综英unit3_out_of_step

1、 The Author: Bill Bryson （1951-） A well-known American travel writer and humorist Bill Bryson cant decide where to live - England, Australia, Iowa, New Hampshire - its really a tough decision. But, as he points out in his book, Im A Stranger Here Myself, no matter where Bill is, Bills a stranger. Mi

2、chael Feldman about the author Bill Bryson was born in Iowa in 1951. He is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel. A backpacking expedition in 1973 brought him to England, where he met his wife and decided to settle. He wrote for the English newspapers The times and The independe

3、nt for many years, writing travel articles to supplement his income. He lived with his family in North Yorkshire before moving back to the states in 1995, to Hanover, New Hampshire, with his wife and four children. In 2003, he and his family moved back to England, where they currently reside. Cultur

4、al note -the U.S. area; ideal living environment; time- consciousness; travel 1) USA, a country of vast territory: 9,375,720 sq. km over 314 million people 2) Ideal living environment for many Americans: to escape both isolation and crowds. People have flocked to the suburbs. There is nothing but ca

5、r that can make it possible for them to move around easily living in suburbs. 3).For a country that moves generally according to schedules, being punctual is highly valued. 4) people regard travel as an indispensable part of their life; people value freedom more than anything else. “If you are an Am

6、erican, you travel as much as you can; if you are an American, you travel in your own car.” It is not uncommon at all for American people to drive for 5 or more hours to have lunch or dinner with a friend and then drive back for their favorite NBA games at home. Zhou Ping from her personal experienc

7、e “I havent taken the train for nearly 20 years. No reason why I should now.” I used to hear people say. Indeed, for many people living far away from the train station, car is the only vehicle that takes them from place to place. Besides, it is much cheaper and quicker to move around by driving a ca

8、r than taking the train. That is why more considerations are given to drivers than to pedestrians whose voice is hardly audible. New England - the birthplace of America - is filled with rich history, cultural attractions, fascinating cities, scenic villages, and outdoor adventures at every turn. New

9、 England New Hampshire Dartmouth College Main Street Residential Neighborhood Rosey Jekes Caf Cappuccino Nugget theatre Murphys on the Green Give a ride New England New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,

10、Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. History of New England New England is one of the most historic and culturally rich regions of the USA. The region was one of the earliest English settlements in the “New World” following the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers, who set sail from England aboar

11、d the Mayflower in 1620 in search of religious freedom. They and their descendants are called Yankees. The region was the scene of the first Industrial Revolution in the United States. New England (and Virginia) led the way to the American Revolution, By the 1840s it was the center of the U.S. anti-

12、slavery movement, and was the leading force in American literature and higher education. Dartmouth College: one of the best art colleges in the world. Located on the Connecticut River and surrounded by the White Mountains, it offers the most beautiful natural scenery in the Ivy League. Main Street I

13、n small towns in the United States, the street where most of the stores are is often called Main Street. (美国 小城镇的) 主街 Residential neighborhood 居民区 curb N-COUNT The curb is the raised edge of a sidewalk which separates it from the road. 路边 pull up 1. PHRASAL VERB When a vehicle or driver pulls up, th

14、e vehicle slows down and stops. 慢慢停下 例：The cab pulled up and the driver jumped out. 出租车慢慢停了下来，司机跳下了车。 New Hampshire 新罕布什尔州的格言是：“不自由， 毋宁死”。 Live free or die. 。 Do you need/want a ride? Give someone a ride Hitchhiking 小说主人公及其伙伴沿途搭车或开 车， 几次横越美国大陆，最终到了墨西 哥。 On The Road is based on the travels of Kerouac

15、 and his friends across America. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat Generation with its protagonists living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and drug use. 什么是搭车？什么是搭车？ 搭便车是在路上乘陌生人的顺路的车来完 成一段的路程。 路程可能只是几公里也可能是几百公里， 看车主一起顺路多远。搭车一般是不付钱 的。 欧美的搭车文化欧美的搭车文化 搭车自从汽车的诞生到60、70年代的欧美是非常

16、普遍 的一种交通方式。同时当代著名的小说在路上描 写的几个年轻人横跨北美的故事也给无数的欧美人心 中流下了很深的印象-对他们来说搭车有着浓浓的自由 浪漫的精神。 至今在欧美每年有数万人都用搭车做成他们的交通方 式。对他们来说搭车还是一种自由探险的旅行方式。 A typical hitchhiking gesture warm-up 1. Which nation is said to be a nation on the wheel? 2. Cars are entering ordinary Chinese families. If you have a car, when do you p

17、refer to walk, and when to drive? Do you think Cars will be as predominant in China as they are in the United States. Why or Why not? 3. If you / your parents won 200,000RMB in lottery, will you suggest buying a car, why or why not? 4. In modern society, it seems that people are losing some traditio

18、nal ways of living, what are they? What information can you learn from the title? out of fashion no longer walk text analysis “Out of Step” is an exposition that presents the absurdity of the Americans dependence on cars. The Americans, being so accustomed to using cars, have almost forgotten the ex

19、istence of their legs. Wherever they go, they go in their cars. As a result, pedestrian facilities are neglected in city planning or rejected by the inhabitants. text understanding 1.How do people in the small town take the authors habit of walking around for his business? odd slightly guilty if not

20、 giving him a ride 2. Why do the people consider his preference for walking at times a bit eccentric? 3. To what extent have the American people come to depend on cars? 4. What is the problem with the urban planning of American cities? What does that have to do with the dependence of the American pe

21、ople on cars? 5. What do you think makes the author sad at the end of the passage? 6. Did the author write out any solution to the problem that American people rely too much on cars? No Sound the siren Text Comprehension Decide which best states the authors purpose of writing. A. Pointing out the fa

22、ct that Americans walk too little today. B. Introducing an alternative to car-driving as a means of transport for an average American. C. Complaining about inconvenience traffic conditions for pedestrians in America. Structural Analysis Part I (para.16) Introduction of the idea with an anecdote. Par

23、t II (para.713) Presentation of the fact that the Americans are habituated to using cars for everything. Part III (para.1420) Explanation of the fact that pedestrian facilities are neglected or discarded. Part I (para.16) What kind of town is it? What is considered the authors “eccentric behavior”?

24、How do people in the small town take the authors habit of walking around for his business? Why would drivers “depart reluctantly, even guiltily” when their offer was declined? sedate a. quiet especially in a way that lacks excitement宁静的 a sedate country town The fight against a nuclear power station

25、 site has transformed a normally sedate town into a battlefield. calm, serious and formal庄重的，严肃的， 不苟言笑的 She is a sedate old lady; she is caring but never talks much. compact(a):small and easy to carry a compact camera using a small amount of space The kitchen was compact but well equipped. antonym:

26、venerable venerable things or people deserve respect because they are old, important, wise etc值得敬重的，受敬佩的 a venerable scholar the venerable ruins of the abbey Respectable; respectful; respective debonair fashionable and confident,carefree(usu of men) He strolled about, looking very debonair in his el

27、egant new suit. cappuccino； a type of coffee made with hot frothy milk and sometimes with chocolate powder on the top Cappuccino此字的历史 圣芳济教会(Capuchin)的修士都穿著褐色道袍， 头戴一顶尖尖帽子，圣芳济教会传到意大利时， 当地人觉得修士服饰很特殊，就给他们取个 Cappuccino的名字，此字的意大利文是指僧侣所 穿宽松长袍和小尖帽，源自意大利文头巾即 Cappuccio。 然而，老意爱喝咖啡，发觉浓缩咖啡、牛奶和奶 泡混合后，颜色就像是修士所穿的深褐

28、色道袍， 于是灵机一动，就给牛奶加咖啡又有尖尖奶泡的 饮料，取名为卡布奇诺(Cappuccino)。直到一九 九0年以后，才成为世人耳熟能详的咖啡饮料。 应该可以这么说Cappuccino咖啡这个字，源自圣 芳济教会(Capuchin)和意大利文头巾(Cappucio). eccentric(adj) of people/behavior unusual, peculiar, not conventional an eccentric lady The old gentleman, who lived alone all his life, was said to have some ecce

29、ntric habits. Most people considered him a harmless eccentric. eccentricity(n) eccentricity of style, clothing, manners One of his eccentricities is sleeping under the bed instead of on it. eccentrically stroll to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way curb prevent sth from getting out of control 防止.失

30、控；约束 curb ones feelings/anger curb spending place/put a curb on. Poor nutrition can curb a childs development both physically and mentally. There will be curbs on drunk-driving from next month. paraphrase 1) a pleasant, sedate and compact town 2) a leafy residential neighborhood 3) I wouldnt dream o

31、f going to any of these places by car. 4) People have gotten used to my eccentric behavior. 5) They would depart reluctantly, even guiltily as if leaving the scene of an accident without giving their name. Part II (para.713) What is the main idea of the part? How important is the car to average Amer

32、icans? How does the author support this idea in this part? para7 habituate: By the end of the school term, the students had been habituated / accustomed / used to rising at five oclock. Para 8 Contortion 1 countable a twisted position or movement that looks surprising or strange: I could not force m

33、y body into the contortions required by classical ballet. facial contortions 2 uncountable when something is twisted so that it does not have its normal shape: involuntary muscle contortion 3 countable something difficult you have to do in order to achieve something: He went through a series of amaz

34、ing contortions to get Karen a work permit. Contort implies violent change that produces unnatural or grotesque effects: a face contorted with rage; Twist applies to distortion of form or meaning: a mouth twisted with pain. He accused me of twisting his words to mean what I wanted them to. The repor

35、ter distorted the facts. Deform refers to change that disfigures and often implies the loss of desirable qualities such as beauty: Great erosion deformed the landscape. Warp can refer to a turning or twisting from a flat or straight form. It also can imply the bending or turning of something from a

36、true course or direction: floorboards that had warped over the years. Para 9 The thing is : What matters ; What is important is e.g. The thing is not to interrupt him while hes talking. 要紧的是 extravagant: Shes very _ she spends all her money on clothes. (frugal, economical, thrifty,extravagant) I had

37、 a frugal meal of bread and cheese last night. They lived a very frugal existence, avoiding all luxuries. As far as oil energy is concerned, we cannot be too frugal. Her mother is a thrifty housewife. Mr. Thompson is so thrifty that he is able to save more than half of his weekly salary. Only very t

38、hrifty children manage to fill up a money-box. She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply. She has been longing for a luxurious life. Shes got very extravagant tastes. Para 10 acquaintance a speaking acquaintance He is not a friend of mine, only an acquaintance. I am not acquainte

39、d with chemical terms. make the acquaintance of sb结识某人 Para 11-13 confess； Les confessions She confessed to her husband that she had sold her wedding ring. He confessed to sleeping/having slept through most of the film. + (that) I have to confess (that) when I first met Ian I didnt think he was very

40、 bright. I found it all very confusing, I must confess. confess ones sins deficient: A diet deficient in vitamin D may cause the disease rickets. not good enough His theory is deficient in several respects. Pregnant women often suffer from iron deficiency. proficient:skilled and experienced a profic

41、ient swimmer Shes proficient in two languages. It takes a couple of years of regular driving before you become proficient at it. proficiency: It said in the job ad they wanted proficiency in at least two languages. In this regard: paraphrase 1)become so habituated to using the car that it doesnt occ

42、ur to us to unfurl our legs and see what those lower limbs can do. 2)We will go through the most extraordinary contortions to 3)And the thing is, this man looked really fit. 4)jogs extravagant distance 5)She looked at me as if I were tragically simple- minded. 6) and I can adjust it for degree of di

43、fficulty 7)I confess it had never occurred to me how thoughtlessly deficient nature is in this regard. Part III (para.1420) Why did the author say “Actually, Im surprised it was that much”? Why did Laconia change its downtown pedestrian mall to one with parking lots? Bring/drive sth home to sb: to m

44、ake sb realize sth The editorial brought home to me that the government did spend some money on the pedestrian facilities though very little. The professor drove home to the students that they have to finish the writing assignment by Friday. pedestrian Skip skip lunch skip school/class skip the firs

45、t chapter skip a year/grade Skipping rope/jump rope I suggest we skip over the details and get to the point. ridiculous(adj) What a ridiculous suggestion! Thats ridiculous ! That fat woman looked ridiculous in her tight golden dress. Do I look ridiculous in this hat? He has become an object of ridic

46、ule.(n) Those who ridicule others will be punished in return.(v) exasperating: annoying; displeasing Its so exasperating when he wont listen to a word that i say. exasperated: annoyed Hes become increasingly exasperated with the situation. entertain an idea/hope/thought etc to consider an idea etc,

47、or allow yourself to think that something might happen or be true: She could never entertain the idea of living in the country. paraphrase 1)According to a concerned and faintly horrified 1997 editorial 2)Actually, Im surprised it was that much. 3)I had this brought home to me one summer when 4) I r

48、ealized that I was possibly the only person ever to have entertained the notion of negotiating that intersection on foot. 5) woe to anyone who tries to make us I was possibly the only person ever to have entertained the notion of negotiating that intersection on foot. (p.17) I was very probably the

49、only person who had ever attempted to cross that intersection on foot. Discussion What is the tone of the author in the passage? How does the author achieve this effect? self-debasement in a humorous manner e.g satire on peoples ridiculous contradiction in acts. e.g How did the author develop his id

50、eas? by means of examples the man he observed outside the post office his conversation with an acquaintance of his who would drive him to the gym his own effort to walk across the street the commercial failure of the pedestian mall in Laconia Writing technique in para7.8 Topic examples Discussion Sh

51、ould private cars be encouraged in China? Recommended readings and movies On the Road The disappeared year(我睡了81个人的沙发) 记述了24岁的台湾女生连美恩，穿着最破的 大衣，借无数人家里的沙发作为落脚点，在欧 洲流浪14个月的经历，即所谓当沙发客 （couchsurfing）在欧洲游玩的见闻点滴。 1. My friend likes to _ around the flea market on the chance of picking up something of value. 2. I have some _ with English, but I do