Book two

1. Book two unit7 The Virtues of Growing Older

2. The Virtues of Growing Older • Lead-in Activities tewxt1 • Text-structure Analysis • language points • text2

3. lead-in activity

4. Pre-reading questions • (1) Suppose you are making a deal with the devil, trading your youth for whatever you want. What would you trade your youth for? Why? • (2) What would you like your life to be when you are retired?

5. The Virtues of Aging by Jimmy Carter • "We are not alone in our worry about both the physical aspect of aging and the prejudice that exists toward the elderly, which is similar to racism or sexism. What makes it different is that the prejudice also exists among those of us who are either within this group or rapidly approaching it.

6. When I have mentioned the title of this book to a few people, most of them responded, 'Virtues? What could possibly be good about growing old?' The most obvious answer, of course, is to consider the alternative to aging. But there are plenty of other good answers--many based on our personal experiences and observations.

7. What, in your opinion, are the advantages and disadvantages of growing older? • What do you think are the virtues of being young? • How should the whole society take care of the old people? • Describe some of the occasions that people show their concern to the old.

8. poor memory • Will You Marry Me? • A widower and widow had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. These two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered up his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"

9. After about six seconds of 'careful consideration,' she answered. "Yes. Yes, I will."The meal ended and with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective homes. • Next morning, he was troubled. Did she say "yes" or did she say "no"? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory.

10. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained to her that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?"He was delighted to hear her say, "Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she continued, "And I am so glad that you called...because I couldn't remember who had asked me."

11. poor health • I'm Dead • An older couple is lying in bed one morning, having just awakened from a good night's sleep. He takes her hand and she responds, "Don't touch me.""Why not?" he asks.She answers back, "Because I'm dead."

12. The husband says, "What are you talking about? We're lying here in bed together talking to one another."She says, "No, I'm definitely dead."He insists, "You're not dead. What in the world makes you think you're dead?""Because I woke up this morning and nothing hurts."

13. poor hearing • Hearing Test • An elderly gentleman feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked. The doctor made an appointment for a hearing test in two weeks, and meanwhile suggested the husband try a simple informal test to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem.

14. 'Here's what you do," said the doctor, "start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.“ • That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for supper?"No response.

15. So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for supper?" Still no response.Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for supper?"

16. Again he gets no response so he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for supper?" Again there is no response, so he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for supper?"Finally he hears this response: "Damn it Earl - for the fifth time - chicken!"

17. Success • At age 4 success is...not peeing in your pants. • At age 12 success is...having friends. • At age 16 success is...having a drivers license. • At age 20 success is...having sex. • At age 35 success is...having money.

18. At age 50 success is...having money. • At age 60 success is...having sex. • At age 70 success is...having a drivers license. • At age 75 success is...having friends. • At age 80 success is...not peeing in your pants.

19. text-structure analysis

20. Text Comprehension • 1. General questions • (1) What is the writer’s attitude towards growing old? • (2) What are the main benefits of growing old listed in the text? • (3) What examples does the writer use to illustrate each of the benefits?

21. text structure • Part 1(Para.1-2): the two paragraphs make up the first part of the text. • Part 2(Para.3-5): the writer, in paragraph three, offers the first advantages of growing older – not being obsessed with one’s appearance.

22. The second advantage is discussed in paragraph 4—people in their forties are less uncertain than adolescents. • Paragraph 5 presents the third and the greatest benefit of growing older

23. Part 3(Para.6): after sharing her own experience in contrast to adolescents’ problems with the readers, in this paragraph the writer turns the issue to the similar to the one mentioned in the first paragraph: the validity of American values on the aging problem.

24. language points

25. Part one （1-2） • 1. Why do people want to hide their gray hair and delay the effect of aging? • 2. What does the writer mean when she says “it’s un-American to say so”? • 3. Does the writer deny the virtues of being young?

26. worship • 1.to show respect and love for a god, especially by praying in a religious building. • a church where people have worshipped for hundreds of years • 2.to admire and love someone very much • He absolutely worships her. • 3. worship the ground somebody walks on to admire or love someone so much that you cannot see their faults

27. Hero-worship: great admiration for sb. who is thought to be very brave, good, skilful etc - often used to show disapproval • They bowed their heads in worship. • Your/His Worship: to talk to or about a public official such as a mayor or magistrate • act of worship (=religious ceremony)

28. convince: v. to bring by the use of argument or evidence to firm belief or a course of action convince sb of … • 除非你能说服我这次活动的安全性，否则我不会批准。 • I won’t approve this operation unless you can convince me of its safety. • convincing & convinced. • He is so ____ of his own theory that it is impossible to turn him around. • I had to let him go, because his reasons are very ____.

29. Grecian Formula

30. Oil of Olay

31. jog • to run slowly and steadily, especially as a way of exercising • I go jogging every morning. • to knock or push something lightly by mistake [= bump] You jogged my elbow. • jog somebody's memory to make someone remember something

32. Dread • to feel great fear or anxiety about • E.g. I’ve got an interview with the bank manager tomorrow – I’m dreading it. • E.g. He always dreaded asking them for their rent because he knew it would end in an argument. Aging • the process of growing old • E.g. Our society is full of attitudes towards aging and old people.

33. Age bracket: the people between two particular ages, considered as a group [= age group] =age range • single people in the 40-50 age bracket • the age of consent the age when someone can legally get married or have a sexual relationship

34. the New Age movement: relating to spiritual beliefs, types of medicine, and ways of living that are not traditional Western ones • Old age pension: money that is paid regularly by the state to old people who do not work any more = social security

35. Distinct • noticeable; unmistakable • E.g. There is a distinct possibility that she’ll be appointed manager of the company. • clearly different or belonging to a different type distinct types/groups/categories etc • distinct from • A distinct lack of enthusiasm

36. Para 3 • The first advantage of growing older---not being obsessed. The technique of contrast is used to project the difference between adolescents and people in their forties. They are focused on 2 aspects: the shape of their bodies and clothes. With her own experience, the writer drive home her point.

37. be apt to do something to have a natural tendency to do something • exactly right for a particular situation or purpose [= appropriate] • 'Love at first sight' is a very apt description of how he felt when he saw her. • The punishment should be apt for the crime. • an apt pupil/student formal a student who is quick to learn and understand

38. Obsess: if something or someone obsesses you, you think or worry about them all the time and you cannot think about anything else - used to show disapproval • (be) obsessed with/by • to have an unreasonably strong and continuous interest in particular things or persons • E.g. She became obsessed in her old age with what to do with her immense wealth.

39. be obsessing about/over something/ somebody (informal) to think about something or someone much more than is necessary or sensible • Stop obsessing about your hair. It's fine. • A lot of young girls are obsessed by their weight

40. Mega-: a million - used with units of measurement; extremely; very big • 1000 megawatts of electricity • Her family is megarich! • a megastore (giga-: a billion) • Adj. very big and impressive or enjoyable • Their first record was a mega hit.

41. diet • V. to limit the amount and type of food that you eat, in order to become thinner • N. the kind of food that a person or animal eats each day balanced/healthy/poor etc diet • Bamboo is the panda's staple diet (=main food). • a diet of something too much of an activity that you think is boring or has bad effects • Kids today are raised on a constant diet of pop music and television.

42. Plead: to ask for something that you want very much, in a sincere and emotional way [= beg]: plead with somebody (to do sth.) • plead guilty/not guilty/innocent • She stayed home from work, pleading illness. • The wife of one of the hostages appeared on TV last night to plead for her husband’s life.

43. Freak: someone who is extremely interested in a particular subject so that other people think they are strange or unusual • a fitness / religious / computer freak • someone who is considered to be very strange because of the way they look, behave, or think [= weirdo] • These glasses make me look like a freak.

44. tailor: v. to fit or provide (a person) with clothes made to that person‘s measurements; to make, alter, or adapt for a particular end or purpose 我们应该使自己的知识符合社会的需要。 • We should tailor our knowledge to the need of the society. • tolerate: v. • tolerance (n), tolerant (adj.), tolerable (adj.), intolerable (adj.) • If I can be ____ of this monstrosity, then there is nothing _____ to me.

45. Tolerant: adj. allowing people to do, say, or believe what they want without criticizing or punishing them • tolerant of/towards, a tolerant society • Tolerable: a situation that is tolerable is not very good, but you are able to accept it • The heat in this room is barely tolerable.

46. Agony: very severe pain; a very sad, difficult, or unpleasant experience • extreme mental or physical pain or suffering • E.g. He lay in agony until the doctor arrived. • He was in agonies of remorse. • Agony aunt: someone who writes an agony column

47. Deny oneself • not to allow oneself to have something that one normally has; to decide not to have something that you would like, especially for moral or religious reasons: • E.g. He denied himself all small pleasures and luxuries in his effort to live a holy life. • deny that/doing something • there's no denying (that/something)

48. 为了保持身体苗条，她克制自己不吃冰激凌。 To keep slim, she denied herself ice-cream. to refuse to allow someone to have or do sth. His parents denied him the opportunity to go to university. She could deny her son nothing.

49. Pecan pie

50. Lanky: someone who is lanky is tall and thin, and moves awkwardly [= gangling]: • Leggy: a woman is tall and attractive with long legs • Giant: a man is very tall, esp. when you are surprised.