Unit OneThe Dinner Party.docx

Unit OneThe Dinner Party.docx

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UnitOneTheDinnerParty

UnitOneTheDinnerParty

.Warm-UpQuestions（SeetextbookP1）

.BackgroundKnowledge

1.AbouttheAuthorandtheStory

MonaGardner,anAmericanwomanwriter.MostofhershortstorieswerewrittenfortheSaturdayEveningPostmagazineandCollier’sWeeklymagazineduringthe1930sand1940s.TheDinnerPartyfirstappearedintheSaturdayReviewofLiterature,Vol.25,No.5,January31,1941.

2.ModernhistoryofIndia

BritainandotherEuropeancountriesestablishedtradingcompaniesandtradingpostsinIndiaintheearly1700’s.GraduallytheBritishinfluencebecamedominantoverthedomesticandforeignaffairsofIndia.In1772BritainnameditsfirstGovernorGeneraltoIndiaandformallybegantorulethecountryasaBritishcolony.BritishadministratorsorcolonialofficialsheldkeypostswithinthegovernmentbuttheyweredependentonIndianpersonnelunderthemtocarryoutthedailyoperationsofthegovernment.IndiaunderwentalongseriesofwarsbetweentherulingBritishcolonialistsontheonehandandvariousregionalandpoliticalgroupsorreligioussectsontheother.In1947atlast,theIndiapeople,underGandhi’sleadership,wontheirstruggleforindependenceandBritishruleinIndiaended.

3.Prejudiceagainstwomen

Womenhavebeenprejudicedagainstforcenturiesperhapseversincelifeonearth.Theyhavelongbeenreferredtoas“weakersex”or“fairersex,”considerednaturallyweakerthanmen,squeamish,unabletoperformtheworkthatrequiresmusclesorpluckthecouragetofaceuptoanycrisis.Asweknow,Plato,Aristotle,Shakespeare,andConfuciusallmadenegativeremarksaboutwomen.Andeventoday,suchaprejudicehasnotentirelybeeneliminatedandtheargumentinthetextshowshowhardlong-standingprejudicesdie.

4.Cobras

Cobras,foundinsomepartsofAfricaandAsia,arepoisonoussnakes.Mostcobrasbitetheirvictimsandtheirbitemaycausedeathwithinafewhours.

Thekingcobra,thelargestofallpoisonoussnakes,mayreachalengthof

18ft（5.5m）andfeedschieflyonothersnakes.Whendisturbed,itraisesitshoodedheadtogetabetterviewortostrike.Largeindividualsmayraisethemselvestoaheightofabout1m（about4ft）.

TheIndiancobraisusually4-5ft（1.2–1.6m）long.Thesnake’scolorrangesfromyellowishtodarkbrown.Ithasamarklikeapairofspectaclesonthebackofitshood.Itpreysonratsandisthereforeoftenfoundinhouses.TheIndiancobraandtheEgyptiancobraareoftendisplayedbysnakecharmers.Thecobrasappeartorespondtothemusicplayedbythecharmer,but,likeallsnakes,theyaredeafandonlyfollowthemovementsofthecharmer.

.LanguagePoints

1.heated:

lively;spirited

e.g.Thetowprofessorsstartedaheateddebatedonwhetherintellectualsshouldgointobusiness.

2.unexpected:

notexpected:

unforeseen

e.g.Hemadeanunexpectedappearanceandtookuptwohoursoutofmylimitedtime.

3.shortly:

soon;notlong

e.g.Hediedshortlyafterthecarcrash.

4.trackdown:

findbydeterminedsearchingorhunting

e.g.Shespentweeksinthelibrarytrackingdownreferenceinformationinalmostallthebooksonthesubject.

5.bare:

（a.）

1）notcovered;withnoplantsgrowingonit

e.g.Heissoshythathedarenotlookatherbareshoulders.

2）nomorethan:

mere

e.g.Hisincomecanonlybuythebarenecessitiesoflife.

（v.）reveal

e.g.Theladyscreamedasthesnakebareditsteeth.

6.springup:

arise,developorgrowquicklyandasiffromnowhere.

e.g.Itwasratherwarmallday.Buttowardseveningacoldwindsprangup.

7.womenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseera:

womenhavegrownsomaturethattheydonotloseself-controluponsuchsmallprovocationasseeingamouse.

8.reaction:

（n.）（acaseorwayof）reacting;response

e.g.DrivingacarinShanghairequiresextremelyquickreactions.

react:

（v.）actorbehaveinawayinanswer

e.g.“Howdidshereactwhenyoutoldherwhathadhappened?

”—“Verycalmly.”

9.crisis:

timeofdifficulty,danger,etc.

e.g.Inthe1929economiccrisis,manyAmericanslosttheirjobs.

10.…whileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts.:

…thoughamanmayalsofeellikescreamingasawomandoes,hehasalittlebitmoreself-controlthanawomanandthatmakesthedifference.

11.TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargument.:

TheAmericandoesnottakepartinthedispute.

joinin:

takepartin（anactivity）;addoneselftosth.takingplace

e.g.Iwasinvitedtojoinintheexcitinggame.

Wearegoingtosingthesongagain.Wouldyouliketojoinin?

（Note:

Wecaneithersay“joininagame”or“joinagame”,butwecanonlysay“jointhePartyortheYouthLeague.”）

argument:

1）dispute

e.g.Thetwocountriesheldalengthyargumentabout/overthecontrolofatinyisland.

2）reasongiventosupportordisprovesth.

e.g.Excuseme,butIdidn’tfollowyourargument.

12.hermusclescontractingslightly:

hermusclestightenedalmostunnoticeably

contract:

1）makeorbecometighterornarrower

e.g.Mr.Browncontractedhisbrowwhenhewasdeepinthought.

2）makeorbecomesmallerorshorter

e.g.Metalcontractsasitcools.

13.Shemotionstothenativeboy…:

Sheusedbodylanguagetoattracttheattentionofthenativemaleservant…

motion:

（v.）giveasignalbymovingthehandorhead

e.g.Thepolicemanmotionedthedriverovertohavehisnameandlicensenumber.

（n.）

1）signalbyhandorhead

e.g.Hemadeamotionwithhishandtomakemesitdown.

2）moving

e.g.Theexpression“motionpicture”isusedmainlyinAmericanEnglish.

3）proposaltobediscussedandvotedonatameeting

e.g.ThemotionputforwardbyMr.Howardwasadopted/carried/rejected.

14.widen:

makeorbecomewider

e.g.Toomuchtelevisionwatchingwidensthegenerationgap.

15.TheAmericancomestowithastart.:

TheAmericansuddenlyrealizeswhatishappening,andthisstartleshim.

Thenaturalistuptillthispointinthestoryhasbeenobservingthescenearoundhiminarelaxedandperhapssomewhatindifferentmanner.Whenheseesthebowlofmilkbeingplacedontheverandaheimmediatelyrealizesthatheandtheotherguestsarewithinthestrikingdistanceofasnake.

cometo:

returntoconsciousness

e.g.Thedrivercametoslowlyaftertheaccident.

16.likely:

（a.）probable

e.g.Ms.Whiteisalikelycandidateforthejob.

（ad.）probably

e.g.Theweatherwillvery/mostlikelychange.

17.impulse:

suddenwishtodosth.

e.g.Thegoodsarearrangedinsuchanattractivewaythatcustomersfeelanimpulsetobuythem.

18.warm:

givenoticeofpossibledangerto;informinadvanceofwhatmayhappen

e.g.Wehadwarnedhimofthedangerbutheturnedadeafeartoourwarning.

19.frightensb.intodoingsth.:

causesb.todosth.byfrighteninghim

e.g.Asnakeemergedfrombehindtherock.Thisfrightenedthelittlegirlintoscreaming.

20.tone:

soundofvoiceormusic

e.g.“Ohreally?

”hesaidinaplayfultone.

21.image:

1）likenessorcopyofsb.,sth.,especiallyinwood,stone,etc.

e.g.Yourchildistheveryimageofyou.

2）mentalpictureoridea

e.g.Thepoliticiantriestoimprovehisimagebykissingbabies.

22.emerge:

comeorappearfromsomewhere

e.g.Themoonemergedfrombehindclouds.

23.makefor:

gotoward;startinthedirectionof

e.g.Itwasgettingdark;theyturnedandmadeforhome.

24.ringout:

soundloudlyandclearly

e.g.Thewordofcommandrangout.

25.slam:

shutloudlyandwithforce

e.g.Heslammedthewindowandtheglassessmashedontothefloor.

26.host:

1）person（usu.male）whoentertainstheguest

e.g.Mr.McMastisaverygoodhost.Heoffersgoodfoodandalwaysfindspleasanttopicsforconversation.

2）personwhointroducesguestsandperformersesp.ontelevisionorradio

e.g.Iknowthisman.HeishostoftheTVprogram“LocalNews.”

3）greatnumber（of）

e.g.Hehashostsofenemies.

27.faint:

weakorslight

e.g.Thesoundsofthemusicgrewfainterinthedistance.

28.lightup:

givelight（ormorelight）to;becomeormakebrightwithlightorcolour

e.g.Inthepast,notmanyshopwindowswerelitupatnight.

29.crawl:

moveslowlybypullingthebodyalongtheground

e.g.Theoldmancrawlsonthefloortoplease/amusehisgrandson.

.Post-ReadingActivity:

GroupDiscussion

Obviouslytheauthorofthestorywantstotellthereaderthatawomancanfaceacrisiswithperfectcalmnessandself-control.Ratherthanstatethemessagedirectly,however,sheleadsthereadertothedesiredconclusionstepbystepwithacleverlywovendescription.Howdoestheauthordescribethehostessandwhatdetailsprovidedinthestoryhelpyouconcludethatsheisaveryresourcefulwoman?

Thefollowingquestionsmayserveasaguidetogroupdiscussion:

1）Fromwhosepointofviewisthestorywritten?

2）Whatisthethreattoallthepeoplewhoarepresentattheparty?

3）Howdoesthehostessreactatsuchacrucialmoment?

4）Whatisthenaturalist’sreactiontothecrisis?

5）Whatisthenaturalist’sresponsetothepraisesthehostsingsofhim?

6）Howdoesthehostessanswerthenaturalist’sfinalquestion?

7）Whatdoyouthinkoftheendingofthestory?

Isitjustwhatyouexpected,ordoesitsurpriseyou?

Refertothetexttoexplainorsupportyouranswer.

8）Whatdoyouthinkoftheauthor’sskillsinunfoldingthestory?

Howdoestheauthormanagetokeepthereaderinsuspense?

.ReadingActivity

ExerciseA

1.springy:

theadjectiveformof“spring”—havingelasticquality有弹性的

2.pacesetter:

pace+setter—apersonwhosetsspeedforothers定速者

3.overtake:

over+take—catchupwithandpass赶上；超过

4.stiffen:

s