Unit 6Women, Half the Sky

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Unit 6 Women, Half the Sky

• Text A Im Going to Buy
• the Brooklyn Bridge

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Objectives

• grasp the main idea
• appreciate how the author achieves coherence for
  her essay
• master key language points and grammatical
  structures

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Pre-reading tasks

• Listen to the song I Am Woman and answer
• 1 Why cant women be ignored?
• 2 What happens to women if you try to break
  their will?
• Answer
• 1 Because of their huge numbers.
• 2 You can bend them but you can never break
  them. It only serves to make them more
  determined to achieve their final goal.

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A QuestionnaireHow well you know about your
mother

• Is your mother busy?
• What are her main tasks in daily life?
• Do you think your mother takes up more
  responsibilities than your father?
• Does your mother show any signs of tiredness in
  daily life?
• How did your mother behave under great stress?
• What is your mothers biggest regret?
• Name one of your mothers ambitions.

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Cultural Notes

• the Brooklyn Bridge the bridge over the East
  River in New York City that connects Manhattan
  with Brooklyn. It was opened in 1883 and has a
  length of 1595 feet (486 meters).
• The expression selling the Brooklyn Bridge to
  sb. means tricking sb. in a deal.

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(No Transcript)
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Text organization--( Refer to P184 Ex1)

• 1) P1-3 Despite her friends advice, the author
  falls for superwomen stories again.
• 2) P4-7 Her encounter with a superwoman and its
  impact on her.
• 3) P8-11 She tells about what prevents her from
  becoming a superwoman herself.
• 4) P12-14 She analyzes why she is still
  fascinated by modern superwomen tales.
• 5) P15 She comes to the conclusion that to her,
  admiring a heroine is sth. worth doing.

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Text organization--( Refer to P184 Ex2)

• What method does the author mainly employ to
  explain how difficult it is for her to be a
  superwoman?
• Answer
• d. Mainly by personal experience.

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Text organization--( Refer to P184 Ex2)

• Scan the text and give facts to support your
  choice.
• Answer
• 1 She is unable to get act together.
• 2 She can almost expect sth to go wrong as soon
  as she sets to work.
• 3 Anything might happen that would take up more
  of time she puts aside for a certain job.
• 4 She usually feels exhausted after a busy day.

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While-reading tasks-- Comprehension of the text

• Scan the first two paragraphs and tell why a
  friend said that if I believed everything in the
  report, she had a bridge in Brooklyn shed like
  to sell me.
• Possible answer
• Her friend was laughing at her for her believing
  in all the stories she heard. /
• Her friend thought she was too gullible if she
  bought the stories she heard. /
• Her friend didnt believe the stories and
  suggested that the author should not be easily
  tricked into buying them either.

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While-reading tasks-- Comprehension of the text

• Can you give some alternative terms for a bridge
  in Brooklyn?
• An incredible story, something impossible, etc.
• Note Folktales about people who are so gullible
  they have been persuaded to buy a well-known
  landmark by confidence tricksters are numerous in
  America and elsewhere.

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Language study

• undo (L6)
• 1. (fml) disturb or upset greatly
• My roommates idea about wealth undid me.
• 2. untie, open
• the knot/parcel/button...
• Its so warm inside. He undid his coat and
  took it off.

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Language study

• she had a bridge in Brooklyn shed like to sell
  me.(L7-8)
• It suggests that she thought the author so
  gullible that she could be persuaded to buy the
  bridge from her.

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Language study

• hit/strike home (of remarks, etc) have the
  intended effect
• His criticism hit home. I was really selfish.
• I could see from her expression that my
  comments had hit home.

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Language study

• skeptical/sceptical (BE) (L10) doubting that
  sth. is true, right, etc.
• about / of
• He is absolutely ___ that the plan will work,
  but Im still a bit about it.
• (certain / sure / convinced,...)
• Some scientists think global temperature has
  risen due to the ____. Others are ____ global
  warming.
• ( greenhouse effect, of /about)

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Language study

• But like a dieter who devours a whole box of
  cookies in a moment of weakness, I found my
  resolve slipping occasionally. (L12-13)
• But like a dieter who eats quickly a whole box of
  cookies when his determination to go on a diet
  was not firm, I sometimes found my resolve was
  not firm either.

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Language study

• consume (L14)
• 1) eat or drink
• The children d lots of chocolate ice-creams at
  the party.
• 2) use up
• The old car d much gasoline.
• If consumers dont , then workers dont have
  to work.

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Language study

• care for(L16)
• 1) take care of
• The old man had a stroke a month ago. His son
  hired a nurse to him.
• 2) like or love (in negative or interrogative
  sentences)
• I dont much for country music.
• Would you dessert? asked the hostess.

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Language study

• a Swiss watch (L24)
• Switzerland is famous for producing watches
  which are very precise.
• I wondered aloud (L31)
• If you wonder aloud, you express your thoughts
  as they occur to you rather than thinking first
  and then speaking.

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Language study

• reproach (L35) criticize (sb.) for failing to do
  sth.
• sb. for sth.
• She loved her boyfriend so much that she
  didnt reproach him for breaking his promise.

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Language study

• by nature (L41) as a result of inborn or
  inherent qualities innate
• I am not a violent man, but these insults
  were more than I could bear.
• He is rather an aggressive person.

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Language study

• get ones act together (L41) (infml) organize
  oneself and ones activities so that one does
  things in an effective way
• Steve will have to get his act together if he is
  going to pass the exam. He cant just sit
  about doing nothing all day.
• Come on, you two, get your act together or
  well miss the bus.

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Language study

• put pencil/pen to paper (L46) start to write
• When I yesterday, vivid memories came
  flooding back of my first day in school.
• The instant he , his four-year-old son would
  sit beside him quietly.

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Language study

• remainder (L48) the remaining time, people
  or things
• Having finished the work, I spent the of the
  day reading novels.
• Three potatoes will be enough the we can use
  for a salad.
• remains the of a meal ????

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Language study

• at intervals (L48)
• 1) sth. that happens happens occasionally
• 2) sth. that exists exists here and there
• The interview continued, with Smith breaking
  off to consult his notes.
• Trees have been planted along the
  waterfront.

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Language study

• set aside (L51) put (time or money) away for
  a special purpose
• I have a little money for emergencies.
• My brother sets half an hour every morning to
  do sports.

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Language study

• a Martian bank (L54)
• It refers to a bank which is alien to shop
  assistants.
• Only the manager can OK the matter. ( L54)
• Only the manager can give his approval for
  accepting the womans check.

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Language study

• race the clock (L58) do sth. quickly in order
  to finish it in the available time
• The semester is coming to an end. We have to
  every day to prepare for our final exams.
• The deadline will be due tomorrow. We have to .

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Language study

• bide ones time (L65) wait patiently for a
  chance
• Im planning to change my job, but Im just
  biding my time until the right opportunity
  comes up.
• She bided her time, planning revenge.

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Language study

• take in (L67) (usu. passive) cheat
• She was so smart that she couldnt be taken in
  by her colleagues.
• The students played a trick on their teacher.
  Unfortunately he was taken in completely.

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Language study

• achieve/have ones hearts desire(s) (L73)
  get sb./sth. you want very much
• He was making great efforts to achieve his
  hearts desires.
• When she agreed to marry him he felt he had
  achieved his hearts desire.

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Language study

• a piece of cake (L74) sth. that is very easy
  to do
• Shopping on line is for the five-year-old.
• Getting in touch with his overseas friends via
  email is for the old man.

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Language study

• sophisticated (L78)
• 1) worldly-wise showing knowledge of the
  world
• Richard was still young, but he was enough
  to know when people were not telling the truth.
• 2) advanced or complicated
• The missile has a sophisticated guidance
  system.

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Language study

• move on to (L84) stop doing one thing and
  begin dealing with the next
• She ran this shop for ten years before
  deciding to the real estate business.
• Moving the question of the concert, we still
  need volunteers to sell tickets.

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While-reading tasks-- Comprehension of the text

• Then Ill tell her a story the tale of a woman
  who bought her own version of that bridge in
  Brooklyn and found that it was a wise investment
  after all. (L86-88)
• Then the author will tell her friend a story
  about her choice to follow her dreams and her
  discovery that following her dreams was a good
  choice.

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Post-reading tasks-- Comprehension of the text

• Scan the text and underline sentences containing
  the word bridge.
• Para 12 Despite my friends warning against
  being taken in, despite everything Ive learned,
  I find that Im not only willing, but positively
  eager to buy the bridge she mentioned.
• Para 15 Then Ill tell her a story the tale of
  a woman who bought her own version of that bridge
  in Brooklyn and found that it was a wise
  investment after all.

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Post-reading tasks-- Comprehension of the text

• What do these two sentences mean?
• Para 12 Although my friend had warned me not to
  believe in the stories about any incredibly
  successful woman, I am still willing to believe
  that they are true.
• Para 15 Then I will tell her about myself how I
  believed in superwomen tales and how this belief
  had encouraged me to attain my own goals.

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Post-reading tasks-- an essay question

• In the text, the author writes Men have been
  assured that achieving their hearts desires
  would be a piece of cake. Women, of course, have
  always believed that we cant have our cake and
  eat it too. How do you understand it?
• Possible answer
• Men are encouraged to achieve their goals in
  life, but women know that they can only achieve
  some goals at the expense of other goals.

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Post-reading tasks-- essay questions

• What does the title Im Going to Buy the
  Brooklyn Bridge mean?
• What is the tone of the article? Give facts to
  support your view.

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Text analysis --- how to achieve coherence

• Ways of achieving coherence
• the use of transitional words and phrases
• The repetition of key words and phrases
• The use of parallel structure.
• (Refer to Writing Strategy on page 202.)

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How to achieve coherence--- the use of
transitional words/phrases

• But, however, yet, etc.
• a good example (paras. 8-10) --a mini-essay

the topic (the last sentence of para 8) No
matter how carefully I plan my time, the
plan always goes wrong. Para 9 Sth. must go
wrong with the kids when I make schedules
of military precision. Para 10 Other days,
every item on my sche- -dule will take three
times the number of minutes set aside.
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How to achieve coherence--- the repetition of
key words and phrases
Brooklyn Bridge/ the bridge

• Scan the text and find out the words/phrases that
  serve the following functions.
• 1) The occurrences of the phrase that weave the
  essay into a coherent piece
• 2) Synonyms used to remind readers of the topic
  of this essay
• 3) the phrase (5 instances) used to emphasize the
  amazing fact that some super-capable women can
  still find spare time in their tight schedule
• 4) synonymous phrases used to point out the fact
  that many people do not believe in super-women
  stories.

Superwoman/women, (super)heroines, supersisters
in her spare time
modern fairy tale, fantasy, dream, incredible
achievements, extraordinary deeds
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How to achieve coherence--- the use of
parallel structure

• No strictly parallel structure in this essay.
• Comparison(some may regard it as parallel) my
  daily struggle and the achievements of Kate L.,
  the daughter of a politician, the woman
  executive, etc.

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Getting to know a structure

• get infinitive(refer to P190 ExIII for
  practice)
• 1) used to mean one has the opportunity to do
  sth. or is allowed to do it
• (L56) they dont to be superwomen that
  way.
• I got to do a little work in GM when I was in
  Detroit.
• 2) used to mean one gradually acquires sth. or
  gradually becomes aware of sth.
• Sam is nice when you to know him.

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Grammatical structures

• If only(L60) to mean that we would like things
  to be different. If only often stands alone
  without a main clause, which means the same as
  I wish.
• e.g. If only there were forty-eight hours in
  every day.
• ( Refer to P191 Ex1 for more practice.)

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Are you a careful reader?--- vocabulary related
to food

• Scan the text and find out the words and phrases
  related to food.
• a piece of cake(L74), you cant eat the cake and
  have it too(L75), strawberry jam(L27), a whole
  box of cookies(L12), soup, juice and tea(L49), a
  dieter(L12), a diet without treats(L77), the old
  low-dream diet(L75), to devour(L12), to bake
  cakes(L40),

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Are you a careful reader?--- vocabulary related
to food

• Do these food-related words/phrases serve any
  purpose in the text?
• Possible answer
• They reflect the traditional role of women as
  food-providers.

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Are you a good listener?

• 1. The sight of the animals suffering ___ me.
• (undid)
• 2. He presented his thesis at the conference, but
  some professors were ___ about his findings.
• (skeptical)
• 3. Jim ___ nearly a pound of cheese per day.
• (consumes)

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Are you a good listener?

• 4. The college students volunteered to ___ the
  elderly in their community.
• (care for)
• 5. He ___ himself constantly for not having
  visited his sick mother before she died.
• (reproached)
• 6.Were about to __ the 2nd stage of the project.
• (move on to)

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Are you a good listener?

• 7. We cant afford to waste even one minute. __
  or well never finish it.
• (Get your act together)
• 8. The trains leave the station ___ of half an
  hour.
• (at intervals)
• 9. Each week she tried to ___ a few dollars.
• (set aside)

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Are you a good listener?

• 10. Diana had become a __ woman who knew all the
  rich and famous people in Paris.
• (sophisticated)
• 11. He was badly ___ when he bought that
  second-hand car.
• ( taken in)

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Remember to ---

• review the text
• bring the listening book with you next week when
  you come to class.
• See you !