Text A

1. Text A Writing for Myself

2. Text A Writing for Myself Part I Pre-reading Part IIWhile-reading Part IIIPost-reading

3. Pre- reading questions • 1. If you are required to write a composition, whom do you write it for? Yourself or your teacher? • 2. Have you ever written anything for yourself? If yes, what’s your topic? • 3. Have you ever thought of becoming a writer? How about now?

4. Spaghetti and the proper way of eating Spaghetti is the Italian-style thin noodle, cooked by boiling and served with sauce. Usually you would put a fork into a plate of spaghetti, turn the fork several times so that spaghetti will wind around the fork, then place the fork into your mouth. It’s impolite to suck.

5. Russell Baker • born in Loudoun County, Virginia. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in English he worked as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun from 1947-54, starting as a police reporter and working his way up through the ranks to London correspondent and to White House reporter.

6. Russell Baker He joined the New York Times in 1954 in Washington and covered the White House, Congress, State Department and politics. In 1962 he began writing his "Observer" column for the New York Times op-ed page and continued to write that column for 36 years until Dec. 25, 1998. In his farewell column, he noted that he had written some 3 million words.

7. Russell Baker • Baker won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1979, and another in 1983, for biography, for his memoir, "Growing Up." In addition to that memoir, which became a best-seller, Baker has published more than a dozen other books, including, "There's a Country in My Cellar," "Poor Russell’s Almanac," and "Russell Baker’s Book of American Humor."

8. Russell Baker • He served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. • Since 1993, he has been the host of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS, where he introduces the wonderful dramas that appear on that program. Baker eventually returned to his Virginia roots—Leesburg, Virginia, the town he affectionately called Burgville in his columns.

9. Pulitzer prizes awarded annually for outstanding achievements in journalism, literature, and music. Named after Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911), the Hungarian-born US newspaper publisher, the prizes were established by Pulitzer's will.普利策奖一年一度颁发给在新闻、文学和音乐领域有突出业绩的人士。该奖以匈牙利裔美国报纸出版商的瑟夫.普利策（1847－1911）的名字命名，是根据他的遗愿而设立的。

10. Text organization Part I: Baker was bored by everything associated with English courses, including writing. Part II: Baker found himself attracted by one particular topic and wrote about it for his own joy. Part III: The experience of writing the essay helped him discover his talent for writing and realize what he wished to do in life.

11. Pair work • 1. How did baker used to feel about English courses? • 2. When did he begin to think it possible for him to become a writer? • 3. What did Baker hear about Mr. Fleagle? • 4. What was his own impression(印象）of his new English teacher? • 5. Why did he put off the writing assignment till the last minute? • 6. What was the topic that held his attention?

12. Pair work • 7. Why did he want to write about that topic? • 8. What did he think Mr. Fleagle would do if he were to write the essay the way he wanted? Why? • 9. What was Baker prepare for when he found all the papers were given back but his? • 10 What was Mr. Fleagle’s announcement? • 11. Whose essay was Mr. Fleagle reading to the class? How did the class respond(反应）? • 12. Why did Baker feel so delighted?

13. Para. 1 • Questions: • 1. When did the author’s dream of becoming a writer seem possible? • 2. Why had he felt bored by everything associated with English courses?

14. Para. 2 • Questions: • 1. What did the students think of Mr. Fleagle? • 2. According to Mr. Baker, which word would vividly describe Mr. Fleagle? • 3. How many “prim” is used in this paragraph?

15. Para. 3 • Questions: • 1. What can we learn from the word “prepared for”? • 2. What are the words that show the author has no interest in the composition?

16. Para 4 • Questions: • What kind of dish was spaghetti in those days? • What can we infer from the word “vivid”? • What is the possible relationship between “I” and “Doris”?

17. Para. 5 • Questions: • What words suggest that the author is thinking of sth. in the past? • Pick out the phrases which show that the author only writes for himself. • Why did the author repeatedly emphasize that it is written for himself? • Try to find out the repetitions used in this Para.. What does the writer want to convey?

18. Para. 6 • Questions: • Supposing there were still enough time, would the author write another one?

19. Para. 8 • 1) Even Mr. Fleagle stopped … smile.: Even Mr. Fleagle stopped twice or three time to prevent himself from smiling. • ☆ hold back: prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.) • e.g. People could hardly hold back their anger when they found that millions of dollars of public funds had been used to build luxurious houses for city officials. • Questions: • 1). Can you imagine the scene of the classroom? • I: • The class: • Mr. Fleagle: • 2). What do you think of the composition?

20. Para. 9 • 1) In the eleventh grade … calling.:In the eleventh grade, and one might say at the last • possible moment, I had found something I had wished to take up as a career. • ☆ the eleventh hour: the last moment before sth important happens • e.g. The president’s visit was called off at the eleventh hour. • (Here ‘calling’ means profession or trade.) • Questions: • 1. What’s the essence of an essay according to the author? 2. Read the first paragraph again to understand coherence of the article.

21. synonymous words and phrases. • dull, lifeless, cheerless, tedious • turn out. Write, compose, put down • anticipate, prepare for • formal, rigid, prim, correct, proper, respectable • vivid memories of sth. Come flooding back to sb., sth. Reawakes in one’s mind, sb. recalls sth. • Recapture, relive • Pleasure, delight, happiness • Contempt, ridicule • Topic, title

22. Comprehension According to the text, please decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

23. Para. 1-2 1. The author always enjoyed his English Classes in high school. 2. He wanted to become a writer since he was little. • 3. The author’s third-year English teacher would most likely make the English class even more boring • 4. The word “primly” has a negative meaning.

24. Para. 3-5 • 5. For a long time Mr.Fleagle proved to be tedious and boring. • 6. Almost all the topics the teacher asked the class to write were tedious and boring. • 7. Baker picked the topic “ The Art of Eating Spaghetti” because he liked to eat spaghetti. • 8. The author wrote the essay for the teacher.

25. Para. 6-9 • 9. Baker turned in the paper on eating spaghetti because he felt he wrote a good essay. • 10. Mr. Fleagle read out loud Baker’s essay because he thought the essay was well written. • 11. The whole class did not seem to like Baker’s essay. • 12. The teacher’s comments on essay seemed to change Baker’s attitude toward writing.

26. Pair work • One of you asks the first six questions and the other answers. Starting from question 7,change roles. When you have finished, the teacher may want to put some of the questions to you for a check.

27. Group work • Break into small groups and discuss the following questions. Later the teacher may want to ask some of you to report the answers of your group to the class.

28. Group work • 1. As a student, Baker was long bored by writing compositions. Later, however, his attitude changed completely. What do you think brought about this change? • 2. Mr. Fleagle says” it’s of the very essence of the essay”, yet he gives no further explanation. Think it over. What does he mean? • 3. How do you understand the title “Writing for Myself”?

29. Useful Expressions AR_1.Useful Expressions-1 off and on 1. 断断续续 2.对…感到腻味 be bored by ... 3. 觉得…枯燥难懂 find ... dull and difficult have a reputation for... 4. 以…而出名 sb. be said to be ... 5. 据说某人…

30. Useful Expressions AR_1.Useful Expressions-2 6. 拘谨刻板，落后于时代 formal, rigid and out-of-date 7.随笔小品文 an informal essay 8. 躺在沙发上 lie on a sofa 9. 不得不面对… face up to ... be seated around the supper table 10. 围坐在晚餐桌旁

31. Useful Expressions AR_1.Useful Expressions-3 11.…重现在我脑海中 ... reawake in my mind 12. 自得其乐 for my own joy 13. 违反规定 violate the rules 14. 不及格分 a failing grade There is no choice but to do... 15. 别无选择，只好做…

32. Useful Expressions AR_1.UsefulExpressions-4 what’s more 16. 更不可思议的是 17. 专心听讲 listen attentively 18. 乐乎乎地开怀大笑 laugh with open-hearted enjoyment 19. 心花怒放 pure delight 20. 最后的时刻 at the eleventh hour

33. Synonyms AR_2.Synonyms-1 Find out the synonymous words and phrases from Text A for the words and phrases below. dull (L. 4): lifeless (L. 5), cheerless (L. 8), tedious (L. 8) turn out (L. 5): write (L. 6), put down (L. 34), compose (L. 41) anticipate (L. 8): prepare for (L. 16) formal (L.10): rigid (L. 10), prim (L. 11), correct (L. 15), proper (L. 41), respectable (L. 41)

34. Synonyms AR_2.Synonyms-2 Find out the synonymous words and phrases from Text A for the words and phrases below. vivid memories of sth. come flooding back to sb. (L.25): sth. reawakes in sb’s mind (L. 30), sb. recalls sth.(L. 31) relive (L. 36) recapture (L. 35): delight (L. 55), happiness (L. 58) pleasure (L. 54): ridicule (L. 52) contempt (L. 52): title (L. 24) topic (L. 22):

35. Class Is Over