Book 2 Unit 1 Section A
Unit 1 Language in mission
Understanding and Learning
Overview
This unit focuses on learning English with text A talking about how grammar and vocabulary can be taught efficiently and text B how the language can be learned successfully. In other words, one is about how to teach and the other how to learn. The writing style between the two texts is also somewhat different, the first one is more relaxed and humorous, a typical style in English discourse. The tone of the second text however is more formal and serious. When teachers familiarize students with the texts, they need to point out their respective writing styles and also think about how to involve students in class activities from two different angles: teaching vs. learning. Meanwhile students should be encouraged to express their opinions about the current way of teaching in an English class, thereby expressing their thoughts freely. Activities can range from class discussion to peer interview and panel debate such as whether grammar is of crucial importance in learning English and how one can excel when learning that language. Students need to share their learning experience and find out more effective ways to learn English grammar and vocabulary.
Section A
An impressive English lesson Background information
1. Learning English grammar
The goal of developing learners’ functional competence in a second language is not a new idea. Originally, the term Grammar referred to the art of writing. As used today by many teachers and learners, grammar is loosely understood to be a set of rules that govern a language. Communicative language teaching has placed a renewed emphasis on the role of grammar, especially in the early stages of instruction. Viewing grammar with all of its components helps language teachers and learners understand the complexity of what it means to know the grammar of a language. Clearly, the goal of language learning in a communicative classroom is for learners to acquire the grammar of the second language in its broadest sense to enable them to understand and make meaning that is, to become proficient users of the language. Research and experience have shown that explicit teaching of grammatical rules does not produce such competence. How should grammar be taught effectively? It still has remained a question to all the language teachers.
Detailed study of the text
1. If I am the only parent who still corrects his child’s English, then perhaps my son is right. To him, I am a tedious oddity: a father he is obliged to listen to and a man absorbed in the rules of grammar, which my son seems allergic to. (Para. 1)
Meaning: My son is probably right if there is no other parent like me who still corrects his child’s mistake in English. To my son, I am a boring and strange father, who he has to listen to ; I am also the one who pays lots of attention to grammar rules, which he doesn’t seem to like.
★tedious: a. boring and continuing for too long 冗长乏味的
Telling the story has become tedious, as I have done it so many times. 讲述这个故事已变得单调乏味，因为我已经讲了这么多次了。
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Book 2 Unit 1 Section A
★oddity: n. [C] a strange or unusual person or thing 怪人；怪物；奇特的东西
With his neat suits on, he felt like an oddity walking in this poor neighborhood. 穿着必听的西装走在这个贫民窟里，他觉得自己就像个怪物。
★be / feel obliged to do sth.: if you are obliged to do sth., you have to do it because the situation, the law, a duty, etc. makes it necessary (因形式、法律、义务等关系而)非做不可， 迫使 I think Valentine’s Day is a waste of time, but I still feel obliged to send my wife a card.
Usage note obliged The word oblige is most commonly used in the expression be/feel obliged. 1. be / feel obliged to do sth. 指“感到有责任做某事” He felt obliged to help his mother, even if it meant leaving college. 他觉得有责任帮
助母亲，即使这意味着他要离开大学。
2. be/feel obliged to sb./ sth.指“对某人或某事心存感激” Thank you very much, doctor, I am extremely obliged to you.
医生，非常谢谢你。对您，我深表感谢。
★absorbed: a. so interested or involved in sth. that you do not notice anything else 极感兴趣的；全神贯注的；专注的。
Time passes quickly when you are absorbed in reading a good book. 在聚精会神地读一本好书的时候，时间过得非常快。
★allergic: a.
1) (be ~to sth.) (infml) if you are allergic to sth., you do not like it and try to avoid it.不喜欢某
事，对某事反感
Most men are allergic to housework.大多数男人都不喜欢做家务。 2) having an allergy 过敏的
I do not enjoy picnics because I am allergic to grass.我不喜欢野餐，因为我对草过敏。 2. I think I got serious about this only recently when I ran into one of my former students, fresh from an excursion to Europe (para. 2 )
Meaning: I think I started to pay attention to other people's usage of grammar only lately, when I happened to meet one of my former students, who had just returned from a short journey to Europe.
★get/be serious about: if you are serious about sth., you really mean it and are not joking or pretending 对…是认真的；并非开玩笑的
When you are staying with your roommates, you cannot get too serious about privacy.你和你的室友相处的时候，不能太计较隐私。
★run into sb.: (infml.) meet sb. by chance 偶然遇见某人
You forgot all about your cousin’s birthday until you suddenly ran into her today. 要不是你今天偶然遇见了你表姐，你已全然忘记了她的生日。
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Book 2 Unit 1 Section A
★fresh from: having just come from a particular place or experience刚从….来的；刚有…经历的
School principals should not expect teachers, fresh from college, to deal with a large group of difficult children.学校的校长不应该指望刚从大学毕业的老师来应付一大群难以对付的孩子。
★excursion: n. [C] a short journey you take for pleasure短途出行；远足
It was such a wonderful day that they decide to take a day excursion to the mountain. 这么好的天气，他们决定去山上一日游。
3.“How was it”I asked, full of earnest anticipation. (para.2)
Meaning: When I asked about how her trip to Europe had been, I was expecting her response anxiously and sincerely.
★How was it?: (spoken) often used in conversation to ask sb. about their opinion or experience of sth. （口语常用表达， 用于询问看法或经历）
Did you watch the movie last night? How was it? 你昨天晚上看那部电影了吗?感觉怎么样?
★full of: (followed by abstract nouns) feeling or showing a lot of particular emotion or quality(感觉、表达或表现出)充满某种情感（特质）的
full of excitement/ energy/ hope/happiness/praise充满兴奋/活力/希望/幸福/赞美 The teacher was full of praise for the home work that the students had done. 老师对学生们完成的功课赞不绝口。
★earnest: a. very serious and sincere 非常认真的；郑重其事的。
At the office he was very earnest, but he’s more relaxed now. 在办公室他很认真， 但是现在他放松多了。
4. She nodded three or four times searched the heavens for the right words, and then exclaimed, it was like, whoa!\
Meaning : she nodded her head three or four times, tried to find the right words in her mind and then shouted with excitement it was like whoa!
Meaning beyond words: Since the student was not quite sure how to exactly describe her travel experience, the tone of the author is somewhat sarcastic. The author intended to send out the message that the student was incompetent regarding the selection of her English vocabulary.
★search somewhere for sth.: try to find sth. in some place 在某地方搜寻某物
The robber reached out and searched the back pocket of my trousers for anything valuable. 那个盗贼伸手搜我裤子后面的口袋以寻找值钱的东西。
Note The heavens means the sky: here search the heavens for the right words\
tried hard to find suitable words to describe what she saw and experienced when traveling in Europe.
Usage note search, search for
1. search: look through 检查；搜查 3 / 16 They searched the man in front of me from head to foot. 他们把我前面的男子从头到脚搜查了一遍。 2. search for: look 寻找；搜寻 The customs were searching for drugs at the airport.