综合教程2Unit5_fourteen_steps

1、Unit 5Unit 5Watch the video and answer the following questions.1. What did the mother mean at the end of the video ? Audiovisual supplementCultural informationShe was trying to tell her boy that everybody should be treated equally, even for those who had some physical or intelligence problems.Audiov

2、isual supplementCultural informationForrest Gump is a 1994 film based on Winston Grooms 1986 novel of the same name. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, and Gary Sinise. The story is of Forrest Gump, an ordinary man who comes from Alabama and his journey throug

3、h life meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing firsthand historic events of the late 20th century.2. What do you know about the movie Forrest Gump? Audiovisual supplementCultural informationDoctor: Mother: Voiceover: Lets take a little walk around. How do those feel

4、? His legs are strong, Mrs. Gump, as strong as Ive ever seen. But his backs as crooked as a politician. But were going to straighten him right up, arent we, Forrest?Forrest!Now, when I was a baby, Mama named me after the great Civil War hero General Nathan Bedford Forrest. She said we was related to

5、 him in some way. What he did was, he started up this club called the Ku Klux Klan. Theyd allAudiovisual supplementCultural informationAudiovisual supplementCultural informationVoiceover: Mother: dress up in their robes and their bedsheets and act like a bunch of ghosts or spooks or something. Theyd

6、 even put bedsheets on their horses and ride around. Anyway, thats how I got my name Forrest Gump. Mama said the Forrest part was to remind me that sometimes we all do things that, well, that just dont make no sense.All right. What are yall staring at? Havent you ever seen a little boy with braces o

7、n his legs before? Dont ever let anybody tell you theyre Audiovisual supplementCultural informationMother: Voiceover:better than you, Forrest. If God intended everybody to be the same, hed have given us all braces on our legs.Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them. I a

8、m quite often asked: How do you feel about having ALS? The answer is, not a lot. I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many. Stephen HawkingQuoteAudiovisual supplementCultural informationMain i

9、deaStructural analysis It is hard to imagine that a blind old man should be willing and able to for someone else on a night. This happened to the author, a man who was afflicted by a progressive disease and who took others for granted. Up to that day, the author had lived in , as he was becoming inc

10、reasingly feeble. He struggled to every day only to hold on to his sanity, his wife, his home and his job. fix a car _darkstormy _crippled_help_disillusionment, self-pity, indifference andselfishness_climb the fourteen steps _Structural analysisMain ideaAfter he met the blind old man, it suddenly da

11、wned on him that even a person was capable of performing for his fellow beings, and that was where lies.handicapped_an act of love _the value of life _1. How many parts can the text be divided into and whats the topic of each part?Main ideaStructural analysis According to the development of the stor

12、y, the text could be divided into four parts, each of which focuses on one topic. Respectively, these topics are about the authors first life, his second life, his third life and his reflection on the auto-repair incident.Structural analysisParagraphsMain idea1-2It depicts the authors first phase of

13、 life in which he began to enjoy everything pleasant: excellent health, a good job, a nice house, a happy family and lovely daughters.2. Summarize the main idea of each part by completing the table. Main ideaParagraphsMain idea3-56-89-10The author describes his second life. Because of his disease, h

14、e became miserable and frustrated.The authors third life began with the trouble of his car on the stormy night and he described the blind mans magnanimous, selfless help.Structural analysisMain ideaThe author reflected on the incident and his life philosophy, from which he discovered the true value

15、of life.Hal ManwaringFourteen StepsDetailed reading They say a cat has nine lives, and I am inclined to think that possible since I am now living my third life and Im not even a cat. My first life began on a clear, cold day in November 1934, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children of a farming

16、 family. My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living. As the children grew up, they married, leaving only one sister and myself to support and care for Mother, who became paralyzed in her last years and died while still in her 60s. My sister married soon after, and I fo

17、llowed her example within the year. 1 This was when I began to enjoy my first life. I was very happy, in excellent health, and quite a good athlete. My wife and I became the parents of two lovely girls. I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula in San Carlos. Life was a plea

18、sant dream. Then the dream ended. I became afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side. Thus began my second life In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment instal

19、led in my car. And I managed to keep my health and optimism, to a degree, because of 14 steps. Detailed reading23 Crazy? Not at all. Our home was a split-level affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door. Those steps were a gauge of life. They were my yardstick, my challenge

20、to continue living. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be through I could then admit defeat and lie down and die. So I kept on working, kept on climbing

21、those steps. And time passed. The girls went to college and were happily married, and my wife and I were alone in our beautiful home with the 14 steps.Detailed reading4 You might think that here walked a man of courage and strength. Not so. Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who he

22、ld on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage. As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated. Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life. It was raining when I started home that nig

23、ht; gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and theDetailed reading56Detailed readingcar swerved violently to the right. In the same instant I heard the dreaded bang of a blowout. I fough

24、t the car to stop on the rain-slick shoulder of the road and sat there as the enormity of the situation swept over me. It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible! A thought that a passing motorist might stop was dismissed at once. Why should anyone? I knew I wouldnt! Then I rem

25、embered that a short distance up a little side road was a house. I started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in thankfully. Lighted windows welcomed me to the house and I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.D

26、etailed reading The door opened and a little girl stood there, peering at me. I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat tire and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldnt do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in raincoat

27、 and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm. Well, I would pay them for it. The rain seemed to be slackening a bit now, and I rolled down the window all the way to watch

28、. 7Detailed readingIt seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I was beginning to become impatient. I heard the clank of metal from the back of the car and the little girls voice came clearly to me. “Heres the jack-handle, Grandpa.” She was answered by the murmur of the mans lower voice and the

29、slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up. There followed a long interval of noises, jolts and low conversation from the back of the car, but finally it was done. I felt the car bump as the jack was removed, and I heard the slam of the truck lid, and then they were standing at my car window.Detail

30、ed reading He was an old man, stooped and frail-looking under his slicker. The little girl was about eight or ten, I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but youre all set now.” “Thanks,” I said. “How much do I owe you?” He

31、 shook his head. “Nothing. Cynthia told me you were a cripple on crutches. Glad to be of help. I know youd do the same for me. Theres no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill. “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said

32、quietly, “Grandpa cant see it.”8Detailed reading In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before. A blind man and a child! Fumbling, feeling with cold, wet fingers for bolts and tools in the dark a darkness that f

33、or him would probably never end until death. I dont remember how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, indifference

34、to the needs of others and thoughtlessness. I sat there and said a prayer.9Detailed reading “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” To me now, months later, this Scriptural admonition is more than just a passa

35、ge in the Bible. It is a way of life, one that I am trying to follow. It isnt always easy. Sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes expensive in both time and money, but the value is there. I am trying now not only to climb 14 steps each day, but in my small way to help others. Someday, perhaps, I wil

36、l change a tire for a blind man in a car someone as blind as I had been.10What can we infer about the authors childhood? We can infer that he lived an unhappy and hard life in his childhood because of the early death of his father and the poor health of his mother.Detailed readingDetailed reading1.

37、How did his second life begin?His second life began when he was afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first his right arm and leg, and then his other side.2. What does the author mean by “I managed to keep my health and optimism, to a degree, because of 14 steps”

38、?In a way, the daily exercise of climbing helped to keep his physical capability (health), which in turn made him optimistic that he could continue living.Detailed readingWhy does the author call these steps “14 miserable steps”? Because the fact that everything in his life (his home, his job, his w

39、ife and his sanity) seemed to totally depend on these 14 steps made him miserable.Detailed readingWhy did the author dismiss the thought at once that any passing motorist would offer help at the moment? Because he knew that he would not stop if he were a passing driver in that situation.Detailed rea

40、ding1. Was there any hint that indicates something unusual about the man? There were some indications: first, they were working awfully slow; second, the little girl obviously handed to the man something (the jack-handle) the man was unable to find.2. How did the author feel when the man and the lit

41、tle girl were working in the storm?The author first felt sorry that he sat in the car dry and comfortable, while they were working in the heavy rain. But his uneasiness was soon relieved by the thought that he would pay them.Detailed reading1. Why did the old man refuse to accept the authors payment

42、?Because the old man took it for granted that offering free help to disabled people is what everyone should do, especially when they are in trouble. He believed that the author would have done the same for others.2. When did the author realize that the old man was blind?The author did not realize it

43、 until the little girl explained to him “Grandpa cant see it.”Detailed readingHow did the author react to the girls words?On hearing the little girls words, the author was stunned for a few seconds, full of shame and horror, because as a handicapped man, he had taken others help for granted and had

44、never expected that a blind man would work on the dark stormy night for him out of pure warm-heartedness for a fellow human being. This contrasts his own selfishness and indifference to the needs of others before the incident.Detailed readingHow did the author re-evaluate the 14 steps? The author ca

45、me to be aware that some people who had the same or worse adversity were always ready to offer help. For him the 14 steps were not the whole thing in his life. There are other people he should give help to when he was struggling against his own adversity.be inclined to be likely or tend to do sth.e.

46、g. In the first instance I was inclined to refuse, but then I reconsidered. 起初我想拒绝，但后来还是重新考虑了。起初我想拒绝，但后来还是重新考虑了。He was inclined to give them a free hand. 他倾向于放手让他们干。他倾向于放手让他们干。Synonym:tend to, be likely toDetailed readingfollow ones example imitateSynonym:follow ones leadDetailed readinge.g. Brian p

47、ersuaded his brother to follow his example and join the army.I suggest you follow Teds example and take some regular exercise.afflict vt. cause severe suffering or paine.g. He was afflicted with cancer. 他患了癌症。他患了癌症。She was afflicted with conscience. 她受良心责备。她受良心责备。Collocation:be afflicted withDetaile

48、d readingDerivation: afflictive a.affliction n.1. 我对那些受苦受难的人们充满同情。我对那些受苦受难的人们充满同情。2. 这种病女人比男人更容易患上。这种病女人比男人更容易患上。Translation:I have great sympathy for people in affliction. _It is an illness which afflicts women more than men._Detailed readingprogressive a. developing graduallye.g. The build-up of p

49、ollutants in the atmosphere has led to a progressive weakening of the ozone layer.Since the 1950s there has been a progressive fall in the numbers of adults who cannot read and write.Detailed readingSynonym: gradual, little by littleDetailed readinga cat has nine lives Explanation: It is a proverb.

50、Cats are very tough and seem able to survive accidents or hardships.Detailed readingwith the aid of with the help ofe.g. The bacteria can only be seen with the aid of a high-power microscope.The child was saved and brought back to life with the aid of an international rescue team.这个孩子在国际救援队的帮助下得救了。这

51、个孩子在国际救援队的帮助下得救了。Detailed readinginstall vt. set upe.g. To minimize the risk of burglary, install a good alarm system. 安装可靠的报警设备，以降低被盗的风险。安装可靠的报警设备，以降低被盗的风险。The workers are installing a heating system. 工人们正在安装供暖系统。工人们正在安装供暖系统。Derivation: installation n.Detailed readingto a / some degree partlye.g. T

52、he film was boring to a degree.这部影片相当枯燥。这部影片相当枯燥。A countrys future prosperity depends, to a degree, upon the quality of education of its people.Synonym:in a sense, in some wayDetailed readinghobble vi. walk in an awkward way because your feet are injurede.g. The old man hobbled along (the road) with

53、 the aid of his stick.那老汉拄着拐杖一瘸一拐地走着。那老汉拄着拐杖一瘸一拐地走着。Synonym:limpDetailed readingdisillusioned a. disappointede.g. Disillusioned by his teams poor performance, the manager resigned. hold on to keep ones grip on; not let go ofe.g. He tried hard to be in his superiors good graces in order to hold on to

54、 his job. 他想方设法讨上司的欢心，以保住自己的饭碗。他想方设法讨上司的欢心，以保住自己的饭碗。Id hold on to that house for the time being; house prices are rising sharply at the moment. 目前我不能出让那所房子，此刻房价正在急剧上涨。目前我不能出让那所房子，此刻房价正在急剧上涨。Detailed readinglead up to come before and result ine.g. The events that led up to the murder were shown in a

55、series of flashbacks. The report describes the negotiations that led up to the settlement. Detailed reading1. your umbrella so that it wont be blown away. 2. She was anxious to enlighten me about the events that the dispute. 3. All the other teachers are thoroughly with their colleagues. Detailed re

56、adingActivity: Choose a word or phrase and change its form if necessary to fill in each blank in the following sentences.Hold on to_with the aid of hold on todisillusionlead up tohobbleled up to_disillusioned_Detailed reading4. Some of the runners could only manage to over the finishing line. 5. the

57、 searching dog, the rescue team has rescued many peoples lives in the earthquake. with the aid of hold on todisillusionlead up tohobblehobble_With the aid of_I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it repeating the process

58、 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be though I could then admit defeat and lie down and die.Translation: 我感到如果哪天我不能先抬起一只脚，另一只脚再痛苦我感到如果哪天我不能先抬起一只脚，另一只脚再痛苦地跟上，并把这一动作重复地跟上，并把这一动作重复14次，直到疲惫不堪，那我次，直到疲惫不堪，那我就完了。这一天到来之时，就是我承认失败、倒下、死就完了。这一天到来之时，就是我承认失败、倒下、死亡之时。亡之时。Detailed reading这是一个梦想破灭、痛苦失望的残疾人，他蹒跚着

59、，正是这是一个梦想破灭、痛苦失望的残疾人，他蹒跚着，正是因为有了这条从车库通向后门的可怕的因为有了这条从车库通向后门的可怕的14级台阶，他才能级台阶，他才能保持理智、陪伴妻子、维护家庭、坚持工作。保持理智、陪伴妻子、维护家庭、坚持工作。Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from hi

60、s garage. Paraphrase: Painfully and bitterly, a disabled man hobbled around here. Owing to the 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage, the man could keep up to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job. Translation: Detailed readingDetailed readingswerve vi. turn sharp