Growing up

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Unit 1

• Growing up

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Part I Lead-in questions

• 1) Who do you often write for, the reader
  (normally the teacher) or yourself?
• 2) When do you think you relish writing for its
  own sake?

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Text A

• Writing For Myself
  
• --- By Baker Russell

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Part II Cultural Notes (1)

• 1) Spaghetti Spaghetti is an Italian thin
  noodle, cooked by boiling and served with sauce.
  The proper way of eating it is to put a fork into
  a plate of spaghetti, turn the fork several
  times to wind the spaghetti around the fork and
  then place the fork into the mouth. Sucking is
  regarded as highly impolite.

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Cultural Notes (2)

• 2) Grade schools in the U.S. Prior to college
  education, American students usually go through
  K-12 which includes elementary schools
  (kindergarten to 5th or 6th grade), middle
  schools (grades 6-8) or junior high schools
  (grades 7-9) and high schools (grades 9-12 or
  10-12)

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Part III. Writing Features

• 1) This text develops in order of time.
• 2) The author has employed some narrative skills
  to impress on readers the story to be told.
• --- the use of details ( Para. 2)
• --- repetition of certain words and
  phrases(Para.2 , Para. 5)
• --- the use of synonymous expressions
  (throughout the whole text, see next page)

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Writing Features Synonymous words and phrases

• Dull, lifeless, cheerless, tedious
• Turn out, write, compose, put down
• Anticipate, prepare for
• Formal, rigid, prim, correct, proper, respectable
• Recapture, relive
• Pleasure, delight, happiness
• Contempt, ridicule
• Topic, title

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Writing FeaturesRepetition

• Make it easy for readers to follow the essay as
  well as impress them more deeply
• In Para. 2, 9 prims or primlys appear in 3
  sentences vivid picture of Mr. Feagle
• In Para. 5, 5 I wanteds help to emphasize
  authors strong desire to write for himself

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Writing Features Text Organization

• Part 1(Paras. 1-2) Baker was bored by everything
  associated with English courses, including essay
  writing.
• Part 2 (Paras. 3-5) Inspired by one topic, Baker
  wrote about it for his own joy.
• Part 3 (Paras.6-9) This writing experience
  helped him discover his talent for writing and
  his purpose for life.

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Part IV. Difficult Sentences

• I hated the assignments to turn out long,
  lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers
  to read and for me to write. (para.1)
• --- I found it painful to write long, boring
  essays as required by teachers and the teachers
  found it equally painful to read what I wrote.

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Part IV. Difficult Sentences

• I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr.
  Fleagle and for a long time was not disappointed.
  (para.3)
• --- My anticipation for the academic year with
  Mr. Fleagle was that I would not gain much and it
  turned out that I was not wrong. His lessons were
  dull.

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Part IV. Difficult Sentences

• The title produced an extraordinary sequence of
  mental images. (para. 4)
• --- When I read the title, I saw immediately in
  my minds eye what happened that day, one thing
  after another.

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Part IV. Difficult Sentences

• I was preparing myself for a command to report to
  Mr. Fleagle immediately after school for
  discipline. (para. 6)
• --- I was expecting Mr. Fleagles order that I
  see him right after school for the purpose of
  punishing me.

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Part IV. Difficult Sentences

• In the eleventh grade , at the eleventh hour as
  it were, I had discovered a calling.(para.9)
• --- I eventually found something that I would
  like to do for my lifetime before it was too late
  when I was in the eleventh grade.

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Part V. Language Points

• off and on (or on and off)(para.1) from time to
  time, now and again, irregularly ??,??
• e.g. 1) It has been raining on and off for a
  week. Thats why the clothes feel damp.
• 2) She slept off and on last night because of
  the severe headache.

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Part V. Language Points

• take hold (para.1) become established ??,????
• e.g. 1) The idea of one child only has taken
  hold in most urban Chinese families.
• 2) Old habits die hard. Thats why you should
  stop smoking before the habits take hold.

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• Part V. Language Points
• turn out (para. 1) produce ??,??
• e.g. 1) American film studios turn out hundreds
  of films every year.
• 2) New computers are soon outdated since newer
  models are turned out constantly.

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Part V. Language Points

• agony (para.1) n. very great pain (in agony) ??
  
• e.g. 1) Its an agony for me not to see my
  valentine for days.
• 2) Many people lay there screaming in agony
  after the bomb explosion.

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Part V. Language Points

• anticipate (para. 2) vt. expect ??
• e.g. 1) A good speaker is able to anticipate
  an audiences needs.
• 2) The police had anticipated trouble from
  the soccer fans and were at the ground in large
  numbers.

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Part V. Language Points

• tedious (para.2) adj. boring and lasting for a
  long time ???,???
• e.g.1) The movie was so tedious that many
  viewers left before it was over.
• 2) Laura found George tedious and decided not
  to see him any more .

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Part V. Language Points

• rigid (para.2) adj. fixed in behavior, based on
  correct or accepted rules ???,?????
• e.g. 1) The rigid headmaster would button up his
  clothes even on the hottest days.
• 2) If he had been a little less rigid about
  things, his daughter would not have left home at
  such a young age.

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Part V. Language Points

• prim (para.2) adj. too formal or correct in
  behavior and showing a dislike of anything rude
  (often coming with prim and proper) ???,???
• e.g. 1)You cant tell that joke to her. She
  is very prim and proper.
• 2) We sat primly at either end of the long
  sofa.

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Part V. Language Points

• tackle (para.3) vt. try to deal with ??,??
• e.g. 1) A robot has recently been designed
  that can tackle almost any kind of housework.
• 2) The classroom was quiet as students were
  busy tackling the final exam.

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Part V. Language Points

• face up to(para.3) be brave enough to accept or
  deal with ????????
• e.g. 1)Now that your daughter is born, youll
  have to face up to the responsibilities of being
  a father.
• 2)Yeltsin faced up to the fact that he was no
  longer fit for the Russian presidency and
  resigned on New Years Eve.

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Part V. Language Points

• sequence(para.4) n. a series of related things
  ????????
• e.g. 1)The novel is written in chronological
  sequence.
• 2) We had a sequence of defeats in last years
  season.
• synonymous with a series/succession /string
  of

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Part V. Language Points

• recall(para.4) vt. bring back to the mind
  remember ???,??
• e.g. 1) I recognize the face but cant recall
  her name.
• 2) I dont even recall meeting her.

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Part V. Language Points

• violate (para.5) vt. act against ??,??
• e.g. 1) If he continues to violate traffic
  regulations he is going o lose his driving
  license.
• 2) A country isnt respected if it violates an
  international agreement.

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Part V. Language Points

• hold back (para.8) prevent the expression of
  (feelings, tears, etc.) ??(??,???)
• e.g. 1) She couldnt hold back her tears at her
  office when she knew her dearest grandma passed
  away.
• 2) People could hardly hold back their anger
  when they found that millions of public funds had
  been abused.

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Part V. Language Points

• the eleventh hour (para.9) the last moment
  before sth. important happens ????
• e.g. The presidents visit was called off at the
  eleventh hour.

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Part V. Language Points

• calling(para.9) n. a job, esp. a religious one ,
  or one in which you help others. ??,??
• e.g. 1) Im glad she is going into medicine.
  Its a very worthy calling.
• 2) My citizenship is India. Im a Catholic
  nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world.---
  Mother Teresa

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Part VI. Writing assignment

• Both texts in this unit describe a person who
  has exerted great influence on the author. You
  might have encountered such a person in your
  life, such as your parents, teachers, or friends.
• Write a short essay of 200 words to relate how
  someone has brought changes to your life. You
  can choose your own title.

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The End