Unit 4 Text A Turning failure into successI. Teaching Objectives1. Understand the audio materials of this unit.2. Grasp the key words , phrases and structure.3. Master the skills of writing and reading in this unit.A) An Effective Way of ArgumentationB) Reading between the linesII. Teaching Content1. Lead-in Activities2. Text Organization3. Skill Learning in Writing and Reading4. Language Points (key words, phrases and difficult sentences)5. Grammar Focus (“as if” )6. Guided Practice ( exercises, oral practice and group work )III. Teaching Process1. Warm-up Questions/ActivityIntroduction remarks:What is success? Some people seem to sail easily through life, overcoming every obstacle they encounter with ease. Then there are those manage to avoid most difficulties, by limiting their experience to what’s familiar and easy, and never trying anything new. Are these people successful? Should we all envy them, admire them, imitate them? The texts in this unit take a different approach to success. Text A looks into the psychology of success, and comes to the conclusion that one of the most essential ingredients in success is---failure!Questions:What kinds of people are successful? List some successful people. Did they all sail through life easily?Is success necessarily good? What kinds of success can be harmful ?Can you recall any failure that upset you? What effect did that failure have on you?What have you learned from failure ? Is failure necessarily bad?How can we turn failure into success?(people who have a lot of money, have an important orpowerful job, have a happy family life; famous actors, singers; famous politicians, scientists…)---No, certain kinds of success are damaging or destructive.What are they according to the text? 1. Success that comes too early 2. Success that comes too easily 3. Success that is achieved at the cost of the total quality of an xperience. Never pleasant, a natural feeling of disappointment , A nervous breakdown, Feeling depressedWhat can we learn from failure? We can learn to face defeat with courage.A failure can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction, We can learn to use it to make a positive contribution to our life.Is failure necessarily bad? No, what you have learned from failure will lead you to success. In the long run, it may prove beneficial.How can we turn failure into success ?2. Text OrganizationThe text can be divided into 5 parts:Part One.(para1) Beginning --- introduce an extreme example of a common henomenon of failurePart Two.(para2-7) Development ---it is wrong to assume that any failure is bad and any success is good.Part Three.(para8-10). Further development --- the reason why so many people are so afraid of failurePart Four.(para11-14). Solution --- how to learn to use failure so that it makes a posotive contribution to our live.Part Five.(para15) Summary and a final touch --- Nobel failure is a special heroism3.Skill learning in writing and readingA). Effective Way of ArgumentationFirst to present a viewpoint Then argue against it by presenting another point of view with supporting ideas ( Examples :para 2 and 3 )B) Reading between the linesReading between the lines means drawing inferences about the author’s ideas from what is written and from what is not written.Although it’s tricky — rather like detective work! —you may discover the author’s real meaning by using context clues, common sense and our knowledge of the world — by connecting ideas and drawing conclusions — by forming and testing ideas about what the author was trying to say.As you read the text the first time, use context clues, common sense and your knowledge of the world to speculate about the possible answers to the questions between the paragraphs, and note your ideas in pencil (in Chinese or English) in the margins. Keep checking and modifying your ideas as you read further.4. Language Points1). voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in college ---chosen in college for the title of "Most Likelyto Succeed" by students who votedvote ----(esp. passive) declare sb./sth. to be good, bad, etc. by general consentExamples:The show was voted a great success.The children all voted the trip the best they had ever had.2). It was panic. ----The fact (that I was fired) caused uncontrollable fear (in me).panic ----n. a feeling or state of sudden uncontrollable and quickly spreading fearExamples:He got into a panic about examinations.The thought of flying alone filled me with panic.There is a strong likelihood of panic if a fire starts in the building.3).... I had no experience in coping with rejection. ----. I had never experienced a denial and didn't know what to do with it.rejection ----n. the act of refusing to grant or the state of being denied of (a request, demand, etc.) Examples:I've applied for ten jobs, but all I've got is rejections.He did not ask her to marry him out of fear of rejection.cope with ----(See Note 9 deal with)4). a failure ----a person, an attempt or a thing that failsExamples:He is a failure as a teacher.I'm a bit of a failure at painting.The meeting/project was a complete failure.5). Vicky's reaction is an extreme example of a common phenomenon. ----Such feelings people have (when rejected) are very common, but in Vicky's case they are especially serious and unusual.6). place emphasis on "making it" ----give special importance to "being successful"7). what we don't always recognize ----what we sometimes fail to seeIn the statement, the scope of negation extends from the negative word "not" itself only to the adverbial "always" rather than to the verb "recognize", i.e. only the adverbial is within the stretch of language over which the negative meaning operates.Examples:He is not always at home in the evening (= He's often at home in the evening, but not always). Things do not always go right (= Things normally go right, but not always).8). in the long run ----eventually; in the endExamples:It pays to buy goods of high quality in the long run.Studying may be difficult just now, but you will benefit in the long run.Physical exercises will be for your health in the long run.9). a job dealing with people ----a job that involves handling human relationsdeal with sth. ----handle or attend to sth. (usu. sth. that needs attention or concern)Examples:Haven't you dealt with that letter yet?The Finance Officer deals with all the finances of the university.Cf. cope with sth. ----deal with sth. successfully (usu. sth. difficult or unpleasant that one must accept or endure)Examples:We must try to cope with our own failure.Poor families have to cope with a lot of problems.10). a copy editor ----an editor of written material11). People are generally prone to what language expert S. I. Hayakawa calls "the two-valued orientation". ----People generally tend to look at things as having only two values, or two sides: anything that is not good must be bad, that is not true be false ----this two-valued logic is called "the two-valued orientation" by Hayakawa.orientation ----n. a usu. general and lasting direction of thought, interest or viewbe prone to ----be likely to ( sth. or do or suffer from sth., esp. sth. bad or harmful)Examples:He is prone to lose temper when others disagree with him.Kids are all prone to eat junk food.My sister is prone to flu.12). ..., infinite degrees of both are possible. ----... there can be many, many different levels ofboth success and failure.13). a world of difference ----a great deal of differencea world of ----a large amount of; lots ofExamples:There's a world of difference in the performance of the two cars.That experience gave him a world of good.There is truly a world of difference between the old Chinese society and the new.14). Indeed, the words failure and success cannot be reasonably applied to a complex, living, changing human being. ----It is certainly unfair just to call someone a failure or a success, for a human being is a complex, living thing that keeps changing.apply to ----use (a particular word or name) to describe (sth. or sb.)Examples:I'd never apply the word "readable" to any of his books.The term "mat" can be applied to any small rug.15). In fact, success in one area often precludes success in another. ----In fact, someone who is successful in one area is often prevented from achieving success in another area.preclude ----vt. make sth. impossibleExamples:These conditions preclude us from joining in this event.Age alone will not preclude him from standing as a candidate.This contract does not preclude my being employed by others at the same time I am working for you.16). even when I'm home ----even when I don't travel; even when I'm in my own country home ----ad. at, in or to one's home .or country17). marked her as "Olympic material" ----distinguished her as a potential Olympic athlete mark as ----be a distinguishing feature of... asExamples:These qualities mark the film as exceptionally good.Hard work has marked Asian Americans as a model minority.material ----n. someone who is good enough for a particular job or position18).1 never prepared myself for anything but the ice,... ----I set my mind to a career on the ice and nothing else,...prepare oneself for sth. ----make oneself mentally or physically ready to expect sth.19). distinguish oneself ----deserve to be noticed by doing sth. very wellExamples:He distinguished himself in the debate.She distinguished herself in British theatre at a very early age.McEnroe first distinguished himself by winning a junior tournament at Wimbledon.20). it's achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience ----it (success) is achieved at the price of losing the complete worth of something one is doingat the cost of---- involving the loss ofExamples:He saved the children from the fire at the cost of his own life.The poor fox escaped from the trap at the cost of a leg.21). become obsessed with grades ----become too much concerned about one's performances on tests and exams22). They never branch out into tempting new areas, because they don't want to risk their grade-point average. ----They always stick to what they are learning and never try anything new and interesting because they don't want to do anything that may result in a lower GPA.branch out ----extend or expand one's activities or interests into another direction; begin doing other things alsoExamples:The bookstore has decided to branch out into selling records and tapes.She's leaving the company to branch out on her own.First Jim collected stamps; then he branched out and collected coins, too.23). no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes a growing experience ----no one tells us beforehand how to cope with failure so that we can learn something from ita growing experience ----a learning experience24). Faihire is part of the human condition ----failure is one of the things that human existence depends on25). shielding their children from the knowledge that they have failed ----protecting their children from knowing that they have failed26).make the honor roll or the baseball team----earn a place in the honor roll or become a member of the baseball team27). because it does = because it matters28). Resist the natural impulse to blame someone else. ----Do not be tempted by the instinctive desire to blame your failure on other people.29). a job I'd counted on ----a job which I had expected to get30).1 hadn't been rejected as a person ----I had not been denied of the job because of anything in my personality31). Success... is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. ----Success ... teaches you to perform better far less than failure does.not nearly ----far from; much less thanExamples:There is not nearly enough (= There is much too little) for all these people!They don't have nearly so many foods to choose from as we do.32). Even a failure that seems total can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction.----Even what appears to be a complete failure can inspire new ideas or a change in your course of action. prompt ----vt. inspire or cause (a feeling or reaction)Examples:Her remarks were prompted by her worries about the future.The letter prompted thoughts of his distant home.What prompted you to do such a silly thing?a change of direction ----a change in one's mind about sth. or in the way of doing sth.33). turn down ----refuse to accept (sb. or sth. usu. an offer, request or invitation); reject Examples:She turned him down; she wouldn't marry him.Pauline has turned down offers from several different law firms.Why was I turned down for the job---- Is it because I'm a woman----34). Y ou haven't the body for it. ----You are not physically fit for it.35). the way to use failure is to take stock courageously ----the way to benefit from failure is to think carefully and form an opinion about it without hesitationtake stock (of) ----1) examine or evaluate what one possesses, what one needs, etc.Examples:It's time to take stock of your life and decide where you want to go.At the age of 25,1 began to take stock of my career so far.2) count exactly the items of merchandise or supplies in stockExamples:The grocery store took stock every week on Monday morning.The stores are closed so they can take stock of their inventory.36). My friend ... moved into dance therapy. ----My friend ... changed her career and took up dance therapy.move ----vi. change from one job, interest, etc. to another37). Though we may envy the assurance that comes with success, most of us are attracted by courage in defeat. ----Though we may admire the confidence that people gains from their success, most of us are impressed by the courage that people show when they fail.5. Grammar focus:a)“as if” used to introduce something unreal or unlikely to happenWhen “ as if” is used to introduce a clause of unreal or unlikely condition, the subjunctive mood is normally required;6. Guided Practice (exercises, oral practice and group work)1) SummaryA. Ask several students to retell the text by using their own words.B. Talk about the main idea or theme of the text.2). ExercisesA. Comprehension of the text(During the period of preview or discussions in class).B. vocabulary IV--VII(homework)C. Translation( on exercise-book)7. After-class AssignmentsWe’ve just learned an effective way of argumentation: first to present a viewpoint and then to argue against it by presenting another point of view with supporting ideas. Try the same thing as you write your own paragraphText B Failure---- No! Just Temporary Setbacks Language Points1. visit with sb. ----(AmE) talk socially with sb. on a short visit2. a tract house----a house in an area for real-estate development; one of many similarly designed houses built on a tract of land3. Then the bottom fell out. ----Then a financial collapse occurred.Examples:The bottom fell out of his world (= Life lost its meaning for him ) when his wife died.The bottom has fallen out of the market (= Trade has fallen to a very low level).4. I was determined that my children would not lose their home as I often had as a child. ----I made up my mind to earn money to make the monthly payment for the house so that my children would not suffer as I had often suffered when I was a child from not having our own house.5. Recession. ----It was a recession period.6. advertising space ----(part of) a page in a publication (as a newspaper) set aside for advertising7.every advertising prospect I had worked on ----every possible buyer of advertising space whom I had tried to persuadeprospect ----n. a possible or likely customer or clientwork on sb. ----attempt to influence sb.Examples:Can you work on the manager?He might accept our suggestions if someone works on him properly.8. My heart sank. ----I suddenly lost hope and began to feel sad.9. approach (sb.) ----vt. speak or write to (sb.), esp. for the first time in order to ask him to do sth. or find out his opinionExamples:We've just approached the bank for a loan.I'm going to approach my uncle to see if he will give me a job.10.1 smiled my best smile ----I tried my best to give a most pleasant smilesmile a ... smile ----give a (specified type of) smileExamples:She smiled a broad smile.I smiled a bitter smile.11.1 made it as far as the beautiful old soda fountain... ----I had only the strength to walk to the beautiful old soda fountain ...12. lose one's home ----no longer have one's own househome ----n. a house, an apartment, etc. in which one livesExamples:Homes for Sale!The family has three homes ----an apartment in town, a country house and a beach house.13. She took my marked issue of the newspaper... and carefully read... all the way through. ----She took the copy of the newspaper on which I had made marks ... and carefully read ... from beginning to end.issue ----n. one of a regular series of newspapers, magazines, etc.14.... Ruben was a darling man who bought from everyone. ----.. Ruben was a well-liked person and he bought advertising from everyone.。
