READING MORE

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READING MORE

• Ahead of the Game

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Background Information

• gift certificate
• Gift certificates/cards can be used just
  like money. Many companies, stores and
  restaurants offer this kind of cards. In the
  United States, in sending gifts to their friends,
  relatives and so on, some people would prefer
  gift certificates/cards to things like toys or
  flowers. In this way the recipient can use the
  card to buy something she or he really likes.
  Gift cards and certificates can be purchased in
  the stores and online as well.
• For more information, please visit
• http//www.thegiftcertificatecompany.com/te
  mplate.asp?pagehome.
• http//www.chowbaby.com/chowstore/newhome.asp.

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The rhetorical device of pun

• A pun is a form of speech play in which a word or
  phrase unexpectedly and simultaneously combines
  two unrelated meanings. It can use a word or
  phrase that has two meanings, or words having the
  same sound but different meanings.
• ?????????????,????????,?????????????????????.????
  ?????,????????.

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• Please read the text and try to find the two puns
  used in the text
• Ahead of the Game (Title)
• from above (Para. 2)

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Getting the message

• 1. B From the sentence A friend of mine was
  suffering from a lack of self-confidence (Para.
  1), we can see that my friend was not confident
  of his ability to attract ladies.
• 2. C From the sentence He was convinced that
  good hair was the ticket to a successful
  relationship. (Para. 2), we can tell that C is
  the right answer.

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• 3. A A is not mentioned in the text.
• 4. D He bought a gift certificate, pretending
  that this was a free meal for two offered by a
  nice restaurant. This helped his friend finally
  decide to go dating with a lady without wearing a
  cap.
• 5. B From the text, we can see that he was
  very worried about his friend and thought out a
  good idea to help him. With his help, his friend
  regained self-confidence and has led a happy life
  ever since. So he is a helpful friend.

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We can read this title in two ways

• (1) A head of the game, showing that this is a
  story related to ones (bare) head
• (2) Ahead of the game, meaning being the winner
  in the game.
• ? ? ? ?
• The writer tries to be humorous by using this
  title.
• How to translate the title into Chinese.

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from above could be seen as a pun with the
following two meanings

• 1) from the head, referring to the fact that the
  hair is thinning on his head and this shows that
  one is less likely to build a good relationship
  with a nice woman.
• 2) from the Heaven, implying that he is fated to
  be alone for the rest of his life. This also
  shows that he has no confidence in his future.