全新版大学英语第二版第一册pair work 问题答案U1-6
UNIT 5
1.When did Phil die? Why does the author repeat the time of his death?
Phil died at 3 A.M one Sunday morning. The repetition of the precise time of his death helps set the sardonic (讥讽的) tone of the essay.
2. What did the obituary say about Phil’s death? What did Phil’s friends and acquaintances think was the real cause of his death?
It said Phil died of a coronary thrombosis. They thought he had worked himself to death.
3.How full was Phil’s working schedule? Did all the other employees put in as much time and work as he did?
He worked six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night. No, they didn’t.
4.How come Phil became overweight?
He always ate egg salad sandwiches at his desk, and it is implied he took no exercise other than a monthly golf game (and even that was just as an opportunity to do business).
5.What did he wear to the office on Saturdays? Why?
He wore a sports jacket to the office instead of a suit, because it was the weekend.
6.What position did Phil hold in the company? How did the people working for him feel about him?
He was one of six vice-presidents. They liked him most of the time.
7.What did Helen mean by “Missing him all these years”?
She meant that she had been missing her husband long before he died because he spent little time at home.
8.Why were the neighbors embarrassed when Phil’s eldest son asked them what his father was like?
Because they knew little about his father.
9.Did his daughter feel close to him? How do you know?
No. whenever she was alone with her father, they had nothing to say to each other.
10.What is the significance of Phil’s youngest son’s statement, “My father and I only board here”? What does it convey about Phil’s relationship with his family?
The statement is intended to show forcefully how Phil concentrated far too much on his business to the neglect of his family life and his duty to his wife and children.
11.What did the company president say about Phil at the funeral? What did he do as soon as Phil’s funeral was over?
He said at the funeral that Phil had meant much to the company and would be missed and would be hard to replace. He began to make inquires about Phil’s replacement as soon as his funeral was over.
12.What impact does the final paragraph have? How does this reinforce the author’s point? By telling us what the company president said at the funeral and what he did soon after the funeral the author lays bare the great absurdity (荒谬) of contemporary American corporate life: the pursuit of business success is valued well above anything else, even human lives.