Unit 5 How to Celebrate Holidays Text A Writing Three Thank-you Letters

• Pre-reading Questions

• Cultural Notes

• Text Structure

• Text Explanation

• Useful Expressions

• Review and Exercises

• Writing

Pre-reading Questions1. Can you name some Chinese & Western

Festivals?

C: The Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon-boat Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival, the Double Ninth Festival etc.

W: St. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc.

2. Can you say something about the Thanksgiving day? If you think you need to express your thanks, who would you like to thank? And For what?

Cultural Notes1. Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is

celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday in November. For many Americans it is the most important holiday apart from Christmas. Schools, offices and most business close for Thanksgiving, and many people make the whole weekend a vacation. It is associated with the time when Europeans first came to North America. In 1620 the ship the Mayflower arrived, bringing about 150 people who today are usually called Pilgrims.

Mayflower Ⅱ

Cultural Notes: Thanksgiving Special Meal: Today people celebrate

Thanksgiving to remember these early days. The most important part of celebration is a traditional dinner with foods that come from North America. The meal includes turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberries. The turkey is filled with stuffing or dressing, and many families have their own special recipe. Dessert is pumpkin made into a pie.

Celebrations: On Thanksgiving there are special television programs and sports events. In New York there is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, when a long line of people wearing fancy costumes march through the streets with large balloons in the shape of imaginary characters. Thanksgiving is considered the beginning of the Christmas period, and the next day many people go out to shop for Christmas presents.

Pilgrims

The term is referred to the 102 English people who sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620. Their group included 35 Puritans whose aim was to create a safe religious community in the New World. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, and they established the Plymouth colony. They arrived at the beginning of the hard winter and could not find enough to eat, so many of them died. In the next summer Native Americans showed them what foods were safe to eat and so they could save food for the next winter. They held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans for the fact that they had survived.

Native Americans

Native Americans were living in North America for many of hundreds of years before Europeans reached the continent. For a long time white people called them Indians. Today many people do not like this name since it is based on a mistake: it was given to the people living in the Americas by Christopher Columbus who thought he had landed in India when he arrived in Americas. Instead, people prefer to use the term Native Americans.

The United States Coast Guard

The US military service that is controlled by the US The US military service that is controlled by the US Department of Transportation but becomes part of the US Department of Transportation but becomes part of the US Navy during a war. It was established in 1915. The Coast Navy during a war. It was established in 1915. The Coast Guard stops ships suspected of carrying drugs and other Guard stops ships suspected of carrying drugs and other illegal goods, and can make arrests. It also keeps watch to illegal goods, and can make arrests. It also keeps watch to see that other laws of the sea are obeyed, rescues ships in see that other laws of the sea are obeyed, rescues ships in danger and has a weather service.danger and has a weather service.

Part Five: Text Structure

Part Two Part Two (Paras 10-16)(Paras 10-16)

Part Three Part Three (Paras 17-23)(Paras 17-23)

Part Four Part Four (Paras 24-26)(Paras 24-26)

Part One Part One (Paras 1-9)(Paras 1-9)

Letters ofLetters ofGiving-ThanksGiving-Thanks

Scan para. 1 & 2 and tell: Where did the writer spend that thanksgiving? Where was he going? How come he is so busy that day?

under way: in motion or operation, having started and making progress 航行中 , 工作中

• The nationwide medical reform is now under way.

• 2008 奥运会的准备工作正在进行中 .

• Preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games are now well under way.

All the way 自始至终 any way 无论如何 By way of 经由 , 通过…的方法 by virtue of 依靠 , 借助

于

I was one of the Murizm(“ 军市一“号 )’s several cooks and, quite the same as for folk ashore, this Thanksgiving morning had seen us busily preparing a traditional dinner featuring roast turkey.

Paraphrase: I was one of the Murizm’s cooks at that time. On t

he morning of Thanksgiving Day, we, just like people ashore, were busy with preparing a traditional dinner that features roast turkey.

put away: 把…放好 , 收好 ; 她有个习惯就是 , 看完书后就把书收好 .She has a habit of putting away her books af

ter reading them. You wash the dishes and I’ll put them awa

y in the cupboard.

储蓄 , 存钱The old couple has put away a considerable

sum of money for their future life.

I made my way out there, breathing in great, deep draughts while walking slowly about, still wearing my white cook’s hat.

译 :

我信步走去 , 一边深深呼吸着空气 , 一边慢慢地踱着步 , 头上还戴着那顶白色的厨师帽 .

get to sth./doing sth.: 开始考虑 , 做…事• Recently I’ve got to wondering why I am doing th

e part-time job.• I’ll get to the accounts as soon as possible.• 经历了这次事件之后 , 他开始对他周围的人好了 .• Having gone through the accident, he got to treat

ing people around him kindly.and the rest: and so on 等等• The patient can have apples, apple sauce, and t

he rest.• The citizens are interested in the government’s p

olicies on such important issues as health, education, tax, and the rest.

in quest of: seeking 寻求 , 探求• Tony went to the school library in quest of Mark Twin’s nove

ls.• 他们去加州寻找金子 .

• They went to California in quest of gold.

reverse: v. 扭转 , 反转 ; adj. 相反的 , 反面的 n. 背面 , 反面 ; n. 失败 , 挫折• They have made it clear that they will not reverse t

he decision to increase prices.• Why don’t you reverse the order so that I play first

and she plays second?• The financial reverses won’t discourage him.

turn over: think about 思考 ;

• Even when she didn’t say anything you could see her turning things over in her mind.

• 他静静地坐在那里 , 思考着那个问题 .

• He sat quietly, turning over the problem. 移交 ( 控制权 / 所有权等 )

• The old lady turned the shop over to her granddaughter when she retired.

repay: pay back, reward 偿还• She repaid me the money.• 我该如何报答你对我的好呢 ?

• How can I ever repay you for your kindness?

Not one time had I ever bothered to express to any of them so much as a simple, sincere “Thank you”.

Paraphrase: I had never expressed my thanks to them, even a s

imple, sincere “thank you.”So much as “ 甚至”• He doesn’t so much as invite his best friends.• 他甚至连他最好的朋友都没邀请 .

• Mike left all of a sudden, without so much as a simple “bye-bye”.

Summary for Part One(para1-9):The writer came up with the idea of______________________________________________. expressing his gratitude to people who had helped him before.

I realized, swallowing hard, that half of them had since died----so they were forever beyond any possible expression of gratitude from me.

Paraphrase:

I feel terribly sorry since about half of them had died, so that they could never receive any expression of appreciation from me.

gratitude: 感激 (…to sb./for sth.)• It is my great pleasure to be here to express my s

incere gratitude to my fellow members for electing me as your president.

• 她对我们的帮忙表示感激 .• She expressed her gratitude for our help.Sincere ~/ show ~/ feel ~/ deep ~

statement: Sth.that is said, esp. formally and officially 陈述 , 声明

• The trade union issued a statement opposing racial discrimination.

• In his newly-published book, Williams made a number of statements about modern life.

specific: 具体的 specific description/purpose/details/facts

• The new system made it easier for employers to recruit workers based on specific needs.

• 你有没有一些对你要申请的工作有用的具体技能 ?• Do you have any specific skills that will be of use to you in

the job you are applying for?

on one’s behalf/ on the behalf of sb.: 代表… , 为了…的利益 .

• He delivered a speech on the behalf of all the graduates on Graduation Day.

• 律师代表当事人说话 .• The lawyer spoke on behalf of his client.

impress: 使重视 , 给予强烈影响 ; 使…印象深刻• The teacher tried to impress on his students the n

ecessity of being honest.• 我父亲使我明白了努力工作的价值 .

• My father impressed on me the value of hard work.• Mr. Smith often impresses his students with humo

r in his speeches.• I was deeply impressed by/with his performance.

impressive 动人的 , 使人印象深刻的 impression n. 印象

diminish: make or become smaller or less

vt/i. ( 使 ) 减少 , 变小• Her patience with the children diminished as the h

ours went by.• Time will not diminish our friendship.

• 沉重的工作负担并没有降低他对户外运动的热情 .• The heavy workload does not diminish his enthusi

asm for outdoor sports.

So many times I have felt a sadness when exposed to modern children so immersed in the electronic media that they have little or no awareness of the marvelous world to be discovered in books.

Paraphrase:

Ｉ have felt sorry for many times when I saw modern children immersed themselves in the electronic media to such an extent that it almost remained unknown to them that there is a marvelous world in books.

expose: leave uncovered; make accessible 使暴露 , 使接触

Be exposed to 暴露于 ; 与…接触• It is feared that people living near the power sta

tion may have been exposed to radiation.• The immigrants’ children exposed to American

pop culture often rebel when their parents try to impose the values they brought with them.

• 这种植物不能暴露在强光下 .• This plant can’t be exposed to strong sunshine.

immerse: over completely in a liquid; absorb deeply 使沉浸 ( 在水中 ); 专心于

• I held my breath and immersed myself in water, trying to stay under water for as long as possible.

• 约翰完全沉浸在电脑游戏中 , 没有意识到周围发生的事情 .• John was so immersed in playing the computer ga

mes that he was unaware of things happening around him.

assemble

a) bring or call together in a group 集合 , 集会• Delegates were assembling in Geneva for the c

onference.

b) fit together the parts or pieces of 组装• It took me less than an hour to assemble the bo

okcase.Everyone ____ in the hall where they were welcom

ed by the secretary.[00-06, CET-6]

A. Piled B. assembled C. joined D. accumulate

B

Considerate of 对…无微不至 , 考虑周到Considerable 相当的 , 非常的 sprinkle 洒 , 喷洒Sprinkle sth. on/over sth. Sprinkle water on the grassSprinkle sth. with sth. Sprinkle the dish with pepper.

Summary for part two (paras. 10-16)The writer wrote 3 thank-you letters to _________, __________, and _____________.

his fatherRev. Nelson his grandmother

accord: a) grant 给予 , 赠与• The headmaster accorded me permission to attend the semi

nar.• 我们对他给予了热烈的欢迎 .

• We accorded a warm welcome to him.

b) be in agreement (… with) ( 使 ) 符合 , 一致• His behavior does not accord with his principles.

• 我们应该言行一致 .

• What we say should accord with what we do.

accord with 与…相一致 accord sth. to sb. 赠给… in accord with 与…一致 , 融洽 of one’s own accord 主动 , 自

愿 with one accord 全体一致地 in accordance with 根据 accordance. n. 符合 , 一致 , 和谐 accordingly. 相应地 , 因此 , 所以 .

successive: following one after the other 连续的 , 不断的

• The Brazilian men’s soccer team has won three successive games so far.

• 接二连三的恐怖袭击已经引起了所有人的关注 .• The successive terrorism attacks have aroused t

he attention from all humanity.

succession n. 连续 , 连续不断的事物 in succession 接连的 a succession of victories 连续的胜利 successor 后继者 , 继承者 succeed. 继承 , 继任 .

One “mail call” brought me responses from Grandma, Dad, and the Reverend Nelson and my reading of their letters left me not only astonished but more humbled than before.

Paraphrase:

Then came the time when the loudspeaker called there was mail for us, I received three replies from Grandma, Dad and the Reverend Nelson. After reading them, I felt astonished, but more humbled than ever.

Undergo v. to go through, endure 经历 , 遭受

Undergo great hardship/suffering

遭受巨大的艰难 , 困苦 Undergo repair/surgery 接受检修 , 进行手

术 .• She has undergone a lot of sufferings during t

he last 20 years.• After the craft returned safely to Earth, Yang

Liwei underwent immediate physical exam.

A glance at Grandma’s familiar handwriting, brought back in a flash memories of standing alongside her white rocking chair, watching her “settin, down” some letter to relatives.

Paraphrase:

As I saw Grandma’s familiar handwriting, what instantly came to mind was the time when I stood beside her white rocking chair and watched her writing to relatives.

Bring back 使记起 , 使回想起• The smell of autumn always brings back

memories of new terms at school.• The whole scene brought back the days o

f my childhood. Bring forward 把…提前 (~ the party); 提出 ( ~ a plan) Bring about 导致 , 使发生 Bring out 生产 ; 揭示 Bring through 拯救 , 救活

In a flash: 立刻 , 一瞬间

• The 100-meter dash was over in a flash.

A flash in the pan 昙花一现 A flash of lightning 闪电 A flash of hope 一线希望

Summary for part three ( paras. 17-23) The writer got 3 letters in reply.

Go about 四处走动 ; 开始 , 从事 , 着手做

• How shall we go about the job?• 你怎样着手修理这台机器 ?

• How do you go about repairing this telex machine?

Go about with sb. 和…常联系 , 走动• Nowadays it’s quite common to see freshm

en go about with their girlfriends.

In the end we are mightily( 在很大程度上 , 非常 ) and merely people, each with similar needs.

译 :其实 , 我们都是十分相象的凡人 , 有着相似的需求 .

Summary for Part Four(para 24.~26)

The writer wishes everyone to _______________________.find the good and praise it.

认真思考

graduate into a habit of

真挚的文字由衷的感激

genuine statements

give serious thought to

渐渐地变成一种习惯

很少了解给…撒下美妙遐想

电子媒体

heartfelt appreciation

electronic media

have little awareness of

按常规sprinkle … with stardust

个人经历in the routine

最重要的事personal experience

topmost priority

围聚在…周围

a rocking chair

一把把发生迅猛的变化

fistful of

cluster about

摇椅

靠当…为生使某人意识到

向…表达充满爱意的谢意

undergo swift changes

express one’s loving gratefulness to…

make a living as

有着相似的需求

give sb. an insight into

简单的常识

with similar needs

实现世界和平

simple common sense

achieve world peace

对…至关重要 be paramount for

Correspon-dents

Letters sent (paras13-15)

Letters received(paras 21-23)

Father

The Rev. Nelson

Grand-mother

Thank him for teaching the writer from boyhood to love books and reading.

Thank him for his morning school prayers

Thank him for teaching the writer how to tell the truth, to share, to be forgiving…

Tell his son how he, as a teacher and father, felt content with him.

About his retirement with self-doubt, and the reassurance the letter brought to him.

Expresses her loving gratefulness for her grandson

hold

cabin

afterdeck

deckshipcoastguardsman

sailor

seaman

shipmate

Put to sea

Be under way

Be at sea

Word Web

Key Points Review 重点回顾 I was one of the Murzim’s several cooks and, qui

te the same as folks ashore, his Thanksgiving morning had seen us busily preparing a traditional dinner, featuring roast turkey. ( 现在分词作定语 ).

例 : As early as 1647, Ohio made a decision that free, tax supported schools must be established in every t/wn _____ 1,000 households or more. (1998-01, CET-4)

A. having B. to have

C. to have had D. having had

A

分词作补语例 : After the Arab states won independence, gre

at emphasis was laid on expanding education, with girls as well as boys ______ to go to school.(97-01, CET-4)

A. to be encouraged B. been encouraged

C. being encouraged D. be encouraged

介词 with 引出分词独立结构 , 表示一种陪衬性动作或补充说明 .

C

分词作状语 I made my way out there, breathing in great, deep

draughts while walking slowly about, still wearing my white cook’s hat.

( 现在分词作状语 )

例 : _______ the earth to be flat, many feared that Columbus would fall off the edge of the earth. (96-06, CET-4)

A. Having believed B. Believing

C. Believed D. Being believed

B

真题回放1. As I’ll be away for at least a year, I’d appreciate

______from you now and then telling me how everyone is getting along. (2000研 )

A. hearing B. to hear

C. to be hearing D. having heard

2. The words of his old teacher left a ______ impression on his mind. He is still influenced by them. (00-01, CET-4)

A. long B. lively C. lasting D. liberal

A

C

真题回放3. Everything we eat and drink contains some salt;

we can meet the body’s need for it from natural resources without turning ______ the salt bottle(盐灌 ) [01-01, CET4]

A. up B. to C. on D. over

4. The younger person’s attraction to stereos can’t be explained only _________ familiarity with technology. [99-06, CET-6]

A. in quest of B. by means of

C. in terms of D. by virtue of

B

C

真题回放5. In Britain people _______ four million tons of

potatoes every year.[00-01, CET-4]

A. swallow B. dispose

C. consume D. exhaust

6. Several international events at the beginning of the 21st century are likely to ______ the trends emerging in the late 1990s.

A. revert (恢复 ,回到原状 ) B. reverse

C. revolve (旋转 ) D. review

C

B

真题回放7. Thomas was late for school for our _____ days.

A. successor B. succession

C. successive D. successful

8. The evidence her father produced does not ____ with that of his sister.

A. compromise B. accord

C. accuse D. accustom

C

B

真题回放9. It’s high time we _____ the pressing situation.

A. dealt out B. coped with

C. cope with D. deal with

10. My brother was hoping for a _______ response after he got through the interview for a new job.

A. switch B. swift

C. sweep D. slip

B

B

真题回放11. The conference ______ will accelerate(加速 )

the development in the region.

A. held B. having held

C. is held D. to be held

12. They were ______ in their scientific research, not knowing what happened just outside their lab.[01-06,CET-6).

A. submerged(淹没 ) B. drowned

C. immersed D.dipped

D

C

如何写感谢信• Heading(信头 ): 发信人的姓名 , 地址 ,日期

(通常左 /右上角 )• Inside address(信内地址 ): 信头日期下方 , 左边 , 要求同上 ( 一般社交信中 , 该项常省略 ), 但公务信函不能省 .

• Salutation(称呼 ): 对收信人的称呼语 .• Body(正文 )• Complimentary Close(信尾客套话 )• Signature(签名 )

Orient University 111 Dongfang Road Shanghai 200083 P. R. China. Nov. 18, 2003

University of BuckinghamHunter Street, Buckingham, MK18 1EGUnited Kingdom

Dear Vice Chancellor, I’m writing to you to thank you for your welcome hospitality you’ve acc

orded to our delegation when visiting your beautiful campus last week. The informative and useful discussion between our two sides virtually helps promote the development of the two universities.

I’m looking forward to your early visit to China so that I can repay some of your hospitality and warmth which I received during our wonderful stay in your lovely campus.

Sincerely Yours Zhang Wei