Unit 7Unit 7

The Sampler

Contents Background Information Pre-reading Activities Organization of the Text Language Points Post-reading Activities

Unit 7 The Sampler

Background InformationBackground Information 1. 1. The Christmas SeasonThe Christmas Season

For Christians, the Christmas season lasts from

Christmas Eve till after New Year’s Day or, especially in

England, Epiphany (on the 6th of January).

Commercially, the period is much longer. Stores usually

begin to decorate their departments and to promote a

sales campaign for Christmas in late November. Special

attention is paid to the shop windows designed to attract

Christian shoppers.

2. 2. Old People in the WestOld People in the West Most people retire from work between the ages of

60-65. This has two main consequences, one economic and the other psychological.

1) Economically: Although retired people receive a pension from the government and/or from their past employers, it is often significantly less than they earned when they were working. Unless people have managed to save money during their years at work, their standard of living may decline dramatically when they retire.

2) Psychologically: Old people in Western countries are generally considered useless, a burden on their families and on the public purse. They are hardly held in respect. On the other hand, most of them, so used to focusing on work, simply do not know how to relax or pursue another interest now that they have time to do so. They feel they “should” be working and contributing, because work was where they were respected and their skills recognized. As retired people, their self-confidence is diminished. The longer they are away from the wok place, the keener grows a sense of being superfluous.

3. Free Samples3. Free Samples Stores use free samples as a “come-on” in

competing for customers. If a store provides free samples of some of their products, it is likely that more people will shop there.

Samplers, usually of new foods and drinks, are given with the understanding that if you like them, you will buy them. It is not socially acceptable to continue to sample the product time and time again without making a purchase.

Pre-readingPre-readingIntroductory Remarks

Here is a simple story with no complicated plot nor intriguing characterization. It describes a brief encounter of a young man with an elderly gentleman in a store during the Christmas season. In reading the story, however, we have a chance to see one aspect of life in the West. If we read more carefully, we may even gain an insight into the innermost feelings of some old people in the West.

1. How many characters are there in the story? And who are they?

2. What are laid out in a row in the store during the Christmas season?

3. What does the narrator – “I” in the story – often wonder?

4. What does the shop girl tell him when he asks her this question?

5. Is the shop girl friendly to the old man when he turns up in the store?

(There are three: the old man, the shop girl and “I”, the narrator.)

(Delicious puddings.)

(He often wonders whether people will sample puddings when they have no intention to buy any.)

(She tells him that there is an old gentleman who comes there to sample puddings but never buys anything.)

(Yes, she is; she gives him a spoon and encourages him to sample the puddings.)

Introductory Questions

6. Is the old man shocked when the narrator offers to buy him some puddings?

7. Does the old man accept the narrator’s offer?

8. What does the old man have in his worn little black pocketbook?

9. Just make a guess: In what country does the story take place? What are the words or expressions that give you the clue?

(Yes, he is; he jumps back as if he was/were stung.)

(No, he declines it with dignity.)

(He has nothing but coins.)

(The story must have taken place in Britain; the old man pays for the pudding with “shillings and pennies”.)

Talks about the elderly gentleman

who came to sample the pudding

Organization of the TextOrganization of the Text Time: the Christmas season Place: a certain pudding store

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The shop girl The author

The elderly gentleman

Language PointsLanguage PointsPara. 1Para. 11. …a number of these delicious things are laid out in a ro

w during the Christmas season. A. delicious: (1) tasting or smelling pleasant E.g. – Chinese food is generally considered delicious.

– Your perfume is delicious.

(2) delightful E.g. – I enjoyed the delicious evenings spent with your f

amily.

– Love is always delicious to the young.

B. lay out: arrange or spread out E.g. – The new books were laid out neatly

on the table.

– The goods for sale were attractively laid out.

– The scenery was laid out before the travelers when they reached the top of the hill.

2. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste…

select: (v.) choose E.g. – I grew impatient with Edward. He spent a whole

hour selecting a T-shirt! – In a karaoke bar, one can select whatever song h

e or she likes to sing.

(adj.) chosen E.g. – John Major became Mrs. Thatcher’s select succe

ssor (继任者 ). – In ancient times, book knowledge was limited to t

he select few.

3. …and you are even allowed to sample them before coming to a decision.

sample: (v.) test a part of E.g. – Guards sample the food before it is sent

to the Emperor. – The scientist sampled the spring water

and declared it beneficial to human health.

(n.) a small part of representing the whole E.g. – Athletes are required to send urine

samples to be tested after every sports event. – Next, I’d like to show you our sample

room.

1. I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of this privilege.

A. intention: a determination to act in a certain way

E.g. – Those who look at goods in shop windows with no intention of buying are called window shoppers.

– Sometimes good intentions are ill received.

Para. 2Para. 2

B. purchase: (n.) buying E.g. – That dress you bought yesterday is a go

od purchase.

– RMB100,000 yuan was committed for the purchase of desktop computers.

(v.) buy E.g. – He is intending to purchase a new car on

installments.

– People have stronger purchasing power now than they did there years ago.

C. take advantage of: make use of (sth./sb.) for one’s own benefit

E.g. – The old man took (full) advantage of the good weather to do some gardening.

– People often take advantage of him because he is so easygoing.

D. privilege: special right given to a person E.g. – It is my great privilege to have dinner wit

h you. – Diplomats enjoy a lot of privileges in forei

gn countries.

2. One day I asked this question of the shop girl…

= One day I asked the shop girl this question…

“To ask a question of sb.” is a formal expression. In daily conversation we prefer to say “to ask sb. a question”.

1. …and I suspect he never will. suspect : (v.) guess or suppose; feel doubt about E.g. – It is eleven o’clock. I suspect he will not co

me.

– We don’t have room service, as you suspect.

(n.) sb. suspected of wrongdoing E.g. – The police cannot arrest any suspect with

out form evidence.

Para. 3Para. 3

2. And what’s more… what’s more: also; more importantly, serio

usly, etc. E.g. – You’re late for school, and what’s

more, you’ve forgotten to bring your books.

– He is too old for the job. And what’s more, he is poor in health.

3. …and I suppose they can afford it. A. they: In the West, the pronouns “they” and “th

em” are often used to refer to a group of people opposed to “we” and “us”. For the common people, the word “they” often refers to bosses or the government with a slight hue of hostility.

E.g. – an us vs. them war

B. afford: (with “can” or “be able to”) spare; be in a position to (do sth.)

E.g. – I’m busy. I can’t afford one hour for lunch.

– I wish I could get a new bike, but I really can’t afford it now.

1. …only breaking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief.

A. break off: stop suddenly E.g. – The speaker was interrupted so often that in a

huff he broke off and sat down.

– John rose. “As for me –” he suddenly broke off when the teacher came in.

B. occasionally: from time to time E.g. – Myra visited her mother occasionally.

– Henry is very strict with his daughter. He only lets her out at night occasionally.

Para. 6Para. 6

Para. 8Para. 8

1. “This is not bad either, but a little too heavy.” heavy: (of food, etc.) too rich to digest easily When we say some food is too heavy, we mean

it is too rich and filling. E.g. – I’d like a cup of tea. The cake is too

heavy for me.

– Judy is having pimples, so she stays away from heavy food.

Para. 9Para. 91. All the time it was quite evident that he sincerely believe

d that he might eventually buy one of these puddings… A. evident: clear to the eye or the mind E.g. – She looked with evident envy at Judy’s new ring.

– It is evident that someone destroyed the paper on purpose.

B. eventually: finally E.g. – His dreams have eventually come true.

– The Government apologized to the native Indians eventually.

2. …and I am positive that he did not for a moment feel that he was in any way cheating the store.

A. positive: (1) sure or certain E.g. – I am positive that it was Joan

who screamed for help just now.

– Can you be positive about what you heard?

(2) constructive E.g. – The old professor gave them come positi

ve suggestions on what to do next. – Socialists literature should concentrate o

n positive role models.

(3) (in math) greater than zero; (of electricity) caused by deficiency of electrons (阳性的 )

E.g. – “+” is the positive sign. – You must have confused the positive pol

e with the negative pole.

B. cheating: (v.) deceive E.g. – Those students who cheat on exams will

be expelled from school. – The elderly woman was cheated into buy

ing a house that did not exist . – The elderly woman was cheated (out) of

her fortune.

(n.) an action of deception or sb. that deceives E.g. – Some tax cheats have been heavily fined. – The land development plan turns out to b

e a cheat. – Cheats will be disclosed in the long run.

3. Probably he had come down in the world and this sampling was all that was left him fro the time…

come down in the world: lose a place of respect or honor; become lower as in rank or fortune

E.g. – The stranger plainly had come down a long way in the world.

– Poor old George has come down in the world since his business failed.

Para. 10Para. 101. Amidst the crowd of happy, prosperous looking Christm

as shoppers… A. amidst: in the middle of; among E.g. –Amidst the confusion, he stood calm.

区分： Among: (followed by a plural noun or pronoun) means

“surrounded by” or “ in relation to many things” E.g. “among friends”, “living among the Indians” Amidst: means “surrounded by either separate objects

or an undifferentiated mass or quantity” E.g. – A church stands amidst skyscrapers.

B. crowd: (n.) large group of people together E.g. – Crowds gather in front of the stock

exchange every weekday. – Upon his arrival, the President was

cheered by welcoming crowds .

(v.) come together E.g. – Pupils crowded around the tourist guide

for more interesting stories. – One can hardly breathe in such a

crowded room.

C. prosperous: rich; successful E.g. – Upon liberation in 1949, many overseas Chinese

came back to build a prosperous China.

– We should hold a party for the prosperous business this year.

Notice the way the compound adjective “prosperous looking” is formed. Often a hyphen is used to link up the two components.

E.g. – militant looking

– pompous looking

– soft-spoken

– ill-fitting

2. …the little black figure of the old man seemed pitiful and out of place...

A. figure: (1) human form E.g. – Although she is a mother of three,

she still keeps a good figure.

– I saw a familiar figure ahead of me in the crowded subway station.

(2) number E.g. – A good report should carry exact fi

gures. – People were surprised to find that

the beggar had a bank account of six figures.

(3) drawing to illustrate sth. (图解 ) E.g. – Her job is to draw figures for maga

zine articles.

B. out of place: not in one’s proper position; unsuitable

E.g. – It was out of place for Russell to make that remark.

– Joan was the only girl who wore a formal dress at the party, and she felt out of place.

3. …and in a burst of benevolence, I went up to him and said...

E.g. – a burst of anger / sympathy / blood / tears

Para. 11Para. 11

1. …will you do me a favor? do sb. a favor / do a favor for sb.: do

sth. Kind for sb. E.g. – Could you do me a favor by sh

utting the window?

– He asked me to do him the favor of shutting the window.

Para. 12Para. 12

1. He jumped back as if he had been stung…

as if / as though: seeming to show that

E.g. – The baby smiled as if he understood what his mother said.

– The waves dashed on the rocks as if I danger.

Para. 13Para. 13

1. …with more dignity than I would have thought possible considering his appearance…

A. considering: in view of; taking into account

E.g. – He writes a beautiful hand considering his age.

– Considering (that) I have told you about it three times, you must know it.

B. appearance: (1) look E.g. – He has the appearance of someone who

has never been in the sun all his life.

– It’s a pity that many judge people by appearance.

(2) the act of appearing E.g. – Some people are still frightened by the

appearance of UFOs.

– The film star put in a brief appearance at the party.

2. Undoubtedly you have mistaken me for someone else.

mistaken (sth. / sb.) for: suppose wrongly that sth./sb. is sth./sb. else

E.g. – People are always mistaking him for his twin brother.

– I mistook that stick for a snake.

3. Kindly pack me up this one here. pack: (v.) (1) put things into boxes, cases, etc. E.g. – I hate traveling because it takes

me much time to pack and unpack my things.

– Some British people pack their lunch in a paper bag.

(2) crowd E.g. – The bus is heavily packed during rush

hours. – The bad businessman packed

unreasonable costs into the budget.

(n.) bundle of things tied or wrapped up together

E.g. – a pack of cigarettes / cards / matches / canned food

– What do you carry in that huge pack on your back?

Para. 14Para. 141. …while he pulled out a worn little black pocketb

ook and began counting out shillings and pennies on to the counter.

A. worn: bad from too much use E.g. – Oliver Twist had only a worn coat in wint

er.

– It is time you changed your worn tire.

B. shilling: A former monetary unit of the United Kingdom equal to 12 pence or 1/20 pound. It was abolished in 1972.

2. How I longed for the power to unsay my tactless words!

long (for): wish very much for E.g. – In winter times, how we longe

d for spring.

– I long for a timely reply from you.

Post-reading ActivitiesPost-reading Activities Guided summary: One day, in a certain store, I met an elderly gentleman

who the shop girl said often came during the Christmas season and took advantage of free samples of the delicious puddings there. In a burst of benevolence, I went up to him and offered to buy him a pudding. He was very much shocked and hurt. To save his “honor”, he was forced into buying one of the most expensive puddings with all the shillings and pennies he had in his worn black pocketbook. After the event, he never came back to the store again. I wish I had not said such tactless words to him.

Analyzing the CharactersAnalyzing the Characters There are three characters in the story: the

narrator, the shop girl, and the elderly gentleman. Although no details have been supplied in the story concerning the three, we can get to know some of their personalities if we take a close look at how they acted, talked and felt as individuals.

Describe the three characters with the emphasis on the “sampler”, and find facts in the text to justify the description.

The Elderly Gentleman

old & poor “elderly”; “wrinkled face”; “poorly dressed”; could not afford a pudding; having only “coins” in his “worn little black pocketbook”

short & thin the “little black figure”

sensitive & dignified

“he jumped back as if he had been stung, and the rushed into his wrinkled face”;

denying knowing the narrator “in a loud voice” and with “dignity”

proud & wanting to save

face

“forced” to buy “one of the largest and most expensive of the puddings”; keeping on “trying to put the coins” into the shop girl’s hand; never coming back again

well-educated his choice of words

E.g.

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks Why does the old man come to the store every week

and sample each of the puddings? Is it because he is poor, and so often goes without food? Maybe. But poverty alone does not explain everything. Obviously, coming to a store once or twice a week to have free samples of puddings cannot possibly keep the old man from starvation. So there may be some other reasons.

Perhaps he has seen better days and puddings has always been his favorite dessert. But now he has become so poor that he can no longer afford it. Therefore he comes to the store to take free samples of the puddings in memory of the past. Loneliness may be another reason. Many old people in the West frequent stores, libraries, and other public places, just to find company and a bit of human contact.

Comprehension of the TextComprehension of the Text

1. When and where did the story take place?

2. What privilege did the store give its customer?

3. From which sentences can we infer (推断 ) that the narrator was a curious person?

4. What was the shop girl’s attitude towards the old man?

5. How did the Christmas shoppers look?

6. What is meant by “as if he had been stung”?

7. How did the ld man respond to the narrator’s offer?

8. How did the narrator feel when he realized that because of his offer, the old man had been forced into a purchase he could not afford?

9. In what country did the story take place?

From what words can we infer the answer?

10. Why did the old man buy one of the largest and most expensive of the puddings?

11. What do you think of the old man? The shop girl? The narrator?

Unit 7 The Sampler

The end!The end!