高级英语2读书报告

Lesson8 The Future of the English J.B.Priestley Recently, I read a passage named ―The Future of the English‖. It was taken from Priestley's book The English (1973), is loosely organized and it is partly exposition and partly argumentation. J.B.Priestley(1894—1984), English novelist, playwright and essayist. He wrote 26 novels, and numerous plays and essays. Although Priestley looks satirically at his country and countrymen in some of his works, he was nevertheless a fervent believer in the goodness of life, people, and England. In 1977, he was awarded the Order of Merit, an honor limited to twenty-four ―living greats‖ one of the highest honors in England. The thesis of the exposition is stated in the title. The writer is trying to explain the future of the English people but he doesn't really state what that future is going to be. He leaves the question open and concludes the essay with statements pointing out what he thinks will help the English people to face the future properly and not to be defeated by a poorer and harder way of life. He thinks the English need both a direction and a great lift of the great lift of the heart and they must not reject their Englishness. The writer talks about the future of the English because a battle has been going on for some time: the conflict between ―Admass, which has already conquered most of the Western World, and Englishness, ailing and impoverished, in no position to receive vast subsidies of dollars, francs, Deutschmarks and the rest, for public relatio ns and advertising campaigns.‖ Then the author focuses on what will decide the result or future of the conflict. He argues that ―while things are important, states of mind are even more important.‖ Though he doesn't say what the future of the English is, he does explain what the future of the English hangs upon. Their future depends on the outcome of the struggle between their Englishness and Admass;on the role the English workers and their union bosses play;on the role the men and the women in the professional classes play;on how the young develop;on the kind of political leaders they have;on whether they reject their Englishness or not. ―The Future of the English‖ is rather informal piece of argumentation so the writer doesn't marshal enough evidence to prove his point. In fact he appeals more to the emotions of his English readers than to their reason to drive home his point of view. In my opinion, I think we don't have to agree with everything Priestley says to conclude that the essay is highly readable. The reader is moved by the sincerity and intensity of the feelings of the writer and feels that the writer, perhaps, has the right instinctive feeling of what the English are like. Priestley's smooth and polished style makes the essay a pleasure to read. Lesson9 The Loons Margaret Laurence Recently, I read a passage named ―The Loons‖, which was written by Margaret Laurence, who was born in Neepawa, Manitoba in Canada. She spent eight years in Africa. ―The Loons‖ was first broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1963 and published in the Atlantic Advocate in 1966 before it was collected in A Bird in the House in1970.Since then the short story has been widely anthologized. The story chronicles the life of Piquette Tonnerre and depicts the cultural and racial alienation felt by this Métis girl. The first two paragraphs of the story provide background information about the Tonnerre family. During the rebellion of the Indians and Métis let by Riel, Grandfather Jules took part in the battle at Batoche. The Tonnerres lived in a ―small aquare cabin.‖ They didn't have regular jobs. They were marginalized by the white-dominated society, unable to lead a decent life. They also found it impossible to fit into the mainstream and difficult to be assimilated comfortably. In Paragraph 3 the narrator introduces old Jule's granddaughter, Lazarus's daughter, Piquette. At school, Piquette felt out of place and ill at ease with the white children. Paragraphs4 to 15 describe how the MacLeod family discussed whether they should take Piquette to their house at Diamond Lake for the summer. The next section from Paragraph 16 to Paragraph 47 is the central part of the story, describing the relationship between the two girls during the summer. Paragraphs 48 to 62 describe their second encounter. Piquette talked about going to marry an ―English fella‖ with a ―real classy name.‖ The next part of the story describes how Vanessa learned about Piquette's life after marriage and her life. In fact her situation became more and more messed up. The concluding part containing Paragraphs 71 to 75 describe the narrator's revisit to Diamond Lake, now renamed Lake Wapatkata. She found the loons on the lake had disappeared. The story ends with the narrator's reflections on Piquette and the loons. Through this passage, I have learned a lot. I think the narrative voice of the story deserves our attention. The story is not only about Piquette but also about the development of the narrator Vanessa. Another thing that attracts our attention is the use of symbolism in this story. When we read the story closely and think analytically. And we learn the way to read literature. Lesson 10 The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American James Baldwin Recently, I read a passage named "The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American ―, which impressed me a lot. It was written by James Baldwin, an Afro-American writer, born in Harlem, in New York City. I n protest against the racial discrimination he left the US at 24 to live in France, where most of his work was written. This passage is a piece of expository writing. The central thesis of the exposition is expressed by the title of the essay. To develop the thesis, Baldwin is writing on three levels:1) as an American, 2) as an American writer and 3) as a black American writer. First, Baldwin discovered in Europe that the American was different from the European. He also discovered that all American, white or black, loved their country and were not at home in Europe; that Americans knew more about each other than any European ever could; that Europe was part of their identity and part of their inheritance. Upon these discoveries, Baldwin suffered a kind of breakdown and went off into the mountains of Switzerland for rest. There he listened to the songs of the black singer Bessie Smith. Her tone and rhythm helped him to remember the way he must have spoken even he was a child. In Europe, Smith helped him to accept the fact he was a black American. He compared the difference between a artier in Europe and in America. He pointed out that ―a European writer considers himself to be part of an old and honorable tradition‖ and his choice of becoming a man of letters did not cause him any uneasy feelings while an American writer usually s uffered what could be called ―social paranoia‖. Only in Europe could he ―reach out to everyone‖, be ―accessible to everyone‖ and ―open to everything‖. In this way, American writers felt their own weight, their own value. From this passage, I think Europe did have a profound impact on Baldwtwin, where, perhaps for the first time, he was free of the crippling effect of being a discriminated black. In Europe he was forced to reassess and reconsider many things he had always taken from granted. This and the acceptance of his Afro-American origins had made him the militant black writer that he was. Lesson 11 Four Laws of Ecology Barry Commoner Recently, I read a passage named ―Four Laws of Ecology‖, which was written by Barry Commoner. He is an American biologist, college professor, and eco-socialist, who is regarded as one of the founders of the environmental movement. His book entitled The Closing Circle: Nature, Man, and Technology addresses the fundamental issues about ecology. ―Four Laws of Ecology‖ is taken from Chapter 2 ―The Ecosphere‖ o f this book. In this book, Commoner suggests that the American economy should be restructured to conform to the unbending laws of ecology. In the part chosen as our test, the writer defines the term ecology as the science that studies the relationships and the processes linking each living each living thing to the physical and chemical environment. Ecology is the science of planetary housekeeping. There are four basic laws of ecology. The first law is ―Everything Is Connected to Everything Else.‖ This law reflects ―the existence of the elaborate network of interconnections in the ecosphere: among different living organisms, and between populations, species, and individual organisms and their physicochemical surroundi ngs.‖ The second law is ―Everything Must Go Somewhere.‖ This is simply a somewhat informal restatement of a basic law of physics-that matter is indestructible. Applied to ecology, the law emphasizes that in nature there is no such thing as ―waste.‖ The third law is ―Nature Knows Best.‖ The write points out, to provide food, clothing, shelter, and means of communication and expression which are superior to those available to man in nature. However, the third law of ecology holds that any major man-made change in a natural system is likely to be detrimental to that system. The fourth law is ―There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch.‖ In ecology the law is intended to warn that every gain is won at some cost. I think this passage is a wonderful piece of scientific writing. Such writings can be very difficult for readers without the relevant educational background. But Commoner manages to write so that it is not so hard for ordinary readers to understand. After learning this passage, I realize how important it is to protect environment and live efficient with it. Lesson 13 The Mansion: A Subprime Parable Michael Lewis Recently, I read a passage named ―The Mansion: A Subprime Parable‖. From the title, the essay has to do with the subprime mortgage crisis that occurred in America in the late 2000s. Yet in this essay the author, Michael Lawis, an American contemporary non-fiction author and financial journalist, who has a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics, does not explain the subprime mortgage in economic terms with economic theories. Instead, he tells a story, which he calls a parable, to reveal the root cause of the crisis. From the passage, we know that there are many factors leading to the bust of the housing bubble in America. In all the public finger-pointing about the American real estate bust, surprisingly little attention has been paid to its origin. Why do Americans attach such importance to their houses?The reason is that a house is a symbol showing how well(or bad)a person is doing. The trouble is when people buy or rent a house better and larger than they can afford, they are no longer the owners of the house, but they are owned by the house. To illustrate and prove his view, the author relates his own experience of renting a mansion in New Orleans. When he was a boy, the author was fascinated by this big mansion. When he and his family moved to live in New Orlean from California, he rented the dream house, then he describe the following housing problem. All houses have problems like plumbing. But the problems posed by the mansion were different from the problems posed by most other houses. Such as, there was the communication inconvenience. If you wanted to find somebody in the house, yelling was not helpful for your voice was lost in the vast space. After reading this passage, I have learned a lot. The story is told in a rather light and informal style with a touch of humor. In the essay, the author inserts comments into story about the subprime mortgage crisis and A mericans’ desire for better and larger houses they cannot afford. The essay is mainly a piece of narration, but a variety of other writing modes are also employed in this essay such as exposition, argumentation and description. Lesson 14 Faustian Economics Wendell Berry Recently, I read a passage named ―Faustian Economics‖, written by Wendell Berry. He is an American man of letters, academic, cultural and economic critic, and farmer. He is a prolific author of novels, short stories, poems, and e ssays. ―Faustian Economics‖ is a piece of strong argumentation. The purpose of argumentation is to convince. The essay has chosen not only a universally important but also a debatable topic: What kind of economics should we have?American economics is seen by many as a model to emulate. However, the writer challenges it by calling it Faustian economics. So the title itself makes it clear that the essay will criticize the current mode of economics. Such a topic will certainl y arouse the reader’s interest and concern. The argument of this essay is developed around the antithesis between limitlessness and limits. The writer points out human beings define themselves as limitless creatures. The writer argues that in the phrase ―free market,‖ the word ―free‖ has come to mean unlimited economic power for some, with the necessary consequence of economic powerlessness for others. In order to illustrate this point, he uses an example in Paragraph 19 in which two young veterinarians approach him with a question, which, in effect, is asking if a predatory economy can have a beneficent result. The writer’s answer is No. Then in the next paragraph he uses a contrary example to illustrate an alternative economy: community economics. Therefore, the logical conclusion is ―we will have to reexamine the economic structures of our lives, and conform them to the tolerances and limits of our earthly places. Where there is no more, our one choice is to make the most and the best of what we have.‖ After reading this passage, I have known a lot. The writer presents this argumentation with firm conviction and great confidence. He never hesitates or wavers in his stand. To present an effective argumentation, the writer uses many formal words and expressions and complex sentence structures. Lesson 15 Disappearing Through the Skylight Osborne Bennet Hardison Jr Recently, I read a passage named ―Disappearing Through the Skylight‖, written by Osborne Bennet Hardison Jr . He was born in San Diego, California in 1928 and was educated at the University of North Carolina and the University of Wisconsin. He is well-known for his profound insights into the change in modern culture brought about by modern science and technology. His provocative views are stimulating and informative. In the preface and prologue of Disappearing Through the Skylight, he states his views succinctly and explicitly. As for the central them of this book, the writer says:―This book is about the ways culture has changed in the pas t century, changing the identities of all those born into it. Its metaphor for the effect of change on culture is ―disappearance‖. In this key chapter, as the title suggests, the writer puts forward his central theme of ―disappearance‖–nature disappears and even the solid banks disappear through their skylights‖. Another important idea he puts forward is the universalizing tendency of science and technology. The basic concepts of science are understood, accepted and adopted by scientists all over the world. There is only one science of thermodynamics, genetics, etc. The third concept is, ―If man creates machines, machines in turn shape their creators.‖ The modern man is no longer a unique individual, the product of a special environment and culture. The homogeneous world he now lives in universalizes him. He becomes a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world. Finally, the disappearance of history is a form of liberation and this feeling of liberation is often expressed through play. The playfulness of science has produced game theory and virtual particles;in art it has produced the paintings of Picasso and Joan Miro and so on. And about the stylistic features of this piece of writing, it deals with a lot of scientific and technological information cannot help but still exhibit certain features of scientific English. In cannot avoid using a lot of scientific and technical terms, such as thermodynamics, genetics, genetic mutations, ect. Most sentences are short and to the point and the simple present tense is used to express a universal statement. A scientist tries to keep his limited objective in view, so the writer tries to write clearly, concisely, objectively and logically. Aftering reading this passage, I know the writer’s writing skill. He does not follow strictly the style of scientific writing because he is trying to reach a wider audience, nonscientists and scientists alike, and because he is treating a broader subject, ―the culture we inhabits‖. All the material, however, is clearly and logically organized. His views are generally clearly and succinctly presented as a topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph and then developed or illustrated in the paragraph itself or by succeeding paragraphs.