1、Unit 12 A Case of “Severe Bias“Key to the ExercisesText comprehensionI. Decide which of the following best states the authors purpose of writing.AII. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false.1. T (Refer to Paragraph 3. In American news media, black America is
2、poor, criminal, addicted and dysfunctional. Indeed, the media have covered only a small segment of the black community and presented it as the norm.)2. T (Refer to Paragraph 3, where it is said that “it is an insidious practice, all the uglier for its blatancy,“ meaning that the medias practice of m
3、isrepresenting black America is obtrusive and offensive.)3. F (Refer to Paragraph 4, where it is indicated that media reports on crack babies, gang warfare, violent youth, poverty and homelessness are all featured as black, while rarely is there any article about blacks playing a positive role, or a
4、ny role at all.)4. F (Refer to Paragraphs 6?, where it is shown that in numbers there are more white Americans on welfare, but among the urban underclass there is a larger proportion of blacks.)5. F (Refer to Paragraph 12, in which the author tells us that she has not seen a recognizable “gang“ memb
5、er or any “gang“ activity, nor has she been the victim of “gang violence.“)6. F (Refer to Paragraphs 14?6, which show that blacks true characteristics and contributions are the biggest secret in America. Every black, even those with the strongest minds, craves affirmation of their contributions to A
6、merican society.)III. Answer the following questions.1. Refer to Paragraph 3. It refers to the small group of blacks who are poor, criminal, addicted and dysfunctional.2. Refer to Paragraphs 3?, and 11. The author especially focuses on the news media, and she also touches upon the film industry.3. R
7、efer to Paragraph 7. As presented in the media, white America is always whole and lovely and healthy, while black America is usually sick and pathetic and deficient. 4. Refer to Paragraph 9. By “twilight zone,“ the author means that the image of black America is very confusing because of the discrep
8、ancy between its image in the media and its real character.5. Refer to Paragraph 12. According to the author, she has never experienced any “gang“ activity in Denver, nor has she been the victim of “gang violence.“6. Refer to Paragraphs 5?, and 13. Yes, news reports and journalism are always suppose
9、d to be the mirror on American reality.IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences.1. The medias malicious use of a small segment to represent all black America is shameless and offensive.2. The media are supposed to present American culture and American experience truthfully by reflecting
10、 American reality, and people usually accept news reports as truth without any doubt. Unfortunately, in many cases what they present is anything but the truth.3. The distorted, inaccurate news coverage is worse than covering nothing at all about blacks.4. I am not suggesting we close our eyes to the
11、 very real problems associated with the lower class in cities, nor denying that blacks are overrepresented in this class.5. Most black people work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes. We have made our contributions to American society, but the media never notice and cover it. That makes blacks re
12、sentful.Structural analysis of the textWith a series of sentences beginning with “I am not,“ the author shows how different the image of blacks established by the media is from reality. And using again the same sentence structure in Paragraph 6, the author emphasizes that she is not an exception but
13、 one of the majority of blacks. With this structural repetition, the author is comparing herself with the majority of blacks and contrasting the image of blacks in the media with that in real life. Rhetorical features of the textNor is it a matter of closing ones eyes to the very real problems of th
14、e urban underclass - which undeniably is disproportionately black. (Interrupting a sentence)And as self-reliant as most black Americans are - because weve had to be self-reliant - even the strongest among us still crave affirmation. (Interrupting a sentence)I want America to know us - all of us - fo
15、r who we really are. (Putting special emphasis) That is the real portrait of black America - that were strong people, surviving people, capable people. (Introducing an explanation)Vocabulary exercisesI. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.1. thats it2. supply3. people in t
16、he lowest social position4. hazy area; marginalized area5. independent; self-dependentII. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase from the box in its appropriate form.1. are guilty of2. have been screaming out3. contribution4. was featured5. being reminded of6. in the light of7. in
17、the eyes of8. deserving the attention ofIII. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.1. victim 2. blatant3. nutritional 4. Vibrations5. denial 6. relegation7. aberration 8. addictiveIV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each sentence without c
18、hanging its original meaning.1. C 2. D 3. D 4. A5. B 6. A 7. C 8. BV. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.1. Synonym: favour (support)2. Antonym: balanced (fair, objective)3. Antonym: honest (straightforward, sincere)4. Synonym: impaired (harm
19、ed, incomplete)5. Synonym: serious6. Synonym: infer (derive, conclude, reason)7. Synonym: inexact (faulty, mistaken, erroneous)8. Antonym: elite (gentry)VI. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.1. provides space for2. because of3. makes interesting4. protect5. competitive6. ca
20、refulGrammar exercisesI. Rewrite the following sentences, omitting if.1. Had it not been for our adopted son, we would not now be surrounded by caring strangers. 2. Had I known that, I wouldnt have said anything.3. Should the guests arrive early, no one will be here to greet them.4. Were I the Presi
21、dent, I would make some changes.5. Had Susan not been so lazy, she could have passed her history final.6. Had Harry locked his door properly, the burglar would not have entered his apartment.7. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.8. Should there be a global nuclear war,
22、some scientists predict that life on earth as we know it would end forever.II. Complete the following sentences with the proper forms of the verbs in brackets.1. would not be waiting2. would not be able to go3. had read4. had given5. would love6. had finished7. listened8. would have fallen9. had bee
23、n 10. will not dry outIII. Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases given.1. Given 2. unless3. In the event of4. but for5. Supposing6. in case7. on condition that8. so long asIV. Explain the following sentences.1. If he laughs last, he laughs best.2. If you try to grasp everything, you will get
24、 nothing.3. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile.4. If he had been born in better times, he would have done credit to the profession of letters.5. If the same thing should happen in wartime, it would amount to disaster.6. If you should hear him talk, youd think he had passed half his life in
25、 Australia.7. If you dont follow your doctors advice, your cough will get worse.8. If you lose one hour in the morning, you will be looking for it the rest of the day.V. Improve the following sentences.1. The sheriff was looking for a middle-aged woman driving a dark green Buick sedan with a little
26、Scotch terrier beside her.2. To start a conversation, I asked her for a light while waiting for the train.3. Seymour lay in a hammock and watched the vultures circling steadily overhead.4. Filled with eagerness, curiosity, and excitement, Nancy carefully unwrapped the small package.5. We watched wit
27、h the aid of powerful binoculars the gulls flying over the windswept waves and barren rocks.6. The pair of antique candlesticks shining brightly on the table attracted the admiring glances of many visitors.7. With a smile the doctor said that there was nothing seriously wrong. / The doctor said with
28、 a smile that there was nothing seriously wrong.8. When discussing creativity, John E. Gibson stresses a persons ability to finish a pun.VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping the underlined structures in your sentences.(Reference version)1. As sick as he was, he cam
29、e to work.2. Visitors and the media teams all gathered to commemorate this breath-taking, record-breaking, epoch-making event.Translation exercisesI. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. 1. 这些都不能用来界定我，也不能描述我 40 年生命中认识、共事、热爱、交往的任何其他黑人。2. 日复一日，周复一周，这样的信息，即美国黑人行为不端、道德败坏，传遍美国各地。3. 在这个场景中，数百万黑
30、人被边缘化了，我们的身份和社会地位不是以事实为依据、而是以虚幻的形象和直觉为依据。4. 我们是身体强健的人，为生存打拼的人，能胜任工作的人 这才是美国黑人的真实形象。II. Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and phrases given in brackets.1. The film is about an elderly lady and a young nurse who befriended her.2. In a family, a cell of society, women as m
31、other and wife play an unregarded but important role.3. Having experienced many changes of history, many rises and falls of fortune, it is at present a city vibrant with life and energy.4. The local club has been relegated to the second division.5. The board is investigating whether the general mana
32、ger has been guilty of serious professional misconduct. 6. We cannot interpret his words in a modern light, but must understand the limitations imposed on him by the time in which he wrote. 7. The jury pronounced him innocent of fraud, though the evidence against him is a fact to which we cannot clo
33、se our eyes. 8. The tragedy of the Titanic can never occur in modern society. The shipboard computer can automatically alter the course, let alone discover an iceberg in advance.III. Translate the following passage into Chinese.我是一个肯尼亚黑人和堪萨斯白种女人的儿子，在我的白人祖父母的照料下长大成人。祖父历经大萧条，二战期间服役于巴顿的部队；当祖父开赴海外战场时，祖母
34、在莱文沃斯堡的轰炸机流水线上作业。我在美国那些最好的学校里读过书，也在世界上最贫穷的国家里生活过。我娶的是一位黑人妇女，她的血管里流淌着奴隶和奴隶主的血液 而这一血统又遗传给了我们的两个宝贝女儿。我的不同种族和肤色的兄弟姐妹、叔伯侄甥们生活在世界的三大洲，而只要我还活着，便永远不会忘记在这世界上的任何其他国家里我这样的经历都不会发生。这样的经历没有将我塑造成最保守的候选人，但它在我的骨子里深深地烙上这样一个信念：这个国家高于它的各部分的总和，这众多部分的组合使我们成为真正的一体。Exercises for integrated skillsI. Dictation.Race is a conc
35、ept that is completely societal. / In America, race helped Americans to explain / why some Americans could be denied certain rights and freedoms / that others never even had to fight for. / Since our economy was largely based on slavery, / it seemed easy to qualify people as black or white, / depend
36、ing on arbitrary criteria in order to deny blacks rights. / That denial of rights became institutionalized / in government policy as well as everyday living / and became “natural“ to the lives of many.Even though race is only a social construct, / racism and discrimination are very real / and have e
37、xisted throughout history. / For blacks in this country, / they began as slaves. / Even after the slaves were freed and slavery ended, / policies directed against blacks did not end. /II. Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think appropriate.(1) where (2) with(3) foundations (4) off(5) minds (6) of(7) on (8) into(9) of (10) options
