Unit 8 Two Boxes of Gold (I) 大学英语课件

Unit8Two

Boxes

ofGold(I)UnitOverviewInthisunityouwill:

HaveanadventurestoryintwosectionsLearnmoreaboutguessingmeaningsofwordsfromcontextTakeatestinfastreadingReadanotheradventurestory

QuestionsWhattaskwasHerbertBlamyretrustedwith?WhatlifedidHerberthadbeforehegotthetask?Whogavehimthetask?Whatdidthetelegramsay?Towhereandwhomwouldhetakethetwoboxesofgold?Whatdidthetwoboxeslooklike?WhodidHerbertmeetathisjourney?WhywasHerbertsurprisedsomuchwhenhesawMr.Levison’sluggage?What’syourfirstimpressiononMajorBaxterandMr.Levison?CanyoutellustheroutethatHerberttook?(FromUKtoItaly)WhowasmoreinterestedinHerbert’sboxes?WhenthethreepeoplepartedatParis,whatweretheirdestinationsrespectively?13.WhatdreamdidherbertmakeatthetraintoLyons?14.WhathappenedwhenthetrainnearlyarrivedatLyons?

Text1

Languagenotes:

Onecannotbetoocareful.(越小心越好。)Cannot…toomeansimpossibleforacertainstateoractiontobemorethanshouldbeortobebeyondwhatisdesirable.2.Itsmellssoofonions.(到处都是洋葱味。)Smellofmeanstohaveasmelllikethatof(somethingcausingthesmell).

e.g.Theairsmellsofpaint.3.Wecutforpartners.(我们分了伙儿。)Cutformeanstochoosefromapackofplayingcardstoseewhoshallbeorhavesth.

e.g.Theycutfordealerandthenbeganthegame.

Topics

1.WhatwasHerbertaskedtodowhenhemetMr.Schwarzmoor?

HerbertwasaskedtotaketwoboxesofgoldtoNaples.Thetwoboxescontained25millionpoundsingold.HerberthadtotakethistoPagliaviciniandRossi,No,172Toledo,NaplesviaLyonsandMarseilles.2.Herberthadaterribledreamonthetrain.Whatdidthedreamsuggest?

ThetrainstartedfromParis.OnthehalfwayHerbertfellasleeponthetrain.Meanwhile,hehadaterribledreaminwhichhecouldn'trememberthewordsforopeningtheletterlocksoftheboxes.Healsodreamedthatwhenhehadarrivedathisdestination,No,172Toledo,Naples,hewasorderedtospeakoutthewords,ortotelltheplacewheretheboxeswerehidden.Otherwise,hewouldbeexecutedbyshooting.Abigearthquaketookplaceinthecityandaseaoffirerolledinthroughthewindow.Justatthistime,Herbertwokeup.Asweknow,dreamactivitymaybeprovokedbyexternalinfluences.Sometimesadreammayforetellsomethingaboutthefuture.

ThedreamHerberthadonthetrainmightsuggestthatsomeonewasinterestedinthetwoboxesHerbertcarriedandhewouldtryeverymeanstogetthewordswhichwouldopentheletterlocks.Becauseofthis,Herbertwouldmeetwithvariouskindsofunexpectedtroublesanddangersonhiswaytohisdestination.3.Whichofthetwowasmoresuspicious,MajorBaxterorLevison?Giveyourreasons.

Personallyspeaking,IthinkLevisonwasmoresuspicious.ThereasonsIamgoingtogiveareasfollows:

1)LevisoncarriedfourboxeswhichlookedexactlylikeHerbert's.LevisonmightusetheseboxestoexchangewithHerbert.Thushecouldgetthegoldhewanted.

2)Whereverhewent,HerbertseemedtobefollowedbyLevison.ItsuggestedthatHerbertwaskeptwatchoninsecretbyLevison.

3)Levisonwantedtohavesomechampagnewithhim.Whenheorderedanotherbottleofchampagne,Levisondidn'twanttohavethewaiteropenthebottleforhim.Hedidithimself.Sohecouldputsomepoisoninthewine.

Text2

Languagenotes:1.Aroughshakewokeme.(这时，有人使劲儿把我摇醒。)Pleasenotethatindifferentcollocationsthewordroughtakesondifferentmeanings,whichmayinturnrequiredifferentwaysoftranslatingitintoChinese,e.g.roughhands(粗糙的双手),roughseas（风浪很大的海）,roughbehavior（粗暴的行为）,aroughestimateofcosts（大致估计了一下费用）,tohavearoughtime（吃了很多苦）,etc.2.Hundredsofblowswereaimedathim,hundredsofhandsstretchedouttocatchhim.(许多拳头朝他打去，无数的手伸出去要捉住他。)NotetheparallelsinthesentenceandhowithelpstogiveavividpictureofLevisonbeingchasedbymany.3."Isay,sir,"saidtheMajor,"haveyoueverseensuchclumsycarts"?("我说，先生，你有没有见过这么笨重的货车？")Isayisanexclamationusedtodrawlistener'sattention.

Discussingthefollowingtopics.

(Homereading)1.Doestheendingofthestoryoccurtoyouassomethingsurprising?Whyorwhynot?

Yes,itoccurstomeassomethingsurprising.ThisisbecausethenarratorhimselfsuspectstheMajorwhofollowshimallthewayandthinksthatheisundertheMajor'scontrol.Whathesaysanddoesisallatrick.However,thestoryfinallyprovesthatLevisonisarealthief.Ontheotherhand,itishardforthereaderstoimaginethatthethief,Levisonmeetshisendthisway.Accordingtocommonsense,Levisonwillbecaughtaliveorshotdeadbythepolice.Whatmakesussurprisedisthatitisthemoneythethiefhasstolensendshimtothebottomofthewater.HisendisconfirmedbyanoldChinesesaying"Liftarockonlytodropitonone'sownfeet".2.WhendidyoustarttosuspectLevisonorBaxter?Why?

IstartedtosuspectLevisonwhenhesuggestedahoteldownbytheharbourtoHerbert.Ithoughtsoduetothefollowingreasons.

Firstly,LevisontriedhardtopersuadeHerbertandtheMajortoputupintheForeigners'Hotelinwhichtheconditionswerepoorandtheroomsdirty.Hedeceivedthemintobelievingthatitwasagoodhotel.

Secondly,Levisonhadalreadyarrangedhisescape.Thehotelwaslocatedneartheriver.Soitwas

easyforLevisontorunawayafterhecommittedthecrime.

Thirdly,itseemedthatLevisonknewclearlythattherewereonlytwodouble-beddedroomsleftinthehotelhesuggested.ThecoupleoftheMajorwouldoccupyoneroom.HerberthadtoshareanotherroomwithLevison,whichcreatedfavourableconditionsforLevisontocarryhisplan.

3.Howdoesthewritersucceedinbuildingupthesuspense?

Ithink"TwoBoxesofGold"isawell-knitstory.Thewritersucceedsinbuildingupthesuspenseinaverysmoothway.

Atthebeginningofthestory,thewriterportraystwomaincharactersLevisonandBaxter,whoarecompanionsonhisjourney.Judgingby