Lesson 1 (1)

• Objectives:– Develop the students’ independent learning

ability and good study habit.– Help the students understand the basic

elements of narration. – Enable the students to understand the

structure of the text.

Warm up

– What do you think is the business of university? What do you expect to learn here?

– Did you feel you were a stranger the first day you arrived?

– Did you find the university just as you had imagined? In what way it was, and in what way it wasn't?

– Do you find life at college rich and colorful or tedious and boring?

– Do you have trouble adjusting to life here? – What do you think you should do to get most out of

college? – ......

• Naguib Mahfous

• (1911-2006)

The Author

• Naguib Mahfous

纳吉布 · 马（赫）福兹 (1911-2006)• nationality?

– Egyptian

• Famous?– Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1988.– First Arabic-language author awarded the Nobel Prize.

• His most famous work?– The Cairo Trilogy

Half a Day

• A real life story or an allegorical tale ( 寓言故事）？

Narration

• setting

• theme

• organization

• plot

• point of view

Text structure• Part 1 (paras. ) about:• The boy’s misgivings about school.•

• Part 2 (paras. ) about: • How the boy felt about school

• Part 3 (paras. ) about:• he found time had changed everything and he had become an old

man.

• Qustions and answers

Lesson 1 (2) objectives

1. Learn the useful words and expressions in the text

2. Help the students get a better understanding of the text.

Word study

• convince• clutch• vast• intricate• overlook

• variety• revolve• present• trace• daze

convince

• vt. to make sb. feel certain that sth. is true

• Examples:• I couldn’t convince him of his mistake.• How can I convince you of my sincerity?• I managed to convince them that the story was true.• a convincing argument

Clutch

• to hold sth. or sb. tightlyExamples:

Tom fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

Be in/out of one’s clutches

Fall into the clutches of an enemy.

Cling:

To hold fast or adhere to something, as by grasping, sticking, or embracing.

• v.intr. （不及物动词） Clung, clinging, clings• clung to the rope to keep from falling; fabrics that cling t

o the body. 抓牢绳子以防掉下；紧贴身的衣服• To remain close; resist separation: 依靠：保持亲近；防止分开：• We clung together in the storm. 暴风中我们紧紧依偎

cling

To remain emotionally attached; hold on:

• 坚持：保留感情上的联系；坚持：• clinging to outdated customs.

• 墨守陈规

vast (1)

• a. extremely large; spreading a great• distance

• Examples:The vast plains of this country spread for hundreds of miles.He is very valuable to his employer because of his vast experience in the business.

vast (2)

• Examples:

• The group of actors was brought from New

• York to London at vast expense.

• The refugees came across the border in vast numbers.

• The vast majority of young people don’t take drugs.

intricate

• a. containing many detailed parts which• make it difficult to understand• Example:

It is an intricate idea and would need a lot of

intricate work.

. overlook

• vt. a. to have a view of sth. from above b. to fail to see or notice; pay no attention to

• Examples:• Our room overlooks the ocean.• My garden is overlooked by the neighbours.• I’m afraid I overlooked your name; I’ll add it to the list immediately.• I’ll overlook your mistake this time.

variety (1) n. number or range of different things

• Examples: The T-shirts are available in a wide variety

of colors. The students come from a variety of

different backgrounds.

variety (2) n. quality of not being the same, or not being the same at all times

There was little she could do to add variety to her daily routine.

She didn’t like the work, because it lacked variety; she was doing the same things all the time.

Variety is the spice of life. (=Doing a lot of different things, meeting

different people, etc. is what makes life interesting.)

revolve

• v. a. to spin around or make sth. spin• around, on a central point• b. (fig.) to think about

• Examples:The metal disc revolves at high speed.The earth revolves round the sun.The story revolves around a young girl who runs away from home.He revolved the matter in his head/mind.

present (1)

• v. (reflex) to appear; attend

• Examples:When the chance to study at Harvard presented itself, I jumped at it.He was ordered to present himself at the chairman’s office at nine o’clock next morning.

present (2)

• a. to give; offer; put forward; submitb. to show or reveal

• c. to put on; produce (a play)

• examples.:

• David’s manager presented him with the award for best sales in the region.

• His sudden resignation presents us with a tricky situation.

• The National Theatre is presenting “King Lear” next month.

trace (1)

• a. a small sign that shows that sb.or sth. was present or existed b. very small amount

• It vanished/disappeared/without trace. • Petra’s lost all trace of her German accent.• Age has left its traces on his face.

There are traces of poison in the man’s blood.• A mere trace of smile passed over her face.

trace (2)

• a. to follow the marks to find sb. or sth.• b. to find the origin of sth.• c. to study or describe the history,• development or progress of sth.

Examples:She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter.The style of these paintings can be traced back to early medieval influences.His book traces the changing nature of the relationship between men and women.

daze

• n. a confused state of mind v. to make (sb.) feel stupid or unable to think clearly

• Examples:• I’ve been wandering around in a daze

all day.• If someone gave you a heavy blow on

the head, you would probably feel dazed.

• Dazed survivors staggered from the wreckage.

Discussion

• Do you agree that life begins from your first day at school, why or why not?

Lesson 1 (3)

• Objectives:

1. vocabulary—word formation

2. Text appreciation: writing techniques

3. useful phrases and expressions--- practice

• Word formation

• Prefix: uni-

• over-

• Root: var(i)

Word BuildingWord Building

uni-: uni-: one; singleone; single

uniaxialunicornunicameralunicellularunicycleunidirectionalunilateralunipedunipodunipolarunisexual

（有）单轴的独角兽（议会）一院（制）的单细胞（组成）的单轮脚踏车单向性的一方的；单边的独脚的；独腿的独脚架单级的单性的；雌雄异体的

overtalkoverpraiseoverpayoveruseoverdrinkovereatoverworkovercharge

过分多言过奖多付（钱款）使用过度饮酒过甚吃得过多过度劳累索价太高

over- (1): over- (1): to excess; too muchto excess; too much

Word BuildingWord Building

Var(i): diverse ； to change

• vary

• variation

• various

• variety

• varied

• variable

• variant

Writing techniques

II.II. Writing Writing DevicesDevices

Now observe the following paragraph carefully. What strikes you most?

I did not know what to say. The gate was now closed. Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along, followed by a group of men. The men began sorting us into ranks. We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings; from each floor we were overlooked by a long balcony roofed in wood. (Para. 11)

The great use of short and simple sentences!

II.II. Writing Writing DevicesDevices

More examples:

I walked a few steps, then came to a startled halt. Good Lord! Where was the street lined with gardens? Where had it disappeared to? When did all these cars invade it? And when did all these people come to rest on its surface? How did these hills of rubbish find their way to cover its sides? And where were the fields that bordered it? High buildings had taken over, the street was full of children, and disturbing noises shook the air. (Para. 17)

Good God! I was in a daze. My head spun. I almost went crazy. … (Para. 18)

Why did the author prefer to use short

and simple sentences

?

II.II. Writing Writing DevicesDevices

the abundant

use of short and

simple sentences to achieve

1. the effect of one person’s

thoughts/thinking

2. the effect of rapid change of

things and a feeling of confusion

echoing the style of the text (The story is told as a

reflection. Thinking is sometimes

disconnected.)

echoing the theme of the

text

II.II. Writing Writing DevicesDevices

The short sentence, ordinarily containing one concisely worded assertion, is good to give point and crispness to a thought. When you wish to make an important definition, statements of weighty truth, or an emphatic assertion, short sentences are often appropriate.

The following short sentences are quotable, emphatic, and to the point:

Economy is the art of making the most of life.

—G. B. Shaw

Love is as necessary to the human being as food and shelter.

In what cases should we use short sentences?

Useful Phrases Useful Phrases and and ExpressionsExpressions

 

1. throw sb. into/out of a place

2. make (a useful man) out of a boy

3. there is no good to be had in doing sth.

4. cling to 5. burst into

6. a matter of 7. fool around

8. bring about 9. give rise to

10. resort to 11. take advantage of

12. in vain 13. find one’s way to

14. show off 15. let up 

I Promised Myselfby Christina D. Larson.

• “Today and everyday of my eternal life, I promise myself to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person I meet. To make my friends feel that there is something beautiful in each one of them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true. To think only the best and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own. To forgive and forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance ( 面容） at all times and give every living creature I meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of myself that I have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, too happy to permit the presence of trouble. And so it is!" 

Homework

• Read the reading materials about Modern Education and Egypt .