Lesson Two Lesson Two

The theme of the textThe theme of the text

• the ideal relationship between humans and wild animals – they are fellow creatures on earth, and therefore should treat each other like brothers

Human beings and animalsHuman beings and animals

• Love• Companion

Valerie Kaye (nee Taylor), Eric Acland, Mabel Acland. London 1955 

• Born: 2nd. February 1906, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. Died: 16th July 1982, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada 

• Eric was the author of many books, namely: Drums of Niagra;    Adventure Westward;  

• Princess Elizabeth; Long Live King George V;    • House of Windsor, George V to George VI 

The author The author —— Eric Acland Eric Acland  

Structure of the textStructure of the text

• The story can be  divided  into four parts:•    Part 1 (para1-3): the introduction  •    Part 2 (para4-17): The happy days the boy

and Maheegun had together in the short period of less than a year, and how Maheegun returned to the wild where he belonged.

• Part 3 (para18-40): The reunion of the two when the boy’s life was endangered by two hungry wolves.

• Part 4 (para41-44): The brothers returned to the place where they each belonged – the boy to his warm home and his loved ones, the wolf to his kind in the wild.

EasterEaster  

    The Christian festival of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The spring festival has its roots in the Jewish Passover(逾越节 ), which commemorates Israel‘s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and in the Christian reinterpretation of its meaning after the crucifixion(磨难 ) of Jesus.

EasterEaster

• The name Easter is derived from the pagan(异教徒 ) spring festival of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eastre, and many folk customs associated with Easter (for example, Easter eggs) are of pagan origin.  

EasterEaster

• Easter Day is currently determined as the first Sunday after the full moon on or after March 21.

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• 1. alert• adj. watchful and ready to deal with danger;

vigilant• e.g. be alert to danger• The waitress remained standing, alert to

everyone’s drinking needs.

alertalert• vt. • e.g. This program often alerts audience to unsuspec

ted ailments.• His speech is to alert teachers to their responsibil

ity.• I’ll alert him about (for) weekend duty. (inform)• n. A 24-hour alert• on (the) alert for• be on full alert• go on the alert

2. detain2. detain

• a. to prevent (sb.) from leaving for a certain time• e.g. Police detained the man to make further inq

uiries.• b. to delay• He was detained by business.• n. detention • be kept (held/placed) in detention• detention centre (mainly Br. E)• detention home

3. Clipping3. Clipping

• doc (doctor)• Back: dorm (dormitory), disco (discothequ

e), memo (memorandum), prof (professor), ad (advertisement)

• Front: quake (earthquake), copter (helicopter), chute (parachute)

• Front and back: flu (influenza), fridge (refrigerator), tec (detective)

4. Onomatopoeia (4. Onomatopoeia (animal criesanimal cries))• tiger: howl• ape: gibber• dog: bow-wow, woof-woof• pigeon: coo• mouse: squeak• frog: croak• bull: bellow• cat: mew, purr• pig: squeal, grunt• hen: cluck• bear: growl

dogs: bow-wow; woof-woof, bark, yap, yelp dogs: bow-wow; woof-woof, bark, yap, yelp growl, bay, snarlgrowl, bay, snarl

puppy: yelp puppy: yelp

OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia

• monkey: screech gibber chatter, jabber, howl

• ape: gibber

cat: mew, purr, miaow, meow cat: mew, purr, miaow, meow

• hen: cluck• duck: quack • geese: cackle, gabble• lark: warble• eagle: scream

• frog: croak• camel: grunt• pig: squeal, grunt• fly: buzz• bears: growl

5. leap5. leap

• a leap forward/ahead• e.g. a new economic leap forward• by leaps and bounds: very quickly and

successfully• The population of China is growing by leaps and

bounds• a leap in the dark: an action or risk taken without

knowing what will happen as a result• Look before you leap

6. pace6. pace

• Keep pace with• e.g. Price increase failed to keep pace with rising

costs.• Set the pace: fix the speed; set an example• e.g. The coach lets the fastest runner set the pace

and the others follow.• Stay/stand the pace• e.g. He was brought up in the countryside, so it’s

hard for him to stand the pace in the city.

pacepace

• Put sb. (sth.) through his paces: make someone do sth. in order to show their abilities

• e.g. The film director spent a whole day in putting the new understudy through his paces.

7. poke7. poke

• e.g.• He poked me with his umbrella.• The kids sat down and began to poke little holes in

the sand.• Poke fun at sb.: make fun of sb.• • Poke one’s nose into

8. restless: fidgety8. restless: fidgety

• be on edge: be nervous• • be on tenterhooks: be very anxious

about the possible outcome• have kittens• be nervous as a kitten•

• be on pins and needles: very nervous• • stage fright: anxiety/nervousness felt

before appearing in public• E.g. • I often feel stage fright before I give a

lecture, although I have been a teacher for 15 years.

9. stir9. stir

• v.• 1) to make or cause a slight movement• e.g. The little girl stirred in her sleep.• A breeze stirred my hair.

• 2) to produce (strong feelings) in (someone)• e.g. stir interest in sth.• stir sb.’s sympathy/concern/new thinking

stirstir

• Stir up• e.g. stir up indignation/public

concern/controversy• • n.• cause/create a stir: cause public excitement• make a great/big stir• a political stir• an age of stir and change

10. toll10. toll

• take a(its/their) toll: have a bad effect on sb./sth.• e.g. Years of hard work and pressure have taken t

heir toll on his health.• take a heavy toll• e.g. Rising rivers in the South in April took a hea

vy property toll.

• The storm took a heavy toll of lambs and calves. toll bar

Language points in textLanguage points in text

• 1. Pick vs. pick up• pick (cotton, tomatoes, apples, strawberries,

etc.): to take flowers, fruit, etc. from the plant or the tree where they are growing

• pick up• 1) to lift, take up by hand, e.g.• He immediately picked up the phone and

dialed the number of the police.

Pick vs. pick upPick vs. pick up

• 2) to allow sb. to get into your car and take them somewhere

• e.g. Because of recent violence, many people no longer pick up hitchhikers.

• 3) to return to an earlier subject or situation in order to continue it

• e.g. Let’s pick up the conversation after dinner.

2. Serve (only) to do sth.2. Serve (only) to do sth.

• To have a particular effect or result, e.g.• Her remark at the press conference served

only to worsen the situation.

3. fog3. fog

• to confuse or hide• e.g.• The diplomat’s reply served only to fog the

issue.

4. Leave4. Leave

• Leave+n.+v.-ed/adj./prep.phrase, etc.: to cause to be or to remain in a particular state or position.

• e.g. • The old couple never leave the door unbolted at

night.• My mother hates to leave the room in a mess.

5. Only to5. Only to

• I tried to travel west but only to hit the creek again.

• Only to do sth. (written) used to mention sth. that happens immediately afterwards, esp. sth. that causes surprise, disappointment, etc.

• e.g. She told him everything only to find that he cheated her from the very beginning.

6. see+Pattern6. see+Pattern

• See (written) to be the time when/the place where an event happens; to witness

• e.g. • The U.S. population has witnessed an

incredible rise in the past two decades.• 1949 saw the founding of the P.R.C.

as……asas……as

• as fat as butter• as silent as the dead• as pale as a ghost• as mute as a fish• as bright as silver• as brittle as glass• as dry as dust• as dark as midnight• as clear as crystal

as…asas…as

• as cold as ice• as cross as two sticks• as firm as a rock• as fair as a rose• as obstinate as a mule• as proud as a peacock• as slippery as an eel• as ugly as a scarecrow• as wise as Solomon

as……asas……as

• as white as a sheet• as black as coal• as black as pitch• as bold as lion• as deaf as a post• as deep as well• as fit as fiddle• as hard as flint• as hot as fire• as heavy as lead

• as harmless as a dove• as light as feather• as large as life• as loud as thunder• as mad as a March hare• as merry as a cricket• as happy as a king• as gay as a lark• as flat as a board• as fierce as a tiger• as drunk as a lord