Unit One

My First Job

(Text I)

Pre-reading Questions

1. What do you suppose “my first job” would be?

2. What are your expectations of your first job in the future?

3. What kind of boss would you like to work for?

4. What kind of questions will be asked in a job interview?

Main Idea

The writer was interviewed by the headmaster of a school and was offered a job which was none too pleasant.

Language points

– be short of :

• short: Inadequate; insufficient:

• The oil is in short supply in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

• I am short of cash.

• She ran short of detergent and had to buy some on her way home.

Language points

• for short: as an abbreviation

• He's called Ed for short.

• short for: Ed is short for Edward.

• in short :In summary; briefly.

In short, we’ll work hard to attain the final success.

Paraphrase:

• Being very short of money and wanting…

• Lacking of money and wanting…(T or F?)

• Lacking money and wanting…

• Being lack of money and wanting…

• Lacking for money and wanting…

Language Points

• Land: vb. 着陆；使到达• The plane is due to land at 12 o’clock.

• An attack of hepatitis landed her in a hospital.

• Tom is very good at fishing and often lands big fishes.

Language Points

• slim adj. 修长的，苗条的；微小的• The girl is slim.

• I don‘t want any cake; I’m slimming. （减肥）

• slim chances of success.

Language points

summon: vb.To request to appear; send for; bring out with an effort

summon the witness

I couldn’t sum up courage to ask you out until now.

• : to order

• summon the captain to surrender.

Language points

• awkward: adj. lacking skill ; causing difficulty or inconvenience

• She is an awkward dancer. / She’s awkward. She keeps dropping things.

• an awkward pose• an awkward journey • He made some awkward remarks in his

girlfriend’s presence.• Aunt Lena came to visit us at an awkward time.

Language points

• dreary: adj. dull; uninteresting

• It’s a dreary day.

• Let’s cheer our dreary mind

• His speech was dreary.

Language points

• window n.

• sash window : 上下推拉窗• a French window( 通阳台的 ) 双扇落地长

窗• lattice window 格子窗 • window lattice 窗栏

Figures of speech: (sound effect)

• alliteration: 押头韵 • The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the

beginning of words or in stressed syllables, as in:• “on scrolls of silver snowy sentences• “ 写满银色雪般句子的卷轴上” (Hart Crane)• Round the rocks runs the river• （ Find examples from this paragraph: ）

Language points

• Rotund ： Rounded in figure; fat, plump. • Fat implies excessive weight and is general

ly unfavorable in its connotations:• Rotund suggests roundness of figure 含有

身材圆滚的意思• Plump applies to a pleasing fullness of figu

re: 指身材悦目的丰满： a plump, rosy little girl.

Language points

• an air of : 有某种态度、神情或气氛• There was an air of tension at the meeting.

• He has a triumphant air. /He is wearing a triumphant air

He has an air of mystery.

• He put on high airs with his learning. 他以饱学而自傲。 (put on airs: 装腔作势 )

Language points

• undone: 解开；松开• The package came undone.

• His buttons were undone.

• Half his work is still undone.

• I'm undone.

Language points

• stale adj. no longer fresh

• stale bread; stale air.

• (Having lost freshness, effervescence, or palatability)

• a stale joke

• (Lacking originality or spontaneity)

Language points

• proceed: vb. to begin to carry on an action or a process:

• proceed to do sth.

• As soon as he came in he proceeded to complain about all his troubles.

Language Points

• proceed to 向 ---- 行进• proceed to the next business• proceed to the degree of M.A.• proceed from 从 --- 又向 ----; 由于 ---• proceed from London to Leeds• disease that proceed from negligence of hygiene• proceed against 起诉• I advise you not to proceed against him.

Language Points

last straw: the last of a series of annoyances or disappointments that leads one to a final loss of patience, temper, trust, or hope.

• It's the last straw that breaks the camel's back

Text II

• terrier: a small active type of dog that used for hunting

• a fox terrier: one used for hunting foxes

• Arts: subjects of study that are not scientific ,such as history ,languages, etc. (Humanities)

• the Sciences• art [U]: the use of painting ,drawing ,sculpture ect to repres

ent things and express ideas [C] trick ： well-practised in the arts of seduction

• [C,U]:the ability or skill involved in doing or making sth. the art of doing something have/get sth down to a fine art　 arts and crafts

• mildly adv.

• in a gentle way without being angry

“Of course I don’t mind,” she answered mildly.

• slightly

The drug is only mildly addictive.

• to put it mildly (colloquially)

• panel: n.

• Group of people; a set of sth.

a panel of experts; a panel of buttons

• a flat piece of wood, glass etc with straight sides, which forms part of a door , wall, fence etc

• prompt: v. urge 促使 prompt sb. to do sth. Her situation prompted me to do something about getting new

job.• To make people say or do something as a reaction What prompted that remark?• What has prompted you to want to change to medicine?• adj. immediately; at the right time prompt delivery of your purchases 你所购买的物品及时投送

feeling anything but well: feeling far from being well; not feel well at all

anything but= not at all

The bridge is anything but safe.

I wasn’t sure that I had the right temperament.

I wasn’t sure that I would be the right person to take up medicine.

※ temperament n. : people’s character a sunny temperament

adj. temperamental

• My mind has been set on becoming a doctor.

• But now I have determined to become a doctor for some time.

be (dead) set on/upon/against= be very determined to do sth.The government’s dead set against the plan.

You are capable of a change of heart. You are able to change your mind easily.

※be capable of doing sth=be able to do sth;have th

e power to do sthI don’t think Banks is capable of murder. ※a change of heart=change in one’s attitude

He didn’t want kids at first, but recently he’s had a real change of heart.

Dangling modifier

• A modifier dangles when it doesn’t have a word or phrase to connect with in a sentence. As a result, it doesn’t make a logical connection.

• Being a foreigner has no way of communicating with the local people.

Misplaced modifier

• A modifier is considered misplaced when it hooks up with the wrong word or phrase, sometimes with comic effect.

• Carved from solid oak, the angry man couldn’t break down the door.

• The angry man couldn’t break down the door carved from solid oak.

Exercises

• On returning to the classroom, the desks had been rearranged.

• Before sending out the invitation, a date for their wedding has to be chosen.

• Never having had children, rising college costs do not concern Mike.

• Angered by the crowd’s booing, the concert was canceled.

Writing paragraph

• An effective paragraph has four characteristics:• It is unified, focused on one opinion• It is clearly organized, following a coherent

pattern• It is polished, conveying ideas in concise and

readable language• It is of an appropriate length for the writing

situation.

How do you construct unified paragraphs?

• find a focus and stick with it.

• anchor your paragraph with a topic sentence

• use internal transitions to unify your paragraphs:

use internal transitions to unify your paragraphs:

• use transitional words: such as first, next, however, and in addition to etc. to show the relationships among sentences and ideas.

• Repeat key words or phrases to tie related sentences together. (examples)

• Use parallel phrases -----phrases that begin with the same word or that share the same grammatical structure---to emphasize connections among similar examples or related pieces of information. Eg. The author believes that capital punishment is …… The author views that….. The author holds the views that …..

Common paragraph patterns:

• illustration: begins with a general statement or claim and develops it with supporting details, evidence or examples.

• question and answer : what do we actually see when we look up at the moon with our naked eyes? We see….. we find….. we make out ……

• narration or process: to relate the events or the steps of a process in chronological order. This pattern is appropriate for writing personal or historical accounts.

• definition: it is appropriate for writing a report or article that explains or argues. Put forward a definition, then explains it.

• Terrier is a small, active breeds of hunting dog originally developed for driving game from burrows. It ……

• classification: a classification paragraph divides a subject into the categories to be discussed.

• There are three kinds of conservations. The first one is the preservation of places…… the second one is…..the third is what you call …..

Comparison and Contrast:

• Experts believe that much of the conflicts between men and women stem from their different ways of using language. For men,……. While for women,…..Thus men are usually more talkative in pubic…and women are more…..at home.

Cause and Effect

• cause and effect: this pattern can proceed in two ways: mention the effect first and then describe causes or vice versa.

• Gambling leads to socially destructive behaviors. The gamblers tend to have a high number of car accident…… they tend to make more suicide. (Cause to effect)

• One reason for the good teaching in Japan is that the profession attracts excellent people. People respect teachers……. Teachers are well paid…..(effect followed by cause).

Examination

• Spelling ： (40)

Advertise suburb slim awkward dreary gravel survive freckle rotund disapproval colonel stale dingy mantelpiece mumble vital algebra geometry incompetent diffident appall ultimate indignity summon ample prompt temperament panel reckon crucial resent unforthcoming dismay startle incurable interview scar cricket depress moustache

• Phrases: (10)

teaching post attach importance to teaching set-up in turn a crocodile of get to one’s feet proceed to

General School Certificate the Arts clear one’s throat

• Passage Dictation: (20)• The Wrist Watch   • It is generally believed that wrist watches are an

exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of man’s jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. /

• Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and farmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear wrist watches without feeling self-conscious.

• By 1924, some 30 percent of man’s watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.

Paraphrase the following italicized parts: (10)

• She stopped short of throwing out the old photo. (near the side of )

• We're short of cash.( lack; are lacking in; in need of)

• I don't want any cake; I'm slimming.( am on diet)• There was an awkward silence, when no one

knew what to say. (embarrassing) • The child is still awkward with his chopsticks.

(clumsy)

• Let’s cheer our dreary mind. (gloomy; depressed; not cheerful)

• He is wearing a triumphant air. (manner)• I was anything but happy now. (not… at all)• I wasn’t sure at the time I had the right

temperament. (qualified)• She was dismayed to learn that her favorite

dancer used drugs. (depressed)

Paraphrase: (20)

• 1.Being very short of money and wanting to do something useful, I applied, fearing as I did so, that without a degree and with no experience of teaching my chances of landing the job were slim.

• 1.Because I was in bad need of money and was eager to do something of use, I applied for the job. But at the same time that I did so, I was afraid that the possibility for me to get the job was very small because I didn’t have a university degree or any teaching experience.

Paraphrase

• 2. ….three days later a letter arrived, summoning me to Croydon for an interview.

• 2. … three days later I received a letter, asking me to go to Croydon to have a job interview.

Paraphrase

• 3. The headmaster and I obviously had singularly little in common.

• 3. Apparently the headmaster and I had no similar interests.

• 4. The teaching set-up appalled me.• 4. I was shocked at the teaching

arrangements. ( The way teaching was organized filled me with terror.)

Paraphrase

• 5. It was not so much having to tramp a mile along the dusty streets of Croydon, followed by a crocodile of small boys that I minded, but the fact that most of my friends would be enjoying leisure at that time.

• 5. I felt troubled not because I had to walk for a mile along the dusty streets of Croydon, followed by a group of boys, but because at that time most of my friends were having a good time and relaxing.

Paraphrase

• 6. The prospect of working under a woman constituted the ultimate indignity.

• 6. The fact that I would have to work under a woman in future made me feel totally humiliated.

• 7.What has prompted you to want to change to medicine?

• 7. What has urged you to want to study medicine for a change?

Paraphrase

• 8.But you are capable of a change of heart.

• 8. But you change your mind easily.

• 9.…the terrier man said on a note of somber improbability.

• 9. ..the terrier said in a gloomy tone, which suggested it was impossible for me to succeed in the interview.

Paraphrase

• 10. I reckon I took on too many activities.

• 10. I thought I took part in too many activities.

The End

Thank You!