Unit 6 Woman, Half the Sky

1. Unit 6Woman, Half the Sky

2. Objectives • to grasp the main idea and structure of the text • to appreciate how the author achieves coherence for her essay • to master key language points and grammatical structures in the text • to enhance the awareness of gender issues

3. Text A: I’m Going to Buy the Brooklyn Bridge Teaching Procedures • Before we read: Warm-up Questions Cultural Background • Now we read: Global Reading and Detailed Reading • After we read Writing Genre and Vocabulary File

4. Before We Read: Warm-up Activities • Give 5 jobs for women and 5 jobs for men. • Give 5 words for wife and 5 for husband. • Name some famous heroines in fairy tales. Discuss: What can you see from the finding? Do you think men and women play the same role in a family/ the society? How do you like the word “superwoman”? • wife, husband and family

5. Cultural Background • Comment the quotations: “Women can hold half the sky.” (Chairman Mao) “One is not born a woman, one becomes one.” (Simon de Beauvior) "Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid." (Hedy Lamarr) • About feminism and gender:

6. Now We Read • Global Reading Text Organization & Text Comprehension • Questions to think • Detailed Reading Structure Sentence Comprehension Vocabulary

7. Now We Read: Global Reading • Text Organization: Think of the main idea of each part in the division on the right about the text.

8. Part 1: Despite her friend’s advice, the author, unable to resist the temptations, falls for superwomen stories again. • What had Kate L. achieved? How do you feel about it? • How did the writer feel about Kate? • What is implied by “she had a bridge in Brooklyn she’d like to sell me”? • What attitude did the writer decide to choose toward the report about Kate? Why? • Was she always skeptical of such stories? • Why are the women she mentions “superwomen”?

9. Part 2: Her encounter with a superwoman and its impact on her. • Which superwoman did she meet face to face? Why was she a superwoman? • Who are “her supersisters”? (L22) • What is her secret of success? • Why are the jars of strawberry and ribbons mentioned? • How did the writer feel after she left the superwoman’s office?

10. Part 3: She tells about what prevents her from becoming a superwoman herself. • How does she use her spare time? • What do you know about her use of time? • What prevents her from getting her act together? (Para. 9-10) • Why does she quote John Milton’s well-known line? • How does she feel about her time? • What does she mean by referring to “the modern fairy tales” and “the old stories”?

11. Part 4: She analyzes why she is still fascinated by modern superwoman tales. • How does she feel about the stories of superwomen? Why does she feel so? • What are the different lessons men and women have learnt in their life journey? Do you think it is same in China? • What does she say about her interest in superwoman’s story? How do you comment it? • Do you agree with what she says about “admiring a heroine”? What role do these heroines play in her life?

12. Part 5: She comes to the conclusion that to her, admiring a heroine is something worth doing. • Why do you think she wants to call Kate? • What is her attitude to Kate’s achievement? • Who else does she want to call? What does she want to say?

13. Questions to Think • What’s the main idea of this text? (The belief in superwoman encourages average women to achieve their goal.) • What does “Brooklyn Bridge” symbolize? • What do you think are the difficulties that prevent women from achieving their goal? Do you think Chinese women have the same difficulty as described in this text? • What underlies the different social expectations of men and women?

14. Detailed Reading: Structure 1 “Get + infinitive”: • one has the opportunity to do sth. or is allowed to do it e.g. … but he forgot to add that they don’t get to be superwomen that way. • one gradually acquires sth. or gradually becomes aware of sth. e.g. How did the writer get to know a superwoman face to face?

15. Detailed Reading: Structure 2 • Subjunctive Mood: If only… e.g. (L59) Mostly I sink into a chair … while I imagine how lovely life would be if only I possessed the organizational skills and the energy of my superheroines. More examples: If only you knew how I felt. I wondering what life would have meant to me if only I hadn’t made the decision.

16. Detailed Reading: Structure 3 • too + adj. + for … • e.g. (L78) We working women are too sophisticated for that. • 对于一个九岁的孩子，这种问题太难了。

17. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L6) Four words in that description undid me. • Four words in the article about Kate made me upset. undo: 1) unfasten, untie, or loosen 2) cancel or reverse the effects or results (~ the damage) 3) cause the downfall or ruin of (His hatred of women undoes him.)

18. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L9) My friend’s joke hit home. • My friend’s joke had the intended effect on me. • hit/ strike home • e.g. She could see that her remark had hit home.

19. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L12) But like a dieter who devours a whole box of cookies in a moment of weakness, I found my resolve slipping occasionally. • The one on diet would eat a whole box of cookies quickly when feeling weak; similarly, now and then I found my resolve (to be skeptical of these reports) was not so firm. devour: eat hungrily or quickly read quickly and eagerly (~ the classics) If fire, flame, disease devours a place, it ______. (e.g. The flames devoured the old house.) completely destroy it

20. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L22) Her life runs as precisely as a Swiss watch. • She spends her time strictly to her schedule. • as precisely as a Swiss watch • Why a Swiss watch?

21. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L23) Since my own schedule rarely succeeds, her accomplishments fill me with equal amounts of wonder and guilt. Since I seldom manage my time as scheduled, I feel amazed and guilty when I know what she has accomplished. • (L32) I should have known better than to ask. • know better than to do sth.

22. Detailed Reading: Sentence (L41) … that I am by nature completely unable to get my act together. I am born to be one who cannot organize my life effectively. • by nature: as a result of inherent qualities • get one’ s act together: organize one’s life effectively e.g. Get your act together or we’ll miss the bus.

23. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L44) If I create schedules of military precision in which several afternoon hours are given over to the writing of the Great American Novel, the school nurse is sure to phone at exactly the moment I put pencil to paper. • If I make a schedule precisely, such as spending several hours in the afternoon to write a novel which will be a great work, something must distract me immediately when I start to write, such as the call from the school nurse.

24. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L51) Other days, every item on my schedule will take three times the numberof minutes set aside. • In the other days, the time I spend on each item of my schedule will be three times as long as I have planned.

25. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L54) Only the manager can Ok the matter. • Only the manager can give his approval for accepting the woman’s check.

26. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L63) Sometimes I think that these modern fairy tales create as many problems for women as the old stories that had us biding our time for the day our prince would come. • Sometimes I think these stories of modern superwomen create many problems for women. Old fairy tales which encourage women to wait patiently for a prince to come has already created many problems.

27. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L66) Despite my friend's warning against being taken in, despite everything I've learned, I find that I'm not only willing, but positively eager to buy that bridge she mentioned. • Although my friend warned me not to be cheated by these stories, although I have learnt many things, I’m still willing and even eager to believe in the stories of superwomen. • take in: cheat

28. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L69) I suppose it has something to do with the appeal of an optimistic approach to life -- and the fact that extraordinary deeds have been accomplished by determined individuals who refused to believe that "you can't" was the final word on their dreams. • I think it is related to the attraction of an optimistic attitude to life—and the fact that these determined women have made incredible achievement because they wouldn’t believe that their dreams will end up with “you can’t”.

29. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L76)… but life without that kind of fantasy is as unappealing asa diet with no treats. • If we live a life without that kind of dream, life is unattractive, just like an ordinary diet with no special, delicious food. • treat: v. treat sb./ treat sb. to sth. n. an event or an item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure. e.g. take her to the pictures as a ~ My treat. 

30. Detailed Reading: Sentence • (L85) Then I'll tell her a story: the tale of a woman who bought her own version of that bridge in Brooklyn and found that it was a wise investment after all. • Then the author will tell her friend a story about her choice to follow her dreams and her discovery that following her dreams was a good choice. • investment: to buy a house as an ~/ foreign ~

31. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L9) Kate’s incredible accomplishments • If sth. is incredible, you ___________ it. e.g. • an ~ achievement/ accomplishment/ success/ • It is incredible that Michael Stone increased his personal best by 9.5 inches. • synonyms: unbelievable • antonym: credible, believable don’t believe in

32. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L10) be suitably skeptical of such stories • If you have a skeptical attitude to sth., you _________. • be skeptical of/ about his findings • a skeptic (n.) skepticism (n.) • synonyms: incredulous, doubtful • antonyms: credulous, undoubtful • British spelling: sceptical tend to disagree with what other people tell you

33. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L14) consume successful stories by the pound • If you consume some time/ energy, you ________ it. • If you consume food, you ______it. • consumer / consumption • time-consuming/ energy-consuming use eat or drink

34. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L31) I wonder aloud. • If you wonder aloud, you express your thoughts as they occur to you, rather than thinking first and then speaking. • or: think aloud (say the things you are thinking)

35. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L35) It reproached me the entire trip. • If you reproach sb. for sth., you _______sb. for failing to do sth. e.g. He publicly reproach his son for his behavior. • reproach oneself: You’ve got nothing to reproach yourself for—it was his own decision. • n. unfair ~, without ~ above/ beyond ~ (impossible to criticize, perfect) criticize

36. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L39) new theories of tonal harmony for piano and horn • notes of music combined together in a pleasant way (in ~/ vocal ~ies) • If people live or work together in harmony, they live or work with no fighting or disagreeing with each other. e.g. an era of harmony and peace be in harmony with • (adj.) harmonious

37. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L48) spend the remainder of the day in bed • The remainder refers to the part of sth. that is ______ after everything else has gone or been dealt with. (= the rest) • the ~ of his political career • remaining (adj.) the ~ question/ guest/ time left

38. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L58) race the clock • If you race the clock, you do sth. quickly in order to finish it in the available time. • e.g. The deadline will be due tomorrow. We have to ~. • We semester is coming to an end. We have to ~ to prepare for our final exams.

39. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L59) I tend to collapse. If you collapse, you suddenly sit down, usually because you are very ____ and want to_____. e.g. I was so exhausted when I got home, I collapsed on the sofa. • (L61) possessed the organizational skills possess: have a particular quality or ability ~ different skills/ a fortune/ nuclear power tired relax

40. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L73) achieve one’s heart’s desire • If you achieve or get your heart’s desire, you get sb./ sth.___________. • e.g. When she agreed to marry him, he felt he had achieved his ~. • What was Michael Stone’s ~? How did he get his ~? you want very much

41. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L70) we … are too sophisticated for that. • A sophisticated person usually has a lot of ___________, and good judgment about socially important things such as art, fashion, etc. • A ~ machine, system or method is very well designed and very advanced, and often works in a complicated way. experience of life

42. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L79) …my faith in myself falters… • Sth. that falters means sth. that becomes ________ and unable to continue in an effective way. • e.g. The economy is showing the signs of faltering. • faltering: nervous, uncertain or unsteady; becoming les effective or successful weaker

43. After We Read: Writing Genre • What type of writing is this text? (A narration.) • What strategies are adopted to achieve coherence? • How do you like the way she starts and ends the essay? (The end works in concert with the beginning.)

44. After We Read: Vocabulary File • Words related to food : • women’s traditional role: food-provider

45. After We Read: More about Men and Women • Man and Woman • Understanding man • Understanding women

46. Remember to prepare for Listening Quiz 3 next week. See ye.

47. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L44) schedules of military precision • military: relating to the army, navy or airforce • e.g. ~ action/ force/ service • precision: n. If some work is carried out with precision, it is done in a carefully planned and exact way. • precise: adj. (exact, clear and correct) ~ information/ sales figures/ location; to be If you do sth. with military precision, you do it in a very organized and exact way.

48. Detailed Reading: Vocabulary • (L65) bide one’s time: • If you bide your time, you wait until the right moment to do sth. • e.g. They are stronger than us and can afford to bide their time. • Hamlet bided his time, planning revenge. • Can you afford to bide your time in the university?

49. Strategies of achieving coherence • the use of transitional words and phrases e.g. paras 8-10 • the repetition of key words and phrases e.g. the occurrences of Brooklyn Bridge or the bridge, other synonyms • the use of parallel structures e.g. the comparison between “my” daily struggle and the achievements of Kate L.

50. After We Read: Vocabulary File Synonyms: • incredible accomplishments/ modern fairy tale/ fantasy/ dream/ extraordinary deeds • superwoman/ heroine/ supersister/ superheroine