现代大学英语精读第二版book2unit11

1、Button, Button Richard Matheson R einforcement T ext Analysis Button Button B ackground W arming up Unit 11 Questions / Activities Check-on Preview Objectives Button Button Unit 11 Warming up Warming up Questions / Activities “Button, Button” “Press the button” means to initiate an action or a train

2、 of events (informal), often in a nuclear context. The title “Button, Button” indicates taking an action or making a choice that would have consequences. When do you press the button? Do you press the right button? How do you weigh gain and loss/cost when you press a button? Tell a story where you h

3、ave to “press the button”. Check-on Preview Fill in the blanks according to the meanings provided. Warming up s_ to (cause to) divide into two or more parts i_ money paid by the insurance company if there is any loss a_ very surprised or shocked s_ to give a long high shout e_ strange or unusual, so

4、metimes in a humorous way r_ to not allow something, especially feelings, to be expressed d_ a rounded roof on a building or a room i_ very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious c_ feeling or showing that you have no respect for sb./sth s_ to arrange things in an ordered pile Split; 2.

5、indemnity; 3. astounded; 4. shriek; 5. eccentric; 6. repress; 7. dome; 8. intriguing; 9. contemptuous; 10. stack Objectives Understand 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 story Warmi

6、ng up Background Genre Author Button Button Unit 11 Background Author Richard Matheson (1926-) uBorn on Feb. 20, 1926 in New Jersey to Norwegian immigrants parents uRaised in Brooklyn, New York uServed as an infantry soldier in WWII uBachelor in journalism from the University of Missouri in1949 uMov

7、ed to California in 1951, married in 1952, had four children, three of whom were fiction and screenplay writers His Life American author working housekeeper Husband; working bread-earner Personalityan average woman; curious, fanciful, selfish, vain, but not particularly so an upright man; firm Moral

8、 strengths Repress (oppress, suppress); sales pitch; practical joke; genuine/true/real/authentic Phrases pick up (cf. pick up the subject); be fastened to; lift off; turn over; call on; be up to; reach into; in return for; make sense; at liberty; care to do; thrust into Sentence Pattern Grammar Text

9、 Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Exercise Fill in the blanks with repress/suppress/oppress. All these years he has _ his feelings, now he cannot _ the desire to cry. After years of being _ by a dictator, people in this country finally fought back, but the uprising was _ bloodily. The government t

10、ried to _ the book because of the information it contained about national security services. Too much bureaucracy _ creativity. Nightmares _ him. suppressed/repressed suppress/repress oppressed suppressed/repressed suppress represses/suppresses oppress Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Exercis

11、e II. Translate the following sentences with “up to”. 1. 多达三万的观众参加了去年长城音乐节。 Up to 30,000 audience attended the Great Wall Music Festival last year. 2. 直到昨天，我们都不知道会议的具体安排。 Until yesterday, we had no idea of the agenda of the meeting. 3. 决定公司未来的发展策略是总裁的职责。 It is up to the CEO to draw up the developmen

12、t strategies for the corporation. 4. 他总是鬼鬼祟祟地在附近转悠，一定没什么好事。 He is always sneaking around; he must be up to no good / he is up to something. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Main Idea How did Arthur and Norma differ in their attitudes toward the offer? Why do you think Norma find it intriguin

13、g? What does this say about her? What does Arthurs attitude suggest about him? What does it foreshadow when Norma lay in bed thinking about the fifty thousand dollars? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Words pick up the subject; slide beneath the covers; lean over Sentence Pattern Grammar Tex

14、t Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Exercise Fill in the blanks with appropriate words. 1. Arthur _ it in half and _ the pieces on the table while Norma was still _ on the sofa. 2. Arthurs eyes _ as he brushed his teeth. 3. “Doesnt it _ you?” “It _ me.” 4. When Norma suggested other possibilities,

15、 Arthur _ and _ his head, because its _. tore tossed sitting shifted intrigue offends shrugged shookimmoral Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Exercise II. Translate the following sentences with “pick up”. 1. 诺玛想要继续说下去，但阿瑟不愿意再听。 Norma tried to pick up the conversation, but Arthur wouldnt liste

16、n. (continue) 2.她在打折的时候买了好几件超值的东西。 She picked up some real bargains in the sale. (buy) 3. 好像电子信号屏蔽了，我的无线电什么都收不到。 Its a electronic blackout; I couldnt pick up anything on my radio. (receive) 4. 老板难以察觉的点了点头，但他注意到了。 The boss gave a barely noticeable nod, but he picked up the hint / picked up on it. (no

17、tice and react to) 5. 冬天的晚上风总是很大。 In winter, wind always picks up at night. (speed) Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Main Idea What did Norma do with Mr. Stewards card? Why did she do that? Look at Normas telephone conversation with Mr. Steward. What might be on her mind? What did Norma do

18、with the returned button unit? Did this say anything about Norma? How did Arthur define murder? How did Norma challenge it? Do you take any of their sides? Was Norma certain that someone would die? Would it make a difference if she was not certain but simply set on trying? Does the amount of money m

19、atter here? What if it were 10,000? Or 10 million? What would you do? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Sentence Paraphrase Well, of all the nerve, she thought. (para. 70) Paragraphing: Norma is angry that Mr. Steward assumed that she would want the package and sent it back. This is the wors

20、t kind of all impudence/rudeness Ive ever seen. Cf. Of all the idiots! Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Sentence Paraphrase “If its some old Chinese peasant ten thousand miles away? Some diseased native in Congo?” “Whats the difference who you kill?” Arthur countered, “Its still murder. (pa

21、ra. 80-81) “ Paragraphing: Norma wants to establish that if you dont know the person, it will somehow lessen the crime/guilt in killing him/having him killed, while Arthur is adamant that it is murder no matter how far away that person is. This also suggests a hint of racism/American ethnocentrism.

22、Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Words swallow; scoff (at sb/sth); astounded/appalled Phrases hang up (on sb.); of all the nerve; glare/stare at; let it go; make no difference; break in/cut off Sentence Pattern Grammar Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Exercise Fill in the blanks wi

23、th break in/cut off. The couple were having a lively conversation when their neighbor _ and told them their son was ill. I really enjoyed his speech; too bad he was _ before he could finish. II. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions. Dont load me _ your problems / load your problems _ me.

24、 Fast food is loaded _ oil. The odds were loaded _ them before the match, but they won anyway. A glass of wine after such a long day really took a load _ my mind. broke in cut off with on with against off Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part IV: Main Idea Why did Norma get up early and prepare a big

25、 breakfast for Arthur? What do you think of the things Norma wanted? Did her attitude change? How can you tell? What about Arthurs? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part IV: Words draw in a breath; draw back; cut sb. off; reach out; sweep across Sentence Pattern Grammar Text Analysis Detailed Analysi

26、s Part IV: Exercise Translate the following sentences with “draw” or “work” phrases. 1. 他们想让我参与争论，但我想置身事外。 They tried to draw me into their argument, but I didnt want to get in the middle of anything. 2. 市政府去年制定了新的高等教育改革计划。 The municipal government drew up a new plan for higher education reform last

27、 year. 3. 会议本来可以早点结束，但是经理又拖了一个小时。 The meeting could have ended earlier, but the manger drew it out for another hour. 4. 好的记者常能诱导内向的人抒发内心情绪。 A good reporter can often draw out introverted people. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Translate the following sentences with “draw” or “work” phrases. 5. 当所有的人

28、都反对时，他退缩了。 He drew back when everybody was against it. 6.锻炼之后通常胃口很好. Exercising can often work up a good appetite. 7.我对这次旅行一点热情都没有. I cant work up any enthusiasm for going on this trip. 8.希特勒的演讲使人群陷入了疯狂. Hitlers speech worked the crowd into frenzy. Part IV: Exercise Text Analysis Detailed Analysis P

29、art V: Main Idea What was Normas reaction when she had the telephone call? What emotions do these actions show? Do you think Mr. Steward honored his words and kept all his promises? A twist ending an unexpected conclusion to a work of fiction that causes the audience to reevaluate the narrative or c

30、haracters Does this ending arouse any re-evaluation of the narrative? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part V: Sentence Paraphrase “My dear lady,” Mr. Steward said. “Do you really think you knew your husband?” (para. 129) Paraphrasing: Norma didnt know her husband in the sense that they had very diff

31、erent moral standings: Arthur was upright and determined from the very beginning that pressing the button and having people killed is murder, while Norma was tempted, and finally pressed the button only to find her husband was the price to pay for 50,000 dollars. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part V: Words struggle to ones feet; pull sth. apart Sentence Pa