literatere review 刘六六 第二部分 (2)

课后阅读训练六Unit 2Period 2Ⅰ. 阅读理解AReading poems is not exactly an everyday activity for most people. In fact, many people never read a poem once they get out of high school.It is worth reminding ourselves that this has not always been the case in America. In the nineteenth century, a usual American activity was to sit around the fireside in the evening and read poems aloud. It is true that there was no television at the time, nor movie theaters, nor World Wide Web, to provide diversions. However, poems were a source of pleasure, of self-education, of connection to other people or to the world beyond one’s own community. Reading them was a social act as well as an individual one, and perhaps even more social than individual. Writing poems to share with friends and relations was, like reading poems by the fireside, another way in which poetry has a place in everyday life.How did things change? Why are most Americans no longer comfortable with poetry, and why do most people today think that a poem has nothing to tell them and that they can do well without poems?There are, I believe, three culprits(肇事者): poets, teachers, and we ourselves. Of these, the least important is the third: the worldsurrounding the poem has betrayed us more than we have betrayed the poem. Early in the twentieth century, poetry in English headed into directions unfavorable to the reading of poetry. Readers decided that poems were not for the fireside or the easy chair at night, that they belonged where other difficult-to-read things belonged.Poets failed the reader, so did teachers. They want their students to know something about the skills of a poem. They want their students to see that poems mean something. Yet what usually occurs when teachers push these concerns on their high school students is that young people decide poems are unpleasant crossword puzzles.【语篇概述】本文主要讨论了诗歌由过去的受人欢迎到现在受到冷落的原因。

高中英语人教版选修六Unit2精读课文逐句翻译选修六Unit 2 A FEW SIMPLE FORMS OF ENGLISH POEMS简体英文诗There are various reasons why people write poetry. 人们写诗有着各种各样的理由。

Some poems tell a story or describe something in a way that will give the reader a strong impression. 有些诗是为了叙事，或者说是描述某件事并给读者以强烈的印象。

Others try to convey certain emotions. 而有些诗则是为了传达某种感情。

Poets use many different forms of poetry to express themselves. 诗人用许多不同风格的诗来表达自己的情感。

In this text, however, we will look at a few of the simpler forms. 本文只谈了几种格式比较简单的诗。

Some of the first poetry a young child learns in English is nursery rhymes. 孩子们最早学习的英文诗是童谣。

These rhymes like the one on the right (A) are still a common type of children's poetry. 像右边的这首童谣（A）至今仍然是常见的。

The language is concrete but imaginative, and they delight small children because they rhyme, have strong rhythm and a lot of repetition. 童谣的语言具体但富有想象力，这使得小孩子们快乐，因为它们押韵，节奏感强，并较多重复。

Unit 6 Nurturing nature1．steady adj.平稳的→steadily adv.平稳地2．delicate adj.脆弱的→delicately adv.脆弱地3．splendid adj.壮丽的→splendidly adv.壮丽地4．wander v．徘徊→wanderer n．流浪者；漂泊者5．radiate v．辐射→radiation n．辐射wander v．徘徊；漫游；闲逛；游荡；走神1．During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks.(思想)开小差，走神2．The boys wandered around the town with nothing to do yesterday evening.漫步；闲逛Words and Phrases知识要点1put into operation投入运行；(使)施行；(使)实行；(使)生效(教材P62) In which year was the completed Qinghai­Tibet Railway put into operation?建成的青藏铁路是哪一年投入运行的？[例] Over the next year，Beijing will put into operation three new mass transit lines.明年一年，北京三条新的主要运输线将投入运营。

[知识拓展]put into practice 实施；实行；实践put into effect 实施(计划)；实现(想法)put into prison 关进监狱；监禁；投入监狱put into use 投入使用；使用，利用①This all looks simple on paper but is hard to put into practice.②The new methods were put (put) into use following the meeting.③The project which was agreed on last month will be put into operation soon.上个月通过的那个工程很快就要操作了。

Unit 3What Is News?Neil Postman and Steve PowersStructure of the TextPart I (Para. 1)In this beginning paragraph, the authors state the purpose of the essay.Part II (Para. 2)Some people might define the news as what television directors and journalists say it is. The authors, however, think that this definition is too simplistic.Part III (Paras. 3–5)In these paragraphs, the authors explain why the news cannot be simply defined as“what happened that day” or“what happened that day that was important and interesting ”.Part IV (Paras. 6–11)In these paragraphs,the authors tell readers that the news is more often made rather than gathered, and it is made on the basis of what the journalist thinks importantor what the journalist thinks the audience thinks is important. Therefore, everynews story is a reflection of the reporter who tells the story.Part V (Paras. 12–15)In these paragraphs,the authors point out that to m ake sense of the news, the viewer has to know somet hing about the journalist’s political beliefs as well as hisprejudices, interests, and quirks which are, in turn, influenced by his financialstatus, the companies he has worked for, the schools he went to, the books he hasread, etc.Part VI (Paras. 16–17)In these paragraphs,the authors point out that the journalist cannot always impose his/her views on the general public because the television channel or newspapercannot survive unless the news they provide satisfies the needs of the general public. On the other hand,the viewer/reader must also take into account his or her relationship to a larger audience because television and newspapers are mass media and their news is not intended for an audience of one.Part VII (Paras. 18–20)In these paragraphs, the authors discuss some other possible definitions of news:news as something to give people pleasure;news as something instructive that revealsthe mores,values, and ideals of a society; news as living history; news as a sourceof literature;news as a reflection of human pain, suffering,tragedies and confusion; news as something to inspire people and make them optimistic; news as something to frighten people and make them aware of the seamy side of the reality; last but notleast, news as a filler between commercials.Part VIII (Para. 21)In this paragraph, the authors conclude the essay by reiterating their purpose inraising the issue“What is news?”It is to arouse our interest and help usunderstand the problems, limitations,traditions,motivations,and even the delusions of the television news industry.Detailed Study of the Text1. We turn to this question because unless a television viewer has considered it, he or she is in danger of too easily accepting someone else’s definition—for example, a definition supplied by the news director of a television station; oreven worse, a definition imposed by important advertisers.(Para. 1)news director:( 台 ) 新目人advertisers:In many countries in the West, television stations largely depend onselling air time to advertisers for their revenue. Therefore, important advertisers can often impose their views and interests on the news supplied by televisionstations.viewer ： Someone who is watching a movie, a television program, or an exhibitionCompare:audience: a group of people who watch, read, or listen to somethingspectator: a person who watches an event, show, game, or activity2. A simplistic definition of news can be drawn by paraphrasing Justice OliverWendell Holmes ’ famous definiti on of the law. The law, Holmes said, is what thecourts say it is⋯ we might say that the news is what television directors andjournalists say it is.(Para. 2)Americans generally accept Holmes’ famous definition of the law because they agree that laws must allow for the new interpretations necessary to meet the challengesof a changing nation and a changing world. But to propose a definition of the newsby para phrasing Holmes ’ definition of the law probably commits the logical errorof false analogy.For example, it would not make much sense if we were to say politicsis what politicians say it is, or education is what teachers say it is.simplistic: disapproving too simple; not complete or sufficiently thoroughNothing more. Nothing less. :As simple as that; no more, no less.in similar fashion:in the similar way; likewise; by the similar token3. But if we were to take that a pproach, on what basis would we say that we haven’tbeen told enough? Or that a story that should have been covered wasn’t? Or th at too many stories of a certain type were included?Or that a reporter gave a flagrantly biased account? (Para. 2)The fact that people are often unsatisfied with news reporting implies that people have different ideas about what news should be.flagrantly biased:obviously and unquestionably biased4. In modifying their answer, most will add that the news is“important and interesting things that happened that day.” This helps a little but leaves openthe question of what is “important and interesting” and how that is decided.(Para. 3)It is all right to say that news consists of the important things that happened that day. But important to whom? In what sense? For what reason?but leaves open the question:but does not give an answer to the question5.Of course, some people will say that the question of what is important andinteresting is not in the least problematic. What the President says or does isimportant;wars are important,rebellions,employment figures,elections, appointments to the Supreme Court. (Para. 4)This is an interesting example of hasty generalization.It is true that what important people say or do is often important, but we can’t jump to the conclusion that everything they say or do is always important. On the other hand, sometimeseven what happens to someone completely unknown can escalate to a serious crisis.People call that“the Butterfly Effect. ”problematic:causing a problem; questionable; uncertain6.Now, there is a great deal to be said for Saran Wrap. (Para. 4)Now, it ’s true that Saran Wrap is very useful.7. Saran Wrap is not news. The color of Liz Taylor’s wrap is. Or so some people believe. (Para. 4)Note that the authors are making a word play on the word “wrap, ” which has different meanings.8.We shall never learn about these people either,however instructive or interesting their stories may have been.(Para. 5)We will never hear anything about these people either, no matter how instructiveor interesting their stories may have been.instructive: providing knowledge or information; educational9.Of course,there are some events — the assassination of a president,an earthquake,etc. — that have near universal interest and consequences.But most news does not inhere in the event.(Para. 6)to inhere in sth.:formal to be a natural part of sth.; to be inherent in sth.10. In fact, the news is more often made rather than gathered.(Para. 6)In fact, often the news is not something out there for you to pick up; you have todecide what information is newsworthy and make it into news.11．Is a story about a killing in Northern Ireland more important than one about a killing in Morocco?(Para. 6)For Americans of Irish background, the answer will most likely be yes. It is saidthat the relative importance of an event is often determined by the relative distance of its occurrence to the person involved.12．⋯ every news story is a reflection of the reporter who tells the story. Thereporter ’s previous assumptions about what is“out there” edit what he or shethinks is there. (Para. 6)If news stories were just facts,and facts speak for themselves,then all news stories, though written by different people,would be the same. But news stories are actually all different because every news story is a reflection of the reporter who tellsthe story, and every reporter has previous assumptions (beliefs, points of view,and biases) which affect what he/she thinks is there.to edit:to decide what will be included or left out, as editors do in preparing,printing, broadcasting, etc.13． The answers to all of these questions,as well as to other questions about the event,depend entirely on the point of view of the journalist.You might think this is an exaggeration,that reporters,irrespective of their assumptions,can at least get the facts straight. (Para. 7)irrespective of:regardless of; without thinking about or consideringAll government officials,irrespective of their rank,must disclose their property. We pursue the diplomatic policy of the five principles of peaceful coexistence inour relationship with all countries irrespective of their size or political system.to get the facts straight:to find out what the facts are without making mistakesnow-defunct:now-dead; now no longer existing or functioningto feature a story:to give a story a prominent place in a newspaper or televisionnews show14．⋯ who thus earn their 35 rubles a month in lieu of“relief”⋯(Para. 8) Instead of receiving government relief, they are given jobs by the government sothat they can earn their money. (是以工代的政策)in lieu of:instead of(government) relief： money that is given to poor people by the government (政府 )救15．⋯ it was the policy of the Journal to highlight the contrast between theprimitive Russian economy and the sophisticated American economy.(Para. 11)the Journal : This refers to the newspaper The Wall Street Journal ,mentioned above. to highlight:to make people notice or be aware of somethingsophisticated: (the opposite of primitive) highly developed and complex高的，复的16． Each of our senses is a remarkably astute censor.We see what we expect to see; often, we focus on what we are paid to see. And those who pay us to see usuallyexpect us to accept their notions not only of what is important but of what areimportant details. (Para. 11)We have five sense organs, and they are all extremely sharp censors.censor: a person who examines books, movies, newspapers, etc. and removes thingsconsidered by the authorities to be offensive,immoral,or harmful to society(Note the personification of the word) .We do not see or hear everything. We only see or hear what we expect to see or hearbecause we have been trained that way. We have been paid by our bosses to see orhear what they expect us to see or hear. We have been made to accept our bosses’notion of what is interesting and important.17．“We’d have complete dossiers on the interests,policies,and idiosyncrasiesof the owners. Then we ’d have a dossier on every journalist in the world. Theinterests,prejudices,and quirks of the owner would equal Z. The prejudices,quirks, and private interests of the journalist Y. Z times Y would give you X,the probable amount of truth in the story.” (Para. 12)Here the French writer Albert Camus, quoted by A. J.Liebling,is using a mathematic formula to express the relationship between the interests, prejudices and quirksof a newspaper owner,and those of the journalists,and the probable amount of truth in a news story.Z x Y = XHere, Z = the interests, prejudices, and quirks of the ownerY = the interests, prejudices, and quirks of the journalistsX = the truth probability of the newsDossiers(on): files (of); records (of)18． The host might say something like this:“To begin with,this station is owned by Gary Farnsworth, who is also the president of Bontel Limited, the principalstockholder of which is the Sultan of Bahrain. Bontel Limited owns three Japaneseelectronic companies, two oil companies, the entire country of Upper Volta, andthe western part of Romania.⋯” (P ara. 13)The implied suggestion is that this television station is quite likely to be biased in its news reporting,reflecting the interests of those who control its finances.19．“ The anchorman on the television show earns $800,000 a year; his portfolioi ncludes holdings in a major computer firm.He has a bachelor ’s degree in journalismfrom the University of Arkansas but was a C+ student, has never taken a course inpolitical science, and speaks no language other than English. Last year, he readonly two books —a biography of Cary Grant and a book of popular psychology calledWhy Am I So Wonderful?⋯ (Para. 13)The implication here is that the opinions of the anchorman on a television show are strongly influenced by his financial status, his source of income, the educationhe has received, and the books he has read.anchorman(anchorwoman):(chiefly in the US) a man or woman who presents and coordinates a television news program (和广播台 ) 新目主持人Compare:broadcaster:播音host ：（游，目）主持人portfolio： a range of investments held by a person or organization所有投；投合holdings ： financial assets; land, property, or shares in a company有的20.“The reporter who covered the story on Yugoslavia speaks Serbo -Croatian, hasa degree in international relations, and has had a Neiman Fellowship at HarvardUniversity.”(Para. 13)A reporter who speaks the language, has a degree in a related field, and has doneresearch on journalism at a distinguished university can naturally be expected tobe more competent to cover the story on Yugoslavia than one without these qualifications.21. What we are saying is that to answer the question“What is news? ” a viewermust know something about the political beliefs and economic situation of thosewho provide the news.(Para. 15)The point we are trying to make is that a viewer must know something about thepolitical beliefs and economic situation of those who supply the news if he/she wants to answer the question“What is news? ”Note here that the news reporter’s economic situation r efers to his/her financial status as well as the way his/her living is made, because a person ’s vested interest (his/her personal stake in an undertaking,especially with an expectation of financial or other gain) often affects his/her point of view.22. There is, in fact, a point of view that argues against journalists imposingtheir own sense of significance on an audience.⋯ What’s our point? A viewer must not only know what he or she thinks is significant but others believe is significantas well .(Para. 16)to keep their own opinions to themselves:To keep their own opinions secret; notto announce their own opinionsto advise them of what is important:to instruct them in what is important;to teach them what is importantNote that with the verb“advise ”,the preposition“of ” is used,and “to advisesomebody of something ” is not to be confused with“to advise somebody to do something ”.Liz Taylor ’s adventures in marriage:This refers to the actress’s unusually numerous marriages, which were a favorite subject of social gossip at the time.A viewer must not only know what he or she thinks is significant but others believeis significant as well: This may be clearer if we repeat the word“what” after“but ”.23.Television is a mass medium, which means that a television news show is notintended for you alone. It is public communication, and the viewer needs to havesome knowledge and opinions about“the public.”(Para. 17)In defining news it is important for us to remember that a mass medium is not forany single individual alone. It is for the general public, and in a pluralisticsociety, people ’s interests and needs differ. Therefore, viewers must take thisfact into consideration and respect the right of other people to be different.24.And this lea ds to another difficulty in answering the question“What is news?”Somemight agree with us that Liz Taylor ’s adventures in marriage do not constitute significant events but that they ought to be included in a news show precisely for that reason. Her experiences, they may say, are amusing or diverting, certainlyengrossing.In other words,the purpose of news should be to give people pleasure, at least to the extent that it takes their minds off their own troubles.⋯ (Para. 18)This is looking at news from a different perspective.It says that many people read the news not for being educated or enlightened,but simply for entertainment.This may not be the most important purpose of the mass media, but we can’t say it is illegitimate.The question“What is news?”is now becoming increasingly complicated.they want relief,not aggravation:People want the news to give them some relief– meaning here the removal of something painful or unpleasant rather than its opposite,aggravation,which makes the painful or unpleasant situation even worse. to take their minds off their own troubles:to make them forget their own troubles25.It is also said that whether entertaining or not, stories about the lives ofcelebrities should be included because they are instructive; they reveal a greatdeal about our society—its mores, values, ideals. (Para. 18)Even if stories about the lives of celebrities do not amuse or divert us, we stillneed to read them because these stories tell us a lot about the society we live in.26. Mark Twain once remarked that news is history in its first 18)People now more or less agree that today ’s news is tomorrow’s history was yesterday’s news. So news can be defined as history and best form. (Para.history,and today ’sto this extent.27.The American poet Ezra Pound⋯ defined literature as news that stays news. Among other things, Pound meant that the stuff of literature originates not in storiesabout the World Bank or an armistice agreement but in those simple,repeatable tales that reflect the pain,confusion,or exaltations that are constant in human experience, and touch us at the deepest levels.(Para. 18)Ezra Pound relates news to literature.Such things as the World Bank and an armistice agreement,regarded as important today,will sooner or later become history,things of the past.However,we remember and retell stories about people ’s pain,confusion,or exaltations because they are part of human experience and touch our emotions.This kind of news is the source of literature.28.What are we to make of it?Why him? It is like some Old Testament parable;these questions were raised five thousand years ago and we still raise them today. Itis the kind of story that stays news, and that is why it must be given prominence.(Para. 18)to make of it:to understand itto be given prominence:to be treated as important; to be stressed29. What about ⋯ the fires, rapes, and murders that are daily featured on localtelevision news? Whohas decided that they are important,and why? One cynical answer is that they are there because viewers take comfort in the realization that theyhave escaped disaster. At least for that day.(Para. 19)⋯ viewers take comfort in the realization that⋯:viewers feel relieved or less worried because they know that these terrible things have not happened to them.30.⋯ It is the task of the news story to provide a daily accounting of the progress of society.⋯ These reports,especially those of a concrete nature,are the daily facts from which the audience is expected to draw appropriate conclusions aboutthe question “What kind of society am I a member of?”(Para. 19)Another task of the news story is to give a daily accounting of the progress of society so that viewers will understand their society better.31.⋯ heavy television viewers ⋯ believe their communities are much more dangerous than do light television viewers.Television news,in other words,tends to frighten people. (Para. 19)This paragraph suggests that television news tends to frighten rather than toenlighten people.Heavy television viewers believe their communities are much more dangerous than light viewers do. This leads to the q uestion that whether news stories should concentrate on the brighter side of social reality.heavy (light) television viewers:people who watch many (only a few) hours oftelevision programs in a day.32.The question is, “Ought they to be frightened? news an accurate portrayal of where we are as a society? ” which is to ask,“Is the ” Which leads to anotherquestion,“Is it possible for daily news to give such a picture?” Many journalists believe it is possible.Some are skeptical.The early twentieth-century journalist Lincoln Steffens proved that he could create a“crime wave” any time he wantedby simply writing about all the crimes that normally occur in a large city duringthe course of a month. He could also end the crime wave by not writing about them.If crime waves can be“manufactured” by journalists, then how accurate are newsshows in depicting the condition of a society? (Para. 19)Is it true that journalists can create events and make them disappear? If it weretrue,wouldn’t that make it very easy to run a country?Moreover,if it were true, how could we ever trust news provided by the mass media? And wouldn’t that also mean that a country could get along just fine without reliable news?portrayal:depiction; description33.Besides,murders,rapes,and fires(even unemployment figures)are not the only way to assess the progress(or regress)of a society.Whyare there so few television stories about symphonies that have been composed,novels written,scientific problems solved, and a thousand other creative acts that occur during the courseof a month? Were television news to be filled with these events, we would not befrightened. We would, in fact, be inspired, optimistic, cheerful.(Para. 19)This paragraph raises a very interesting question:Whyare many events that actually have great impact on human life not given any prominence- new philosophical theories and academic achievements for example? Possible answers are given in the following paragraph.to assess the progress:to measure; to estimate; to evaluate; to appraiseregress:moving back to an earlier, less developed and usually worse state orconditio n. It is usually used as a verb. The noun form is“regression”. Compare:digress v.digression n.moving away from the main subject under discussion in speaking and writing34.One answer is as follows.These events make poor television news because there is so little to show about them. In the judgment of most editors, people watchtelevision.And what they are interested in watching are exciting,intriguing,even exotic pictures.Suppose a scientist has developed a new theory about how to measure with more exactitude the speed with which heavenly objects are moving away fromthe earth.It is difficult to televise a theory,especially if it involved complex mathematics.(Para. 20)This paragraph tries to answer the question raised above.According to the authors, one answer may be that television as a means of communication has its limitations.It is good at showing exciting,intriguing,and exotic pictures and events,but not at dealing with ideas, theories, and other abstract things. In other words, it isa visual medium; it is less effective at engaging viewers’ minds. The second,implied answer is that people watch television mainly to be entertained.They have no time or patience for profound stly,most editors and news directors are incapable of immediately realizing the significance of scientific andtheoretical discoveries. The conclusion seems to be: The news media are extremelyimportant, but they are incapable of answering all our needs where news is concerned.35.Television sells time, and time cannot be expanded. This means that whateverelse is neglected, commercials cannot b, which leads to another possible answerto the question“What is news? ” News,⋯ in its worst form,⋯ can also be mainlya “filler,” a“come- on” to keep the viewer’s attention until the commercialscome. Certain producers have learned that by pandering to the audience, by eschewing solid news and replacing it with leering sensationalism,they can subvert the news by presenting a “television commercial show” that is interrupted by news. (Para.20)In the United States,television stations are privately owned. These privately owned stations sell air time to business companies to promote their products.Therefore, presenting the news show is not the television statio n’s main purpose:“news”serves merely as“filler” to keep the viewer’s attention until the commercialsappear, not vice versa. And there is nothing more effective for this purpose thanleering sensationalism. This may be an extreme case, but there is certainly sometruth in it.36. The purpose of this chapter is to arouse your interest in thinking about thequestion.Your answers are to be found by knowing what you feel is significant and how your sense of the significant conforms with or departs from that of others,including broadcasters,their bosses,and their audiences. Answers are to be found in your ideas about the purpose of public communication, and in your judgment ofthe kind of society you live in and wish to live in. We cannot provide answers tothese questions.But you also need to know something about the problems,limitations, traditions,motivations,and,yes,even the delusions of the television news industry.(Para. 21)This paragraph concludes the purpose of the essay.The authors do not intend to give us the answer to the question:“What is news?”, because they can’t. The problemis complicated, and each of us has to find his/her own answer. The purpose of theessay is to arouse our interest in answering the question by ourselves, and alsoto inform us of the important factors we must take into consideration to understand the nature of news.Key to ExercisesI1. a set sequence in a theatrical or comic performance保存目（喜歌舞等）2.to correct, condense, or modify material when preparing it for publication orpresentation3. in Paragraph 8, financial or practical assistance given to those in need(in Paragraph 18, the removal of something painful or unpleasant救减痛苦 )4. a man or woman who presents and coordinates a television program（新）男目主持人5.financial assets; land, property, or shares in a company有的土地或股票6.the extent to which something is probable几率7.to consider8.to watch a television show or listen to radio broadcast9.time during which a television show or radio broadcast is being transmitted播放used to fill time on a radio 10. a news item, public-service announcement, or music,or television program11.something intended to allure or attract12.to undermine the power and authority of a system or institutionV1How one defines “the news ” depen ds on what he/she considers interesting and important.2Now it ’s true that Saran Wrap is very useful in many ways, and we guess that in the end facts will show that it is more useful for the happiness of most of us⋯(But ⋯)3But most news is not an essential part of an event. It becomes news only because, in the midst of the noise and disorder of everything happening around us, ajournalist has selected it for our attention.4⋯ it was the policy of the newspaper to focus on the sharp difference between the backward Russian economy and the advanced American economy. Each of our fivesenses acts as a censor, screening information. It makes us see what we wantto see, hear what we want to hear, etc.; and we do so because that is what wehave been educated or are paid to do.5According to Camus, we would have complete records or files on the(newspaper) owners' interests, biases, and peculiar traits. Then we would have similarlycomplete files on every journalist in the world.Camus then proposes: Z ×Y= X,where:Z stands for the prejudices, eccentric habits and private interests of the owner.Y stands for the prejudices, eccentric habits and private interests ofthe journalist.X is the probable amount of truth in the story.6Certain producers of television programs have discovered that, by catering to the low tastes and desires of their audience, by avoiding real news anddeliberately replacing it with sensational stories,they can transform television news from programs interrupted by short commercials into one longcommercial interrupted by snippets of news.VIPhrases1.一种于化的定。

现代大学英语精读6（第二版）参考用书Unit 8 Housewifely ArtsMegan Mayhew BergmanAdditional Background InformationWhat is this story about? One answer is simply thatit is about love. Because of the protagonist’s strong maternal love for her son, Ike, she worries about geic weaknesses she might have passed on to him—―cancer genes, hay fever, high blood pressure, perhaps a fear of math‖, plus being undersized for his age making him an easy target for bullies. Being a single parent, she knows that she is all her son has. She takes care to shelter him from bad exles and possible harm. The desire to be a good mother, to help her child grow up happy, healthy, and productive is so intense that she is sometimes haunted by nightmares.The experience of parenting her child gradually makes the protagonist more aware of her relationship with her mother:Will you love me forever? I think to myself. Will you love me when I’m old? If I go crazy? Will you beembarrassed by me? Avoid my calls? Wash dishes when you talk to me on the phone, roll your eyes, lay the receiver down next to the cat?These were exactly the things she did to her mother. Loving her son, she finally realizes how much her parents also loved her. Her father’s love was easier to understand. He tried his best to give her opportunities in life, but when she failed in the year at a private college, which he had funded for her with considerable difficulty, he did not judge or reproach her. She loved her father, but she regarded her mother as cold and harsh and fought constantly with her, reacting like her former self, the rebellious teenager, being neither mature nor passionate in looking after her mother in old age, understanding her, forgiving her weaknesses, and loving her.But now that her mother is dead, she begins increasingly to miss her, and the decision to drive nine hours with her son for the sake of hearing her mother’s voice again through the imitations of Carnie, the African parrot, shows how much she needs this connection. “I realize how badly I need a piece of my mother. A scrap, asound, a smell—something.” She knows she has not been a good daughter, and the parrot her mother loved and whichshe hated so much, always seemed to e between them. Now, however, Carnie has bee her only avenue to the kind of memory she craves. But the bird does not give her that satisfaction, remaining pletely silent. Perhaps it couldnot forgive her unkind treatment of it in the past.Noheless, the journey proves successful. In thetradition of the American ―road trip‖, a nother way of thinking about this story, the protagonist does notmerely make an actual journey with her son in a car,during which various things happen along the way, shealso makes a personal, emotional journey in which she achieves a measure of enlightenment. It is a typicalfeature of―road trip‖ journeys that they teach the characters things about themselves that they did not previously know.Driving toward home, they stop at the house in whichthe protagonist grew up–- ―a deserted, plain house fo rplain folks…‖…I lead him to the back of the house, down thehallway which still feels more familiar to me than any Iknow…I remove the valances Mom made in the early eighties, dried bugs falling from the folds of the fabric into the sink below. These are the things with which she made a home. Her contributions to our sense of place were humble and put forth with great intent, crafts which took weeks of stitching and unstitching, measuring, cutting, gathering. I realize how much in the home was done by hand and sweat. My father had laid the carpeting and linoleum. Mom had painted the same dinner chairs twice, sewed all the window treatments…I scan the kitchen and picture Mom paying bills, her perfect script, the way she always listed her occupation with pride: homemaker…Recalling how her parents had created a home that she describes to Ike by saying, ―This was a beautiful house‖, she understands that her parents were not demonstrative people, not people who talked about love, but people who had shown it to her in all their actions and these things they had made. And here, also, she finds the clear recollections of her mother that she had been seeking: ―… Now I can hear my mother everywhere—in the kitchen, in my bedroom, on the front porch…‖This visit also helps the protagonist to make a major decision around which one part of the plot is constructed: should she and Ike move to Connecticut, a state to which her firm has offered to transfer her? Ike is reluctant.“…What if we live here forever? He asked. People used to do that, I said. Lived in one house their entire life. My mother, for instance…”In revisiting the house of her childhood, she has grasped the profound sense of home that growing up inthis single place has given her. She concludes: “Together, we can make a solid grilled cheese, prune shrubs, clean house. Together, maybe we’re the housewife this house needs. Maybe our best life is here.”And, significantly, she es, finally, to a true understanding of her mother’s courage and streng th, granting her respect and admiration: “Steamrolled by the world, but in the face of defeat, she threatened usall.‖ And the last three sentences of the story—My heart, she’d said. I can turn it off. For years, I’d believed her.But I know the truth now. What maniacs we are—sick with love, all of us.—make clear her final realization that her mother loves and has always loved her, and that she, too, loves and has always loved her mother.Structure of the TextPart I (Paras. 1-11)The protagonist introduces herself and tells us that she is driving nine hours with her 7-year-old son so that she can hear her mother’s voice again.Part II (Paras. 12-22)The protagonist describes how she had to sell her mother’s house and how the house brought back memories of her dead mother with her African parrot.Part III (Paras. 23-34)On their way to the Zoo, the protagonist and her son e to a rest stop and what she sees makes her think about her responsibilities as a mother.Part IV (Paras. 35-51)The protagonist reminisces about how she first saw the parrot at her mother’s home and how they developed a hostile relationship from the very beginning.Part V (Paras. 52-58)The protagonist tells her son where they are going and for what purpose. We learn from this section what kind of person her son’s father is and how she became a single parent.Part VI (Paras. 59-65)The protagonist’s son, Ike, tells her a story about his classmate Louis’ crazy mother and this once again makes her keenly aware of her desire to protect her son against even the knowledge that such people exist.Part VII (Paras. 66-97)This is a most revealing and touching part of the story in which we learn the reasons for the intense disagreements between the protagonist and her mother. She does not understand why her mother often appears harsh and cold, unlike her father, who was kind and did not judge her, nor can she understand why her mother gave so much of her care and attention to a bird so soon after her father’s death.Part VIII (Paras. 98-110)The protagonist and her son check into an inn and there she remembers how her mother cried over her grandmother’s death. She also hears in the news about apython strangling a toddler, which reminds her of a video of a similar event Ik e’s father showed her. The fearthat this could really happen to her son keeps her awake that night.Part IX (Paras. 111-123)In this section, the protagonist recalls how cruelly she hurt her mother’s feelings over the parrot when it was time to send her mother to a nursing home.Part X (Paras. 124-143)These memories show why the protagonist misses her mother so much and wants so much to hear her dead mother’s voice once again through the imitations of the parrot, but the bird refuses to talk, as though her mother still will not forgive her for the way she treated the bird.Part XI (Paras. 144-150)The protagonist now remembers the day her mother finally had to part with her beloved bird and go to the nursing home. It was a heart-breaking day for her.Part XII (Paras.151-177)As the protagonist revisits her home, happy memories e to her and she recalls her deceased parents. Her sonfeels sorry that his mother has been brought up in this place; in its rundown state, he sees it as miserable, buth is mother tells him that it was ―a beautiful house‖.（提醒：因编辑的疏忽，教材(184页)1-4行漏标了段落序号，造成176-179序号缺失，并非文字缺失，特此说明。

Lessen 21. But these marks of wild country called to may father like the legendary siren song. Though the place was not pleasant or disagreeable, my father was deeply attracted to it precisely because of its unexplored, uncultivated natural state, and the challenge.2. "I'm afraid the day's going to catch us," I explained, wondering what great disaster might befall us if it did.As a little girl, I believed my father's words, and was genuinely afraid of the possible disaster--if we didn't hurry up, the day would catch us and terrible things might happen.3. ..from time to time he was halfheartedly sought for trial, though few crimes seemed to lead directly to his door.In this place, though the police wound make some effort without real earnest to investigate Watson and bring him to court, there seemed to be little concrete evidence to prove that he was responsible for certain illegal activities.4. The stranglehold Watson had over this section of Florida was not dissimilar to the unscrupulous activities of certain lawmen, other legal crooks, and even governors that our state was to suffer through its history.The control Watson had over this part of Florida was much similar to the dishonest or illegal activities of the law-enforcing officials and governors which Florida witnessed in the 20th century.5. There was the little shack, not the most gracious of living quarters, and there was a murderer for our nearest and only neighbor, about thirty miles away.Before the family built their own house, they lived in a shabby cabin at Gopher Key, close to the merciless Watson.6. King Richard in his gluttony never sat at a table more sumptuous than ours was three times a day...We had abundant food on the island, and even the meals enjoyed by King Ric hard, who was famous for his love of food, couldn’t possibly compare with ours.7. Despite the unrelenting heat, we were happy to be let off from our hours of school indoors, sessions which our mother kept every day, rain or shine.Although it was very hot outside in the sun, we were happy to be dismissed from my mother's sessions indoors. we would have to read and write with her every day no matter what the weather was like.Phrases1.in the line of Sherman’s march在谢尔曼将军的行军路线上2.a folding cot apiece每人一张轻便的帆布折叠床3.to replenish our food stock补充我们的食品4.as an added treat作为特别的款待5.free-roaming cattle自由放牧的牛群6.an infamous outlaw一个臭名昭著的亡命之徒7.business as usual一切照常8.to make regular runs to and fro定期往来运输9.a weather-boarded shack由隔板搭成的简陋的小屋10.under the care and interest of our entire family在我们全家人的悉心照料下Sentence1. It was an idyllic life ,and we lived close to our family and to the comforts and safety a small town could afford这是一种田园式的生活，我们和亲戚住的很近，享受着小镇生活所能给予我们的舒服和安全2. But papa was a man of enterprise; he realized that the untouched Ten Thousand Islands off the southwest coast of the sate were rich in soil for crops and in game for food但父亲是一个很有上进心的人，他知道佛罗里达州西南海岸的万岛群岛还没有被开发，那儿土壤肥沃，适于耕种，而且猎物充足，不必担心食物来源3. This third day out, and the days to come, found us in the unsettled wilds of Florida 出发后的第三天以及以后的日子里，我们都在佛罗里达无人居住的荒野中穿行4. Its underwater grasses looked like green ribbons, constantly unrolling, and the trees held thick sprays of wild orchids水里的水草就像绿色的丝带不断地伸展开来，野兰花一簇一簇地挂满了枝头5. The burly arms of oaks were huge with ferns and blooming bromeliads. Redbirds, tanagers and painted buntings flew back and forth across the trail, leaving a child with the impression that the woods were tossing with jewels以前这里经常发水的河滩岸边一丛丛地长满了乔叶栎，那些地面上铺着一层绿色的蕨类植物，乔叶栎粗壮的枝干上也覆盖着蕨类植物，俯生的凤梨科植物正在盛开。