Transcript unit4.ppt

UNIT 4
A Fan’s Notes
Zhang Haidi, a 28year-old disabled
woman, is awarded
the title of
"outstanding
Communist Youth
League member" at
a ceremony held by
the league's
Central Committee
in Beijing on March
7, 1982.

"The Lei Feng of the 1980s"
As a disabled woman, she won
people's hearts through her
strong willpower to overcome
disease and gain knowledge, and
her optimistic attitude towards life.
Though a paraplegic since the
age of five, she studied all
courses in primary, middle school
and university by herself. She
also mastered three foreign
languages and had a good
knowledge of physics and
literature.

Writer and public speaker Zhang Haidi, a member
of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC),
attends the second plenary meeting at the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing

Stephen Hawking

Stephen William Hawking, the world-renowned
wheelchair-bound physicist arrives in Beijing Aug.
16, 2002. Hawking is in China for the upcoming
International Congress of Mathematicians 2002
that will be held in Beijing.



What’s your feeling when you see the
disabled who are doing something difficult
for them?
Without using your hands and feet, could
you imagine some other ways to type on a
computer?
What do you know about cerebral palsy?
Bill Plaschke

Bill Plaschke (born on April 2,
1956) is a U.S. journalist who has
been a writer for the Los Angeles
Times since 1987. He was born in
Louisville, Kentucky.
Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a sport that is so popular in
the United States that it is often called the
national pastime. Every spring and
summer, millions of people throughout the
country play this exciting “bat and ball
game. ” Millions also watch baseball
games and closely follow the progress of
their favorite teams and players.
There are organized baseball teams for
every age group from 6-year-olds to adults.
The teams that attract the most interest are
those of the two major leagues: the
American League and the National League.
These teams are made up of men who
rank as the world’s best players. Every year,
about 50 million people flock to ballparks to
watch major league baseball games. Many
more millions watch games on television,
listen to them on radio, read about them in
newspapers, and discuss them with their
friends.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The
Los
Angeles
Dodgers is a major league
baseball team in Los
Angeles, California. They
are
in
the
Western
Division of the National
League.
The
team
originated in Brooklyn,
New York, where it was
known as the Brooklyn
Dodgers before moving to
Los Angeles for the 1958
season.
Cerebral Palsy

It is a disability caused by brain damage before or
during birth or in the first few years after birth,
resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control
and coordination. Although the exact cause is
unknown, apparent predisposing factors include
diseases (e.g. rubella, genital herpes simplex),
very low infant birth weight (less than 3.3 lb [1.5
kg]), and injury or physical abuse, etc. Maternal
smoking, alcohol consumption, and ingestion of
certain drugs can also contribute to the disease.
Most cases are associated with prenatal
problems and about 10% of the cases are
thought to be due to oxygen deficiency
during the birth process. The severity of the
affliction is dependent on the extent of the
brain damage. Those with mild cases may
have only a few affected muscles, while
severe cases can result in total loss of
coordination or paralysis.
Discourse Analysis
 Paragraph
1-4
 What is this story about?
 A handicapped woman named Sarah
Morris
 How did the author come to know Sarah
Morris?
 She sent an e-mail to the author/They
got to know each other via the Internet.
 What
was the e-mail about?
 Her criticism of the author’s comments
on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 In what way was her criticism different
from others?
 It contained more details than the usual
“You’re an idiot.” Her criticism was
based on statistics—she know the Los
Angeles Dodgers as well as the author
thought he did; The note was signed.
 In
what way was Sarah’s e-mail similar
to other letters the author had received?
 It also criticized the author’s comments
on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 What was the author’s first impression
of Sarah Morris?
 She was different from all others.
 First impression
Paragraph 5-20
 What
was Sarah’s dream?
 To become a baseball editorialist.
 Why did the author say it came just as
expected when he received Sarah’s
second e-mail?
 Every time he showed some good will
to someone, they would ask him for
help.
 What
in Sarah’s second e-mail caught
the author’s attention?
 There was a mistake in Sarah’s
spelling.
 What prompted the author to give
response to Sarah’s second e-mail?
 Maybe Sarah did have a dream and a
little help from him would make it come
true.
What do we learn so far about the author?
 He was a bit suspicious (cynical) yet deep in
his heart he had some sympathy for those in
need of help.
 What do we learn so far about Sarah?
 30 years old. Physically handicapped. Has
an associate’s degree. Deeply interested in
baseball. Spends a lot of time watching the
game and writing reports and comments.
Runs an obscure website, in hopes of
getting a job.

 What
did the author think of Sarah’s
website?
 Informed but not fancy.
 How did Sarah type and how fast could
she type?
 Used a head pointer. Her typing speed
8 words per minute.
Did Sarah lose hope because of her
physical handicap? Why?
 She was hopeful of his success. Believed in
dedication to work.
 What did the author decide to do after
learning about her physical handicap and
her hopes?
 To ask Sarah to call him.


Getting to know Sarah’s physical handicap
and her hopes.
Paragraph 21-30
 What
kind of a person did the author
assume Sarah was when she told him
she could not make a phone call? Why
did he make such an assumption?
 An imposter. His cynicism. (He did not
believe people were sincere or honest/
He tended to believe people were
motivated by selfishness.)
 What
happened after he decided to
end his correspondence with Sarah
Morris?
 He received another e-mail from Sarah,
telling him that her disability was
cerebral palsy, and how she became a
baseball fan, how she wanted to do
something for the sport that had done
so much for her.
 What
was the author’s reaction when
he learned of Sarah’s life story?
 Sort of believed her, but still wondered
how she could cover a baseball team
without the best equipment and help.
 What did the author decide to do after
he learned of Sarah’s life story?
 To ask Sarah for directions to drive
over to see her.
 What
made him drive such a long
distance to see her?
 He was driven by curiosity.
 Getting
curious as the author learned
more of Sarah’s life story.
Paragraph 31-45
Where was Sarah’s home?
 In a remote place in Texas.
 What did Sarah’s home look like?
 A decaying shanty surrounded by tall grass
and junk.
 What impression did the author have of
Sarah’s mother?
 A hardworking woman with strength.

How did it look inside Sarah’s shed?
 Dark (gloomy), rundown, without any
furnishing.
 What did Sarah look like?
 A thin figure, curled up in a wheelchair (a
week body), but with a clear and certain
smile (a wonderful mind).


Coming to know the real Sarah, a great
person, disabled in body but firm in spirit.
Paragraph 46-48
What was the author’s real purpose in
answering Sarah’s e-mail in the beginning?
 To look for a fight and prove himself right.
 What did that fight turn out to be?
 A fight with himself, a fight to get rid of
cynicism and to trust that athletes can still
be heroes.
 What is the outcome of the fight?
 Transformed the author, bringing him back
from cynicism to a positive attitude.

Division of the Text
Part1 (1-4): The author was impressed by
an e-mail from a Dodgers fan.
 Part2 (5-45): How did the relationship
between the author and Sarah Morris start
and go on.
 Part3 (46-47): Sarah Morris had a great
influence on the author.

Summary
To summarize the story in a single sentence.
 The success story of a severely
handicapped girl Sarah Morris–from a
baseball fan to a baseball editorialist.
 The story of a severely handicapped girl
Sarah Morris—how a baseball editorialist
helped her to realize her dream.

The story of an unusual friendship between
a handicapped woman and a sports writer.
 The story of a severely handicapped girl
Sarah Morris– how she struggled to become
a baseball editorialist and in the course
brought a famous sports writer back from
cynicism.

Brainstorming
 How
did Sarah Morris change the
author and what can you learn from the
story of Sarah Morris?
 A handicapped person is not
necessarily a burden to the society;
indeed he or she nay well make
contribution to society as a whole.
1
in one (some, many, that)
respect(s): used to say that sth. is true
in one way, in some ways, etc.
 In many respects the new version is
not as good as the old one.
 Mum is very stubborn, and Kim takes
after her in that respect.



in one respect / in some respects在某一/些方面
in respect of sth. 关于某事物； 就某方面而言
respective
2. take sb. to task:
criticize sb. severely (for sth.)
 She
took the government to task over
its economic record.
 我因迟到而受批评.
 I was taken to task for arriving late.
3. at least：
1) no less than a particular number or amount
 He waited for at least an hour.
 2) even if sth. better is not true or is not done
 You might at least answer.
 She may be slow but at least she’s reliable.

in the least根本，丝毫

least of all尤其不，最不

4 impress : v.
1) make someone feel admiration and
respect
Steve borrowed his dad’s sports car to
impress his girlfriend.
impress sb. with / by sth.
We were deeply impressed by the efficiency of
the employees in the company.
2) make the importance of sth. clear to
someone
I impressed on him the importance of hard
work.

5．catch one’s eye：





1) attract someone’s attention and make them look
at sth.
Out on the freeway, a billboard caught his eye.
The beautiful scenery caught her eyes when she
was driving along the natural park.
2) look at someone at the same moment that they
are looking at you
Every time she caught his eye, she would glance
away.
6． handicap：






1. n. a physical or mental disability; a situation that
makes it difficult for someone to do what they want
Not speaking the language is a real handicap.
Babies of alcoholic mothers can be born with a
severe degree of handicap.
2. v. make it difficult for someone to sth. that they
want or need to do
The charity is handicapped by lack of funds.
Women were also handicapped by the constant
cycle of pregnancy and childbirth to which they
had to resign themselves.
7. average:
1) v. usually do sth. or usually happen a
particular number of times, or usually be a
particular size or amount
 The water in the lake is not particularly
deep, averaging about 12 metres.
 The airport averages about a thousand
flights a month.

2) adj. the average amount is the amount
you get when you add together several
quantities and divide this by the total
number of quantities; having qualities that
are typical of most people or things
The average cost of making a movie has
risen by 15%.
 The cars were being sold at an average
price of $11, 000.


3) n. the amount calculated by adding
together several quantities, and then
dividing this amount by the total number of
quantities
The average of 3, 8 and 10 is 7.
on average
 above / below average

8 cover: v.
1) report the details of an event for a newspaper or a
television or radio programme
I’d just returned from covering the Flame Lighting
Ceremony.
 The Xinhua News tonight covered the Lhasa violence.
2) travel a particular distance
They were hoping to cover 40 miles yesterday.
 3) include or deal with a particular subject or group of
things
 The report covers many aspects of students’ campus
life.

9 decay:
1. v.
 1) be slowly destroyed by a natural chemical
process, or to make sth. do this
 Her body was already starting to decay.
Sugar decays your teeth.
 2) if buildings, structures, or areas decay,
their condition gradually becomes worse
Hundreds of historic buildings are decaying.
3) if traditional beliefs, standards, etc. decay,
people do not believe in them or support
them any more
In Europe, mass religion seems to have
decayed less.
 2. n. the natural chemical change that
causes the slow destruction of sth.
He has got a tooth decay.

10 curl up
 move
so that you are lying or sitting
with one’s back curved and one’s legs
drawn up close to the body
 I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
 The child curled up in an armchair to
read.
11 cut through








go straight through, penetrate; overcome or
bypass (difficulties, etc.)
I usually cut through the car park to get to work.
You need someone to help you cut through all the
irritating legal jargon.
cut back削减；缩减
cut in插入（未按正常顺序地进入一排人或事物）；
打断
cut down to size使有自知之明
cut no ice不起作用，没有影响
cut short缩减；缩短
12 call up:
1) make the computer display (information)
 He called up the statistics on the Internet.
 I called up their website, but it didn’t have
the information I was looking for.
 2) officially order someone to join the army,
navy, or air force
 Due to the war crisis, the state called up
reserve troops for active duty.
 由于战争危机，政府征召后备役军人服役。

3) cause one to remember; bring to mind
 “Yesterday Once More” is a beautiful song
which can call up people’s old times.
 4) (informal, especially American English)
telephone someone
 He called me up to tell me about the result
of the European Cup.

Useful Expressions

1. 痛斥
 take
sb. to task
 2. 一段非同寻常的来往
 a most unusual relationship
 3. 被深深打动
be impressed
4. 身体残疾
physical handicap
 5. 大专文凭
associate’s degree
 6. 引起某人注意
catch one’s eye
7. 希望
 in hopes of
 8. 那又怎么样，那又有什么了不起
 So what…

9. 对……非常专注
have dedication to…
 10. 在来宾登记簿上签名
sign the guestbook
11. 一个精心策划的骗局
an elaborate hoax
12. 一位校少年棒球队教练
a junior varsity baseball coach
 13. 令脖子酸痛的家庭作业
 neck-straining homework
14. 正在朽烂的小棚屋
a decaying shanty
 15. 蜷缩
curl up
16. 调出网站上的一篇报道
 call up a story on the website
 17. 添字加句
add to…
18. 玩世不恭的年代
times of cynicism
Listening Comprehension
The keys to Success
One day a father was teaching
his son and said, “The keys
to your success are keeping
your word and cleverness.
Once you give somebody a
promise, you must carry it
out no matter what will
happen. This is called
‘keeping one’s word.’” “What
is cleverness?” asked his
son.
Multiple Choice
1. Christmas is a Christian holy day usually celebrated on
December 25th
____ the birth of Jesus Christ.
.
A) in accordance with
B) in hopes of
C) in favor of
KEY
D) in honor of
2. The museums in the developing world often have fewer
security
measures and thus remain more _________ thefts.
A) weak to
KEY
B) flexible to
C) sensitive to
D) vulnerable to
3. The clerk held my passport four inches from his face
and ________ to read it.
A) affected
B) flipped
C) strained
D) giggled
KEY
4. In order to reach ________ physical fitness for the
coming match, he cut out all social activities and
concentrated on his training.
A) maximum
B) temporary
C) extensive
D) detached
KEY
5. English _____ dramatic changes in sounds
throughout the history of the English language.
A) underwent
B) undertake
C) understate
D) undermine
KEY
6. There were some_____ flowers on the table.
A) artificial
B) unnatural
C) false
D) unreal
KEY
KEY
KEY
7. It seemed for a while that infants were ______ to Aids.
A) contribute
B) attend
C) attribute
D) immune
8. The government has ______ defense spending.
A) cut away
B) cut across
C) cut back on
D) cut through
KEY
9. Prior _____ 1944, there was no atomic bomb.
A) at
B) to
C) in
D) before
10. When her mother came back, she _____ in the sofa
watching TV.
A) curled up
B) called up
C) setting up
D) torn up
KEY
Proverbs and Quotations
1. Consider other men’s troubles. That will
comfort yours.
想想他人的不幸，你就能坦然面对人生。
2. The man who has made up his mind to win
will never say “impossible”.
— Napoleon, French emperor
凡是决心取得胜利的人是从来不说“不可能
的”。
— 法国皇帝 拿破仑
It never will rain roses. When we want to
have more roses we must plant trees.

— George Eliot
 天上永远不会掉下玫瑰来，如果想要更多的
玫瑰，必须自己种植。

—— 乔治•艾略特
