现代大学英语B1U08

1、The Kindness of StrangersMike MclntyreR einforcementT ext AnalysisThe Kindness of StrangersB ackgroundW arming upUnit 8Questions / ActivitiesCheck-on PreviewObjectivesWBTRThe Kindness of StrangersUnit 8Warming upWarming upQuestions / Activities In pairs, tell your partner about any trip youve had so

2、mewhere at home(i.e. the trip from home to BFSU) or abroad, esp. the experience with the kindness of parents, friends and strangers. What did you experience in and learn from the trip? While telling, be very careful with the following things: Order of events (i.e., What happened first? And then what

3、 else happened? Using transitional techniques weve observed in the previous lessons) Correct and complete sentences Tense WBTRCheck-on Preview Match the words with their correct meaning in the text. 答案见备注栏1. addict2. intrigue3. stranded4. entertain5. mottoa. a risky action or decisionb. to invite pe

4、ople to ones home, usually for a mealc. to arouse interest or curiosityd. a short statement used as a guide to behaviore. a person who cannot stop taking drugsf. taking part in an activity or eventg. unable to move from the place where you areWBTRWarming upCheck-on Preview Why did the author decide

5、to start the trip across America? What kind of trip did the writer plan? When and where did the writer set off? How long did it take the writer to finish the trip? What was his destination? Why do you think he chose this as the destination? What did the writer learn about people in general during th

6、e trip? What kind of answer did the writer get for the question in his mind when he started the trip? What is the text mainly about? Do you see any point that can relate this text to The Green Banana? If yes, what is it? And can you show it with any evidence in the text?WBTRWarming upObjectives Unde

7、rstand the structure and the general idea of the story Think about how to interpret the story Know something about the author Solve your own questions about the storyWBTRWarming upBackgroundCulture TipsThe Kindness of StrangersUnit 8GenreAuthorBWTRBackgroundAuthorBWTR The text is adapted from the or

8、iginal article by Mike Mclntyre which appeared in Readers Digest, May 1997.BackgroundGenreA Short Story Plot: The author travelled across the United States alone to find out if people were willing to help strangers. Setting: People in the United States seem to have become more and more indifferent t

9、o other peoples needs. Protagonists: “I” and the people helped “I” Theme: What do you think?BWTR Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?It links the city of San Francisco with Marin County to the north. Since the suspension bridge opened in 1937, it has been one of the principal landmarks of both San Franc

10、isco and California.BackgroundCulture TipsWhere is Cape Fear? A high long narrow piece of land which goes out into the sea in southern North Carolina; on the southern tip of Smith Island, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It was so named because of the treachero

11、us waters surrounding it. A prominent landmark on Cape Fear is its lighthouse. BackgroundCulture TipsWho is Blanche DuBois? A southern woman character in the play called A Streetcar Named Desire (欲望号街车); At the end of the play, she said this well-remembered line before she is taken to an asylum: “Wh

12、oever you are,-I have always depended on the kindness of the strangers.” BackgroundCulture TipsTennessee Williams The author of A Streetcar Named Desire (Pulitzer winner); In this plays, as in many of his other works, Williams explores the intense passions and frustrations of a disturbed and frequen

13、tly brutal society; The story opens with Blanche DuBois coming to New Orleans to visit her sister, the pregnant Stella, and the sisters husband Stanley Kowalski. To get to their apartment, she has to take a streetcar named Desire. Thus the Desire streetcar became the most famous street railway in th

14、e world. BackgroundCulture TipsMore about the Play In 1947 the play opened on Broadway for a two-year run with Marlon Brando as star and Elia Kazan as director. In 1951 the famous play was made into a movie starring: *Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois *Kim Hunter as Stella *Marlon Brando as Stanley Kow

15、alski *Karl Malden as Mitch BackgroundCulture TipsA National Motto In God We Trust, the national motto of the United States. Deriving from the line “And this be our motto, In God is our trust,” in the battle song that later became the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” First appearing

16、 on U.S. coins in 1864 and became obligatory on all U.S. currency in 1955. In 1956 it was made the national motto by act of Congress. BackgroundCulture TipsThe Motto on the United States SealThe official seal of the U.S. government;The American Eagle has its wings spread and carries in its beak a sc

17、roll on which appears the Latin motto E pluribus unum (“From many, one”). It is the United States motto, appearing on the nations coins and on many of its public monuments;The motto was first used to unify the 13 British colonies in North America during the American Revolution(1775-1783), and acquir

18、ed new meaning when the United States received wave after wave of immigrants from many lands;The immigrants had to find ways to reconcile their varied backgrounds and fit together under one constitution and one set of laws. That process of creating one society out of many different backgrounds is on

19、e of the biggest stories of the American experience.BackgroundCulture TipsDetailedAnalysisStructureThemeThe Kindness of StrangersUnit 8Text AnalysisTWBRText AnalysisTheme Based on his personal experience, he concludes one can still depend on the kindness of strangers in the United States.TWBRText An

20、alysisStructure1Paras. 1-5Why the writer started his trip across the United States without any money and his purpose. 2Paras. 6-14How the writer was treated during his trip, showing that most people were kind.3Paras. 15Revealing the theme of the article. In spite of everything, we can still depend o

21、n the kindness of strangers.TWBRText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisMain IdeaSentence ParaphraseWords & ExpressionsExercisePart I Part II Part III TWBRText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart I: Main Idea 1. What happened on the way when the author drove to New Orleans one summer?2. Did he reflect on what h

22、appened that day? What was his reflection? 3. What was the so-called national motto? What does it mean? 4. Why did the author mention Blanche DuBois? 5. What did the author want to do with the journey across the country? 6. What kind of journey was it generally? Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart I:

23、 Sentence Paraphrase He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. (para. 1)Paraphrasing: He held his thumb out and the gas can to show that he was out of gas and needed a lift to the nearest gas station. Generally speaking, at the same time of holding his thumb out, a hitchhiker also h

24、as a board in his hand, on which the name of the place he wants to go is written. Here, the gas can shows that the young man has run out of gasoline for his car. Text AnalysisDetailed Analysis Leaving him stranded in the desert did not bother me so much. (para. 2)Question: Why didnt it bother him so

25、 much? And what does the sentence imply? Because the author thought it was sensible for him to do so and did so indeed as a matter of course as other people would do the same in the situation. It shows that it was really something common. The real issue then was not that he didnt help the young man

26、but that he never thought about offering help to strangers. Part I: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisIt would be cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. (para. 5)Paraphrasing: I would travel without a penny through the country where money was extremely important. Qu

27、estion: What does “the land of the almighty dollar” mean? Why did the journey have to be “cashless”?“The almighty dollar” shows how important money is in the country. It is somehow like God (i.e.; the Almighty God). “Cashless” is used to form the contrast with “almighty”, thus emphasizing how diffic

28、ult the journey would be if people didnt offer any help. Part I: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart I: Words & ExpressionsWordsPhrasesSentence PatternGrammarreach intriguecome uponleave strandeddepend onrely onThere was a time when youd be considered a jerk if functions of the

29、 past continuousfunctions of “would/would not”Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart I: Exercise Translate following sentences.1. 我在伦敦一家旧书店里碰巧发现了这本书。2. 要放心地让你的助手干工作，但不要事事都依赖他。3. 的确曾经有过这样一段时期：夜不闭户，路不拾遗。答案见备注栏Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart II: Main Idea1. When and where did he start his journey? What

30、did he take with him? And how many states did he visit?2. Read Para.7 again and tell what it is mainly about and what role it has in the organization of the text. 3. Take turns and tell what the author experienced in Nebraska, Oregon and Jamestown, Tennessee and his reflections on each of the experi

31、ences.Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart II: Sentence ParaphraseI rose earlyand a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles “America”. (para. 6) Question: Why did he take such a sign? (Was he not in America?)Because what he wanted to do was to discover America and American people. The desti

32、nation of the journey was Cape Fear, just literally, but the real destination was to seek understanding of the country and its people. Further question: What if he took a sign with Cape Fear on it?Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisIn Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming. In Nebra

33、ska they said people would not be as nice in Iowa. (para.7) Question: What do the sentences suggest about the people there?They suggest that the people there (probably people everywhere), were more or less provincial(another sub-concept of ethnocentric?). They tended to make false assumptions about

34、people in other places, i.e. the people in their place were nicer/better than those in other places. Part II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisI didnt know whether to kiss them or scold them for stopping. (para. 8) Why does the author say so? Because the situation when the two little

35、 ladies stopped for the author was, in his eyes, potentially dangerous for them. He says so to emphasize both the kindness and courage the ladies showed in that particular situation.Part II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisOnce when I was hitchhiking unsuccessfully in the rain, a tr

36、ucker pulled over, locking his brakes so hard he skidded on the grass shoulder. (Para. 9) Question: Why did the driver lock the brakes so hard? What does this show about the driver?Because he had to. Otherwise he would not be able to stop right before the author. It shows the mental struggle that wa

37、s probably going on in the drivers mind. He was once robbed at knifepoint by a hitchhiker, which made it more difficult for him to make such a decision at the moment than others. However, he chose to stop finally and his kindness was thereby highlighted. Part II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDeta

38、iled AnalysisThose who had the least to give often gave the most. (para.10) Paraphrasing: Poor people are often more generous. They are often ready/willing to give comparatively more of what they have to those in need than rich people. Question: Do you agree with the author on that? Why/why not?Part

39、 II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisNow were talking, I thought. (para.12) Paraphrasing: Now he knew what I wanted and the talk was going in the right direction. cf. “Now youre talking”used when you think someones suggestion is a very good idea.e.g.A: I suggest we go downtown by tr

40、ain and then take a taxi to the Sears Tower. B: Now youre talking. Part II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed Analysis“When we do, ” he said, “its usually kin.” (Para. 13) Paraphrasing: (The local people do not usually entertain/receive guests at home.) They only do this for their kin relativ

41、es. Question: what does this show about the local people? It shows that they were willing to offer help to those in need even when doing so went against their usual way of living. Part II: Sentence ParaphraseText AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart II: Words & ExpressionsWordsPhrasesSentence PatternGr

42、ammarreflectpotentialclaimlocatebreakthroughhead forwarn sb aboutrun contrary toas a matter of coursebe scheduled to do sth.locking his brakes so hard hearing I had no moneyseeing that it cost $12functions of the what-clause.Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart II: Exercise Translate following sentenc

43、es.1. 我们的雷达探测到某个信号，表明一个不明飞行物正向我城飞来。2. 他们提醒他说，这是危险的工作，但他并不在意。3. 他们定于星期三和他举行会谈。4. 有些孩子理所当然地把到学校上学看作是父母对自己的惩罚。5. 外面的世界以及村子里发生的一切和两位老人心中理想的生活背道而驰。 答案见备注栏Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart III: Main Idea What is the main idea of this paragraph? What is its role in the organization of the story? Text AnalysisDetailed AnalysisPart III: Sentence ParaphraseIn spite of everything, you can still depend on the kindness of strangers. (para.15) Question: What does