全新版大学英语第二版综合教程 第1册 Unit 4 Tony Trivisonnos American Dream.docx

1、全新版大学英语第二版综合教程 第1册 Unit 4 Tony Trivisonnos American DreamBefore Reading The American DreamAmerican Dream is the belief that everyone in the United States has the chance to achieve success and prosperity. For ordinary people, it means a happy family, an ideal job, and a nice house. For minorities and

2、 immigrants, it also includes freedom and equal rights.Before Reading ImmigrantsI. IntroductionListen to the passage and fill in the blanks with the missing words.Apart from “Native Americans” Indians, all Americans have ancestors who were immigrants. The United States has become the home of immigra

3、nts from all over the world. Some immigrants come to the United States in search of a place to practice their religion freely, while others seek political or economic protection. Still others arrive in hopes of building a better life for themselves and their families.II. First ImmigrantsThe first im

4、migrants to America came almost from western Europe. During the first decades of the 17th century, settlers from England colonized Virginia and New England. Immigration to New England began in 1620 when English Puritans established Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts. The values of these Pu

5、ritan settlers strongly influenced the culture of the American colonies and later of the United States.Before Reading The Great DepressionThe Great Depression is considered the most severe economic crisis in the industrialized world. It began when American stock market fell on Friday, Oct. 24, 1929,

6、 and continued the following Tuesday, known as Black Tuesday, with a greater fall. The Depression struck many other countries as well, particularly Germany, Japan, and Britain. In the early 1930s millions of people lost their jobs, and millions of businesses and banks failed. President Franklin D. R

7、oosevelts New Deal policies improved the situation, but the Great Depression did not come to an end until World War II when industrial production for the war increased.Before Reading MortgageI. MortgageMortgage is an agreement to have money lent, especially to buy a house or land, with the house or

8、land belonging to the lender until the money is repaid. It enables a person to buy a house without having enough money to pay for it completely. If the borrower fails to repay the loan, the lender may force the sale of the house to recover the amount of the loan. II. How to Get a MortgageAborrowerca

9、nget a mortgage from a bank, credit union, or other lender. Most lenders require the borrower to have a certain amount of money to use as a down payment. For example, if an individual wants to buy a home priced at $50,000 and the lender requires a down payment of $2,000, the individual will apply fo

10、r a loan of $48,000 to pay for the difference. Payments for the loan are usually made monthly. The life of the mortgage can be 15, 20, 30, or even 40 years. Before Reading Warm-up Questions1. What is the American Dream in your opinion?2. In what ways can a person be considered as being successful?3.

11、 What is the key to success?4. Tell a story of a successful person.Global Reading Part Division of the TextPartsPara(s)Main Ideas1129With determination and with help from Mr. Crawford, Tony achieved his dream of having his own farm.23033Tonys career set the author thinking about why and to what exte

12、nt he had been successful.Global Reading Further UnderstandingI. For Part 1i. Table CompletionHow Tony Fulfilled His American DreamPartsTime ExpressionsTonys Steps toward Success110one evening during the Great DepressionTony started to work as a help at Mr. Crawfords house.1113summer passed into fal

13、lTony got a job clearing snow at Mr. Crawfords factory.1416one dayTony asked to be trained as an apprentice, and later learned to be a skilled worker.1721 a year or two passedTony bought a house with the help of Mr. Crawford.2227after about two yearsTony bought a farm and sent for his family in Ital

14、y.2833 during the warTony died, leaving his family a prosperous farm and his children educated.ii. MatchingMatch the following three columns.Tonys requestThe authors feelingResults1. “I mow your lawn.”A. Well, what do you do with such determination and hope?I. he had graduated as a skilled grinder.

15、My wife and I felt it was a satisfying end of the story.2. “When winter come, you give me job clearing snow at the factory.”B. I doubted whether Tony had the capacity to read blueprints and micrometers or do precision work. II. My wife said he was very helpful whenever there were any heavy objects t

16、o lift or things to fix.3. “I want to be prentice.”C. I went into my house unhappy . but how could I turn away a person who had come to me for help?III. I asked the personnel department for a report. They said Tony was a very good worker.(1 C II; 2 A III; 3 B I)iii. ScanningScan the text to find out

17、 descriptions of Tonys physical appearance. Para. 1 He was about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin.Para. 22 He seemed to stand a little straighter. He was heavier. He had a look of confidence.Para. 27 neatly dressed II. For Part 2 Questions and Answers1. What is the key to Tonys success?(Tony worke

18、d very hard to create his American Dream. Besides, he was determined, self-controlled, optimistic, self-respected, honest and responsible. All these helped him become successful.)2. Compare Tony with the greatest industrialists.(Both Tony and the greatest industrialists are successful in pursuing th

19、eir American Dreams. They reached their success by working hard, and by the same values and principles. The only difference was that they had different financial achievements.)Detailed ReadingI. Difficult Sentences1. “I mow your lawn,” he said. (Para. 2)How many times is the sentence “I mow your law

20、n.” repeated in the text? Why is it repeated?(The sentence is repeated four times. Thats because it shows Tonys determination in finding a job, and his optimistic view that people would help a man who needed a job.)2. Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? (Para. 12)Paraphrase the se

21、ntence.(It is hard to refuse a person who is determined and hopeful to get a job.)3. My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story. (Para. 16)1) Paraphrase the sentence.(My wife and I were happy with what Tony had achieved, and thought that the whole thing had thus

22、 been settled.)2) Was Tony satisfied with this end?(Tony was not satisfied. He kept on working hard until he fulfilled his better dreams.)4. From then on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and ends around our place a broken screen, a bit of hardware, boards from packing Tony would ga

23、ther and take home. (Para. 21)1) Why did Tony take home the discarded odds and ends?(Tony bought a house, which was a complete wreck. To fix and decorate it, and, above all, to save money, he took home the discarded odds and ends.)2) Translate the sentence into Chinese.(从那以后，只要我家附近有什么被人扔弃的零星杂物，坏了的屏风

24、啦，五金器具啦，包装纸板啦，托尼都要收起来拿回家，看他这个样子真是有意思。)5. He had hunted around the edge of town until he found a small, abandoned piece of property with a house and shed. (Para. 26)1) What does “property” refer to?(“Property” refers to the farm he wanted to buy.)2) Translate the sentence into Chinese.(他在小镇周边到处找，终于找到

25、一处没人要的一小块地产，有一幢房，还有间小棚。)6. He grew in stature in my mind. (Para. 30)1) Paraphrase the sentence.(He grew taller and greater in my mind. His social status greatly improved in my mind.)2) Describe the change of Tonys social status in Mr. Crawfords mind.(When Mr. Crawford first met Tony, Tony was “about

26、 five-foot-seven or eight, and thin”, and his English was broken. He remained standing when he talked to Mr. Crawford. He did not have high social status. After he bought his farm several years later, he “seemed to stand a little straighter”, and he “had a look of confidence”. He and Mr. Crawford “s

27、at down and talked”. His social status improved enough to allow him to sit down with Mr. Crawford. After he passed away, Mr. Crawford thought “he stood as tall, and as proud, as the greatest American industrialists.”)7. Tony did not begin on the bottom rung of the ladder. He began in the basement. (

28、Para. 32)1) What does “ladder” refer to? And what does “basement” refer to?(“Ladder” refers to the way to success. “Basement” refers to Tonys starting point. He was worse than ordinary people. He had nothing to help him seek his American Dream.)2) What can you infer from the sentence?(Tony had nothi

29、ng when he arrived in the United States, and he built up from nothing.)8. But, after all, the balance sheets were exactly the same. The only difference was where you put the decimal point. (Para. 32)1) What do balance sheets refer to? And what does decimal point refer to?(Balance sheets are used to

30、show whether a person or a company is financially successful. Here they are used to judge a persons life achievements. If the decimal point is moved, a number will become either smaller or bigger. Here it shows the difference in the amount of money Tony and the greatest industrialists had made.)2) W

31、hat can you infer from the sentences?(What Tony and the greatest industrialists achieved was exactly the same. The only difference was that they had different financial success.)II. Words & Expressionsturn away: refuse to help (sb.) or allow (sb.) to enter a place- 他拒绝了所有的应征者。 (He turned all the app

32、licants away.)- He turned away several people who didnt have the tickets. Collocation:turn down 拒绝；调低turn in 交还，上交turn into 使变成turn off 关；拐弯turn out 生产，制造；证明，结果turn over 仔细考虑turn up 出现，来到；开大，调大 work out: plan; solve; calculate- 他们已经设计出把宇宙飞船送上太空的方法。 (Theyve worked out a method of sending a spacecraft to the space.)- The