高级英语Mark Twain--Mirror of America

LessonSixMarkTwain—MirrorofAmericaTeachingObjectives1.Toacquaintstudentswiththewritingofbiography.2.TogettoknowMarkTwain’slifeexperienceandhisremarkableworks.3.Tolearnandmasterthenewwordsandexpressionsusedinthetext.4.Toidentifyandappreciaterhetoricdevicesemployedinthetext.5.Toanalyzethetextstructureandappreciateitswritingtechnequesandlanguagefeatures.IntroductintoMarkTwainIntroductintotextOrganizationalpatternoftextDetailedstudyofthetextSummarizingtheLanguagefeaturesMarkTwain–MirrorofAmerica1.WhowasMarkTwain?Wheredidhispennamecomefrom?2.Whathadhebeenbeforehebecameanauthor?TheNameofMarkTwain•Twain'srealnamewasSamuelClemens.MarkTwainmeanswatermarktwo,whichwasacallusedbysailorsontheMississippitowarnshipmatesthattheywerecomingintoshallowwater.EarlylifeexperienceMarkTwain•BorninalittletowninMississippi•At11,helosthisfather•At13,hestoppedschooling•Trampprinter•SteamboatpilotontheMississippi•Confederateguerrilla•Prospector•Reporteronthefarwesternfrontier•TravelerabroadInHisMiddleAgesBy1900TwainhadbecomeAmerica’sforemostcelebrity.Hewasinvitedtoattendshiplaunchings,anniversarygatherings,politicalconventions,andcountlessdinners.Reportersmethim,anxioustoprintanewquip(俏皮话)fromthefamoushumorist.Toenhancehisimage,hetooktowearingwhitesuitsandlovedtostrolldownthestreetandseepeoplestaringathim.HisLaterLifeTherearemanytragiceventsinhislaterlife:thefailureofhisinvestments,hisfatiguingtravelsandlecturesinordertopayoffhisdebts,thedeathofhiswifeandtwodaughters.Somecriticslinkthesetragiceventswiththechangeofstyleinhislaterworks,fromanoptimistandhumoristtoapessimistandalmostdespairingdeterminist(决定论者).HisDeathMarkTwaindiedofillnessonApril21,1910.Whenhepassedaway,newspapersaroundthecountrydeclared,“Thewholeworldismourning.”Bythen,SamClemenshadlongsinceceasedtobeaprivatecitizen.HehadbecomeMarkTwain,aproudpossessionoftheAmericannation.MirrorofAmerica“Mirror”----Isapieceofglassorothershinny/polishedsurfacethatreflectsimages.Here,itisametaphor.Itmeansafaithfulrepresentationordescriptionofsomething(thecountry).•WhydoestheauthorsaythatMarkTwainisthemirrorofAmerica?MarkTwain:SamuelLanghorneClemens(1835--1910)HisLifeexperience______HistoricEventsofUSATrampprinter--ProsperousageRiverpilot--MississippiRiverTranscontinentalRailroadsGuerrilla--TheCivilWarProspector--GoldRushReporter--WestwardExpansionCorrespondent--Europe,theHolyLandWriter--TomSawyer’sinnocenceHuckFinn’sexperienceThehistoricalbackgroundofMarkTwain'stimeTwainlivedinthestirring(动荡)yearsinAmericanhistory----theAmerican-MexicanWar,TheCivilWar,theGoldRush,theWesternExpansion,theAmericanSpanishWar,therapiddevelopmentofcapitalismandlatertheemergenceofimperialismalongwiththefirsteconomicdepressions,etc.MarkTwain---themirrorofAmericaismadeintwosenses.★★MarkTwain’sexciting,adventurouslifestoriesmirrorapartoftrueAmericanhistory,andthelifeofordinaryAmericanpeople.★★Second,hislifeexperiencefurnishedhimwithawideknowledgeofhumanity,aswellaswiththeperfectgraspoflocalcustomsandspeech,whichMarkTwainhasmanifestedsowellinhiswriting.Hisworksmirrortherealsocietyofhistime.•Asaman,hegrewupwithAmericaasacountry(ayoungcountry)•Asawriter,hegrewupwithAmerica,movedalongwithAmerica,frominnocencetoexperience.TextwritingstyleFromthetitleoftext,weknowthistextisrelatedtothelifeofMarkTwain.Whatwritingstyledoesthewritingonthelifeofsomeonebelongto?Especially,thewritingonlyfoucusesonacertainfeatureofaperson'slife,forexample,lifeofMarkTwainasmirrorofAmerica.Biography?IntroductintoabiographyPre-readingquestions1.Whatisabiography?2.Ifyouwereaskedtowriteabiographyofsb.,howareyougoingtoarrangeallthematerialavailable.Whatisthegeneralwayofwritingabiography?3.Whatkindoflanguagedoyouexpecttoencounterandwhy?Introductintoabiography•Abiographyis,bydefinition,anaccountofsomeone'slifethathasbeenwrittenbysomeoneelse,orawrittenhistoryofsomeone'slife.•Generally,abiographyisaboutsb.whoenjoyscertainreputation,whohasacquiredcertainfamebyhis/hersuccessincertainarea.Theprotagonistcanbeapositiveornegativecharacter.AbriefintroductiontothewholetextP1.Ashortsummaryofhislife;Anoverallestimation•P2.HisearlylifeontheMississippi•P3.Lifeinthewest•P4.Howhebecameawriter•P5.HowhelookedattheOldWorld•P6.Howhecametowritehismasterpiece•P7.HislastperiodPara.1Pre-readingquestions1.Whatisthemainideaandfunctionofparagraphone?2.WhywasTwainsaidtobeadventurous,patriotic,romantic,andhumorous?3.whatdidtheauthormeanbyIfoundanotherTwain...?DetailedStudyofthetextP1.(Para.1)Ashortsummaryofhislife;Anoverallestimation•ontheonehand,adventurous,patriotic,romantic,andhumorous,optimistic.•ontheotherhand,grewcynical,bitter,saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedies,obsessedwiththefrailtiesofthehumanrace,pessimistic..WordsandExpressions(para.1)1.remember…asthefather…father:creatore.g.MostChinesepeoplerememberLuxunasthefatherofAhQu.figureofspeech:metaphorDetailedStudyoftheText(para.1)2.HuckFinn’sidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhood:Ifyoudescribesomethingasidyllic,youmeanthatitisextremelypleasant,simple,andpeacefulwithoutanydifficultiesordangers....anidyllicsettingforasumm