学术英语(人文)Unit 1

1、学术英语 人文,academic english for humanities,unit 1 the art of literature,lead-in text a text b text c academic language and discourse listening speaking writing,unit contents,lead-in lead-in activities supplementary information,unit 1 the art of literature,what is literature?,choose from the following f

2、orms of writing what can be counted as literature: news report novel research paper diary poem letter,lead-in,activities,unit 1 the art of literature,how do you make the choice? (what makes you treat something as literature while dismissing others as non-literature? ),what is literature?,many colleg

3、e professors, upholding a traditional standard of literary quality, believe that students should read works whose artistic merit has been established over the years. however, some have begun to question the very notion of literary quality and the notion of what is literature. there have been an incr

4、easing number of studies of writers mainly for what they have to say rather than how well they say it.,unit 1 the art of literature,lead-in,supplementary information,the historical and social impact of works is gaining importance, while the once-honored standards such as grace of style and originali

5、ty of expression have been downgraded.,literature as defined in dictionaries,stories, poems and plays, especially those that are considered to have value as art and not just entertainment (macmillan dictionary),writings in prose or verse; especially writings having excellence of form or expression a

6、nd expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest (merriam-websters online dictionary, 11th edition),unit 1 the art of literature,lead-in,supplementary information,literature as defined in dictionaries,unit 1 the art of literature,lead-in,supplementary information,written artistic works, especi

7、ally those with a high and lasting artistic value (cambridge advanced learners dictionary),written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit (compact oxford english dictionary),unit 1 the art of literature,text a the scope and content of literature,classroom activities

8、 supplementary information suggested answer key,the scope and content of literature,do task 1 critical reading and thinking p7,summarize text a on the basis of your answers to task 1 critical reading and thinking p7 scope of literature content of literature,work in pairs to compare your answers to t

9、he questions in task 2 critical reading and thinking p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,classroom activities,the scope and content of literature,the original article “the art of literature”,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,text a is adapted from the article “the art

10、of literature”, written by kenneth rexroth. the original article consists of seven parts: the scope of literature literary composition content of literature literature and its audience literature and its environment literary genres writings on literature,the scope and content of literature,the muses

11、 in greek mythology, poetry and literature, muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts.,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,calliope: muse of heroic or epic poetry (often holding a stylus and wax tablets),clio: muse of history (often holding

12、 a parchment scroll or a set of tablets),erato: muse of lyric and love poetry (often playing a lyre),euterpe: muse of music or flutes (often playing a flute),melpomene: muse of tragedy (often holding a tragic mask),polymnia: muse of sacred song and oratory (often with a pensive look),terpsichore: mu

13、se of dancing and choral song (often dancing and holding a lyre) thalia: muse of comedy (often holding a comic mask) urania: muse of astronomy (often holding a globe),the scope and content of literature,classic surveys of history as noble examples of the art of literature,unit 1 the art of literatur

14、e,text a,supplementary information,the history of the peloponnesian war was written by ancient greek historian thucydides, who, as an athenian general, served in the war. some scholars view the work as an objective and scientific account of the past, written from a purely intellectual point of view.

15、 but some understand it as a piece of literature, in which the author is “an artist who responds to, selects and skillfully arranges his material, and develops its symbolic and emotional potential”.,one example: history of the peloponnesian war,the scope and content of literature,essays,unit 1 the a

16、rt of literature,text a,supplementary information,an analytic, interpretative, or critical literary composition francis bacons essays, published in book form in 1597, 1612, 1625, were the first works in english that described themselves as essays.,the scope and content of literature,dialogues by pla

17、to,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,plato (428/427 bc 348/347 bc), the greatest philosopher and mathematician of ancient greece, wrote extensively. most of his writing takes the form of dialogues, in which several characters argue a topic by asking questions of each othe

18、r. this form allows plato to raise various points of view and let the reader decide which is valid. the subjects of dialogues range from philosophy, logic, rhetoric to mathematics.,the scope and content of literature,dialogues by plato,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,pl

19、ato was a pupil of socrates, who appears as a character in many of the dialogues. following the death of socrates, plato travelled widely in search of learning. after twelve years he returned to athens and founded his academy, which is often described as the first european university. the subjects o

20、ffered in the academy included astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. among platos pupils was aristotle.,the scope and content of literature,meditations by marcus aurelius,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,meditations is a series of personal wr

21、itings by roman emperor marcus aurelius (121-180). it consists of reflections jotted down by the emperor at odd moments, while he was on campaign. the entries appear to be in no particular order and may simply be in the original order of composition. they record the passing thoughts, the maxims, the

22、 musings on life and death, and stoic philosophy. according to meditations, one should avoid indulgence in sensory affections, and this skill can free a man from the pains and pleasures of the material world, and the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to overpower him. t

23、he style of the writings is straightforward and plain, but the meditations is regarded by many as “unendingly moving and inspiring”.,natural history and antiquities of selbourne,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,gilbert white (1720-1793) was an english naturalist, ornitho

24、logist, and a pioneer of the study of birds and animals in their natural habitats, rather than as specimens. this method of observation enabled him to identify and record many previously unknown species. in 1789, he published his natural history and antiquities of selborne as one volume. it was a co

25、mpilation of letters to zoologist thomas pennant and barrister daines barrington, two leading figures of the royal society. in the letters, white discussed his observations and theories about the local fauna and flora in a charming and immediate way. he pictured himself as well as what he saw. the b

26、ook is one of the most published in the english language and it has never been out of print.,oratory of the american indian,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,american indians were historically an oral people. for example, many told their histories by oral tradition. a chi

27、ef of a tribe relied on persuasion rather than force to lead his people. utilizing natural metaphors, indian speeches were well calculated to impress their target audiences.,the scope and content of literature,the scope and content of literature,ciceros influence on the development of english prose

28、style,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,cicero had a close study of the rhythms that were likely to appeal to an audience. he was the real creator of the “periodic sentence” style, in which the sentences tend to be periodic and phrase is balanced against phrase, with subo

29、rdinate clauses woven into a complex sentence. for example, for the queen, the lover, pleading always at the hearts door, patiently waits. the normal order of the sentence is always pleading at the hearts door, the lover waits patiently for the queen. the periodic style is more exotic and arguably m

30、ore poetic.,the scope and content of literature,the gettysburg address,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,on november 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at gettysburg, pennsylvania, during the american civil war, president abraham lincoln delivers one of th

31、e most memorable speeches in american history the gettysburg address fewer than 300 words, delivered over 2-3 minutes.,the scope and content of literature,collective unconscious,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,“collective unconscious” is a term of analytical psychology

32、introduced by carl jung (1875-1961), a swiss psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology. it represents a form of the unconscious common to human beings as a whole and related to the inherited structure of the brain. it influences all of our experiences, behaviors and emotions, but we only

33、 know about it indirectly, by looking at the effects. for example, love at first sight, the feeling that you have been somewhere before, the immediate recognition of certain symbols, the creative experiences shared by artists, and the striking similarities of dreams, fairy tales and mythologies all

34、over the world, could all be understood as the effects of the collective unconscious.,the dream of the red chamber,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,the dream of the red chamber,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary information,the dream of the red chamber (红楼

35、梦), or the story of the stone (石头记), is the greatest masterpiece of chinese classical novels of the ming and qing dynasties.,the work is comprised of 120 chapters, the first 80 of which were written by cao xueqin. (gao e added 40 additional chapters to complete the novel.,the novel details the decli

36、ne of the wealthy and aristocratic jia clan. revolving around jia baoyu and the tragic love between him and lin daiyu, it portrays the ruin of love, youth and life, and exposes the root of the tragedy the feudal system.,the dream of the red chamber,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,supplementary i

37、nformation,the novel is remarkable for its creation of characters with distinctive personality, great cultural richness, and precise observation of the life and society of the 18th-century china. its success also lies in its written vernacular language (rather than classical chinese), which has prod

38、uced a profound impact on the development of chinese novels.,task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,suggested answer to q1:,literature is a great medium to reflect the human condition, cultural and historical values, and to express feelings and tho

39、ughts. some of the most common themes in literature are: the relationship between human beings and nature the individual in society (e.g. mans struggle against societal pressure) human nature human relationship (e.g. love, hatred, etc.) personal growth (e.g. overcoming adversity) death major forms o

40、f human expression include language, literature, music, visual art, cinema, drama, history, and philosophy. cave paintings are perhaps one of the oldest forms of human expression. they could either record what had been caught on hunting trips or express what the hunters would like to catch in the fu

41、ture.,task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,suggested answer to q2:,(suggested answer to the first question: how do you understand these lines?) artistic merit refers to the judgment of the perceived quality or value of cultural products as works

42、of art. a piece of writing is considered as having artistic merit if it has high quality and some aesthetic value. however, it is hard to define the exact nature of artistic merit because the preferred standards may vary across time and place. a great writer is someone who can attain artistic merit

43、almost effortlessly and naturally. (you may agree or disagree with the author, but you need to give your reasons.),task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,suggested answer to q3:,to test whether advertising copywriting, a purely commercial fiction,

44、or cinema and television script is an accepted form of literary expression, one needs to judge whether that particular form can bring long-lasting satisfaction and convey the very truth of human beings and the world.,task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested ans

45、wer key,suggested answer to q4:,it cannot be denied that changes are taking place continuously, in peoples life, ideology, science, technology, environment, etc. however, there are certain universal and constant issues that transcend race, gender, creed and culture, and they are recurring themes in

46、literature. for example, love, hatred, fear, family, honor, deceit and peace. the same patterns go on and on.,task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,suggested answer to q5:,integration of personality refers to positive changes in ones personality,

47、for example, becoming emotionally mature, getting adjusted to the environment, being able to cope with inner conflict, etc. disintegration of personality refers to unfavorable personality changes. this may occur when someone faces a series of crises: job loss, marriage failure, health problem, etc.,

48、task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,suggested answer to q6:,one notable example is the image of daiyu burying the flowers (in chapter 27). one day, daiyu is overwhelmed by melancholy after a quarrel with baoyu. her inner sadness is reflected by

49、her behavior. she goes to a hillside, buries some fallen petals there, weeps at the dead petals and even creates a long poem for the fading flowers. in chapter 108, when baoyu thinks of daiyu, tears well up in his eyes, and he slips away to the garden. the description of the bleak garden and miserab

50、le scene shows his sorrow over the declining family. the poems created by the characters in the novel are also perfect reflections of their personality. for example, the following poem composed by daiyu (in chapter 37) implies her own personality - unconventional, emotional, prone to melancholic spe

51、lls.,task 2 / points for discussion p8,unit 1 the art of literature,text a,suggested answer key,半卷湘帘半掩门，碾冰为土玉为盆。 偷来梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一缕魂。月窟仙人缝缟袂，秋闺怨女拭啼痕。娇羞默默同谁诉，倦倚西风夜已昏。,beside the half-raised blind, the half-closed door, crushed ice for earth and white jade for pot.three parts of whiteness from the pear-tr

52、ee stolen,one part from plum for scent (which pear has not).moon-maidens stitched them with white silken thread, and virgins tears the new-made flowers did spot，which now, like bashful maids that no word say,lean languid on the breeze at close of day. （translated by david hawkes）,suggested answer to

53、 q6: an example from the dream of the red chamber,unit 1 the art of literature,text b introducing creative writing,classroom activities supplementary information suggested answer key,introducing creative writing,what is the girl doing?,unit 1 the art of literature,text b,classroom activities,how is

54、the picture related to the main idea of text b?,introducing creative writing,read aloud the famous quotes by hemingway, moore and france in text b, and work in pairs to share your understanding,unit 1 the art of literature,text b,classroom activities,discuss the questions in task 2 / critical readin

55、g and thinking p15,give a 2-minute presentation on your findings in researching p15,introducing creative writing,ernest hemingway (1899-1961) and his iceberg theory,unit 1 the art of literature,text b,supplementary information,introducing creative writing,began his writing career as a journalist del

56、eting irrelevant and superfluous matter creating a surface story in which he merely hinted at or even skipped the point of the story as objective and honest as possible short simple sentences, largely of nouns and verbs. simple dialogues if one approaches it familiarly, what one says of it is worthl

57、ess. words are constructive when they are true; the opaque allusion the simulated flight upward accomplishes nothing.,marianne moore and her “picking and choosing”,introducing creative writing,anatole france,unit 1 the art of literature,text b,supplementary information,anatole france (1844-1924) is

58、often regarded as the greatest french writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. he was elected to the french academy in 1896 and was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1921, in recognition of his literary achievements. his works are remarkable for the focus on social justice and for t

59、he witty, satirical writing style. his best-remembered work: lle des pingouins (1908, tr. penguin island, 1909) (which satirizes human nature by depicting the transformation of penguins into humans),task 2 / points for discussion p15,unit 1 the art of literature,text b,suggested answer key,think of an empty page as open space. - as the first sentence of the text, it initiates us into the world of writing (on an empty page). it also illuminates the central idea of the text - a writer should regard an empty page as an open space where everyth