Reading0408.docx
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Reading0408
Completethefollowingtaskbeforeyoureadthetext.
Whatisyourviewaboutreading?
Doyouagreethatbooksaregatewaystootherworlds?
Giveyouranswerby:
*fillinginthequestionnaireforyourself.
*comparingyouranswerswithyourclassmates’.
1.Readinghelpsusexpandourhorizonsaswelearnmoreaboutpeopleandtheworld.
2.Readinghelpsusdevelopanabilitytounderstandhowotherpeoplethinkandfeel.
3.Fictionisagreatwaytotakeaquickimmediatebreak,tobeinstantlytransportedintoanotherworld.
4.Readingagoodstorycanhelpusforgetsomeoftheproblemsinourownlife.
5.Reading,asopposedtoTV,allowsustoformourownimages,andourownthoughtsfromwhatweabsorbfromagoodbook.
6.Fictioniscapableofprovokingmanyandvariedemotionalresponses,makinguslaughoutloud,makingtearsspillontothepage,makingusblushwithembarrassment,andchallengingourownbeliefs.
Yes.No.Why?
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What’sRightAboutReading
EversinceIwasverysmall,I’vehadthesensethatIoughttobesomewhereelse.Irememberwatchingtrainsclickby--ablurofgray,thediamondglitterofsunshineonglass--andwishingIwasaboard.IremembergoingtotheairportwithmyparentswhenIwas13andreadingthedestinationsboard,seeingalltheplacesIcouldgo:
SanJuan,Cincinnati,LosAngeles,London.
Butthetrainsspedbyandtheplanestookoffwithoutme,soIwanderedtheworldthroughbooks.IwenttoVictorianEnglandinthepagesofMiddlemarchandALittlePrincess,andtoSt.PetersburgbeforethefalloftheczarwithAnnaKarenina.IwenttoTaraandManderleyandThornfieldHall,allthosegreathouseswiththeirhighceilingsandhighdrama,asIreadGonewiththeWind,RebeccaandJaneEyre.
MyhomewasinapleasantplaceoutsideofPhiladelphia.ButIreallylived,trulylived,somewhereelse.Ilivedwithinthecoversofbooks.
Therewasaclubchairinourhouse,abigone,withcurledarmsandasquareottoman,sittinginthelivingroomcatty-cornertothefireplace,withabarreltablenexttoit.Inmymind,Iamflungintoit,reading,withmyskinnylegsslungoveronearm.“It’sabeautifulday,”mymotherissaying.Shesaidthatalways--autumn,spring,evenwhentherewasfreshsnowfall.“Allyourfriendsareoutside.”
Itwastrue;theyalwayswere.SometimesIwentoutwiththem,coaxedintothestreet,outintothefields,downbythecreek,drawnbythelureofwhatIknewintuitivelywasnormalchildhood.IhaveclearmemoriesofliftingrocksatthecreekthatranthroughNaylor’sRuntosearchforcrayfish,oflayingpenniesonthetracksofthetrolleyandrunningtofetchthem,flattened,whenthetrolleyhadpassed.
Buttherewasalwaysapartofme,thebestpartofme,athome,withinsomebooklaidflatonthetabletomarkmyplace,itsimaginarypeoplewaitingformetoreturnandbringthembacktolife.Thatwaswheretherealpeoplewere,thetreesthatmovedinthewind,thestill,darkwaters.
InbooksItraveled,notonlytootherworlds,butintomyown.IlearnedwhoIwasandwhoIwantedtobe,whatImightaspireto,andwhatImightdaretodreamaboutmyworldandmyself.Intheyearssincethosedaysinmyclubchair,IhavelearnedthatIwasnotaloneinmydevotiontobooks,althoughatthetimeitseemedIwastheonlychildanyoneknewwhopreferredreadingabooktoiceskatingorplayingkick-the-can.
BythetimeIbecameanadult,Irealizedthattheworldwasoftenashostile,oratleastasblind,tothejoyofreadingasmygirlfriendshadbeenwhentheybangedonourscreendoor,beggingmetoputdownthebook--“thatstupidbook,”theyusuallycalledit.
Whilewepaylipservicetothevirtuesofreading,thereisstillinourculturesomethingthatsuspectsthosewhoreadtoomuch（whatever“toomuch”means）aslazy,aimlessdreamers,aspeoplewhoneedtogrowupandcomeoutsidewherereallifeis,aspeoplewhothinkthemselvessuperiorintheirseparateness.
ThereissomethingintheAmericancharacterthatissuspiciousofreadingasanythingmorethanatoolforadvancement.Americaisalsoanationthatprizessociabilityandcommunity,thatbelievesthataloneleadstoloner,lonertoloser.Anysortofturningawayfromhumancontactissuspect.
Wehaveaget-out-and-goingethosattheheartofournationalcharacter.TheimagesofAmericanPresidentsthatstickarethosethatportraythemasmenofaction:
TheodoreRooseveltonsafari,JohnKennedythrowingafootballaroundwithhisbrothers.TheremayonlybeLincolntogivesolacetotheinveteratereader,asolitaryfiguresittingbythefirewhobelievedthatbooksheldtheknowledgehesoeagerlysought.“Mybestfriend’sthemanwho’llgetmeone,”heoncesaid.
Perhapsatbasewereadersaredissatisfiedpeople,yearningtobeelsewhere,tolivevicariouslythroughwordsinawaywecannotlivedirectlythroughlife.Perhapswearetheworld’sgreatnomads,ifonlyinourminds.ItraveltodayinthewayIoncedreamedoftravelingasachild--onairplanesandintrains.AndtheironyisthatIdon’tcareforitverymuch.Iamthesortofpersonwhopreferstostayathome,surroundedbyfamily,friends,familiarity,books.TheonlythingIdolikeabouttravelingisthetimeonairplanesspentreading.
Itturnsoutthatwhenmyyoungerselfthoughtoftakingwing,shewantedonlytoletherspiritsoar.Booksaretheplane,andthetrain,andtheroad.Theyarethedestination,andthejourney.Theyarehome.
ProperNames
SanJuan//
圣胡安（拉丁美洲波多黎各岛首府），圣胡安（阿根廷西部城市）
Cincinnati//
辛辛那提（美国俄亥俄州西南部城市）
LosAngeles//
洛杉矶（美国加利福尼亚州西南部港市）
Middlemarch
《米德尔马契》（英国女作家艾略特（GeorgeEliot,1819-1880）的作品）
ALittlePrincess
《小公主》（美国女作家伯内特（FrancesHodgsonBurnett,1849-1924）的儿童小说）
St.Petersburg//
圣彼得斯堡（俄罗斯西北部港市）
AnnaKarenina//
《安娜·卡列尼娜》（俄国作家托尔斯泰（LeoTolstoy,1828-1910）的长篇小说）
Tara//
塔拉庄园（府第）（小说《飘》以其为背景）
Manderley//
曼德里城堡（杜莫里埃小说《蝴蝶梦》中的地点）
ThornfieldHall//
桑菲尔德府（小说《简爱》中女主人公简爱做家庭教师的地方）
GonewiththeWind
《飘》，又译《乱世佳人》或《随风而去》（美国女作家（MargaretMitchell,1900-1949）的长篇小说）
Rebecca//
《蝴蝶梦》，又译《吕蓓卡》（英国女小说家和剧作家达夫妮·杜莫里埃（DaphneduMaurier,1907-1989）的代表作之一）
JaneEyre//
《简爱》（英国女作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特（CharlotteBrontë,1816-1855）的代表作
Philadelphia//
费城，费拉德尔非亚（美国宾夕法尼亚州东南部港市）
Naylor’sRun//
内勒小溪
TheodoreRoosevelt//
西奥多·罗斯福（1858-1909，美国第二十六任总统）
JohnKennedy//
约翰·肯尼迪（1917-1963，美国第三十五任总统）
Lincoln//
林肯（AbrahamLincoln,1809-1865,美国第十六任总统）
@@
CriticalReading–CriticalThinking
Oneofourgreatestresponsibilitiestoourselvesasadultsistodevelopaclearunderstandingaboutthewaythingsareintheworldaroundus.Inourcomplicatedsociety,manyissuesarisethatdemandourattention,ouranalysis,andourdecision.Unfortunately,mostofushavenotbeenwell-trainedinthinkingcritically.Wetendtoaccepttheguidanceofthosewerespectorbelievearebetterinformedthanweare.Thusweoftenreachadulthoodstillclingingtotheattitudetaughtusbyourparentsandotherauthorityfiguresfromouryouth.Educatedpersons,however,arenotsatisfiedwith“borrowing”theopinionsandideasofothers–theyinsistonformingtheirown.Todoso,theycarefullyanalyzetheirbeliefs.This,however,isonlythefirststepindevelopingaresponsibleopinion.Otherviewpointsmaybeequallyvalid,andmustbeconsideredbeforewecandevelopacompleteunderstandingofanissue.Forexample,imagineyouarelookingatasculpturefromonespot,tryingtounderstandtheartist’smessage.Althoughyourviewofthesculpturemaybeaccurate,itisnotcomplete.Itisnotuntilyouwalkaroundthesculptureandseeitfromdifferentperspectivesthatyoucangetafullsenseofwhatitreallylookslike.
Itisthesamewithmostoftheimportantissuesandproblemsinlife–oneperspectiveisnotenoughtogiveusthewholepicture.Itisessentialtoseekotherperspectivesontheissueswearetryingtounderstand.Whataresomewayswecangetinformationonotherperspectives?
Take,forexample,theemotionalissueofabortion.Todevelopanunderstandingoftheissue,wemustexamineitfromallpossiblepointsofview.Whatarethepossibleperspectivesonthisissue?
Oneperspectiveisthatofthepregnantwoman,anotheristhatoftheprospectivefather,anotheristhefamilyofeachprospectiveparent,doctors,religiousgroups,thefetusitself,and,ofcourse,societyasawhole.Wecanuseourimaginationtoinformourselvesbymentallyputtingourselvesintheshoesofeachofthesepersonsorgroups.HowwouldIfeelifIwerethehusbandofapregnantwomanwhowishedanabortion?
HowwouldIfeelasthedoctor?
Ortheminister?
Whatifthepregnantwomanwerethevictimofarape?
Oradrugaddictwhohadalreadygivenbirthtoseveraladdictedchildrenorchildrenwhoweresubsequentlyabused?
Whatistheimpactonsocietyofthedecisionthatwillbemade?
Otherwaysoflearningaboutadditionalperspectivesincludereadingabouttheminbooks,magazines,thenewspapers,listeningtotelevisionandradiobroadcasts,and,ofcourse,discussingthemwithotherpeople.
Learningabouteachoftheperspectivesonanissuehelpsustoseethearguments.Anargumentinthiscontextmeansareason–somethingthatsupportsthewayapersonfeelsaboutanissue.Forexample,whenyouwereconsideringtheissueofwhethertogotocollege,youprobablythoughtofseveraldifferentargumentssupportingadecisiontogotoschool.Forexample:
1.Itwillhelppreparemeforabetterjob.
2.Iwillearnmoremoneyinthelongrun.
3.Iamboredwithmylifeasitisnow.
4.Itwillhelpmegrowasaperson.
5.Itwillhelp
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