Unit 16

1. Unit 16

2. Content • Pre-reading questions • Background information • Structure analysis • Comprehension questions • Language points of Text I • Grammatical items • Exercises • Comprehension questions of Text II • Oral activities • Writing practice

3. Text I “take over, Bos’n!” • Pre-reading questions • 1. Can you imagine the feeling of the survivors of a shipwreck who are drifting on the sea waiting to be rescued? What menace do you think they have to face? • 2. What do you think is the relationship between crewmen on a ship? Is there any difference between their relationship and that of “land” people

4. Background information (1) • Oscar Schisgall, novelist, short-story writer, some of whose works include The Death Pit (1923), in Kashla’s garden (1927), one of the Judds (1931), and The blood Call (1939)

5. Background information 2) • Theme of the story: the story is about the sense of responsibility in time of trial which is exemplified by a shipwreck. Human nature is brought into full display in the trial but it is the sense of responsibility that outshines human nature and wins the battle at the end of the story.

6. Structure analysis of Text I (1) • “Take Over, Bos’n!” is a narration that follows the chronological order. The author starts with the confrontation: Snyder, the third officer of the wrecked Montala, pointing a gun at a pack of thirsty guys lusting for water in the canteen at his foot. Then a more detailed picture is drawn about the danger they were in, the responsibility Snyder had and the threat from Barrett, the bos’n’s mate.

7. Structure analysis of Text I (2) • Eventually, the suspenseful story provides the readers with an unexpected ending: the dangerous Barrett turned out to be the man to protect the last canteen of water.

8. Structure analysis of Text I (3) • Paragraph 1-2 • This is an introductory paragraph. • Paragraphs 3-23 • In this part, the author narrates and describes in detail the desperate situation they were in and the responsibility Snyder shouldered. • Paragraphs 24-28 • This is the end of the story.

9. Comprehension questions of Text I (1) • 1. How were the surviving crew members after drifting on the sea for twenty days? • 2. Why did Snyder hold fast to the last canteen of water? • 3. Describe the character of Jeff Barrett. Which side of human nature did he represent at the beginning of the story?

10. Comprehension questions of Text I (2) • 4. What turned Jeff from a half-mad animal tortured by thirst into a man of responsibility? And why? • 5. If you were in Jeff’s position, what would you do? Would you scramble with the other sailors for the last drop of water or would you do as Jeff did?

11. Language points of Text I (1) • Paragraph 1-2 • Questions: • 1. How does the author begin the story? • 2. Do you think Snyder could control the situation? • 3. Why do you suppose Snyder pointed the gun at the other nine men?

12. Language points of Text I (2) • A1: He begins his narration with a confrontation between Synder and the other nine men. Synder was pointing a gun at these men.

13. Language points of Text I (3) • A2 : No. this was a situation of one versus nine. At present Synder was in control because he had the gun, but considering the fact he hadn’t slept for seventy-two hours and was already half asleep, he could hardly hold on. If he should ever doze off, he would easily be on the losing side.

14. Language points of Text I (4) • A3: The author does not mention it in this part. By keeping the readers in suspense, the author aroused their curiosity and entices them to read on.

15. Language points of Text I (5) • stern • n. the rear end of a ship or boat • go and stand in/at the stern of the boat. • hard, grim, or severe in manner or character • a stern headmaster/parent/police officer • Sterner measures must be taken to combat drug trafficking.

16. Language points of Text I (6) • guts • the internal organs of the abdomen • Oh, I have a terrible pain in the guts. It feels like food poisoning. • courage or determination • Michael was well-known at college, for he had the guts to challenge any professor. • You need a lot of guts to admit your mistake in the presence of your boss.

17. Language points of Text I (7) • Paragraph 3-23 • Questions: • What was the cause of the confrontation? • What kind of man was Jeff Barrett? • Why did Snyder insist that they wait till night for the last few drops of water? • What did Snyder imagine would happen when he was asleep?

18. Language points of Text I (8) • A1: After drifting on the sea for twenty days, the ten survivors of a ship wreckage were dying from thirst. The only canteen left gave them the hope to keep on. Knowing that their hope would evaporate once the last drop of water was gone, Snyder, the man in command , was pointing his gun at these thirsty men to prevent them from taking their gulp. But the other men, not realizing his well-meant will, were glaring at the water, ready to spring up at every minute, take hold of it and gulp it down.

19. Language points of Text I (9) • A2: A heavy, bald and violent man, Jeff Barrett was a constant threat to Snyder. He was the nearest to Synder and he had enough sleep. • A3: According to Synder, the water drunk in the sun would be sweated out very fast, but if it were taken down at night, it would last longer.

20. Language points of Text I (10) • A4: He imagined that Barrett would grab the canteen and drink the water while the others would scream and struggle for a gulp. Everything would be in a mess.

21. Language points of Text I (11) • pounce: • to suddenly move forward and attack someone or something, after waiting to attack them • The cat was hiding in the bushes, ready to pounce. • pounce on • Kevin pounced on Liam and started hitting him. • ￚpounce noun [countable]

22. Language points of Text I (12) • pounce on somebody/something phrasal verb • 1. to criticize someone's mistakes or ideas very quickly and eagerly • Teachers are quick to pounce on students' grammatical errors. • 2. to eagerly take an opportunity as soon as it becomes available • When they offered O'Leary the chance to become manager, he pounced on it.

23. Language points of Text I (13) • canteen • [countable] • 1. British English a place in a factory, school etc where meals are provided, usually quite cheaply • 2. a small container in which water or other drink is carried by soldiers, travelers etc

24. Language points of Text I (14) • 5. ration : to limit the amount of something that each person is allowed to have • The government had to ration the food during the war. • Coffee is rationed to two cups a day/ • ration somebody/something to something • He rationed himself to 4 cigarettes a day. • I try to ration the children's television viewing to an hour a day.

25. Language points of Text I (15) • Paragraph 24-28 • Question: • What happened while Synder was asleep? • What made Barrett give up his chance of drinking the water?

26. Language points of Text I (16) • A1: Barrett took over not only the gun but also the responsibility to guard against the lust of those thirsty people. He rationed the water as Synder had planned after night had fallen. • A2: Barrett explained that he was given the responsibility to take others out of danger when Snyder handed him the gun and said, “take over, bos’n.” Once given the authority, he would learn to view things from a different angle.

27. Language points of Text I (17) • Compare: gaze, stare, gape, glare, ogle • These verbs all mean to look long and intently.

28. Language points of Text I (18) • Gaze: refers to prolonged looking that is often indicative of wonder, fascination, awe, or admiration: • To gaze at the moon; to gaze into his eyes • To stare is to gaze fixedly; the word can indicate curiosity, boldness, insolence, or stupidity: • The old coupe stared at them in disbelief; to stare into the distance

29. Language points of Text I (19) • Gape suggests a prolonged open-mouthed look reflecting amazement, awe, or lack of intelligence: • Tourists are gaping at the sights. • To glare is to fix author with a hard, piercing stare: • She glared furiously at him when he contradicted her.

30. Language points of Text I (20) • To peer is to look narrowly, searchingly, and seemingly with difficultly: • He peered through his spectacles at the contract. • To ogle is to stare in an amorous, usually impertinent manner: • She resented the way that the construction workers on their lunch hour ogled passing women.

31. Grammatical Items(1) • Change the following sentences to avoid any unnecessary repetition. • 1. His second child is a girl, who is twenty-four and newly married. The youngest child is twenty, a boy, a high-school graduate who has spent the last couple of years doing odd jobs. • His second child is a girl… The youngest is twenty…

32. Grammatical Items(2) • 2. The Italians have a strong tradition of cooking. Do the English have such a tradition? • … Do the English have one? • 3. A number of people were involved in the accident but none of the people were hurt • … but none were hurt. • 4. If you want to read novels, I’ve got some novels. • …I’ve got some.

33. Grammatical Items(3) • 5. My sister prefers tea to coffee but I like tea and coffee. • … I like both. • 6. Steven noticed that they were not flying in tight formation. They should have been flying in tight formation. • … they were not flying in tight formation as they should have been

34. Grammatical Items(4) • 7. John won’t like it but Rachel will like it • …but Rachel will. • 8. A: He’ll be out of town by nightfall • B: He’d better be out of town by then • … He’d better be.

35. Translation exercises (1) • 1. 一个生活在恐惧边缘的人是不可能感到快乐的。（close quarters） • A man living at close quarters with fear can not possible feel happy. • 2. 他心里感到很不舒畅，因为在他刚刚出版的书的许多页面上都有明显的错误。(glare) • He felt greatly depressed, for misprints glared from so many pages of his newly published book.

36. Translation exercises (2) • 3. 一个工于心计的人喜欢玩诡计，但往往没有大智慧。(calculating) • A man of calculating nature likes to play tricks, but tends to lack much wisdom. • 4. 老人感到纳闷，为什么这么多姑娘想当流行歌曲明星。(crave) • The old man is wondering why so many girls crave to become pop music stars.

37. Translation exercises (3) • 5. 我认为抓住别人的错误不放是一种不人道的行为。(pounce upon) • I consider it an inhumane act to pounce upon others’ blunders • 6. 他经常用一种傲慢的口吻嘲笑他的兄弟，说他是一个无知的懦夫。(taunt) • He often taunted his brother in an arrogant voice and called the latter an ignorance coward.

38. Translation exercises (4) • 7. 在酷暑中，那个身体虚弱的姑娘突然晕倒了。(keel over) • In the scorching heat, the girl in delicate health keeled over. • 8. 在过去的5年中，城市不断地朝四周无序蔓延。(sprawl) • Over the past five years, the city has been sprawling out to all directions.

39. Comprehension questions of Text II • 1. Why is it that to fight is a radical instinct? • 2. Why do we say that this shameless assertion is wrong that without a periodical bleeding a race decays and loses its manhood? • 3. What is the original sin from which flows every other wrong? • 4. How do you explain the phenomena of finding joy in another’s trouble and of finding joy in one’s own trouble?

40. Oral activities (1) • 1. Work in groups. Imagine a situation that is extremely menacing and trying like a shipwreck or an earthquake where human nature is brought under test. Imagine how you will react. Consider your responsibilities for your family, your friends, and even your enemies. Then take roles and act it out.

41. Oral activities (2) • 2. What do you think is your responsibility as a student? Do you think awareness of one’s responsibility for other people is a sign of maturity? Do you want to be a responsible person? Discuss in pairs and illustrate your points.

42. Writing practice • Write an essay of no less than 300 words, describing one of the most interesting, or preferably most adventurous, class activities that you ever had in your university life.

43. Goodbye