New Horizon College English (Book 2)?Unit 3

Contents

Section A Marriage Across the Nations

Section B Rich Meeting His Future Mother-in-law

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. talk about challenging communication tasks of choosing a life-long partner.

2. talk about advantages and problems of a cross-cultural marriage.

3. master the key language points grammatical structures in the text;

4. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit

5. tell facts from opinions in reading.

Section A Marriage Across the Nations

Background Information

Racism: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. In the history of America, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the prominent leaders against racial discrimination and striving for civil rights.

Pre-reading Activities

1. Look and Say

1. Look at these photos of some celebrities. Can you recognize them?

2. Do you know something about their families?

3. What do you call such marriages?

4. Do you want to follow suit? Why and why not?

Hint: Wei Wei (韋唯) ’s husband is a famous Swedish composer. Echo’s(三毛) husband is a Spanish professional diver. Maggie’s (張曼玉)is a wealthy Frenchman. And Jiang Wen’s (姜文) wife is French, too. Their marriages can be called marriages across nations.

2. Listen and Answer

1. For what two reasons did Gail and Mark live together?

--- They wanted to marry for the right reasons.

2. How did Gail’s father and mother react to the news about the wedding plans?

--- Gail’s mother supported her. But her father thought Mark might be using this marriage to obtain United States citizenship.

3. In what ways are Gail’s and her father’s views different?

--- His strong-willed daughter thought doubt meant no action; she would rather act now and worry later. Her father reminded her it was never too late to change her mind.

Global Reading

Structure Analysis

1). Central topic: Gail and Mark decided to marry despite their racial and cultural differences after being together for two years and getting to know each other better, but the plan met with opposition from the girl’s parents.

2). Part Division of the Text

Part I (Para.1-4): Gail and Mark decided to marry after being together for two years to get to know each other better and learn to take a realistic view on a mixed marriage.

Part II (Para.5-9): Their planned marriage met with Gail’s mother’s resistance, who reminded her to be very certain that Mark was the right life-long partner, though she did not oppose their plan because of his color.

Part III (Para. 10-21): Gail’s father’s reaction to their planned marriage.

Detailed Reading (language study & summary of the text)

1. Language study

1) . New words

1. subsequent: later, following 后來的，隨后的，繼起的

The first and all subsequent visits were kept secret. 第一次及其后來的所有訪問全都保密。

He died during the subsequent year. 他于次年去世。

2. harbor (英harbour)

v. 1. keep (sth.) secretly in one's mind 心懷，懷有

Tiffany's been harboring spite against our boss ever since her transfer was refused. 自從蒂芬妮的調(diào)職被拒絕后，她對我們的老板一直懷恨在心。

I'm certainly not harboring a secret desire for the man, if that's what you are thinking. 如果你這樣想的話，我告訴你我對那男人肯定沒有不可告人的要求。

2. give shelter to (a criminal, etc.); protect 庇護，窩藏(罪犯)，隱匿

The trees harbor monkeys. 樹林里有猴子。

There will be a serious punishment for anyone who harbors criminals. 任何窩藏罪犯的人都將受到嚴厲懲罰。

n. [C, U] place of shelter for ships 港，港口

All the ships stayed in the harbor during the storm. 在風暴期間所有的船只都停泊在港灣里。

Some of the best natural harbors in the world are there. 那里有幾個世界上最好的天然港。

3. confirm

1. prove (a report, an opinion, etc.) true or correct 證實，證明，確定

The announcements confirmed that the election would take place on June 20th. 公告證實選舉將于6月20日舉行。

Everything you have just said confirms us in the view that nobody can be trusted. 你剛才所說的一切向我們證實了一個觀點：誰都不能信任。

2. make (a plan or meeting) certain, often by telephone or writing (通過電話、書信)確定，確認(安排、會議)

a note asking us to confirm when we would be arriving 要我們確定何時抵達的便條

I'd like to confirm a reservation for a double room on the first of July. 我想確認一下預訂7月1日一間雙人房。

4. harsh

1. cruel; severe 嚴厲的，殘酷的，苛刻的

His family wouldn't survive the harsh winter. 他一家人將無法熬過這個冬天。

That is a very harsh punishment to give a young child. 那樣去懲罰一個幼兒很殘忍。

2. unpleasantly rough or sharp, esp. to the senses 刺耳 (目) 的

The noise is too harsh to the ear. 那種噪聲十分刺耳。

I don't like the color of that dress; it's too harsh. 我不喜歡那件衣服的顏色，太刺眼了。

5. proceed

1. go to a further or the next stage; go on 著手，繼續(xù)進行

Having said how much she liked it, she then proceeded to make critical comments about the way I'd done it. 她說她很喜歡我做的這件事，可接著就批評起我做這件事的方式來。

Let's proceed to the next question.現(xiàn)在討論下一個問題。

2. make one's way; go 前進，行進

The crowd proceeded to the church. 人群向教堂走去。

Proceed to the next light, and then turn left. 走到了下一個交通燈時向左拐。

2). Phrases and expressions

1. ups and downs: the changing of good and bad luck 好運和壞運的交替;盛衰;浮沉

He stuck by her through all life's ups and downs. 他始終不渝地陪伴她歷盡了人生的榮辱浮沉。

Like most married couples we've had our ups and downs, but life is like that. 像大多數(shù)已婚夫婦一樣, 我們也經(jīng)歷過波折起伏。可生活就是那樣的。

2. for a time: for a short period 暫時，一度

You'll have your own office soon but for a time you'll have to share one. 不久你會有自己的辦公室, 不過你暫時還得與別人合用。

For a time, we all thought that Sherry and Frank would get married. 有一段時間，我們都以為雪莉和弗蘭克會結婚。

3. meet with: encounter sth.; experience sth. 遭遇，受到，經(jīng)歷

She met with heavy traffic on her way back. 她在回來的路上遇到了嚴重的交通阻塞。

They'd never met with such poor service before. 他們以前從未遇到過這么糟糕的服務。

4. all along: all the time; from the beginning 始終，從開始一直

I realized I had had it in my pocket all along. 我發(fā)現(xiàn)它一直就在我衣袋里。

She was kind to me all along. 她一直對我很好。

5. on the surface: when not observed, thought about, etc. deeply 表面上, 外表上, 從表面上看

The plan seems on the surface to be quite practical. 表面看來這個計劃很切實可行。

On the surface, this seems like a difficult problem, but in fact there's an easy solution to it. 表面看來這是個難題, 實際上很容易解決。

6. at one’s worst: showing the most unpleasant side of sb. 最差的一面

I'm at my worst in the morning. 我早晨的時候感覺最不好。

This problem over late paying has shown him at his worst. 這個遲延付款的問題顯示出了他為人最糟糕的一面。

7. take care of: be responsible for; deal with 負責，處理

Her secretary took care of all her appointments. 她的約會都由她的秘書負責安排。

All the travel plans have been taken care of. 所有旅行安排都處理好了。

2. Summary of the Text

Mark, a Black, and his girlfriend Gail decided to marry him after being together for two years, experiencing the usual ups and downs of a couple, learning to know, understand and respect each other. They tried to avoid the mistake made by many couples of marrying for the wrong reasons, only to learn more about tolerance, compromise and being open with each other despite their racial and cultural differences.

However, Gail’s mother, who had all along supportive of their relationship, counseled Gail to be really certain she was doing the right thing. Gail’s father even went so far as to suspect that Mark might be using this marriage to obtain United States citizenship. He quoted statistics and gave examples to illustrate the higher divorce rates and possible problems existing in mixed couples to warn Gail that she was rushing into marriage without thinking carefully about it.

After Reading

1. Work in groups and discuss the following questions with your group, using as many as the words and expressions in the text as possible.

1) What did Gail and Mark experience during their two years together?

2) What effect did racial and cultural differences have on them?

3) What happened when Gail spread the news of their wedding plans to her family?

4) Why did Gail’s mother counsel her to be sure she was doing the right thing?

5) How did Gail’s father react to their planned marriage?

6) What are the advantages and disadvantages of cross-cultural marriage?

2. Work in pairs, and comment on the following statements.

1) Time will confirm what we feel deeply about each other.

2) Mixed couples have higher divorce rates than couples of the same race.

3) More and more young people are taking a practical attitude toward marriage.

4) Late marriage is becoming a trend in large cities.

5) Divorce represents social progress.

3. Structured Writing

Try to write your own paragraph, which starts with a correction of one idea and goes on to present another idea. You may choose one of the following topics. One of the topics has a detailed outline that you can follow if you choose.

Detailed outline:

the Brazil government, a good idea to colonize the Amazon, help with the national economy

2 many other people, not agree

2 my idea: colonization of the Amazon, bring, severe environment disaster

2 people chop down trees, build houses, farms, factories

2 trees, become fewer, chemical from farms and factories, pollute, the rivers, the fish, die

Other topics

2 Smoking helps thinking?

2 Pollution is inevitable.

Homework

1. Finish the exercises in Section A.

2. Prepare for Section B.

Section B Rich Meeting His Future Mother-in-law

Reading Skills

1. General Introduction

Recognizing Differences between Facts and Opinions

Most reading passages contain ideas based on fact and opinion. It is very important to know when we are reading facts and when we are reading a writer’s opinion. The ability to recognize differences between fact and opinion can help us to achieve a deeper level of understanding in our reading.

Facts are statements that tell what really happened or what really is the case. A fact can be proved or disproved with direct evidence. It is something known by actual experience or observing. For example:

Gail and I imagined a quiet wedding. During our two years together we had experienced the usual ups and downs of a couple learning to know, understand, and respect each other. (Para. 1, Reading Passage A, Unit 3)

Opinions are statements of belief, judgment or feeling. They show what someone thinks or feels about a subject. Solid opinions, of course, are based on facts. However, opinions are still somebody’s view of something and are not facts themselves. Look at the following example:

But when I met Mark I found him a charming and intelligent young guy. (Para. 6, Reading Passage A, Unit 3)

But it is not always easy to tell opinion from fact. A writer often combines the two in such a way that we do not always notice where fact ends and opinion begins. When we have a mixture of fact and opinion in a single statement, we must decide whether the main point of the sentence is essentially fact or opinion. Sometimes an opinion is presented as if it were a fact:

My biggest worry is that you may be marrying Mark for the same wrong reasons that I married your father. (Para. 7, Reading Passage A, Unit 3)

2. Exercise

Do the exercise on Page. 74.

Language Study

1. New Words

1. slice

v. cut sth. into thin wide flat pieces 把... ...切成薄片

Could you slice me a very thin piece of cake? 你能為我切一片很薄的蛋糕嗎?

He sliced the top off his finger while he was cutting vegetables.當他切蔬菜時不小心削了手指尖。

n. [C] a flat, often thin, piece of food that has been cut from a large piece 片

a slice of bread 一片面包

Would you like another slice of beef? 你還要來一片牛肉嗎?

2. ingredient

1. [C] any of the foods that are combined to make a particular dish (構成某種食品的各種)成分，配料

The list of ingredients included 500g of sugar and 200ml of cream. 配料單上列出的成份包括500克糖和200毫升的奶油。

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. 把所有配料在碗里攪拌好。

2. [C] any of the qualities of which sth. is made (形成某事物的)因素

the ingredients of sb.'s character 構成某人性格的種種要素

Trust is a key ingredient in a successful marriage. 信任是成功婚姻的關鍵要素。

3. concerning: about (sb. / sth.) 關于

a letter concerning your complaints 一封與你的投訴有關的信

If you have any information concerning the recent event at the station, please contact the police. 要是你了解任何有關最近車站所發(fā)生事情的情況，請與警方聯(lián)系。

4. compact

1. (of person or an animal) small, strong, and well-built 結實的

a compact body 結實的身體

2. closely and neatly packed together 緊湊的，小巧的

compact disc (CD) 激光唱片

What a compact office! How did you fit so much into so little space? 多小巧的辦公室啊!你們是如何把這么多的東西放進這么小的房間的?

5. behalf: [U] interest; side 利益，方面

on someone's behalf 代表, 為……的利益

On behalf of my husband and myself I thank you. 我代表我的丈夫和我本人向您表示感謝。

Ken is not present, so I shall accept the prize on his behalf. 肯沒出席，所以我將代表他領獎。

2. Phrases and Expressions

1. come up with: find or produce (an answer, a solution, etc.) 找到，想出 (答案、解決方法)

She came up with a new idea for increasing sales. 她想出了一個增加銷售量的新主意。

I hope you can come up with a better plan than that. 我希望你能想出一個比這個更好的方案來。

2. win over: gain (sb.'s) support or favor 爭得 (別人的) 支持或恩惠

She's against the idea, but I'm sure I can win her over. 她是反對這個主意的，但是我確信我能把她爭取過來。

They've won over a lot of villagers since she's been leader of the party. 自從她成為這個黨的領導者之后，他們已經(jīng)贏得了眾多村民的支持。

3. from head to toe: over the whole length of one's body 從頭到腳，渾身上下

The children were covered in mud from head to toe. 孩子們渾身上下都是泥。

The policeman observed me from head to toe as though I were a thief. 這個警察上上下下打量了我一番，好像我是個小偷似的。

4. hold one’s breath: stop breathing for a short time 屏息

The whole country held its breath as it waited for news. 全國都緊張地等待著消息。

The people held their breath as the young man climbed through the window. 人們都屏息看著這個年輕人爬過窗子。

5. hit it off: have a friendly relationship with each other 相處得很好

Do you hit it off with your husband's mother? 你和你丈夫的母親合得來嗎?

I didn't really hit it off with his friends. 我和他的朋友并不很合得來。