Unit 3 The Present

1. Unit 3 The Present Back to the main 大学英语 精读 (第三版)第一册

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

3. I. Lead In1. An English Song Happy Birthday To You

4. 2. Important Birthdays in the West family party; a major present (watch; car) a special way to celebrate the centennial birthday, unusual occasion, may receive a telegram or a letter of congratulations from some famous figures (Prime Minister or Queen), family party; count great grandchildren and grandchildren

5. 3. Making a Story • Direction: Make a story according to the following pictures, and share it with your classmates. Just use your imagination.

6. 4. Warm-up Questions • 1).How do you usually celebrate your birthday? What do your parents do for you on this special occasion? • 2).Do you know your parents’ birthday? What do you do for that? • 3).How does your family celebrate the birthdays of your grandparents?

7. 5. Group Discussion • 1) Why did the old lady feel so hurt when she got the check from her daughter? • A check is impersonal. It symbolizes obligation but with no sincere feelings. Myra regarded her work with strangers as more important than the happiness of her own old mother. It seems that everyone in the neighborhood was aware that the old woman’s 80th birthday fell on that day. They regarded it as an important occasion.

8. 2) How do you understand that blood is thicker than water? By saying “Blood is thicker than water”, we mean that family members or our relatives are more important than others (friends, neighbors, etc.). Not only should we be always considerate and helpful to our family members but also we should take the responsibility or obligation to make them happy.

9. II. Background Information Traditional Birthday Celebration in Western Countries In the West, it is customary to hold a party in celebration of a person’s birthday. The guests will come to the party with birthday presents and say “Happy Birthday” to the birthday person. The guests then watch him or her open the presents and he or she thanks them for the presents they have brought. At the party drinks and food are served. Toward the end of the dinner the lights in the room are turned off, and someone comes in from another room with a cake on which are lighted candles, one for each year.

10. At the sight of the cake the guests begin singing “Happy Birthday to You” and the birthday person makes a wish before he or she blows out the candles on the cake. It is said that the wish will come true if all the candles go out in one puff. After that, the cake is cut in slices usually by the birthday person, one piece for each guest. When the party comes to an end, the guests wish the birthday person “Happy Birthday” again and leave.

11. Discourse Analysis Time: the old lady’s birthday Place: on the second floor flat Setting Characters the old lady, Enid, Myra, Johnnie, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Grant The old lady had expected a present from her daughter Myra and was disappointed to receive only a check. Plot The moment when the old lady received only a check for her 80th birthday and she tore it into bits with trembling figures. Climax Point of view The story is in the third person. Chronological structure The story is organized through the use of time references. The old lady recalled how Enid died on the operating table and what Myra had done for her afterwards. Flashback Blood is thicker than water. Our parents and relatives are more important to us than others. Theme

12. Questions to the text • Direction: Read through the text in three • minutes to find answers of following questions. 1. What was the special occasion? How old was the old lady? • 2.What had happened to Enid? • 3.Why was the old lady proud of Myra? • 4.Why did the old lady tear the cheque into pieces?

13. III. Text The present • It was the old lady’s birthday. She got up early to be ready for the post. From the second floor flat she could see the postman when he came down the street, and the little boy from the ground floor brought up her letters on therare occasions when anything came. Today she was sure there would be something. Myra wouldn’t forget her mother’s birthday, even if she seldom wrote at other times. Of course Myra was busy. Her husband had been made Mayor, and Myra herself had got a medal for her work for the aged.

14. The old lady was proud of Myra, but Enid was the daughter she loved. Enid had never married, but had seemed content to live with her mother, and teach in a primary school round the corner One evening, however, Enid said, “I’ve arranged for Mrs. Morrison to look after you for a few days, Mother. Tomorrow I have to go into hospital — just a minor operation. I’ll soon be home.” In the morning she went, but never came back — she died on the operating table. Myra came to the funeral, and in her efficient way arranged for Mrs. Morrison to come in and light the fire and give the old lady her breakfast. Two years ago that was, and since then Myra had been to see her mother three times, but her husband never.

15. The old lady was eighty today. She had put on her best dress. Perhaps — perhaps Myra might come. After all, eighty was a special birthday, another decade lived or endured just as you chose to look at it. • Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited — like a child. She would enjoy her day.

16. Yesterday Mrs. Morrison had given the flat an extra clean, and today she had brought a card and a bunch of marigolds when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake, and in the afternoon she was going down there to tea. The little boy, Johnnie, had been up with a packet of mints, and said he wouldn’t go out to play until the post had come. “I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents,” he said. “I did last week when I was six.” What would she like? A pair of slippers perhaps. Or a new cardigan. A cardigan would be lovely. Blue’s such a pretty colour. Jim had always liked her in blue. Or a table lamp. Or a book, a travel book, with pictures, or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.

17. She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate. Then clatter, clatter up the stairs. Johnnie knocked at her door. “Granny, granny,”he shouted, “I’ve got your post.” He gave her four envelopes. Three were unsealed cards from old friends. The fourth was sealed, in Myra’s writing. The old lady felt a pang of disappointment. “No parcel, Johnnie?” “No, granny.” Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post. That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She must be patient.

18. Almost reluctantly she tore the envelope open. Folded in the card was a piece of paper. Written on the card was a message under the printed Happy Birthday — Buy yourself something nice with the cheque, Myra and Harold. The cheque fluttered to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady stooped to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.

19. rare: adj. 1) unusual; not often happening or seen eg: It is rare for her to go out at night. 2) (of a substance, esp. atmosphere) thin, not dense • eg: The Tibetans are used to the rare air around the Himalayas. rare, occasional & scarce • 这些形容词均含“稀罕的，很少发生的”之意。occasional指偶然、间或发生的事，侧重无规律可循。 • scarce指暂时不易发现、不存在或数量不足，供不应求的东西。 • rare指难得发生的事或难遇见的人或事，侧重特殊性。

20. content to (do sth.): pleased to (do sth.); satisfied to (do sth.) S: Will you be content to wait till tomorrow? S:那对老年夫妇似乎对整晚坐在电视机前看电视感到满意。 T: The old couple seem content to sit in front of the television all evening. Pattern: be content with 满足于 to one’s heart’s content 心满意足

21. primary: adj. 1) first, as in order, time or place eg:Primary education is compulsory in our country. 2) main; first in importance eg:Our history professor explained the primary cause of the First World War.

22. efficient: adj.capable 既然你如此的忙，你确实需要一个很能干的秘书。 Since you are so busy, you do need a very efficient secretary. • effective & efficient • 这两个形容词均有“有效的”之意。 effective侧重产生实际的效果或具有取得预期效果的能力，指人指物都适用。 • efficient侧重指积极有效，效率高，效果好。指人时，强调其能干、熟练的技巧。 • 1. This is a very effective method. • 2. Our efficient new machines are much cheaper to run

23. after all: when everything has been considered; nevertheless S: We should let Mary go camping with her classmates. After all, she is a big girl now. T:我想我们应该让玛丽与她的同学去野营。毕竟她现在是个大女孩了。 • Collocation: • all but 几乎，差一点 all in all 总的说来 for all 尽管 above all 首先

24. spot: v. mark different in color from what it is on; stain Eg: It is difficult to get rid of spots of ink and blood. • n. a particular place S: He happened to be on the spot when the robbery took place. T:抢劫案发生时他碰巧在场。

25. disappoint:v. fail to fulfill the hope of (a person) S:努力工作，不要让你父母失望。 T: Work hard. Don’t disappoint your parents. Collocation: feel/express disappointment 感到/表达失望 to one’s disappointment 令某人失望的是 be disappointed about/at/with sth. 对某事失望 be disappointed in/with sb. 对某人失望

26. pick up: 1)take hold of and lift 2)catch 3)gain; acquire 4)give sb. a ride in a vehicle (ask the students to match ) 1.Where did you pick up that cold? 2 2.Please pick up all these pieces of paper. 1 3.I’ll pick you up at your college gate at three; don’t be late. 4 4.He pick up English while he was staying in London. 3

27. tremble: vi. shake; move to and from S:那老头签字时手在颤抖。 T: The old man’s hand trembled when he signed his name. S: Her voice trembled with excitement.

28. Grammar • Suffix(后缀) • 1)构成名词的后缀 • -ability capability • -ance guidance • -ation education • -er driver • 2)构成动词的后缀 • -ate activate motivate • -en widen sweeten • -ify simplify purify • -ize apologize criticize

29. 3）构成形容词的后缀 • -able valuable comfortable • -ical classical economic • -ing amusing convincing • -ive active attractive • 4）构成副词的后缀 • -ly clearly finally • -ward(s) homeward onward • -wise likewise length-wise

30. Classroom Activity • 1.Talking about the pictures

32. 2.Exercises: Vocabulary Activities • Directions:Fill in each of the blanks in the following sentences with a word or phrase from the Words &Phrases to Drill box. • 1)Since you are so busy,you do need a very efficient secretary. • 2)Let’s go to the park. It’s just round the corner. • 3)Prof.Smith is not a stranger to us.We’ve met him on several occasions.

33. 3.Translation • 1).那位名演员似乎很乐意在剧中扮演一个次要角色。 • T: That famous actor seemed content to play a minor part in the play. • 2).国庆节要到了，咱们把寝室彻底打扫一下吧。 • T: National Day is round the corner. Let’s give our dorm a thorough clean. • 3).老人读完信后失望之极，竟用颤抖的手指把它撕得粉碎 • T: After reading the letter, the old man was so disappointed that he tore it into little bits with trembling fingers.

34. 4.Post-reading Activity:Group Discussion • 1).Why did the old lady feel so hurt when she got the cheque from her daughter? • 2).What can children do to make the life of their parents happier? • 3).What can we learn from the story about elder people?

35. 5.Culture Tips------Culture Shock • Now when a person enter a strange culture ,all or most of these familiar cues are removed,he or she is like a fish out of water.no matter how broad-mind or full of goodwill you may be,a series of props have been knock from under you ,followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety.people react to the frustration in much the same way.first they reject the enviroment which causes the discomfort ,“the ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad”.when foreigners in a strange land get together to grumble about the host country and its people,you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.another symptom of culture shock is regression .

36. The home enviroment suddenly takeson a tremendous importance.To the foreigner everything becomes irrationally glorified. All the difficulties and problems are forgotten and the only good things back home are remembered.it usually takes a trip home to bring one back to reality. Some of the symptoms of culture shock are excessive washing of the hands; excessive concern over drinking water,food dishes,and bedding;fear of physical contact with attendants ;the absent –minded stare,a feeling of helplessness and a desire for dependence on long –term residents of one’s own nationality;fits of anger over minor frustration,great concern over minor pains and eruptions of the skin and finally ,that terrible longing to be back home.

37. IV. Reading Skills---Reading in Thought Groups • Comprehension---understanding what you are reading—is important, but the speed with which you read is important,too. While making constant efforts to improve your reading comprehension,you should try consciously to increase your reading speed. And to read in thought groups is an easy,yet effective,way of picking up speed and fluency.

38. Reading materials: Questions 1 - 2 are based on the following passage Someone said to a man,“Travel and see the world”.He answered,“Why should I?People are the same everywhere.They are born.They are babies. They are children.They are adults.They grow old. They die.While they are alive,they have the same emotions.They feel love and hate, happiness and sadness,security and fear,pride and shame,comfort and discomfort.That is why I do not want to travel.I can learn everything here.I’m going to stay home.”

39. 1. The man didn’t want to travel because C . • A. he was too old and in very poor health • B. he could not speak a foreign language • C. he thought he could learn everything about life without traveling • D. he preferred to stay home to enjoy his old age • 2. The word “security” in the first paragraph might mean A . • A. safety B. care C. danger D. freedom

40. V. Homework: • Writing: Write one paragraph explaining why the old lady in the story tore the check into pieces.Use the words and phrases given below. • even if send a parcel after all a special birthday wait eagerly tear up feel hurt

41. Model Writing(30 minutes) • Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Should the University Campus Be Open to Tourists? You should write at Least 120 words following the outline given below : 1．名校校园正成为旅游新热点2．校园是否应对游客开放，人们看法不同3．我认为…… • Should the University Campus Be Open to Tourists?

42. In university campus, especially in some famous ones, such as Peking University and Qinghua University, tourists are always seen looking around everywhere. Although most of them visit with hope and respect, I think university campus should not be open to tourists. • First, tourists' visit will disturb the normal teaching. They always get into teaching buildings, libraries and so on. They will make noise and throw rubbish everywhere. Second, some tourists trample grass to take photos, and sculpture on trees to leave words. These will affect the environment of the campus badly. • The university is a holy place for study, not for tourism. So It should not be open.

43. VI. Fun Time (Jokes) • 1. Improvement • One student to another: "how are your English lessons coming along?" • “Fine, I used to be the one who couldn't understand the English men, and now it's the English men who can't understand me." • 2. Difference • A teacher was asking her class: “What is the difference between 'unlawful' and 'illegal'?" only one hand shot up. • “Ok, answer, Joan," said the teacher. • "unlawful' is when you do something the law doesn't • allow and 'illegal' is a sick eagle."