Unit Five I Never Write Right

1. Unit Five I Never Write Right Back to the main

2. Lead In Background Text Reading Skills • Questions to the Text • Discourse Analysis • 3. Language Points • 4. Classroom Activity Writing Fun Time Back to the main

3. Lead in HOME 1.Warm-up Questions 2. Enjoy the song

4. Warm-up Questions HOME • 1. Have you got any dreams? If so, what are they? • 2. What qualities do you think are needed to fulfill one’s dreams? • 3. Have you heard of any successful or unsuccessful stories around you? And why did they succeed or fail at last?

5. HOME I Have a Dream Directions: Enjoy the song. ■

6. Background HOME • Education in Britain and The US • Proverbs • Compound Dictation

7. Education in Britain and The US HOME In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. In the US children must go to school from the age of 6 to between the ages of 14 and 16, depending on the state they live in. Subject In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Curriculum, which was introduced in 1988 and sets out in detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16, when they are tested. The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach. In the US the subjects taught are decided by national and local governments. Whereas British schools usually have prayers and religious instruction, American schools are not allowed to include prayers or to teach particular religious beliefs .

8. HOME Examinations At 16 students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations. These examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects and may involve a final examination, an assessment of work done during the two year course, or both of these things. At 18 some students taken A-level examinations, usually in not more than 3 subjects. It is necessary to have A-levels in order to go to a university or polytechnic . In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called HIGHS, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last four years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of their degree. In the US school examinations are not as important as they are in Britain. Students in High Schools do have exams at the end of their last two years, but these final exams are considered along with the work that the students have done during the school years.

9. HOME Social Events and Ceremonies In American high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation (=completion of high school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma from the head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to ear, and a yearbook, containing pictures of their friends and teachers. There are also special social events at American schools. Sports events are popular, and cheer leaders lead the school in supporting the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at age 17 or 18, students held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and the boys wear TUXEDOS. In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasions associated with school life. Some schools have SPEECH DAY at the end of the school year when prizes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and sometimes an invited guest. However, in many British schools students and teachers organize informal dances for the older students.

10. Proverbs HOME • 1.Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. -- John Ruskin生活没有目标,犹如航海没有罗盘。--罗斯金 • 2.You have to believe in yourself. That‘s the secret of success.   -- Charles Chaplin人必须有自信，这是成功的秘密。--卓别林 • 3.Energy and persistence conquer all things. -- Benjamin Franklin能量加毅力可以征服一切。 -- 富兰克林

11. Proverbs HOME • 4.Pursue your object, be it what it will, steadily and indefatigably.不管追求什么目标，都应坚持不懈。 • 5.All things in their being are good for something.天生我才必有用。 • 6.For man is man and master of his fate.人就是人，是自己命运的主人。

12. Compound Dictation HOME • Directions: Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks. Many successful people actually daydreamed their success and achievements long before they realized them. Henry J. Kaiser 1) __________ that “you can imagine your future,” and he believed that a great part of his 2)_________ success was due to 3) _________ use of daydreams. Harry S. Truman said that he used daydreaming for 4)______. Conrad Hilton dreamed of operating a hotel when he was a boy. He 5) _______ that all his 6) ____________ ____ were first realized in his imagination. “Great living starts with a picture, 7) ______ in some person’s imagination, of what he would like someday to do or be. Florence Nightingale dreamed of being a nurse. 8) ______________________________; all such characters escaped the mere push of circumstance by 9) _______________________________________.” There are the words of the well-known thinker Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, and 10)___________________________________________________________ . maintained business positive rest accomplishments recalled held Edison pictured himself an inventor imagining a future so vivid that they headed for it They show that people can literally daydream themselves to success

13. I Never Write Right Linda Stafford HOME When I was 15, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half of the students nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be silly. Only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said. “And you are getting a D this semester.” I was so embarrassed that I burst intotears. That night I wrote a short, sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capper’s Weekly. To my astonishmentthey published it, and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer! I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said.

14. HOME I’d tasted success. I’d sold the first thing I’d ever written. That was more than any of them had done, and if it was “just plain dumb luck,”that was fine with me. During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school (with a C-minus average), I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers. And if people must choose between their friends and dreams, they must always choose the latter. But sometimes you do find a friend who supports your dreams. “It’s easy to write a book,” my new friend told me. “You can do it.”

15. HOME “I don’t know if I’m smart enough,” I said, suddenly feeling 15 again and hearing echoes of laughter. “Nonsense!” she said. “Anyone can write a book if they want to.” I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. We lived on a goat farm in Oklahoma, miles from anyone. All I had to do each day was take care of four kids, milk goats, and do the cooking, laundry and gardening. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby. I chose a publisher at randomand put the manuscript in an empty diapers package, the only box I could find. The letter I enclosed read: “I wrote this book myself, and I hope you like it. I also drew the illustrations. Chapters 6 and 12 are my favorites.Thank you.”

16. HOME I tied a string around the diaper box and mailed it without a self-addressed stamped envelope, and without making a copy of the manuscript. A month later I received a contract, an advance on royalties and a request to start working on another book. Crying Wind became a bestseller, was translated into 15 languages and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows during the day and changed diapers at night. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in Native American schools in Canada. It took six months to write my next book. My Searching Heart also became a bestseller. My next novel, When I Give My Heart, was finished in only three weeks.

17. HOME People ask what college I attended, what degree I have, and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is none. I just write. I’m not a genius, I’m not gifted and don’t write right. I’m not disciplined, either, and spend more time with my children and friends than I do writing. I didn’t own a thesaurus until four years ago and I use a small Webster’s dictionary that I bought for 89 cents. I use an electric typewriter that I paid $129 for six years ago. I’ve never used a word processor. I do all the cooking, cleaning andlaundry for a family of six and fit my writing ina few minutes here and there. I write everything in longhand while sitting on the sofa with my four kids, eating pizza and watching TV. When the book is finished, I type it and mail it to the publisher.

18. HOME I’ve written eight books. Four have been published, and three are still out with the publishers. One stinks. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you, “Yes, you can! Yes, you can!” I don’t write right, but I’ve beaten the odds. Writing isn’t difficult, it’s fun, and anyone can write a book if they set their mind onit. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

19. Questions to the Text HOME • 1.Why didn’t she mention her writing to her teachers, friends and her family after she published something? Because in her mind, they are dream killers. If she had to choose between her friends and her dreams, she’d like to choose her dreams. 2.What did Linda receive from the publisher a month after she sent the manuscript of her first book? She received a contract, an advance on royalties and a request to start working on another book. 3. Was her first book well received? How do you know? Yes. It was translated into 15 languages and sold worldwide. She appeared on TV show and traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotion tour, it even became required reading in Native American School in Canada.

20. Part Division of the Text HOME Part 1(Line1-13): The author dreamed to be a writer. Part2 (Line14-52) :Difficulties and success she experienced in realizing her dream. Part3 (Line53-70) :The secret of her successful writing career.

21. GrammaticalPoints HOME 1. embarrass:cause to feel ashamed or socially uncomfortable ---The article describes the author’s most embarrassing moment as a reporter. ---Many parents and students seem embarrassed to admit they rely on tutors

22. HOME 2. burst into:suddenly begin to cry, to laugh, etc. ---The excited crowd burst into song. ---It was so annoying that the boy kept bursting into tears.

23. HOME 3. to one’s astonishment / the astonishment of sb.:to one’s great surprise, to the great surprise of somebody ---To the astonishment of the public, the Prince dressed himself in a Nazi uniform. --- Dan resigned, to the astonishment of his colleagues.

24. HOME 4. it was “ just plain dumb luck”:it was just pure good fortune dumb: stupid --- He came up with a dumb idea. --- We used to wander at random through the streets of the city at night.

25. HOME 5. Suddenly feeling 15 again and hearing echoes of laughter:all of a sudden it reminding me of what had happened when I was 15 and the laughter I got from the class. laughter: the act of or sound of laughing ---I heard laughter as I approached the classroom. ---The laughter of the kids filled the house.

26. HOME 6. At random:without a definite plan, patter or purpose ---The little girl took a book at random from the shelf.

27. HOME 7. Fit in:manage to find time to do or to deal with ---Many working mothers just can’t fit in regular domestic work. ---The manager is very busy but she’ll be able to fit you in tomorrow.

28. HOME 8. laundry:the dirty clothes, sheets, etc. needing washing or that have just been washed ---Every weekend, he put his dirty laundry in a bag and took it back home. --- The husband was folding laundry in the family room while watching a football game on television.

29. HOME 9. Set / put / turn one’s mind on:be determined to do something; devote a lot of energy, effort and attention to do something --- A young man like you could certainly get a job if you set your mind on it. --- When my brother sets his mind on something, he always finds a way to achieve it.

30. Classroom Activity HOME 1. Discussion 2. Interview 3.Translation

31. HOME Discussion Find a partner or partners and discuss with them the old saying “ Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.”

32. Interview HOME Directions: Linda is a successful writer now. She is promoting her newly publishedbook on an interview. Act yourself as Linda and answer the questions raised by reporters. tips: college, degree, qualification, family children, books published, secret of my success

33. Translation HOME 1.Half of the students nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. 当时有一半同学大笑不止，差一点从他们座位上摔出去。 2.I chose a publisher at random and put the manuscript in an empty diapers package, the only box I could find. 我随便选了一个出版商，把手稿放进一只放尿布的 空盒子里——我唯一能找到的盒子。

34. HOME 3.I tied a string around the diaper box and mailed it without a self-addressed stamped envelope, and without making a copy of the manuscript. 我用绳子扎好尿布盒就把它寄了出去，既没有附上一个写好回信地址贴好邮票的信封，也没有把手稿复印一份。 4.I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. 为推销我的书我到处旅行，从纽约到加利福尼亚， 还去过加拿大。

35. HOME 5.I’m not disciplined, either, and spend more time with my children and friends than I do writing. 6.I don’t write right, but I’ve beaten the odds. 我写作是野路子，但我已战胜了种种困难。 我没有接受过正规训练，在朋友和孩子身上花的 时间要比花在写作上的多。

36. Reading Skills HOME 1.Context Clue: examples Examples can give you some clues or hints to the meanings of unfamiliar words. Study the following sentence: a. Select any of these periodicals: Time, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest or The New Yorker. ( From the examples, you can easily figure out the meaning of the word “ periodicals”.)

37. HOME 2. Context Clue: comparison When we compare things, we see how they are like each other. So comparisons in writing can give you clues to the meaning of unfamiliar words. Look at the following examples to see if you can get an idea of the meaning of each italicized word. a. The snow was falling. Big flakes drifted with the wind like feathers. b. The hot-air balloon took off. It was buoyant in the air as a cork in water.

38. HOME 3. Context Clue: contrast The use of a contrast can give you a hint to the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Sometimes a sentence tells you the opposite of what a new word means. Look at the following examples to see if you can get an idea of the meaning of the italicized words. a. Jane was talking with others while Eliza remained reticent all the time. b. Most of us agreed; however, Bill dissented. c. Peter was not frugal since he spent money so freely.

39. Culture tips HOME Culture Difference: Personal Progress In many parts of the world , personal influence is essential in achieving success. This is not true in the United States, where success usually results from hard work , education, skill, and personal initiative , America is truly a　“do-it-yourself” society ; success is not dependent on familyorigins orthe help of an influential person . Personal progress is the result of individual effort. Because effort and initiative are so important in America , there are many customs that may be different fromthosepracticed in other countries. For example , it is not considered dishonorable to quit a job, even if you have had it for only a short time . Moving from job-to -job , or "job-hopping ", as it is called , is quite acceptable in the United States. Frequently , the opportunityto change jobs offers workers a chance to move up to a better position. Americans like to move from place to place trying new jobs, meeting new peopleand living in different parts of the country. "Job-hopping" also gives employers a chance to benefit from the new ideas and skills thatdifferent people bring to their jobs even if suchpeople are employed for only a short time.

40. writing HOME Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic It Pays to Be Honest. You should write at least 100 words according to the outline given below in Chinese. 1. 当前社会上存在许多不诚实的现象 2. 诚实利人利已，做人应该诚实 It Pays to Be Honest

41. HOME model： It Pays to Be Honest Although honesty is believed to be a virtue, there are still dishonest people in our society. For example, some businessmen sell fake product to their consumers; some students cheat in the exams.Dishonest people are short-sighted. Those who sell fake products may make money at first, but consumers won't buy their products any more. As a result, they will lose their fortune or even be sent to prison. By contrast, honest people gain a lot. Those who always tell truth or keep to their promise not only let others trust them but gain respect from other people as well. Such persons are sure to have a lot of good friends. Because they are trustable and respectable, everyone is eager to make friends with them, Besides, it is easier for a person with a good record to get a good job. Generally speaking, every employer wants his employees to be honest. So we can say that anyone who is honest will be paid back later.In a word, honesty wins trust, respect and honor. So it is important that we should be honest.

42. Enjoying an English humor HOME The test A lawyer, an engineer and a mathematician were called in for a test. The engineer went in first and was asked, “ what is 2+2 ? ” The engineer thought for a while and finally answered, “4”. Then the mathematician was called in and was asked the same question. With little thought he replied, “4.0” Then the lawyer was called in, and was asked the same question. The lawyer answered even quicker than the mathematician, “ what do you want it to be?”