新视野第大学英语读写教程2-(第三版)-unit-1-课文原文

AnimpressiveEnglishlesson1IfIamtheonlyparentwhostillcorrectshischild'sEnglish,thenperhapsmysonisright.Tohim,Iamatediousoddity:afatherheisobligedtolistentoandamanabsorbedintherulesofgrammar,whichmysonseemsallergicto.2IthinkIgotseriousaboutthisonlyrecentlywhenIranintooneofmyformerstudents,freshfromanexcursiontoEurope.Howwasit?Iasked,fullofearnestanticipation.3Shenoddedthreeorfourtimes,searchedtheheavensfortherightwords,andthenexclaimed,Itwas,like,whoa!4Andthatwasit.ThecivilizationofGreeceandthegloryofRomanarchitecturewerecapturedinacondensednon-statement.Mystudent'swhoa!wasexceededonlybymyhead-shakingdistress.5TherearemanydifferentstoriesaboutthedownturnintheproperuseofEnglish.Surelystudentsshouldbeabletodistinguishbetweentheir/there/they'reorthedistinctivedifferencebetweencomplimentaryandcomplementary.Theyunfairlybearthebulkofthecriticismfortheseknowledgedeficitsbecausethereisasensethattheyshouldknowbetter.6Studentsarenotdumb,buttheyarebeingmisledeverywheretheylookandlisten.Forexample,signsingrocerystorespointthemtothestationary,eventhoughtheactualstationeryitems—pads,albumsandnotebooks—arenotnaileddown.Friendsandlovedonesoftenproclaimthey'vejustatewhen,infact,they'vejusteaten.Therefore,itdoesn'tmakeanysensetocriticizeourstudents.7Blameforthescandalofthislanguagedeficitshouldbethrustuponourschools,whichshouldbesettinghighstandardsofEnglishlanguageproficiency.Instead,theyonlyteachalittlegrammarandevenlessadvancedvocabulary.Moreover,theyoungerteachersthemselvesevidentlyhavelittleknowledgeofthesevitalstructuresoflanguagebecausetheyalsowentwithoutexposuretothem.Schoolsfailtoadequatelyteachtheessentialframeworkoflanguage,accurategrammarandpropervocabulary,whiletheyshouldtaketheresponsibilityofpushingtheyoungontothepathofcompetentcommunication.8Sincegrammarisboringtomostoftheyoungstudents,Ithinkthatitmustbehandleddelicately,stepbystep.ThechancecamewhenonedayIwasdrivingwithmyson.Aswesetoutonourtrip,henoticedabirdinjerkyflightandsaid,It'sflyingsounsteady.Icarefullyasked,Myson,howisthebirdflying?What'swrong?DidIsayanythingincorrectly?Hegotlost.Great!Yousaidincorrectlyinsteadofincorrect.Weuseadverbstodescribeverbs.Therefore,it'sflyingsounsteadilybutnotsounsteady.9Curiousaboutmycorrection,heaskedmewhatanadverbwas.Slowly,Isaid,It'sawordthattellsyousomethingaboutaverb.Itledtohisaskingmewhataverbwas.Iexplained,Verbsareactionwords;forexample,Daddrivesthetruck.Driveistheverbbecauseit'sthethingDadisdoing.10Hebecameattractedtotheideaofactionwords,sowelistedafewmore:fly,swim,dive,run.Then,outofhisowncuriosity,heaskedmeifotherwordshadnamesfortheiruseandfunctions.Thisledtoadiscussionofnouns,adjectives,andarticles.Withinthespanofa10-minutedrive,hehadlearnedfromscratchtothemajorpartsofspeechinasentence.Itwaspainlesslearningandgreatfun!11Perhaps,languageshouldbelookeduponasaroadmapandavaluablepossession:oftenstudytheroadmap(checkgrammar)andtuneupthecarengine(adjustvocabulary).Learninggrammarandagoodvocabularyisjustlikedrivingwitharoadmapinawell-conditionedcar.12Theroadmapprovidestheframeworkandguidanceyouneedforyourtrip,butitwon'ttellyouexactlywhattreesorflowersyouwillsee,whatkindofpeopleyouwillencounter,orwhattypesoffeelingsyouwillbeexperiencingonyourjourney.Here,thevocabularymakesthejourney'struecolorscomealive!Agoodvocabularyenablesyoutoenjoywhateveryouseeasyoudrivealong.Equippedwithgrammarandagoodvocabulary,youhaveflexibilityandexcellentcontrol.Whiletheroadmapguidesyourjourneytoyourdestination,anexcellentvehiclehelpsyoutofullyenjoyallofthesights,soundsandexperiencesalongtheway.13Effective,precise,andbeneficialcommunicationdependsupongrammarandagoodvocabulary,thetwoessentialassetsforstudents,buttheyarenotbeingtaughtinschools.14Justthismorning,mysonandIwereeatingbreakfastwhenIattemptedtoaddmilktomytea.Dad,hesaid,IfIwereyou,Iwouldn'tdothat.It'ssour.15Ohmy!Isaid,swellingwithpridetowardmyson,That'sagrammaticallyperfectsentence.Youusedwereinsteadofwas.16Iknow,Iknow,hesaidwithalongagreeablesigh.It'sthesubjunctivemood.17Iwas,like,whoa!