Unit 1
Part One
SNEAKING A LOVE OF READING THROUGH
CINEMA’S BACK DOOR
I. TEXT-RELATED INFORMATION
1. Family education in China and the Western countries
As we all know, China is a socialist country and most Western countries
belong to capitalist countries. And, they have different history and cultures. China advocates Confucianism and the western countries advocate the revival of literature and art. But the most important point is that their attitude towards the position of family institution's position is also different. In China's traditional family, parents' authoritative consciousness plays a leading role while western civilizations mainly emphasize struggle, equality, democracy and human rights.
The traditional family education in China, on account of the respective differences in more aspects is different from that in the West. They have their own characteristics between regions and cultures.
To begin with, the tendency of education is different.
The Chinese parents lay emphasis on social enlightenment, ignore the growth of children. Chinese parents take the social compatible enlightenment seriously, but often neglect the development of children's characteristics, they often train the children under established forms, and lay down the broad road for their growth. The western parents provide the children an environment for growth resistant to them, and foster their tenacious individuality and the good conduct, and they choose their idea and way of cultivation according to the change of society and the characteristic of children physical and mental.
Secondly, the value of family education is different.
The function of China’s family education is forced by the China’s traditional culture. The Chinese traditional Confucian culture emphasizes ―the cultivation of one’s moral character, the running of one’s family, the administration of a state, the peace and security of the world‖. In this directional thought, the family education is bestowed on the direct social significance. In addition, the Chinese traditional culture also regards the family education and children's individual growth as the direct correlative causes and effects. The Chinese parents care about the reputation in educating the child,
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thinking educating the child to become a useful person is their achievement, but if not, the parents feel shameful. The education's goal is for earning their living, for honor. The western family education is different from China in the educational goal. Education is not the preparation for earning their living, but for survival. ―The learned education‖ they emphasize has the value of molding one’s mind, one kind of value which has nothing to do with the utility or the occupation consideration. In fact, Western family does not make the comparison painstakingly, but the Chinese family’s comparison has brought about a serious problem: Competing.
Thirdly, the views of who is the main body of the family and the reciprocity of education are different.
The Chinese traditional family culture is following the dominant pattern, displays the family’s internal authority consciousness. It emphasizes obedience and respects, takes the external control serious. The chief educator is parents in china’s traditional culture. The Chinese parents' guardian-consciousness is extremely intense. They regard the child as their own private property, regard him as their accessory. Therefore, the parents think highly of shaping the child unilaterally, which affects the child's individuality construction. They pay attention to their own image, has neglected the child and adult's interaction, its process and comprehensiveness, so it causes the child to be in the passive position, disregard of the child's individual existence. Whereas, the western civilization takes the child as the main body, emphasizes individual struggle, emphasizes equality, democracy and respects the individual right. The western parents think of the child as an equal member in the family, respect the child's personality and dignity, can let the child think independently and choose freely. They respect the child's right, do not do the compulsory education. They respect the child's self-respect, advocate child's instinct development, and the natural development. Parents' responsibility only lies in discovering and guiding the child's interests and potential ties, creating the advantageous environment for the child, paying attention to the communication with the child, and the educational reciprocity. In the western home education, the parents are not child's dominations, but his friends.
In addition to those above differences, there surely are a lot of other differences. Can you think of any? Can you illustrate your point with specific examples?
II. PREPARATION
1. Think and Write
Make a list of people’s hobbies. Are some hobbies better than the others? Why or why not?
(1) Difference between ―hobby‖ and ―interest‖.
Something you like to do is an interest. If you only listen to music for pleasure, it is an interest. If you like to travel once in a while, that’s an
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interest.
Hobby is something you do systematically and with devotion. Stamp and coin collection are hobbies. Playing a musical instrument and joining non-professional or semi-professional performance group is a hobby.
(2) When being asked ―what is/are your hobby/hobbies?‖ A lot of different answers are given, such as sports, physical exercises, reading, cooking, sleeping, computer games, writing, listening to music and so forth.
(3) We cannot simply say that some certain hobbies are good, and some are bad. The crucial point is that we’d better try our best to make right use of our hobbies. Only so can we be successful in certain fields.
2. Introductory Remarks
When we are interested in doing something, we usually try every means
to do it well. So much like the little girl, Bronwyn, in the text, who likes watching movies very much. Her mother made very good use of her hobby and successfully cultivated her interest in reading. When Bronwyn was an infant, her mother read to her very often, but that she was still convinced that movies were more exciting than books. With increasing frequency, she would ask for watching a movie. If permitted, she would celebrate this event with a special snack. Finally, her mother hit on a good idea that she could help her daughter sneak a love of reading through movies. She would give the little girl credit for what she had read. But the girl had to endure the necessary evil for the sake of prizes. As a result, the little girl managed to read many books and even became attached to reading by a very short string. Funny enough, now the mother concerns that the little girl is so attracted by books that she’s not getting much exercise. Maybe, she ought to start a new incentive plan. Now let’s take a good look at what and how the mother did in detail.
III. LANGUAGE POINTS
TITLE
1. Sneaking a love of reading through cinema’s back door: Cultivating a love of reading by taking advantage of one’s love of watching movies. sneak: (v.) to move, give, take, or put in a quiet, stealthy manner. Examples:
— The little boy sneaks a candy into his mouth. — Tom sneaked a look at the grade sheet and left.
PARAGRAGH 2
2. hesitate: (v)
(1) ~at/about/over sth: be slow to speak or act because one feels uncertain or unwilling; pause in doubt. Examples:
—She replied without hesitating.
—She hesitated before replying. (2) be reluctant
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Examples:
— I hesitate to spend so much money on clothes.
— Don’t hesitate to tell us if you have a problem. PARAGRAGH 3
3. Good choice of friend, I thought, hoping the recommendation wouldn’t be lost on my daughter — I told myself that my daughter chose a very good friend, and hoped that the friend’s recommendation would have positive effect on my daughter.
be lost on— fail to influence sb. Examples:
— Our hints were not lost on him, i.e. he noticed them and acted
accordingly.
— My words were lost on him. He still did whatever according to his
own will.
PARAGRAGH 5
4. once in a while: occasionally, now and then/again Examples:
— Once in a while we go to a restaurant, but usually we eat at home. — He comes to visit me once in a while.
5. be responsible for: having a duty to be in charge of or to look after someone or something Examples:
— The pilot is responsible for the safety of the passengers. — Each commissioner is responsible for a department.
— Policemen should be responsible for the local public security.
6. She was an average reader at school and showed no interest in reading on her own at home: Her reading at school was just of average level and she was not interested in reading independently at home. PARAGRAGH 6
7. But Bronwyn complained loudly about this, and we usually didn’t have time for both anyway— But Bronwyn was not satisfied with what we asked her to do for us. Besides because of time, we sometimes couldn’t read to her after her reading to us.
complain about: complain to sb. about/at sth. Examples:
— You are always complaining.
— She complained to me about his rudeness. — He complained to the waiter that his meal was cold.
PARAGRAPH 7
8. Finally, I hit on an idea that brought her love of movies into positive play
— At last, a bright idea came to my mind, I could encourage her to fall in love with reading by taking advantage of her love of movies.
hit on/upon sth: take up (a plan, idea, solution. etc.) unexpectedly and by
inspiration; find sth by luck.
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Examples:
— She hit on a good title for her new novel. — He hit on a perfect plan for the secret action.
9. inspire:
(v) fill sb with thoughts, feelings or aims Examples:
— Our first sight of the dingy little hotel did not inspire us with much
confidence.
— inspire hope, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc in sb.
PARAGRAPH 9
10. give sb credit for: praise sb for sth Examples:
— Parents gave the children credit for the good results in their exam. — It made me feel great flattered when somebody gave credit for my
oral English in English corner.
11. for the sake of sb/sth: for sb’s/sth’s sake Examples:
— You have to work hard for the sake of your family. — Never do anything wrong for the sake of money.
PARAGRAPH 12
12. get/be lost in: be absorbed in Examples:
— be/get lost in thought, wonder, admiration — The little girl got/was lost in a fiction novel.
PARAGRAPH 13
13. attached:
(adj.) (~ to sb/sth) full of affection for sb/sth
Examples:
— We’ve grown very attached to this house and would hate to move. — I’ve never seen two people so attached to each other.
PARAGRAPH 15
14. hold sb back: prevent the progress or development of sb. Examples:
— Do you think that mixed-ability teaching holds the brighter children
back?
— Once I make up my mind to do something, nothing can hold me
back.
15. She is two or three movies ahead and has stopped keeping track of her reading time— She has got two or three movies to watch through reading and does not take down her reading time any more.
keep track of: keep informed about sb/sth Examples:
— It’s not easy to keep track of all one’s old school friends. — Please keep track of your working experience.
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