on becoming a better student (abridged) unit 11 on becoming a better student (abridged) unit11

On Becoming a Better Student (abridged)

Unit 11Unit 11On Becoming a Better Student (abridged)

Watch the video clip and answer the following questions.1. What kind of impression do you have for the

students?

2. How does Miss Johnson try to change their attitude toward future?

Audiovisual SupplementCultural Information

They are from lower social class and desperate toward their future because they think there is no chance for them

She uses a piece of poem which tells them the confidence and the choice for the future are in their hands.

Miss Johnson: Well, if you all feel that strongly about it, leave the room.Student A: What?Miss Johnson: Hey, listen! Nobody’s forcing you to be here. You have a choice. You can stay, or you can leave. Student B: Lady, why are you playing this game? We don’t have a choice.Miss Johnson: You don’t have a choice? You don’t have a choice on whether or not you’re here?Student B: No! If we leave, we don’t get to graduate. If we stay, we gotta put up with you.Miss Johnson: That’s a choice, isn’t it? You have a choice. You either don’t graduate or you have to put up with me. It may not be a choice you like, but it is a choice.


Student C: You don’t understand nothin’. You don’t come from where we live. You’re not bussed here. Miss Johnson: Do you have a choice to get on that bus?Student C: You come live in my neighborhood for one week, then you tell me if you got a choice. Miss Johnson: There are a lot of people who live in your neighborhood who choose not to get on that bus. What do they choose to do? They choose to go out and sell drugs. They choose to go out and kill people. They choose to do a lot of other things, but they choose not to get on that bus. The people who choose to get on that bus, which are you, are the people who are saying “I will not carry myself down to die. When I go to my grave, my head will be high.” That is a choice! There are no victims in this classroom!


Student D: Why do you care anyway? You’re just here for the money.Miss Johnson: Because I make a choice to care. And honey, the money ain’t that good. Student E: Read that again, Miss Johnson. Miss Johnson: What?Student E: Read those lines you just read again. Miss Johnson: “I will not go down underground ’cause somebody tells me that death’s comin’ round.”


•Mutually respectful and supportive•Open communication, as well as emotional and academic support that exists between students and teachers• With empathy, warmth, and genuineness

Positive Student-teacher Relationship


In student-teacher relationship, most students would question what teachers’ responsibilities are while neglecting their own merits in this reciprocal relationship. They might think they have the right to expect their teachers to be perfect, yet they do not understand that all the things they wish to get from their teachers are to be attained with their own efforts as a reward rather than a sure gift; otherwise such things can not be genuinely possessed by them. This essay in the beginning raises such an unequal situation between students and teachers, and continues to provide several key requirements good students should follow in the eyes of a teacher, including curiosity, discipline, risk-taking, initiative and enthusiasm.

Structural AnalysisText Analysis Rhetorical Features

The essay ends with more tips for aspiring students. Only through efforts from both sides can students fully develop themselves in the days of schooling.


The first part (Paragraphs 1-2) states what the writer expects from her students — learn how to learn by themselves.

The second part (Paragraphs 3-9) is the body of the essay. The writer discusses the qualities good students have.

1) In terms of organization, the article clearly falls into three main parts:

The third part (Paragraph 10) provides more tips for aspiring students from the author.


2) In order to give prominence to the key points, the author uses the typographic device — the main points in the second part are in bold and a solid dark dot is added in front of every tip in the third part.


Metaphor. • “We may even have expectations that they be endless repositories of skill and knowledge …” (Paragraph 1) “Repository” is of metaphorical use to convey that they have so much skill and knowledge that we can perpetually learn from them.

e.g.


Citation. •

The author has cited four people in the text: Nobel Prize-winning physician Albert Szent-Gyorgi (Paragraph 4), educator Neil Postman (Paragraph 6), director of the Institute for Education Therapy in Berkeley, California Jim Spira and F. M. Alexander of the Alexander Technique (Paragraph 9). Citing the rightly chosen people will certainly strengthen the writer’s argument.

e.g.


Detailed Reading

On Becoming a Better Student (abridged)

Donna Farhi Schuster

1 As students we expect a great deal from our teachers. We expect them to be enthusiastic. We expect them reliable. We may even have expectations that they be endless repositories of skill and knowledge from which we may partake at will.

Detailed Reading

2 As a teacher I have come to feel weighted by these expectations and have begun to see that it is really not possible to teach. All the words and theories and techniques are of no use to students who have yet to open themselves with receptivity and to take it upon themselves to practice. So in a sense I have given up trying to “teach,” for I’ve come to believe that the greatest thing I can offer my students is to help them learn how to find themselves through their own investigation.3 Many factors come together to make a fine student. Find someone you think is extraordinary, and you will find many, if not all, of the following qualities. People who learn a great deal in what seems like a very short time embody these qualities.

4 Curiosity Such people are tremendously curious. The whole world is of interest to them, and they observe what others do not. Nobel Prize-winner physician Albert-Gyorgyi put it well when he said, “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” With this curiosity comes an “investigative spirit”; the learning is not so much the acquisition of information as it is an investigation — a questioning, a turning over of the object of study to see all sides and facets. It is not knowing in the sense of having a rigid opinion, but the ability to look again at another time, in a different light, as Gyorgyi suggests, and to form a new understanding based on that observation.

Detailed Reading

5 Discipline Any discipline — but especially those with great subtlety and complexity, like yoga or t’ai chi — can be a lifelong pursuit. Persistence, consistency, and discipline are required. Without these, our learning is but forth without substance. There are no shortcuts. The fruit of these seemingly dry qualities (which we prefer to admire in others) is the satisfaction of having tasted the fullness of completion, or the thrill of meeting a difficult challenge with success. Perhaps, though, our culture is in need of redefining what it means to study. If we can look at our chosen discipline or craft as an ongoing process rather than as a discrete accomplishment, the potential for learning can be infinite. With this attitude we may find ourselves treating even the most mundane discovery with wide-eyed wonder and joy.

Detailed Reading

6 Risk-Taking Why is it, then, that so few people live up to their true potential? Beyond the well-paved roads and secure structures we usually build for ourselves lie demons, unsure footing — and unfelt pleasures. To be a student is to take risks. Yet most education discourages people from venturing far enough to take risks to make mistakes. “Children enter school as question marks and leave as periods,” observes educator Neil Postman. What kind of punctuation mark do you represent? Do you find yourself looking for tidy answers that give you a feeling of security? By learning to find the one right answer, we may have relinquished our ability to find other answers and solutions. We learn, then, not to put ourselves into situations where we might fail, because failure has tremendous social stigma.

Detailed Reading

When we try different approaches and do things that have no precedence in our experience, we will surely make mistakes. A creative person uses these “failures” as stepping stones. 7 Initiative Can we begin, then, to see that our teachers are guides on our journey, but that the journey itself is our own responsibility? There is nothing quite so satisfying as undergoing a difficult process and after long hard work discovering the true nature of that process. It could be as simple as throwing a perfect pot, or as complex as formulating a new theory of physics. The satisfaction we feel will be directly proportional to amount of work we do by ourselves to achieve our goal. Successful students do not expect to be spoon-fed, but take their own initiative. Wanting answers from my teacher has often been a way for me to avoid taking the initiative to discover my own answers through my own practice.

Detailed Reading

8 Enthusiasm To learn, then, is to open oneself. Jim Spira, director of the Institute for Educational Therapy in Berkeley, California, asks his students to prepare themselves to learn in this way: “Drop your prior knowledge … [and] attempt to grasp the new framework in its own context. The student complains, ‘But I know what is important.’ If what you know is important, then it should be there when you finish the course. If you continually ‘hold onto it,’ then you’ll only see what is presented in terms of the old knowledge/framework and never really grow in new ways.”

Detailed Reading

9 Finally, as we each advance on our own unique journey, let us live each day as beginners. Being “advanced” has its own pitfalls — among them complacency and pushing or forcing. To go deeper may mean to be still, to progress more patiently, or to devote more time to other areas of our lives as yet green and immature. As F.M. Alexander, of the Alexander technique, once said to his students as they strained and labored, “Give up trying too hard, but never give up.”10 TIPS FOR THE ASPIRING STUDENT The information that follows is designed as a guide. The author welcomes correspondence from those who can add to it.• Be attentive. Teachers will usually go out of their way to help a self-motivated and interested student.

Detailed Reading

•Be seen. If you want the teacher to know that you are serious, sit or stand in the front of the class. Make eye contact and introduce yourself, either before or after class.•Be on time. Consistent lateness is a sign of disrespect. If you take your teacher’s skill so lightly, why should he or she take you seriously? Missing the beginning of class can also be physically dangerous if you have missed explanations and work meant to prepare you for more difficult movements. • Be consistent. The quality of any class improves when there is a collective commitment to regular attendance. In this way you can gain a cumulative knowledge and progress at a more rapid pace. On a more practical level, your attendance may be your teacher’s livelihood.

Detailed Reading

• Listen with your whole body. We have come to treat words like the background noise of a radio. Plant words in the pertinent area of your body so that information can be “embodied”.• Appreciate constructive criticism. Remember why you’re there — to break through restrictive habit patterns and to change. Teachers usually reserve the most scathing criticism for their most promising students!• Questions can help clarify and enrich both teacher and student if the student’s questions are pertinent. If, on the contrary, the student is asking questions because he or she is late or inattentive, the student is being disrespectful to the teacher and fellow classmates and is consequently lowering the quality of the class. Highly personal questions with little relevance to the subject at hand are best asked after class.

Detailed Reading

•You have the right to disagree — but you do not always have the right to express it. Sometimes it is appropriate to challenge a teacher. It is unethical, however, to argue with a teacher or badger a teacher in public. If you thoroughly object to what is being taught, you are free to leave and learn elsewhere.•Let your teacher know how much you appreciate him or her. Teachers need encouragement like everyone else. Giving them feedback when something has proved particularly beneficial or injurious to you can help them improve the quality of their teaching.

Detailed Reading

Why does the writer mention the students’ expectations for their teachers first?

This is an essay on how to become a better student, but the writer starts with the students’ expectations for their teachers. It seems that she is beating around the bush, but actually she intends to redress some of their views. Students are required to realize that learning is not meant to be a give-and-take process. What the students should get from school education is the cultivation of the ability to learn through their own observation and investigation. This leads to the discussion of the factors that will make a good student.

Detailed Reading

According to the writer, what should study mean?

According to the writer, study should not aim at achievements. Rather, it should be an infinite process, a process that goes on throughout one’s life.

Detailed Reading

Why is pushing or forcing considered a pitfall?

Many advanced learners are too anxious for new achievements. They tend to try very hard in one area, without realizing the fact that different fields of knowledge are related and that profound knowledge must be accumulated step by step. By pushing or forcing, they may gain little although they’ve strained themselves.

Detailed Reading

Class Activity

Group discussion: What do you think of the tips in the text? Do you have some more tips to add on this list?

Role play: Divide into several groups. One student in the group plays as the teacher and others as students. After interaction, the students playing the role of the teacher can tell others the experience and what kind of students are expected in his / her eyes.

Detailed Reading

partake v.

e.g.— Would you care to partake of a little wine with us?— No, thank you. I don’t partake. (= don’t drink alcohol)

Detailed Reading

(often humorous) eat or drink, esp. sth. offeredIn the passage, “partake” is figuratively used to mean “to draw on or use as one wishes (the teachers’ repositories of skill and knowledge)”

e.g.Grandmother likes to partake of a small glass of sherry before lunch.

Collocation:partake of: eat or drink sth.

partake in: (of formal usage) meaning “join in an activity”

e.g.a woman’s fundamental right to partake in club affairs

partake of & partake in

at will

e.g.You can use my car at will (= any time you want to).

Detailed Reading

(formal) as one wishes

Collocation:at will: do sth. at will is to do it as one wisheswith a will: do sth. with a will is to do it energetically and with eager interest

e.g.They worked with a will and had cleared a path by 9.00 a.m.

at will & with a will

discipline n.

e.g.Any discipline — but especially those with great subtlety and complexity, like yoga or t’ai chi — can be a lifelong pursuit.

Detailed Reading

1.training, esp. of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.

e.g.Persistence, consistency, and discipline are required.

2. the quality of being able to behave in a strictly controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards

Detailed Reading

3. a branch of knowledge; a subject of study

e.g. If we can look at our chosen discipline or craft as an ongoing process rather than as a discrete accomplishment, the potential for learning can be infinite.I am working for people from a wide range of scientific disciplines.

discrete a.

e.g.a series of discrete events

Detailed Reading

independent of other things of the same type

Collocation:

discrete: sth. that is separate and distinct is discrete

discreet: sb. who is discreet is careful or showing good judgment in what one says or does; sth. that is discreet is not too obvious

e.g.These small companies now have their own discrete (= independent, separate) identity.

discrete & discreet

e.g.We must be extremely discreet (= careful in what we do and say); the police suspect something.

live up to

e.g.You disappointed us by failing to live up to your principles.

Detailed Reading

behave in accordance with (what is expected); achieve or keep (high standards)

他认为很难按自己的理想办事。Practice:

He finds it hard to live up to his ideals.

approach n. a way of dealing with a thing or persone.g.a new approach to foreign language teaching

Kelly is always very logical in her approach (= the way she deals with things).

Detailed Reading

Collocation:approach to sth.: a method of doing sth. or dealing with a problem

the approach of sth.: the approach of a particular time or event is the fact that it is getting closer

e.g.This book takes an unorthodox approach to art criticism.

e.g. the approach of autumn

Detailed Reading

e.g.There are quite a few ways of approaching the problem.I must tell her that I can’t go to her wedding ceremony, but I don’t quite know how to approach the subject.

v. begin to consider or deal with

precedence n.

e.g. Let’s deal with the question in order of precedence (= the important ones first).

Detailed Reading

the condition of being dealt with before other things or of being considered more important than other things

e.g. Bill Clinton preceded Gorge Bush Jr. as president of the United States.

Derivation:precede (v.): come or go before sth. in time, order, rank, etc.

precedent (n.): earlier decision, case, event, etc. that is regarded as an example or rule for what comes latere.g.

The Queen has broken with precedent by sending her children to ordinary schools.

Detailed Reading

e.g. It was a decision not precedented in English law.precedented (a.): having or supported by a precedent

unprecedented (a.) without precedent; never having happened, been done or been known beforee.g.

The twentieth century witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale.

prior a.

e.g.She was unable to attend the reception because of a prior engagement.

Detailed Reading

coming or planned before

Collocation:

e.g.The contract will be signed prior to the ceremony.

prior to: (fml.) before

Derivations:priority (n.)

e.g.

The government gave (top) priority to reforming the legal system.

pitfall n.

e.g.Can forward planning help avoid stressful pitfalls?

Detailed Reading

a mistake that may easily be made

这篇文章有很多潜在的难点，译者稍一不慎就要出错。Practice:

This essay presents many pitfalls for the translator.

complacency n.

e.g.What worries the principal about these students is their complacency — they seem to have no desire to expand their horizons.

Detailed Reading

(disapproving) a feeling of calm satisfaction with one’s own abilities or situation that prevents one from trying harder

Derivation:complacent (a.)

e.g.

I dislike his complacent attitude/smile.

correspondence n.

e.g.The authoress seldom mentions her renowned husband in her correspondence.

Detailed Reading

the act of exchanging letters; the letters exchanged between people

Collocation:

take / do a correspondence course (= a course of lessons in which information and work are exchanged by post)

Detailed Reading

e.g.

a war / diplomatic / health / environment correspondent

Derivation:correspondent (n.):① a person with whom another person exchanges letters regularly② a newspaper or television reporter, especially one who specializes in a particular type of news

cumulative a.

e.g.The cumulative effect of using so many chemicals on the land could be disastrous.

Detailed Reading

(also “accumulative”) increasing steadily in amount or degree by one addition after another

badger v.

e.g.The little girl badgered her father into buying her a pony.

Detailed Reading

repeatedly tell sb. to do sth. or ask sb. questions

As a teacher I have come to feel weighted by these expectations and have begun to see that it is really not possible to teach. (Paragraph 2)

Paraphrase:

As a teacher I am feeling unhappy and anxious toward such expectations on the part of the students, because to offer endless repositories of skill and knowledge which students may draw as they like is not desirable or even possible.

Detailed Reading

All the words and theories and techniques are of no use to students who have yet to open themselves with receptivity and to take it upon themselves to practice. (Paragraph 2)

Paraphrase:

The essence of teaching, which is most desirable, rests with the voluntary investigative efforts of students, rather than the traditional knowledge imparting practices.

Detailed Reading

It is not knowing in the sense of having a rigid opinion but the ability to look again at another time, in a different light, as Gyorgyi suggests, and to form a new understanding based on that observation. (Paragraph 4)

Paraphrase:A rigid opinion is one that does not change once it is formed. According to the author, knowledge must be acquired through investigation, observation and questioning which may change our outlook and perception and make our knowledge more complete.

Detailed Reading

Beyond the well-paved roads and secure structures we usually build for ourselves lie demons, unsure footing — and unfelt pleasures. (Paragraph 6)

Paraphrase:Surprises and pleasures may come together, or are implied in uncertainties and risks.

Detailed Reading

Phrase Practice

Word Derivation

Synonym / Antonym

Vocabulary Translation Integrated SkillsOral ActivitiesWritingGrammar

4) He never trying despite the doctor’s verdict that he would never be on his feet again.

1) We should not only take over the lead, but also

it.


hold on to___________

2) I following anyone’s instructions blindly without my own understanding of the true intention and real meaning.

object to__________

3) We ought to the principles we have laid down.

live up to ___________

gave up_________

Fill in the blank in each sentence with an appropriate phrasal verb or collocation from the text.


5. He shouted to the analysts, “Judgment should be facts, not on hearsay.”

based on___________


e.g.父亲说如果我们相信某事是真的，就应该坚持。

My father said that if we believe something was true, we should hold on to it.

hold on to: keep sth. rather than losing it, selling it, or giving it to someone else


e.g. 受到这样的待遇我表示抗议。

I object to being treated like this.

object to: say that you disagree with, disapprove of or oppose sth.


e.g.这部电影非常符合我的预期。The film has certainly lived up to my expectations.

live up to: if sth. or sb. lives up to a particular standard or promise, they do as well as they were expected to, do what they promised, etc.


e.g. 你不应该这样轻易放弃。You shouldn’t give up so easily.

give up: stop trying to do sth.


e.g. 这部小说是以历史事实为根据的。

This novel is based on historical facts.

base on: use sth. as grounds, evidence, etc. for sth. else


1) substance n. → substantial a. → substantiality n.e.g.你处理这些危险品时，可要当心。

她在讨论中做了很多工作。

实体论

Beware of what you do with those dangerous substances.

Her contribution to the discussion was substantial.

the theory of substantiality


2) motivate v. → motivation n. → motive n.

e.g. 调动别人积极性的唯一方法是与他们交流。

你想当老师的动机是什么？

警方已排除该谋杀案中有抢劫的动机。

The only way you can motivate people is to communicate with them.

What was your motivation for becoming a teacher?

The police have excluded robbery as a motive for the murder.


3) commitment n. → commit v. → committed a.

e.g. 本公司承诺保证质量和顾客的服务。

他没有作任何承诺。

他们是忠诚的社会主义者。

Our company has a commitment to quality and customer service.

He didn’t commit himself to anything.

They are committed socialists.


4) restrictive a. → restrict v. → restriction n.

e.g.许多成员认为规定限制性太强。

政府在限制进口的措施中提高了关税。

这个游泳俱乐部对邻近地区的家庭开放，不受限制。

Many members thought the rules were too restrictive.

The swimming club is open to families in the neighborhood without restriction.

In a move to restrict imports, the government raised custom duties.

Their attitude to me altered subtly.


5) subtlety n. → subtle a. → subtly ad.

e.g.语言的一些细微之处无法通过翻译传达。

光线暗淡有助于人们松弛精神。

他们对我的态度发生了微妙的变化。

Some of the subtleties of the language are lost in translation.

Subtle lighting helps people relax.


6) thrill v. → thrilling a. → thriller n.

e.g.我们听到你的好消息非常兴奋。

不容怀疑，这是一种壮烈的情感。

我们的新系列惊险故事于今晚 7时 30 分开始播出。

We were thrilled to hear your wonderful news.

It was a thrilling sentiment, no doubt.

Our new serial thriller begins at 7:30 this evening.

We must not be complacent about our achievements; there is still a lot to be done.


7) complacency n. → complacence n. → complacent a.e.g.我们不能自满，必须继续努力改进。

许多人，甚至高级官员都沉醉于自信科学能解决任何问题。

我们绝不能满足于自己的成绩，还有很多事情要做。

There’s no room for complacency; we must continue to try to improve.

Many people, even in high office, rest in the balmy complacence of assurance that science can solve everything.

The Queen has broken with precedent by sending her children to ordinary schools.


8) precedence n. → precede v. → precedent n. → unprecedented a.e.g.这一工作必须先做，其他一切后做。

他演讲前先对来宾表示欢迎。

女王破例让自己的孩子去普通学校就读。

中国工业正以空前的速度发展。

This task must be given precedence over all others.

He preceded his speech with a welcome to the guests.

China’s industry is developing at an unprecedented rate.

flexible

1. People who learn a great deal in what seems like a very short time embody these qualities.

Synonym: demonstrate, reveal, manifest

2. It is not knowing in the sense of having a rigid opinion, but the ability to look again at another time, in a different light, as Gyorgyi suggests, and to form a new understanding based on that observation.

Antonym:


3. With this attitude we may find ourselves treating even the most mundane discovery with wide-eyed wonder and joy.

Antonym: interesting, extraordinary, outstanding

4. By learning to find the one right answer, we may have relinquished our ability to find other answers and solutions.

Synonym: abandon, yield, renounce


5. The satisfaction we feel will be directly proportional to amount of work we do by ourselves to achieve our goal. Successful students do not expect to be spoon-fed, but take their own initiative.

Synonym: lead

6. Being “advanced” has its own pitfalls — among them complacency and pushing or forcing.

Antonym: dissatisfaction, discontentment


7. Teachers usually reserve the most scathing criticism for their most promising students!

Antonym: mild, gentle

8) It is unethical, however, to argue with a teacher or badger a teacher in public.

Synonym: harry, pester, harass


Vocabulary Grammar Translation Integrated SkillsOral ActivitiesWriting

Non-finite Verb Forms

Prepositions and Adverbs

A non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person. As a result, a non-finite verb cannot serve as a predicate and can be used in an independent clause only when combined with an auxiliary verb (e.g., “He can write” but not “He to write”). Rather, it can be said to head a non-finite clause. English has three kinds of non-finite verbs: participles, gerunds and infinitives.



Annoyed, Lisa ate dinner by herself in the bedroom. (participle)Gazing at the painting, she recalled the house where she was born. (participle)Leon improved his skills by studying. (gerund)I don’t have time to waste. (infinitive)

For example:

PracticeComplete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verb given.


1. (succeed) takes courage, foresight, and luck.

3. (hear) the other side of the story would be interesting.

To succeed____________

2. The (talk) children angered the teacher.talking________

Hearing / To hear___________________


Rewrite the underlined parts of the following sentences with the infinitive, -ing participle or -ed participle.

1. She was the first woman who swam across the Channel.

She was the first woman to swim/to have swum across the Channel.

2. I was astonished when I heard that he had already left the company.

I was astonished to hear that he had already left the company.

3. He searched everywhere and hoped to find the watch. Hoping to find the watch, he searched everywhere.

2) Prepositions and Adverbs


Preposition: a word or group of words, such as in, from, to, out of and on behalf of, used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or methodAdverb: a word that adds more information about place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverbRemember: Many words are used as prepositions, but they can also be used as adverbs. A preposition never appears alone. It is always followed by an object which will be a noun or pronoun. If the word has a noun or pronoun following it, it is probably a preposition. If it does not have a noun or pronoun following it, it is probably an adverb.


The cat sleeps on the sofa. (prep.)Please sit down and listen. (adv.)

For example:


Practice

1. Once he has signed the agreement, he won’t be able to back the scheme.

Fill in each blank with a proper preposition or adverb.

2. He pretended to fall my plan but secretly he was working against it.

out of____ ___

in with

___ _____

3. After nursing the whole family when they had flu, she was completely worn .

out_____

4. One need only look the roster to see the impact of so much travel.

down______

1. 他用积极的观点来解释这件事。 (in … light)

Do sth. “in a good, bad, favourable, etc. light” means do it well, badly, favourably, etc.


Translate the following sentences into English.

He interpreted the incident in a favorable light.

Practice：新闻报道极力丑化他的举动。

他的行为实难恭维。


Press reports make his actions appear in the worst possible light.

It is hard to view his conduct in a favourable light.

2. 许多宗教的教义敦促人们超越尘世的成功。 (mundane)


A mundane issue is worldly, concerned with ordinary daily life rather than religious matters; a mundane thing can also means that it is ordinary and not interesting or exciting.

Many religious teachings urge people to transcend the mundane success.

Practice：他生活平凡，从无趣事。

开始的时候，这个工作非常乏味。


He leads a pretty mundane life; nothing interesting ever happens to him.

Initially, the work was pretty mundane.

3. 我将全力以赴在下个月之前完成这项任务，因为我不想有不遵守诺言的污名。 (stigma)


A stigma is a mark of shame or disgrace; shameful feeling or reputation.

I will spare no efforts to accomplish the task by the end of next month, for I don’t want to suffer from the stigma of having broken my promise.

Practice：离婚已经不是什么羞耻的事情了。

她的行为将给她的家庭留下污名。


There is no longer any stigma attached to being divorced.

Her behavior will leave a stigma on her family.

4. 我得到了许多与教育方面新政策相关的信息。 (pertinent)


Something that is pertinent is relevant (to sth.) or to the point.

I’ve got much information pertinent to the new policies in education.

The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details.


Practice：请您谈论与本次讨论话题相关的内容。

律师想知道所有相关细节。

Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic under discussion.


Dictation

Cloze


Dictation You will hear a passage read three times. At

the first reading, you should listen carefully for its general idea. At the second reading, you are required to write down the exact words you have just heard (with proper punctuation). At the third reading, you should check what you have written down.


Dictation A study of art history might be a good way / to

learn more about a culture / than is possible to learn in general history classes. / Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics, and war. / But art history focuses on much more than this / because art reflects not only the political values of a people, / but also religious beliefs, emotions, and psychology. / In addition, / information about the daily activities of our ancestors / — or of people very different from our own — / can be provided by art. / In short, / art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, / and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding / than can be found in most history books.

Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think appropriate.

The teacher-student relationship may be very different from what you are (1) to. Teachers are probably less autocratic, and you can call them by their (2) name. If you are confused about anything during lectures and exercises you are expected to ask your teacher questions to (3) things clarified. If you feel that you do not understand what is (4) on during a lecture, let the teacher know. It is also expected that you express any disagreements (5) the teachers. Generally, the teachers do not want to be seen as infallible oracles of knowledge and will not be (6) by opposing arguments or opinions.

used_____

with_____

first_____


going______have______

offended__________

(7) , they will see it as an academic challenge and perceive critical questions as a (8) of independent thinking. That (9) said, you should always (10) the teacher in a pleasant and respectful tone. A good (11) of thumb is to be as polite to the teacher as you (12) be to any other person you respect.


Rather________

address________

sign

_____

rule_____

being______

would_______

Grammatically speaking, an adjective is needed here and it has the collocation with to. From the context, something to be different from should be something taken for granted, so an adjective meaning “be accustomed to” is expected here.



Less autocratic means that the teacher is more of an equal position with the student; therefore, the latter can call him / her with the name more informal / intimate than the last name.


The result of asking the teacher the question is to make things clear, so the adverbial clause needs a verb to mean “to cause sth. to be done” together with a past participle clarified.


Grammatically speaking, a gerund followed with on is needed here; the whole phrase means “a lot of things are taking place or happening”.


A preposition is needed here, and the collocation of the verb “disagree” can be inferred from that of “agree”.


The context tells us that “the teachers do not want to be seen as infallible oracles of knowledge,” meaning that the teachers can accept disagreements with regard to their knowledge. So a verb meaning “hurt” is expected here.


The blank is in the beginning of a sentence followed with a comma, so it can be inferred that an adverb is most possibly needed here. Moreover, the whole sentence expresses the teacher’s attitude toward disagreement in a more clarified way than that of the previous sentence, therefore an adverb used to give more accurate information is expected.


Grammatically speaking, a noun is needed here. From the context we can infer that this noun probably has the meaning of “symbol”.


In the sentence, in a pleasant and respectful tone is in a bit contrast with the critical questions mentioned previously; therefore that __ said functions as a transition between these two sentences. A non-finite verb is needed here and the whole clause means that some contradiction is implied afterwards.


The sentence needs a transitive verb meaning talking to someone.


The sentence has provided a guideline as to the attitude a student should have when challenging with the teacher. The phrase with the blank a good ________ of thumb is required to have the same meaning of “guideline”.


Grammatically speaking, a modal verb can be used here, and judging from the context, this verb is needed to convey what is expected to do.


Giving a Talk

Having a Discussion

Topic: Self-evaluation of Yourself as a Student


Use the five qualities mentioned in the text as guidelines to evaluate. Any other qualities you think should be taken into consideration and why.

Pattern:

Having a Discussion

Topic: In what way are you benefiting from your teachers in your current learning process?


Viewpoints for reference:

a. Some important knowledge is spoon-fed by the teacher and the teacher also leaves some room for students’ self-investigation.b. The student should take the initiative in learning process while teachers are guides, providing learning methods and materials.

First, the organized categories are expected to fully reveal the theme of the essay;second, no matter how many categories are worked out, each one of them must follow one logical principle.

is a means of determining the relationships among things by assessing their similarities or likenesses and then placing them in classes or categories.


1. Essay Writing: How to Write a Classification Essay

Key points in writing a classification essay:

Classification


Classification essay structureIntroductionThe basic part of the introduction is the thesis statement. The strength of the thesis statement depends on how well it reveals the topic and its classification. Body•First category (The less important category)•Second category•Third category (The most important one and requires brighter examples)ConclusionThe conclusion is a summary of the analyzed categories and a restatement of the thesis statement.


Sample: A Classification Essay

1. There are many different terms used for computers. These terms denote the size, use or competence of computers. Broadly speaking, the word “computer” can be applied to almost any device with a microprocessor in it. It is a general conception that the computer is a machine which receives input from the user through a mouse or keyboard, processes it and shows the outcome on the monitor’s screen. Computers can be divided into three classes on the basis of their purpose and capabilities.


2. The most well-known kind of microprocessor is personal computer (PC). It is used by a single person for general use. PC comes in another type called Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) which has a different appearance only. In the beginning, PCs were known as microcomputers because they had all the functions of huge computers used in business.3. Another use of a microprocessor is as a workstation. These computers have more powerful processors with additional and vast memory and work performance. They are used to perform a special group of tasks like 3D Graphics and game development.


4. The computer is also used as a server. Its purpose is to provide service to other computers which are connected through a network. These computers have strong processors and hard drives with a great deal of memory.5. Computers have always been in the process of development and new adjustments. It has become an essential part in every walk of life and its demand is increasing with the passage of time. It would be greatly beneficial to stay updated with the latest developments made in computers and recognize the facts of how they differ from each other.Sample Analysis


This essay is a classification essay. Paragraph 1 is the introduction and it introduces the conception of computer and its classification according to usage. Paragraphs 2-4 are the body of the essay and each paragraph generally discusses one kind of computer: PC, workstation and server. Paragraph 5 is the conclusion, mentioning that people should always stay updated with the development of the computer because it will bring benefits to our daily life.


3. Practice Write a classification essay on the given topic:

Different Types of Computer Users.


Different Types of Computer Users With the birth of the Internet communications now have limitless possibilities around the world. People are now able to communicate with others from all over the world, not even having to meet them face to face. It has affected various aspects of our daily life and has advanced society towards the future. Although all computers made of hardware and software are basically the same, people are known for using the computer for different purposes. There exist various types of computer users. The game freaks are the people who spend their time playing games online. These are the people who stay up to till dawn shooting and dodging bullets from other people on

Sample:


the Internet. These individuals are addicted to playing games online, and can be seen staring in front of their computers until the sun comes up. The shoppers are the people who are constantly surfing the Internet for the newest clothes or other types accessories. These people are the ones who are on “Taobao” watching auctions for days, waiting until the last minutes to outbid everyone else. Instead of going to the malls and looking for all these accessories, they just sit in their chair for hours and visit various websites on the Internet.


The chatters are the people who spend most of their time in chat rooms or with instant chatting softwares. These are the people who spend endless hours talking to people from all over the world in a chat room. They spend hours typing away, meeting new people, and making new friends in this online community. Sometimes life in the vertical world makes them isolated from people really around them in life, and this is one disadvantage of on-line chatting. Each type of user is similar in a way that they spend many hours in front of their computer screen, staring and typing away through the night. Computers have made life much simpler for people as well as bringing together people from various regions on the planet.

Text II Memorable Quotes

Lead-in Questions

Text

Questions for Discussion

Lead-in Questions

Have you ever experienced any predicament in life? What is the force that drives you to come through difficulties and makes you confident toward the future? Or if you think you lack such force or strength, where do you think such force can derive from?


The Art of AcknowledgementJean Houston

1 I was eighteen years old and I was the golden girl. A junior in college, I was president of the college drama society, a member of the student senate, winner of two off-Broadway critics’ awards for acting and directing, director of the class play, and had just turned down an offer to train for the next Olympics (fencing). In class my mind raced and dazzled, spinning off facile but “wowing” analogies to the kudos of teachers and classmates. Socially, I was on the top of the heap. My advice was sought, my phone rang constantly, and it seemed that nothing could stop me.



2 I was the envy of all my friends and I was in a state of galloping chutzpah.3 The old Greek tragedies warn us that when hubris rises, nemesis falls. I was no exception to this ancient rule. My universe crashed with great suddenness. It began when three members of my immediate family died. Then a friend whom I loved very much died suddenly of a burst appendix while camping alone in the woods. The scenery of the off-Broadway production fell on my head and I was left almost blind for the next four months. My friends and I parted from each other, they out of embarrassment and I because I didn’t think I was worthy. My marks went from being rather good to a D-plus average.


4 I had so lost confidence in my abilities that I couldn’t concentrate on anything or see the connections between things. My memory was a shambles, and within a few months I was placed on probation. All my offices were taken away; public elections were called to fill them. I was asked into the advisor’s office and told that I would have to leave the college at the end of the spring term since, clearly, I didn’t have the “necessary intelligence to do academic work.” When I protested that I had had the “necessary intelligence” during my freshman and sophomore years, I was assured with a sympathetic smile that intellectual decline such as this often happened to young women when “they became interested in other things; it’s a matter of hormones, my dear.”


5 Where once I had been vocal and high-spirited in the classroom, I now huddled in my oversized camel’s-hair coat in the back of classes, trying to be as nonexistent as possible. At lunch I would lock myself in the green room of the college theater, scene of my former triumphs, eating a sandwich in despondent isolation. Every day brought its defeats and disacknowledgements, and after my previous career I was too proud to ask for help. I felt like Job and called out to God, “Where are the boils?” since that was about all I was missing. 6 These Jobian fulminations led me to take one last course. It was taught by a young Swiss professor of religion, Dr. Jacob Taubes, and was supposed to be a study of selected books of the Old Testament. It turned out to be largely a discussion of the dialectic between St. Paul and Nietzsche.


7 Taubes was the most brilliant and exciting teacher I had ever experienced, displaying European academic wizardry such as I had never known. Hegel, gnosticism, structuralism, phenomenology, and the intellectual passions of the Sorbonne cracked the ice of my self-noughting and I began to raise a tentative hand from my huddle in the back of the room and ask an occasional hesitant question. 8 Dr. Taubes would answer with great intensity, and soon I found myself asking more questions. One day I was making my way across campus to the bus, when I heard Dr. Taubes addressing me:9 “Miss Houston, let me walk with you. You know, you have a most interesting mind.”


10 “Me? I have a mind?”11 “Yes, your questions are luminous. Now what do you think is the nature of the transvaluation of values in Paul and Nietzsche?”12 I felt my mind fall into its usual painful dullness and stammered, “I d-don’t k-know.”13 “Of course you do!” he insisted. “You couldn’t ask the kinds of questions you do without having an unusual grasp of these issues. Now please, once again, what do you think of the transvaluation of values in Paul and Nietzsche? It is important for my reflections that I have your reactions.”14 “Well,” I said, waking up,” if you put it that way, I think …”


15 I was off and running and haven’t shut up since. 16 Dr. Taubes continued to walk me to the bus throughout that term, always challenging me with intellectually vigorous questions. He attended to me. I existed for him in the “realest” of senses, and because I existed for him I began to exist for myself. Within several weeks my eyesight came back, my spirit bloomed, and I became a fairly serious student, whereas before I had been, a bright show-off.


17 What I acquired from this whole experience was a tragic sense of life, which balanced my previous enthusiasms. I remain deeply grateful for the attention shown me by Dr. Taubes. He acknowledged me when I most needed it. I was empowered in the midst of personal erosion, and my life has been very different for it. I swore to myself then that whenever I came across someone “going under” or in the throes of disacknowledgment, I would try to reach and acknowledge that person as I had been acknowledged.


18 I would go so far as to say that the greatest of human potentials is the potential of each one of us to empower and acknowledge the other. We all do this throughout our lives, but rarely do we appreciate the power of the empowering that we give to others. To be acknowledged by another, especially during times of confusion, loss, disorientation, disheartenment, is to be given time and place in the sunshine and is, in the metaphor of psychological reality, the solar stimulus for transformation. 19 The process of healing and growth is immensely quickened when the sun of another’s belief is freely given. This gift can be as simple as “Hot Dog Thou Art!” Or it can be a look that goes straight to the soul and charges it with meaning.


20 I have been fortunate to have known several of those the world deems “saints”: Teilhard de Chardin, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Clemie, an old black woman in Mississippi. To be looked at by these people is to be gifted with the look that engenders. You feel yourself primed at the depths by such seeing. Something so tremendous and yet so subtle wakes up inside that you are able to release the defeats and denigrations of years. If I were to describe it further, I would have to speak of unconditional love joined to a whimsical regarding of you as the cluttered house that hides the holy one.


21 Saints, you say, but the miracle is that anybody can do it for anybody! Our greatest genius may be the ability to prime the healing and evolutionary circuits of one another. 22 It is an art form that has yet to be learned, for it is based on something never before fully recognized — deep psychological reciprocity, the art and science of mutual transformation. And all the gurus and masters, all the prophets, profs, and professionals, can do little for us compared to what we could do for each other if we would but be present to the fullness of each other. For there is no answer to anyone’s anguished cry of “Why am I here, why am I at all?” except the reply, “Because I am here, because I am.”


About the author and the text Jean Houston, Ph.D. (1937—) has been a leading figure in the cross-cultural study of New Thought spirituality and ritual processes. A prolific author of books, her PBS Special A Passion for the Possible has been widely viewed.

off-Broadway (Paragraph 1) Off Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of plays, musicals or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan’s Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United States, the term later became defined by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers as a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 99 and 500, or a specific production that appears in such a venue. Off Broadway shows, performers, and creative staff are eligible


for nomination for the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, the Outer Circle Critics Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Obie Award (presented since 1956 by The Village Voice), and the Lucille Lortel Award (created in 1985 by the League of Off Broadway Theatres & Producers).


on the top of the heap (Paragraph 1) above everybody else



Job (Paragraph 5) Job is a gentile man in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible, as well as a prophet in Islam. In brief, the book begins with an introduction to Job’s character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously. Satan, however, challenges Job’s integrity, arguing that Job serves God simply because of the “hedge” with which God protects him. God progressively removes that protection, allowing Satan to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health. Job remains loyal throughout, and does not curse God. The main portion of the text consists of the discourse of Job and his three friends concerning why Job was so punished, after which God steps in to


answer Job and his friends. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning and he lived 140 years (Job 42:10, 17).

St. Paul and Nietzsche (Paragraph 6) Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus was a Hellenistic Jew, who called himself the “Apostle to the Gentiles”, and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries. His efforts to accept gentile converts and to define the Torah as superseded by Christ were successful and “decisive.” Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. Nietzsche’s influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism.


Hegel (Paragraph 7) Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was a German philosopher, and one of the creators of German idealism. Hegel developed a comprehensive philosophical framework, or “system”, to account in an integrated and developmental way for the relation of mind and nature, the subject and object of knowledge, and psychology, the state, history, art, religion, and philosophy.


Sorbonne (Paragraph 7) The name Sorbonne (La Sorbonne) is commonly used to refer to the historic University of Paris in Paris, France or one of its successor institutions.



Teilhard de Chardin (Paragraph 20) Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who was trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of Peking Man. Teilhard’s primary book, The Phenomenon of Man, set forth a sweeping account of the unfolding of the cosmos.


Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Paragraph 20) Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity’s expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.


I was in a state of galloping chutzpah. (Paragraph 2) I had such strong self-confidence that I was rash and rude without feeling ashamed of myself. Chutzpah is a noun (inf.) meaning shameless audacity, cheek.


… when hubris rises, nemesis falls (Paragraph 3) … when one is arrogantly offensive, heavenly punishment befalls him. Nemesis is related to the Greek word meaning “to give what is due”. Nemesis is now often used as a term to describe one’s worst enemy, normally someone or something that is the exact opposite of oneself but is also somehow similar.


… cracked the ice of my self-noughting … (Paragraph 7) broke the confinement of my self-debasement and sense of inferiority …


For there is no answer to anyone’s anguished cry of “Why am I here, why am I at all?” except the reply, “Because I am here, because I am.” (Paragraph 22) The implied meaning is that if anyone lacks confidence, doubts his own ability or he is reduced to despair, just fill him with sufficient confidence.

1. Why does the author say that when hubris rises, nemesis falls?When she was so confident, arrogant and even rude without feeling guilty, several disastrous events happened to her. Three members of her immediate family died, a friend she had much affection for died and her friends drifted apart from her.


2. Why was Dr. Jacob Taubes considered the most brilliant and exciting teacher the author had ever met?He displayed European academic wizardry, answered the questions raised by the author with intensity and challenged the author with intellectually vigorous questions and above all, he acknowledged the author when she most needed it.

3. What is the major difference between a bright show-off and a serious student?The former tends to display superficial learning to attract attention or satisfy his vanity while the latter exerts himself to acquire new knowledge and explore the unknown areas.

One is given time and place in the sunshine as the acknowledgement granted to him is the solar stimulus for transformation.

4. How does the author describe the way one feels when acknowledgement is granted?


5. Why is acknowledgement an art form?

It is based on deep psychological reciprocity and shows the skill of mutual transformation.



The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.

— Herbert Spencer

Much learning does not teach understanding. — Heraclitus



Questions for Discussion:1) Do you think the university should teach students

theoretical knowledge or some practical information

which will be useful in your future career?2) Is your understanding capability improved by absorbing more knowledge or experiencing

more in life?


Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was an English philosopher, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era. He is best known for coining the concept “survival of the fittest”, which he did in Principles of Biology (1864), after reading Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. This term strongly suggests natural selection, yet as Spencer extended evolution into realms of sociology and ethics.


Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535-c. 475 BCE) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. Heraclitus is famous for his doctrine of change being central to the universe, as stated in his famous saying, “You cannot step twice into the same river.” He believed in the unity of opposites, stating that “the path up and down are one and the same,” existing things being characterized by pairs of contrary properties, and other explorations of the concept of dualism.

on becoming a better student (abridged) unit 11 on becoming a better student (abridged) unit11

Documents

student e

student b

dont graduate

lot of people

teachers responsibilities

reciprocal relationship

money aint

deaths comin round