《英美文化概况》unit 4

1、PAGE PAGE 4Unit 4 Preparing For CollegeI. Objective By resorting to examples and illustrations, Lincoln Steffens aims at stating that the proper ways of preparing for college. Students are required to familiarize themselves with the main idea and the writing techniques of the essay and have full mas

2、tery of all the language points, the background knowledge as well as the way to develop the thesis of an exposition.II. Teaching StepsStep One: Lead-in_ wrapping up what we have covered in Unit 5, the influence of TV on childrens education, and thus bring up todays topic, preparing for college: what

3、 really learning is. Interest is the best teacher. Unfortunately, not all people study out of their longing for knowledge. Children are often persuaded to study to enter universities for utilitarian purposes, and parents and teachers ignore and even belittle the curious spirit in children. The autho

4、r was very lucky for he met a good teacher who interested him in his courses and encouraged him to explore the unknown world of knowledge. Step Two: Do the oral presentation work. Presentation is open to free discussions. Everyone is encouraged to take part in and the instructor serves as an organiz

5、er. Discussions will center on the items in the Library Work, the author, the title and any other topics relevant to the text. It is suggested that discussions last for ten minutes at most.Step Three: Do the interpretation. Provide the background information, esp the author, his achievements as a ne

6、ws reporter, and a fighter against corruption, and “muckraker”, and all in all, the importance of this piece of work, his autobiography. Every language point that is listed here should be covered. Step Four: When the detailed explanation is done, challenge the students with further questions: why do

7、es the author say that. And then ask students to tell the main idea of the text and help them get a clear idea of the organization and development of the text. Step Five: Do the exercises in the Work Book.III. Background Knowledge1. Biography: Lincoln Steffens (April 6, 1866 August 9, 1936) was a Ne

8、w York reporter who launched a series of articles in HYPERLINK /wiki/McClure%27s o McClures McClures that would later be published together in a book titled HYPERLINK /wiki/The_Shame_of_the_Cities o The Shame of the Cities The Shame of the Cities. He is famous for investigating corruption in HYPERLI

9、NK /wiki/Local_Government o Local Government municipal government in HYPERLINK /wiki/United_States o United States American cities. He was the leading figures in the campaign of muckrakers: a writer who investigates and publishes truthful reports to perform an auditing or watchdog function. The term

10、 is a reference to a character in John Bunyans classic HYPERLINK /wiki/Pilgrim%27s_Progress o Pilgrims Progress Pilgrims Progress, the Man with the Muck-rake that rejected salvation to focus on filth. It became popular after President HYPERLINK /wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt o Theodore Roosevelt Theodore

11、Roosevelt referred to the character in a HYPERLINK /wiki/The_Man_with_the_Muck_Rake o s:The Man with the Muck Rake 1906 speech.Additional reading: wikipedia entry of muckrakers, autobiography, education issues.2. The Roman Catholic, the Protestant(See p.36 of SB)3. He was the leading figures in the

12、campaign of muckrakers: a writer who investigates and publishes truthful reports to perform an auditing or watchdog function. The term is a reference to a character in John Bunyans classic HYPERLINK /wiki/Pilgrim%27s_Progress Pilgrims Progress, the Man with the Muck-rake that rejected salvation to f

13、ocus on filth. It became popular after President HYPERLINK /wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt referred to the character in a HYPERLINK /wiki/The_Man_with_the_Muck_Rake 1906 speech.4. Useful websites HYPERLINK /wiki/Lincoln_Steffens /wiki/Lincoln_Steffens HYPERLINK /wiki/Muckraker /wiki/Muck

14、raker HYPERLINK /content/11/0106/16/443827_84474291.shtml /content/11/0106/16/443827_84474291.shtml 5. search the following on the WikipediaLincoln Steffens UC Berkeley UC system Oxford and Cambridge Muckraker Homer Dante Shakespeare Caesar Latin Greek Tory the Pope Catholic Church Old Testament Pro

15、testant IV. Language Pointsto be put off for a year_- to be delayed for a year.Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.I was not of them_-I was not like them. I was not of their kind.so far as I could make out_ so far as I could understand.Make outunderstand, see, or hear.That problem is j

16、ust beyond me. I cant make it out.He muttered a compliant that nobody could make out.they looked dazed or indifferent_-they looked confused/bewildered or uninterested/unconcernedHis answer to the question left us all dazed.We should not be indifferent to the low achievers in school.foreign to me_-un

17、familiar and strange to me.His concept of education is entirely foreign to me.bear onhave some connection with; relate to usDid what he said bear on your problem.for keeps: this phrase is used meaning “ forever, permanently”can I have one of those mementos?Sure. This is yours, for keeps.appeal toatt

18、ract, interest.The Municipal Government appealed to the residents to save water last summer. V. Organization and DevelopmentPart One: Introduction ( from paragraph 1 to paragraph 3)The failure of I and thus put off for one yearPart Two: Body ( from paragraph 5 to paragraph 12)My private tutor. Mr. Nixon, exerted great influence on him; he encouraged his pupil to think a