Transcript Unit 5

Unit 6
Romance
Part I. Lead-in questions:
 1) Is college dating good?
 2) What are your standards in choosing a lover?
 3) Do you think it is wise to develop love with a
pen pal or a key pal? Why or why not?
Text A
A Valentine Story
--- By Doug Bell
Part II. Cultural Notes (1)
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a lover’s holiday celebrated on
February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of
the two 3rd century Roman martyrs of the same
name. St. Valentine is considered the patron of
lovers and especially of those unhappily in love.
The feast day became a lovers’ festival in the 14th
century. Today it is marked by the exchange of
romantic cards (valentines), flowers, chocolate of
heart shape, and other gifts.
Part II. Cultural Notes (2)
Grand Central Station
Located on East 42nd street in Manhattan, New
York , it is the largest and busiest railway station in
the world. As you approach it from 42nd Street,
you’ll be facing this triumphant facade featuring a
fifty-foot pediment with statues of Hercules,
Minerva and Mercury surrounding a clock. This
interior of Grand Central is also an amazing sight
and will transport you to another time. (to be
continued)
(continued)
The Main Concourse seen here is an immense space
120 feet wide, 375 feet long and 125 feet high.
Although the Terminal had suffered neglect in the
1970’s and 1980’s, a massive four-year restoration
project was recently completed and you’ll be amazed
at how new this place looks! One of the biggest jobs
of this restoration was to the vast vaulted ceiling.
Painted like an evening sky with more than 2500
gilded stars and constellations, it allows New
Yorkers something they never get to see.
Part II. Cultural Notes (3)
Public libraries in the U.S.
Public libraries in the U.S. are free to the public.
One can get a library card at the local library by
filling in a form and showing the librarian a valid
ID and something to prove that one lives in the
neighborhood (e.g., a used and stamped envelope
with one’s name as the addressee, one’s phone bill,
gas bill, etc.). Besides borrowing books, people go
to libraries to borrow video tapes, use the
computers there, attend book readings by authors
and other cultural events. Libraries are regarded as
community centers.
Part III. Writing Features (1)
 1) This short story has two narrators, the story
writer and John Blanchard.
 2) The story is not developed completely in order
of time. Paras. 2-5 are flashbacks filling up the
information readers missing.
 3) To correspond to the switch in narrators and
events, a change in tenses is introduced accordingly.
Writing Features (2)
4)
In this story, we can easily find some examples
of simile and metaphor, which enhance the
effect of description.
A simile is a comparison of one thing to another,
using the words “like” or “as”, e.g., “her hair
was black as night”; “in her green suit she was
like springtime come alive” (Para. 7).
A metaphor is a suggested but not stated
comparison of one thing to another, e.g.,
“while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of
my disappointment” . “Each letter was a seed
falling on a fertile heart.”
Writing Features (3)
5) Notice also the informal talk between the characters in
the story. For example, “Going my way, sailor?” is an
incomplete sentence. Or see how the middle-aged
woman spoke in Para. 15 — “son”, “go and tell”, “some
kind of” and so on are all casual.
Writing Features: Text Organization
 Part I. (para. 1):Opening of the story — John
Blanchard was expecting to see someone at Grand
Central Station.
 Part II. (paras.2-6): A flashback explaining —
Whom he was waiting for and why.
 Part III. (paras.7-15):Development of the story —
Miss Maynell put Blanchard to a test.
 Part IV. (paras.16-17): Implication---The true
nature of a heart is seen in its response to the
unattractive.
Main Idea
The nature of a heart is seen in its response to the
unattractive. (Or: The way one reacts to unattractive
people reveals one’s character.)
AND
Tell me whom you love, and I will tell you who you
are. (Or: I can judge you by the person you love.)
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but
whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
(para.2)
 --- He was going to meet a girl, the girl he had
never seen before but with whom he shared many
of his views, interests and feelings. The girl would
wear a rose to identify herself at their first meeting.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 I’d always be haunted by the feeling that you
had been taking a chance on just that , and that
kind of love would disgust me.(para.4)
 --- I would always be troubled by the fear that you
fell in love with me because of my external beauty
and that kind of love is what I hate to have.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 A young woman was coming toward me, her
figure long and slim. (para.7)
 --- A young woman was coming toward me and she
was tall and slim.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 Her golden hair lay back in curls from her
delicate ears.(para.7)
 --- Her curly golden hair was put behind her
delicate ears.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
She was more than a little overweight, her thickangled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.
(para.10)
--- She was a quite heavy woman, wearing low-heeled
shoes. She must have trouble squeezing her feet
which are thick in angles into the shoes.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was
my desire to follow her and yet so deep was
my longing for the woman whose spirit had
truly companioned me and upheld my own.
(para.11)
 --- I had the feeling that there were two of me
fighting with each other, one having a strong
desire to go with the young pretty woman, the
other longing to stay with the woman who had
been with me and supporting me spiritually.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 The woman’s face broadened into a smile.
(para. 15)
 --- The woman smiled a big smile.
Part IV. Difficult Sentences
 The true nature of a heart is seen in its response
to the unattractive. (para. 16)
 --- How one reacts to something unattractive can
tell much about what kind of person he is.
Part V. Language Points
 make one’s way (to/towards)(para.1): go 走去
 e.g. 1) Early in the morning the hunter made his
way into the woods.
 2) I will make my way home now. It’s too late.
Part V. Language Points
 margin(para.2): n. 页边空白
e.g. 1)Professor Hanson had the habit of making
notes in the margin of the books he was reading.
2) Some publishers make profits by printing books
with wider margins and hence charging higher
prices.
Part V. Language Points
 reflect(para.2): vt. be a sign of, show 反映,展示
 e.g. 1) Does this letter reflect how you really
think?
这封信是否表达了你真实的想法？
2) Her work reflects intelligence.
她的工作显示出她的智慧。
Phrase: reflect on 反思,思考
Part V. Language Points
 locate (para.3): vt. find the exact position
of 找到… 位置
 e.g.: locate Albany ,NY on the map
locate an electrical fault, one’s name on the
roll
We located the shops and the post office as
soon as we moved into the town.
Part V. Language Points
 bud(para.4): v.发芽,萌芽
e.g. 1)Trees are budding to welcome the spring
season.
2)The flowers are bronzy in bud and bright
yellow when open.
a budding poet 崭露头角的诗人
Part V. Language Points
 haunt(para.4): vt. to come to mind
continually; obsess 使担忧; 使苦恼
e.g. a riddle that haunted me all morning
be haunted by the fear of failure
1)The murderer was constantly haunted by the
face of the man he killed.
2) 惊慌和痛苦虽已过去许久，她仍心有余悸。
She was still haunted by the panic and pain
long after it had passed.
Part V. Language Points
 take a chance (on sth.) (para. 5): take a risk
碰运气,冒险
e.g. 1) You take a chance on the weather if you
spend your holiday in the UK.
我没预定票。我抱剧院还有不会客满的 侥幸
心理。
2) I haven’t booked a ticket. I am taking a chance
on the theatre not being full.
3) We can’t take a chance. We must be 100% sure.
Part V. Language Points
 disgust (para. 4):vt. cause a strong and
often sick feeling of dislike 使厌恶,反感
e.g. 1) The bad fish had a disgusting smell.
2) We're all disgusted at the way her
husband has treated her.
Part V. Language Points
 sustain(para.6):vt. support; keep going 支持,保持
 e.g. 1) It’s love from his family that has been
sustaining his life over these years.
 2)The natural resources are not enough to sustain
such a large population.
 3) The teacher tried to sustain the children’s
interest in learning English.
Part V. Language Points
 go one’s way(para.9): go in sb.’s direction
与某人同路
e.g. 1) I’m going your way. May I give you a
ride?
2) I wasn’t sure whether he was going my
way or not, so I decided to go home by
myself.
Part V. Language Points
 provocative (para.9): adj. causing annoyance or
anger 挑衅的
 e.g. 1)He spoke in a provocative tone: “If you dare!”
 2) Mary is looking very provocative in that
miniskirt.
 v. provoke
 狗被激怒是很危险的。A dog could be very
dangerous when provoked.
Part V. Language Points
 more than a little(para.10): very 非常
e.g. 1) To be frank with you, he is more than a
little stupid.
 2) If you tell your father what you’ve done,
he’ll be more than a little angry.
 Cf. not a little: much, a lot of
It has given me not a little anxiety.
Part V. Language Points
 thrust (para. 10): v. push suddenly or violently
挤入,塞入
 e.g. 1)After quarrelling with her husband, Nora
thrust a few personal things into a suitcase and left
home..
2) She thrust the papers at me.
Part V. Language Points
uphold (para.11): vt. maintain, support 支持,维护
e.g. 1) The roof is upheld by six pillars.
2) A good lawyer should play an active role in
upholding social justice.
3) 最高法院将维持死刑原判。
The Supreme Court will uphold the earlier death
sentence.
Part V. Language Points
 identify(para.13): vt. recognize or say who or
what sb. or sth. is 识别
e.g. 1) Dead bodies in the plane crash were identified
by dental records.
2) The visiting scholar spoke English with such a
perfect accent that it was hard to identify his
origin.
Part V. Language Points
 in response to(para. 16.): in answer to 对…作出
回应
 e.g. 1)The stock market crashed in response to the
news of a possible oil crisis.
 2)嫌疑人对警察的提问保持沉默。
The suspect kept silence in response to the questioning
of the police.
Part VI. Writing
Invitations
 (Refer to P174) Invitations can be formal or
informal based on the situation at hand. Formal
invitations are usually laid out (设计) according to
the traditional pattern and they are available at the
stationer’s. If you purchase one, all you have to do
is write the name(s) of the recipient(s), the nature
of the event, the time, and the date in the blank
spaces provided. The informal one, on the other
hand, demand more personal creativity.
Part VI. Writing Assignment
Write a letter of invitation based on the information
below and an informal acceptance letter and an
informal regret letter.
我们想请贵公司参加于四月二十九日到五月四
日在南京国展中心举办的2011国际商品交易会。
关于交易会的详情我们一周内将寄给您。希望
不久能收到您的答复，并能前来参加。
 Dear Mr. Grady,

We would like to invite your corporation to
attend the 2011 International Fair which will be
held from April 29 to May 4 at Nanjing Exhibition
Center. Full details about the fair will be sent to
you in a week.

We look forward to hearing from you soon,
and hope that you will be able to attend.

Yours faithfully,

Yang Kang
The End