Unit 2 The Richest Man in America,Down HomeI. Teaching ObjectivesStudents will be able to:1. grasp the main idea (despite his wealth, Sam Walton remains done-home and devoted tohis team) and the structure of the text ;2. learn to use indirect description in portraying a person and to use keywords for more efficient reading;3. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;4. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.II. Key Points: The structure, the writing skill, and the main idea of the text willbe the focus. Only a few words and sentences, which will be the obstacles for students’ understanding of the text, will be explained in class.III. Difficult Points:Some sentences whose meanings are difficult to understand and whose structures are hardto analyze:1. Line 10（Para. 3）: It was nice, but no palace.2. Line 36-37(Para.10): It buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2.3. Line 75-76(Para.20): who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he leftto john Wal-Mart.IV. Teaching Materials: Power point and materials V. Teaching Methods: Lecturing, practicing and discussing.VI. Teaching Timing: 8 sessions of classVII. Teaching Process:1st -2nd periods:Pre-reading; Teacher’s Introductory Remarks and Students’ Discussionrelated to the topic.3rd -4th periods: While-Reading (Understanding the title of text A; Analyzing the organization of the text; Explaining Difficult sentences and language points in the text; Summing up the main idea of the text)5th-6th periods: Dealing with the exercises after Text A. Check on Ss’ home reading (Text B); Post-Reading Task: Theme-Related Language Learning Tasks7th-8th periods: Listening and speaking tasks.A. Pre-reading tasks1. T asks Ss the following questions on the recorded passage:— What happened to Abraham Lincoln one day? (Working as a shop clerk, he overcharged a customer. Although the sum was insignificant, Lincoln walked a long distance to return the money. )— How is the story related to the theme of the unit— values? (Abraham Lincoln regarded honey as an important value)2. Ss do Cloze B in after-text exercises to learn more about the values of American millionaires.3. Rich people I know (15 minutes)1) Before class, Ss are asked to collect stories, news reports, pictures, books, or even video clips (if relevant equipment is available for showing them in class) of rich people.2) In class, Ss form groups of three to four to share what they have collected.3) Groups discuss what values these rich people hold dear.4) Speakers for several groups report their discussion results to the class.5) T reminds Ss to keep these values in mind when they study Text A, and see whether Sam Walton cherishes them or not.B. While-reading tasks1. Text organization (20 minutes)1) T asks Ss to scan the text to see if there is any natural dividing lines separating it into par (The text can be divided into three parts. Between each part, there is a blank line.)2) T draws Ss’ attention to Text Organization Exercise 2, guides them through the directions, that they can grasp the main function of each part.Ss scan the text again to underline all the names mentioned and tell who these persons are.(They are: J amie Beaulieu, waiter at Sam Walton’s birthday partyJonnie Baker, night manager at the local Wal-MartRichard Hoback, Mayor of Bentonville, ArkansasGordon Garlington, pastor of the local churchJohn Marshall, local barberJim Von Gremp, corporate affairs directorFerold F Arend, retired president of Wal-MartJim Hendren, company lawyer4) Ss will notice that the text transits from Part II to Part III when the firstcorporate job -corporate affairs director — is mentioned.2. T explains language points and gives Ss practice (see Language Study).(60 minutes)3. Finding synonyms or synonymous phrases for “down-home” (10minutes)1) T asks some Ss to explain the title of Text A in their own words.2) Ss work alone to find out synonyms or synonymous phrases for“down-home”.3) Some Ss report their findings to the class.(Para 5 carry on like plain folksPara 6 folksy waysPara 7 friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never flashy, never throwing his weight aroundPara 11 not a front-page person)4) T reminds Ss to vary their own writings by synonyms or synonymous phrases.C. Post-reading tasks1 Using indirect description in portraying a person (25 minutes)1) Ss complete Text Organization Exercise 2 and compare answers with each other.2) T makes Ss think by asking Ss this question: How does the author reveal these charactertraits of Sam Walton? Does he come forward to tell us directly what Sam Walton is like?T introduces methods of indirect description and writes them down on the blackboard: anecdotes, examples, quotes, comparison and contrast, etc.Ss work in pairs to find out examples of these methods.5) Some pairs report their findings to the class.6) T urges Ss to adopt these methods when describing a person.2. T guides Ss through some after-text exercises. (25 minutes)3. T checks on Ss’ home reading (Text B). (3 minutes)4. Ss do Part IV: Theme-Related Language Learning Tasks. (1 period)5. T asks Ss to prepare the next unit: (2 minutes)1) do the pre-reading task;2) preview Text A.VIII. Assignments:Assignments for 1st and 2nd periods:●Vocabulary Exercises I, II, III in Text A●Listen to the recording of the textAssignments for 3rd and 4th periods:●Review what have been learned in class●Comprehensive Exercises, I, II in Text A●Read the text fluently and imitate the pronunciation and intonation of the recording Assignments for 5th and 6th periods:●Review what have been learned in class●Language Practice in Text B●Preparations for paragraph recitation and dictation of new words and expressions inUnit 2Assignments for 7th and 8th periods:●Review what have been learned in class●Home listening: Task 1, 2 and 3●Previewing text A in Unit 3IX. Teaching Reflection:Try to listen to the feedback of the students during and after the course, analyze the weaknesses in teaching and improve the methods as much as possible.The feedback from the students:The methods taken to improve the teaching and learning:X. Appendix: Teaching Contents:A. Text AnalysisTo make a character portrait convincing, an author must refrain from telling readers directly what the person is like. Instead, he/she lets readers deduce.Of all the methods of indirect description, the one used most frequently in Text A is quotation. The author quotes not only Sam Walton himself, e.g. “The reason for our success... is our people and the way they’re treated and the way they feel about their company. They believe things are different here, but they deserve the credit”, but also his townsfolk and colleaguesThe text begins with an anecdote: how waiter Jamie Beaulieu had anticipated a lavish mansion at the Waltons, only to find an ordinary-looking household. This kind of beginning lures readers to go on. There are other anecdotes, like how Sam Walton forgot his wallet and insisted on fetching it to pay the local barber, and how he lost 4 straight games after a Wal-Mart employee asked him a question about pricing.Sam Walton is a folksy guy, of which a lot of examples are given. Examples of how generous an employer he is are also plentiful.Jamie Beaulieu’s anticipation and the reality he later found out form a contrast. It reveals SamWalton’s down-home characteristics. When retired company president Ferold F. Arend compared Sam Walton with his previous employer, we appreciate further Sam Walton’s generosity.B. Cultural Notes1. Rolls-Royce: any of the large, expensive, comfortable cars made by the British company Rolls-Royce. Many people recognize them by the small metalstatue on the front of every Rolls-Royce car. The company was formed in 1905—1906 by Charles Rolls (1877—1910) and Henry Royce (1863—1933) and also produces aircraft engines. The Rolls-Royce company was bought by the German company Volkswagen in 1998. The name Rolls-Royce is also used informally to refer to the best product of a particular type.2. dime store: a store offering a wide assortment of inexpensive items, formerly costing five or ten cents, for personal and household use.3. Wal-Mart: any of a very large chain of shops in the US selling a wide range of goods at low prices. The first Wal-Mart Discount City was opened in 1962 by Sam Walton.4. Ford Motor Company: a large US company that makes cars. It was established in Detroit in1903 by Henry Ford, and the first Model T was sold in 1908. The company has produced the Lincoln since 1922 and the Mercury since 1938.5. names: Apart from their surname or last name, most British and American children are given two personal names by their parents, a first name and a middle name. These names are sometimes called Christian names or given names. Some people have only one given name, a few have three or more. Friends and members of a family who are of similar age usually call one another by their first names. In some families young people now also call their aunts and uncles and even their parents by their first names. Outside the family, the expression be on first name terms suggests that the people concerned have a friendly, informal relationship.When writing their name Americans commonly give their first name, their middle initial and their last name, e.g. George M. Cohan. Both given names are used in full only on formal occasions, e.g. when people get married.6. Forbes: an American business magazine. It is noted for its lists of the richest men and women in business. In its November 27, 2000 edition it published one listing the 50 richest businessmen and women in China, headed by Rong Yiren of CITIC with 1.9 billion dollars, followed in second place by LiuYongxing of the Hope Group with 1 billion dollars. The richest businesswoman on the list was Yang Lan of Sun Television, with 63 million dollars.C. Language StudyHe imagined what surely awaited: He imagined what he was surely to see.2. r emote: far away in space o r timeExamples:The supply of electricity to remote mountainous villages is one of the local development projects in Yunnanprovince.Taming the deserts is no longer a dream of the remote futurebut a practical human endeavor.3. d iscount: amount of money which may be taken off the full price Examples: T raditional retailers who’ve opened cyberstores may offer special discounts to online shoppers.Though online bookstores usually offer discounts, don’texpect to save much.4. It was nice, but no palace: The house was nice, but not luxurious.5. O nly in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks ...: It is only in America that a billionaire can live in the same way as ordinary people...only: In writi ng and formal speech, you can put “only” at the beginning of a sentence, followed by the word, word group, or clause it modifies, and then you put an auxiliary or “be”followed by the subject of the main clause.Examples: 1. Only here was it safe to prepare and handle hot drinks.2. Only then did Peter realize that he still hadn’t phoned his mother.3. Only when the injured limb is fully mobile will the runnerbe encouraged to re-strengthen it.carry on: behave or conduct oneself in a specific wayExamples:There’s nothing unusual about them. They carry on just like everybody else.He carries on as if he were a millionaire, spending money left,right and centre.folk: people in general (You can refer to people as folk or folks.) Examples: They got married and had kids and lived like other folks.These are the folks from the local TV station.get away with: do sth. wrong or risky without being caught or punishedExamples: They claimed that they knew how to play the system and get away with it.Eric has been getting away with tax fraud for years.6. bird dogs: dogs which hunt birds7. local: of or for a particular placeExamples:The plane was to take off at 6 a.m. and land at 7 a.m.local time. Three-quarters of the investment needed tohost the Olympics would be borne by central and localgovernment.8. treatment: the way you deal with sb. or behave towards them(followed by of)Examples: Like everyone else, I resent his cruel treatment of his old father.The old woman suffered from bad treatment at the handsof her sons. None of them were willing to take care of her.9. by/from all accounts: according to what everyone saysExamples: Tom, by all accounts, is a superb teacher.The Chinese football team will play the Koreans tonight. Itshould be a match worth watching, by all accounts. 10. cheerful: (of sb.) happy in a lively, energetic way; (of sth.) makingyou feel happyExamples: One of the reasons why she is successful is that she is able to remain cheerful in acnsls.They are both very cheerful in spite of their colds.The kindergarten is bright and cheerful, with plenty of toys.I like songs with cheerful tunes.11. blend in/into: If sb. blends into a particular group or situation, orif they blend in, they seem to belong there or are not noticeable, because their behavior is similar to that of the other people involved.(used in the patterns: blend in; blend into sth.; blend in with sth.) Examples: What he said reinforced my determination to blend in with my surroundings.As a newly-appointed manager, he was not sure whether hecould blend in.The painter blended in with the crowd at the art sale. 12.throw one’s weight around: behave in an aggressively arrogantwayExamples: Mr. Smith is not much of a manager. He always throws his weight around.Fol ks don’t like their chairman as he always throws hisweight around.13.reserve: 1) order or book (a seat, book, room, table, etc.)Examples: The service at that five-star restaurant is excellent. I’ll reserve a table for five there.Demand will be huge, so ask your friends to reserve ticketsfor the concert.2) keep for a special use (used in the pattern: be reserved forsb./sth.)Examples: In the United States lanes are reserved for cars with more than one occupant. Some seats on the buses arereserved for the old.14. “Look, he’s just not that way.”: You see, he is not the sort ofperson to reserve seats for himself.15. o pen up: unlock and open the door so that people can get inExamples: Open up, or I break in.They open the school up at 7:45 a.m. so that students canhave more sleep.16. I t buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2.: The Forbes listwas arranged at the bottom of page 2 in the Benton County Daily Democrat so that it could not be found easily.17. h eadline: the title of a newspaper article, printed above the articlein large lettersExamples:Headlines in the newspaper are arranged so that they attract attention.The headlines in the newspapers were to please millions ofpeople in China: Beijing to host the 2008 OlympicGames.18. h old to: keep toExamples: John holds to his belief that you can be successful as long as you work hard. She always holds passionately tothe view that her mother is an angel.19. stock: shares of a company that are sold to investorsExamples:You’d be tter get professional advice before buying stocks or bonds. After a dull start, stock prices moved ahead againyesterday.20.o n the run: continuously active and moving about; try to avoidbeing capturedExamples: I have been on the run all day and I am exhausted.He has to be on the run from one office to another to get thepermit to open a take-away restaurant.He is on the run from the police.21.steer clear of: keep away fromExamples: Children are told to steer clear of troublemakers.Members of the club steer clear of controversial issuessuch as religion.22.But the real story in his mind is ... : But what is always on hismind is23. make up: form the whole of (sth.)Examples: Women make up nearly 50% of university entrants.The college is made up of fourteen departments and fiveresearch centers.24. liable: likely (to do sth.)Examples:It’s liable to snow heavily tomorrow.The sports meeting is liable to be postponed until nextweek because of the bad weather.25. as laid down...: as establishedlay down:officially establish a rule, or officially state the way in which sth. must be doneExamples: Conditions for membership are laid down in the soccer club rules.The school authorities have issued a new booklet layingdown regulations for Students.26. loyalty: the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support forsbisth.; a strong feeling that one wants to be faithful tosb./sth. (followed by to)Examples: My father is a soccer fan. His loyalty to the local team has taken him all over the country to see them play.Once his mind was made up, General Lee never changedhis loyalty to the South.27.s ystem: 1) set of ideas, theories, principles, etc. according to whichsth. is doneExamples: Most of the teachers are doing research work, trying to find a goodsystem of teaching English.The classification of the books in the library follows theDewey Decimal System.All the employees are required to work on an eight-hoursystem.2) g roup of things or parts working together as a wholeExamples:With the further development of automation, morecomplicated control systems have come into being.Manned space vehicles have life-support systemsdesigned to meet all the physical needs of the crew. 28. c ut prices and margins to the bone: reduce prices and marginsconsiderably or dramatically29. qualify: have or give (sb.) a legal right (to sth./to do sth.)(followed by for or infinitive to)Examples:A few useful skills — English teaching, for example —qualified foreigners for work visas.Highly trained staff are well qualified to give practicaladvice to students when they select courses.30. option: 1) (in business) an agreement or contract that givessb. the right to buy or sell sth. such as property or sharesat a future dateExamples:With cash, stock options and the promise of vastresources, Microsoft has attracted faculty elites to itsresearch center.Jones has taken an option on that house.2) s th. you can choose to doExamples: She has the option of entering graduate school orstarting her professional career. Analysts say that thelaunch of the euro offers a new and attractive option. 31. scholarship: (award of a) grant of money to a scholarExamples: He can’t afford to go to college if he doesn’t win ascholarship.Some companies have set up scholarships for bothstudents and teachers at ouruniversity.32. and the like: and other things of the same sortIf you mention particular things or people and then add “and the like”, you are indicating that there are other similar things or people that can be included in what you are saying.Examples: Many students are also keeping fit through jogging, aerobics, weight training, and the like.Always carry your passport, money and the like with youwhile you are traveling abroad.33. cultivate: 1) make a special effort to establish and develop (sth.)Examples: They encourage students to cultivate special interests in theoretical physics.Some students try to cultivate a love of art.2)prepare land and grow crops on itExamples: They cultivated 500 acres in the suburb.The remote area has barely been cultivated for decades.34. reward: give sth. to (sb.) in return for work or services (used in thepattern: reward sb. for sth. with sth.)Examples: The officer is to be rewarded for his efforts with promotion to the rank of inspector.If you do well in the final exams, I will reward you with atrip to Hong Kong.35. retire: (cause to) stop working at one’s job, usu. because of age(followed by from)Examples: Although their careers are important they plan to retire at 50.The school had to employ the retired teachers to give classes.36. ...who was stunned at such generosity after the stingyemployer he left to join Wal-Mart: who, having left his stingy employer to join Wal-Mart, was shocked at such generosity by Walton37. come/get aboard: (AmE, infml) joinExamples:New employees who came aboard in the last six weeks have not been tested.This is her second promotion since coming aboard.38. the way they’re treated: how they’re treatedWhen “the way” is foll owed by a defining relative clause, this clause can be either a “that” clause or a clause beginning with “in which”.For example, you can say “the way she told the story”, “the way that she told the story”, or “the way in which she told the story”. There i s no difference in meaning.Examples: Scientists have spent years studying the way the brain retains information.The information highway will have an unimaginableimpact on the way people communicate with each other.39. deserve: be sth. or have done sth. for which one should receive (areward, special treatment, etc.); be entitled to (not used in thecontinuous tense)Examples: I am only partly responsible for the success of this book,my collaborator deserves more credit.They deserve a better salary for the job they do. Mary deserves a reward for her efforts。
