Key-to-Unit1.doc

I. A brief introduction to 1. Alex Palmer Haley (1921- 1992)American biographer, scriptwriter, and novelist, whose most famous work is ROOTS, a publishing phenomenon and international bestseller. Haley traced in it his ancestry back to Africa and covered seven American generations, starting from his ancestor, Kunta Kinte. The book was adapted to television series, and woke up an interest in genealogy, particularly among African-Americans. Haley himself commented that the novel was not so much history as a study of mythmaking: What Roots gets at in whatever form, is that it touches the pulse of how alike we human beings are when you get down to the bottom, beneath these man-imposed differences.When Roots appeared in 1976, it gained both critical and popular success, although the truth and originality of the book raised some doubts. James Baldwin concluded in his New York Times review, that the novel suggests how each of us are vehicle of the history which have produced us. On the other hand - representing a minority opinion - Michael Arled dismissed the book and television series as Haleys own fantasies about going home. The story starts from Juffure, a small peaceful village in West Africa in 1750, and ends in Gambia, in the same village, after several generations. However, Haley did not claim that it is possible to return to some Paradise, but depicted realistically his ancestors life and how the villagers suffered occasionally from shortage of food. 2. Greenwich Village Greenwich Village (pronounced /rnt vld/), often simply called the Village, is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families.3. Pulitzer PrizeA Pulitzer Prize is an American prize awarded for distinction in the arts. The Pulitzer Prizes are particularly associated with journalism, but prizes are also awarded in the fields of music and literature. A win is a great honor, especially for a newspaper, with the all time record for Pulitzer Prizes held by the New York Times, with 95 collective Pulitzers as of 2007. Incidentally, the pronunciation, according to Columbia University, is “pull it sir.”The prizes are named for Joseph Pulitzer, a prominent late 19th and early 20th century journalist who revolutionized the New York World, a major New York City newspaper. Under Pulitzer, the paper became renowned for hard-hitting investigative journalism, and it also contributed to public service through a variety of public campaigns. One year after Pulitzers death in 1911, the Columbia University School of Journalism was founded, and in 1917 the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded by a panel of judges drawn from this institution and “persons of distinction.” The Pulitzer board continues to include academics and scholars from Columbia University, as well as prestigious members of the news community.4. NAACPThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP and pronounced N-double-A-C-P, is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. Its mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Its name, retained in accord with tradition, is one of the last surviving uses of the term colored people.The NAACP bestows the annual Image Awards for achievement in the arts and entertainment, and the annual Spingarn Medals for outstanding positive achievement of any kind, on deserving African Americans. It has its headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. II. Essence for this unitMain idea: Haley recalled how he kept writing in spite of setbacks and poverty and succeeded in becoming a writer at last.-it takes Haley the courage and persistence to stay the course in the Shadowland.III. New words1. requite vt. repay; give in return2. prospect n.: sth. expected, hoped for, looked forward to3. siren n. : device for producing a loud shrill noise as a warning4. station vt. : put sb., oneself , a military, a naval force at or in a certain place5. tease v. : make fun of (sb.) playfully or unkindly6. crumpled adj.: folded and creased7. veteran n. : a person who has had much or long exoerience, esp. as a soldier8. morsel n.: tiny piece of,9. wilt vt.: lose freshness10. dazzling adj.: not see clearly because of having too muc light11. limelight n.: intense white light produced by 12. exhilarate v.: (usu. passive) fill with high spirits, much excite13. corrod vt.: wear away slowly by chemical action or disease14. riptide n.: rough tideIV. Phrases & expressions1. cherish the fond dream of becoming: the nice dream of ( a fond mother/ fond looks: loving and kind; fond hopes/ambitions: held, but unlikely to be realized )2. Many a person does sth.3. encourage sb. to do sth./ discourage sb. from doing sth.4. The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. ( Trans: .)5. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never requited. requite vt. repay; give in return e.g. kindness with ingratitude an obligation 6. When I left a 20-year-career in the freelance writer, I had no prospects at all.sth. expected, hoped for, looked forward toe.g. The s for the wine harvest are poor this year. The manager held out bright s to me if I would accept the position.7. It was the opposite- a kind of siren call tempting me to give up my dream.siren: device for producing a loud shrill noise as a warningshrill: sharp; piercing; high-pitchede.g. an air-raid siren8. On the phone was an old acquaintance from the Coast Guard, now stationed in San Francisco.station vt. : put sb., oneself , a military, a naval force at or in a certain place stationary adj. 1)not intended to be moved from place to place 2) not moving or changing stationery n.U writing materials, etc.9. egg sb. about/ on sth. ( egg sb. to do sth.) : persistently urge sb. to do sth. 10. tease: make fun of (sb.) playfully or unkindlye.g. You must never a child because it stutters. teaser n. a personA real man doesnt tease those underdogs, but protects them.11. Next time I make a sale.: Next time I make a deal (here means sell out some works of writing)12. That was real money in 1960.13. Whats more, I could write on the side.on the side: as a part-time job/ as a secondary occupationside by side: close together, for mutual supportby the side of, by ones side: close to and compared withon the right (wrong) side of (fifty): below (above) ( 50 years of age)take sb. on one side: take sb. aside, aparttake sides with: support (sb. , a party ) in a dispute14. From deep inside a bull-headed resolution welled up.well up: flow (up, out) as water flows from a well come up, rise firm15. “ I am going to stick it out and write.”stick out: (cause to) project, stand oute.g. He sticked his tongue out at his sister.stick ones head out of the carriage window stick it out: endure hardship, etc. until the end16. a crumpled paper bag: a folded and creased paper bag17. I had George to help me over the rough spots: help sb. with sth. help sb. out help sb. over sth. rough spots: 18. I met other struggling artists like Joe Delaney, a veteran painter from Knoxville, Tenn. artists who make great efforts veteran: a person who has had much or long exoerience, esp. as a soldier s of two World Wars( U.S.A.) any ex-service man19. bones with morsels of meat: tiny piece of,20. some wilted vegetables: wilt: lose freshness21. make down-home soup: soup usually made at home22. a struggling restaurant: poorly-run23. in chains: kept as a prisoner or slave with chains24. The shadows had turned into dazzling limelight: dazzling: not see clearly because of having too much lightlimelight: intense white light produced by e.g. in the limelight: receiving great publicitydazzling limelight: the center of public attention25. It was a confusing, exhilarating time, and in a sense I was blinded by the light of my success.: exhilarate: (usu. passive) fill with high spirits, much excitebe blinded: be taken away power of judgement26. , and there were two corroded sardine cans, a nickel, a dime and three pennies.corrod: wear awa