Unit 6
Unit 6 How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort
Section One Pre-reading Activities ........................................................................................... 1
I. Audiovisual Supplement .................................................................................................. 1 II. Cultural Background ........................................................................................................ 2 Section Two Global Reading ....................................................................................................... 3
I. Text Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 3 II. Structural Analysis ........................................................................................................... 3 Section Three Detailed Reading ................................................................................................ 4
I. Text 1 ............................................................................................................................... 4 II. Questions ........................................................................................................................... 5 III. Words and Expressions .................................................................................................. 6 IV. Sentences ......................................................................................................................... 7 Section Four Consolidation Activities ...................................................................................... 8
Ⅰ. Vocabulary ....................................................................................................................... 8 Ⅲ. Translation ..................................................................................................................... 14 Ⅳ. Exercises for Integrated Skills ................................................................................... 16 Ⅴ. Oral Activities ................................................................................................................ 18 Ⅵ. Writing ............................................................................................................................ 18 Section Five Further Enhancement ........................................................................................ 22
I. Lead-in Questions .......................................................................................................... 22 II. Text 2 ............................................................................................................................ 22 II. Memorable Quotes .................................................................................................... 28
Section One Pre-reading Activities
I. Audiovisual Supplement
Watch the video clip and answer the following questions. Script:
Mr. Keating: Keep ripping gentlemen. This is a battle, a war. And the casualties could be your
hearts and souls. Thank you Mr. Dalton. Armies of academics going forward, measuring poetry. No, we will not have that here. No more of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. Now in my class you will learn to think for yourselves again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. I see that look in Mr. Pitt’s eye, like nineteenth century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school. Right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins, you may agree with him, thinking ―Yes, we should simply study our Mr. Pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter and go quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions.‖ I have a little secret for you. Huddle up. Huddle up! We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman: ―O me, o life of
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the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, o me, o life?‖ Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.
Questions （在每个问题下面设置按钮，点击以后出现对应的答案） 1. Why should students of all majors study poetry?
2. Are students’ expressions changing when they are listening to Mr. Keating’s words? Answers
1. Because poetry has universal value. It stands for human passion and love and these are what we are living for.
2. Yes, they are all inspired by Mr. Keating’s speech about the meaning of poetry.
II. Cultural Background
About Poetry
1. History of Poetry
? Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung, closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements: rhythm, rhyme, compression, intensity of feeling, the use of refrains.
? Following the development of writing, poetry has since developed into increasingly
structured forms.
Written composition meant poets began to compose for an absent reader.
? Much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away from traditional forms towards the
more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats.
2. Classification Three major genres:
? Epic poetry: a long story about brave actions and exciting events; ? Lyric poetry: more personal, shorter poems intended to be sung; ? Dramatic poetry: comedy and tragedy as subgenres.
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Section Two Global Reading
I. Text Analysis
Modern life is more about material and tangible goods than about spirit pursuit. We set clear targets for our future, neglecting that we are gradually losing one joy that human kind usually have: the fun of spontaneity. The writer of this essay reminds us that poetry, especially creating poems, can provide us such pleasure. Though the writer of this essay writes in a half-mocking tone, and the method he introduces will not ensure us to create a wonderful, or even presentable poem, his real purpose is to make the creation of a poem less difficult than we may imagine and to induce amateurs to set their first steps on their journey to a more aesthetic life.
II. Structural Analysis
1. In terms of organization, the article clearly falls into three main parts:
The first part (Paragraphs 1-3) introduces the problem with poetry and the significance of the writer’s solution.
The second part (Paragraphs 4-9) introduces in detail how people can create a poem of their own. The third part (Paragraphs10-12) serves as the ending of the essay. In this part, the writer reiterates his intention and make s kit clear he is just joking by presenting such a method of creating a poem..
2. The mocking tone of the author is mingled with some fairly emotional statements which
reveal his real love of poetry, e.g.
―Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel comradeship with fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide. Not only that, good poets could make a living for a change.‖ (Paragraph 3)
―But at least it’s a poem and you’ve written it, which is an accomplishment that relatively few people can claim.‖ (Paragraph 10)
―Chances are, you’ll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that you’ve broken the ice. Observe others’ emotions and experience your own — that’s what poetry is all about. (Paragraph 11)
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III. Rhetorical Features
Apparently simple but lucid English, sometimes even a colloquial speech style, creating the effect of a heart-to-heart talk between the writer and the reader, e.g.
―The last line of your poem should deal with the future in some way.‖ (Paragraph 8) ―Now that poem (like yours, when you’re finished) is rotten.‖ (Paragraph 10)
Section Three Detailed Reading
I.
Text 1
How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort
Richard Howey
1 So you want to write a poem. You’ve had a rotten day or an astounding thought or a car accident or a squalid love affair and you want to record it for all time. You want to organize those emotions that are pounding through your veins. You have something to communicate via a poem but you don’t know where to start.
2 This, of course, is the problem with poetry. Most people find it difficult to write a poem so they don’t even try. What’s worse, they don’t bother reading any poems either. Poetry has become an almost totally foreign art form to many of us. As a result, serious poets either starve or work as account executives. There is no middle ground. Good poets and poems are lost forever simply because there is no market for them, no people who write their own verse and seek out further inspiration from other bards.
3 Fortunately, there is a solution for this problem, as there are for all imponderables. The answer is to make it easy for everyone to write at least one poem in his life. Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel comradeship with fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide. Not only that, good poets could make a living for a change.
4 So, to begin, have your paper ready. You must first understand that the poem you write here will not be brilliant. It won’t even be mediocre. But it will be better than 50% of all song lyrics and at least equal to one of Rod McKuen’s best efforts. You will be instructed how to write a four-line poem but the basic structure can be repeated at will to create works of epic length.
5 The first line of your poem should start and end with these words: ―In the — of my mind.‖ The middle word of this line is optional. Any word will do. It would be best not to use a word that has been overdone, such as ―windmills‖ or ―gardens‖ or ―playground.‖ Just think of as many nouns as you can and see what fits best. The rule of thumb is to pick a noun that seems totally out of context, such as ―filing cabinet‖ or ―radiator‖ or ―parking lot.‖ Just remember, the more unusual the noun, the more profound the image.
6 The second line should use two or more of the human senses in a conflicting manner, as per the famous, ―listen to the warm.‖ This is a sure way to conjure up ―poetic‖ feeling and atmosphere. Since there are five different senses, the possibilities are endless. A couple that come to mind are ―see the noise‖ and ―touch the sound.‖ If more complexity is desired other senses can
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be added, as in ―taste the color of my hearing,‖ or ―I cuddled your sight in the aroma of the night.‖ Rhyming, of course, is optional.
7 The third line should be just a simple statement. This is used to break up the insightful images that have been presented in the first two lines. This line should be as prosaic as possible to give a ―down-to-earth‖ mood to the poem. An example would be ―she gave me juice and toast that morning,‖ or perhaps ―I left for work next day on the 8:30 bus.‖ The content of this line may or may not relate to what has gone before.
8 The last line of your poem should deal with the future in some way. This gives the poem a forward thrust that is always helpful. A possibility might be, ―tomorrow will be a better day,‖ or ―I’ll find someone sometime,‖ or ―maybe we’ll meet again in July.‖ This future-oriented ending lends an aura of hope and yet need not be grossly optimistic.
9 By following the above structure, anyone can write a poem. For example, if I select one each of my sample lines, I come up with:
In the parking lot of my mind,
I cuddled your sight in the aroma of the night. I left for work next day on the 8:30 bus. Maybe we’ll meet again in July.
10 Now that poem (like yours, when you’re finished) is rotten. But at least it’s a poem and you’ve written it, which is an accomplishment that relatively few people can claim.
11 Now that you’re a poet, feel free to read poetry by some of your more accomplished brothers and sisters in verse. Chances are, you’ll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that you’ve broken the ice. Observe others’ emotions and experience your own — that’s what poetry is all about.
12 Incidentally, if you find it impossible to sell the poem you write to Bobby Goldsboro or John Denver, burn it. It will look terrible as the first page of your anthology when it’s published.
II. Questions
1. What does the writer think is the problem with poetry? (Paragraph 2)
The problem with poetry is that most people don’t know how to write a poem and there is no market for good poets and poems.
2. What is the solution for this problem suggested by the writer? (Paragraph 3)
The solution for this problem suggested by the writer is to make it easy for everyone to write at least one poem in his life.
3. How does the writer justify his solution? (Paragraph 3)
The writer thinks this may not only enhance people’s recognition of poets but cultivate a poetry-loving society and elevate the quality of life.
4. What is the real intention of the writer to present such a method of creating a poem?
(Paragraph 11)
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By introducing such a method of creating a ―rotten‖ poem, the writer is actually encouraging people to start their journey to the appreciation of poetry and to acquire a more intimate feeling toward poetry.
5. What is the purpose of the last paragraph? (Paragraph 12)
Since the title of the essay bears a very obvious mocking feature, the last paragraph, which echoes with this tone, reminds his readers of the fact that he is merely joking.
Class Activity
Group discussion: What is your comment of author’s method of creating a poem and do you like the poem he composes according to this? Do you have any other ideas about how to create a poem?
III. Words and Expressions Paragraphs 1-3 pound v.
strike or hit heavily and repeatedly
e.g. Pounding on the floor, she shouted at the top of her voice.
She slipped out of the office with the stolen secret file in her handbag, her heart pounding severely.
Collocations: pound against / on
e.g. Waves pounded against the pier. pound along / through / down, etc.
e.g. I could hear him pounding up the stairs. pound out
e.g. The Rolling Stones were pounding out one of their old numbers.
middle ground
an area of compromise or possible agreement between two extreme positions
e.g. Each party wants to capture the votes of those perceived as occupying the middle ground. In the argument everyone has to take sides; there is no middle ground.
Practice: （制作的时候先出现中文，中文下面设置按钮，点击以后出现英文翻译） 双方谈判无法达成共同立场。
The negotiators could find no middle ground.
squalid a.
morally repulsive; sordid
e.g. He was living in squalid conditions. Synonyms:
degraded, filthy, poor, shabby, slummy, sordid, wretched
imponderable n.
a thing that cannot undergo precise evaluation
e.g. We can't predict the outcome. There are too many imponderables.
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Paragraphs 4-9 rule of thumb
a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience or practice rather than theory. e.g. I haven't been taught the finer points of carpentry; I just make things by rule of thumb. Practice: （制作的时候先出现中文，中文下面设置按钮，点击以后出现英文翻译） 这笔生意的行事法则是礼貌至上。
The rule of thumb in this business is courtesy.
cuddle v.
hold close in one’s arms as a way of showing love or affection. e.g. He cuddles the baby close.
What do you think of some youngsters cuddling each other in public places, paying no heed to those who pass by? Synonyms:
fondle, nestle, snuggle
Paragraphs 10-12 incidentally ad. by the way
e.g. Incidentally, it was many months before the whole truth was discovered. Derivations: incident n. e.g. A spokesman said it was an isolated incident. incidental a.
e.g. problems incidental to growing up
IV. Sentences
1) As a result, serious poets either starve or work as account executives. (Paragraph 2) Explanation:
As a result, serious poets could no longer depend on poetry writing for a living; they have to turn to other profession, and most probably to become a businessman, which is held traditionally diametrically opposite to the profession of literary creation.
2) Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the
quality of life worldwide. (Paragraph 3) Paraphrase:
An ideal situation would be the development of a society composed of citizens who are dedicated to poetry writing, and from doing this people will have better life quality.
3) This is a sure way to conjure up “poetic” feeling and atmosphere. (Paragraph 6) Paraphrase:
This is a way that will evoke poetic feeling and atmosphere for certain.
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4) You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that you’ve broken the
ice. (Paragraph 11) Paraphrase:
Since you have removed the awkwardness of poem writing, you might even want to have a try by yourself.
Section Four Consolidation Activities
I. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.
1. extremely intense 2.The practical principle 3. just like; following the example of 4. Probably; Quite likely 5. Made a start despite the difficulty
II. Fill in blank in each sentence with a word taken from the box in its appropriate form.
1. epic 2. squlid 3. veritable 4. pounded 5. aroma 6. evolved 7. lyrics 8. claimed
III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words. 1. imponderables 2. poetic/poetical 3. accidentally
4. unsought 5. cuddliest 6. juicy 7. disorientated 8. versed
IV. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with an appropriate phrasal verb or collocation taken from the text.
1. conjures up 2. dealt with 3. seek out 4. think of
5. ended/ started with 6. break up 7. relates to 8. came up with
Ⅰ. Vocabulary 1. Word Derivation
1) ponder v. → imponderable n./a. 他思考了几分钟才作答复。
He pondered for some minutes before giving an answer. 无法估计的问题
an imponderable question
我们无法预计结果，因为有太多的不确定因素。
We can't predict the outcome. There are too many imponderables.
2) poetry n. → poetic a .→ poet n. 诗歌朗诵会 a poetry reading
那位舞蹈家舞姿优美，富有诗意。 The dancer, moved with poetic grace. 他被女王封为桂冠诗人.
He was awarded the poet laureate by the queen.
3) accident n.→ accidental a.→ accidentally ad.
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他数年前死于车祸。
He died in an automobile accident years ago. 今天偶然遇到一位老朋友。
I had an accidental meeting with an old friend today. “他是无意中损坏的吗?”“不，是故意的。” ―Did he break it accidentally?‖ ―No, on purpose.‖
4) seek v. → seeker n. → unsought a. 他寻求答案，但无结果。
He sought vainly for the answer.
经济危机中求职者找工作困难重重。
During economic crisis, job seekers are in great difficulty. 爱管闲事的邻居总是给我们一些没必要的建议。
The meddling neighbor insisted on giving us unsought advice.
5) cuddle v.→ cuddly a.
我可爱的小女儿走到她父亲那儿，要他抱抱她。 My lovely daughter came to her father for cuddling. 他是我所知的最可爱的狗狗，让人总想去抱抱他。
He is the most affectionate and cuddly dog I have ever known.
6) juice n.→ juicy a.
倒果汁前，先把瓶子摇几下。
Give the bottle a couple of shakes before pouring the juice. 他要了一份多汁的后腿肉牛排。 He ordered a juicy rump steak.
7) orientate v. → disorientated a. → orientation n. 我公司业务已转向出口方面。
Our firm has been orientated towards the export side of the business. 到了新地方我总是找不着方向。
I always get disorientated in a new place. 我在这个阶段需要熟悉情况。
I needed some orientation at this stage.
8) verse n.→ versed a.
伊丽莎白时代的许多戏剧以无韵诗形式写成。 Many Elizabethan plays are written in blank verse. 他精通光学。
He is well versed in the science of optics.
2. Phrase Practice
1) The sound of the pipes ________ images of misty Highland glens and men in kilts. conjures up conjure up: bring a thought, picture, idea, or memory to someone's mind
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e.g. 节食总能让人想起无尽的沙拉。
Dieting always seems to conjure up images of endless salads.
2) The High Commissioner said the agreement would allow other vital problems to be ________. dealt with
deal with: take the necessary action, especially in order to solve a problem e.g. 别担心，这件事我会处理的。 Don't worry, I'll deal with this.
3) I decided to go to the library to ______ some information on Roman Conquest. seek out seek out: try to find someone or something, especially when this is difficult e.g. 我们的任务就是找出敌人然后消灭他们。
Our mission is to seek out the enemy and then destroy them.
4) Tanks are strongly built. It is a complicated and difficult process to _______ them _______. break up
break …up: if sth. breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into a lot of small pieces e.g. 好像那架飞机刚刚在空中解体了。 It seems that the plane just broke up in the air.
5) The social change within the city ________ wider developments in the country as a whole. relates to
relate to: if two things relate to each other, they are connected in some way e.g. 新法规是否只涉及盗窃案?
Does the new law relate only to theft?
6) Faced with insurmountable linguistic problems, translators negotiated the boundaries between languages and ________ a compromise. came up with come up with: think of an idea, answer, etc. e.g. 我们被要求想些新点子。
We’ve been asked to come up with some new ideas.
3. Synonym / Antonym
1. Poetry has become an almost totally foreign art form to many of us.
? Synonyms: irrelevant, unfamiliar, strange
2. Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel comradeship with fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works.
? Synonyms: friendship, brotherhood
3. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide.
? Antonyms: lower, degrade 4. It won’t even be mediocre.
? Antonyms: exceptional, excellent
5. I cuddled your sight in the aroma of the night. 10
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? Synonyms: caress, hug, embrace
6. This line should be as prosaic as possible to give a “down-to-earth” mood to the poem. ? Antonyms: unrealistic, impractical
7. Now that you’re a poet, feel free to read poetry by some of your more accomplished brothers and sisters in verse.
? Synonyms: skilled, expert, proficient, successful
8. Chances are, you’ll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. ? Synonyms: product, composition
VI. Explain the underlined phrasal verbs in your own words.
1. affects 2. catching up with 3. been involved in 4. tell exactly
5. rejected 6. make understood 7. tried to get 8. thought seriously about
Ⅱ. Grammar （制作的时候注意下面加粗的部分在ppt中要保持加粗）
I. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate verb forms.
1. shake 2. to do , wait, to let 3. standing 4. finding 5. take, make , drink 6. leave 7. being spoken 8. be, look
II. Complete the sentences using either the infinitive or the -ing form of the verbs in brackets.
1. to drink 2. turning 3. to tell 4. to give 5. getting 6. to check 7. living 8. taking 9. to lift 10. taking
III. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
1. getting up, walking 2. making 3. carry 4. getting 5. leading 6.live 7. writing 8. stealing
IV. Complete each sentence with what you think the most appropriate of the four choices given.
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. C 6. A 7. A 8. C
V. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the verbs given. 1. has been ringing 2. had been made up 3. will be giving 4. comes 5. would have 6. was getting 7. started 8. had been 9. will improve/ improves 10. Says
1. Non-finite Verb Forms as Object or Complement
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. There are three kinds of non-finite verb: participles, gerunds and infinitives.
A non-finite verb can be used as an object, for example:
My evening routine involves jogging slowly around the block.
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A non-finite verb can also be used as a complement, for example: He has a lot of things to do today.
Practice （点击填答案的横线以后出现正确答案）
Complete the following sentences with the appropriate verb forms. 1. They object to ______ (speak) to like that. being spoken
2. I am writing with a view to ______ (find) out whether you have any news about my son. finding
3. I felt the house ______ (shake) with the explosion. shake
4. He has been caught________ (steal) by the police. Stealing
5. We regret_____ (inform) you that your application has not been successful. To inform
2. Tense
Tense is a grammatical category that locates a situation in time, that indicates when the situation takes place. Tense Simple Present Affirmative / Negative / Question A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak? Use Action in the present taking place once, never or several times Actions taking place one after another Action set by a timetable or schedule Present Progressive A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking? Action taking place in the moment of speaking Action taking place only for a limited period of time Action arranged for the future Simple Past A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak? Action in the past taking place once, never or several times Actions taking place one after another Action taking place in the middle of another action Past Progressive A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking? Action going on at a certain time in the past Actions taking place at the same time Action in the past that is interrupted by another action 12
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Present Perfect Simple A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken? Putting emphasis on the result Action that is still going on Action that stopped recently Finished action that has an influence on the present Action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking Present Perfect Progressive A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking? Putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result) Action that recently stopped or is still going on Finished action that influenced the present Past Perfect Simple A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken? Action taking place before a certain time in the past Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive Putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration) Past Perfect Progressive A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking? Action taking place before a certain time in the past Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple Putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action Future I Simple A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak? Action in the future that cannot be influenced Spontaneous decision Assumption with regard to the future Future I Simple (going to) A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak? Decision made for the future Conclusion with regard to the future Action that is going on at a certain time in the future Action that is sure to happen in the near future Action that will be finished at a certain time in the future Future I Progressive A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking? Future II Simple A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. 13
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Q: Will he have spoken? Future II Progressive A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking? Action taking place before a certain time in the future Putting emphasis on the course of an action
Practice （点击填答案的横线以后出现正确的答案，如果有说明，就增加按钮，点击以后出现说明文字）
Complete the following sentences with the appropriate form of the verbs given.
1. It’s no use trying to see him at six this evening, because he _____ (give) a lesson then. will be giving
2. The children were frightened because it _____ (get ) dark. was getting
3. It’s high time you _____ (start) to think about your chances of landing a good job after
graduation.
Started (We use the past tense in the clauses after ―it’s time‖, ―would rather‖, ―wish‖.) 4. I hope the weather____ (be) nice.
Will be/ is (The verb hope can be followed by a present tense with a future meaning, especially in the first person.)
5. Please send my best wishes when you ______ (meet) him. meet
Ⅲ. Translation
E-C
1. 你度过了糟糕的一天,或者由各绝妙的想法,或者遭遇车祸,再或情场失意,你想把它记录下来。
2. 好的诗人和诗歌永远消失了,就是因为没有市场, 没有人写诗并从别的诗人那里获取灵感。 3. 理想化的结果是, 名副其实的诗人公民社会发展起来了, 全世界的生活质量得到了提升。 4. 这种展望未来的结尾给人一种希望的意味,但不必对此抱有盲目乐观的态度。 E-C
1. Sometimes, we have to make a choice because there is no middle ground.
2. He often conjured up visions of the past when he was free from the pressures of life.
1. 当他有倦意的时候，经常喝杯浓浓的清咖啡提提神。(refresh ) Explanation: To refresh sb. is to make him/her feel less tired or less hot.
Translation: He often refreshed himself with a cup of strong black coffee when he felt fatigued. Practice:
她睡了一觉就精神了。
She felt refreshed after her sleep. 我喝了一杯咖啡给自己提提神。
I refreshed myself with a cup of coffee.
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2. 他挤过一群醉鬼和讨价还价的女人，随后穿过灯火闪耀（flaring）的街市。(thrust) Explanation: If sb. thrust(s) sth., he/she is to push this thing somewhere roughly.
Translation: He thrust a throng of drunken men and bargaining women and walked through the flaring streets. Practice:
他从人群中挤了过去。
He thrust (his way) through the crowd. 他把两手插入衣袋里。
He thrust his hands into his pockets.
3. 老道的翻译家虽然理论不多但可以用凭借经验将一种语言转换成另一种语言。(rule of
thumb)
Explanation: If sb. is doing sth. by rule of thumb, he / she is doing it according to a rough figure or method of calculation, based on practical experience.
Translation: Experienced translators, though lacking in theory, can render one language into another by rule of thumb. Practice:
按常规来说，这个年纪的孩子家庭作业的时间不应超过一小时。
As a general rule of thumb, children this age should not spend more than one hour on homework. 每一个学生的法则应该都是用功读书。
Every student's rule of thumb should be: study hard!
4. 人们普遍认为外长此行的主要目的是打破两国关系的僵局。(break the ice)
Explanation: If sth. breaks the ice, it is meant to make people feel more friendly and willing to talk to each other.
Translation: It was generally believed that the major purpose of the foreign minister’s trip was to break the ice with regards to the relations between the two countries. Practice:
山姆的到来打破了僵局，大家开始谈笑。
Sam’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh. 主人给他的客人讲了个笑话来打破僵局。 The host tell a joke to his guest to break the ice.
5. 读好书、结交好朋友可以提升境界。(elevate)
Explanation: To elevate the mind, morals, etc. is to make them better or more educated.
Translation: Reading good books and making friends with good people can elevate the mind. Practice:
老师希望给小学生读宗教故事来提高他们的修养。
The teacher hoped to elevate the minds of her young pupils by reading them religious stories. 阅读好书使人思想高尚。
Reading good books elevates your mind.
6. 鲜花和彩灯给这个古老的小镇带来了一种节日的气氛。(lend)
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Explanation: To lend sth. to a situation or event, etc. is to give it a particular quality.
Translation: The flowers and the colourful lights lent a festive atmosphere to this ancient small town. Practice:
有他出席这一场合就更显庄严。
His presence lent dignity to the occasion.
方言的适当运用给这本小说增添了极大的魅力。 The appropriate use of dialect lent the novel great charm.
III. Translate the following passage into Chinese
诗歌像语言一样普遍，并且几乎和语言一样古老。在某些方面，读诗很像读小说：我们注意细节和语言，搞清上下文的关系并作出推断，最后得出的结论。然后，读诗又与平常的阅读有所不同。与小说比较，诗歌则是一种浓缩和含蓄的艺术。
读诗一遍是不够的，因为一首好诗，读一遍是不能读尽其意的，读诗的最佳方法与读报的最佳方法正好相反。读报是迅速浏览，读诗则是慢慢咀嚼。我们为什么要读诗呢？我们认为读诗可以得到快乐。比如，通过读诗，我们可以发现并享受斯宾塞的梦幻、弥尔顿的壮丽、华兹华斯的自然简洁、济慈的优美旋律以及拜伦的叙事魅力。另外，读诗使人明智灵秀，那是培根在《论学习》中告诉我们的。
Ⅳ. Exercises for Integrated Skills 1. Dictation
Poetry as an art form may have predated literacy. / Some of the earliest poetry / is believed to have been orally recited or sung. / Following the development of writing, / poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms, / though much poetry since the late 20th century / has moved away from traditional forms / towards the more vaguely defined free verse / and prose poem formats.
Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions, / and much of it can be attributed to religious movements. / Many of the poems surviving from the ancient world / are a form of recorded cultural information / about the people of the past, / and their poems are prayers or stories / about religious subject matter, / histories about their politics and wars, / and the important organizing myths of their societies. 2.
Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think appropriate.
Poems, unlike crosswords, don’t have a straightforward solution. In fact, a careful examination of the clues laid by the poet may lead to more (1) ________ than answers. Let's start with this question: is poetry simply about expressing feelings? People (2) ________ turn to poetry in extremis. Prison inmates, often famously, have expressed loneliness and communicated with absent loved (3) ______ through poetry. Maybe this (4) ________ for the egalitarian view often held of poetry--a view which doesn’t seem to (5) ________ in the same way to opera-singing or carpentry, for example. If I sing, does that make me an opera singer? Certainly if I nail together a few pieces of wood that doesn’t mean anyone would want to hire me to build their house. With poetry, (6) ________ with any other craft, there are skills to be mastered. There is a (7) ________
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for ideas and a need for the poet to meditate on what might be termed his or her muse. But there is also a need for persistence and hard work.
A common description of the writing process is ―10% inspiration, 90% perspiration.‖ The muse, expert at inspiring, may be lousy (8) ________ the technical side. The art of poetry resides in the technical detail more than one might like to believe. The writer artfully uses technique with the express (9) ________ of getting you to (10) ________ what he or she wants you to feel. The poet manipulates emotions just as a composer may write a piece of (11) ________ to evoke a particular mood. The composer orchestrates not only the instruments but also the listener. This is the (12) ________ in poetry too.
Keys: 1. questions 2. will 3. ones 4. accounts 5. apply 6. as 7. need 8. at 9. wish 10. feel 11. music 12. case （注意下面文字中斜体的部分在ppt中要保持斜体） 1. More…than…means ―instead of‖, so the answer is questions.
2. Grammatically speaking, an auxiliary verb is needed here before turn. The proper auxiliary verb used to say what always happens in a particular situation (such as in extremis in the sentence) should be will.
3. A noun is needed after an adjective, and this noun has not been previously specified, so one is a proper choice. Moreover, as no articles or possessive pronouns are mentioned in the sentence, the word filled in the blank should be in plural form. So the right answer should be ones.
4. The previous sentence is talking about prison inmates writing poems to express their feelings, and this sentence uses the phrase egalitarian views meaning a view that every one should be the same. Therefore, the previous sentence has demonstrated the view in this sentence, and a verb phrase meaning this as well as having the collocation of for should be accounts for.
5. The following sentences with the examples of singing and carpentry show that the egalitarian view cannot be applied in these situations, so the proper verb in the blank should be apply. 6. With poetry and with any other craft are of coordinate relation, so the suitable conjunction that can connect these two parts should be as.
7. The following sentence says ―there is also a need for…‖, and the present sentence begins with there is a __ for … and a need for, so the word in the blank should also be need. 8. The collocation of lousy is examined here, so the proper preposition is at.
9. Express as an adjective is to modify a noun, and because the context tells us that the writer is to get the reader to do sth., it can be his / her wish.
10. In the latter part of the sentence, the object clause saying what he or she wants you to feel, so accordingly, the verb of this object should be feel.
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11. What a composer writes is a piece of music.
12. This sentence wants to convey that the situation of poetry is the same, so a noun with a collocation of in is needed, and a suitable choice is case.
Ⅴ. Oral Activities 1. Giving a Talk
Topic: Why do people read less nowadays? Tip:
Giving the issue: People are reading less these days. Providing reasons:
1) The fast pace of life leaves people less time on reading.
2) In the information age people have more resources other than books such as multimedia materials and on-line surfing, etc.
2. Having a Discussion
Topic: Appreciating and Wring Poems View points for reference:
a. It is time-consuming to appreciate an even very short poem because it is so rich in meaning
and symbolism, with rules of form and rhythm.
b. Appreciating a poem can be fun because it not only contains the idea the writer wants to
express, but also has a special format nicely portrayed and a rhythm which can be beautifully read aloud. The more you read, the more you will dig out the deep meaning of it.
Ⅵ. Writing
Essay Writing: How to Write a Narrative Essay
When you write a narrative essay, you are telling a story. Narrative essays are written from a defined point of view, often the writer's. When the writer uses this technique, he or she must be sure to include all the conventions of storytelling, i.e. plot, character, setting, climax, and ending. The basic qualities of a narrative essay include the following:
? A narrative essay is a piece of writing that recreates an experience through time. ? A narrative essay can be based on one of the writer’s own experiences, either past or
present, or it can be based on the experiences of someone else.
? In addition to telling a story, a narrative essay also communicates a main idea or a lesson
learned.
In writing a narrative essay, keep the following conventions in mind:
? Narratives are generally written in the first person, that is, using I to refer to the
story-teller. However, third person (he, she, or it) can also be used.
? Narratives rely on concrete, sensory details to convey their point. These details
should create a unified, forceful effect, a dominant impression.
? Narratives, as stories, should include these story conventions: a plot, including
setting and characters; a climax; and an ending.
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Sample
1 Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was learn how to swim. I was always afraid of water, but I decided that swimming was an important skill that I should learn. I also thought it would be good exercise and help me to become physically stronger. What I didn't realize was that learning to swim would also make me a more confident person.
2 New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception. After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room, I stood timidly by the side of the pool waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they were both older than me, they didn't seem to be embarrassed about not knowing how to swim. I began to feel more at ease.
3 We got into the pool, and the teacher had us put on brightly colored water wings to help us stay afloat. One of the other students, May, had already taken the beginning class once before, so she took a kickboard and went splashing off by herself. The other student, Jerry, and I were told to hold on to the side of the pool and shown how to kick for the breaststroke. One by one, the teacher had us hold on to a kickboard while she pulled it through the water and we kicked. Pretty soon Jerry was off doing this by himself, traveling at a fast clip across the short end of the pool. 4 Things were not quite that easy for me, but the teacher was very patient. After a few more weeks, when I seemed to have caught on with my legs, she taught me the arm strokes. Now I had two things to concentrate on, my arms and my legs. I felt hopelessly uncoordinated. Sooner than I imagined, however, things began to feel \feeling - like flying, maybe - to be able to shoot across the water.
5 Learning to swim was not easy for me, but in the end my persistence paid off. Not only did I learn how to swim and to conquer my fear of the water, but I also learned something about learning. Now when I am faced with a new situation I am not so nervous. I may feel uncomfortable to begin with, but I know that as I practice being in that situation and as my skills get better, I will feel more and more comfortable. It is a wonderful, free feeling when you achieve a goal you have set for yourself. Sample Analysis
The sample essay begins with a general statement, \experience.\This statement introduces the subject of the essay, which is a particular learning experience that the writer had. The use of \a personal experience.
The essay is essentially a story about something that happened. The writer gives sufficient
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details about the people, place, and events so that the reader gets a clear idea of how the she feels about them. In the essay, the writer \These words indicate the writer’s fears and the sense of security provided by the teacher who helped her get over her fear.
In the final paragraph of the essay, the writer reflects on the larger meaning or importance of the experience described. She concludes that learning to swim has helped her to feel more confident about herself in other new situations. The idea that self-confidence comes from conquering your fears conveys a meaningful message to all people. This is the point of the story. The essay is well-organized. After the introduction, the writer describes the experience as it happened in time — going to the pool the first day, having the first lesson, and the result of the subsequent lessons. The writer might have chosen, however, to talk about the things she learned in order of their importance or difficulty.
Practice
Write a narrative essay on the given topic: A Particular Incident Deep in Your Memory. Sample:
Michelle on Tape
As I pulled into my parents’ driveway, I realized how loud the radio was. I turned it down, peeled my legs off the blue vinyl seat, and lugged my pile of laundry up to the front door. The doorknob wouldn’t turn and I still hadn’t gotten around to making myself a duplicate key. I rang the bell and waited. Nothing.
Leaving my basket of dirty clothes on the steps, I tramped through the bushes in front of the living room window. Pep was across the room sitting in his usual chair and reading the paper. He was a familiar sight in his plaid flannel shirt, striped clip-on bow tie, and tweed cabby hat.
I knocked on the window. He turned around, startled, and focused his eyes on me. I smiled and waved at him, but he just stared at me. I gestured toward the front door. His face had that hollow look, but something made him get up and let me in.
―Hi, Pep.‖ I kissed him on the cheek. He made way for me and my laundry. ―Hello, how are you?‖
I headed for the washing machine. Pep trailed closely behind.
―Kevin and Clare aren’t home, but they should be here soon. Do you want to wait for them?‖ ―Yah, I’ll be here.‖ I began separating whites from darks.
―Do you want anything to eat? There’s meat and bread in the ice box and some cookies in there.‖
―No thanks.‖
―I don’t know where Kevin and Clare are. They took Katie out somewhere. Do you know Katie?‖
I paused. Here we go. This was going to be one of those conversations. I should just say, ―Why, yes, I know Katie.‖ But perhaps if I venture a bit further, something might jog his memory and we wouldn’t have to go through the whole routine. Dad says that Pep has a tape recorder in his brain, and bits and pieces keep getting erased.
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And mils to go before I sleep.
Comment The opening line summarizes the implications of the detail in the preceding stanzas. It’s as if the speaker here answers the questions why he stopped by the woods. He stopped because he was attracted by their dark beauty. He nevertheless feels a pressure to move on, to return to his responsibilities and obligations.
9 The final stanza is solemn and serious: Frost slows its pace by including pauses (indicated by punctuation) and by repeating the third line, ―And miles to go before I sleep,‖ which he uses to end the poem. In repeating this line, the poet lifts it beyond its literal meaning, inviting us to read ―sleep‖ as the final sleep of death. Once we make this interpretive leap, we can consider ―Miles to go‖ as perhaps the time the speaker has left to live, and ―promises‖ as the obligations and responsibilities he must fulfill before he dies. His stopping to look at the falling snow can be seen as a temporary reprieve from such responsibilities; it might also be seen as a desire to escape them. The essential point, however, seems to be the tug of war going on in the speaker’s mind between the two possibilities — stopping to contemplate the beauty of nature, and moving on to return to the active world of work and responsibility.
10 We have been reading and interpreting the poem one stanza at a time to suggest the way interpretation builds cumulatively as we move through a poem. The process, however, is not simply linear or sequential. For although we interpret later details in light of earlier ones, we also make sense of earlier ones after having interpreted later ones. The act of interpretation, like the experience of reading generally, is recursive. We move back and forth through a text, remembering what we read and anticipating what is to come. The process of interpretation does not end with reading the poem; it continues as we reflect on it afterward. New ideas may come to us, particularly after we have discussed the work with a teacher and classmates or after we have read other works that we can relate to it.
11 One final point about the interpretation of poetry (and of literature generally): interpretation never really ends. When we interpret a work, we should be concerned less with finding the single right way of understanding it than with arriving at a satisfying explanation, one that makes sense to us, and one whose logic and good sense will appeal to others. Some interpretations, nonetheless, will be more satisfying than others. They will be more convincing, largely because the take into account more of the poem’s details, more of its language and form and action. Other interpretations, while perhaps not as convincing, may be valuable for the intellectual stimulation they provide and for the pleasure they afford. Because we invariably bring different experiences of life and of literature to our reading of poems, we will see different things in them and will make different kinds of sense of them. The varying interpretations we make of poems depend largely on what matters to us, what we consider vital.
Notes （注意下面斜体的部分在ppt中要保持斜体）
1. About the author and the text: Robert DiYanni is professor of English and Director of
Interdisciplinary Studies at Pace University. He has taught graduate classes in English at New York University and Queens College — City University of New York. Among his
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books are The Art of Reading; Modern American Poets; Prose Pieces; Essays and Stories; Reading Poetry; Modern American Prose; and Women’s Voices. Professor DiYanni received his B.A. from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. from the City University of New York.
The text is taken from the book Literature — Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay (Second Edition).
2. ROBERT HADEN (Para. 4) Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was an American poet, essayist, educator. He was appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1976.
3. ROBERT FROST (Para. 8) Robert Lee Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. A popular and often-quoted poet, Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
Additional notes
1. sense of the poem’s coherence (Paragraph 2) This is the point of the essay: the main task of
reading a poem is to understand the logic in and the general meaning of the poem, or the general purpose of the poet served by the facts and details presented in the poem.
2. solidify our sense of what the poem implies (Paragraph 5) confirm our understanding of the
poem, including its general purpose
3. make this interpretive leap (Paragraph 9) draw metaphoric inferences on the basis or even
beyond the concrete facts and explicit logic in the poem
4. Because we invariably bring different experiences of life and of literature to our reading of
poems, we will see different things in them and will make different kinds of sense of them. (Paragraph 11) In fact, in reading a poem, our understanding is usually subjective and affected by our personal experiences and emotions. Readers form various big pictures of a single poem and draw different inferences about the poem.
Questions for Discussion （在每题下面设置按钮，点击以后出现正确答案） 1. What is our chief concern when we endeavor to interpret a poem?
2. How does the author interpret the poem ―Those Winter Sundays‖ based on observations, inferences and conclusions?
3. What does the poet Robert Frost try to tell the reader in his poem ―Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening‖?
4. Why do we say that one should interpret a poem before he is able to evaluate the poem?
Key to questions for discussion
1. When we endeavor to interpret a poem, our chief concern is what the poem really means or suggests, rather than how the poem affects us. In other words, interpretation is based on our rational understanding and intellectual comprehension instead of our emotional responses.
2. The author senses the poet’s remorse and regret for not being aware of all his father did for him; the author also senses the intensity of the poet’s feelings both in his repetition of the phrase ―what
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did I know,‖ and in the words that describe his fathers’ actions: ―love’s austere and lonely offices.‖ 3. It is a rare beautiful sight: ―The woods are lovely, dark and deep‖, which might fit into the poet’s aesthetic view. That’s why the poet stops his horse to appreciate this wondrous scene. However, one can not indulge himself too much in a particular attraction, as he has miles to go before he goes to sleep, which might be interpreted as one has so many obligations to fulfill before his eternal sleep — death.
4. When we try to interpret a poem, we are supposed to pay sufficient attention to details and understand them as accurately as possible by virtue of intellectual capabilities and rational thinking. However, when we try to evaluate a poem, we are supposed to assess its literary quality and make a judgment about how good it is and how successfully it realizes its poetic intentions. Our consideration may involve an investigation into more complicated elements. So in a sense, we may say that interpreting a poem should come before evaluating the poem.
II. Memorable Quotes
Never durst poet touch a pen to write
Until his ink were temper’d with Love’s sighs.
— Shakespeare
Poetry, therefore, we will call Musical Thought. — Carlyle
About Shakespeare and Carlyle
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet and
playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the \
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Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist,
historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics \dismal science\wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator. （注意斜体的部分要保持斜体）
Questions for Discussion
1) According to Shakespeare, what is the quality most essential for a poet and why? 2) Where do you think the beauty of poetry comes from?
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