《新思维英语阅读》教学辅导(第5章)

《新思维英语阅读Ⅲ》教学辅导（第4章）CHAPTER 4 LIFESTYLESTheme Introduction:What really makes us happy? Whether we are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, all of us seek some happiness through our lifestyle. For some, it is important to have a fast car, for others, a long yearly holiday, for others, to see their children well-fed and well-educated, and for still others, to sit in the quiet woods away from televisions, telephones and computers. Lifestyles vary depending on culture, age, gender, occupation, etc. In this unit you will read about a variety of lifestyle choices.Reading Skill Practised: Guessing Vocabulary from ContextLearning to guess the meaning of unknown words from the context of the sentence or paragraph will help you become a better reader. This skill can be developed by practising reading without a dictionary, and by paying attention to signal punctuation and signal words which help the reader guess the meaning.Reading Skill: Guessing Meaning from ContextLearning to guess the general meaning of unknown words from the context of the sentence or paragraph will help you become a faster, more effective reader. There is a differenc e between passive and active vocabulary. Y ou do not need active vocabulary to become a good reader. Passive vocabulary includes words that you understand when you read but do not know how to use when you are speaking or writing. For reading, even native language readers are satisfied with passive vocabulary, that is, with a general understanding of the word without knowing its exact definition or shades of meaning. In other words, you do not need to reach for your dictionary to check every unknown word while you are reading. In fact, you should not do this. So put away your dictionary and take out your imagination!Here is an example from the first paragraph of the reading you just completed:Imagine something unhealthy, dangerous and expensive, and you will notice it is often enjoyable, too. The French call this "the good life" and say that life should be enjoyed generously, not protected carefully.It is not hard to guess the meaning of the word generously. Perhaps you don't know the exact definition, but there is enough information from the surrounding words to help you to make an intelligent guess. If you had to pick one of the following words as being similar in meaning to generously, which would you pick?carefully / a little / without limit / with worryDid you choose without limit? That is the intelligent guess. The sentences tell us that the French want to enjoy even unhealthy and dangerous things, and don't want to live carefully. This gives usthe impression of living freely, without limits, rather than being careful or worried.Sometimes, of course, it is necessary to know the exact dictionary definition of a word; for example, when you are using the word in your own speaking or writing, or if you are taking a vocabulary test on the TOEFL or TOEIC. But in the case of reading, checking every unknown word in the dictionary not only slows down your pace and makes you lose the general meaning of the paragraph, it also makes you less confident to use your intelligence and imagination. Of course dictionaries are useful and necessary, and sometimes there is best in this reading course to use your brain more than your dictionary!Practice:It is not always possible to get the exact meaning of the word from the context. But knowing the exact meaning of a word is not usually necessary to understanding the paragraph. Use the context of the sentence to determine the meaning of the underlined word. Then choose the word or phrase which best expresses the word's meaning.1. Much of the world, and the U.S. in particular, has gone on an "anti-fat" campaign.A. planned activities supporting a beliefB. campingC. holiday2. Heart attacks are about twice as likely to strike Americans as French.A. to pleaseB. to hitC. to change3. Y oung professional Americans are becoming more cautious about their alcohol intake, saying that it is safer, healthier to drink less wine and more orange juice.A. carefulB. carelessC. happy4. Drug companies are working on a pill that will reproduce the healthful chemical properties of wine.A. throw awayB. get rid ofC. create something similarIt is very simple! The keys should be: 1. A 2. B 3. A 4. CReading Skill: Contextual Paraphrasing by PunctuationThere are other ways of using context to guess the meaning of unknown words. Sometimes the writer will paraphrase (use other words) to make his meaning clearer for the reader. These paraphrases are often signalled by punctuation. The punctuation which signalparaphrases include:comma (,)double dash (—)set of parentheses ( )For example, in Reading One of this chapter, the following sentence is given in paragraph 2:They load up their shopping carts with fois gras (fatty goose liver), rich cheese, butter-soaked cakes and pastries.In this sentence the unknown French phrase fois gras is defined for you in a set parentheses, as. fatty goose liver. The unknown word is circled, and its definition is underlined.Practice:The following sentences use contextual paraphrasing by punctuation. Circle the words which are being defined. Then underline the definition.1. They are optimistic expecting the best in their future.2. Chinese entrepreneurs began accumulating gathering more money in the late 1990's.3. One reason for their discomfort is that they realize that the prosperity—wealth—that has created the group of newly-rich has not benefited all Chinese equally.4. Many workers have been laid off, losing their jobs temporarily for economic reasons, from state-run factories.Reading Skill: Contextual Paraphrasing by Signal WordsAnother way of using context to guess the meaning of unknown words is to notice when the writer uses signal words to indicate a paraphrase. To make his meaning clearer for the reader, sometimes the writer will signal a paraphrase of difficult words by the following signal words:i.e. - that isthat isin other wordsorFor example, in Reading One of this chapter, the following sentence is given in paragraph 2: (Hedonism), that is, believing that pleasure is the purpose of life, seems to bring health, not illness.In this sentence the meaning of the difficult word hedonism is signalled for you by the expression that is. After the signal words that is, the definition of the difficult word follows. In this example, the unknown word is circled, and its definition is underlinePracticeIn the following sentences, a paraphrase of difficult words is signalled by the signal words given above. Circle the words which are being defined. Then underline the definition.1. While most of the world seems to be motivated by more money, there are some independent souls who are tired of the rat-race, that is, the stressful pressures of working hard to get ahead.2. Each of these groups places a high priority on a sense of community, in other words, the feeling of belonging and mutual support.3. It is multi-generational, i.e. with ages ranging from children to seniors.4. These communities are the newest expression of the 300-year-old American desire to build a non-hierarchical, or equal, community with values uncorrupted by the larger society.Main Idea of Reading Materials:Reading One:本文通过对法国人生活方式地描述，指出：法国人心中“好生活”地概念是：一切顺其自然，无所顾忌，尽情享受的生活。