研究生英语unit 2.docx

研究生英语unit 2.docx

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研究生英语unit2

UnitTwoTheNewSingles

Warm-up

GroupDiscussion

Workingroupoffour.Discussandwritedownthewordsorexpressionsthatoccurtoyouwhenyouhearoneofyourfriendsisgoingtobemarried.

Beforethewedding:

dating,goingsteady,engagement,legitimateageformarriage;certainmedicalrequirements;diamondringforengagement;weddingannouncements;;weddinginvitation;;marriageguidance;marriagesettlement

Duringthewedding:

church;marriagebureau;weddingceremony;brideandgroom;thebestman;groomsman;bridesmaid;bridesman;ringfinger;weddingdress;weddingmarch;weddingcake;doubleringexchangeceremony;ringpillow;;flowergirl;weddingbreakfast;weddingdinner;weddingfeast;weddingreception

Others:

marriagebyproxy;marriagecertificate;;marriagelicense

PairWork

Workinpairsanddiscussthefollowingquestions.

Viewpointscanbeusedinthepairdiscussion:

1.Manysinglepeoplegetbadgeredbyotherswhorefusetoacceptthattheychoosetobealone.However,agrowingnumberofprofessionalsaredoingjustthat.They’reexploringcareers,indulginginthejoysoftravel,rediscoveringpastimesandkindlingnewpassions.Mostsaytheywanttogetmarriedsomeday,buttheyfeelcontentbeingsingleuntiltheymeettherightperson.

2.Moreeligiblepeopleaspiretomarrybutremainsingleforthemoment.It’snotthatthey’veabandonedthevalueofmarriage,butthattheyaretakinglongertogetmarried,perhapsduetoexpectationsofwhatitshouldbelikeoralackofdesirableprospects.

3.Marriageisafundamentalsocialinstitution.Itiscentraltothenurtureandraisingofchildren.Itisthe“socialglue”thatreliablyattachesparentstochildren.Itcontributestothephysical,emotionalandeconomichealthofmen,womenandchildren,andthustothatofthenationasawhole.

4.Whenawomanisaround30orabove,peoplearoundhermightbegintopanic.Itseemsasifshesuddenlymutatesfromahappysingleintoapitifulspinster.Manyrefusetoacceptthatshechoosestobealone.Theyareeagertofindsolutionsforher.Somefolkstrytofixherup.Othersshowtheirgoodintentionswithharshquestionsandjudgments:

“What’swrongwithyou?

”“Yougotothatbigcompanyandyoustillcan’tfindanidealguy?

”“You’regoingtohaveababywithahandicapifyouwaituntilyou’retoooldbeforegivingbirth.”Sometimesevenstrangersjointheaction.Iftheyspothereatingalone,theymightask,“Doyouwantsomecompany?

”Sometrytopickherup,andothersraisetheirbrows.

Unit2

BackgroundInformation

1.Author:

CarlaPowerwritesfortheNewsweekmagazine（US）.Herarticle“IntheShadowoftheTaliban”madeheramongtheninefinalistswhowereawardedCertificatesofRecognitionforExcellenceinInternationalJournalism,forthe1999SAIS-NovartisPrize（TheannualSAIS-NovartisPrizerecognizesoutstandingachievementinthecoverageofinternationalaffairs.The$15,000awardispresentedtooneormorejournalistswhoseworkhasbroughttopublicattentionatopicofinternationalimportance.）

2.EleanorRigby:

OneofBeatle’ssongsisnamedEleanorRigby.ThereisabronzesculpturenamedEleanorRigbyinLiverpool.ThestatueistheworkofTommySteele,apopsinger,andwasmeantasa“ThankYou”tothepeopleofLiverpoolforallthehappytimeshe’dspentinthecity,andalsoasatributetotheBeatlesandtheirsong,EleanorRigby.It’ssaidthatTommysoldthestatuetoLiverpoolfor“HalfASixpence”butinfactthecostofcastingthefigureinbronzewasmetbyTheLiverpoolEcho.Tommygavehistimefreely.Eleanorwasunveiledtotheworldonthe3rdDecember1982byTommywhenheexplainedhehadplacedanumberofobjectsinsidethefigure,“soshewouldbefullofmagicalproperties”.Theywereanadventurebook（forexcitement）,apagefromtheBible（forspiritualguidance）,acloverleaf（forgoodluck）,apairoffootballboots（foraction）andasonnet（forlove）.

3.Thericeinthechurch:

Oneoftheweddingaccessoriesinthewest.Thepouringofricebytheguestsuponthenewly-wedssymbolizestheirgoodwishesoffertilityandprosperity.

4.AustinPowers:

thesuperagentinmovies:

AustinPowers:

InternationalManofMystery（1997）,AustinPowers:

TheSpyWhoShaggedMe（1999）,andAustinPowers3（2002）.

AustinPowers:

InternationalManofMystery:

ThedastardlydoingsofDr.EvilleadtohisescapeintoouterspaceandthecryogenicfreezingofsuperagentAustinPowers.ThirtyyearslaterDr.Evilreturnstoearthtobringaboutterrorandmassdestructionbutfindshisideasandmethodsabitoutofdate.Sotoodoesourherowhouponbeingthawedout,findshe'sabitbehindthetimesaswell.WellmeaningandbumblingeffortstothwarttheinsidiousDr.EvilkeepAustinandhisdevastatinglybeautifulpartnerVanessabusyfromLondontoLasVegas.Freedominthe'90s,baby!

AhilarioussendupofJamesBondspyfilmsand1960'sschtick.

AustinPowers:

TheSpyWhoShaggedMe:

Inhissecondscreenadventure,BritishsuperspyAustinPowersmustreturnto1969,asarch-nemisisDr.EvilhasventuredbacktothatyearandsuccessfullystolenAustin's"mojo"（libido!

）andsetupanultrapowerfulcannonandaimeditattheEarth.WiththehelpofgorgeousagentFelicityShagwell,thenewlysingleAustinmustnownotonlycontendwithDr.Evil,butalsoEvil'svicious,pint-sizeattack-clone,Mini-Me.Alsointhisinstallment,Evil'sson,Scott,findsoutwhohismotherisandMikeMyersstarsasathirdcharacter,rotundScotsmanFatBastard.Moreraucousfuninthespiritofits1997smashpredecessor.

AustinPowers3:

It'sbeenthreeyearssinceAustinPowers,thatswinginginternationalmanofmystery,hashadtofacehisarchenemy,Dr.Evil.ButafterDr.EvilandhisaccompliceMini-Meescapefromamaximum-securityprison,AustiniscalledtoactiononcemoreinthisthirdinstallmentofthehighlysuccessfulAustinPowersmoviefranchise.TeamingupwiththemysteriousyetpeculiarGoldmember,Dr.Evilhatchesatime-travelingschemetotakeovertheworld,onethatinvolvesthekidnappingofNigelPowers,Austin'sbelovedfatherandEngland'smostrenownedspy.Ashechasesthevillainsthroughtime,Austinvisits1975andjoinsforceswithhisoldflame,FoxxyCleopatra,astreetwisebutstylishdetective.TogetherAustinandFoxxymustfindawaytosaveNigelandstopDr.EvilandGoldmemberfromtheirmischievousmayhem.

5.BridgetJones:

afilmcharacterinBridgetJones’sDiarywhichwasbasedonHellenFielding’sinternationalbest-sellerBridgetJones’sDiary.ReneeZellwegerstarsinthetitleroleasthedynamic,outrageouslyoriginalBridgetJones,theneuroticthirtysomethingsinglegirlsearchingforlove.

SYNOPSISofthefilm:

AtthestartoftheNewYear,32year-old“singleton”Bridgetdecidesit’stimetotakecontrolofherlifeandstartkeepingadiary.Now,themostprovocative,eroticandhystericalbookonherbedsidetableistheoneshe’swriting.Withatasteforadventure,andanopiniononeverysubjectfromhercircleof“smug-married”friends,tomen,exercise,food,sex,andeverythinginbetween—she’sturningthepageonawholenewlife.

Despitehereffortstogetheracttogether,shefindsherselfcaughtbetweentwomen—amanwho’stoogoodtobetrue,DanielCleaver,playedbyHughGrant,andamanwho’ssowronghecouldberight,MarkDarcy,playedbyColinFirth.Meanwhilehernewemployersthinksheisnutsandherscatter-brainedfriendsareabsolutelynohelpwhat-so-ever.

Asthehilariousdilemmaunfolds,theirrepressibleBridgetJonesfindsherselfthecenterofmoreattentionthanshecouldeverhavewanted.

Unit2

Introduction

TheMarriagerateindevelopedcountriescontinuestofall,aspeoplewaitlongerthaneverbeforewalkingdowntheaisle.

Basedonastudyin2000therateofmarriedmenwas54%and40%ofBritishwomenlivingwithoutapartner.ThefemalemarriagerateinBritaindeclinedfrom74%in1979to51%in2000（whichwas2%lowerthan1998）.Itseemsthatmarriedwomenaged16yearsandovermaysoonbecometheminority.

In1998,8.3per1,000Americansmarried,thelowestratesince1958.AreportreleasedbytheNationalMarriageProjectatRutgersUniversityfoundAmericansarelessinclinedtogetmarriedthanatanytimeinUShistory,marriageratehasneverbeenlower,birthstounmarriedwomenhaveskyrocketed,thedivorcerateremainshighandAmericans’marriagesarelesshappythaninthepast.AU.S.governmentstatisticsreportsaidthemarriagerateplummetedbyathirdsince1960.Itsaidtherewereabout73marriagesper1,000unmarriedwomenaged15andupin1960.In1996,thelastyearforwhichsuchfigureswereavailable,theratewasabout49per1,000.

ThenumberoflegalmarriagesregisteredinNewZealandduringtheDecember2000yearwas20655,430（or2.0percent）fewerthanthe21085marriagesregisteredin1999.Thelatestfigureis24percentlowerthanthepeakof27,199in1971.Thegeneralmarriagerate（numberofmarriagesper1,000not-marriedpopulationaged16yearsandover）alsofellbetween1999and2000,from16.2per1,000to15.6per1,000.

Anewstudyisfuelingsociologists’fearsthatyoungpeoplearesettingperhapsimpossiblyhighstandardsfortakingtheplunge.Accordingtothestudy,94percentof20-somethingsarelookingnotjustforamate,butasoulmate.Asaresult,factorsthatusedtoplayabigroleinmarriagearereceding.Withmorewomenpursuingcareers,anoverwhelming80percentofwomensayitismoreimportanttohaveahusbandwhocantalkabouthisfeelingsthanonewhomakesagoodliving.Femalesallovertheworldareplacingtheircareersonahigherpedestalandthisisunderstandable.Afterall,thereisahigh