Friendship

Think about “friendship”

In your mind, what are friends for? “A friend in need is a friend

indeed.”

Let’s see what the American pop singer Dionne Warwick thinks about “friends”.

Answer questions

What is a fair weather friend? One who is happy to stay with you

when things are going well but leaves as soon as trouble arrives.

According to the song, what are friends for?

For both good times and bad times.

Forrest Gump---a good friend

Can you see which war it was? Where did it take place?

Vietnam. Why did Forrest go back? To look for his best friend, Budda. What was Budda’s dream. To become the shrimping boat

captain.

Text A

All The Cabbie Had Was A Letter

Text Structure

Part One Paras 1-20

From a conversation with the cab driver the author learned how much he regretted failing to keep up correspondence with his old friend Ed.

Part Two Paras 21-35

Reading the letter by himself, the author learned more about the lifelong friendship between the driver and Old Ed.

Part Three Paras 36

The driver’s experience urged the author to reach for his pen.

Main idea

Never delay expressing your true feelings to a friend.

Writing Skills: a surprising ending At first, did you mistake Ed for the

writer of this letter, like the storyteller did?

Could you find the sentences which first misleads you?

--Is the letter from a child or a grandchild? L11

--No. Ed was my oldest friend. L13

Find out more words or sentences that take on different meanings for the speaker and the listener.

For example: I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter. L5 The cabbie actually meant he was

reading a letter he had written to an old friend.

But the storyteller thought he was reading a letter he had received from an old friend.

Other misleading sentences Go ahead and finish your letter. L6 I’ve read it several times already. I

guess I almost know it by heart. L7-8 Thanks, but I don’t want to read your

mail. That’s pretty personal. L40 …and the first sentence reminded me

of myself. I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always postponed it. L45-46

It then went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together when they both lived in the same neighborhood. L 46-48

This is a good part here, where it says Your friendship over the years has meant an awful lot to me… L70-71

That must have made you feel good, didn’t it? L73

I know I’d like to receive a letter like that from my oldest friend. L75-76

A surprising ending is usually adopted in stories. Many great writers have tried this writing method. The most typical one is O.Henry, American writer of short stories. He was best known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings. His style of storytelling later became a model not only for short fiction, but also for American motion pictures and television programs.

Could you list some of his works with surprising endings?

The Last Leaf The Gift of the Magi Necklace by Maupassant

Ways to keep a conversation going

Express agreement to show you are an attentive listener

L9/ L16 /para.17 , 25/ L 75 Ask a question to get information Para.13, 27,33 Make guesses L 11/ L17/ para.9/para.22/L73

Language points tap: v. 1. hit sth. lightly often repeatedly

2. obtain or make use of 3. fit a listening device

1 The branches tapped against the window./I could hear him tapping his fingers on the desk.

2 The scientists are thinking of a new way of tapping the solar energy.

3 I guess our telephone has been tapped.

n. a device that controls the flow of liquid

n. tap dancing 踢踏舞

available: able to be obtained; free to be seen or talked to

Is this book available in the bookstore?

Mr. Morrison will be available in a minute.

go ahead: continue; begin; be carried out We've received permission to go ahead

with the music festival in spite of opposition from local residents.I got so fed up with waiting for him to do it that I just went ahead and did it myself.

INFORMAL said to someone in order to give them permission to start to do something:"Could I ask you a rather personal question?" "Sure, go ahead."

Cf. go by (para.26)/on/off/over/through

estimate: form a judgment about (a quantity or value)

He estimated the total speed of the winds from the degree of damage.

The expert estimated the antique watch was worth RMB350,000.

Cf. guess L 11 (more colloquial, =think) If you don’t know the answer, just guess. 我没想到的是它居然会这么冷。 I would not have guessed that it would

be so cold.

Cf. I take it that…: expect sb.will do sth./know sth.

I take it that you’ll have no trouble with the visa, since you have been to the country once.

我想你俩可能会要求坐在一起。 I took it (that) you two would like to be

put next to each other in the seating plan.

might just as well: need to suggest doing sth. that you do not really want to do because you have no better ideas

You might just as well send your resume to the company and give it a try.

I might just as well give you the money now since you’ll be needing it so soon.

practically: almost, virtually; My husband has tried to give up

smoking several times, but he finds it practically impossible.

His work is practically unknown before he died.

Let’s talk about the problem practically( 讲究实际的） .

be on one’s mind: worry about My deputy has resigned, so I’ve got

a lot on my mind at the moment. The travel plan to Tibet has been on

my mind all the year.

cf. have sth. in one’s mind=be considering sb./sth. as suitable for

Who do you have in mind for the job? Do you have anything in mind for

Helen's present?

Go over /turn over an event in your mind=think about it repeatedly

She would go over the accident again and again in her mind, wishing that she could somehow have prevented it.

hang out: stay in a place, for no particular reason, not doing very much

He often hangs out with his friends at the mall on weekends.

不要再跟那个人整天混在一起了。 Don’t hang out with that guy any

longer.

choke up: become speechless, too upset to speak

He choked up and couldn’t finish his story.

说起他父亲是如何全力支持他学习时，那男孩子哽咽说不出话来。

The boy choked up as he mentioned how his father tried whatever he could to support him in his studies.

skip: pass sth. over; omit The intelligent boy skipped the

second grade. A lot of senior students skip classes

for they are busy with job hunting. 许多人不吃早饭，因为他们起得晚或者他

们没时间。 Many people skip breakfast because

they get up late or because they don’t have time.

Discussion

What could you learn from this text? Will you reach for your pen?

Who will be the first one you want to write to? What will you say to him or her?

Class Activity

Bring with you a photo of you and your friends to class, and share with your partners the stories between you.

Homework

Write a letter in no less than 120 words to your friend about your new life in college.

Proverbs about friends A friend is easier lost than found. Better a good friend than silver and gold. He who would have friends must himself

be friendly. We can live without a brother, but not

without friends. False friends are worse than open

enemies. Friendship cannot stand always on one

side.

TV sitcom