Never Say Goodbye

Unit 1Text 1

Teaching Objectives Practice reading and talking about past even

ts; Discuss how one can overcome sad feeling

s; Learn to pronounce with the correct stress a

nd make pauses appropriately. Learn to use the following structures:

feel / see/ watch…+ sb. + do… brief as it was It is …that

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading After Reading

Before Reading Background Information

Family and Social Life in America

American families, known as nucleus families, belong to the Western type and consist of parents and their children. Americans still value highly home life and what it gives them.

One sign that this is true is that Americans show great concern about families in trouble and try hard to help them.

Politicians repeatedly promise to help solve the problems confronting families in their campaign speeches.

The poverty line is based on the income of a family. Newspapers and television programs highlight problems within families.

And common Americans complain that there are too many divorces and teenage mothers.

It is groundless to assume that Americans are discarding home life. As a matter of fact, they are making earnest efforts to preserve it.

Eastern cultures believe that it is harmful for ordinary people to see or know too much of what is objectionable, such as dire news and the dark side of society.

Before Reading

Warm-up Questions: How did you feel when you had to say go

odbye to your family members when you left home for college? Did you feel sad?

Can we avoid saying goodbye in our life? If not, how do you understand the title of the text “Never Say Goodbye”?

Ask the students to use three adjectives to describe their feeling.

Global Reading

Is this a piece of narration, description or argumentation?

What is the message of “never say goodbye”?

How many parts can this passage be divided into?

Structural Analysis

Detailed Reading

Paragraph 1 Paragraphs 2-4 Paragraphs 5-9 Paragraphs 10-13 Paragraphs 14-20

Paragraph 1

Question:

What have you learned about the author’s family?

Paragraph 1Language work

When I was ten I was suddenly confronted with the anguish of moving from the only home I had ever known. My whole life, brief as it was, had been spent in that big old house, gracefully touched with the laughter and tears of four generations.

related with the joys and sorrows

of four generations

Paragraphs 2-4

Question: Why did grandpa stare off into the apple

trees, when he said “Goodbye is such a sad word”?

Language work

When the final day came, I ran to the haven of the small back porch and sat alone, shuddering, as tears welled up from my heart. Suddenly I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

“Grandpa,” I replied through my tears, “how can I say goodbye to you and all my friends?”

For a moment he just stared off into the apply trees.

We seem to have so many ways of saying goodbye and they all have one thing in common: sadness”.

Paragraphs 5-9

Question:

How do you understand grandpa’s words: “It isn’t just the roses that are beautiful., it’s the special place in your heart that makes them so”?

Language work

I continued to look into his face. He gently took my hand in his. “Come with my, my friend,” he whispered.

We walked, hand in hand, to his favorite place in the front yard, where a huge red rosebush sat conspicuously alone.

Kneeling, he pulled my close. “It isn’t just the roses that are beautiful, Billy. It’s that special place in your heart that makes them so.”

Paragraphs 10-13

Question:

What does paragraph 13 mean?

Language work

His eyes met mine again. “Billy, I planted these roses a long, long time ago — before your mother was even a dream.

I saw my grand father’s tears. I had never seen him cry before. His voice became hoarse.“One day a terrible war came, and my son, like so many sons, went away to fight a great evil. My son had died in some tiny village in Italy.

left home to fight against the fascist

Nazi

13

Don’t ever give in to the sadness and the loneliness of that word.

Take that special hello and lock it away within you — in that place in your heart where summer is an always time.

When you and your friends must part, I want you to reach deep within you and bring back that first hello.”

Take the first friendly greeting and always keep

it deep in your heart.

Paragraphs 14-20

Questions:How was grandfather a year and half later?Who were allowed to say goodbye to him?How did the author respond to his

grandfather’s death?What was the author’s understanding of never

to say goodbye?

Language work:

A year and half later, my grandfather became gravely ill.

When he returned from several weeks in the hospital, he wanted his bed next to the window, where he could see his beloved rosebush.

Then the family was summoned and I returned to the old house.

When it came to my turn, I noted how tired he looked.

His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and hard.

To After Reading

confront

to come face to face with, especially with defiance or hostility: I wish to confront my accuser in a court of law.

to bring face to face with: The defendant was confronted with incontrovertible

evidence of guilt. to come up against; encounter:

The soldier confronted danger at every turn.

Cf. distress suffering agony anguish misery

Anguish : very great pain and suffering, esp. of the mind She was in anguish over he missing child. The unspeakable anguish wrung her heart.

Distress: a state of danger or great difficulty, e.g. Famine caused widespread distress.

Suffering: the experience of being in a lot of pain, having great difficulties, being badly treated, e.g. His wound caused him great suffering.

Agony: very great pain or suffering of mind and body, e.g. He suffered agonies from his arm.

Misery: great unhappiness She died in misery in a convent.

brief as it was

In a formal style, as can be used in a special word order to mean although. The construction suggests a very emphatic contrast, eg.: Old as he is, he is strong. (Although he is old, h

e is strong.) Alone as I was, I didn’t feel lonely.(Although I w

as alone, I didn’t feel lonely.)

gracefully In a way that shows effortless beauty or charm of

movement, form, or proportion.: Already in her fifties, she danced gracefully on the stage

last night, attracting a large audience, who clapped their hands several times.

Word derivation: disgrace

The family was disgraced by the scandal. Graceless

The audience was unsatisfied at the graceless production of the play.

touch

to cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel: She reached out and touched the smooth

stone.

be touched with: to have a certain amount of a quality, eg.: After we put the flowers on the table, the r

oom was touched with spring and youth. My father’s hair is slightly touched with gr

ay. The boy is touched with genius.

haven

a place of calm and safety The school library is a little haven of peace and

quiet. As a tourists’ haven, the small hotel is a home

away from home.

porch

a covered platform, usually having a separate roof, at an entrance to a building. She sat in the shade on the porch.

shudder to shiver uncontrollably, as from fear, old, or dislike.

He shuddered when he saw the dead animal. I shudder at the thought of the debt.

compare shudder and shakeShudder suggests horror, revulsion, or extreme pleasure as possible causes for the involuntary movement that is less noticeable to an onlooker.Shake, both transitive and intransitive, designates something that is done to as well as by a person or object

– The tree branched were shaking in that sudden gust of wind.

well To rise to the surface, ready to flow:

Tears welled in my eyes. To rise or surge from an inner source:

Anger welled up in me. Tears welled up in her eyes. Rage welled up in him while he

searched the refrigerator for something to eat.

rest To be, become, or remain temporarily still, quiet, or inactive:

Let the issue rest here. To be supported or based; lie, lean, or sit:

The ladder rests firmly against the tree. To be imposed or vested, as a responsibility or burden:

The final decision rests with the chairperson. To depend or rely:

That argument rests on a false assumption. To be located or be in a specified place:

The original manuscript rests in the museum. To be fixed or directed on something:

His brown eyes rested on her for a moment.

through

in one side and out the opposite or another side of: The train went through the tunnel.

among or between; in the midst of: They had a walk through the flowers.

stare to look at directly and fixedly:

It’s rude to stare at other people. to be plainly visible or obvious; force itself on (one's) attention:

The money on the table was staring her in the face. to be obvious though initially overlooked:

The explanation had been staring him in the face all along. to be imminent or unavoidable:

Bankruptcy now stares us in the face. Compare gaze, stare and gape

Gaze is used when a person looks steadily at something., often with admiration or pleasure

— We stood gazing at the beautiful scenery.Stare is used when a person keeps their eyes open and fixed on something in wonder, fear, anger or deep thought

— He stared at me, trying to remember who I was.Gape means “to look hard in surprise, especially with the mouth open”

— They gaped at me when I told them about the gold I found.

in common having the dame interests, attitudes, etc.

In common with most young people he hates getting up in the morning.

In common with most Englishmen, he enjoys football. compare common and general

Common applies to many or a large part of the persons or things;

– AIDS is becoming the most common cause of death among drug addicts.

General means current among the majority.– The general impression we got was that thy were not interested

in the new project.

look into

investigate; examine the meaning or cause of The mayor promised to look into whether the

clash was designed, or it just happened by accident

gently

in a manner or way that is not rough, violent, or severe Hold it gently. The road sloped gently to the sea.

gently-born adj. 绅士出身的 ; 书香门第的

whisper

speak or say very quietly so that only a person close by can hear She whispered the news in my ear. The king knew that the courtiers were

whispering. Make a soft sound

The leaves whispered in the breeze.

hand in hand holding each other’s hand( usually with the left hand of one in the right

hand of the other) The children walk down the street hand in hand.

happening together and closely connected Power and money go hand in hand.

an old hand: someone with skill, knowledge or experience of the stated kind You don’t need to tell her how to do it – she’s an old hand at this sort of

work. give/lend a hand to: offer help to

Could you give me a hand with this heavy table, please? In hand: ready or able to be used or done

Don’t worry: we’ve still got three days in hand before the work is due.

conspicuously

in a way that is noticeable or easily seen; in an attractive manner The soldier is conspicuously brave. The posters on the walls around are

conspicuously eye-catching.

kneel

to go down or rest on one or both knees. She kneeled/knelt down to pray.

hoarse

rough or grating in sound, having or characterized by a husky, grating voice: His voice was hoarse after talking for an hour. When the football match was going on, we

cheered for our team and we shouted and shouted until our voices went hoarse.

before your mother was even a dream

before we could think about having a daughter / long before your mother was born.

evil

a great wickedness or misfortune The struggle between the good and the evil is

eternal. Tobacco is considered to be an evil. The greed for money is the root of all evils.

tiny extremely small; very small compare tiny and small

Tiny refers to so drastic a reduction of scale as to put the thing described outside established norms, as well as suggesting a miniature or model of something.

– Displayed at the exhibition were some tiny toy soldiers that were beautifully carved.

Small suggests a slight reduction of proportions that is noticeable but not necessarily objectionable.

– A small house would do perfectly for the two of them.

give in

give way; surrender; allow oneself to be beaten I gave in to temptation and had a cigarette.

give out: to make known publicly The date of the election will be given out soon.

give over: to stop Give over hitting your little brother.

lock away

lock up; put in a safe place The secret was locked away in her heart She had locked her money away before she went away

on holiday.

lock it away within you: fasten it firmly in your mind; imprint it on your mind;

lock away: lock up, put in a safe place and fasten the lock.

e.g. She locked away her jewels in the safe.

where summer is an always time

where there is always sunlight and warmthHere, it is easy to see that “where summer is an always time” is metaphorical. And the word “always”, which is always an adverb, is used as and adjective here. Maybe this reveals that the old man was not well-educated.

part

(to cause to) separate or be not longer together The curtain parted in the middle. They parted as friends. They were forced to part from

one another. The road parts about halfway into the forest.

to disagree by factions: The committee parted over the issue of pay raises for

employees.

bring back

cause to return If this shirt doesn’t fit, may I bring it back later?

cause to return to the original status The country air bring back his strength.

cause to return to the mind The whole scene brought back the days of my

childhood.

gravely

in the way showing great seriousness; (of manner) in a state of being serious and solemn “The situation poses a serious threat to peace,”

said the ambassador gravely.

beloved (a person who is) dearly loved

His beloved wife died. It is a gift from my beloved.

Compare beloved, dear and favoritebeloved, which is often formal and literary, is used about a person or thing you loveDear is more common: My dear wife.The person or thing that you like or love the best is your favorite:

– John’s a great favorite with his grandmother.

summon

order officially to come He was summoned to appear before the

revolutionary court. summon up

He summoned up a smile, though it seemed to take all his strength.

when it come to my turn

When it was my turn to say goodbye come to

We come to the conclusion that she was telling the truth.

I’ll come straight to the point – when do you want the money?

notenote: (1) notice and remember; observe (2) remark; call attention tonotice: be aware; observe

e.g. He noted with satisfaction the floor was swept clean. Please note that this bill must be paid within 10 days. The report notes with approval the government’s efforts to

resolve the problem. The editorial notes that the new government does not

threaten Buddhism. I wasn’t noticing. He was too proud to notice me.

breathing

the act or process of respiration His breathing came in hard.

the time required to take one's breath It all happened in a breathing.

After Reading

Structural Analysis Summary Sentence combination Collocation of words Oral Work Writing

Summary

A. The text could be divided into three parts according to the development of sequence. Please write a summary for each part.

Paragraph 1-4

Paragraph 5-13

Paragraph 14-20

Structural Analysis

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

1

2

3

Paragraphs 1 to 4

Paragraphs 5 to 13

Paragraphs 14 to 20

The author found it hard to overcome the sadness as the moment of parting drew near. So he turned to his grandpa for help.

Narrating his sad experience of the loss of his eldest son during the war, the author’s grandpa illustrates how one can overcome the sad feeling resulting from the loss of some one dear to him by recalling not the moment of the parting, but the happy times spent together.

By the way he behaved when confront with another sad moment —the loss of his grandpa., the author shows us that he came to understand what his grandpa had taught him.

B. Please use one sentence to summarize the main idea of the text.

Check the grammar exercises in the student book

Additional exercises:Sentence combination

Group 1 (paragraph 1) My life was brief. I spent my brief life in an old house. This old house was gracefully touched with the

laughter and tears of four generation.

Please combine the following sentences in the group into one sentence. And then make a comparison with the original sentence in the text.

Group 2 (paragraph 2)1. The final day came.2. I ran to the haven of the small back porch and

sat alone.3. I sat there shuddering.4. Tears welled up from my heart.

Group 3 (paragraph 6)1. My grandpa and I walked hand in hand.2. We walked to his favorite place in the front

yard.3. In the front yard, a huge red rosebush sat

conspicuously alone.

Group 4 (paragraph 14)1. Grandpa returned from the hospital after

several weeks.2. Back to home, he wanted his bed next to the

window.3. From his bed next to the window, he could see

his beloved rosebush.

There are various ways to combine these sentences, but some may be more effective in expressing the writer’s feelings and more suitable for the tone of the text. And this helps us decide the best way. When we are writing, we should always be conscious of the available choices in expression and the difference between each other.

Check the vocabulary exercises in the student book

Additional exercise:Collocation of words

Please fill in the blank with an appropriate words with the hint given in the parentheses.

1….as tears _____________ in my heart. (started to flow)

2. His voice became _____________. (sounding rough and hard)

3. A year and half later, my grandfather became ____________ ill. (very seriously)

In English as it is in every language there is no definite rules for collocation of words. But there is still some effective way by which we can learn and remember how to put words together properly and use them in an authentically. It is a good idea to keep a vocabulary notebook. Besides pronunciation and definition, it is also necessary to write down some sample sentences which demonstrate how the word is used. With these sample sentences, we say understand with which words is this new word often used together.

Oral Work

A. Have a discussion on the following questions.

Is it the first time you have left your home town? Where is your home town? How do you like it?

B. Interview one of your classmates about his grandfather or grandmother.

Collect information for writing a profile of one of his grandparents.

Date of birth Education Family relations Working experiences Love and marriage Special events

WritingA. Write a profile of your classmate’s grandfather or

grandmother. The information in your writing should be authentic and your writing should be interesting. Read aloud your profile in your group.

B. Recall the impressive words or phrases that your parents, relatives, former teachers or someone else have ever said and write a short message about what you have learned from it or what influence it has on you.