Book 6 Unit 1
1
Unit One
Text I
Pre-reading Questions
1.
You may have kept in your memory some words, phrases or even whole sentences that are of
great wisdom and can serve as guidelines in your life. Share them with your classmates and
discuss their value.
2.
The two words that, as the author of the text suggests, should be avoided are "if only", and the
two be remembered are "next time". Can you guess, before you read the text, what message
the author intends to convey to the reader with such a suggestion?
General Reading
I. Judge which of the following best states the purpose of the article.
A. To explain how Freud's psychotherapy works.
B. To demonstrate the power of positive thinking.
C. To call attention to the importance of the choice of words.
Key:
B
II. Judge whether the following statements are true or false.
1.
That wintry afternoon, the author was in a bad mood and he happened to meet an old friend
of his in a French restaurant in Manhattan.
2.
The Old Man asked the author to go to his office because he thought that the office was a
better place than the restaurant for their talk.
3.
The three speakers on the tape had all been unfavorably affected by what had happened to
them.
4.
In the Old Man's opinion, it was a bad way of thinking always to regret what one had done or
had not done.
Key:
1. F
2. F
3. T
4. T
Background Notes
1.
Manhattan
, an island near the mouth of the Hudson River, is a borough of New York City, in
southeastern New York State, U.S.A. Commercial and cultural heart of the city, Manhattan is
the site of the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the City Center of Music and Drama,
and numerous other music institutions.