Unit Two Values.doc

Unit Two ValuesText A The Richest Man in America, Down HomeWarm-up Questions:1. What does the theme of this unit, value, refer to?A principle, standard, or quality which is considered worthwhile or desirable; 价值标准，被认为是值得的或需要的一种原则、标准或性质Values can be seen everywhere. Different people hold different Values. Such as fairness, responsibility, hardworking, devotion, loyalty, ect. 2. Do you know some of the stories about the values of famous people or American millionaires?For example, Abraham Lincoln regarded honesty as an important value. When working as a shop clerk, he once overcharged a customer. Although the sum was insignificant, Lincoln walked a long distance to return the money. Bill Gates once said that he would leave only one million dollars to his offsprings, and donate all the rest of his wealth to the society for medical research and education. Some people find it hard to understand. But in his mind generosity, the urge to share money, is regarded as an important value. And in this article, the writer leads us to the insight of the value of a rich person in America. Sam Walton is a rich man, but he doesnt live a completely different life from ordinary people.In this text we are going to learn sth. about Sam Walton, and lets see whether he has some of those values, and how he behaves. Background information1. Sam Walton & Wal-Mart: In 1962, a forty-four year old man named Sam Moore Walton opened his first Wal-Mart store in Arkansas. He previously owned a small variety store called Five & Dime, but he had his mind set on much bigger ideas. Walton had gained an understanding of providing top customer service and hoped that a discount store offering a variety of products would attract large numbers of customers. He was right. Sam Walton quickly became a multi-million dollar success story, more successful than he could have ever dreamed. Wal-Mart was ranked number one of the FORTUNE 500. Waltons three basic beliefs were respecting every individual, providing top notch customer service, and striving for excellence (The Wal-Mart Way). He wanted to have the best retail store with the best customer service, the best employees and the best prices. 2. The Wal-Mart way of life: ( Paragraph 17 )The rules of working established by Sam Walton. He concluded them “Ten Rules For Success” as guiding the corporation of the company. Commit to your business. Share your profits with all your associates and treat them as partners. Motivate your partners. Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners. Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Celebrate your success and find humor in your failures. Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking. Exceed your customers expectations. Control your expenses better than your competition. Swim upstream go the other way avoid conventional wisdom.3. Rolls-Royce: ( L 3 )It refers to the large, expensive, comfortable cars made by the British company Rolls-Royce. Many people recognize them by the small metal statue on the front of every Rolls-Royce car. The brand is referred to as the greatest type of car. The company was formed in 1905-1906 by Charles Rolls ( 1877 1910 ) and Henry Royce ( 1863 1933 ). The Rolls-Royce company was bought by Volkswagen in 1998. 4. Forbes list: ( L 36 )The name list of the most wealthy persons 福布斯富人排行榜Forbes: an American business magazine. It is noted for its lists of the richest men and women in business. In its November 27, 2000 edition it published one listing the 50 richest businessmen and women in China, headed by Rong Yiren of CITIC with 1.9 billion dollars, followed in second place by Liu Yongxing of the Hope Group with 1 billion dollars.5. Stock options: ( L 63)A stock option gives the recipient (the optionee) the right to buy a certain number of shares in the granting company at a fixed price for a certain number of years. Stock options are used both in private companies (mainly where there will be a market for the shares) and public companies. This is regarded as a privilege of employees. Text analysis:1. Indirect description:To make a character portrait convincing, an author must refrain from telling readers directly what the person is like. Instead, he/she lets readers deduce. The author employs several methods of indirect description, such as anecdotes, examples, quotes, comparison and contrast. Of these, the one used most frequently in Text A is quotation. The author quotes not only Sam Walton himself, but also his townsfolk and colleagues. We may find a lot of peoples names and their quotations in this text. Jonnie Baker, night manager at the local Wal-Mart Para 6Richard Hoback, Mayor of Bentonville, Arkansas Para 6Gordon Garlington, pastor of the local church Para 8John Marshall, local barber Para 10Jim Von Gremp, corporate affairs director Para 15Ferold F. Arend, retired president of Wal-Mart Para 20Jim Hendren, company lawyer Para 222. The text begins with an anecdote, followed by other anecdotes. These are all employed to reveal Waltons down-home characteristics.3. The text can be divided into three parts. The first part serves as an introduction, the second gives a detailed account of the richest Americans folksy ways, and the third describes his devotion to the Wal-Mart team.Part One ( 1 4 ) The waiter was disappointed to find that the richest man in America led so simple a life. ( Jamie Beaulieus anticipation and the reality he later found out form a contrast.)Part Two ( 5 13 ) Being friendly, easy-going and never flashy, Walton carries on like plain folks and never wants any special treatment.Part Three ( 14 22 ) With the Wal-Mart team in mind, Walton devotes himself heart and soul to making the business a great success.Language StudyPart One (1 4 )1.(L 1) He put on a dinner jacket to serve as a waiter at the birthday party: wealthy people in the West invite friends to their home to celebrate festivals or birthday or even their promotion. On such occasions they usually employ waiters to cook for and serve them, or sometimes employ a pianist, or a person to mix drinks for them. 6. (L 2) He imagined what surely awaited: he imagined what he was surely to see在他的想象里, 他定然会看到 7. (L 5) wheel: = drive carry someone or something in or on an object that has wheels eg. Mary wheeled a load of newspapers in her wagon to the newsstands nearby. 玛丽把一大摞报纸用火车送往附近的报摊 push something that has wheels eg. The nurse wheeled the patient who has just been operated in to the ward. 护士把刚动完手术的病人推进病房8. (L 6) remote adj. (from sth) far away from other communities, house, etc; isolatedeg. a remote region, village, farmhouse 【attrib】far away in timeeg. in the remote past/future 【attrib】distant in relationship or kinshipeg. a remote ancestor of mine 我的远祖remoteness n.remote control 遥控 eg. The bomb was explored by remote control.A remote control panel遥控器搭配 a remote chance/possibility eg. There is a remote chance that you will catch him before he leaves. 你在他走前抓住他的概率很小 not have the remotest ideaeg. Jerry hasnt the remotest idea where hes gone. 杰瑞根本不知他上哪儿去了5. (L 7) discount n. amount of money which may be taken off the full price of sth.eg. We give (a) 10% discount for cash.现金付款，我们予以九折优待。 Many stores offer discounts on holidays.discount shop/store: shop which regularly sells goods at less than the usual price 6. (L 12) spot: v. notice; recognizeeg. We spotted the winner of the beauty contest the moment she appeared. mark with spots eg. As the car passed in the heavy rain, his trousers were spotted with mud. n. a stain eg. There were spots of blood on the murderers hands a particular place of area eg. My favorite vacation spot is Hawaii.on the spot 当场, 立刻eg. He was caught cheating on his chemistry exam on the spot. The police were on the spot within ten minutes after the road accident occurred.Part Two (5 13)1. (L 14) Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it. Paraphrase: It is only in America that a billionaire can live in the same way as ordinary people and keep doing this (without being bothered by either the public or himself).只有在美国，亿万富翁才能象普通百姓一样，安稳地过着普普通通的生活 （而不受过多的干扰）。 only: 倒装 in writing and formal speech eg. Only then did peter realize that he still hadnt phoned his mother.练P46 Structure 1注 通常, 如果副词出现在句子开头, 如only, never, no, hardly, little, 或形容词、副词放在句首起强调作用，那么句子要倒装。eg. Only when you are present can we continue with our plan.Never before have I experienced such an exciting moment.So exhausted was he that he did not want to say a word after he got home. carry oni. behave in a special wayHe carries on as if he were a millionaire, spending money left, right and center.ii. carry on (with sth/doing sth); carry sth on (=continue doing sth.)eg. Carry on (working/with your work)while Im away. Carry on the good work. 好好干下去 folk: i. people in general ( you can refer to people as folk or folks) They got married and had kids and lived like other folks. Some folk are never satisfied.ii. 民间的 folk song/ music /dance get away with（infml）If you get away with doing sth. wrong or risky, you dont suffer any punishment or other bad consequences because of it. eg. If you cheat in the exam youll never get away with it. 考试作弊必予追究 Nobody gets away with insulting me like that. 这样侮辱我的人，我是不会放过的。2.（L25 - 26）By all accounts, hes friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never throwing his weight around. 人人说他为人和善，性情开朗，是个好邻居；他尽力于人们融洽相处，从不炫耀，也从不盛气凌人。 Paraphrase: people all say that Sam Walton is a friendly and cheerful man who acts like an ordinary person and never shows his authority. by/from all accounts: according to what has been said or reportedeg. It will be a match worth watching, by all accounts. 所有人都说这场比赛值得一看by ones own account：according to what one says oneself blend in: if sb. blends into a particular group or situation, or if they blend in, they seem to belong there or are not noticeable, because their behavior is similar to that of the other people involved. blend in; blend into sth; blend in with stheg. As a newly-appointed manager, he was not sure whether he could blend in. The new office building doesnt seem to blend in with its surroundings.新的办公大楼似乎与周围环境不协调 throw ones weight around/about: (infml) behave in an aggressively arrogant way 盛气凌人 逞威风 eg. Mr. Smith is not much of a manager. He always throws his weight around. Im not going to have him throwing his weight about with me. 我可不会让他对我指手画脚3. (L 28) reserve: vt. reserve sth (for sb/sth) put aside or keep sth for a later occasion or special use eg. Reserve your strength for the clime. 留点力气准备攀登吧。 order or book (a seat, book, room, table, et.) eg. reserve tickets, rooms, couchettesreserve a table for two in the name of Hill 以希尔的名字预定一个双人桌n. a nature reserve自然保护区4.(L 34 36) He chats about the national news, or reads in his chair, perhaps the Benton County Daily Democrat, another Walton property that keeps him off the front page. 他与人闲聊国内新闻，或是坐在椅子上看报，没准就是本顿民主日报， 这是他的又一宗产业，该报从不在头版刊登有关他的消息。1) Property: thing or things owned; possession The jewels were her personal property. 私人财产2) keep him off the front page: have Waltons information or news not shown on the first page; keep him on the front page: have Waltons information or news shown on the first page5. (36 37)It buries the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2. Paraphrase: The Forbes list was arranged at the bottom of page 2 in the Benton Country Deaily Democrat so that it could not be found easily.它将福布斯富人排行榜塞在第二版的报尾1) It here refers to the newspaper Benton County Daily Democrat 2) The Forbes list was arranged at the bottom of page 2 in the Benton County Daily Democrat so that it could not be found easily.6. (L 40) would have made headlines anywhere in the world Paraphrase: it was such a shocking news that it could be headlines of any newspapersmake headlines: become important or much-publicized news成为重要新闻 7. (L 43 44) “the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isnt strange at all.” Paraphrase: the only thing unusual of Sam Walton is that he is not like a wealthy person; he is too ordinary. 唯一不同的就是他平平常常。Part Three (14 22) 1. (L 45 46) But just how long Walton can hold firmly to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters keeping following wherever he goes is anyones guess.Paraphrase: Many people is curious that, with so many celebrity hunters following Walton wherever he goes, how long can he remain simple and friendly. 然而，沃尔顿所到之处都有追星族紧追不舍，他的平民习惯能保持多久，就很难说了。 hold to: follow exactly; keep to something such as a promise eg. I shall hold to my decision. 我将坚持我得决定。 You should keep a promise without having to have someone or a law to hold you to your word. 你应该遵守诺言，不要让他人或法律来让你履行所说的话。 相当于keep to, stick to celebrity hunters: the group of people esp. reporters who like to follow famous people for news or information 狗仔队2. (L 48) on the run1) fleeing from pursuit or captureeg. Hes on the run from the police.have/keep the enemy on the run 逼得敌人奔窜2) continuously active and moving about 奔波 忙碌eg. Ive been on the run all day and Im exhausted. 我整天忙个不停，疲于奔命。Of: at a run: running eg. He started off at a run but soon tired and slowed to a walk. 他跑步出发，但很快就累得慢下来成了步行 3. (L 48) steer clear ofsteer/keep/stay clear of sb./sth. : keep away from sb/stheg. I prefer to keep clear of town during the rush-hour.His doctor advised him to steer clear of alcohol.4. (L 57) be liable to do: be likely to doeg. Were all liable to make mistakes when were tired. 人若疲劳谁都可能出差错。 5. (L 60) lay down : officially establish a rule, or officially state the way in which sth. must be done 制定；规定 eg. Conditions for membership are laid down in the soccer club rules. It is laid down that all applicants must sit a written exam. 根据规定，申请者一律须经笔试6. (L 60) loyalty: ( to ) eg. My father is a soccer fan. His loyalty to the local team has taken him all over the country to see them play. Be loyal to Royalty 皇室, 王权7. (L 62) cut prices and margins to the bone: reduce prices and margins considerably or dramatically cut sth. to the bone: reduce sth. considerably 大幅度减少eg. The factory has survived by cutting its cost to the bone. 工厂通过节俭开支得以生存下来8. (L 63) qualify: 使合格；使具有资格 sb ( for sth/ to do sth/as sth) eg. He is fied for this post. The training program qualifies him as a referee. 培训项目是他取得了裁判员资格 He is the managers son, but that does not qualify him to criticize my work.qualification n. 资格eg. Patience is an essential qualification for this job. 耐心是做这份工作的一项基本条件9. (L 63) option:1) 购买或出售权，期权He has taken an option on that house.2) 选择，选择权You must do it. You have no option.There are three options open to us in that matter.在这个问题上我们有三个选择的可能。10. (L 67) put sb off: stop someone from concentrating on sth. 使某人分心eg. She asked me to be serious said it put her off if I laughed. The sudden noise put her off her game. 突如其来的嘈杂声分散了她比赛时的注意力put sb off sth/doing sth: cause sb to lose his interest in or liking or appetite for stheg. The accident put her off driving for life. 这次事故使她一辈子不愿意再开车了。11. (L 72) and the like: and other things of the same sort eg. Always carry your ID card, money and the like with you while traveling.12. (L 72) cultivate 1) 培养；修习；培育eg. to cultivate a love of art 培养对艺术的爱好 cultivate a new generation 培育新一代She is trying to cultivate her mind by reading. 她试着以读书陶冶心情。3) 种植, 耕种, 开垦eg. They cultivated 500 acres in the suburbCf: nurture; rear13. (L 72) reward: n.报酬, 奖金 vt.酬劳, 奖赏( sb for sth with sth) eg. She rewarded the boy with10 for his help.她因那男孩帮助而酬谢他十美元。Cf: award n奖, 奖品 vt.授