LESSON TWEIVE

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LESSON TWEIVE
The kindness of Strangers
Mike Mclntyre
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Teaching steps

• Introduction to the text
• Detailed study of the text
• word study/reading comprehension and
  language activities
• In-class discussion
• After-class activities

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Introduction 1.

• Americans are known as a generous people. Love
  thy neighbor and Be your brothers keeper used
  to be their national mottoes. In recent decades,
  however, things have changed. People seem to have
  become more and more indifferent to other
  peoples needs. Crime rates have increased
  seriously. More and more people are worried about
  the general moral decay. But the author of this
  article tries to tell people that based on his
  personal experience,things are not as bad as
  people believe. In fact, one can still depend on
  the kindness of strangers in this country.

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2.

• The text is adapted from the original article by
  the author which appeared in Readers Digest,May
  1997. The Readers Digest is an 80-year-old
  popular American magazine, second only to TV
  guide in circulation. It is published in 18
  languages and more than 24 million copies are
  sold world-wide monthly. The large circulation
  indicates that it is designed to appeal to
  average people. Therefore, most articles from
  this magazine reflect traditional American values
  and tend to paint a generally positive picture of
  the land and people of the United States.

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3.

• Today, people generally agree that competition is
  good for economic growth because it makes people
  work harder and better. But they also find that
  it might turn the society into a battlefield or a
  jungle where everybody is guided by the law of
  the survival of the fittest and that it might
  do harm to human relationship. This has happened
  in the United States. It is also happening in our
  own country. Our students should be aware of
  these problems and try to understand and learn to
  deal with them .

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Detailed study of the text Word study

• addict n. a drug addict a person who cannot
  stop taking drugs
• almighty adj. having unlimited power dollar
  taking money as the main goal in life or basis of
  power
• to come upon (literary) to meet, find , or
  discover by chance or by accident
• the other day, I came upon a very interesting
  book that deals with this issue.
• compare to come upon and to come across
• 4. chamber of commerce an organization
  or group of people in a particular town or area
  for the purpose of trade
• Compassionate adj. feeling sympathy for sb.
  Who is suffering
• compassionate and sympathetic are
  synonyms. But in the following sentences, the
  word sympathetic is used, not compassionate
  They are very sympathetic to our plan.
• I like to talk to her about my problems.she has a
  very sympathetic ear.
• gamble n. a risky action or decision take a
  to take an action that is risky hoping that it
  may succeed.
• The author wanted to take a gamble in
  his life. That is, he decided to travel from the
  Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny.
• gang n. a group of persons who stick together,
  esp. for criminal or other antisocial purposes
• intrigue v. to arouse the interest or curiosity
• in spite of regardless of despite
• More examples In spite of the bad weather
  conditions we still had a good harvest.
• He did not succeed in spite of his poverty. He
  succeeded because of it.

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• 10. to pitch a tent to set up a tent
• This is a typical collocation.
• More examples of collocations to solve a
  problem / to park a car/ to mow the lawn /to make
  sense / to dial the phone/ to give permission
• to run s b. over to hit s b. with a car or
  other vehicles,e.g. He was run over by a bus.
• to be scheduled to do sth. to be planned that
  sb.will do sth. Or sth.will happen
• More examples
• He is scheduled to go to the Great Wall during
  his visit.
• The railway is scheduled to go into operation in
  2005.
• to leave sb./sth. done to make sb./sth. stay in
  a certain state
• More examples
• They left the food untouched.
• Never leave the door unlocked.
• We are not going to leave anything untried.

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Reading comprehension and language activities 1.
Choose the statement that best explains your
understanding of the text. 1) The author
did not stop to offer the young man a rid because
_________. a) he was in a hurry
b) he did not5 see him c)
he was a jerk d) he
was cautious 2) The author traveled
across the States alone at the age of 37 to
______. a) visit all the interesting
places he had in mind b) realize his
life-long dream c) find out if people
were willing to help strangers d) test
his will to endure all the hardships involved in
a trip 3) The trip led the author to
______. a) see that it was natural for
people not to stop for hitchhikers b)
believe that most people were willing to help
those in need c) feel very worried about
the people in his country d) realize that
he had been very lucky to live through the
journey 4) He managed to cover 14 states
without any trouble because________. a) he
was well-known and his plan was well-publicized
b) he had every detail of his trip well
planned c) there were always people who
were willing to help strangers d) he was
extremely lucky 5) People helped the
author during the trip mostly because ________.
a) they couldnt leave people in need
without doing anything b) they knew he was
testing them and wanted him to write favorably
about them c) they were unaware of the
risks involved d) they were well-to-do
and had plenty to offer 6) The author
found a patriotic tone in his talks because
_________. a) he knew he was talking to a
group of pupils b) he had found the answer
to the questions he had in mind before setting
off c) he believed that Carol would expect
him to use that kind of tone d) he was
deeply touched by the interest of the children

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Answers d c b c a b
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2. Notes to the text

• He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his
  other hand.(para.1)
• This is the usual gesture of hitchhikers when
  they ask for a free ride. The gas can obviously
  is meant to explain why they need this favor.
  (They have run out of gas.)
• 2) There was a time when youd be considered a
  jerk if (para.1)
• Here, more attributive clauses are introduced
  by when in the following pattern
• __Has he always been in such poor health?
• __ No, there was a time when he was as strong
  as a horse.
• Substitutes
• Has he always been so fond of western music?
  
• Has the water in that river always been so
  dirty?
• Has corruption always been such a serious
  problem?
• Has the weather always been so dry here in
  spring?
• jerk (informal) a stupid person who does not
  care about the effects of his actions
• 3) With gangs, drug addicts, lurking
  everywhere, (para.1)
• This is a prepositional phrase (with its
  complex object) used as an adverbial of reason,
  It could be turned into an adverbial clause
  introduced by as
• As gangs, drug addicts, are lurking
  everywhere,
• to lurk to wait silently and secretly, ready
  to do wrong
• 4) I never even lifted my foot off the
  accelerator. (para. 2)
• The author was really shocked how he could have
  been so indifferent, so unfeeling and so
  unsympathetic.
• 5) relying solely on the good will of his fellow
  Americans. (para.3)

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• 6)The week I turned 37, I realized that I had
  never taken a gamble inn my life.( para.5)
• The week I turned 37 The week ( when ) I
  turned 37
• Here when is often omitted. Similarly, we say
  the day I was born , the year he got
  married,
• the night the fire broke out , etc.
• to take a gamble We can also say to take a
  rest, to take a risk, etc. Pay attention to
  this kind of
• collocations.
• through the land of the almighty dollar.
  (para.5)
• the land of the almighty dollars the country
  in which money has as much power as God (it
  
• here refers to the United States.)
• and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a
  50-pound pack on my back and a sign
• displaying my destination to passing
  vehicles America.(para.6)
• The author was holding a sign showing people
  where he was going. The fact that he put down
• America as his destination may have been
  the reason why he had been so well treated. It
  must
• have caught the attention of the media and
  roused peoples patriotic feeling.
• when it seemed to run contrary to their own best
  interests.(para.7)
• when it seemed to be in a way that is
  opposite to their best interests. / when it
  seemed to be
• exactly what they should not have done for
  their own safety.
• to run contrary to to run against to run
  counter to
• Contrary is an adverbial here.

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• I saw two little old ladies dressed in their
  Sunday finest. (para.)
• I saw two old ladies who were wearing their best
  clothes.
• It could be that these ladies were indeed on
  their way to the church or on their way back home
  from the church.
• In is often used to mean wearing sth..
• More examples
• He looked very handsome in his army uniform.
• I saw a woman in black hurrying to that hotel.
• The boy was in rags. And he was hungry.
• I didnt know whether to kiss them or scold them
  for stopping. (para.8)
• I didnt know whether I should thank them for
  their kindness or criticize them for running this
  risk.
• The author was obviously deeply touched. He said
  this to emphasize the kindness and courage of the
  two old ladies,
• not to suggest that it was wrong or stupid.
• Whether can not be replaced by if in this
  pattern. If is usually followed by a clause and
  without or.
• shed rather risk her life than feel bad
  about(para.8)
• she preferred to risk her life rather than feel
  guilty about
• More examples of the use of would rather than
  
• Id rather stay home than go out tomorrow.
• Id rather marry someone I can trust than someone
  who has lots of money but no heart.
• robbed at knifepoint (para.9) robbed while
  the robber pointed a knife at him Also at
  gunpoint

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• Now we are talking. (para.12)
• This is used when you think someones suggestion
  is a very good idea.
• More examples
• __I suggest we first get a hamburger and then a
  big ice-cream.
• __ Now we (you) are talking! Lets go.
• __ Lets call it a day. We cant work all day.
• __ Now we (you) are talking.
• Tell you what. (para.12)
• (Ill tell you what is used when you are
  suggesting or offering sth.
• More examples
• Id like to go very much. But its too far
  away.
• -- tell you what. You take my car. Im
  not going anywhere today.
• b) -- I wont be able to come back home until
  7. But I have to pick up my son at 530.
• -- tell you what . Ill pick up your son
  and bring him to my place.
• His wife, a seventh-grade science teacher, was
  cooking a pot roast(para.13)
• In the U.S., education begins in elementary
  school, which is for children between the ages of
  5 and
• 11, then goes on to middle school, which is for
  children between 11 and 14, then to high school,
• which is for children of 14 or 15 or 18 years
  old. After that there will be the college or
  university.
• mountain stay-at-home people who rarely
  entertained in their house. (para.13)

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In-class discussion

• 1. Why did the author decide to start on this
  journey?
• 2. What was the authors plan for the trip?
• How was he treated everywhere he went?What did
  the author
• learn about people in general during the
  trip?
• What was the authors experience at the Wilsons?
• Many people in the United States say that it
  would be foolish
• to trust strangers.But the authors
  experience seems to suggest
• that you can still depend on their kindness.
  Which do you think
• is a truer picture of todays reality in the
  United States?
• Do you often depend on the kindness of
  strangers?
• Do you think we should?

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After-class activities

• Complete the sentences, using the proper forms of
  the expressions listed below.

in need to be scheduled to do
sth. to come upon to
depend on to feel (bad, happy ) about
to have in mind to head for
to rely on
to watch out

• He is known for his generosity. Every year he
  spends millions helping people______________.
• Lisa _______forgetting to tell Linda about the
  interview.
• Scientists long ago_______ the idea of growing
  plants in the ocean.
• Our radar has picked up some signal that an
  unidentified object is ________ our city.
• -- Do you like rock music?
• -- It _______my mood .
• We _______a discussion with the professors from
  Harvard University next Tuesday.
• No country can completely_________foreign aid to
  develop its economy.
• You need to _______ here. Its dark and this
  staircase is steep.

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1. Its up to you where we go. Youre our guest. Do
   you ____any place ___________?
2. We were surprised to hear Mr.Chen say that he was
   ______retirement. He really doesnt look that
   old.
3. As they were walking along the beach,
   they________a plastic bag half buried in the
   sand.
4. Anyone who __________the future of our country
   _______will understand the importance of
   protecting our water resources.
5. In a sense, the success of this experiment will
   _________the financial support from the city
   government.
6. ____________! The milk is spilling over.

• Complete the sentences, using the proper forms of
  the phrasal verbs of run listed below.
• to run across to run away
  to run contrary
• to run into to run out
  to run out of
• to run over to run through

1. I ________a beautiful silver box in a second-hand
   shop. I bought it for only 10.
2. Tom and his friends decided to _________ the
   school because they wanted to play Robin Hood.
3. That police officer was nearly __________ by a
   car when he was trying to catch the murder
   suspect across the street.
4. Walking in the jungle one morning, I ___________
   a bird I had never seen for years.
5. We all felt a tone of deep concern for the
   unemployed workers______her talk.

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6) Time is ____________ . This dam must be
completed before the rainy season comes. 7) They
told us that they were ______________ cash and so
they had to raise a loan. 8) Soon, we found what
they did _____________our agreement, so we
decided to take legal action.

• 3 Complete the sentences with a what-clause based
  on the Chinese.
• Youd better not do ____________________________(?
  ?????)?
• I think __________(???) was perfectly true.
• Its hard for me to describe _______________(????
  ) at that moment.
• Once he makes up his mind, he doesnt care
  ____________(?????)?
• I felt so embarrassed because I couldnt recall
  __________(???????)?
• The manager couldnt imagine ______________(??????
  ??)after he
• retired.
• 7) Every one of us believed that was
  ______________(???????)?
• 8) Yes, I have witnesses , ___________(??????)
  is a lawyer.
• 9) Smoking in the corridor is acceptable.
  __________(??????)is smoking in
• the office.
• 10) She had expected to see modern apartment
  buildings, but ________(?????)
• were old, ugly-looking dormitories.
• 11) ___________ (?????????) is to tell people
  what happened during the
• so-called Cultural Revolution.
• 12) She brought her air ticket. ___________
  (??????)was her ID card.
• Written work
• In no more than 100words, write down in your
  diary your thoughts after reading

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Answers to the exercises

• 1) in need 2) felt bad about 3) came
  upon 4) heading for
• 5) depends on 6) are scheduled to have
  7) rely on 8) watch out
• 9) have, in mind 10) heading for
  11) came upon 12) has, in mind
• 13) depend on 14) Watch out
• 1) ran across 2) run away from
  3) run over 4) ran into
• 5) running through 6) running out
  7) running out of 8) ran contrary
  to
• 1) what will be harmful to your friend 2)
  what you said
• 3) how I felt
  4) what others think
• 5) what her name was
  6) what the company would be like
• 7) what really happened
  8) What I need now
• 9) What is unacceptable
  10) what met her eyes
• 11) what he would like to do in his
  remaining years
• 12) What she forgot to bring
• 4. (omit).