Unit 3 The generation gap

Text A Father knows better

Warming-up questions

When is your birthday? And when are your parents’ birthday? Any difference in ceremony?

Tell of an instance when your parents and you disagree over something.

Do you think you can always be understood by your parents? And can you understand them?

In what way you are different?

Prepare for reading the text

As we find from our interviews, parents and children don’t often say eye to eye. When parents interfere with their children’s affairs, they believe that they are doing so in the interest of their children. However, the children may not be grateful as expected. As in the case in the play we are going to study—“Father Knows Better”.

“Play”

How do you know about plays? Which play is your favorite? What makes a play?

What makes a play?

characters, settings, stage directions, language, conflicts, climax, theme

Conflicts: essence of a play

as the essence of a play, a clash of actions, ideas, desires or wills. Conflicts may happen in three forms:

man against man; man against environment; man against himself.

climax

When a conflict develops to the most intensified point, it becomes a climax.

find out the forms of conflict in this play as they later go through the text.

theme

unlike a novelist or short-story writer, a playwright can not come forward, interrupt the action, and tell the audience what he/she means by a certain scene or explain to them what is going on in the minds of the characters.

The audience must conclude by themselves what the theme of the play is.

you will be asked to conclude the theme at the end of reading this play.

Functions of a stage directions

To set up stage properties in the proper place;

To indicate a change in setting; To direct actor’s movement, gesture,

facial expression, tone of voice, etc.

What does “Father knows better.” mean?

“Father knows better.” or “Father, you know better than that.” literally means Father was wise enough not to do something. Actually it does not have this meaning. It means Father was not wise when he meddled with his children’s affairs.

How many times does this sentence occur? What can you infer from the sentence?

This sentence occurs six times in the text. The children said it satirically to show their disapproval of Father’s meddling with their affairs.

Language points

location: n. a place or position

e.g. This is a suitable location for a camp.

Witnesses showed the police the exact location of the accident.

know better:

behave in a more sensible and acceptable way.

e.g. He is old enough to know better.

embarrass: vt. make (sb.) feel awkward or ashamed

It embarrassed him that he had to give a talk in front of a lot of people.

I don’t like making speeches in public. It’s so embarrassing.

I was really embarrassed when I couldn’t answer the teacher’s question.

dumb: adj.

1) foolish e.g.That was a dumb thing to do.

2) unable to speak e.g.The terrible news struck us all dum

b.

in unison: acting in the same way at the same time

The international community is ready to work in unison against terrorism.

consist of: be made up of

The city of New York consists of five boroughs.

比较： consist in 等于；在于 consist, compose, comprise & constitute 这几个词都是动词，都有“组成”的意思。 consist 是个不及物动词，与介词 of 一起连用，

不可用于被动语态。 consist 的主语表示事物的整体， of 后的宾语表示事物的组成部分。

CF: consist, compose, comprise & constitute

North America consists of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. compose 的主语表示事物的组成部分，宾

语表示事物的整体。但在被动语态中正好相反 ,e.g.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico compose North America.

Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

CF: consist, compose, comprise & constitute

comprise 用作及物动词 , 有两种用法 : 传统规则认为其主语应当为事物的整体 , 宾语应当为事物的组成部分 , 词义为“由……组成 , 由……构成” ; 另一种趋势是用 comprise 表达“组成 , 构成”的意思 ,此时其主语为事物的组成部分 , 宾语为事物的整体。

North America comprises the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Ten stories comprise the book.

CF: consist, compose, comprise & constitute

constitute 的主语表示事物的组成部分，宾语表示事物的整体。

The United States, Canada, and Mexico constitute North America.

Fade vi.

disappear slowly The wallpaper has faded. The sound of thunder faded away into t

he distance. 搭配： fade away fade out

overall

1. Adv. in general e.g. Overall, I like her, despite her faults.

2. adj. including everything; total (only before noun)

e.g.The overall length of the fish is 3 feet 5 inches.

trade for:

exchange (sth.) for (sth. else) e.g.

The farmers traded farm produce for tools and money.

keep in suspense:

delay telling (sb.) what they are eager to know

E.g. We’ve been kept in suspense waiting for the examination results.

distract:

vt. take (sb.’s attention) away from sth. esp. for a short time

Playing computer games sometimes distracts him from his homework.

distract sb. from doing

glorious:

adj. wonderful e.g. It seems a pity to be indoors on such a glorious d

ay.

hand down:

give or leave to people who are younger or come later.

The gold watch has been handed down from my grandfather.

hand in 上交 hand on 传递 hand over 移交 hand out 分发

at any rate:

whatever may happen; in any case At any rate, I’m going back home

birth ratefirst rateat this/that rate

interference:

n. unwanted or unnecessary involvement in sth.

I wanted to do the thing on my own without outside interference.

interference in sth. interference with sb.

in charge of:

having control (over) or responsibility (for)

I am in charge of the department.

Take charge of 负责 in one’s charge 由某人管理 On the charge of 以…的罪名 To charge against sb. 指控某人

exceptional:

adj. unusual

All her children are intelligent, but the youngest boy is really exceptional.

fill out:

complete (a document or form) by supplying required information

Please fill out the application form and signed it at the bottom.

Part Division of the Text

Part 1(line 1-65) In a fast-food restaurant, Father embarrassed Sean by talking

too proudly to the restaurant manager.

Part 2(line 66-169) In the Thompson family dinning room, Father embarrassed Di

ane by persuading a work-mate into pressing his son to ask her to the senior prom.

Part 3(170-210) In an office at Heidi’s high school, Father embarrassed Heidi

by boasting to an official about how bright she was.

After-class assignment

write a play on your family, a theme should always keep in mind while writing. Cooperating among two or three of you are permitted.

act your play with the cooperation of others.