Integrated English -3

1. Integrated English -3 Unit Twelve Out of Step

2. Background Information (I) 1. About the author Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines (the capital city of Iowa), Iowa, in 1951. A backpacking expedition in 1973 brought him to England where he met his wife and decided to settle. He wrote for the English newspapers The Times and The Independent for many years, writing travel articles to supplement his income. He lived with his family in North Yorkshire before moving back to the States in 1995, to Hanover, New Hampshire, with his wife and four children. In 2003 he and his family moved back to England, where they currently reside.

4. Background Information (II) • 2. His major works • The Lost Continent, Bill Bryson‘s first travel book, chronicles a trip in his mother’s Chevy(雪佛兰汽车) around small town America. Since then, he has written several more, including notable bestsellers, A Walk in the Woods, I'm A Stranger Here Myself (published in Britain as Notes from a Big Country), and In a Sunburned Country (published in Britain as Down Under).

5. The lost Continent A Walk in the woods

6. Background Information (III) • His other books include Bill Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe, Made in America, The Mother Tongue and Bill Bryson's African Diary. His latest book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, was published in Spring 2003.

10. New England • (Paragraph 1) the northeastern region of the United States comprising six states —Maine 缅因州, New Hampshire新罕布什尔州, Vermont 弗蒙特州, Massachusetts马萨诸塞州, Rhode Island罗得岛州, and Connecticut康涅狄格州. The region is thought to have been so named by Captain John Smith because of its resemblance to the English coast (another source has it that Prince Charles, afterward Charles I, inserted the name on Smith's map of the country).

12. The Boston Globe (Para. 14) • The Boston Globe is the most widely –circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. Its circulation ranks in the top 15 daily and top 10 Sunday newspapers in the US. 《波士顿全球时报》

13. Questions on general understanding • What type of writing is this text? What’s the text about? • What’s the author’s purpose of writing? P. 177 • How many parts can the text be divided into? What are they?

14. Exposition • What’s the text about? • It presents the absurdity of the Americans’ dependence on cars. • Purpose of writing: • to point out the fact that Americans walk too little today • Does the author offer any solution to the problem?

15. Does the author offer any solution to the problem? • The author brings Americans to the fact that they walk too little by citing many of his personal experiences as well as others'. He does not write out any solution to the problem; he simply "sounds the siren" as the last sentence of the passage shows: "And if that isn't sad, I don't know what is."

16. Expositive writing • To inform, explain, describe, or define the author’s subject to the reader • To ‘expose’ information • A well-written exposition remains focused on its topic and provides facts in order to inform its reader. It should be unbiased, accurate, and use a scholarly third person tone.

17. Examples of expository writing can be found in magazine and newspaper articles, non-fiction books, travel brochures, business reports, memorandums, professional journal and encyclopedia articles and many other types of informative writing. • One of the most familiar and basic forms of expository writing is the five-paragraph essay, which features an introduction with a clear thesis statement, three main body paragraphs and a conclusion.

18. 3 parts Part I (Para. 1-6) introduction The writer introduces his idea with an anecdote. Part II (Para. 7-12) body The writer presents the fact that the Americans are habituated to using cars for everything. Part III (Para. 13-20) body/conclusion The author explains that pedestrian facilities are neglected or discarded. Text structure

19. Part I –Introduction The writer introduces his idea with an anecdote. • What kind of town is it? • What is considered the author’s “eccentric behavior”? • Why would drivers "depart reluctantly, even guiltily" when their offer was declined?

20. What kind of town is it? • It is a small, pleasant and agreeable town (“pleasant, sedate and compact”). The inhabitants are friendly and willing to help. But although the town is compact, few people go about on foot.

21. 1. sedate:-- tending to avoid excitement or great activity and to be calm and relaxed 安详的，安静的 • She is a sedate old lady; she is caring but never talks much. • The fight against a nuclear power station site has transformed a normally sedate town into a battlefield. • v. to make calm or sleepy, especially with a drug 给…服镇定剂 • The patient was heavily sedated and resting quietly in bed. • Word derivation: sedately ad., sedation n., sedative a. / n. 镇定的；镇定剂

22. 2. eccentric:-- (of people or behavior) unconventional and slightly strange 古怪的 • The old gentleman, who lived alone all his life, was said to have some eccentric habits. • n. a person of unconventional and slightly strange views or behavior 怪人 • The old gentleman enjoyed a colorful reputation as an engaging (pleasing; charming) eccentric.

23. 3. curb:-- a line of raised stones separating the footpath from the road（镶石的）路缘, 路边 ;横放在马嘴里的皮带或铁链 • v. / n. (to place) a control or limit on something undesirable 抑制; 约束 • Poor nutrition can curb a child's development both physically and mentally. • There will be new curbs on drunk-driving from next month. • place/put a curb upon限制…,抑制…

24. Cf. curb, restrain, check, bridle, inhibit • Curb是像用勒马链或皮带那样来约束，如 • You might curb your magnanimity. 你可以收敛一下你的宽宏大量。 • Restrain指对人的行动自由进行约束和限制，如： • He had difficulty restraining his curiosity.他难以抑制住好奇心。 • Check通常指突然或强有力地停止或阻止 • A light to guide, a rob to check the erring.（William Wordsworth）一束引路的光，一根防止犯错误的棍。

25. Bridle 常指压抑或控制自己的感情或激情。 • She tried with all her might to bridle her resentment. • inhibit 常指对某人的行为、意愿、思想或感情的自我施加或非自愿的约束。 • For the complaint child parental disapproval is as strong an inhibiting force as the threat of punishment.对于顺从的孩子，父母的反对是与惩罚的威胁具有同样强烈的抑制力量。

26. What is considered the author's "eccentric behavior"? • Instead of driving a car, the author walks around the town, doing his shopping, going to the movies or visiting the cafe or bar. To people who are used to going everywhere in the car, he is like an eccentric.

27. 3. Why would drivers "depart reluctantly, even guiltily" when their offer was declined? (Para. 6) • With cars becoming the basic essentials of their life, people are so habituated to using the car for everything. The scene of somebody walking around seemed so unusual to them that they would naturally show their concern to those unfortunate people. When their offer to give him a ride was declined, they were sorry for not being able to help the person in need.

28. Oral task • Retell the author’s anecdote and make explicit the thesis statement.

29. Part II –Main body The author presents the fact that the Americans are over-dependent on cars. • What is the main idea of the part? • How does the author support this idea in this part? • Why are the examples described in detail?

30. What is the main idea of the part? • People in the United States are getting used to going anywhere in their cars, however near the destination may be.

31. 4.habituate:-- to accustom by frequent repetition or prolonged exposure • You must habituate yourself to reading aloud. • By the end of the school term, the students had been habituated/accustomed/used to rising at five o'clock. • habituate sb/oneself to sth (fml 文) accustom sb/oneself to sth 使某人[自己]习惯於某事物

32. Sentence -1 • Para. 8 We will go through the most extraordinary contortions to save ourselves from walking. • Paraphrase: As long as we can avoid walking, we are willing to do anything possible, however unnatural or ridiculous it may be.

33. 5. contortion:-- movement of the body or face into an unusual shape or position扭曲，走样 • The spectators cannot but admire the contortions of the gymnasts. • contort: v. -- (to cause something) to twist out of its natural shape

34. Compare: distort, twist, deform, contort, warp • These verbs mean to change and spoil the form or character of something.这些动词都表示变化或损坏某物的外形或特征。

35. To distort is to alter in shape, as by torsion or wrenching; the term also applies to verbal or pictorial misrepresentation and to alteration of the meaning of something:指通过扭转或扭伤使改变形状；该词也可用来指对言语或绘画的曲解和对某物意义歪曲 • The human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it (Francis Bacon). • “人的理解如同一面假镜子，无规律地接收光线，将自己的本质和事物的本质混合起来，从而歪曲和玷污了事物的本质”

36. Twist applies to distortion of form or meaning可用于指对外形的扭曲或对意义的歪曲 : • a mouth twisted with pain • He accused me of twisting his words to mean what I wanted them to. • 他指控我随心所欲地歪曲了他的话。

37. Deform refers to change that disfigures and often implies the loss of desirable qualities such as beauty指使变形，常含有失去优秀品质（如美丽）之意 : • Great erosion deformed the landscape. • 巨大的侵蚀改变了地貌。 • Shoes that are too tight deform the feet. • (穿)太紧的鞋子会使脚变形。

38. Contort implies violent change that produces unnatural or grotesque effects指巨大变化从而产生不自然的或奇异的结果 : • a face contorted with rage由于发怒而使脸部剧烈扭曲 • a contorted line of reasoning歪曲奇异的思路

39. Warp can refer to a turning or twisting from a flat or straight form可指扁型或直线型的改变或扭曲 : • The floorboards had warped over the years.年久变形的地板 • It also can imply the bending or turning of something from a true course or direction也可指某事物正确路线或方向的歪曲或转变 : • Prejudice warps the judgment. • 偏见歪曲了判断

40. Compare: healthful, healthy • healthful adj formal likely to make you healthy; it implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition 有益健康的 • healthful mountain air /a healthful diet 保健饮食 • healthy (1)having good health; well and able to resist disease 健康的; 强健的: • a healthy child, animal, tree 健康的孩子/ 健壮的动物/ 茁壮的树木 • (2) likely to produce good health 可能对健康有益的: • a healthy climate, lifestyle, environment宜于健康的气候/ 生活方式/ 环境. • Healthy and fit both indicate that a person is physically strong and rarely suffers from any physical illness. 均表示人身体强健, 很少生病 • Fit suggests that someone is in good physical condition particularly as a result of taking regular exercise • fit指人的身体状况良好, 尤因经常锻炼所致

41. How does the author support this idea in this part? • Examples are employed to support this idea. • Example 1: A healthy man drove his car for only 16 feet to get to a store next door. • Example 2: A woman rode to the gymnasium to do exercises although it was only a six-minute walk from her front door.

42. Why are the examples described in detail? • In order to show how ridiculous people have become, the author chooses to describe these examples in detail: A fit man rode his car for only 16 feet to get to a store next door; a woman rode to the gymnasium to do exercises although it was only a six-minute walk from her home. The detailed descriptions support the author's idea.

43. Oral task • Discuss why the United States is said to be a nation on the wheel. • 1) the importance of cars • 2) the Americans’ dependence on cars

44. Part III – The author explains that pedestrian facilities are neglected or discarded. • Why did the author say "Actually, I'm surprised it was that much"? • Why did Laconia change its downtown pedestrian mall to one with parking lots?

45. Why did the author say "Actually, I'm surprised it was that much"? (Para.14) • When the author found that the newly planned suburbs totally overlooked pedestrian needs, he assumed there was no budget for pedestrian facilities at all. So he says he was surprised to learn that there actually was less than one percent of the budget on it. • Here the author writes with a touch of irony.

46. 6. bring something home to somebody:-- to make somebody realize something • The news report has broughthometous all the plight of the prisoners of war. • drive something home to somebody:-- to make somebody realize something, especially by saying it often, loudly, angrily, etc.使某人充分认识或理解某事物（尤指经常地﹑ 大声地﹑ 愤怒地说）: • I drove home to him that he must be here by ten. • 我跟他说得清清楚楚: 他必须十点钟以前到这里.

47. Cf. no more than; not more than; no more… than; not more…than • No more than强调少，意为“只有，不过，仅仅” • He has no more than five dollars on him. • No more…than含有消极、否定的意思，否定前后两个部分，但重点往往在前一个分句，意为“A与B都不…,不…也不…” • He is no more diligent than you.他和你都不勤奋。 • Not more…than含有积极、肯定的意思，表示程度上的差异 • He is not more diligent than you.他没有你那样勤奋。 • No less than=as much as “多达”“竟有…之多”“不少于” • His son has read no less than 50 English books.(强调多） • No less…than前后均为肯定，“正是”“和…一样” • Sunlight is no less necessary than fresh air to a healthy body. 日光和新鲜空气对身体健康是同样必不可少的。

48. entertain • entertain an idea/hope/thought etcformal to consider an idea etc, or allow yourself to think that something might happen or be true怀着,抱着;持有 • I have never entertained any illusions about him. • 我从来没有对他抱过幻想。 • He refused to entertain our proposal. • 他拒不考虑我们的提议.

49. 7. negotiate:-- to get over or past (an obstacle, etc.) successfully; to manage to travel along a difficult route超越, 越过;顺利通过 • The only way to negotiate the path is on foot. • negotiate a deep river 成功地渡过了一条深河 • The car negotiated the sharp curve by slowing down. • 该车减速驶过急转弯。

50. Sentence -2 • Para. 17 … I was possibly the only person ever to have entertained the notion of negotiating that intersection on foot. • Paraphrase:... I was very likely the only person who had ever attempted to cross that intersection on foot.