B2L9课文详解.docx

1、B2L9课文详解Lesson Nine Quick Fix SocietyIntroduction to the Text1. StructureThe tree parts of the essay are clear-cut. Introduction (para.1-3): Her ride on fast roads and her return trip of a country road。the writer compares her ride on fast roads to West Virginia and her return trip of a different rou

2、te. The contrast set her thinking whether there was something wrong with Americans quick-fix lifestyle. The last sentence of the section “Our country has become a nation in search of the quick fix-in more ways than one.” serves as a transition from the introduction to the bodyBody (para.4-6): she li

3、sts three ways Americans seek a quick fix. In the conclusion Now instead of later faster instead of slowerSuperficially instead of thoroughlyConclusion (para.7-8): the three rhetorical questions in Paragraph 7 prepare the reader for what the writer summarizes in the last sentence of the paragraph. T

4、he thesis (= the central idea) is stated in the last two sentences of Paragraph 8: Lets slow down and enjoy what nature offers us and what mankind has left us and rediscover life. Slow down and rediscover life2. Writing SkillsThis is a piece of explanatory writing. Its purpose is to explain or clari

5、fy a certain point. The writer chiefly uses two patterns to develop the central idea.1) Comparison-contrastComparison-contrast is a way of developing an essay. It means explaining the similarities and/or differences between events, people, ideas, and so on. In this essay, the writer concentrates on

6、differences rather than similarities. In the first two paragraphs, she contrasts her featureless ride driving on fast roads and the pleasure of the return trip of a different route. In Paragraph 4, she points out how Americans lifestyle has changed from “saving for a rainy day” to “relax now, pay la

7、ter”, and what they did in the past when they wanted to lose weigh, and how they try to get quick results today.2) Examples Using an example or examples is a one of the simplest ways of explaining anything. In Paragraph 5, several examples are given to illustrate how the “I-hate-to-wait” attitude is

8、 reflected in various aspects of American life. In the next paragraph, the writer lists facts to show how the iceberg principle applies to the way many Americans live their lives.3) Rhetorical Questions Rhetorical questions in the essay are chiefly used in Paragraph 3, 5 and 7. we could ask the stud

9、ents to think about what purposes such questions serve.4) Repetition(1) Of Structure: In Paragraph 4, four if-clauses are used to contrast the way Americans did things in the past (the first three) and the way they seek a quick fix today (the last one)(2) Of Words: The writer repeats the word “fast”

10、 throughout Paragraph 5 with negative implications.3. Language and StyleUnlike some previous essays such as “More Crime and Less Punishment” and “The Man in the Water”, this is an informal essay. We dont find long and complicated sentences and the vocabulary mainly consists of plain words, everyday

11、expressions and phrasal verbs. Another feature we notice is the use of number of contemporary expressions and abbreviations (= shorter forms of a word or phrase) such as “faxed”, “quality time”, CD, VCR, etc, which are facets of contemporary life connected with the quick-fix way of life in the U.S.D

12、etailed Discussion of the Text1. Of course, we couldnt wait to get there, so we took the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a couple of interstates.(1)Because we wanted/were eager to get there as soon as we could, we took roads for the use of fast-travelling traffic.cant wait/can hardly wait: used when you a

13、re emphasizing that sb. is very excited about sth. or keen to do it, e.g. When she received the letter of admission from Qinghua University, she couldnt wait to tell her parents the good news.The Night before the reunion, I could hardly wait to go back to my Alma Mater (母校) interstate (n.): an inter

14、state highway funded by the federal government Cultural Note: There are many different names for fast roads in the U.S. Highways usually connect cities. Sometimes they have only two lanes (车道) especially in country areas, but near cities they may have three or four lanes going in each direction. A r

15、oad with many lanes is sometimes called a superhighway. Interstate highways connect cities in different states, and sometimes go through several states. Freeways are roads within a city on which you can drive very fast without stopping, and they usually have three or more lanes going in each directi

16、on. Expressways are fast roads in or near cities. Freeways and expressways do not cost anything to use, but you have to pay a small amount of money before you can use a fast road called a turnpike or a tollway. These roads are often very long, and may go from one end of a state to the other. Some highways also cost money to use. (Longman Dictionary of English Language安定Culture,1998)2. as pastoral scenery slid by us at 5