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A New English Course (Level 7)
Unit One
Text I
English and American Concepts of
Space
I.
About
the
Author
---
Edward
Twitchell
Hall
(1914
---),
.
anthropologist,
author,
and
teacher,
received
his
.
degree
in
anthropology
from
Columbia
University.
He
has
taught
at
various
institutions,
such
as
Harvard
Business School, the Illinois Institute
of Technology, and Northwestern
University. His works include:
The Silent Language
(1959),
a study of
nonverbal communication, and
The Hidden Dimension
(1966),
a study of
“
social and
personal space and man
’
s
perception of it.
”
The
present
text, a selection from
The Hidden Dimension
, gives
a contrast between
English and American
concepts of personal space.
About the author:
Down the drain
Edward
’
s The
Hidden Dimension, perhaps the scariest book (even
scarier than 1984) I ever read. Scary,
because it isn
’
t fiction,
but a
rather
elaborate
essay
on
anthropology
and
proxemic
behavior.
If
Hall
’
s
right,
things
as
disregard
for
other
cultures,
mindless
urban
development
and
demographic
growth
have
generated
a
behavioral
sink
in
which
stress,
crime, intolerance and physical and
psychic disease grow everyday, and
to
make
things
worse,
our
governments
take
measures
that
only
accelerate
the process. We are all going down the
drain.
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Put Ed Hall
’
s
Insights to Work in Your World
Ed
Hall
is
one
of
the
preeminent
cultural
anthropologists
of
all
times.
His
works,
studies,
and
insights
into
the
rich
modern
anthropology
reflect
a
life
long
passion
he
developed
as
a
teenager
in
the
1930
’
s
Southwest
.
assigned
to
work
on
white-managed
WPA
crews
alongside
Navajo
workers
whose
cultural bearings and world views were
vastly different than his own
people
’
s views.
Hidden
Dimensions
examines
the
cultural
contexts
of
space,
how
people
define their personal and community
spaces as part of their cultural
norms.
How
far
apart
or
close
do
people
of
a
similar
culture
feel
comfortable
standing or
sitting next to one another and in what
circumstances When
do
you
feel
someone
is
“
in
your
space
”
This
personal
comfort
zone
differs
culture
to
culture.
Yours
may
be
different
than
mine.
Hall
develops
these
“<
/p>
proxemics
”
(proximity) in this book by observing and visiting
with
peoples from around the globe, and
shares the wisdom gained with you so
that
you
might
expand
your
own
world
views
and
spatial
orientations
when
mixing with foreign
cultures to your own.
Well
worth
the
sheckles
to
add
this
great
work
to
your
life
’
s
library.
Collect all of
Hall
’
s works.
Best of the Best
A
fabulous
writing
on
how
human
beings
react
to
and
make
use
of
special
distance from a
physical and psychological viewpoint, . the study
of
proxemics. The type of book that
should be reissued without fail by the
publisher, though it is old, since it
is a classic in its field. Actual
numerical distances and their effect /
use / experience by humans are
explained as well as much about
eyesight and its abilities. Hall also
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explains how different Euro cultures
(German, French, and others) plus
how
Americans
use
space
differently.
I’
m
seldom
this
positive
about
any
book
but must give this one a highest
rating.
II. Organization and
Development
Like
most
writings
of
an
academic
nature,
this
article
is
neatly-structured. Its thesis is
clearly stated in the first paragraph
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and
is
developed
in
the
rest
of
the
article
by
contrast.
Can
you
identify
the
sentence in the first paragraph that states the
thesis
The sentence in the
1
st
paragraph that states
the thesis:
If
there
ever
were
two
cultures
in
which
differences
of
the
proxemic
details are marked it is in the
educated English and the middle-class
Americans.
The
contrasts
Hall
has
made
are
frequently
marked
by
words
or
phrases
generally
known
as
sentence
adverbials
or
connectives.
Locate
such
items
throughout the writing and try to tell
what contrast they introduce.
Words or phrases used to indicate
contrasts:
Paragraph
1
“
whereas
”
--- contrasting
space for Americans with the social
system for the English as a factor
determining a
person
’
s social
status
“
however
”
---
contrasting the importance of
one
’
s address in
the United States with that of the
position in the
social
system
into
which
a
person
is
born
in
Britain
Paragraph
3
“
on the other
hand
”
--- contrasting what
is said in the 2nd
paragraph
with
what
is
said
in
the
3
rd
,
.
the
American
’
s
sense
of
space
that
can
be
called
his
own
with the
Englishman
’
s sense of shared
space
Paragraph 5
“
on
the
other
hand
”
---
contrasting
the
different
ways
in
which
Americans
and
the
English
behave
when
seeking
seclusion
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The contrast Hall has made serves to
explain the apparent clash
between the
English and Americans, .
why they behave differently when they have the
same need to satisfy.
III. Notes
1.
In
what
sense
does
Hall
use
the
word
“
separated
”
in
the
first
sentence
Made culturally different.
2.
What, according to the author, has
really separated the English and
the
Americans
Not
the
different
ways
in
which
the
English
language
is
used
as
assumed
by
most people, but the different ways of handling
time, space and
materials.
3.
communications
on
other
levels
---
Broadly
speaking,
communication
is
of two kinds: verbal and nonverbal.
Verbal communication consists of
word
language and the variations in meaning which a
person puts into
words through the
way
they are said. Thus
different intonation may
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impart
different
meanings.
Nonverbal
communication
consists
of
non-word
language
such
as
gestures
and
bodily
action,
visual
aids
like
graphs
and
photos,
certain
activities,
and
time,
space,
and
materials
as mentioned by
the author. What the author means here is that
words
do not account as much for the
differences of the two peoples as the
other levels of
communication.
4. ego --- 1) self, especially as
contrasted with another self or the
world;
2)
one
’
s
opinion
of
oneself;
self-esteem,
.:
He
has
an
enormous
ego.
(= thinks he is a very fine person).
3)
tech
.
(in Freudian psychology) the one of the three
parts of
the
mind
that
connects
a
person
to
the
outside
world,
because
it
can
think
and act; conscious
self
5. rephrase
the sentence:
The
differences for which language gets blamed may not
be due so much
to words as to
communications on other levels beginning with
English
intonation
(which
sounds
affected
to
many
Americans)
and
continuing
to
ego-linked ways of handling time,
space, and materials.
Some
people
complain
about
the
English
language
for
its
being
so
different in the two countries. These
differences, however, may have
resulted
not from the words people use, but rather from
individual
linguistic
habits,
which
are
displayed
in
the
adoption
of
a
particular
intonation
(English intonation sounds unnatural to
Americans), and
extend down to the way
people look at the world.
6.
Proxemics
is
the
study
of
the
communicative
value
of
space
and
distance
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in various cultures. It includes the
study of the physical distance
between
people when they are talking to each other, as
well as their
postures and whether or
not there is physical contact during their
conversation. These factors can be
looked at in relation to the sex,
age,
and
social
and
cultural
background
of
the
people
involved,
and
also
their attitudes
to
each other
and
their state of mind. Of interest are
such
features
as
the
physical
distance
considered
proper
or
comfortable
between
two
people
engaged
in
conversation
or
standing
near
each
other
in
public
places.
These
and
other
nonverbal
behavioral
features,
which
vary from culture to culture, have been
called
“
silent
language
”
by
Edward T. Hall.
“The
proxemic
details
”
refers to facts or
pieces of information
related
to
proxemics,
.,
how
closely
two
people
should
stand
or
sit
apart
when
talking
to
each
other,
whether
one
should
have
his
office
door
open
or closed, etc.
7.
A
public
school
in
Britain
is
a
private
secondary
boarding
school
with
a
pre-
university
curriculum.
Admission
is
by
entrance
examination.
The
term
“
public
school
”
emerged in the
eighteenth century
when the
reputation of certain grammar schools
spread beyond their immediate
environs.
They
began
taking
pupils
whose
parents
could
afford
residential
fees
and
thus
became
known
as
“
public
schools
”
,
in
contrast to
“
local
schools
”
. A public school is
different from a
comprehensive
school,
where
children
of
all
abilities
and
social
backgrounds are
taught together. A public school generally
prepares
students
academically
for
higher
education.
Therefore,
students
who
go
to public
schools
are supposed
to
be better educated than those who go
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to
comprehensive schools.
8. Middle-class Americans are a
heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping
composed
principally
of
business
and
professional
people
such
as
managers,
doctors,
lawyers,
teachers,
government
officials,
some
farmers and skilled workers. They are
characterized by a comfortable
material
standard
of
living,
and
respect
for
property.
Since
World
War
II, the
middle class has been the largest social class in
the United
States. In the most people
identify themselves as
“
middle-
class.
”
9.
disparity
---
(C,U)
(between,
in,
of)
fml
(an
example
of)
being
completely different or unequal; a
noticeable difference
.
There is (a) considerable disparity in the rates
of pay for men and
women.
10. What does the
“
social
system
”
in England refer
to
The
traditional
way
of
stratify
societying
into
classes,
which
remains
important /
influential even today.
11. Rephrase the sentence:
One
of
the
basic
reasons
for
this
wide
disparity
is
that
in
the
United
States we use space as a way of
classifying people and activities,
whereas
in
England
it
is
the
social
system
that
determines
who
you
are.
One
of
the
important
factors
that
has
contributed
to
such
a
big
difference
is
that
the
place
where
one
lives,
to
Americans,
can
present
a symbol of
one
’
s
status
or activity,
while in
England,
the class one
belongs to identifies
one
’
s position in
society.
12. Why
do you think one
’
s spatial
location means almost as much to the
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Americans as
one
’
s social location does
to the English
Think
of
the
different
history
of
the
two
countries.
Britain
has
a
long
history of feudal
social hierarchy, which had been firmly rooted and
survived the bourgeois revolution in
the 17
th
century. This
system has
not
been
completely
overcome
and
the
country
is
still
a
kingdom
today.
Aristocratic titles have been
hereditary and are still regarded as a
mark
of
a
person
’
s
social
status.
On
the
other
hand,
the
United
States
has
a
short
history
of
about
200
years,
which
began
with
a
vast
expanse
of
land
that
provided
abundant
space
for
people
to
fully
exercise
their
imagination
and
develop
their
talent.
A
person
’
s
background
is
far
less
important
than
what
space
he
can
find
for
himself
and
what
he
can
achieve
in that
space.
13.
prestigious
---
having
prestige,
.
general
respect
or
admiration
felt
for
someone
or
something,
because
they
have
high
quality,
social
influence, success,
etc.
14.
fishmonger --- a person who owns or works in a
shop (fishmonger
’
s)
which sells fish: I bought a nice piece
of cod from the fishmonger /
at the
fishmonger
’
s.
15.
stall
---
a
table
or
small
open-
fronted
shop
in
a
public
place:
a
market
stall
16. allot --- give as a
share or set apart for a purpose
. Most of the money has already been
allotted.
They
allotted us three weeks to finish the
job.
We were unable to
finish it in the allotted time.
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17.
What
conclusion
has
the
author
reached
by
the
end
of
the
first
paragraph
？
Spatial
allocation
does
not
have
the
same
implication
for
the
English
and for Americans.
18. How is the first
paragraph related to the second one
The last sentence of the first
paragraph introduces the next two
paragraphs, which illustrate
differences between the English and the
Americans in the allotment of
space.
19.
den
---
infml
.
a
small
quiet
comfortable
room
in
a
house,
where
a
person,
usually a man, can be alone
(
小书斋
;
小巧而舒适的私室
) .
Father
’
s in
his
den.
--- the home of a
usu. Large fierce wild animal, such as a
lion
---
a
center
of
secret,
esp. illegal, activity,
. a
den
of thieves
20.
“
the
shop
”
--- a place where
things made or repaired
“工场”
21. What does the author
try to contrast in the second and the third
paragraph
How
differently space is allotted in Britain and the
United States,
the former having
a strong
sense of
“
shared
space
”
and the
latter of
“
one
’
s
own space.
”
22. vacate --- give up the occupancy
of; stop using; leaving (a room or
place) so that it is available for
someone else to use
23. inconsequential --- unimportant;
insignificant
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24. be entitled to --- possess the
right to have or to do something
25. Rephrase the
sentence:
As a
consequence, the English are puzzled by the
American need for a
secure place in
which to work, an office.
As a result, it is hard for the English to figure
out why Americans
invariably feel
it
is necessary
to
find themselves a space,
such as an
office, where they may work
without being disturbed.
26.
implication
---
something
that
is
suggested
or
implied
by
a
particular
situation, event, or
statement
27.
typify --- v. 1) (not in progressive forms) be a
typical example of;
show
all
the
most
usual
characteristics
of
something,
.
The
shoe-shine
boy who becomes a
millionaire typifies the American Dream.
2) (not in progressive
forms) to be a typical mark or sign of
成
为…的标记
: the high
quality that typifies all this work
3)
fml.
to
represent in a typical manner, . by an image,
model, or
likeness, . In this book we
have tried to typify the main classes of
verbs.
在本书中
,
我们力图以明显的方式把动词分成几大类
.
28. strain --- a state of
tension within or among people; . the current
strain in relations between the two
countries
29.
How
do
you
interpret
“
experiencing
strain
in
his
relationships
with
Americans
”
in
paragraph 4
Having
trouble getting along with Americans
30. Rephrase the
sentence:
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It took
some time but finally we were able to identify
most of the
contrasting
features
of
the
American
and
British
problems
that
were
in
conflict in this case.
It
was
not
until
some
time
later
that
we
managed
to
discover
the
major
differences that had
frustrated both sides in the above
story.
31.
How
differently
would
the
English
and
the
Americans
behave when
they
want to be alone
The Americans would go to their own rooms and shut
the door, whereas
the
English,
instead
of
finding
architectural
screens
to
shut
themselves
off,
would
provide
subtle
clues
to
others
present
that
they
do not
wish to be disturbed.
32. How would the English and the
Americans feel if they are not talked
to by people present in the same
room
Americans would feel
that they are being rejected. The English would
feel happy that others have recognized
the unseen barrier they have
erected to
keep off intrusion.
33. Rephrase the sentence:
They have in effect internalized a
set of barriers, which they erect
and
which others are supposed to recognize.
They have virtually built up, for
themselves, a wall, which may keep
them
safe
from
disturbance
when
necessary
and
which,
they
assume,
others
should be able to perceive and
respect.
34.
The
article
is
written
not
by
a
lay
person
based
on
casual
observations
but
by
a
professor
of
anthropology
based
on
his
research
findings.
Some
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words the
author
uses has
added
to the
academic flavor of
the
writing.
Can you
identify some of them and explain what they
mean
Proxemic --- adj.
of proxemics, a branch of sociology that studies
spatial
relations,
people
’
s
sense
of
space
and
their
need
of space
in
different situations, etc.
Subject --- a person that undergoes
scientific experimentation or
investigation
Ego --- the self of a person
Condition --- determine,
accustom
Seminar ---
regular
meeting
of
a
group
of
students
under
the
guidance
of a
tutor or a professor
Unit Two
TEXT I
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Tourists
I.
About the author
--- Nancy Mitford (),
English writer of novels,
biographies,
and essays, is noted for her witty novels of
upper-class
life. Her workers include:
Pursuit of Love
(1945),
Vlotaire in Love
(1957),
and
The
Sun
King
(1966),
about
Louis
XIV.
One
of
her
most
widely
read
books
was
Noblesse
Oblige
:
An
Inquiry
into
the
Identifiable
Characteristics
of
the
English
Aristocracy
(1956).
The
text
is
from
an
essay
called
“
The
Tourist,
”
part
of
a
collection
published
under
the
title
of
The Water Beetle
(1962).
II. Organization and
Development
Although part
of a collection, the selection is quite complete
in
itself
as
far
as
structure
is
concerned.
The
author
seems
to
have
followed
a
well-worked-out outline. Now try to restore that
outline, indicating
the main parts and
the major subdivisions under each of
them.
Outline for
reference:
1.
The island and the tourists
The island: location, natural features,
the cathedral and its
bells
The
tourists:
number,
transport,
lack
of
taste,
ill-mannered
behavior,
American-Englishmen-Germans
2.
Behavior of
the islanders
The
author
’
s general
attitude
Comparison of the
island to a stage
Young men
from Burano (Little Eric)
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Old women selling laces
The priest
The
tourists
’
response
3.
Torcello back to its life
routine
Young men
Old
women
Father of the
clover babies
The brief
description of the small island creates the
impression
that
it
might
be
a
nice,
quiet
retreat
for
writers
like
the
author
herself,
but it might not be a good tourist
resort. This helps to strengthen the
point the author wants to make, . the
tourists who swamp the place are
aimless in their touring.
III. Notes
1.
Based on the author
’
s
description, try to think of just a few words
and phrases that bring out the most
important features of the island
Torcello.
Small, ancient, abundant in wild flowers,
crisscrossed by waterways
2. Rephrase the sentence:
The
most
intensive
study
I
ever
made
of
tourists
was
at
Torcello,
where
it is impossible to avoid
them.
Since
tourists
can
be
seen
almost
everywhere
at
Torcello,
I
decided
to
observe them closely.
3. minute: very small
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4. lagoon: an area
of calm
sea
water partly or
completely separated from
the sea by
banks of sand, rock, coral, etc.
5.
a
great
cathedral
---
referring
to
SantaMaria
Assunta
Cathedral,
which
was founded in about 639, and rebuilt
in the ninth and the eleventh
century.
It
is
a
Byzantine
cathedral,
decorated
with
fine
Veneto-Byzantine
mosaics.
6. What
does the word
“
chorus
”
in line 8 refer to
bells ringing out
7. Explain the
sentence:
Bells
from
the
campanile
ring
out
reproaches
three
times
a
day
…
joined
by a chorus from the surrounding
islands. --- From the campanile, or
the
high bell tower, can be heard the reproaches, or
sets of verses
representing reproaches
of Jesus Christ to his people, three times a
day. Such reproaches ring out from the
nearby islands too.
“
cloches,
cloches,
divins
reproches
”
=
(French)
“
bells,
bells,
divine
reproaches
”
8. lonely as a cloud --- This is an
echo of William Wordsworth
’
s
poem
“
I Wandered Lonely as a
Cloud
”
(1804). The first
verse of the poem
is as follows:
I wandered
lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o
’
er
vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden
daffodils;
Beside
the lake, beneath the trees,
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Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
9. Rephrase the
sentence:
Torcello
which
used
to
be
lonely
as
a
cloud
has
recently
become
an
outing
from
Venice.
Torcello
was
at
one
time
an
island
scarcely
visited
by
people,
but
today
it has grown to be a
magnet for tourists from Venice.
10. chartered --- hired for
use by a particular group or person
11.
yacht
---
a
large
boat,
often
motor-driven,
used
for
pleasure;
a
light
sailing boat
12. towpath ---
a path (as along the bank of a canal or river)
traveled
by men or animals towing /
pulling boats
13.
Possibly
there
is
a
double
meaning
in
the
phrase
much
restored
in
line
13.
The
early
mosaics
are
made
to
look
new
again;
the
scenes
from
hell
are
brought back to
life.
14. a
great, sad, austere Madonna --- the image of Mary,
mother of Jesus
Christ, in mosaics, who
appears sorrowful and stern
15. Byzantine art --- the symbolical
system of art which was developed
by
the
early
Greek
or
Byzantine
artists
out
of
the
Christian
symbolism.
Its chief
features
are the
circle,
dome, and round arch; and its chief
symbols the lily, cross, vesica, and
nimbus.
16.
Explain
the
sentence
in
line
14
“
Byzantine
art
is
an
acquired
taste.
”
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One
needs
to
cultivate
a
certain
taste
to
be
able
to
appreciate
Byzantine
art.
17.
Rephrase the sentence:
Byzantine art is an acquired taste and probably
not one in ten of the
visitors has
acquired it.
Byzantine
art is a highly refined heritage, but few of the
tourists
here have arrived at that
sophistry as to be able to appreciate it. /
To
appreciate
Byzantine
art,
one
needs
to
cultivate
a
particular
sense
of beauty, but few of the tourists to
Torcello have been so equipped.
18. the village green --- a
small stretch of grass in the village
19.
Attila
---
king
of
the
Huns,
a
nomadic
people
from
central
Asia,
from
434 .
to 453 ., and one of the greatest of the barbarian
rulers who
attacked
the
Roman
Empire.
In
452
he
invaded
northern
Italy
and
sacked
several cities there.
20.
leave
the
devil
of
a
mess
behind
them
---
leave
behind
them
all
kinds
of
litter
/
a
terrible
mess.
Devil
is
often
used
to
give
force
to
various
expressions,
especially
of
displeasure,
.
We
had
a
devil
of
a
job
trying
to
persuade her.
Why the
devil
did he
come
What
the
devil
is she doing
now
21. marching
as to war --- This is an echo of a Christian hymn
written
by Sabine Baring-Gould
(1834-1924). The first stanza goes
thus:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
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With the Cross of
Jesus
Going on before! (1864)
22. a Leader --- apparently referring
to the tourist guide
23.
a
standing
order
---
a
permanent
request
(for
something
by
a
customer)
24. From what Mitford has
said of the tourists in the first paragraph,
can you imagine what, in her opinion, a
good tourist should be like
He
should
have
a
clear
purpose
when
going
sightseeing,
be
appreciative
of
what
there
is
supposed
to
be
seen;
he
should
not
litter,
or
do
anything
harmful to the environment.
25. What different images
has Mitford created of the Americans, the
Englishmen, and the Germans with her
brief description of them
Americans --- well-to-do but having no taste at
all
Englishmen --- mean,
not attentive to public hygiene
Germans
---
well-organized
and
well-disciplined
but
not
appreciative
26. extract --- obtain by
much effort
27.
Rephrase the sentence:
As
they are obliged, whether they like it or not, to
live in public
during
the
whole
summer,
they
very
naturally
try
to
extract
some
financial benefit from this state of
affairs.
They
have
no
choice
but
to
come
into
contact
with
the
tourists
throughout the summer, and it is not
hard to imagine why they should
not try
to earn some money out of this
opportunity.
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28. What
does the word
Italian
in
line 31 refer to
The
Italian nation as a whole
29.
gondolier
---
the
boatman
who
propels
a
gondola,
a
long
narrow
flat-bottomed boat
with a high prow and stern used on the canals of
Venice
30. sandolos --- small boats used on
the Venetian canals
31. Buona fortuna --- (Italian) Good
luck
32. trinket
--- a small ornament (as a jewel or ring) of
little value
33.
point de Venise
lace --- lace that is
made with a needle or needle
point.
Burano is known for its Venetian point lace
industry.
34.
four-leafed clovers --- or four-leafed clovers,
four-leaf clovers.
A four-leafed clover
is a clover plant that has a set of four leaves
instead
of
the
usual
three,
and
is
believed
to
bring
good
luck
to
a
person
who finds it.
Clover
–
is
a
small
usu.
three-leafed
plant
with
pink,
purple,
or
white
flowers, often grown as food for
cattle.
35. holy
processions --- religious parades
36. Rephrase the
sentence:
The
priest
organizes
holy
processions
to
coincide
with
the
arrival
of
the steamer.
The
priest
arranges
for
the
religious
pageant
to
begin
the moment
the
ship arrives.
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37.
flapping --- swaying loosely, and making a noise,
especially when
moved by
wind
38.
Daily Mail
--- name of a
newspaper
39.
Where
in
paragraph
2
does
Mitford
reveal
her
attitude
towards
the
way
the islanders behave
She is somewhat sympathetic to them.
Refer to lines 29-31,
“
As
they
are
obliged,
whether
they
like
it
or
not
…
from
this
state
of
affairs.
”
40.
A
metaphor
runs
through
paragraphs
2
and
3.
What
is
it
Which
sentence
sets up the comparison Pick out words
that continue the metaphor.
The island is compared to a stage, and the
activities to a play.
Line
31,
“
The Italian is a born
actor
…”
dress
up,
sweet-faced
old
women,
apparently,
organizes
holy
procession
to coincide, the curtain, shed their
jackets, let the smiles fade
41. How do you understand
the last sentence
“
Tocello
is itself again
”
The play is over; ordinary life on the island is
restored, and the
islanders are their
normal selves again.
Unit
Three
Text I
The Subway
Tom Wolfe
I. About the Author
The Author --- Tom Wolfe (Thomas K.
Wolfe, Jr., 1931-), . author, is one
of
the new journalists, who write, like journalists,
about the people,
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the
places, and the
events of
the
contemporary world, but
who write with
the
imagination, the personal vision, and the
rhetorical flair which is
usually
associated
with
the
creative
writer.
Wolfe
’
s
writings
appear
in
magazines
such
as
Confidential
and
Harper
’
s
Bazaar
.
Wolfe,
like
any
good
reporter, observes closely from a
particular angle of vision --- often
satiric
---
and
he
projects
what
he
feels
and
thinks
into
his
description
by
the
details
he
selects
to
show
us
and
the
words
he
chooses
to
describe
them.
His works include:
The Kandy-Kolored
Tangerine-Flake Streamline
Baby
(1965),
New
Journalism
(1973), and
In
Our Time
(1980).
II Organization and
Development
The topic
sentence of paragraph 2 extends, at least in part,
to
paragraph 3.
For paragraph 5, the following words from
paragraph 4 with some
modifications
may
serve
the
purpose
of
a
topic
sentence:
“
However,
some
men do fall to the state of being a
bum. For example, on the East Side
IRT
subway line
…”
In paragraph
3,
apart from
sticking
to using
“
he
”
as the subject in
a series
of sentences to describe the actions of the two
black boys in
the
car,
the
conjunction
“
then
”
is
used
twice
to
show
the
chronological
progression of
the actions.
The last
four sentences of paragraph 4 all keep to
“
he
”
as the
subject.
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III. Notes
1. the living symbol of all that adds
up to lack of status in New York
---
the
very
indication
that
those
who
take
the
subway
have
a
low
social
position
2. disorientation --- confusion, loss
of one
’
s bearings
3. express stop --- a major
rapid transit stop where
“
express
trains
”
stop, as
contrasted to a
“
local
stop
”
where all trains
stop
4. Rephrase
the following.
In a way,
of course, the subway is the living
symbol
…
every express
stop.
In
New
York
’
s
underground
transportation
system,
one
finds
many
examples of what is
low-class behavior in New York. The subway is
disorganized and people move about
wildly at each express stop.
5. vistas --- sweeping
views
6. eerie
--- frightening because of strangeness or
gloominess
7.
How
is
the
statement
“
The
whole
place
is
a
gross
assault
on
the
senses
”
supported by details in the first
paragraph
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assault
on the sense of hearing --- noise of the trains,
high-pitched
harshness, metallic tones
from records
assault on
the sense of touch --- pushing and being pushed in
crowds
assault on the
sense of smell --- unbearable odors
assault on the sense of sight --- The
sight of customers with bread
flakes
caked
on
their
mouths
and
flatulent
cheeks
at
lunch
counters
is
far from
pleasant.
8.
qualm
---
feelings
of
uneasiness
or
uncertainty
as
to
whether
something
is right
9.
What
does
the
word
“
qualms
”
in
line
7
mean
What
does
the
whole
sentence
containing the word imply
unease,
a
pang
or
sudden
feeling
of
doubt,
esp.
concerning
moral
conduct
Pushing
others
in
a
crowded
public
place
is
considered
rude,
but
in
the
.
subway
the
passengers,
when
in
a
crowd,
seem
to
have
forgotten
this
basic
moral norm.
10. tactile --- relating to
the sense of touch
11. crucifying --- torment,
torture
12.
Rephrase the sentence
Your
tactile sense takes a crucifying you never dreamed
possible.
You
are
being
bumped,
shoved
and
prodded
amidst
the
crowd
more
than
you
ever
have been before / more than you ever
expected.
13. 45
records --- The abbreviation
“
stands for
“
revolutions per
minute.
”
It is a
measure of the speed of a record. A 45 record
goes
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round in a
circle 45 times in a minute.
14. hot dog --- a long
bread roll which is cut along the middle and has
a cooked sausage in it
15. tensile --- elastic
16. oleaginous
--- oily, fatty
17. flatulently --- with gases from the
stomach
18.
ancient man --- very old man.
Ancient
is used humorously
here.
19.
Manhattan --- one of the boroughs of New York City
that contains the
leading banking and
commercial organizations of the city, as well as
fashion and art centers, the chief
theatrical district of the United
States,
wealthy
residential
sections,
and
such
well-
known
districts
as
Broadway, Greenwich Village, Harlem,
and Wall Street.
20.
redemption
---
forgiveness
from
the
consequences
of
sin
and
evil
which
Christians believe was
made possible by Jesus
Christ
’
s death on the
cross. This is a religious
term
21. How is paragraph 3
connected to paragraph 2
Can you restore the missing words of the first
sentence of paragraph
3
The word
“
also
”
sets up a link between the two
paragraphs.
“
The underground spaces seem
to attract also beggars.
”
22. Traditional rhetoric
does not approve of the use of
“
and
”
in a
sentence-initial position. Leave
out the word
“
And
”
in the second
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sentence
of paragraph 3 and see what difference it
makes.
Beggars are least
expected to be associated with status competition.
The
word
“
And
”
here
helps
bring
out
a
fact
that
is
contrary
to
ordinary
expectations. Leaving out the word
would render the sentence a mere
statement of a fact.
23.
status
competition
---
struggling
to
achieve
a
more
desirable
social
position
24. IRT line --- the Interborough Rapid
Transit line
25.
maniacal --- frantic, crazy
26. ricochet off --- bounce
off
27.
calling
one
another
---
s
and
---s
and
telling
each
other
to
find
their
own
---
car
----
The
blanks
stand
for
obscene
curse
words
or
swear
words
that are unfit for
28. Rephrase
the sentence
Also
beggars.
…
to go to find
their own --- car.
In
New
York
’
s
much-hated
subway,
beggars
compete
against
one
another.
On the seventh
Avenue IRT line, the competition grows so fierce
that
it borders on craziness. Some
evenings when beggars spot each other
between
stops,
they
curse
each
other
call
each
other
names
and
warn
each
other
to stay away from where they are.
29. mediocre ---
commonplace, not special
30. What does the author mean by the
sentence
“
A mere blind man
with a
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cane and a
cup is mediocre business
”
in
line 23
This typical
image of a beggar is a common sight and is not
likely to
attract any
attention.
31.
bongo drum --- either of a pair of small drums
played with the hands
32. Dixie cup --- paper cup used for
beverages, ice cream, etc.
33. multiple schlerrossis (= sclerosis
) --- Either out of ignorance or
out
of
an
intention
to
attract
people
’
s
attention,
the
young
black
man
has misspelt the word
“
sclerosis.
”
And, with
tongue in cheek, the
author
describes
the
misspelt
word
as
an
attention-catching
frightening
German term with
an excessive use of letters of consonant sounds,
as
the following sentence
indicates.
34.
lollygagger --- one who fools round
35
condescension
---
treating
someone
in
a
way
that
shows
one
is
superior
to the other
36. Rephrase the sentence
So today he does much better.
…
to which men
fall.
Since he has
perfected this strategy, he makes ends meet today
---
people tend to give him money; he
really is not a bum --- he has a
job.
He is now in a position to look down upon others
who have
unfortunately become
bums.
37.
Paragraph 4 has two parts. Where is the dividing
point What has
effected
the
young
black
man
’
s
improvement
Can
you
think
of
one
word
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that best describes his attitude as
indicated by the last sentence
of
paragraph 4
the word
“
however
”
in line 40
He has
changed his way of begging by trying to appeal to
people
’
s
sympathy
“
self-
satisfied
”
38.
The
phrase
“
for
example
”
at
the
beginning
of
paragraph
5
indicates
that
an
example
is
provided
for
illustration.
What
is
the
example
And
what does it
illustrate
the old man
described in paragraph 5
This
is
used
to
illustrate
“
the
states
to
which
men
fall,
”
upon
which
the
young black man can look with condescension
now.
39. 1905
tiles --- tiles which were put in as early as
1905
40. slouch
--- sit in a tired way with
one
’
s shoulders drooping
down
41.
congealed --- stiffened
42. color of congealed Wheatena laced
with pocket lint --- ashen grey
speckled with pale white
Wheatena is the brand name of a
cereal. Congealed Wheatena is cooked
cereal
which
has
cooled
off
and
become
thick
and
almost
solid.
Pocket
lint is the fluff or
fuzz one finds in the pocket.
43. juice-head --- (slang)
alcoholic
44.
wino --- one who is chronically addicted to
drinking wine
45
green fatigues --- plain green clothes
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46. Rephrase the last
sentence
People briefly
look at his
body, which
is covered with
lint and
dirt,
but walk right
on by him. No one knows how long it
will be before two policemen spot
him.
They
will
have
to
hold
their
breath
from
his
stench
when
they
take
him
to
the
police
station.
They
will
give
him
a
set
of
green
work
clothes
which will make him
more presentable --- presentable enough to have a
seat on the subway at night next to
other presentable people.
47.
In
writing
a
description,
the
writer
’
s
choice
of
words
should
be
both
accurate and effective so that he
presents the right picture to his
readers
and
also
produces
the
intended
effect
on
them.
Wolfe
has
successfully attained
both aims. What effect would have been lost if
he had used
“
pour
ing
”
and
“
groups
”
respectively for
“
squeezing
”
and
“
clots<
/p>
”
(paragraph
5)
Try
to
find
other
similar
instances
in
the
selection.
Few
descriptions
are
“
pure
”
descriptions, .
the
author
aims
at
accurately presenting a picture only,
without concerning himself with
what he
has presented. Wolfe
’
s
attitude towards the New York City
subway
is
definitely
unfavorable;
that
is
why
he
has
chose
among
a
group
of synonyms the ones with negative
connotations.
Similar
instances include: oleaginous (line 11), haunts
(line 15),
maniacal
(line
21),
scrape
him
up
(line
60)
instead
of
their
connotationally
more
neutral
synonyms
“
mushy,
frequents,
crazy,
remove
”
.
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Unit
Four
Text I
Style and
Purpose
I. About
the Author
Randolph
Quirk
(1920-),
British
university
professor
and
official,
has
taught
in
University
College,
London;
Yale
University
and
the
University
of
Michigan,
>A.;
University
of
Durham,
etc.
He
is
Vice-Chancellor of the
University of London (1981-) and Chairman of the
Committee
of
Enquiry
into
Speech
Therapy
Services,
British
Council
English
Committee
(1976-).
Among
his
publications
are:
The
Use
of
English
(1962), A
Grammar of Contemporary English (1972, with
Greenbaum, Leech,
Svartvik),
and
Style and Communication in the
English Language
(1982).
The
text is an excerpt from Chapter 14 in
The Use of
English
.
II. Organization and Development
Para 2 Example:
riding a bike
Point to
illustrate: learn to be conventional before trying
to be
original
Para 3 Examples:
“
freezing hot-ice-
cream
”
,
“
Bitter
Sweet
”
Point
to
illustrate:
Unconventionality
can
sometimes
produce
special effect
Paras 4-5 Example: letter-beginnings
and endings
Point to
illustrate: Style varies on a scale; mixing
different
styles may have harmful
effect.
Paras 6-7 Example:
phrases like
“
incredible
insight, lofty flights of
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imagination,
…”
Point
to
illustrate:
Common
collocations
when
used
indiscriminately
become
clichés
,
the
use
of
which
should
be
avoided, especially in
writing
III. Notes
1.
the intricacy
of co-ordination in using language--- the
complexities
involved in the
arrangement, combination,
and organization of words
2.
constraints
--- restrictions, limitations
3.
as
we
saw
in
the
previous
chapter,
in
the
different
constraints
operating in speech and writing --- The
previous chapter refers to
Chapter 13,
entitled
“
Problems of
Usage,
”
in the
author
’
s
The Use
of
English
(1968).
In
this
chapter,
the
author
discusses
the
selection
of
“
linguistic expressions
which will not merely suit the topic but
which
will
suit
our
audience.
”
In
other
words,
“
language
must
be
used
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not
merely
to
“
get
out
””
what
we
have
in
our
minds
but
also
to
“
get
it
across
”
as
completely
and
effectively
as
possible
to
someone
else.
Moreover,
the
author
points
out
that
apart
from
grammar
and
vocabulary,
there
are
constraints
such
as
1)
effective
communication
of
the
simplest
utterances depending on the extent to which it
fits in with
the
listener
’
s
expectations,
and
these
expectations
are
largely
derived
from
his
previous
experience
in
the
language,
2)
the
ease
with
which
a
mode
of
expression
may
be
understood,
3)
the
use
of
redundancy,
4)
habitual
collocations,
5)
punctuation,
and
6)
avoidance
of
ambiguity, clumsiness, or
obscurity, etc.
4.
Rephrase the
sentence:
Part of the
intricacy
…
What
makes the use of a language complicated can partly
be explained
by
the
fact
that
there
are
many
restrictions
upon
the
spoken
and
written
forms (of the
language)
5.
Rephrase the sentence
The
stylistic range of English is
wide
…
The
ways
of
expressing
thoughts
through
the
use
of
the
English
language
vary
so
much
that
it
is
practically
impossible
to
classify
them
neatly.
6. congruous with --- compatibale with
7.
scale
---
a
graded
series
/
scheme
/
system
of
rank
of
order,
something
graded especially when used as a
measure or rule
8. on this scale --- on the scale of
styles, for example, the five-point
scale of style from frozen, formal,
consultative, casual, to intimate
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as
devised
by
Martin
Joos
in
his
The
Five
Clocks:
A
Linguistic
Excursion
in the Five Styles of English Usage
(1961).
9. What does
“
this
scale
”
in line 8 refer
to
The stylistic range of
English.
10.
conventions
of
collocation
---
generally
accepted
practice
of
placing
words together in a
way that sounds natural
11. What are the major factors that
constrain a user of language when he
is
putting words together to form
discourse
The conventions
of collocation: what words can go
together
Grammar: rules
governing the formation of sentences
Stylistic
constraints:
selection
of
the
appropriate
style
and
consistency in style
12. Rephrase
the sentence
It may seem
paradoxical to lay such
…
It
probably
sounds
contradictory
that
while
some
are
trying
to
encourage people to be creative in
their application of the English
language, we seem to be so particular
about the accepted rules that
govern
the formal use of the language.
13.
“
Look, Mother:
no hands!
”
--- This is what
a child might say to his
mother when he
has his hands off the handlebars of the bicycle
when
cycling, which is rather
unconventional.
14.
the
art
of
cycling
in
the
conventional
manner
---
the
skill
of
writing
in the customary way. Here,, an analogy
is made between the skill of
writing
and
the
art
of
cycling.
A
person
who
can
write
at
will
is
compared
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to a cyclist who can ride his bicycle
at ease.
15. How
does Quirk compare progress in the art of writing
with riding a
bike
Before
you
have
mastered
the
art
of
cycling
in
the
conventional
manner,
.
holding
the
bar
with
both
hands,
you
should
not
try
to
be
unconventional
by removing your hands from it. The
same rule applies to the use of
language.
16. the words of Mr. Robert Graves ---
the quoted words are:
“
every
English poet
should
…
master the rules of
grammar before he attempts
to bend or
break them
”
(
The
Times
, 21 October 1961), from Chapter
13
of the
author
’
s
The Use
of English
(1968), .
Robert
Graves
(1895-1985),
English
poet,
has
sought
personal
integrity
in his poetry, avoiding
fashion.
17.
norm --- a standard, . of behavior or ability,
that is regarded as
average or
generally accepted
18. Rephrase the sentence
Without a norm
…
It is no
sense easy for us even to tell what creativeness
really is
or how creativeness is to be
achieved, unless we have some criterion
to base our judgment on.
19. fetching gimmick --- tempting name
or device to attract attention
20. hoary witticism --- a
very old amusing remark
21.
The
hand
that
rocked
the
cradle
has
kicked
the
bucket.
---
Mother
died.
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This
is
a
combination
of
two
phrases.
“
The
hand
that
rocked
the
cradle
”
is
the
first
half
of
the
saying
“
The
hand
that
rocked
the
cradle
rules
the
world,
”
meaning
“
the
example
and
influence
of
a
mother
are
powerful and far-reaching in their
effect.
”
“
Kick the
bucket
”
is a
slang phrase meaning
“
die.
”
22. tension --- imbalance;
opposition
23.
formalities
---
a
way
of
writing
letters
in
accordance
with
accepted
rules for official
occasions
24.
“
Further to yours of the
23
rd
ult.
”
---
“
With reference to your
letter of the
23
rd
of the last
month
”
further
to
---
with
reference
to.
This
is
a
phrase
used
in
old-fashioned
business
letters.
ult. --- ultimo,
meaning
“
of last
month.
”
This is used after a
date
in a business letter, but its use
is becoming rare.
25.
What
point
or
points
does
Quirk
want
to
make
with
the
various
example
he cites in paragraph 4 and 5 which are
related to letter-writing
Adopt the style suitable to the situation of use,
and do not mix
different
styles.
26.
…
what
was
said
in
the
previous
chapter
about
expected
collocations.
---
In
Chapter
13,
entitled
“
Problems
of
Usage,
”
in
The
Use
of
English
,
the
author
mentions
“
an
amusing
instance
”
of
misunderstanding
caused
by
“
expected
collocations.
”
In a
television programme in the autumn
of
1959,
the
British
Prime
Minister,
Mr.
Harold
Macmillan,
was
discussing political problems with
President Dwight Eisenhower of the
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U.
S.
A.,
and
one
remark
by
Mr.
Macmillan,
“
We
never
jobbed
backwards
”
(meaning:
“
We
haven
’
t spent our time
resentfully thinking of what
might
have
been.
”
)
was
reported
by
The
Times
as
“
We
’
ve
never
jogged
backwards.
”
The
mistaken reportage made in both cases was due to
the
fact
that
the
expression
used
by
Mr.
Macmillan
was
not
commonly
understood.
Thus,
the
reporters,
influenced
by
normally
expected
collocations of the word
backwards
, produced their
own versions.
27.
Harold
Pinter
(1930-
),
English
dramatist,
studied
acting
at
the
Royal
Academy of Dramatic
Art and began his theatrical career as an actor.
Pinter
is
the
most
significant
English
playwright
of
the
1960s
and
one
of
the
most
original
dramatists
of
the
twentieth
century.
The
superficial structure of
his plays conforms to the conventions of the
realistic theater, but the
relationships of his characters and the
sequence
of
dialogues
and
events
are
unconventional,
unpredictable,
and
ambiguous. His plays are often about
how people maneuver verbally for
power
over
each
other.
The
use
of
understatement,
small
talk,
reticence,
and
even
silence,
conveys
the
substance
of
a
character
’
s
thought,
which
often lies several layers beneath and
contradicts his speech. It is
difficult
to explain the meaning of
Pinter
’
s plays in a
conventional
sense.
28. Rephrase the sentence
we may not feel
any
…
We
may
not
think
it
at
all
disagreeable
or
offensive,
which
is
typical
of our
feeling about a
cliché
.
29. Is there a hard-and-
fast rule that forbids the use of
clichés
36
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No.
Everything
depends
on
what
is
expected
at
particular
points
in
the
stylistic
range.
For
example,
“
incredible
insight
”
may
well
be
accepted
when
used
in
criticism
that
is
spoken
on
an
informal
occasion.
30. indiscriminately --- without making
judgments or a proper choice
31. consummate ---
perfect
32.
hackneyed
---
meaningless
because
used
and
repeated
too
often;
trite
33. tautologous --- unnecessarily
repetitive, obvious
34. veribage --- too many unnecessary
words in speech or writing
35. woolliness --- confusion,
obscurity
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Unit Five
TEXT I
The Santa
Ana
I. About the
Author
The
author
---
Joan
Didion
(1934
-
),
.
novelist,
essayist,
journalist,
and
film
scenarist,
received
her
.
degree
from
the
University
of
California at Berkeley in
1956. She is
a native of
California. Her
principal
works
are
the
novels
Run
River
(1963),
Play
It
As
It
Lays
(1970),
A Book of Common
Prayers
(1977), and a collection of
essays entitled
Slouching Towards
Bethlhem
(1968), in which the present
text appears.
In
this
essay,
Didion
describes
some
of
the
tension
of
life
in
Los
Angeles,
California,
Organization and Development
The purpose is to show how
greatly weather condition can affect the
life
quality
of
man.
This
is
not
clearly
stated
until
the
end
of
the
passage.
After
a
detailed
description
of
the
various
effects
winds
like Santa
Ana
can produce on people, such a
conclusion becomes self-evident.
Follow the order of the
paragraphs.
Paragraph 1: how
she feels when a Santa Ana is
approaching
Paragraph
2:
what
she
was
told
and
how
she
understands
what
she
was
told;
the way her neighbor behaves
Paragraph 3: what another person has
written about the Santa Ana, and
reported effects of similar
winds
Paragraph 4: fires
caused by the Santa Ana in Los Angeles
Paragraph 5: effects of the longest
Santa Ana, which struck the city in
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1958
She
begins
with
the
most
immediate,
and
personal
ones,
and then
goes
on to the
less immediate ones, . those provided
by others and effects of winds
similar
to the
Santa Ana, and
concludes with details directly related to Los
Angeles.
There
are
very
few
examples
related
to
her
personal
experience.
This
gives more
strength to what she tries to
exemplify; what she feels about the Santa
Ana is not
idiosyncratic, but generally
recognized, among those living in Southern
California.
III. Notes
1.
Throughout
the
passage,
Didion
has
given
two
definitions
of the
Santa
Ana. Where
can you find them
“…
a hot wind
from the northeast whining down through the Cajon
and
…”
in
paragraph
1
and
“
The
Santa
Ana,
which
is
named
for
one
of
…
is a foehn
wind
…
it occurs on the
leeward slope of a mountain range
and
…
appears finally as a clold
mass
”
in paragraph
3.
2.
the
Cajon
---
a
mountain
pass
in
Southern
California,
to
the
northeast
39
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