that his wife wouldn’t have left him if he hadn’t taken this job. D)He felt that he could not enjoy life simply because of his job. Answer

33. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 5.How did George feel about his job? D A)He loved it very much. B)He felt that his job was a burden. C)He thought that his wife wouldn’t have left him if he hadn’t taken this job. D)He felt that he could not enjoy life simply because of his job. Return

34. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Sam, an owner of a small store in New York City, never stopped working until his death. However, his son, George, who had been an ambitious person, one day quit his job in order to pay attention to other things in life. What do you think about their attitudes to work? Next

35. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Sam was a grocer in the Bronx. All his life he had worked hard, first as the only employee in the same small grocery, and then as its owner. The store, which opened at 7:30 A.M., never closed before eight in the evening — and often later, for Sam never refused to serve late customers when he was still around cleaning up the place. His wife helped during most of the day, and her sister came in the morning to prepare the sandwiches that they would sell at noontime. Sam’s three children had always been expected to give a hand when they were not in school or doing their homework. Previous Next

36. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Sam took his long days as a matter of course. Like most men of his age and modest background, he regarded work as the normal human fate. He didn’t resenttaking pains to assure the financial security of his family because he was convinced that anything of value has to be earned. Surely, it never occurred to Sam to wonder whether this security was costing him too much freedom and personal happiness. For one thing, he didn’t consider himself unhappy or unfairly burdened. He was just a man doing his duty. Besides, he had his rewards: the store had prospered nicely since he had bought it and he felt proud of his success. It was good also to know that he had earned the respect and friendship of his neighbors; it was good to feel needed, responsible, and liked. Previous Next

37. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis For Sam the little store didn’t represent only a hard way to make a living and to provide his sons with the education that he had not received himself. It was not just a place to work. It was his true home, his world, the very center of his life, and his pleasure as well. He enjoyed his daily conversations with his customers, the jokes he shared with the policeman on the beat, and the company of Fred, the tailor next door, who came every day for an apple and a bit of gossip. During the quiet hours of midafternoon, Sam would stand at his door, between the oranges and the potatoes, happily surveying his street. He belonged there, in this community of shopkeepers who shared his problems and his satisfactions. Previous Next

38. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Sam’s sons tried in vain to talk his into retiring at seventy. He couldn’t imagine a life away from his store, his responsibilities, his friends; the very idea of doing nothing made him uncomfortable. Sam ran his store until he was seventy-four. One morning, as he was carrying a box of apples outside, he collapsed and died of a heart attack without having been sick or idle one day. That was pretty much what he had hoped for. Previous Next

39. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis At the time of his father’s death, Sam’s youngest son George was thirty-eight years old. A geologist, he held a demanding and highly paid position with a company that built nuclearreactors. He had to explore possible locations for new reactors and to study the ground to see if it was safe. The job involved much traveling, but George didn’t seem to mind being away from his family for long periods of time, and spending evenings on paperwork when he was back home. The resulting breakup of his marriage saddened him without bringing any change in his way of life. Anyone who knew George would have described him as a hard-working, ambitious, competitive man with a splendid future in the company. Previous Next

40. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Eleven months after his father’s death, George stopped working. He was not fired; he was not pushed out by a rival; he simply quit. His friends could hardly believe the news at first. When they tried to get an explanation, George told them that, after much reflection, he had reached the conclusion that his beloved career was robbing him of his life. He had always been too busy to pay attention to anything that was not connected with his work; too busy to share the interests of his wife; too busy to see the days and the years go by. In short, he had been nothing but a successful robot. Now he was going to stop running and take a good look at the world. Previous Next

41. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis He wanted to get to know himself, to watch the birds in his garden, and to become aware of the passage of time. No, he said, he had no intention of looking for another job after a while; and he had no desire to travel. He was just going to live and think in peace, at leisure. (to be continued) From A changing Scene, ed., Lucette Rollet Kenan, New York, 1982. Approximately 800 words. Previous Return

42. Distant Education College, Jilin University grocer [5^rEusE] n.食品商，杂货商=one that sells foodstuffs and various household suppliese.g. My uncle is a successful grocer in New York.我的叔叔是纽约一个成功的食品商人。 Words to Know Return

43. Distant Education College, Jilin University resent [rI5zent] vt.对…怨恨=feel indignantly aggrieved ate.g. He resents criticism.他怨恨批评。 Words to Know Return

44. Distant Education College, Jilin University occur [E5kE:] vi.出现（在某人脑海里）= come to minde.g. An idea occurred to me. 我想到一个主意。 Words to Know Return

45. Distant Education College, Jilin University gossip [5^RsIp] n.闲聊=rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate naturee.g. You shouldn't listen to gossip. 你不应该听流言蜚语。 Words to Know Return

46. Distant Education College, Jilin University collapse [kE5lAps] vi.昏倒，病倒= break down suddenly in strength or healthe.g. If you work too hard, your health may collapse.如果你工作太累的话，你可能病倒。 Words to Know Return

47. Distant Education College, Jilin University idle [5aIdl] a. 无所事事，懒散=avoiding work or employment; lazye.g. That boy is really idle. 那男孩真懒。 Words to Know Return

48. Distant Education College, Jilin University geologist [dVI`ClEdVIst] n.地质学家=an expert in geologye.g. His dream is to become a geologist.他的梦想使成为一名地质学家。 Words to Know Return

49. Distant Education College, Jilin University reactor [ri5AktE] n.反应堆=apparatus for the controlled production of nuclear energye.g. There are several nuclear reactors in that nuclear power plant.那家核电厂有好几个核反应堆。 Words to Know Return

50. Distant Education College, Jilin University nuclear [`njU:klIE] n.核= relating to atomic nucleie.g. Nuclear war will be a disaster for all the living things.核战争对所有生物来说都是一场灾难。 Words to Know Return