大学英语综合教程B1-Unit 4 American Dream

Text A Tony Trvisonno’s American Dream

Ⅲ. Global Reading

1. Part Division of the text Parts Lines Main Ideas 1 1~82 Life story of Tony Trivisonno. 2 83~95 The author’s reflections on the story of Tony

2. Further Understanding

For Part One Chart Completion How Tony Fulfilled His American Dream Lines Time Phrases Tony’s Steps toward Success One evening 1~26 during the Tony started to work as a help at Mr. Crawford’s Great house. Depression Summer 27~33 passed into Tony got a job cleaning snow at Mr. Crawford’s fall factory Tony asked to be trained as an apprentice, and later 34~43 One day learned to be a skilled worker. A year or two 44~85 passed Tony bought a house with the help of Mr. Crawford After about 59~76 two years Tony bought a farm and sent for his family in Italy. Tony died, leaving his family a prosperous farm and 77~82 During the his children educated war For Part Two Questions and Answers 1) What is the key to Tony’s success?

Tony worked very hard to create his American Dream. Besides, he was determined, self-controlled, optimistic, self-respected, honest and responsible. All these helped him become successful. 2) Compare Tony with the greatest industrialists.

Both Tony and the greatest industrialists are successful in pursuing their American Dreams. They reached their success by working hard, and by the same values and principles. The only difference was that they had different financial achievements.

Ⅳ. Detailed Reading

Important words , phrases and sentences: Part One (Para.1~Para.29)

1. (L 5) “I mow your lawn,” he said.

How many times is the sentence—“I mow your lawn.”—repeated in the text? Why is it repeated?

The sentence is repeated four times. That’s because it shows Tony’s determination in finding a job, and his optimistic view that people would help a man who needed a job.

2. (L11) turn away: refuse to help or allow (sb.) to enter a place ---他拒绝了所有的应征者。

He turned all the applicants away.

---He turned away several people who didn’t have the tickets. Collocation:

turn down 拒绝；调低 turn in 交还，上交 turn into 使变成 turn off 关；拐弯

turn out 生产，制造；证明，结果 turn over 仔细考虑 3. (L24) work out: plan, solve, calculate

---他们已经设计出把宇宙飞船送上太空的方法。

They’ve worked out a method of sending a spacecraft to the space.

* ---My mother allowed me to take the trip, but asked me to work out the total cost first. Collocation:

work at 从事于，致力于

work up 引起，激起，逐渐上升

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4. (L24) weekly:

1) adj. happening once a week or every week

---He thinks his weekly wage of 100 yuan is enough. 2) adv. once a week, every week, by the week. ---《21世纪报》每周出版一次。

21st Century is published weekly.

3) n. a publication issued once a week ---Publishers’ Weekly （美）《出版商周刊》 twice weekly 半周刊 * the same as monthly, daily

5. (L 30) Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? Paraphrase the sentence

It is hard to refuse a person who is determined and hopeful to get a job. 6. (L30) do with:

1) (used in questions with what) deal with

---Tell me what you did with yourself this week. * ---What do you do with such rude boy? 2) tolerate

---我不能忍受他和他的无礼。

I can’t do with him and his impoliteness. 3) (often with could, can) desire ---I could do with a cup of tea. Collocation:

do with 没有…也行，将就 do away with 废除，去掉 have something to do with 和…有点关系 have noting to do with 和…毫无关系

7. (L30) determination: n. the ability to continue trying to achieve what you have

decided to do even when this is difficult

---He has great determination to learn English well.

* ---Her determination to do well made her keep on trying. *determine (to do): v. decide to do

---He determined to go. 他执意要去。 ---I am determined to do better than Mike.

--- What kind of weather we will get determines whether we can go out for a picnic. 8. (L32) personnel: n.

1) the department in a large organization that deals with employees; human resources (uncountable noun, used with a singular or plural verb) ---personnel administration 人事管理

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---personnel department 人事部/处/科

---personnel director 人事//科长

* ---Her first job after graduation was in personnel at Microsoft.

2) all the persons working in an organization, in the army, etc. (often

used with a plural verb)

---The personnel of the company has been increased. ---全体员工都允许参加晚会。

All personnel were allowed to take part in the party.

* ---All personnel in this company are entitled to medical insurance. N.B.此外注意与personal的区别：

personal: 个人的，私人的，亲自的，秘密的

---Like their personal lives, women’s history is fragmented, interrupted. 如同她们的个人生活一样，妇女的历史是支离破碎的且中断的。 ---a personal appearance 亲自出面 ---I have something personal to tell you. 我有秘密的事要告诉你。 9. (L37) capacity: n.

1) the ability to understand or do sth. (followed by for or to) ---His capacity for remembering things is interesting.

2) the ability to hold or contain sth.; the maximum amount that can be contained ---The trunk is filled to capacity

CF: capacity, ability, capability & proficiency

这些词都可以表示“能力”的意思

capacity 用于物时，指容纳接受的能力，如容积、容量、生产能力；用于人时

指潜在的能力，多用于才智、道德，尤指接受能力、颖悟性、敏感性等。

ability 既指天赋的能力，也指培养造就而获得的本领；主要用于人，指已经

表现出来的实际能力，尤指人的思维能力。

capability 较多用于人，指胜任某项工作的能力、本领。

proficiency正式用语，带有技术性，指对业务的精通和熟练。 Fill in the blanks with the words given above: 1) Her mental ability is very great.

2) The film is beyond the capacity of the children.

3) Proficiency in several foreign languages is needed for work as a traveler’s guide. 4) He has the capability of solving practical problems. 10. (L40) skilled: adj.

1) having skill, trained, experienced ---skilled worker 有技术的工人 2) needing skill

---skilled work 技术性工作

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CF: skilled & skillful

这两个词在表示有“有技术的，熟练的”讲时可以互换。

skilled 通常是指受过正规训练，有多年实践经验，而掌握某项专门技术。 skillful 是指人聪明，做事很灵巧，尤指手的灵巧

---He is a skilled / skillful surgeon.

---罗斯的父亲是个熟练的机械师，因而她也很会修理自行车。

Rose’s father is a skilled mechanic so she has become skillful at repairing bicycles too.

11. (L 42~43) My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end

of the story.

1) Paraphrase the sentence.

My wife and I were happy with what Tony had achieved, and thought that the whole thing had thus been settled. 2) Was Tony satisfied with this end?

Tony was not satisfied. He kept on working hard until he fulfilled his better dreams.

12. (L47) for sale: available to be bought

---The company will put the houses for sale. *---Her former home is for sale at $496,000. * on sale: 1) available to be bought

2) being offered at a reduced price Collocation:

on sale 上市，出售；减价，贱卖

a sale on credit 赊购

on sale or return 包退包换的，无法销售可以退货的 13. (L48) call on:

1) visit sb. for a short time ---I’ll call on him tomorrow. 2) summon, appeal

---他们号召全市工人支持这次罢工。

They called on the workers of the city to support the strike. 3) invite, require

---The host of the party called on the Chairman to speak. Collocation:

call for 邀约；要求；需要 call off 取消

call up 打电话；召集；使人想起 call in 顺路到某处；收回 14. (L48) loan:

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1) vt. lend

---The bank loaned me some money.

---The artist loaned her pictures to the museum. 2) n.

a) sth. lent, esp. a sum of money ---The dictionary is a loan, not a gift. ---Does the loan carry any interest? b) lending

---我可以借你的打字机用一下吗？

May I have the loan of your typewriter?

Collocation:

ask for the loan of 请求借用… have the loan of … 借… on loan 出借的

a mortgage loan 抵押贷款，抵押借款 a loan on security 担保贷款 a loan for consumption 消费贷款 a long-term loan 长期贷款 a gift (interest-free) loan 无息贷款 a public / government loan 公债，国库券 a domestic (foreign) loan 内（外）债 15. (L48) character: n.

1) the particular collection of qualities that make sb. / sth. different from others ---He has a strong but gentle character. ---品质的培养应是教育的主要点。

Character building should be the main point of education. ---The new buildings have changed the character of the village. 2) person in a play, movie, etc.

---I find all the characters in his new play very real.

3) letter, sign or mark used in a system of writing or printing ---a Chinese character

---汉字看起来像是一幅幅小图画

The characters in Chinese writing look like small pictures.

CF: character, characteristic, feature & personality

这些词都是名词，都有“性格”、“品质”、“特征”的意思。

character 指成年人已经充分发展的生活方式，而且往往与品格有关 characteristic 指某物的任何方面，不涉及全局的重要性，但常指有代表性的一

个侧面，常用于科技领域。

feature 通常指外貌的特征或特别的、附加的、有吸引力的东西。

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personality 偏重指一个人表现出来的无法明确阐述的整个情绪方面的特点，

不与形容词连用时表示情感上的吸引力。

Fill in the blanks with the words given above and translate the sentences into Chinese. 1) An aquiline nose was her best feature. (鹰钩鼻是她最明显的特征)

2) He can read a guy’s character at the first glance. (他一眼就可以看出一个人的品质) 3) He has character but no personality . (他有性格但没有个性)

4) A psychological report lists every possible characteristic of the person being

studied.

(一份心理学报告列举了研究对象所有可能有的特性)

16. (L 55~58) From then on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and

ends around our place—a broken screen, a bit of hardware, boards from packing—Tony would gather and take home.

1) Why did Tony take home the discarded odds and ends?

Tony bought a house, which was a complete wreck. To fix and decorate it, and, above all, to save money, he took home the discarded odds and ends. 2) Translate the sentence into Chinese.

从那以后，只要我家附近有什么被人丢弃的零星杂物，坏了的屏风啦，五金器具啦，包装纸板啦，托尼都要收起来拿回家，看他这个样子真有意思。

17. (L60) confidence: n. the quality of being certain of one’s abilities or of trusting other

people

---I took them into my confidence.

---I have every confidence in your ability to succeed. ---我告诉你这件事是因为绝对相信你会保守秘密的。 I am telling you this in strict confidence. 18. (L67) sent for: ask for the arrival of

---I was seriously ill and my father had to send for a doctor. ---Do you want to send for the police?

19. (L68~69) He had hunted around the edge of town until he found a small, abandoned piece of property with a house and shed. 1) What does “property” refer to?

“Property” refers to the farm he wanted to buy. 2) Translate the sentence into Chinese.

他在小镇周边到处找，终于找到一小块没人要的地产，有一幢房子，还有一间小棚子。

20. (L68) hunt: v.

1) search thoroughly (for)

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---在山中搜索逃犯。

The police are hunting for the escaped criminal in the mountain.

*---Many graduates are hunting for jobs in job fairs. ---They were hunting the area for a new apartment. 2) go after (wild animals) for food or sport ---We often go out hunting in the holiday.

21. (L69) abandon: v. give up completely and forever

---One of my classmates had to abandon the trip because of his father’s illness. ---The cruel father abandoned his newborn daughter.

* ---My car broke down and I had to abandon it on the main road. 22. (L69) property: n.

1) land, buildings or both together

---Little property was left in the small country after the war. *---A lot of property in the city center was destroyed in the war.

2) the thing or things that sb. owns

---The factory is my uncle’s private property. ---public property 公共财产 ---personal property 动产

---real property 不动产

23. (L73) sponsor:

1) v. support by giving money, encouragement or other help ---The exhibition was sponsored by the Society of Culture. ---一些大公司赞助了这次的时装表演。

Some large companies sponsored this fashion show.

*---The soccer team is sponsored by Coco-Cola, so the players wear the letters Coco-Cola on their shirts.

2) n. one who puts forward or guarantees a proposal ---a sponsor country 主办国 24. (L74) approach:

1) v. come near or nearer to

---The boys were approaching the tunnel when I saw them. ---性能近乎完美。

The performance approaches perfection. 2) n. way

---每个人的学习方法都不一样

Everyone has his own approach to study. *approachable: adj.

1) (of people or things) that can be approached （人/物）可以接近的 ---The village is only approachable from the south

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2) friendly and easy to talk to 和蔼可亲的

---The young teacher is so approachable and all the students like to answer her questions.

25. (L78) pass away: die (euphemism) ---He passed away peacefully. Collocation:

pass by 不注意，忽视 pass down 使传下来

pass over 对…不加考虑 pass out 失去知觉，昏倒 pass off 终止，停止 26. (L 80) handle:

1) v.

a) manage, control

---How to handle the contradiction correctly among the people is important to steady development.

正确处理人们内部的矛盾对稳定发展很重要。 b) touch, lift, or hold with the hands

---Wash your hands before you handle the white paper.

2) n. a part that is designed to be held or operated with the hand

---The handle is not well fixed.

Part Two (Para.30~Para.33)

27. (L 84) He grew in stature in my mind. 1) Paraphrase the sentence

He grew taller and greater in my mind. His social status improved enough in my mind.

1) Describe the change of Tony’s social status in Mr. Crawford’s mind.

When Mr. Crawford first met Tony, Tony was “about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin”, and his English was broken. He remained standing when he talked to Mr. Crawford. He did not have high social status. After he bought his farm several years later, he “seemed to stand a little straighter” and he “had a look of confidence”. He and Mr. Crawford “sat down and talked”. His social status improved enough to allow him to sit down with Mr. Crawford. After he passed away, Mr. Crawford thought “he stood as tall, and as proud, as the greatest American industrialists.”

*28. (L87) principle: a rule or standard, especially of good behavior; basic truth

原则，原理

---It’s a principle of mine to help people when I can.

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我的一个原则是在我能够帮助人的时候帮助人。 ---the principles of political economy 政治经济学原理 in principles 基本上，原则上

on principles 根据既定的原则，根据为人处世的原则，按照规定

---They have agreed to the proposal in principles but we still have to negotiate the

terms

---Many people are opposed to the sale of arms on principles. 许多人根据自己的是非观反对出售武器。 29. (L 88) above all: most important of all

---He was concerned above all with the truth of the accident. Collocation:

after all 毕竟，终究，归根结底 at all 完全，全然 first of all 首先

in all 总计，总的说来

all but 几乎，差一点；除…外全部 all in all 总之

30. (L ~90) Tony did not begin on the bottom rung of the ladder. He began in the

basement.

1) What does ladder refer to? And what does basement refer to?

Ladder refers to the way to success. Basement refers to Tony’s starting point. He was worse than ordinary people. He had nothing to help him seek his American Dream.

2) What can you infer from the sentence?

Tony had nothing when he arrived in the United States, and he built up from nothing.

31. (L 91~92) But, after all, the balance sheets were exactly the same. The only

difference was where you put the decimal point.

1) What do balance sheets refer to? And what does decimal point refer to?

Balance sheets are used to show whether a person or a company is financially successful. Here they are used to judge a person’s life achievements. If the decimal point is moved, a number will become either smaller or bigger. Here it shows the difference in the amount of money Tony and the greatest industrialists had made.

2) What can you infer from the sentences?

What Tony and the greatest industrialists achieved was exactly the same. The

only difference was that they had different financial success.

32. (L 91) balance:

1) n.

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a) the difference between the credit and the debit side; a remainder ---a bank balance 银行余额

---剩下来的工资全用来购买花卉栽培的新书上了。

The balance of the wages was devoted to new books on flower culture. ---You may keep the balance. b) a weighing device

---The balance is an apparatus for weighing, not for you to play. c) a state of equilibrium

---孩子骑在他的新自行车上用双腿保持平衡。

The child could keep his balance with his legs on his new bicycle.

2) v.

a) keep or put something in a steady position

---I’m trying to balance on the ball on one foot in order to win the prize. b) show equal totals of debits and credits

---My accounts balance for the first time this year!

Ⅴ. After Reading

1. Discussion

1) What is the author’s interpretation of the American Dream as illustrated in the story of Tony?

The author's interpretation of the American Dream as illustrated in the story of Tony is that everyone, regardless of his background, can realize his life-long dream as long as he is willing to work hard enough in America.

2) Do you think integrity, determination and hard work can take everyone from log cabin to White House? Why or why not?

I think the answer is yes. If a person is honest and willing to put efforts into what he is doing, sooner or later he will become rich and rise in social status. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way.

Or: I think the answer is no. Sometimes, one will not succeed without a bit of luck. Also, one's background is very important. Without enough money to give one a good education, it is almost impossible for a person to survive in today's competitive society.

3) Do you have a dream? If you have, how do you try to fulfill it?

I suppose the essence of the American Dream is that one will succeed with hard work.

Or. I believe the essence of the American Dream is that even a poor guy can succeed and become the president with hard work and determination.

2. Dictation

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Listen and fill in the blanks with the missing words.

Key: 1. assume 2. determination 3. capacity 4. precision

5. graduate 6. instrument 7.character 8. screen 9. hardware 10.confidence 11.amaze 12. diet 13. abandon 14. property 15.approach 16. handle 17. route 18. vision 19. giant 20.balance

3. Useful Expression

1) 结结巴巴的英语 broken English 2) 大萧条时期 the Depression days 3) 上门求助 come to sb for help 4) 重整业务 rebuild one’s business 5) 夏去秋来 summer passes into fall 6) 人事部门 personnel department 7) 培训工人 train laborers

8) 徒工学校 an apprentice school 9) 精密加工工作 precision work 10) 减薪水 take a cut in pay

11) 人品贷款 loan money on character 12) 没门 no sale

13) 人品端正 a man of character 14) 首付 down payment 15) 从那以后 from then on 16) 零星杂物 odds and ends

17) 样子自信 have a look of confidence 18) 穿戴整齐 be neatly dressed 19) 儿时的伙伴 childhood friends 20) 最后 in the end

4. Sentence Translation

1) 她所遇到的挫折从未削弱她找出解决方法的决心。

Her determination to work out the method was never weakened by the frustration she met with.

2) 罢工者拒绝了老板们昨天提出的工资标准。

The strikers have turned down yesterday’s pay offer from the employers. 3) 他是一个有钱的人，同时又是一个人品端正的人。 He is a man of property as well as a man of character. 4) 冬天渐近，天气变得冷多了。

As winter approached, the weather became much colder.

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5) 考生很有自信地回答问题。

The examinee answered the question with confidence.

5. Summary Writing

From the start, Tony showed (实现梦想的决心)his determination to achieve his dream. When he (找Crawford先生帮忙) came to Mr. Crawford for help for the first time, Mr. Crawford (拒绝了他) turned him down but he didn’t give up. Later, Mr. Crawford offered him a job in the factory. He worked hard, and (通过学习成为技术工人) learned to a skilled worker. Then with Mr. Crawford’s help, he managed to (以人品担保得到贷款) get a loan on character for a house. Finally he bought a farm, and he was able to (把家人接来) send for his family. His dream came true.

6. Make Up a Story

Suppose you were Tony Trivisonno. You told your life story to your grandchildren according to the pictures given. Some key words are in the box below. Mow the lawn, clean up the yard, clear snow An apprentice, skilled, buy a house, a wreck, buy a farm

7. Proverbs and Quotations

1) Slow and steady with the race

不怕缓慢，只要意志坚定就能赢得胜利。 2) When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. 艰难之路， 唯勇者行。

3) Adversity reveals genius; fortune conceals it. 苦难显示才华，好运隐天资。 4) Diligence is the mother of good luck. 勤奋是幸运之母。

5) Confidence in yourself is the first step on the road to success. 自信是走向成功之路的第一步。

6) A man is valued as he makes himself valuable. 一个人价值的高低，全在他自己的所为。

7) Work banishes those three great evils: boredom, vice and poverty. --Voltaire, Russian writer

工作撵跑三个魔鬼：厌烦、堕落和贫穷。

--作家 伏尔泰 8) Nothing is more dangerous than discontinued labor.

--Victor Hugo, French writer 没有什么比停止劳动更危险的了。

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--法国作家 V. 雨果

8. Text Analysis

This text, like Text A in Unit 1, employs time words and phrases in narration. Time words and phrases serve as transitional devices by which an author switches from one event to another. The latter event may take place either before or after the former, which allows an author freedom in narration. For example. Text A in Unit 1 thus becomes a piece of narration interspersed with flashbacks (倒叙). For another example, the author of this text is able to keep his narration concise by simply recounting Tony's steps toward success, since the time phrases make it unnecessary to squeeze in too many details about how he succeeded during each step.

9. Post-reading tasks

1. 1) Read Writing Strategy and instructions for Theme-related Language Learning

Tasks;

2) Read Lines 83-88 in text;

3) Work alone or in pairs to find out those details that illustrate Tony's \"vision, determination, self-control, optimism, self-respect and above all, integrity, etc.\" a) The details vital to the story development are carefully inserted into the text. For example, Tony's faulty English sentence \"I mow your lawn\" is repeated four times. That's because it shows Tony's determination in finding a job, and his optimistic view that people would help a man who needed a job.

b) The three instances where Tony's physical appearance is described. They present an increasingly well-to-do Tony.

*Tony had remained standing when he talked to Mr. Crawford until in Line 65 *\"we sat down and talked\"? Tony's social status improved enough to allow him to *sit down with Mr. Crawford.

c) Besides, the author makes you infer from other people's compliments: --\"my wife said he was very helpful\";

--the personnel department \"said Tony was a very good worker\"; \"I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder\";

--when Tony died, people found \"the farm green with vegetables, the little house livable and homey. There were a tractor and a good car in the yard. The children were educated and working, and Tony didn't owe a cent.\")