大学思辨英语精读备课Unit-1

Unit1TrustandCharacterTextADoYouLikeItHere?(Thestorywaspublishedin1939)Wordsandphrasesexpectedofstudentstounderstandphooey:int.(informal):usedtoexpressdisgustorcontempteyeshade:avisorwornonheardforprotectionagainstglareensuite:adj.adv.inorasapartofasetmakeroundsof:togofromplacetoplace(forinspection)bawlout(atsb)swingaround:turnaround(asifonahingeorpivot)torturetactics:proceed:goonhalt:stoporpausethrowin:toinsertorintroduceintothecourseofsomethinggratuitously：freeofcharge;(unnecessarily,withoutapparentreason)certifiedpublicaccountant(CPA)peripatetic:walkingortravellingaboutonaccountof:becauseof,forthesakeofimposing:veryimpressiveinsomesmallmeasureabiding:lastingforalongtime,enduringinstitute(asearch)(turn)yellow:(slang)cowardlygivesbone’swordofhonor:solemnpromise,averbalcommitmentagreeingtodoornottodosth.inthefuturePreparatoryWork1.JohnO’Hara(1905-1970),akeenobserverofsocialstatusandclassdifferences,andwrotefrequentlyaboutthesociallyambitious.Hisfatherdiedatthattime,leavinghimunabletoaffordYale,thecollegeofhischoice.Byallaccounts,thisdisappointmentaffectedO'Haradeeplyfortherestofhislifeandservedtohonethekeensenseofsocialawarenessthatcharacterizeshiswork.Heworkedasareporterforvariousnewspapers.Hegarneredmuchcriticalacclaimforhisshortstories,morethan200ofwhich,beginningin1928,appearedinTheNewYorker.In1934,O'Harapublishedhisfirstnovel,AppointmentinSamarra,whichwasacclaimedonpublication.ThisistheO'Haranovelthatismostconsistentlypraisedbycritics.ErnestHemingwaywrote:Ifyouwanttoreadabookbyamanwhoknowsexactlywhatheiswritingaboutandhaswrittenitmarvelouslywell,readAppointmentinSamarra.HaroldBloomnamedittotheWesterncanon.Ontheotherhand,writingintheAtlanticMonthlyofMarch2000,criticBenjaminSchwarzandwriterChristinaSchwarzclaimed:Sowidespreadistheliteraryworld'sscornforJohnO'Harathattheinclusion...ofAppointmentinSamarraontheModernLibrary'slistofthe100best[English-language]novelsofthetwentiethcenturywasusedtoridiculetheentireproject.Theepitaphonhistombstone,whichhewrotehimself,reads:Betterthananyoneelse,hetoldthetruthabouthistime.Hewasaprofessional.Hewrotehonestlyandwell.Ofthis,Gillcommented:Fromthefarsideofthegrave,heremainsself-defensiveandoverbearing.Betterthananyoneelse?Notmerelybetterthananyotherwriteroffictionbutbetterthananydramatist,anypoet,anybiographer,anyhistorian?Itisanastonishingclaim.(extractedfromWikipedia)JohnO'Hara2.Aconversationalstyleanddispassionatevoice.3.Psychologicalbullyingisoftendifficulttoignore.Bulliestormenttheirvictimsinmanyways.Tormentingthemisnotenough,theyhavetohumiliatethemandridiculetheirvictimsaswell.Bulliesusewordstodestroytheirvictims,andthesewordscanhurtworsethanaphysicalblow.Peopleoftensay,“Sticksandstonesmayhurtmybones,butwordswillneverhurt”.Intoday’ssociety,thisphraseissimplynottrue.Wordsdohurt,andtheydodestroylives.Psychologicalbullyingdestroysthecharacteroftheirvictim.Thebullymakesthevictimthecenterofhisabuse.Inotherwords,thebullytakeshisorherangerandfrustrationoutonthevictim.4.ThePhiBetaKappakeyisoneofthisnation'smostdistinctivesymbolsand,infact,tracesitsoriginstotheeraoftheAmericanRevolution.Conceivedin1776byagroupoftalentedundergraduatesattheCollegeofWilliamandMaryasanemblemoftheirsecretphilosophicalsociety,thekeyproclaimsPhiBetaKappa'scenturies-oldconvictionthatTheloveofwisdom(is)theguideofLife.AstheSocietytheycreatedencompassedmoreofthenation'sfinestcollegesanduniversities,itskeybecameauniversallyrecognizedmarkofacademicachievementintheliberalartsandsciences.KEYSthethirddegree:asituationinwhichsomeonetriestofindoutinformationbyaskingyoualotofquestionseg.IfI'mevenhalfanhourlateshegivesmethethirddegree.IgotthethirddegreefrommydadwhenIgotinlastnight.give(someone)thelowdownon(something):Toprovidesomeonewithspecificorcomprehensivedetailsaboutsomeone,something,orsomesituation.eg.Givemethelowdownonwhatthebossisplanningtodoaboutthecompany'sfallingprofits.I'mwaitingformybrothertogivemethelowdownonGeoffreybeforeIgoonadatewithhim.There'sbeenashakeupinthecompany'suppermanagement,butwewon'tknowhowwe'reaffecteduntilthebossgivesusthelowdown.WestPoint:AUSmilitaryinstallationinsoutheastNewYorkonthewesternbankoftheHudsonRivernorthofNewYorkCity.Ithasbeenamilitarypostsince1778andtheseatoftheUSMilitaryAcademysince1802.SecondForm:anEnglishtermforanequivalentofthe7thor8thgradeinAmericanschools.(alsoseesixthform:thetermreferstothefinaltwoyearsofsecondaryeducationintheeducationsystemofEnglandandothercommonwealthcountries)dayschool:asopposedtoaboardingschool,itisaninstitutionwherechildren(orhigh-schoolageadolescents)aregiveneducationalinstructionduringtheday,afterwhichchildrenreturntotheirhomes.boardingschool:aschoolwheresomeorallpeoplestudyandliveduringtheschoolyearwiththeirfellowstudentsandpossiblyteachersand/oradministrators.Theword'boarding'isusedinthesenseofbedandboard,i.e.,lodgingandmeals.Manyindependent(private)schoolsintheCommonwealthofNationsareboardingschools.Boardingschoolpupils(a.k.a.boarders)normallyreturnhomeduringtheschoolholidaysand,often,weekends,butinsomeculturesmayspendthemajorityo