Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases

Reading~Paragraphs 5-8

Post-reading

Listen to paragraphs 5-8.

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Now, answer the following questions.

1. ( ) The author raised money to send the paraplegic girl to Hawaii by ______.(A) making 60 phone calls(B) contributing his own money(C) hiring someone to raise the money(D) asking people for money on television

A

2. ( ) Who made the statement “Ask not what your country can do for you— ask what you can do for your country”? (A) Robert F. Kennedy. (B) George Washington. (C) Benjamin Franklin. (D) John F. Kennedy.

D

On the other hand, young people who refuse to avoid their duty have better chances to achieve purposes larger than themselves.

On the other hand, young people who refuse to avoid their duty have better chances to achieve purposes larger than themselves.→ As an opposite point, young people who are unwilling to avoid what they should do are more likely to reach goals (which are) beyond their own benefit or interests.

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Their inner cry is “What can I do?” not “What will Somebody Else do for me?” John F. Kennedymade a statement: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

made a statement → said (something) clearly and formally

The Life of John F. Kennedy

From the inaugural address by John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961.

John F. Kennedy graduated from Harvard University. In 1947, he became a Democratic Congressman .He married Jacqueline Bouvier. After winning the presidency in 1960, Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States, the youngest president ever elected. In April 1961, a force of anti-Castro Cubans, under direction of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency prior to Kennedy election, failed in their invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated. Much controversy still remains concerning the assassination.

This is the philosophy that can break the dependency on Somebody Else.

比較 dependency 與 dependencedependency 表示： People have a deep emotional, physical, or financial need for a particular person or thing, especially one that is considered excessive or undesirable.We saw his dependency on his mother and worried that he might not survive long if anything happened to her. Next

This is the philosophy that can break the dependency on Somebody Else.

比較 dependency 與 dependencedependence 則表示： one’s need for something or someone in order to succeed orbe able to survive 。Women’s economic dependence on their husbands.This is the philosophy that can break the dependency on Somebody Else.→ This thinking can help you stop depending on others.

Ask yourself, “What can I do for that person who needs my help?”

Once I responded to the plea of a paraplegic girl who had a deep desire to go to Hawaii.

Once I responded to the plea of a paraplegicgirl who had a deep desire to go to Hawaii.→ At some time in the past I did something as a reaction to the request of a girl who was unable to move the lower part of her body. She wished/hoped/wanted to go to Hawaii very much.

After I made sixty phone calls on her behalf, thirty-eight people responded with various amounts of money. Within a week, I was staring in amazement at checks totaling one thousand dollars.

I was staring in amazement at checks totaling one thousand dollars.→ I was so amazed/surprised that I looked for a long time at checks which added up to one thousand dollars.

It was a miracle. Many SomebodyElses helped me, to be sure, but someone had to make those calls and take care of the details in the process of bringing about the miracle.

to be sure 是獨立不定詞片語，作副詞修飾全句。往往有「事實固然…，但是…」的語意，與 but 呼應。Parents make the rules, to be sure,but many of the rules are no longer appropriate today.

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It was a miracle. Many SomebodyElses helped me, to be sure, but someone had to make those calls and take care of the details in the process of bringing about the miracle.

Many Somebody Elses helped me, to be sure→ I must admit/I couldn’t deny the truth that many people had helped metake care of the details→ deal with the minor points or aspects

If you wish to be in control of your lives more than you actually are, reducing the dependency on others will give you a jump start and help you feel better about yourselves.

If you wish to be in control of your lives more than you actually are, reducing the dependency on others will give you a jump start and help you feel better about yourselves.→ If you wish to have control of/over your lives more than you really do, stopping relying on others step by step will make a good start and help you feel more satisfied with yourselves.→ If you wish to make yourselves do what you want to do in your lives, ....

Instead of saying, “I need Somebody Else to get me started,” motivate yourself by saying, “I have a self-starter in me; I’ll use it!”

在「 get + O + Adj/V-en 」的句型中，用以表達受詞「處於某種狀態」 .She got dinner ready before her children came home./I’ll get the work finished in a week.get me started→ cause me to get started on something motivate yourself→ inspire yourself→ make yourself want to take actionI have a self-starter in me....→ I have a starter inside....　→ I can get myself started....

There is no use relying on the mysterious Somebody.

There is no use + Ving.= It is no use +Ving.= It is of no use + to V.

There is no use relying on the mysterious Somebody.→ It is useless to rely on the mysterious Somebody.

Say to yourself, “I have special gifts, and I’m going to use them” instead of “Somebody Else has so much going for him or her.”

have so much/a lot/nothing going (for sb/sth)有那麼多／很多／毫無有利的條件The area has nothing going for it.I think the new policy of the company has a lot going for it.

Decide for yourself that you will be that Somebody today, and stop counting on anyone else to be that Somebody for you .

You can achieve certain things that not Anybody can do. Once you believe and realize this, Nobody can put you down or discourage you unless you let him or her do so.

not Anybody can do→ some people can do and some people cannot ( 部分否定 )

...Nobody can put you down or discourage you unless you let him or her do so.→ ...Nobody can make you appear foolish or lose enthusiasm about doing something if you don’t let him or her do so.

Therefore, is Somebody Else really so important after all?

此句表面上雖是問句，但實際卻有否定的意味 .Therefore, is Somebody Else really so important after all?→ Somebody Else is not so important after all.

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Reading for the Main Idea □ 1. Young people care more about themselves than about issues of our country. □ 2. When people are in need, we can either give a helping hand or just stand by. □ 3. Everyone has certain gifts and should use them as much as possible. □ 4. People should take control of their own lives by being responsible for their own actions and not relying on others.

Discussion 1:Have you ever been in a situation, just like that in the story of the reading, where something needed to be done and anybody could have done it but in the end nobodydid it? And how do you feel about it?

Reference answer :I remember one morning when I came out of my apartment building, I saw a bag of garbage on the sidewalk. The plastic bag was torn apart, and the garbage was littered everywhere. Everybody passed by it as if the garbage did not exist.

Reference answer :As I was in a hurry, I couldn’t take care of it. However, that evening when I returned from school, I was surprised to see that the bag of garbage was still there. Nobody had done anything about it! I couldn’t help wondering what has happened to public morality?

Discussion 2:What do you think about John F. Kennedy’s statement quoted in the reading?

Reference answer :I think what President Kennedy emphasized is in the second part of his statement, “ask what you can do for your country.” We all take it for granted that our country should do a lot for us, but we seldom think of doing something for our country.

Reference answer :As we all know, a country is made up of individuals. If every individual does his or her duty as a citizen, such as paying taxes or obeying the law, the country will be prosperous and stable. And every individual will benefit.

Reference answer :Therefore, I believe that all of usshould ask ourselves more often what we can do for our country.

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