• Three stories will be presented to you, all of which are about American dream. While you are reading these stories, I would like you to think about the following questions: • What do these people in the stories share in common? • What makes them successful? • What is American dream, according to your understanding?
Hilary Swank came from humble beginnings, particularly as a child growing up in a trailer park when she was six. Her parents separated when she was thirteen, and her mother, supportive of her daughter‟s desire to act, moved the two of them to Los Angeles, California, where they lived out of their car until they had enough money to rent an apartment. Despite this, she never gave up her dream for acting, and finally she turned out to be a very famous actress, who has won twice the Oscar for Best Actress. After winning her second Best Actress Oscar, she said, "I don't know what I did in this life to deserve this. I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream."
From Homeless To Multi-Millionaire
He grew up in the concrete jungles of East Los Angeles and refused to give in to tough times. He was homeless twice in his life and at one time collected Coke bottles to survive. In 1980, he joined forces with America‟s most influential hair designer, Paul Mitchell. The two bankrolled a new company to sell hair care products with just $700 dollars. Today, John Paul DeJoria is CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems, the hair care empire with sales approaching $200 million. He is also the owner of 17 other businesses ranging from The House Of Blues to alternative energy.
Turning Weakness Into Strength
Back in school in Taiwan, he was not a good student. He was very shy and decided he needed to change. He read “How To Win Friends And Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie which inspired him to become more outgoing. He later went to work selling computer products. Motivated by the tremendous growth in the industry he decided he would start his own company with the goal of becoming a worldwide leader. Today, James Chu is CEO of ViewSonic, Corp., a billion dollar-plus international company which is the leader in the computer display industry.
• • • •
What do they share in common? They had some drawbacks in their early lives. They didn‟t believe that their fate was all set. They worked hard to get their dreams to come true.
• • • •
What makes them successful? Never give in to adversities (困境）. Believe in themselves. Work hard.
• What is American Dream? • American Dream is the belief that everyone can succeed as long as he/she works hard enough.
• One evening,(line2) • Summer passed into fall, (line 27) • The months passed, (line 32) • One day, (line 34) • A year or two passed, (line 44)
• After about two years, (line 59) • Sometime later, (line 71) • Then, (line 77) • During the war, (line 77) • After he passed away (line 84)
• Part One • Paras 1-29 • Tony achieved his dream step by step. • Part Two • Paras 30-33 • The author reflected on Tony‟s success.
• Go through Part One again and list the main events about Tony. (Page 98)
• Tony worked as a help at Mr. Crawford’s house.
• Tony got a job cleaning snow at Mr. Crawford’s factory.
• Tony learned to become a skilled worker.
• Tony bought a house with Mr. Crawford’s help.
• Tony bought a farm and sent for his family in Italy.
Tony did not begin on the bottom rung of the ladder. He began in the basement. Tony Trivisonno created his own dream for himself.
1 comprehend came from a rocky farm in Italy, He fully understand. somewhere south of English, they I someone talks in broken Rome. How or when he Ifjust can‟t comprehend what you exactly got to slowly and make a lot of mistakes one evening I mean. speak America, I don‟t know. But found him standing a little of driveway, behind my because they only know in the the N. Comprehension, language. garage. He was about five-foot-seven or eight, Adj. comprehensive something, you do not If thin. Inverted order afford and you cannot for emphasis have enough money to pay for it. 2 Normal“order should be:that original Harry It was hard I mow your I can‟t afford (to buy ) lawn,” he said. to Porter book. It will cost me a fortune. comprehend his broken English. 3 I don‟tIknow howhim hishe got to America. Trivisonno,” asked or when name. “ Tony he replied. “ I mow your lawn.” I told Tony that I couldn‟t afford a gardener.
4 “ I mow your lawn,” he said again, then walked away. I went to my house unhappy. Yes, these Depression days were difficult, but how could I turn away a person who had come to me Suppose. If you assume that something is for help? 5 true, you imagine got it is true,from work the next When I that home sometimes wrongly. Depression Days evening, the lawn had been mowed, the garden The period of severe economic failure in refuse to help (sb.) or to allow weeded, and thewrappedworld we(sb.)asked my wife swept. I to If the package is walks well, that lasted assume most countries of the enter a place, what hadis1929student afterWar II.can‟t just turn the fromhappened. contents are also wonderful. He my until World all. I
6 out of the garage and worked on the yard,” she answered. “ I assume you had hired him.”
him away when he is in trouble. N. Assumption was already full and many The cinema “ A man got the lawn mower people were turned away.
Compliment Vt & N N. A compliment is a polite remark that you say to someone to show that you like their appearance, appreciate their qualities, or 7 I told her of my experience the night approve what they have done before. You can do no harm by paying a that he had not We thought it strange woman asked for pay. compliments. Vt, If younext two someone, you pay them and I 8 The compliment days were busy, a compliment, forgot about Tony. We were trying to rebuild They complimented me on the way I looked our business and saw me.some of our workers each time they bring
back to the plants. But on Friday, returning home a little early, I saw Tony again, behind the garage. I complimented him on the work he had done. 9 “ I mow your lawn,” he said.
10 I managed to work out some kind of small weekly pay, and each day Tony cleaned up the yard and took care of any little tasks. Work said he was very helpful whenever My wife out IfWeekly you have something Clean up therehave thought about it carefully, andto you or things were any heavyall worked out, lift objects know Adj. mess or to fix. If you clean up a are goingclean up a place Daily exactly what you to do or exactly
with a mess, you make things tidy and free of Monthly what you want. dirt again. ItYearly took me some time to work out what was I hate cleaning up after a party. causing this. Martin and Emma had loads of problems Similar structures when they first got married, but things worked out in the end. Eat up, finish up,
A
B
to mow to weed to sweep to clean up to take care of to lift to fix
the garden the yard the lawn any little tasks heavy objects the walks things
11 Summer passed into fall, and winds What “Mr. Craw, snow pretty boys? blew cold.do you do with such mischievous soon,” Tony What is old told me one thelyingman going to dowinter huge evening. “ When with the come, you mountains right in front of his house? give me job clearing snow at the factory.” 12 Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? Of course, Tony got his job at the factory.
Do with , deal with Used in questions with what
Capacity Your capacity for something is your ability to do 13 it, or the The months you are able I asked the amount of it that passed. to do. Our capacity personneldown for giving care, a report. They said Turn department for love and attention is you turn down a person or their If limited. Tony was a very good worker. request or He has a great capacity for mathematics. offer, you refuse their request or offer. 14 One day I found Personnel Those math problems were Tony at our meeting department, or personnel beyond my capacity. Refers to the department in a garage. turned itwant to be place He was offered the job but he “ or down behind the large company I organization that he involved too much traveling. because it said. „prentice,” deals with employees, keep their records, andam offering any problem they Look, I helps with you a free meal---you are 15 had a pretty me down? might have. We not going to turn good apprentice school surely that trained laborers. But doubted whether (Uncountable noun, used with a singularIor plural verb) Tony had the capacity to read blueprints and If you want to have the job, you can hand in work. Still, how micrometers or do precision your application form to the personnel. could I turn him down? Personnel can also means all the persons working in an organization All personnel in this company are entitled to medical insurance.
Tony had his pay reduced in order to be an apprentice.
16 Tony took a cut in pay to become an apprentice. Months later, I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder. He had learned to read the millionths of an inch on the micrometer and to shape the grinding wheel with an instrument set with a diamond. My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story.
My wife and I were delighted with what Tony had achieved, and thought that the whole thing had thus been settled. 我们觉得他的故事有了一个圆满的结局，我和妻子都为之感到高兴。
Wreck n. Sth. that has been destroyed or badly damaged, such as a crashed car or aircraft. For sale Available to be worthless wreck after the crash. The car was a bought 无事不登三宝殿 All thea wreck of in this exhibition are for sale. Make paintings one‟s life One never goes to the temple for no reason. Ruin one‟s life On sale Sold at a discount Addiction to computer games has made a These clothes are on sale. We offer a 20 wreck of his life.year or two passed, and again I 17 A percent discount. Tony in his usual waiting place. We talked V. To break, spoil, or destroy completely.
his work, and I asked him what he wanted. No one can wreck the friendship between us. 18 “ Mr. Craw,” he said, “ I like a buy a house.” On the edge of town, he had found a house for sale, a complete wreck.
found about
A man of character A man with moral integrity, an Damn upright person. I called on some people to emphasize lot It is used by a banker friend. “Do you 19 A lot they character?” what of a small area of landIthat ever loan money onare saying. (INFORMAL, asked. “No,” Call on Character belongs RUDE) afford to. a company Visit he said. “We can‟t to a person orNo sale.” ( AM) sb. for a short time The particular collection is lot A vacant There Loan money on character of not a damn thing you can do He wantedthat make sb.a particular to call on his girlfriend after work, qualities A film lot about it now, and then person. movie with her. Afford togo to see aDon‟t give lot do sth. kindsb. of damn about sth. Lend20 money“ Now, waitaa minute,” I replied. “Here just A parkinghe is trustworthy because If you say that you cannotcare He can he beat his Don‟t Iafford to do wife? have rather than financially secure. about it at all is a or allow it side of his something hard-working man, mean thatof character, I never seen that cruelto happen, you a man you must not do it or must prevent it from can character.promise you that. He‟s got a good job. happening becausegetting be harmful or You‟re not it would a man of distorted charactera damn thing from your lot. embarrassing to you. It of noble character a manwill stay there for years. At least he will pay a manmy last character Thisyour firm chance to win; I can‟t afford to is of interest.” lose again.hard and selfish a man of character a man of notorious character
Odds and ends (informal) You can refer to a disorganized group Discard (formal) of things of various kinds as odds and Throw away ends ( informal) These potatoes are past their best—I‟d 21 She them. some clothes, odds and ends, better discard put in Reluctantly, the banker wrote a mortgage for $2,000 and gave Tony the house and make-up.
with no down payment. Tony was delighted. From now on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and ends around our place—a broken screen, a bit of hardware, Down payment boards from packing---An initial amount given as partial Tony would gather and take home. payment at the time of purchase.
If you make a down payment on sth., you pay only a percentage of the total cost when you buy it. You pay the remaining amount later.
22 After about two years, I found Tony in our familiar meeting spot. He seemed to stand a little straighter. He was heavier. He had a look of confidence.
To be continued…
Ellipsis （省略） Ellipsis involves leaving out words which are obvious from the context. When I got home from work the next evening, the lawn had been mowed, the garden had been weeded, and the walks had been swept.
Line12 When I got home from work the next evening, the lawn had been mowed, the garden weeded, and the walks swept.
我们掌握了谋生手段，却不懂得如何生活；我们让年华付诸东流，却不曾将 生命倾注其中。
We‟ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we‟ve added years to life, not life to years.
But one evening I found him standing in the driveway, behind my garage. (Line 2) We thought it strange that he had not asked Subject +(Line17) for pay. Verb + Object + Complement (present/past participle, adjective,I found Tony A year or two passed, and again preposition, to infinitive, clause, etc.) in his usual waiting place. (Line 44) I found everything in good condition. He found himself speechless at the sight of her beauty. My mother looks so young that you would think her my sister.
I asked my wife what had happened. (line13) My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story. (line42) … I asked him what he wanted. (line 45) Nominal clause They do not refuse what is offered. (Object) What she did is not yet known. ( Subject) This is what he meant. ( predicative)
• I. Translation the following sentences from Chinese to English. • 1. 我理解不了这么难的文章。 • I can‟t comprehend such a difficult article. • 2. 我的父母连一台电视机都买不起。 • My parents can‟t even afford a TV set. • 3. 我丢不起这份工作，因为我要靠它养活全家。 • I can‟t afford to lose this job, since I have a family to support.
• 4. 这幅画只供展览，不供出售。 • This painting is only on display, not for sale. • 5. 我希望今天下午到你的办公室拜访你。 • I hope to call on you at your office this afternoon. • 6. 你一眼就可以看出一个人的性格。 • You can read a guy’s character at the first glance. • 7. 老太太将一双旧鞋扔掉了。 • The old lady discarded a pair of old shoes.
• 8. 你如何处理那些考试不及格的学生？ • What are you going to do with those students who have failed in the examination? • 9. 我还没有打算好暑假要做什么。 • I haven’t decided what I am going to do in this summer vacation. • 10. 一想到马上到来的假期，她就没法集中注意 力了。(find herself+ complement) • She found herself unable to concentrate at the thought of the coming holiday.
• II. Put “turn down” and “ turn away” into the following sentences according to the context, change the form if necessary. • Hundreds of people _____________ from the concert. • Would you ___________ $7,000,000 to appear nude in a magazine?
• American Dream • Text Organization (chronological order, narrative) • New words and phrases • grammar
• Comprehend, assume, personnel, capacity, wreck, character, discard • turn away, work out, clean up, do with, turn down, for sale
• Ellipsis • Subject + verb+ Object + Complement (present/past participle, adjective, preposition, to infinitive, clause, etc.) • Nominal clause
• Go over what we have learned. • Learn the new words and phrases in detail. • Retell the story in the text. • Topic for discussion: Do you also have a dream? What will you do to fulfill your dream?