This year it ’ s going to be different

1. This year it’s going to be different

2. Pre-reading questions • 1. what’s the implied meaning of the title? • 2. how do you understand the expression “ New Year’s resolution”? • 3. why does the man say “this year it’s going to be different”? • 4. what sort of resolutions had he made in previous year? • How do his New Year’s resolutions for this year differ from previous ones?

3. What kinds of the type of this text? • This is a light , humorous piece of writing. The writer gives us a vivid account of how his New Year’s resolutions, perfect as they seemed, ended in total failure. This narrative is a delight to read because of its light touch of humor throughout.

4. Language points • 1. resolution: Noun. Decision or mental pledge to do or not to do sth; resolve. • New year’s resolution—something one makes up one’s mind to do at the beginning of a new year in order to be and do better in the year ahead. • Courage and resolution are the spirit and soul of virtue. 勇敢和决心是美德的灵魂 . • He made a New Year’s resolution to give up smoking. • She’s always making good resolutions but she never carries them out.

5. You get out of them what you put in----as you sow, so you will reap. • Law of cause and effect • In order to succeed, we need to understand the law of cause and effect and the relationship between actions and results. • For every effect, there is a cause. The law of cause and effect is the same as the law of sowing and reaping. The law of sowing and reaping says five things:

6. 1. we must have the desire to sow. Desire is the starting point. • 2.what we sow, so shall we reap. If we sow potatoes, we are only going to reap potatoes, not tomatoes. • 3. we must sow before we reap. Sowing takes place before reaping; we must give before we get. We cannot expect the fireplace to give us heat before we put in the fuel. • 4. when we sow a seed, we do not reap a fruit, our harvest is manifold. If we sow a positive seed our harvest will be manifold in the positive, and if we sow a negative one the harvest shall be manifold in the negative. • 5. a farmer knows that we cannot sow and reap in the same day. There is always a period of gestation.

7. But this year was going to be different. • Why this year was going to be different? • How did the writer try to make this year different from other years? • He had read a number of books on self—improvement before he made his resolutions. He wrote out a long list of resolutions. He wanted to make a different man of himself—a loving father and an ideal husband—by trying to attend to everyone’s needs.

8. I read books on self—improvement before I wrote my list. • Self—improvement—the act of improving oneself. This is a compound noun formed with “ self.” more examples: • Self-control self—determination • Self—reliance self—respect

9. Pretty clearly, anyone who followed my collection of rules would be blessed with a richer life, boundless love from his family, and the admiration of the community. • Pretty clearly—very clearly • Be blessed with—anyone would be lucky enough to have an interesting and eventful life. The literal meaning of bless is “ ask God’s favour or protection for,” e.g.

10. The priest blessed the people in the Parish. • Be blessed with, however, only means “to have something such as an ability, a good quality, which is admired or which is an advantage to a person.” e.g.,. • God bless you! • My eighty-year-old grandmother is blessed with good health. • His brother is blessed with an inquisitive mind.

11. How to paraphrase this sentence? • Quite obviously, anyone who was determined to be guided by the rules of self-improvement I collected would be happy and have a richer life, infinite affection from his family and the love and respect of the community.

12. Boundless love • Bound • She is bound to find out. • I feel bound by my promise. • Bound up with • I am bound to say/admit. • I’ll be bound.

13. Boundless love— • Bound to do sth—certain to do sth • These problems were almost bound to arise. • Bound to do sth—obliged to do sth • The president said the country could not be held bound by a treaty signed by the previous regime.

14. I tiptoed over and kissed her on the back of the neck.(resolution No 1: be spontaneous in showing affection.) She shrieked and dropped a cup. “Don’t ever sneak up on me like that again!” • The kitchen sink—a large basin in a kitchen fixed to a wall with pipes to supply and carry away water, and used for washing plates, vegetables, and various kinds of food.

15. Sneak up on—creep up on, come near quietly and unnoticed. More example: • My mother’s hair was turning grey as age sneaked up on her. • The girls were so absorbed in playing hide-and-seek that they didn’t notice darkness sneaking up on them.

16. be spontaneous in showing affection—show your love readily and willingly. • Spontaneous--proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external constraint • Spontaneous peasant rebellion • Both sides burst into spontaneous cheers at the skillful play.

17. Affection • Inspiring love or affection. • 爱恋的引起爱情或情感的 • He’ll be remembered with genuine affection. • I have a deep affection for his mother. • I yearn for the love and affection I once had.

18. tiptoe: (intr.) to walk or move quietly on one's toes • I tiptoed past the sleeping child. • on tiptoe • The children were on tiptoe before the birthday party. (full of anticipation; eager)

19. be on tiptoe of excitement 非常兴奋 • be on tiptoe with curiosity 充满好奇心, 好奇得心里发痒 • be on the tiptoe of expectation 殷切地期待; 翘首而望

20. “You’re looking lovely this morning.” I said. (A sincere compliment is worth its weight in gold.) • Whole-hearted and genuine praise is very valuable. • Sincere -Please accept my sincere congratulations. • 请接受我最衷心的祝贺。 • Compliment--A delicately phrased compliment • 使人快乐的；令人愉快的

21. “look,” she said, “it wasn’t my idea to stay out until four a.m.” • Look in this context is an interjection which is used for emphasizing a point before making a statement, often when one is angry. Sometimes look here is used to express the same meaning and feeling. More examples: • Look, I don’t mind your opening the window, but you shouldn’t let the child sit in the draught. • Look here, where are your manners? How can you talk to your grandmother like that? • What’s the implied meaning of this sentence ? • I didn’t want to remain outside as late as four in the morning.

22. Our five—year---old ---our five-year-old son. • What makes a watch run—say used in this way is an Americanism. It is used to attract attention or to express surprise. More examples: • Say, how come you’re here! • Say, what makes the lid of the kettle go up when the water’s boiling?

23. In the old days I would have told him to ask his mother. Instead, I got a pencil and drew a sketch of the escapement mechanism. (always encourage your child’s curiosity.) It took about the fifteen minutes, and Sammy wandered off several times, but I kept calling him back.”“there,” I said, “that’s what makes your watch run.”

24. Then how come it doesn’t?—he asked • Why doesn’t it run? • Roy sure is smart.—Roy certainly is bright/clever. Sure meaning certainly is an example of American colloquialism. • He sure will come. • It sure is hot today.

25. Meet your child at his own level—join your children and treat them as your equals. • It isn’t either happy—it’s really unhappy or it isn’t happy , either. • Probably a coronary—a coronary:an attack of coronary thrombosis • Here Gretchen is using a grown-up’s medical term which refers to the formation of a clot in the blood vessel which supplies blood directly to the heart, resulting in obstruction of that coronary artery.

26. “come on, a pretty girl like you,” • Come on—this is an expression used to encourage the person spoken to, or persuade/convince him or her. It may also express irritation or impatience. More examples: • Come now, you can do it yourself. • Come now, of course you can come to the lecture.

27. I said jovially—I’ll bet the fellows are swarming around. • I’m sure many young men are after you. The literal meaning of Bet is “risk on the result of a future event .examples • He betted his friend 100yuan that team A would defeat team B in the semi-final. But when informally used. But means “be certain that something will happen” example: • I bet it’ll clear up tomorrow just for the football game. • I’ll bet our alumni get-together will be a great success. • You bet is used informally as an emphatic way of saying “yes”. Example: • Are you coming to the farewell party for Mrs. Thomson?-you bet

28. A scout knife---a knife used by a boy scout, who is member of an organization for boys intended to develop character and teach self-reliance, discipline and public spirit. • Boy scout/girl scout • I suggested that they carve something for their mother-like a salad spoon • I suggested that they should carve something for their mother, for example, a salad spoon, by using the scout knife. • Carve is subjunctive. A subjunctive verb is often used in the that-clause after such verbs as suggest, request, insist, recommend, etc. • A salad spoon—a big wooden or plastic spoon used to serve or mix a dish of cold, sliced vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes seasoned with oil.

29. “I know you’re not feeling your best after last night,” she said, “but I’m getting a little tired of these smart remarks. Would you mind taking the garbage out? • You’re not in your right mind. • Garbage is American English, its British equivalent is rubbish. The following are a few examples of differences between British English and American English.

30. The most trivial chore can prove rewarding if approached with zest. • Do you have to be so sarcastic?

31. Only Sammy got his feet wet—but Sammy got his feet wet. Only is here a conjunction meaning “but, except that”. another example: • You can use any of these tools, only you must put them back in good order after using.

32. Trying to establish some kind of rapport • Rapport—close agreement and understanding , sign of a good relationship. More examples: • Emperor Titus was always in rapport with his people because of his openness, sincerity,and high sense of responsibility. • Our state leaders often visit various countries of the world in order to develop some kind of rapport with them.

33. I touched on hippies, pop music, dating, morality and so on. • Hippies—young people who rejects established mores, advocates nonviolence ,and often uses psychedelic drugs or marijuana; also : a longhaired unconventionally dressed young person • Pop music— classic music, new age, blues, jazz • Morality—moral conduct

34. Anybody else would have thrown in the sponge. • Would have admitted defeat and given up doing . • I swear I don’t know—I must say I don’t know. • Swear—say firmly and emphatically. This verb is used here informally. • Swear has different meanings in different contexts. Examples: • She swore on her honor that she had done nothing of that sort. • They shouted and swore at each other.

35. I found the boys whittling on my best salad spoon, and then they had the nerve to say you suggested it.-they were rude enough to say that…the literal meaning of nerve is 神经, but have the nerve to do something means “shock or anger someone by doing something rude or disrespectful.” example: • How could she have the nerve to say such a thing in public! • Nerve may also mean “courage, determination, and self-control.” • I hadn’t the nerve to speak before so many people. • What a nerve! Means “what impudence! How rude of you!

36. And kit has been in a poisonous mood • In a very bad temper. • I was only making small talk • Stop talking! I was only talking about unimportant matters. • Hold it---stop something one is doing. This short sentence is usually used as a command. • The space shuttle was about to be launched into space when from the control tower came the order, “hold it!”

37. It made me sick –it made me disgusted, it annoyed me. • You never bothered with small talk before. Why start now? • You never troubled yourself to chat with people in the past. Why do you want to start doing it now?

38. If the kids do something and you get mad, they know where they stand. • If you become angry, they know they are wrong. • I been in more trouble today— • I’ve been in more trouble today than any other day. • And yelled, Sammy said, and said “ damitall”. • I think it was better when you yelled and said damitall. • Damitall—damn it all. This expression is used to express strong anger, annoyance or impatience.

39. The fact is, you don’t deserve the father you’ve got. • Deserve—be entitled to • Because of actions , conduct and qualities • Like doing your homework, cleaning your rooms, letting the spoons alone • Not doing anything to the spoons

40. And when I tell you to do something, jump! • Jump—hurry up and do it. • Furthermore-addition • Sprawled on the floor • Sprawled on—to lie or sit with limbs spread out irregularly