现代大学英语精读1 (第三版)教师用书 Unit 2.docx

Unit 2Text AMessage of the Land Pira SudhamI Introduction 1 Background1. Genre (type of writing)This text is different from the previous two, which are both stories. In teaching stories, we must first help students to follow the plot and find out what the author intends to get across to the reader the thesis, which is often implied, and not directly stated. Readers often have different ideas about the thesis of a story.The present text is an essay in a very broad sense of the word, for it was written down by the writer who interviewed a farmer and his wife. Since the end of World War II it has become popular for writers to interview people, record what they say and, after some, not too much, editing, publish these peoples stories in book form.2. StyleThe style of such writing is colloquial, the language straightforward, and the sentences generally short. When we read the text, we feel as if we were sitting face to face with the couple, listening to their stories and experiences, sharing their joys and sorrows.Note the figures of speech the farmer and his wife use. They are vivid, expressive and appropriate. Here are a few examples:. and it is like a knife piercing my heart. (para. 2). and it is no longer fertile, bleeding year after year, and like us getting old and exhausted. (para. 3)When each of them has a pair of jeans, they are off like birds on the wing. (para. 9)3. UrbanizationUrbanization is the process by which more and more people leave the countryside to live and work in cities. We find in the farmer and his wife qualities that are shared by many who till the landlove of the land, love of physical labor, and above all, love of family. We are also impressed by their honesty and kindness and by their simple life. Their children, however, are quite different. The way they leave the land is typical of many young people born and brought up in the countryside. They dont see anyattraction in farming and, as soon as possible, leave for the city to seek their fortune. As a result, farming is left to the old people. This is true not only in Thailand but also in many other developing countries.2 StructureThe text can be roughly divided into two parts; both can be further divided into several sections.Part I What the farmers wife says (paras. 17)1. A brief introduction of her family and their land (paras. 13)1) The land has been passed on to them from her parents and forefathers.2) She misses her four children who have all left home to work in faraway places/work far away, leaving the old couple to take care of the land alone.3) Her husband is different from her, patient and silent, minding his own life.4) She and her husband still hang on to the land although it is no longer so fertile.2. How many other changes have taken place. (paras. 47)Many of the things she sees and hears bother her. She doesnt like those changes andcannot adapt to them and therefore is considered old-fashioned by the young people.Part II What the husband/farmer says (paras. 811)1. His wife is wrong about him. He not only sees and hears a lot more things, but also knows what the root of all evils is. (paras. 89)2. His biggest worrywho will take over his land when he dies. His biggest wish is to have a lot of grandchildren. (para. 10)3. He is determined to continue his life as always because he loves the land and enjoys farming, and he hopes he can pass on the lands secret message to his grandchildren. (para. 11)3 Teaching Tips1. Rice cultivationTo help students mostly born in the 1990s understand the hardships of paddy rice farmer we could give them a brief account of how rice is cultivated with the help of pictures.Rice is cultivated basically in two ways. Rice farmers in developing countries usually sow seeds in small seedbeds then hand-transplant the seedlings into flooded fields that have been plowed and leveled (made flat and smooth) by water buffalo-drawn plows. One advantage of transplanting seedlings instead of planting seed is that the young plants help limit weeds by shading them from needed sun. In industrialized countries seed is sown with a machine or cast from an airplane into machine-leveled fields that are then flooded. Herbicides are the primary method of weed control.Transplanting rice seedlings by hand is a hard job for the farmers have to stand in muddy water barefoot and push the seedlings into the mud with their fingers a few at a time.2. Discussion What kind of people do you think the farmer and his wife are? What fine qualities do you find in them? Compare the farmer with his wife. What do they have in common? In what ways are they different? Do you think the farmer and his wife are conservative in some way? Explain. What do you think is the land's secret message the farmer wants to pass to his grandchildren? Do you agree with all that the farmer and his wife say? Do you think it s reasonable for young people in the countryside to leave for the city to seek better opportunities for themselves?II Detailed Discussion of the Text1. They belonged to my parents and forefathers. (para. 1)belong to sb: to be owned by sbegThis computer belongs to my roommate, Wang Lin.Who does the bag on the seat belong to?2. it was I who stayed with my parents till they died. (para. 1)Learn how to use the emphatic form “it is/was. that/who. ”.More examples:It was my sister who went to teach in a village school upon graduation. It was in Shanghai that I first met Professor Li.3. My husband moved into our house as is the way with us in Esarn. (para. 1) (When we got married) my husband came to live in our house. It was the tradition here in Esarn that the bridegroom should come to live with the brides family.“As” here introduces a defining relative clause, and functions as its subject, representing what is stated in the main clause.More examples:As is often the case, the boy was late for class. (assubject of the clause)As was only to be expected, the election was very close. (assubject of the clause)4. The rest, two boys and two girls, went away as soon as we could afford to buy jeans for them. (para. 1)Our other children two boys and two girls left as soon as we had the money to buy them jeans.the rest (of sth): the remaining people or things; the othersegThree tall boys were asked to clean the windows; the rest of the class were to sweep the floor and clean the desks.One of the books is quite difficult; the rest are easy. afford sth/to do sth: to have enough money to buy or to do sth egQuite a lot of Chinese families can afford cars.At the moment I cant afford a trip to Europe.5. They come home to see us now and then, stay a few days, and then they are off again. (para. 2)They come home to see us from time to time, stay with us for a few days, and then leave again.(every) now and then: from time to time; now and again; occasionally stay a few days: Here the noun phrase “a few days” is used adverbially. be off: be away from a placeeg My father is off to Russia next week.6. and tell us that they are doing well. I know this is not always true. (para. 2). although they always tell us that everything is fine with them, I know they also have difficulties and problems. They just do not tell us because they do not want us to worry.7. it is like a knife piercing my heart. (para. 2)(When I hear about their hardships) I feel very bad/sad.8. Its easier for my husband. He has ears which dont hear, a mouth which doesnt speak, and eyes that dont see. (para. 2)News about my childrens problems doesnt make my husband as sad as me. He doesnt bother about whats happening around us and to our children. Our childrens hardships dontseem to bother him.9. He has always been patient and silent, minding his own life. (para. 2)Hes always been patient and talks little. He just does his duty and carries on his life.Note: The usual phrase is “mind ones own business” which means “do not interfere”.10. All of them remain my children in spite of their long absence. (para. 3) Although they are often away for a long time, I love and care about them as always because they are my children.in spite of sth: although sth is trueegThe children went out to play in spite of the cold. In spite of his age, my grandpa lives an active life.11. Our piece of land is small, and it is no longer fertile, bleeding year after year, and like us, getting old and exhausted. (para. 3)Our land is getting poorer with each passing year, like us who are getting old, weak and tired.year after year: every year for many yearsSimilar expressions:day after day, week after week, etc12. but in a bad year, its not only the ploughs that break, but our hearts, too.(para. 3). but when there is a drought, the soil is so hard that the ploughs break. And we become very, very sad. but our hearts: the verb in the clause introduced by “but” is omitted to avoidrepetition.Note: The verb “break”, used twice in the sentence, has different meanings.(ploughs) break: to separate into two or more pieces(heart) break: (people) to become very sad Two adjectives derived from the collocation:heartbreaking: causing extreme sadness, as in a heartbreaking storyheartbroken: extremely sad13. Only ten years ago, you could barter for things, but now its all cash. (para. 4) Just ten years ago, we could exchange one thing for another, but today we have to pay (use money) to get everything we need. (In the past we were more or less self-sufficient. But now we have to buy everything from/in/on the market.)14. Men used to make things with fine bamboo pieces, but no longer. (para. 4) In the past men made fine bamboo crafts but they no longer do that.used to do sth. but no longer.This expression is often used to show a changeegThey used to come and see their parents every week, but no longer.15. Shops have sprung up, filled with colorful plastic things and goods we have no use for. (para. 4)Shops have suddenly appeared in the villages. They are filled with attractive plastic things and with things we dont need.spring up: to appear or develop quickly and suddenlyfill: to make or become fullegI filled the thermos bottle with hot water. (used as vt) The room was filling quickly. (used as vi)be filled with sth: to be full of sthegThe girls room is filled with toys.The house is filled with smoke.have no use for sth: to not need sthegOur children are all gone; we have no use for this big house.When the boy started school, he had no use for his toys and gave themaway.16. These rough fingers and toes are for working in the mud of our rice fields, not for looking pretty. (para. 4)What is the good of painting the nails of my fingers and toes? Their place is in the paddy fields where I work, so there is no point in making them look pretty.Note: Rice plants grow in water until they are ripening. Therefore, rice farmers often have to work in paddy fields.17. In my day, if I were to put on a pair of trousers like they do now, lightning would strike me. (para. 4)When I was young, I surely would be punished by God if I ever wore trousers like that.This means that in those days it was considered very improper for girls to wear such trousers. (In Thailand, females wore wraparound skirts.) In some Asian countries, to be struck dead by lightning is believed to be a punishment by God.Note: Dont confuse “lightning” with “lightening”.lightning: a flash of bright light in the sky which is produced by electricity moving between clouds or from clouds to the ground 闪电lightening: the present participle of “lighten”, which means “(to cause) to become bright”in sbs day: when sb was young18. but certain things should not change. (para. 5). but we shouldnt abandon/give up certain things, for example, our duty to our parents, our religious beliefs, our sympathy for others, etc19. Young people tend to leave these things to old people now, and thats a shame.(para. 5)It is a pity that young people dont do these things, thinking that they are only for theold.tend to do sth: to be likely to do sth (usually sth bad)20. Why, only the other day I heard a boy shout and scream at his mother. (para. 6)Recently, I heard a boy shout (or yell) rudely at his mother.the other day: a few days agoshout at sb: to speak loudly, often angrily to sbegHe often shouted at his wife, and this upset her. cfshout to sb: to speak loudlyegTom shouted to Jack to pass the ball.21. If that kind of thing had happened when I was young, the whole village would have condemned such an ungrateful son, and his father would surely have given him a good beating. (para. 6)Note the pattern of unreal conditional clauses.More examples:If I had worked harder, I would have passed the exam.If you had come five minutes earlier, you would have caught the train. If he had been in the house, he would have died in the fire.22. As for me, I wouldnt change, couldnt change even if (Ipawraa.n7t)ed to. I dont think I would change like that, and it would be impossible for me to change even if I wanted to. (This implies that it isnt easy for her to change her ways and her beliefs of a lifetime.)as for sb/sth: used when you start to talk about something new that is connected with what you have been talking aboutegXiao Wang is now teaching in a middle school; as for Xiao Li, shesdoing a PhDfrom the bank.at Peking University.Labor is cheap. Land is also available. As for money, we can borroweven if: in spite of the fact or belief thategEven if I had the money, I wouldnt buy a thing like that.Ill go even if no one else does.23. This question has never occurred to me. (para. 7)Ive never asked myself/thought about the questionwhether or not I am happy.occur to sb: (of an idea or thought) to come into sbs mindegA happy thought occurred to me while I was surfing the Internet.Note: Dont say “. occur to my mind”.24. Yes, this bag of bones dressed in rags can still plant and reap rice from morning till dusk. (para. 7)Its true Im not strong and my clothes are old and patched, but I can still work in the rice fields all day. (So a persons worth does not lie in his/her appearance but in the strength within.)a bag of bones: a very thin personegAfter her illness, she became a bag of bones.in rags: wearing old torn clothsNote:rag: a small piece of old cloth used for cleaning things 抹布rags: clothes that are old and torn25. Disease, wounds, hardship and scarcity have always been part of my life. Idont complain. (para. 7)All my life I have suffered from disease, injuries, hardship and