Transcript Unit 5
Quick Fix Society Janet Mendell Goldstein Quick Fix Society Unit 5 W arming up B ackground T ext Analysis R einforcement Quick Fix Society Unit 5 Questions / Activities Check-on Preview Objectives Warming up Warming up A Map of U.S. Warming up Check-on Preview 1. Study the word “fix”. What does a “quick fix” mean in the text? 2. What are the three features of a quick fix society according to the author? Summarize them in your own words. 3. Provide examples for a quick fix society from your life. 4. Find out relevant brief information about the American highway system. Different Fast Roads in the US Highway: connects cities; two or more lanes (superhighway; interstate highway) Freeway: within a city; without stopping; three or more lanes in each direction Expressway: fast road in or near cities Turnpike (tollway): fast road you have to pay before using it Warming up Objectives • Understand the structure and the general idea of the story • Grasp the usage of key words and phrases • Think about the theme of the story • Relate the theme to the reality in China today Background Genre Explanatory Writing Comparison and Contrast (e.g. para. 4) Exemplification (e.g. para.5) Use of Rhetorical Questions Repetition of Structure and Words Quick Fix Society Unit 5 Theme Text Analysis Structure Detailed Analysis Text Analysis Structure Part I: Para. 1-3 • Two trips and a discovery Part II: Para. 4-6 • Three features of a quick fix society Part III: Para. 7-8 • The author’s proposal of slowing down and rediscovering life Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Main Idea How did the author find her trip to West Virginia and back home? Why? What did the two trips set the author thinking about? What does the title “Quick Fix Society” mean? What purpose does the third paragraph serve? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Sentence Paraphrase • And we returned home refreshed, revitalized, and reeducated. (para.2) Used as subject compliment Alliteration: repetitive occurrence of the same letter Fix: more contexts to observe • We were in a real fix (i.e. Our car broke down and there wasn’t a phone in sight.)— 我们真有麻烦了。 • I need my fix of caffeine in the morning or I can’t think. • The election was a fix. sth. that has been dishonestly arranged • I sat and thought for a while, trying to get a fix on the situation. to understand what the situation is really like Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Words & Expressions Words fix; insist; trip, tour, journey, voyage Phrases can’t wait to; consist of; be reduced to; stuff with; in search of Sentence Pattern couldn't wait to …; I insist that…; return home refreshed, revitalized and reeducated Grammar so as not to…; use of rhetorical questions Words Phrases Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part I: Exercise Translate the following sentences into English, using words in the brackets. 1. 这个报告可以压缩为三大部分。(reduce) The report can be reduced to three main parts. 2. 亨利掂着脚尖走进了讲座房间以免打扰旁人。(so as to) Henry tiptoed into the lecture room so as not to disturb others. 3. 每次这个男孩去祖母那儿，她都会在孩子的口袋里塞满糖果。(stuff) Each time the boy went to see his grandma, she would stuff his pockets with candy. 4. 我坚持主张他应该去医院。(insist) I insisted that he should go to the hospital. 5. 他四处走着寻找丢失的钥匙。(search) He walked around in search of his lost key. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Main Idea What are the three features of a quick fix society? What is the principle of deferred gratification according to the author? What do people tend to do to gratify themselves now? What does the author mean by “superficially instead of thoroughly”? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Sentence Paraphrase • Even our personal relationships have become compressed. Instead of devoting large parts of our days to our loved ones, we replace them with something called “quality time”, which, more often than not, is no time at all.(para.6) More than or at least half of the time To give an amount of time, attention, etc, to sb. or sth. Time spent with one’s children Paraphrasing: Even our personal relationships are affected, instead of spending much of our time with our loved ones, we now talk about giving them full attention in the limited time after work. But usually we have not time to do that at all. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Words & Expressions Words afford Phrases instead of; deferred gratification; save up; off the rack; a rainy day; agree with; linger over; more often that not; thanks to Words Phrases Sentence Pattern need to …; verb + Wh-word + to infinitive Grammar verbs in the -ing form; attributive modifiers Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part II: Exercise Translate the following sentences into English, using words in the brackets. 1. 他们在攒钱去欧洲旅行。(save) They’re saving up for a trip to Europe. 2. 网购省去了人们外出的麻烦。(trouble) Shopping online saves people the trouble of going out. 3. 你的故事和警察对我们说的一番话完全不符。(agree) Your story doesn’t agree with what the police have told us. 4. 由于父母一直以来付出的耐心，她现在成了一个很成功的歌 手。(thanks) Thanks to the patience her parents have given her all those years, now she’s quite successful as a singer. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Main Idea What is the function of the three questions at the beginning of para.7? According to the author, what is the sad truth? Do you think it is a sad truth? What does the author propose in the end? Do you agree with her on that? Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Sentence Paraphrase But I am saying that all of us need to think more seriously about putting the brakes on our “we-want-it-all-and-we-want-it-now” lifestyle before we speed completely out of control. (para. 8) Become impossible to manage or control Paraphrasing: But what I do want to say is this: Before we go too far/Before it’s too late, all of us need to think seriously about changing our lifestyle of seeking a quick fix in our lives. Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Words & Expressions Words skim; speed; advocate; rediscover Phrases get it over with; in a hurry; put the brakes on; in the slow lane Words Phrases Sentence Pattern this urge to do it now; to get it over with; to skim the surface of life Grammar attributive modifiers Text Analysis Detailed Analysis Part III: Exercise Translate the following sentences into English, using words in the brackets. 1. 如果你愿意的话我就先讲吧—我宁愿早点说完了事。(get) I’ll speak first if you like—I’d rather get it over with quickly. 2. 抓住这次机会，我保证你不会后悔的。（guarantee) Take this opportunity, and I guarantee you won’t regret it. 3. 她主张保持长远的眼光。(advocate) She advocates taking a more long-term view. 4. 我只是浏览了一下他的信，还没有细读。（skim） I've only skimmed (through/over) his letter; I haven't read it carefully yet. Quick Fix Society Unit 5 Discussion Reinforcement Writing Reinforcement Discussion Work in groups of four and discuss the following questions: 1. Do we live in a quick fix society? In what way is our society similar to/different from American society in this respect? 2. What are the possible reasons for a quick fix society? 3. Some say that modern people are justified in seeking a quick fix. Do you agree? Why or why not? 4. Can you find any examples showing that people are trying to slow down in life? Reinforcement Writing Writing Task Some people say that quick fixes are inevitable in contemporary society. What is your opinion on this statement?