Keys to Unit One
Langston Hughes: Early Autumn
Teaching objectives: 1.To learn the elements of fiction/short story
2. Text for Reading
3. Interpretation and Discussion
Difficulties: 1. To find the meaning under the surface of the words
2. To write a short story after reading
Time: 4 periods
Teaching procedures:
1.the Introduction of the textbook as well as the teaching aims
2.the elements of fiction/short story
Fiction: the word fiction is a rather general term that can be define d as narrative told in prose. Therefore, fiction refers to different ty pes of writing such as folktale, myth, legend, etc., but it is most o ften associated with the novel and the short story.
Short story: the short story is necessarily limited in length and scop e.
Key words of short story: a single incident; a single character or a few characters; compact; creative and imaginative
3. Exercises and analysis:
1)Opinions of Understanding:
(1) What was probably untrue of Mary?
A. She missed the days of the past.
B. She still loved Bill.
C. She worked to keep a family of three children.
D. She was satisfied with her life and job in New York.
(2) Which of the following adjectives can probably best describe Bill’s attitude?
A. Emotional.
B. Indifferent.
C. Puzzled.
D. Hopeful.
(3) Mary didn’t say anything when she got on the bus. Why?
A. She had nothing more to say.
B. She was disappointed in Bill.
C. She was too emotional.
D. She knew the situation was hopeless.
(4) The last sentence of the story “she had forgotten …to tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill, too” shows that ________.
A. Mary knew she would meet Bill again some day.
B. “Bill” is a very common name.
C. Mary had been thinking about Bill and still loved him.
D. Mary was proud of her youngest son.
(5) The title of the short story “Early Autumn” may suggest to the reader that _______.
A. the bitterness of an emotional long winter was ahead
B. it was still the bright time of one’s life, like early Autumn
C. both Mary and Bill were now middle-aged people
D. the love between them was not as “hot” as summer days
2) Questions for Discussion
(Suggested answers for reference):
(1) Can you pick out words and sentences to show that Mary and Bill were now different in their attitudes toward each other?
1) Mary: …she saw him for the first time in years. (line 5)
Bill: At first he did not recognize her… (line 8)
2) Mary: Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss… (line 11)
Bill: …but he held out his hand. (line 12)
3) Mary: “I live in New York now,” she said. (eagerly telling him her address) (line 14)
Bill: “Oh” – smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes. (having no interested in her living place now.) (lines 15-16)
4) Mary: “Married yet?” (concerning keenly about his marital status) (line 21)
Bill: “Sure. Two kids.”(being satisfied with his present situation and showing pride in mentioning his family.) (line 22)
5) Bill: “And your husband?” he asked her. (not noticing her subtle emotional change.) (line 27)
Mary: “We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia” (avoiding mentioning her husband in her reply). (line 28)
6) Bill: “You’re looking very …” (he wanted to say old) “… well,” he said. (not being sensitive to her condition.) (line 29)
Mary: She understood. (being very sensitive to her own condition.) (line 30)
7) Mary: “We live on Central Park West,” she said. “Come and see us sometime.”(offering a direct invitation.) (line 33)
Bill: “Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have you.”(giving a polite indirect rejection.) (lines 34-35)
8) Mary: “There’s my bus,” she said. (line 42)
Bill: He held out his hand, “Good-by.” (ready to part with Mary.) (line 43)
Mary: “When …” she wanted to say… (not ready to part with Bill) (line 44)
(2) Several times the author describes the scene on Washington Square: the dusk, the chilly weather, the falling leaves, the passing people. Does he only want to tell us where and when the story takes place? What other effects do such descriptions achieve?
(The description of the setting gives the reader a feeling of sadness and depression. It was getting dark and getting cold with leaves falling. The bright daytime was over and the unpleasant darkness was ahead, and the warm and comfortable summer and early autumn days were being replaced by the cold and long winter. The setting echoes and reinforces Mary’s feelings of regret and yearning and implies the emotional crisis that she might have to face.)
3) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
1) Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved.
(Notice the two key words: “impulsively”and “thought.”This has direct relation to her reactions at Washington Square, New York, years later. She made an impulsive decision and the man she “thought” she loved was not the man she wanted to be a life partner with.)
2) Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand.
(Her unconscious reaction reveals that their sweet love in the past had been kept alive in Mary’s memory for all these years, but Bill had undergone a total change, treating her as an ordinary acquaintance of the past.)
3) “And your husband?” he asked her.
“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”
(This is the first time Bill initiated the conversation, but he had failed to notice the signs in Mary’s emotional reaction and asked a question he should have not asked. Mary avoided the question by talking about something else. Why did she avoid mentioning her husband? There is message in the avoidance.)
4) The lights on the avenue blurred, twinkled, blurred.
(The vision came from Mary’s eyes. Obviously, her eyes were now filled with tears.)
5) The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they
didn’t know. Space and people.
(A lot of people had walked into their lives, Mary and Bill’s family members and their respective circle of friends and colleagues. It was no longer their world of two young lovers when they were in Ohio.)
4) Suggested Homework:
Suppose you were Bill Walker and you had a habit of writing down what happened to you in your diary. After the chance meeting with Mary at Washington Square, you went home and wrote a brief paragraph about the meeting. The paragraph may begin like this:
Oct. 11, 2009
I had never expected to see Mary, but I met her at Washington Square. She looked rather old to me – I didn’t even recognize her immediately…
For reference only:
Oct. 11, 2009
(I had never expected to see Mary, but I met her at Washington Square. She looked rather old to me – I didn’t even recognize her immediately. It was quite a surprise that she could pick me out among the hustling and bustling crowd in the street. After all, it has been quite a few years since we parted -- Eight, nine, or ten years? Time flies and we both changed a lot, no longer the heady, impulsive kind of youngsters that we once were. For some reason, she seemed rather emotional about this chance meeting, and was keen in knowing about what had happened to me in these years and in telling and inviting me to her place. Somehow, she avoided mentioning her husband, the man she quickly married after we ran into a little problem in our relationship. Ten years is a long time, enough to reshape a person’s life. I wish her and her family all the happiness, sincerely.)
Keys to Unit Two
(1) I. B. Singer: The Washwoman
(2) Frank Sargeson: A Piece of Yellow Soap
1) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) Does the piece of washing soap have the “power” as the narrator tells us? What is the “power”
that forces him to take off?
(The piece of yellow washing soap is, of course, an ordinary one. The narrator is a “na?ve narrator”who believed that it had some sort of mysterious “power,”while the readers are expected to know better. This power comes from the narrator’s deep sympathy for the tragic fate of the washing woman. Seeing the situation, he simply could not continue to demand the payment which he knew the woman was unable to produce.)
(2) In this Unit, we have two stories about two washwomen. There are a lot of similar descriptions
and common characteristics in the two stories. Find and list them.
(They were both reduce to desperation, depending solely on washing for living. Both were hard-working and uncomplaining, quietly but almost heroically bore their burden and struggled for a hard existence. The author describes their common feature –the white and shrunken fingers – as symbol of suffering in the lives of the working people. They both were both dead by the end of the stories.)
(3) The two first-person narrators tell two stories of two washwomen who shared similar tragic
fate. Discuss the differences in the narrators that result in the differences in the way the two short stories are told.
(Singer’s narrator knows more and tells more about the washing woman, often making direct comments and revealing his own feelings about the life of the woman whose story he is telling. He frequently emphasizes that what he is telling is real, and hints that the story has significance. The narrator’s voice is very close to the author’s. Please see more in “Reading Tips” on page 11. On the other hand, Sargeson’s narrator is a na?ve one, that is, the narrator’s understanding is purposely made shallow, and the reader need find by himself the real meaning in the situation. So the narrator stands at some distance from the author. Please see more in “Reading Tips”on page 15. Therefore, in Text I, we, as readers, are basically “given” or “received” the story, while in Text II, we need to participate imaginatively in the story to “dig out” the true meaning the na?ve narrator has left unexplained.)
2) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance
in the context of the story.)
From “The Washwoman”:
(1) She had been so sick that someone called a doctor, and the doctor had sent for a priest.
(According to the custom, a priest should be present while one is dying. The implied message is the doctor thought that he could do nothing to save her, and the best thing to do was to prepare for her death.)
(2) “With the help of God you will live to be a hundred and twenty,” said my mother, as a
blessing.
“God forbid!...”
(“My Mother” extended a good wish for long life to her, but the washing woman thought that a long life was a terrible thing, because it only meant suffering longer.)
(3) Her soul passed into those spheres where all holy souls meet, regardless of the roles they
played on this earth, in whatever tongue, of whatever religion.
(A good person, like the old washwoman, would go to heaven because she had a noble soul.
She would rise above all the earthly considerations of class, race, nation and religion. )
From “A Piece of Yellow Soap”:
(4) My eyes would get fixed on her fingers and the soap, and after a few minutes I would lose all
power to look the woman in the face. I would mumble something to myself and take myself off .
(The narrator could not bear to look at this washing-tub slave for too long. He would have to find some excuse and leave. He could not push her over the cliff while she was standing on the verge of total desperation.)
(5) She had a way too of feeling inside her handbag as she passed me, and I always had the queer
feeling that she carried there a piece of soap. It was her talisman powerful to work wonders…
(Possibly in the bag there were a few pennies that the woman had earned from her washing, and she was going to buy food or some necessities. Seeing the narrator, to whom she knew she owed money, she unconsciously or protectively put her hand in the bag. The narrator, being “na?ve,” misunderstood her reaction while they met in the street.)
Suggested Homework:
Translate the following paragraphs from “The Washwoman” into Chinese:
The bag was big, bigger than usual. When the woman placed it on her shoulders, it covered her completely. At first she stayed, as though she were about to fall under the load. But an inner stubbornness seemed to call out; no, you may not fall. A donkey may permit himself to fall under his burden, but not a human being, the best of creation.
She disappeared, and mother sighed and prayed for her.
More than two months passed. The frost had gone, and then a new frost had come, a new wave of cold. One evening, while mother was sitting near the oil lamp mending a shirt, the door opened and a small puff of steam, followed by a gigantic bag, entered the room. I ran toward the old woman and helped her unload her bag. She was even thinner now, more bent. Her head shook from side to side as though she were saying no. She could not utter a clear word, but mumbled something with her sunken mouth and pale lips.
For reference only:
衣服包很大，比平时更大。妇人将那一大包衣服驼在肩上，包袱把她的身子完全盖住了。一开始，她稳住脚，好像随时都会在大包袱的重压下倒下。但似乎有一种内在的毅力在呼唤，让她挺住，不能倒下。一头驴可以允许自己被重压压垮，但人为万物之灵，则不可趴下。
她渐渐走远，母亲叹了口气，默默为她祈祷。
两个多月过去了。冰雪消融后，冰雪又至，新一阵寒潮袭来。一天晚上，母亲正坐在油灯旁补衣衫，门突然被推开，一团小小的雾气引领着一个巨大的包袱进了屋子。我跑上前去帮老太太卸下包袱。她愈加消瘦，背更驼了。她不停地晃着脑袋，像在说太过分了。她连话都说不清楚，从瘪陷的嘴中透过苍白的嘴唇嘟哝了几声。
Keys to Unit Three
Richard Selzer: The Discus Thrower
1) Questions for discussion
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) What impression do you get of the patient from the description given in the story?
(In spite of his serious illness, the man never moans or complains. He talks little and generally keeps the physical suffering to himself. He tries to maintain an image of a real man although he is in the grip of Death. He behaves in the manner of Hemingway’s “tough guy”–acting by the principal that “A man can be destroyed but can not be defeated.”)
(2) In the short conversations, we hear the patient’s demand to know about exact time and his demand for shoes. Why is he still interested in time and what does he want shoes for since he can’t walk anymore?
(His interest in exact time and his demand for shoes seem to suggest that, deep in his heart, the man refuses to accept the fate. It might be the result of fierce psychological conflict within the patient, with reality and rationality on one side, and wish and will on the other side. Some abnormal behaviors indicate the man’s unwillingness to reconcile with the fate in spite of his self-restrain.)
(3) Read carefully the paragraph about plate-throwing. Why does the writer give such detailed description of it? What is your interpretation of this rather abnormal behavior?
(From the detailed descriptions of his “discus” throwing, we seem to learn that the man is rather skillful at that, and that he might have had some training in the sport of throwing discus. Then why dose he throw plates? Is it because it brings back the memory of the best moment in his life when his physical power wins the glory and cheers? By this impulsive “reliving”or “restaging” of the explosive energy he once had, the man gains some satisfaction – he laughs after it – and proves that he is still alive. This action reveals the complicated inner world of a man who is forced to face death.)
(4) Why does the writer choose “The Discus Thrower” as the title? Is it coincidence that the short story has the same title as the famous Greek sculpture Discobolus (Discus Thrower)?
(In the Greek sculpture, we see the frozen moment of beauty: male vitality, energy and muscle power. It is a celebration of life and physical capability. This patient might once be a discus thrower, professional athlete or amateur, and now forms such a contrast to the sculptured image. This leaves a lot of room for reader’s own reflection on life and death.)
2) Explanation and interpretation
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance
in the context of the story.)
(1) a. From the doorway of Room 542 the man in the bed seems deeply tanned. Blue eyes and
close-cropped white hair give him the appearance of vigor and good health.
b. He lies solid and inert. In spite of everything, he remains impressive, as though he were a
sailor standing athwart a slanting deck.
(The patient is fatally ill, but he looks, or keeps an image of a strong man. His life is threatened by disease, but the spirit of a strong man is still there. He does not collapse, but does what he can, though rather vainly, to struggle to maintain the dignity of a man.)
(2) “Yes,” he says at last and without the least irony. “You can bring me a pair of shoes.”
(see suggested answer to Question 2.)
(3) It’s a blessing, she (the head nurse) says.
(Though the head nurse is the one who has complained a lot about the patient’s unreasonable behaviors and upon his death she says “It’s a blessing,” it does not mean that she is cold blooded, and thus feels relieved of her troubles. She means that God has allowed him to go, so he no longer needs to suffer and to struggle in this world. It is thus a blessing from God.)
(4) He is still there in his bed. His face is relaxed, grave, dignified.
(He is dead, possibly dying with relaxed feeling as he has kept his final image of being a true man with dignity and can now sleep in peace.)
Keys to Unit Four
Somerset Maugham: Mr. Know-All
1) Opinions of Understanding:
(1) Which of the following is a round character?
A. The narrator “I”.
B. Mr. Kelada.
C. Mr. Ramsay.
D. Mrs. Ramsay.
(2) Which of the following is a most typical flat character?
A. The narrator “I”.
B. Mr. Kelada.
C. Mr. Ramsay.
D. Mrs. Ramsay.
(3) The narrator decided that he might have an unpleasant company even before seeing Mr. Kelada because _______.
A. he had to share a cabin with the latter
B. he had known the latter to be a loud and noisy person
C. the latter had a foreign name
D. the latter had a bad reputation
(4) From the story we can deduce that Mrs. Ramsay’s pearl necklace was probably ________.
A. a worthless imitation
B. an expensive purchase that she borrowed money to pay for
C. a gift from her husband
D. a gift from a lover of hers that her husband knew nothing about
(5) By the end of the short story, the narrator said, “At that moment I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada.” The words may suggest that _______.
A. he actually enjoyed the company of Mr. Kelada
B. he found that Mr. Kelada was entirely different from what he had expected him to be
C. he liked Mr. Kelada just for a moment
D. he had changed his earlier attitude towards Mr. Kelada
2) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1)What are the undesirable qualities of Mr. Kelada according to the narrator? Find them out in
the text and list them. Are they good proof that Mr. Kelada is an unpleasant person?
1）…my fellow passenger’s name was (not) Smith or Brown. (not Anglo-Saxon sounding) (line 9).
2) When I went on board I found Mr. Kelada’s luggage ..and toilet things (showing bad taste) (lines 11-16)
3) Mr. Kelada was short and of a sturdy build, cleanshaven and dark skinned, with a fleshy, hooked nose and very large lustrous and liquid eyes. His long black hair was sleek and curly. (His physical features indicate that he is not a white European.) (lines 32-34)
4) He spoke with a fluency in which there was nothing English and his gestures were exuberant. (lines 34-35)
5) Mr. Kelada was chatty. (line 57)
6) Mr. Kelada was familiar. …(observing) no such formality. (lines 64-68)
7) “The three on the four,” said Mr. Kelada (participating in other person’s card game, being rather nosy) (lines 71-81)
8) I not only shared a cabin with him and ate three meals a day at the same table, but I could not walk round the deck without his joining me. (caring little about other people’s privacy) (lines 85-86)
9) He was a good mixer, and in three days knew everyone on board. He ran everything. (line 90-91)
10) He was certainly the best hated man in the ship. We called him Mr. Know-All. (line 94)
11) He was … argumentative. He knew everything better than anybody else. (lines 96-97)
But the above list only proves that Mr. Kelada was a person of different culture and behaved differently. Nurtured by his more Oriental culture, he behaved in a way that was nothing wrong in itself, but was disliked by the narrator of the story, who held a prejudice against non-Western culture.
(2) Underline the descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay, and discuss the contrast between the couple.
Mr. Ramsay:
1) He was as dogmatic as Mr. Kelada and resented bitterly the Levantine’s cocksureness. (lines 103-104)
2) He was a great heavy fellow from the Middle West, with loose fat under a tight skin, and he bulged out of his ready-made clothes. (lines 106-108)
3) He was argumentative (lines 122-124) and insensitive (lines 155-170)
Mrs. Ramsay:
1) Mrs. Ramsay was a very pretty little thing, with pleasant manners and a sense of humor. (lines 110-111)
2) She was dressed always very simply; but she knew how to wear her clothes. She achieved an effect of quiet distinction. (lines 111-113)
3) You could not look at her without being struck by her modesty. It shone in her like a flower on a coat. (lines 115-116)
(The husband and the wife are very different almost in every way. One is loud, fatty, aggressive and the other is quite, pretty and modest. The contrast gives the reader an impression that the man is unworthy of the lady and may indicate at possible lack of harmony in the marriage.)
(3) We have been given enough hints about the true value of the necklace and the possible story behind it. Can you find them?
1) “They’ll never be able to get a cultured pearl that an expert like me can’t tell with half an eye.” He pointed to a chain that Mrs. Ramsay wore. “You take my word for it, Mrs. Ramsay, that chain you’re wearing will never be worth a cent less than it is now.” (lines 134-137)
2) Mrs. Ramsay in her modest way flushed a little and slipped the chain inside her dress. (line 136)
3) “Oh, in the trade somewhere round fifteen thousand dollars. But if it was bought on Fifth Avenue, I shouldn’t be surprised to hear that anything up to thirty thousand was paid for it.” (lines 145-147)
4) “Oh, Elmer, you can’t bet on a certainty,” said Mrs. Ramsay. (line 155)
5) “But how can it be proved?” she continued. “It’s only my word against Mr. Kelada’s.”(line 159-160)
6) Mrs. Ramsay hesitated a moment. She put her hands to the clasp. (line 164)
7) “I can’t undo it,” she said. “Mr. Kelada will just have to take my word for it.” (line 165)
8) The Levantine took a magnifying glass from his pocket and closely examined it. A smile of triumph spread over his smooth and swarthy face. (lines 170-172)
9) … Mrs. Ramsay’s face. It was so white that she looked as though she were about to faint. She was staring at him with wide and terrified eyes. They held a desperate appeal. (lines 173-175)
(4) Why did Mr. Kelada choose not to tell the truth of the value of the pearl necklace?
(Obviously he wanted to help the helpless lady by not revealing the true value of the necklace. Otherwise she would have to face an awful and embarrassing explanation. He might have regarded Mr. Ramsay as being unworthy for the lady and acted out of disdain.)
(5) Why did the narrator say by the end of the story “I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada”?
(He seemed to be aware of his own prejudice after he had seen the positive quality of the Levantine: wisdom, self-sacrifice, and sensitiveness to other’s misfortunes.)
3) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
(1) I was prepared to dislike Max Kelada even before I knew him.
(This indicates that the narrator, the English gentleman, had a deep-rooted racial and cultural bias against non-English. It is not the person, but what his name represents that he disliked.)
(2) But when I was told the name of my companion my heart sank…. I should have looked upon it
with less dismay if my fellow passenger’s name had been Smith or Brown.
(“Smith”and “Brown”are typical English surnames. The name “Max Kelada”indicates a man from a different, most likely “inferior” culture in the opinion of the narrator.)
(3) The Consular Service is ill paid, and she was dressed always very simply.
(This foreshadows the fact that the pearl necklace was far too expensive for her purse.)
(4) Mrs. Ramsay in her modest way flushed a little and slipped the chain inside her dress.
(She quickly hid the chain inside, an act that reveals her fear of its true value being noticed by somebody.)
(5) “If I had a pretty little wife I shouldn’t let her spend a year in New York while I stayed at Kobe,” said he.
(Mr. Kelada hinted that the husband’s leaving her alone in New York was unwise and had led to some consequences. She had now a wealthy suitor. )
4) Suggested Homework:
Let us suppose that in the afternoon on the same day when Mr. Kelada got back the 100 dollars, he met Mrs. Ramsay somewhere on the deck, and there were no other people around. They had a short conversation about what had happened previously. Using your imagination, write out the short dialogue between the two. The conversation may begin like this:
(-- Good morning, Mrs. Ramsay. It’s a surprise to see you alone here.
-- Good morning, Mr. Kelada. I don’t feel well, so I come out for a bit of fresh air.
-- It’s always a pleasure to see a charming lady like you.
-- Thank you for saying so. I’m extremely sorry for what happened yesterday, and I’m grateful for what you did, for me.)
-- Lying about the necklace?
-- Lying for my sake. You are generous and have a good heart.
-- Anyway, I got the 100 dollars back. You delivered it yourself?
-- Yes, I did. You did me a great service, and there is no way that you should be paying that money.
-- I have been the laughingstock of everybody on board.
-- You have my respect. I was real terrified yesterday, and fortunately you came to the rescue.
-- It is a wonderful gift, that necklace, from a true admirer, I guess?
-- You embarrass me, Mr. Kelada, but you seem to notice everything.
-- It’s a good match to a pretty lady like you.
-- Don’t laugh at me, I beg. I don’t think I’ll be wearing it anymore. Thank you again, and I think I’ll be going back to the cabin.
Keys to Unit Five
Roald Dahl: The Taste
1) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) Can you explain the writer’s plotting -- which part is the exposition, or complication, or climax, or resolution of this short story?
(exposition: lines 1-17);complication: lines 18-404; climax: lines 405-425; resolution: lines 426-431)
(2) The narrator seems to be rather suspicious of Pratt’s motive. Can you find the places in the story where he shows his suspicion and underline them?
1) He was completely engrossed in conversation with Mike’s eighteen-year-old daughter, Louise. … As he spoke, he leaned closer and closer to her, and the poor girl leaned as far as she could away from him, nodding politely, rather desperately…(lines 67-72)
2) … in two short swallows he tipped the wine down his throat and turned immediately to resume his conversation with Louise Schofield. (lines 78-80)
3) Except that, to me, there was something strange about his drawling voice and his boredom: between the eyes a shadow of something evil, and in his bearing an intentness that gave me a faint sense of uneasiness as I watched him. (lines 121-124)
4) And yet, curiously, his next questions seemed to betray a certain interest. “You like to increase the bet?” (lines 138-139)
5) It was a solemn, impassive performance, and I must say he (Pratt) did it well. (line 289)
6) … he was becoming ridiculously pompous, but I thought that some of it was deliberate…(lines 316-317)
(3) Can you say a few words about each of the three members of the Schofield family? Write down your impression on a piece of paper and read out what you have written to the class.
(Michael Schofield is stockbroker, getting rich almost too effortlessly. Conscious of being less “cultured,” he imitates the way of life of high class, attempting to copy the manners of the “polite society,” to suppress his emotion, to be courteous whenever possible. He loves his daughter, but pays little attention to his wife’s opinion.
Mrs. Schofield is similarly conscious of “cultured behavior,” always fearing that her husband may fail to keep to the polite manners. She is almost completely disregarded by her husband, and she knows it, but behaves as if her words had weight on him.
Louise is a lovely young lady, generally behaving in the way that her parents would wish her to behave. She does not show her anger though obviously she is displeased by Mr. Pratt. She also accepts the ridiculous betting upon her father’s repeated pleading.)
(4) The ending of the story is unexpected but significant. What does it reveal to you about the two characters, the humble maid and the wealthy and “highly cultured” Richard Pratt?
(Though low in social status and in economic position, the humble maid demonstrates her wisdom, cool-mindedness, loyalty and nobility. On the contrary, the member of so-called “cultured class” such as Mr. Pratt, reveals fully his dishonesty, meanness and evil intention.)
3) Explanation and interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
(1) He (Pratt) was completely engrossed in conversation with Mike’s eighteen-year-old daughter, Louise. He was half turned towards her, smiling at her…
(Pratt had an interest in his friend’s daughter and showed that almost openly. This shows that he is not a gentleman, but a mean-minded person.)
(2) (The narrator): “But why the study?”
Mike: “It’s the best place in the house. Richard helped me choose it last time he was here.”
(This is a foreshadowing. Richard Pratt had set the trap. From the very beginning of the betting, Pratt had already had the plan, and step by step he led Mike into the trap.)
(3) …and then he (Mike) picked up his knife, studied the blade thoughtfully for a moment, and put it down again.
(He was making an effort to restrain himself and suppress his anger, but he might do anything
if he can not control himself in an explosive moment. Pratt’s desire for his daughter was outrageous and he had been challenging his patience for almost too long.)
(4) It was a solemn, impassive performance, and I must say he (Pratt) did it well.
(The narrator seemed to have noticed that what Pratt had staged was a well-prepared “performance.”)
(5) Pratt glanced around, saw the pair of thin horn-rimmed spectacles that she held out to him, and
for a moment he hesitated. “Are they? Perhaps they are, I don’t know.”
(Pratt now saw the big hole in his plan, but after a moment of indecision, he calmly attempted to cover it up by saying something in a careless manner.)
4) Suggested Homework:
(Turn the short story into a performable short play.)
Task One: Divide the class into groups of six.
Task Two: Rewrite the story in the form of a play. Shorten it by keeping only the necessary conversation and cutting away the rest. Add a brief introduction and some
conclusive comments.
Task Three: Prepare to act out the story with 6 characters in the play – the narrator who introduces the story at the beginning and makes a brief comment at the end, Mike Schofield, his
wife, his daughter Louis, Richard Pratt and the maid.
The play may begin like this:
Narrator: Mike Schofield, a wealthy stock broker, is holding a dinner party in his house in London.
Among those sitting at table is a gentleman named Richard Pratt, a famous gourmet.
Pratt has unusual knowledge of wine and by simply tasting it, he can tell the year and
the place of its production. As usual, tonight, the host expects a little bet with him on his
ability to name the vintage of a particular wine.
Mike: I’ve got some special wine tonight. You’ll never name this one, Richard. Not in a hundred years!
Pratt: A claret?
……
(The students can cut and paste and reorganize from the original text, starting from line 115. )
Keys to Unit Six
Mary Gavell: The Swing
1) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) What is the significance of the opening sentence “As she grew old, she began to dream again”? Is it only the old age that causes the mother to dream and daydream more often now?
(Dream is a replacement of what she cannot have in real life. As she grew old, she became less active physically and felt more lonely in her emotional life. That is why, most of her dreams are about the remembered past, the life with her son.)
(2) What is it about Julius, the husband, that annoys the wife? Is he an annoying person? Why do you think he behaves the way he does? Does he understand her emotional situation?
(The husband, Julius, suffers from the same problem. Old age made him physically weak so he moved about less and talked less. He shares the feeling of loneliness, but the man’s reaction is different from his wife. The ending part of the short story proves that. He keeps the emotion to himself, becoming more withdrawn and behaving, in his wife’s eyes, rather strangely.)
(3) In one of the flashbacks, there is description of one of the Sunday dinners at the adult son’s home. How is the mother-son conversation different from her talks with her boy on the swing?
(The conversation between the mother and her adult son does not have the intimacy and attachment it once had when the son was a boy. Behind the mature politeness, there is some distance between generations. While in the past, they could talk about anything and everything and could share true sentiments.)
(4) How do you explain the jacket hanging on the nail?
(We cannot explain it realistically or rationally, unless we regard is also as part of the dream. There is a literary school of writing called “magic realism,” in which the real and the fantastic are merged for a special effect. So, this can best be understood as a touch of “magic realism.”)
3) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
(1) (The mother thought:) “I wish that when I ask him how he is he wouldn’t tell me that there is every likelihood that the Basic Research Division will be merged with the Statistics Division.”
(The grown-up son’s interest is in his work, while the mother’s interest is in his personal life. Her question shows her concerned of him as a son, but his mind bends on his career. He is now living in a world that his mother knows little about, and he is no longer as dependent on her as he
was when he was a child. The mother feels some sadness because the conversation once again reminds her of the fact that her son has left her nest and now is flying on his own wings.)
(2) she had had the ancient piano tuned… had been reading books on China… and was going to dig it (phlox) all up and try iris (in the garden)…
(She has been trying to find things to do, possibly to kill boredom and loneliness.)
(3) He came every night or two after that, and she lay in bed in happy anticipation, listening
for the creak of the swing.
(She waits, lying in bed, for the happy time with eagerness. So the meeting with her son
in dream highlights the problem in her old age living with a reticent and inactive husband. It is her only moment of great joy – remembering the life of the past.)
(4) … she sat and watched as he walked down the little back lane that had taken him to school, and off to college, and off to a job, and finally off to be married…
(It is the boy’s growing-up process: leaving home, going to school, to college, to working unit and establishing his own family. The scenes pass before her mind’s eye quickly and there is a tragic sense reminding her that her son, as a child, has left her forever.)
Unit Seven
James Joyce: Araby
2)Opinions of Understanding:
(1) Which adjective is NOT proper to describe the style of the short story?
A. Dreamlike.
B. Poetic.
C. Matter-of-fact.
D. Sentimental.
(2) Why does the boy want to go to the bazaar, or the “Araby,” so desperately?
A. He wants to find some romantic fulfillment.
B. He wants to see exotic and exciting things.
C. He wants to have new experience.
D. He wants to “do something” for the girl.
(3) What do you think can be the theme of the story?
A. Real beauty is illusory and unattainable.
B. Growing up leads to loss of youthful idealism.
C. True love can not survive the cruel world.
D. Disillusion always accompanies romanticism.
(4) Which is probably true about Mangan’s sister?
A. She is a young girl of rare beauty.
B. She has all the elegance because of her family and religious background.
C. She is angel-like both in appearance and in nature.
D. She is an ordinary girl but the narrator places his romantic fantasies on her.
(5) The short story ends with the sentence: “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and deri ded by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” What possibly has the boy suddenly realized?
A. He has been behaving foolishly.
B. The girl does not deserve so much of his affection.
C. His uncle and aunt are heartless people.
D. True beauty can not be obtained at any cost.
2) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) Why does the boy isolate himself in his room reading books and why does he retreat into dreams of idealized love? Find the contrasts between his real life and the imagined perfection.
The boy’s real life:
1. The living place was musty, cold, damp and gloomy.
2. The neighborhood was described as being “the most hostile to romance.” (line 50)
3. The rigid religious life seems to deprive a boy’s pursuit for romance, so the protagonist resorted to imagination as his escape from the day-to-day existence.
3. The protagonist’s Uncle and Aunt seem accustomed to living the kind of monotonous life.
The boys imagined beauty and romance:
1. “I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” (lines 48-49)
2. “Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance.” (line 50)
3. “I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.” (61-63)
4. The girl was even nameless, being called Mangan’s sister, but she appears like an angel on earth.
(2) Why is the journey to the bazaar so important to the boy? Has he taken the matter over-seriously?
(The journey and the buying of something is not important in itself. What is important is the boy’s promise to Mangan’s sister. The boy regarded it as a sacred mission that he had to fulfill. It became a token of his youthful love and everything that was beautiful and ideal.)
3) Explanation and Interpretation:
(Identify what literary device the writer uses in each (or each pair) of the following expressions)
(1) The other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces. (personification)
(2) a. The light … lit up the hand upon the railing.
b. the lamplight (shone)… at the hand upon the railings…(symbol)
(3) a. I kept her brown figure always in my eye…
b. seeing nothing but the brown-clad figure cast by my imagination.. (symbol)
(4) When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre. (personification)
年轻人必读的29本英文短篇小说，分分钟刷新你三观 本周，著名网站Buzzfeed 罗列了一份年轻人必读的29 篇短篇小说书单，这份书单的作者覆盖了英语世界，尤其是美国文学界最富盛名的小说家。《外滩画报》精选出10 篇已经翻译成中文的小说作重点推荐。 编辑：谭浩制图：唐卓人部分图片来自Buzzfeed 2013年，瑞典学院将诺贝尔文学奖颁给了以写作短篇小说见长的加拿大作家爱丽丝·门罗，这在某种程度上褒扬了中短篇小说为世界文学做出的重要贡献。阿根廷女作家萨曼塔·施维伯林甚至说：“门罗能够得到诺贝尔文学奖，让我们这些写作短篇的都松了一口气。”虽然很多人不一定赞同顾彬关于“长篇小说已经没落”的论调，但是短篇小说作为一种更为有力凝练的文学形式，确实更加符合如今这个时代的节奏。本周，著名网站Buzzfeed 罗列了一份年轻人必读的29 篇短篇小说书单，这份书单的作者覆盖了英语世界，尤其是美国文学界最富盛名的小说家。《外滩画报》精选出10 篇已经翻译成中文的小说作重点推荐： 1. 弗兰纳里·奥康纳：《流离失所的人》 《流离失所的人》选自小说集《好人难寻》在弗兰纳里·奥康纳的小说里，尽管大部分时间故事里的人物都被堕
落、自私、愚昧、自负、欺骗或冷漠所掌控，但是，总有那么一个时刻（往往在接近小说结尾处），奥康纳会安排上帝的恩惠（或曰天惠）降临到他们身上。在这圣灵显现的一瞬间，这些人物突然受到某种精神上的启迪，进而达到某种“顿悟”，他们也许会接受这一天惠，也许会拒绝它，但不管怎样，这一灵光闪现的“天惠时刻”会使他们的内心发生改变。——比目鱼，书评人 2. 朱诺?迪亚斯：《沉溺》 选自小说集《沉溺》《沉溺》里面的九个小短篇和一个准中篇都是以朱诺?迪亚斯自己和他的家庭的真实经历为蓝本书写出来的半自传作品，它所处理的是一个移民家族心灵史上最特殊的时段：移民前在多米尼加共和国的等待期和移民初期在美国的无望岁月。朱诺?迪亚斯在写这些“少作”的时候，还没有获得他后来的作品中罗伯特?波拉尼奥式的喷薄的语言强度，但这种语流清浅、句法简朴的写法与作者的青春期原型所附体的叙述者尤尼尔非常合拍：如此“低限度”的风格，恰好能够为那些在生理、心理与地理的转换交接处所蛰伏的晦暗不明的能量提供随机释放的可能性。——胡续东，作家 3. 米兰达·裘丽：《楼梯上的男人》
第一章名词 一、定义 名词是表示人或事物名称的词。它既可以表示具体的东西，也可以是表示抽象的东西。 二、分类 1. 名词可以根据意义分为普通名词和专有名词 如：John is a student student是普通名词，John是专有名词 普通名词前可以用不定冠词a/an, 定冠词the 或不加冠词，专有名词前一般不加冠词，专有名词的首字母要大写。 2. 普通名词又可以分为个体名词、集体名词、物质名词和抽象名词，其中个体名词与集体名词是可数名词，物质名词和抽象名称是不可数名词。 3. 专有名词 专有名词是表示人名、地名、团体、机构、组织等的专有名词，多为独一无二的事物。 三、名词的数 1、名词分为可数名词和不可数名词。 可数名词——可以数的名词 不可数名词——数不清（没有复数） Drink?milk tea water orange juice coke coffee porridge Food?rice bread meat fish fruit cake dumplings 2、可数名词与不定冠词a(an)连用有数数形式，不可数名词不能与不定冠词a(an)连用，没有复数形式 many+可数名词复数 much/a little+不可数名词 some, any , a lot of (lots of) 两者都可以修饰。
3、可数名词可以直接用数词来修饰 不可数名词数词 +量词 +of + 名词 对可数名词的数量提问用How many 对不可数名词的数量提问用 How much 4、不可数名词的量有以下两种表示方法： 1） some, much ,a little ,a lot of ,a bit of , plenty of 用等表示多少。 注意既可以与可数名词复数，又可以与不可数名词连用的有：plenty of ,some ,a lot of ,lots of ,most of 等。 如There is much water in the bottle .瓶中有很多水。 I'll tell you much good news.我要告诉你许多好消息。 We should collect some useful information我们应该收集一些有用的消息。 2）用单位词表示。 用a ... of 表示。 如 a cup of （一杯......），a bottle of （一瓶......） a piece of （一张......），a pair of shoes（一双鞋） 如two cups of tea（两杯茶）,five pieces of paper（五张纸） 注意单位词后的动词单复数形式往往取决于单位词的单复数形式；千、百等数词与名词加用，表示复数时，数词仍保持单数，名词变复数。 如two hundred students（200名学生） ten thousand trees（10000棵树） 测试点He caught a lot of fish他抓到了许多鱼（此处为许多条鱼，fish的复数仍为fish 或fishes） =He caught a lot of fishes. The paper is about some fresh-water fishes.这篇论文是有关几种淡水鱼的。（此处fish 表示不同种类的鱼，加复数词尾-es） 5、可数名词分为单数和复数。 名词单数就是该词本身，在其前面加a或an。 1）单数
高中英语写作课教学设计 一、教学目标 1知识目标 1）明确书面表达的要求，学会在规定时间内完成审题、确定文体、抓住要点、组织语言、书写修改等一系列工作。 2）学会内容表达的完整性、行文的连贯性、遣词造句的准确性。 2能力发展目标 通过词到句子再到文章的训练，提高学生用英语进行思维的能力，培养学生自主学习和协作学习的习惯，锻炼学生用英语进行自我表达和交际的能力；拓展学生的英语思维，发展学生观察与分析问题和归纳事物特点的能力提高学生写作水平和综合运用英语的能力。 3思想情感目标 1）通过写作，教育学生积极参与、主动思维、大胆实践， 2）感受"合作学习"是一种非常有效的学习策略 3）体会交流思想和共享知识的乐趣。 二、教学辅助：多媒体 三、教学过程： Step 1: Lead-in 1 应用2则谚语导入：1）An apple day keeps the doctor away. 2）Two heads are better than one.让学生知道本次课的内容是：1.关于健康话题的写作 2.完成写作方式采取"合作"策略 2 要求学生回答下列问题（全班分为三大小组分别讨论下列题目） 1）What is healthy eating habit? 2）What food should we eat to have a balanced diet? 3）How can we keep healthy? 每一组将讨论结果在讲台上展示，收集话题素材，为写作做热身： 1）关于healthy eating habit 2）关于a balanced diet 3）关于keep healthy 通过以上提问，让学生尽快进入角色，对健康话题说出自己的看法。让学生分小组活动，四人一组，教师巡视，需要时给予帮助，并参与学生的讨论。引导学生扩大词汇量和英语惯用法，指导他们掌握话题词汇。然后，选出某一小组的代表向全班汇报他们小组讨论的内容，再请1-2位学生发表他们的观点。 3 向学生布置接下来的任务：Today we are going to write an essay about " How to keep healthy fo r us students?" Step 2: Presentation
The Romance of a Busy Broker by O. Henry Pitcher, confidential clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, allowed a look of mild interest and surprise to visit his usually expressionless countenance when his employer briskly entered at half past nine in company with his young lady stenographer. With a snappy "Good-morning, Pitcher," Maxwell dashed at his desk as though he were intending to leap over it, and then plunged into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting there for him. The young lady had been Maxwell's stenographer for a year. She was beautiful in a way that was decidedly unstenographic. She forewent the pomp of the alluring pompadour. She wore no chains, bracelets or lockets. She had not the air of being about to accept an invitation to luncheon. Her dress was grey and plain, but it fitted her figure with fidelity and discretion. In her neat black turban hat was the gold-green wing of a macaw. On this morning she was softly and shyly radiant. Her eyes were dreamily bright, her cheeks genuine peachblow, her expression a happy one, tinged with reminiscence. Pitcher, still mildly curious, noticed a difference in her ways this morning. Instead of going straight into the adjoining room, where her desk was, she lingered, slightly irresolute, in the outer office. Once she moved over by Maxwell's desk, near enough for him to be aware of her presence. The machine sitting at that desk was no longer a man; it was a busy New York broker, moved by buzzing wheels and uncoiling springs. "Well--what is it? Anything?" asked Maxwell sharply. His opened mail lay like a bank of stage snow on his crowded desk. His keen grey eye, impersonal and brusque, flashed upon her half impatiently. "Nothing," answered the stenographer, moving away with a little smile. "Mr. Pitcher," she said to the confidential clerk, did Mr. Maxwell say anything yesterday about engaging another stenographer?" "He did," answered Pitcher. "He told me to get another one. I notified the agency yesterday afternoon to send over a few samples this morning. It's 9.45 o'clock, and not a single picture hat or piece of pineapple chewing gum has showed up yet." "I will do the work as usual, then," said the young lady, "until some one comes to fill the place." And she went to her desk at once and hung the black turban hat with the gold-green macaw wing in its accustomed place. He who has been denied the spectacle of a busy Manhattan broker during a rush of business is handicapped for the profession of anthropology. The poet sings
高中英语语法“虚拟语气”的教学设计 一、教材分析： 本课是结合外研社版高中英语教材选修6中有关虚拟语气的语法内容，进行高三虚拟语气的复习，教学中将语法知识的传授和语言基本技能的学习结合到一起，注重复习语法与语言的运用。采用任务型教学法和小组合作探究学习法，从而扩大课堂的语言输入量及学生的语言输出量。 二、学情分析： 在高一和高二英语学习基础上，高三学生已经掌握基本的语言结构和一定程度的听说读写能力。在高三语法复习的过程中，结合学生原有的知识掌握水平，巩固基础强化正确使用语法知识，提高学生运用语言的深度和难度.但大部分学生的基础知识仍然较为薄弱，运用英语进行交际活动的能力较差，主动学习的动力不够，然而他们学习比较认真，渴求知欲旺盛，思维比较活跃。部分学生的基础较好，能主动配合老师。只有设置使他们感兴趣的活动，因材施教，才能让他们投入到课堂活动中来。 三、教学重点: 1.复习的重点---语法虚拟语气的句型结构. 2.语法虚拟语气的运用 四、教学难点: 1.结合复习的语法知识，以课堂教学为依托，全面训练学生的听、说、读、写能力，加强和提高运用英语的综合能力。 2.虚拟语气在真实的生活语境中的使用。 五、教学目标: 1.知识目标: 引导学生掌握情态动词在虚拟语气之中的使用。培养学生通读，分析，理解，综合的能力，教会学生体察语境，结合上下文，附和逻辑推理和合理的想象，结合语法和题干中的语境解决高考题。在运用语言过程中培养学生的观察力、分析力、想象力和自学能力，提高思维能力和运用英语的综合能力。 2.能力目标： 利用多媒体手段营造积极和谐教学氛围，使学生进入情景之中，充分调动学生的思维活动和情感体验，规范学生运用英语知识准确表达的能力，同时，发展学生综合语言运用的能力，分析问题和解决问题的能力，培养学生自主学习。 3.德育目标： 用情态动词和虚拟语气的句子结构表达思想感情和正确的世界观、人生观。 六、教学策略:
K e y s t o U n i t T w o (1) I. B. Singer: The Washwoman (2) Frank Sargeson: A Piece of Yellow Soap 1) Questions for Discussion: (Suggested answers for reference) (1) Does the piece of washing soap have the “power”as the narrator tells us? What is the “power” that forces him to take off? (The piece of yellow washing soap is, of course, an ordinary one. The narrator is a “na?ve narrator”who believed that it had some sort of mysterious “power,”while the readers are expected to know better. This power comes from the narrator’s deep sympathy for the tragic fate of the washing woman. Seeing the situation, he simply could not continue to demand the payment which he knew the woman was unable to produce.) (2) In this Unit, we have two stories about two washwomen. There are a lot of similar descriptions and common characteristics in the two stories. Find and list them. (They were both reduce to desperation, depending solely on washing for living. Both were hard-working and uncomplaining, quietly but almost heroically bore their burden and struggled for a hard existence. The author describes their common feature –the white and shrunken fingers –as symbol of suffering in the lives of the working people. They both were both dead by the end of the stories.) (3) The two first-person narrators tell two stories of two washwomen who shared similar tragic fate. Discuss the differences in the narrators that result in the differences in the way the two short stories are told. (Singer’s narrator knows more and tells more about the washing woman, often making direct comments and revealing his own feelings about the life of the woman whose story he is telling. He frequently emphasizes that what he is telling is real, and hints that the story has significance. The narrator’s voice is very close to the author’s. Please see more in “Reading Tips” on page 11. On the other hand, Sargeson’s narrator is a na?ve one, that is, the narrator’s understanding is purposely made shallow, and the reader need find by himself the real meaning in the situation. So the narrator stands at some distance from the author. Please see more in “Reading Tips” on page 15. Therefore, in Text I, we, as readers, are basically “given”or “received”the story, while in Text II, we need to participate imaginatively in the story to “dig out” the true meaning the na?ve narrator has left unexplained.) 2) Explanation and Interpretation:
Book6 Module3 Interpersonal relationship—— Friendship 高中英语写作课教案 Teaching Aims 1.To get the students to appreciating remarks on friendship or friends. 2.To enable the students to write a short story about friends or friendships. Teaching Procedures Step 1 Discussion Now, I found 500 pounds in Roy’s pocket. Did Roy steal the money from the charity? Someone says ‘yes’, someone says ‘no’. If Roy did steal the money from the charity, shall I tell the teacher or call the police? If Roy didn’t steal the money, what should I do? Discuss it in groups of four . Collect answers from students. Draw a conclusion; whether Roy stole the money or not, we help him all the same. Because we’re friends. Friends are the ones we can get help from and we can trust. In this unit, we have talked a lot about friends and friendship, knowing the importance of friends. And what do you think of a friend or friendship?
The Chrysanthemum Elisa Allen, a woman approaching middle age, is at a point in her life when she has begun to realize that her energy and creative drive far exceed the opportunities for their expression. Her marriage is reasonably happy—when she notices that her husband is proud of selling thirty head of steers he has raised, she gives him the compliment he hopes for, while he, in turn, appreciates her ability to grow flowers of exceptional quality. There is an easy banter between them, and while they have settled into a fairly familiar routine, they are still responsive to each other’s moods, and eager to celebrate an achievement in each other’s company with a night on the town. On the other hand, their marriage is childless, and Elisa generally wears bland, bulging clothes that tend to de-sex her. Their house is described as “hard-swept” and “hard-polished”; it is the only outlet for her talents and it is an insufficient focus for her energy. She has begun to sense that an important part of her is lying dormant and that the future will be predictable and rather mundane.
初中英语语法课教案设计 初中英语语法课教案设计 一、牛津版初中英语教材与人教版教材语法内容的异同 牛津版初中英语教材在内容上更加贴近现实生活，在语法知识上也有所改变，增加了间接引语这一知识点。这就要求老师要对教材 的语法知识进行深入地分析和研究，准确把握语法重点和难点，找 到最合适学生学习的方法，提升学生的英语语法学习兴趣，使学生 扎实掌握英语语法。 二、牛津版初中英语教材与人教版教材语法的具体差异 （一）牛津版教材更强调现在时语法 牛津版初中英语教材的“现在进行时”与“一般现在时”出现的先后顺序有所调整，而且没有“过去将来时”这一语法点。这一顺 序的调整不会对学生的学习产生较大影响，“过去将来时”可以在 学生学习“过去完成时”时提出。“现在进行时”与“一般现在时”主要是让学生掌握区分助动词形式：do/does/is/are；区分动词形式：read/reads/reading。 （二）牛津版教材被动语态出现较早 被动语态出现的时间比较早，学生比较难以理解，例如学生对“Englishisspokenbylotsofpeopleintheworld.”这句话的理解就 容易产生困难。因此教师在教学时就要使学生回顾过去学过的几种 基本时态，通过基本时态反过来理解被动语态，这样就可以起到融 汇贯通的作用。 （三）牛津版教材新增间接引语语法 间接引语是牛津版英语教材中新增的内容，学生之前从来没有接触过，学生在学习时就会产生障碍，不容易理解。
“HeaskedmeifIhadanypaper.”这句话是如何体现间接引语的语法 特征的以及如何将直接引语转化为间接引语学生都是第一次接触， 教师在设计教案时要抓住宾语从句作为间接引语的教学重点。从宾 语从句入手，讲解间接引语的语法特点和直接引语转化为间接引语 的方法，深入浅出，这样就会使学生更容易理解间接引语的语法特点，及时掌握间接引语的转换方式，提升学生英语语法的基础水平。 三、语法课教案设计措施 教案是教师开展教学的重要手段，教案好坏直接关系到教学质量。合格的教案能最大程度地体现教师的教学水平，能够激发学生的学 习兴趣，使学生在短时间内有效地接受新知识。 （一）教案要有针对性 教师在设计教案时要有针对性。一是要针对学生的`学习特点和 身心发展的特点，掌握学生之间学习水平的差异，这样就可以合理 安排教学环节和教学进程。教师在设计教案时，要制定有层次性的 学习目标，设置不同难度的问题，根据学生的学习特点设置提问环节，使学生都能够在课堂上有所收获，能够体会到学习过程中的成 就感，激发学生的学习兴趣，提升语法教学质量。二是要针对教学 内容准确把握各类语法的重难点，将重点知识传授给学生，如在讲 间接引语时要着重讲解宾语从句的语法特点。这样就可以事半功倍，使学生更有针对性地开展学习活动，有助于提升学生的英语成绩。 （二）教案要有创新性 教师在设计教案时，要充分调动自身的能力，对教材内容进行深入剖析，对学生心理进行深入解读。初中阶段，学生的好奇心、好 胜心较强，教师在设计教案时要充分尊重学生的这些特点。不断创 新教学形式，开展合作学习和探究式学习，引导学生进入到教师创 设的教学情境中，激发学生的想象力和创造力，充分调动学生的积 极性。在教案中最好设计小组竞技教学活动内容，打破传统灌输式 教育模式，提升学生的学习兴趣，保证良好的教学效果。 教案中还要注意提问的技巧，提问要注重知识点的迁移，促使学生能够积极思考。例如在提问被动语态的特点时，学生可能不太了
《英语短篇小说教程》练习参考答案
Unit Seven James Joyce: Araby 1)Opinions of Understanding: (1) Which adjective is NOT proper to describe the style of the short story? A. Dreamlike. B. Poetic. C. Matter-of-fact. D. Sentimental. (2) Why does the boy want to go to the bazaar, or the “Araby,” so desperately? A. He wants to find some romantic fulfillment. B. He wants to see exotic and exciting things. C. He wants to have new experience. D. He wants to “do something” for the girl. (3) What do you think can be the theme of the story? A. Real beauty is illusory and unattainable. B. Growing up leads to loss of youthful idealism. C. True love can not survive the cruel world. D. Disillusion always accompanies romanticism. (4) Which is probably true about Mangan’s sister? A. She is a young girl of rare beauty. B. She has all the elegance because of her family and religious background. C. She is angel-like both in appearance and in nature. D. She is an ordinary girl but the narrator places his romantic fantasies on her. (5) The short story ends with the sentence: “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” What possibly has the boy suddenly realized? A. He has been behaving foolishly. B. The girl does not deserve so much of his affection. C. His uncle and aunt are heartless people. D. True beauty can not be obtained at any cost.
How to write a composition ? (高三英语写作课教案) 张家港市后塍高级中学（南校区）魏燕萍 教学目的：教会学生用英语准确表达表格中涉及的要点。 教学重点：引导学生根据表格中的中文要点，由词成句，由句成文。最后适当使用连接词，组句成篇，实现用词准确，行文流畅。 教学辅助手段：电脑（或实物投影仪） 教学方法：讨论法 教学步骤： 一、介绍书面表达六步法(Introduction) 1.仔细审题,确立主题,明确要求. 2.围绕主题,提炼要点,编拟提纲. 3.分析要点及提纲,提炼关键单词和短语 4.恰当使用句型,连词成句 5.恰当使用连接词,组句成篇 6.规范誊写 二、呈现学生得分情况(Presentation) 反映出学生得分差距，引起学生共鸣：希望在作文上获得提高。 三、讨论 (Discussion) 1．写作人称为第三人称和第一人称,词数150词左右,时态一般现在时. 2．明确要点，确定核心词、词组、句型。 (要点“你的看法”：鼓励学生畅所欲言，激起课堂高潮。) 四、呈现(Presentation) 1. 高考英语写作关键：A.学会使用较高级词汇。B.学会使用较丰富的句式。C．学会使用恰当的连接词。2．呈现学生作文中出现的典型句子。要求学生用高级词汇、高级句型进行改写，加以完善。 3. 展示挖空后的范文,要求学生填入适当的关联词，并指出范文中的精彩之处。 五、反馈 (Feedback) 1．学生修改作文，互查互改错误。 2. 教师总结。首先，针对文中学生未找出或改对的错误， 帮助学生一起改正。其次，对文中的错误之处进行分类（如：名词复数、动词时态、介词等），引起学生的重视。 六、提高书面表达建议：(Suggestions) 1．准确记忆单词 2．掌握足够的语言知识点，如构词法，语法知识等3．经常进行写作练习 4．适当背诵作文参考答案 5．大量阅读 七、作业 (Assignment) 发给学生另一篇体裁相似的书面表达材料，要求学生根据本课所学思路独力完成。 Teaching plan Topic: writing a composition Teaching Aims: According to the form, teach students how to write a composition using the effective sentences. Train the students’ writing ability. Teaching Important Points: 1.Improve the students’ writing ability. 2. Teach the students how to get the key words and how to use effective sentences to complete a coherent composition. Teaching Methods: Discussion, Presentation Teaching Aids: 1.the multimedia 2.the blackboard Teaching Procedures: Step 1:Introduction of the basic elements Six steps to write a composition ①Analyzing the task ②Finding out the main points ③Thinking of key points/phrases ④Forming sentences ⑤Combining the sentences into a passage ⑥Copying normally Step 2:Showing results:
宁波大学考核答题纸 （2014—2015学年第一学期） 课号：063W22A09 课程名称：英语短片小说选读改卷教师：阿德尔 学号：116070035 姓名：石佳得分： The Epiphany for Love Dubliners is often considered as the reflection of ethnic history in Dublin which, is stuffed by the ubiquitous “paralysis”. The corruption in social life, in politics even in people’s spirit is said to have made great impression in reader’s mind. However, with the skinny experience for no more than twenty years, I dare not conclude the thesis or the main idea of this opus in haste, while I could also not just allow myself to follow those comments and opinions made by “they”. Among the chapters I have read, Araby s eems to appeal to me most, because I have once had the same feeling of that little boy. This kind of feeling, literally, the epiphany for love, is the sweetest emotion and the most endurable torture I’ve ever experienced. There seems to be three periods of time during the process of the epiphany for love but to summarize with suitable words is undoubtedly a knotty issue. What comes first must be the admiration for the one who possesses neat skin, delicate facial features or slim figure, or even just a special nice odor. Since an occasion even you yourself cannot remember for sure, a figure has inserted into your little world and driven you to do crazy things. The shadow turned to the base to watch her; the hall witnessed numerous bumping into each other and in that corner the light from the lamp opposite the door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and, falling, lit up the hand upon the railing. What a magic feeling! But as you gradually sank in this dramatic journey, the inexplicable confusion and loneliness began to kidnap you. You found that you were not only the idle but also the weirdo nobody understands including yourself. Her name was like a summons to all your foolish body and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires. With this confused adoration, sometimes even an unnoticeable movement or sentence would annihilate the sunshine and the hesitation between “do” or “do not” always brought heavy rain. Asking help seems to be of no sense because adults were going to acting lightly even sometimes with contempt. So the only way is to lie on the floor in a dark evening murmuring her name. I believe that sex or the thoughts about sex must accompany though there is no such description between the lines. And this kind of confusion and loneliness cannot be removed until she refuses which is sure to leave the unbearable pain for you to learn from, or luckily, accepts, which means you are going to exploring the sealed world together. Then the epiphany for love seems to be accomplished. No one can bypass the enlightenment of love to achieve the epiphany. And only by experiencing the sweetest emotion and the most endurable torture at the same time can people really get to know the original taste of love.