Lesson 12 Confession of a Miseducated Man

1. Lesson 12 Confession of a Miseducated Man

2. Introduction to the text

3. Introduction to the text • 1. the Author’s Central Idea • To prepare ourselves for this new world, we must all be re-educated so that we will be able to understand that there are more similarities than differences among people. • The differences are superficial and in significant whereas the similarities are essential and fundamental.

4. Introduction to the text • 2. Basic Arguments • Life is a rare occurrence, and human existence even more so. Therefore we should have the greatest respect for all humanity. • However different people may be in little details, they are united in their humanness, in their basic human faculties and gifts. • They are also united in their needs, because today none of the most important problems we are faced with can be solved without global cooperation.

5. 1. by-pass • v. • 1）. go around to avoid; • by-pass a difficulty, problem, etc. • eg. We managed to bypass the shopping centre by taking side-streets. • 2）. Ignore(a rule, procedure,etc) or fail to • consult (sb) to act quickly • eg. He bypassed his colleagues on the board and went ahead with the deal. • 3）n. Road by which traffic can go round a • city, busy area, etc in stead of through it • eg. If we take the bypass we’ll avoid the town center.

6. 2. combine v. • 1) (cause things to) join or mix together to form a whole • ~ with sth; ~ A with B; ~ A and B. • eg. Circumstances have combined to ruin our plans for a holiday. 2. )Two or more things at the same time or have two or more different qualities as a characteristic ~ A with B; ~ A and B. eg. combine business with pleasure

7. 3.comprehension n. • 1). exercise aimed at improving or testing one’s understanding of a language • eg. listening comprehension 2.) (power of) understanding eg. A problem above/beyond one’s ~ comprehend v. 1. understand fully eg. I cannot comprehend now you could have been so stupid.

8. 4. Some vocabulary concerned: • Galaxy 星系 • Solar system 太阳系 • Milky Way 银河 • Star 恒星 • Planet 行星 • Satellite 卫星 • Comet 彗星 • Meteor 流星雨 • Horoscope 星座

9. 5. a bird’s-eye view of the world: • a very general view of the world, a view that lacks depth and subtlety • 6. be surprised at sth. • Eg. Be surprised at the news/ the high price, etc.

10. 7.put: to say or to express • eg: Can you put it in simple English? • To put it bluntly, I think this company is bankrupt. • 8.give way to: • to give its place to sth. better; to be replaced by • eg: The traditional extended family has now given way to the nuclear family.

11. 9. what counts: what is important • eg: I know what I say here does not count. • These empty promises don’t count. We need action.

12. 10.citizen-ship • -ship • 1) a particular position, condition or state: A year’s membership costs $35. / a long friendship • 2) a particular art or skill: her fine musicianship / a work of great scholarship • 3) all the people in a particular group: a magazine with a readership of 9000 • 4) used to form particular titles for people: your ladyship

13. 11.communicate • 1) exchange information: ~ by e-mail / ~ with each other using sign language • 2) express: She unintentionally ~d her anxiety to her son. • 3) understand: Jack and I just are not ~ing anymore. • 4) pass (a disease) from one to another: Doctors are doing research into how the virus is ~d. • Communication, communicative, communicable

14. 12.understand, comprehend, appreciate: to have a clear or complete idea of • understand: may stress the fact of having attained a mental grasp of sth: ~ the instructions • comprehend: stresses the mental process of arriving at a result • appreciate: implies a just estimation of a thing’s value and is often used in reference to what is likely to be misjudged

15. 13.confession • 1) a formal statement that you have done sth embarrassing, wrong or illegal: a ~ of murder / At 3 a.m. Jake broke down and made a full ~. • 2) a private statement to a priest or to God about the bad things that you have done: Rita goes to ~ at least once a month • C.f. confess to (doing) sth: Edwards ~ed to being a spy for the KGB.

16. 14.destiny: the things that will happen to someone in the future, esp. those that cannot be changed or controlled; the power that some people believe decides what will happen to them in the future • Proverbs: Character is ~: a person’s character determines the way his life develops • Hanging and wiving go by destiny: some people are fated to marry each other, just as some are fated to be hanged • If you’re born to be hanged, then you’ll never be drowned: everybody is destined to die at a particular moment in a particular way • What will be, will be: what is destined to happen cannot be prevented

17. 15. precarious • 1) a ~ situation or state is likely to become very dangerous • E.g. a ~ peace • Levin is in a ~ state of health. • 2) likely to fall or likely to cause sb to fall • E.g. We had to cross a ~ rope bridge. • syn. dangerous, hazardous, perilous, risky

18. 16. preference • E.g. Do you have any ~ as to what kind of pizza we should order? • Shawn has a ~ for athletic women. • have no strong / particular ~ =not prefer one thing more than anything else • give / show ~ to sb: treat sb more favorably than you treat other people • If you choose one thing in ~ to another, you choose it because you think it is better: I like paying with credit cards in ~ to cash.

19. 17. propaganda • false or partly false information used by a government or political party to make people agree with them • E.g. Neo-Nazi ~ • a ~ movie • a ~ campaign: an organized plan to spread ~

20. 18. reference • In / with ~ to our agents, we have complete confidence in their honesty. (used to say what you are writing or talking about) • Microfilm copies will be kept for future ~. (so that they can be looked at in the future) • Oddly the ad made no ~ to the product being sold. • ~ point: a fact, idea, event, etc. that helps you understand or make a judgment about a situation • a letter of ~

21. 19.solar • ~ year • ~ cell • ~ eclipse • ~ system • Cf. lunar, terrestrial, extraterrestrial (ET)

22. Exercises: • 1. When he saw the clouds he went back to his house to ____ his umbrella. • A. carry B. fetch C. bring D. reach • 2. Many people found it difficult to be adapted to the rapid ____ of modern life. • A. rate B. pace C. speed D. growth

23. Exercises: • 3. The audience in the cinema mostly ____ of young people. • A. consisted B. made C. composed D. except • 4. I don’t know if the story is true but I will try to ____. • A. conform B. identity C. prove D. verify

24. Exercises: • 5. it never ____ to me to ask for his help. • A. happened B. took place C. appeared D. occurred • 6. People in every culture have ____ basic needs but express them differently. • A. alike B. like C. same D. similar

25. Exercises: • 7. The statue would be perfect but for a few small ____ in its base. • A. mistakes B. flaw C. defect D. fault • 8. If you want to live longer, you will have to ask the doctor for a ____ of long life. • A. receipt B. recipe C. subscription D. prescription

26. Exercises: • 9. She was seldom invited to a dance in the party, and she sat there as a sheer ____. • A. wall paper B. wall flower C. wall picture D. wall lamp • 10. John was drunk last night, and he is still driving ____. • A. under pressure B. under request • C. under condition D. under influence • Keys: BAADD DBBBD