Unit One

Unit One Growing Up Text  A  Writing for myself  By Russell Baker ? Background Information ? The American Educational System In the United States, education is the responsibility of individual states, not of the federal government, so requirements may vary from one state to another. The following is a generalization: -    kindergarten: under 5 years old -    elementary / primary school (grades 1~6): 6~11 years old -    junior high / middle school (grades 7~8): 12~13 years old -    senior / high school (grades 9~12): 14~17 years old -    college, institute, academy (学院), university ? About the Author Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Russell Baker, was the author of the nationally syndicated "Observer" column for the New York Times from 1962 to 1998. In addition, the noted journalist, humorist, essayist, and biographer has written or edited seventeen books. Baker's first Pulitzer was for distinguished commentary for his "Observer" columns (1979) and the second one was for his autobiography, Growing Up (1983). He wrote a sequel to his autobiography in 1989, called The Good Times. In addition to his regular column and numerous books, Baker has also edited the anthologies, The Norton Book of Light Verse (1986) and Russell Baker's Book of American Humor (1993). In 1993, he became the regular host of the PBS television series, Masterpiece Theatre. Baker is a regular contributor to national periodicals such as The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Saturday Evening Post, and McCalls. ? Part One (Paras. 1—2) Baker was bored by everything associated with English courses, including essay writing. ? Part Two (Paras. 3—5) Baker found himself attracted by one particular topic and wrote about it for his own joy. ? Part Three (Paras. 6—9) The experience of writing the essay helped him discover his talent for writing and realize what he wished to do in life. ? Scanning: Scan Text A and find out all the time words, phrases and clauses. Key: since my childhood in Belleville  (Para. 1) until my third year in high school (Para. 1) until then (Para. 1) when our class was assigned to Mr. Fleagle for third-year English (Para. 2) late in the year (Para. 3) until the night before the essay was due (Para. 3) when I finished (Para. 6) next morning (Para. 6) two days passed (Para. 6) when I saw him lift my paper from his desk ... (Para. 6) when Mr. Fleagle finished (Para. 9) ? Language Study l The idea of becoming a writer to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn’t until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold. (Para. 1) Ever since I was a child in Belleville, I had though of becoming a writer from time to time, but I didn’t make up my mind until I was in the 11th grade. …it was not until…that…直到…才… eg. It was not until yesterday that I got the news. It was not until last month that they finished the project.                                  l Off and on / on and off: from time to time, now and again, irregularly, sometimes eg. It has been raining ~ for a week. That’s why the clothes fell damp. As her patient slept soundly during the night, Nurse Betty was able to doze ~ in a bedside chair. We don’t go to the theatre regularly, just ~. Possibility: n. 1.[u.]  a ~ 可能性，可实现性 ~ of              ~ that eg. There is a / no ~ that the same thing will happen. Is there any ~ of life on Mars? 2. [c.] 可能发生的事，可能有的事 eg. His retirement is a ~. 3. [usu. pl.] ~ties 展望，希望，（…的）潜力 eg. I see great ~ties in this project. He is a man of undermined ~ties. Take hold: become established/ attached生根，固定 eg. Old habit die hard. That’s why you should stop smoking before the habit ~s hold. It’s hard for him to ~ in the strange place. Phrases with “hold” to catch/ get/ lay/ seize hold of sth 得到, 抓住, 掌握, 获得 eg. I got ~ of the idea only after much explanation on his part. The boy almost fell out of the window; luckily his mother caught ~ of him and pulled him back. He got a good ~ of his man. (左右手下的人） I’ll try to lay ~ of the manager as he comes out of the meeting. Until then I’d been bored by everything associated with English courses. (Para.1) Up to then I had lost interest in things related to English courses. Bore: v.  1. make sb. feel or become tired and lost interest  2. to drill  eg. to ~ through wall (for water) to bore + n.    to bore + n. with / by (doing) sth eg. He always ~d her with the same story / by telling the same story. Reciting has ~d him to death / her to tears.