The Diamond Necklace: A Story of Sacrifice and Deception

1. Unit 18 The necklace

2. About the Author Guy de Maupassant, the well-known French short story writer and novelist, was born on August 5, 1850. When he was young, he had a great interest in literature(文学). He practised writing literary works under the help of the famous novelist Flaubert. And Balzac was another teacher of his.

3. Maupassant’s stories were built around the everyday life of the simple humble(低下) people. He had a fine use of irony. His style was direct and simple, with attention to realistic details. He saw clearly the toil, sufferings and the bitterly ironic happenings in human lives. At his best , he was able to put into a few pages a life story .

4. His best short story is“The diamond Necklace”, from which our present text is adopted. Almost a hundred years after its first publication, the story still touches the readers deeply to their hearts. Maupassant suffered a great deal from illness in his later life. Yet he struggled to continue writing.He had a short life, and died at the age of 43 in 1893.

5. Scene 1 Answer the following questions: 1.When and where did the story happen? 2.Why didn’t Jeanne recognize Mathilde at first? 3.What had Mathilde’s life been like in the past ten years? 4. Why did Mathilde borrow a necklace from her friend? 5. Where was Pierre Loisel working ? 6. Why had she been working very hard ?

6. 1.When and where did the story happen? It happened in a park , one afternoon in 1870. 2.Why didn’t Jeanne recognize Mathilde at first? She had been working very hard for ten years , so she looked older than her age. 3.What had Mathilde’s life been like in the past ten years? She had been living a hard life. Years of hard work, very little food , only a little room to live in and never a moment to rest.

7. 4. Why did Mathilde borrow a necklace from her friend? Because she and her husband were invited to a ball at the palace,and she thought she needed to borrow some jewellery. 5. Where was Pierre Loisel working ? He was working in a government office. 6. Why had she been working very hard ? Because of the diamond necklace she borrowed from her friend.

8. Language Points: • I’m sorry, but… ( is used to refuse sb. or not agree in good manners) • ---Could you help me to do it ? • ---I’m sorry, but I have something important to do.

9. 2. I don't think I know you.a. I don't think you are right. b. I don't think he will come.c. I don't suppose I shall be back until 8 o'clock.d. I don't think he is going to the party, is he?* I thought you didn't receive my letter.

10. 3. recognize 认出;承认;意识到 know 知道;认识 a. When I met one of my friends last night, I could hardly recognize him b. I recognized his voice on the phone. c. They recognized the book as the best one in the year. d. He recognizes that English is very important.

11. Fill in the blanks with proper forms of “recognize/ know”: • Dogs _________ people by their smell. • Most countries in the world _______________ the new government so far. • We __________ that this is an unpleasant choice to make. • She really _________ facts come from practice. • They all ___________ him to be a great leader. • I _________________ him since he was a child． recognize haverecognized recognize knows recognize haveknown

12. 4.Where have you been all these years, Mathile? a. I didn’t know you were here. b. ---Can you tell me the correct answer? ---Repeat please! I wasn’t listening. c. ---Why were you not present at the meeting? ---I was waiting for a friend who came from Beijing.

13. 5. times: conditions at present or at some specified period Times have been good since 1980. Times are not what they were. in ancient/modern times ahead of time / behind the times/ behind time(be late )

14. Scene 2 Answer the following questions: 1. How did Mathilde feel when her husband told her they had been invited to the ball at the palace? Why? 2.Why was Mathilde worried ? 3. How much did her dress cost her ? 4. What else did she want to wear? 5. What did Pierre suggest ? 6. What did they decide to do ? Why? 7. When did Mathilde decide to see her friend?

15. How did Mathilde feel when her husband told her they had been invited to the ball at the palace? Why? She felt excited. Because it was the first time for them to attend the palace ball. 2.Why was Mathilde worried ? Because she hadn’t got an evening dress. 3. How much did her dress cost her ? It cost her over four hundred francs. 4. What else did she want to wear? She wanted to wear jewellery.

16. 5.What did Pierre suggest ? First he suggested that she should wear a flower. But Mathilde didn’t agree. Then he suggested that she should borrow some jewellery from one of her friends. 6. What did they decide to do ? Why? They decided to ask Jeanne to lend her some jewellery. Because Jeanne married a man with a lot of money. 7. When did Mathilde decide to see her friend? She decided to go and see her on Friday after she got the new dress.

17. Language points: 6.accept (接受,领受;吸收;承认,赞同看法或理论) receive (收到,接到;吸收,承认;获得;接待;遭受) accept a present/an invitation /a gift/one’s idea/theory/ plan receive sb. kindly/ sth. be well received / receive a doctor’s degree

18. Many of them didn’t accept • his scientific idea at that time. 2. I received an invitation to the conference but I wouldn't accept it. 3. He received a good education.

19. 7. above all/after all/not at all/ in all Don’t waste anything. Above all , don’t waste time. Xiao Li didn’t succeed in the game. After all he had done his best. There are more than 5,000 students in all in our school.

20. 8. marry vt/vi 结婚 marry sb. be married to (状态) get married to (动作) marry … to …把……嫁给…… Alice married a man with a lot of money. Miss Li got(was) married to the official three days ago．

21. The old man decided to marry his daughter to a famous writer. She has got married to the Frenchman for at least ten years. 那位科学家四十岁才结婚 The scientist didn't marry until forty.

22. Scene 3 • Answer the following questions: • 1. Did they enjoy the ball at the palace? • 2. What happened on their way home after the ball? • 3. How much did they spend in returning Jeanne’s • necklace? • 4. What was the real price of Jeanne’s necklace?

23. Did they enjoy the ball at the palace? • Yes, very much. • 2. What happened on their way home after the ball? Mathilde found the necklace was not around her necklace any more and lost. 3. How much money did they spend in returning Jeanne’s necklace? Thirty-six thousand francs. • 4. What was the real price of Jeanne’s necklace? Five hundred francs at the most.

24. 9. continue vt/vi继续 Shall we continue our discussion or stop to have a rest? I will continue writing/to write for another year. The rain continued till the next morning.

25. 10.call on/ upon:看望,拜访 (sb.);要求,号召 I’ll call on Mr. Green tomorrow. The Party calls on us to study hard. We shall call on him for a speech.

26. call on 看望,拜访 (sb.);要求,号召 call at 拜访 (s.p) call for 接某人;需要 call in 请进 call up 打电话 He always _____our house before he got married. called at As is said, success _______ hard work. calls for The patient is in great danger. A doctor must _________. be called in

27. 11. pay back:to return money that one is owing (偿还,还钱) • Next week I'll pay back the • money you lent me. b.How can I pay you back for all your kindness ? c. He cheated me but I'll find some way to pay him back.

28. pay back；pay for；pay off • The lady _____ the lazy servant _____ at last. • Has the book been _____？ • We are _______ the fine summer with a wet winter. • Have I _____ you _____ the money you lent me？ • It is a good feeling to _____ the debt after all these years. • You'll _____ what you are doing if you don't stop. • I'll _____ him _____ for what he did to me. paid off paid for paying for paid back pay off pay for pay back

29. 12. worth adj. 值的 . worth +n worth +doing How much is the gold ring worth? The museum is worth a visit/ visiting. This book is worth its price/cost. The magazine is well worth reading.

30. I don't think that is worth the trouble. Do you find the dictionary worth _______(buy) ? buying Nobody knows whether this kind of music is worth listening.

31. Correct the mistakes: • The government has carried out all their promises. • How pretty the flower looks in the girl! • He married his daughter with an engineer. • I don't think it will rain tomorrow，do I? • We've recognized each other for a long time. • The place is worth to visit． __ have _ on __ to __ _____ will it known ___ visiting/ a visit