1、Unit 5 Myths And LegendsPassage A Pandoras BoxTeaching Design1. The Structure of the TextPassage A is a story of ancient Greece. It is a narrative. The story is told in time sequence. Part One (Para. 1- Para. 2): Zeus decided to punish human beings for their lack of respect for gods. Part Two (Para.
2、 3- Para. 5): The gods made a beautiful woman named Pandora and sent her as a gift to Epimetheus with a box.Part Three (Para. 6- Para.11): Pandora was curious about the contents of the box and opened it, releasing all kinds of evils and hope as well.2. The writing style of the passage: narrative wri
3、tingA narrative is the spoken or written account of events. It is a piece of writing that recreates an experience through time. Stories add the element of time to description. Often stories start at the beginning and then follow the sequence of events chronologically. However, an effective variation
4、 on this pattern is to start in the middle of things and then use flashbacks to fill in the background information. This method is especailly effective in holding the readers attention.3. Suggestions to Teaching Activities1) BrainstormingThe teacher may ask the students what famous characters in the
5、 Greek or Roman mythology they can think of, and what phrases are originated from it.2) Oral PracticeThe teacher can have the students retell the story in the first person. For example:Suppose you are Pandora, please tell the story of “Pandoras Box”;Suppose you are Zeus, please tell the story of “Pa
6、ndoras Box”;Suppose yor are Epimetheus, please tell the story of “Pandoras Box”; orSuppose you are Prometheus, please tell the story of “Pandoras Box”.3) Role PlayThe teacher may ask the students to put on a performance of the story. Detailed Discussion of the Text1. In ancient Greece there were two
7、 brothers named Epimetheus and Prometheus who upset the gods and annoyed Zues, the most powerful of them all, in particular. (Para. 1)1) upset vt. to distress the mind or feelings of (sb.) 使苦恼或心烦e.g.What she saw at the poor village always upset her. 在那个贫穷的村庄的所见所闻令她感到难过。He was upset at not being invi
8、ted. 人家没邀请他，他很不痛快。Dont upset yourself. He will be fine soon. 不要难过，他很快就会好的。2) annoy vt. to cause slight anger to (sb.); irritate 使不悦；惹恼e.g.His constant complaints really annoyed me. 他总是抱怨，令我心烦。He was annoyed by his sons repeated requests for money. 他儿子总是跟他要钱，他很心烦。3) in particular: especially or speci
9、fically 尤其；特别e.g.The whole composition is well organized, but the introduction is excellent in particular. 整篇文章构思很好，引言部分特别精彩。Is there anything in particular you would like to take with you? 你是否有特别想带走的东西？2. This was not the first time humans had upset Zeus, and once before, as punishment, he had take
10、n from humans the ability to make fire. (Para. 1)humans had upset Zeus 是省略了关系代词 that 的定语从句，修饰 time。主句是is the first （( second / third / last）) time 时，定语从句一般用现在完成时；主句是was the first （ (second / third / last）) time 时，定语从句一般用过去完成时。e.g.He told me that was the third time he had seen the movie. 他告诉我那是他第三次看那
11、部电影。Is this the first time youve been here? 这是你第一次来这里吗？3. This rendered humans unable to cook their meat or keep themselves warm. (Para. 1)Paraphrase: This makes humans not able to cook their meat or keep themselves warm.render vt. to cause to become; make 使得，使变为to give sth. in return or exchange, o
12、r as sth. which is due 给予，报答e.g. Taking drugs has rendered him rather weak. 吸毒使他变得相当虚弱。The participants were grateful to the services the volunteers rendered to them. 与会者非常感激志愿者为他们提供的服务。We render full support to their just cause. 我们完全支持他们的正义事业。4. However, Prometheus was clever and he knew that, on t
13、he Isle of Lemnos, lived Hephaestos, the blacksmith of the gods, who had an eternal fire burning to keep his forge hot. (Para. 2)1) “on the Isle of Lemnos, lived Hephaestos” 是倒装句。表示方向或方位的介词短语放在句首时，句子要部分倒装。如：In front of the classroom building stands a pole with a red flag flying on the top.当副词 out, i
14、n, up, down, off, away, here, there 放在句首，主语是名词时，句子要倒装。如：Out rushed the students when they heard the exciting news. 学生们听到那激动人心的消息时，全部冲了出去。2) forge n. (workshop, factory, etc. with a) furnace for melting or refining metals 锻铁炉v. 1) to shape (sth.) by heating it in a fire and hammering 铸造2) to create (
15、usu. a lasting relationship) by means of much hard work 达成，使形成3) to make an imitation or copy of (sth.) in order to deceive people 伪造e.g.forge a sword, a chain, an anchor etc. 锻造剑、铁链、锚等forge a bond, a link, an alliance, etc. 建立同盟、联系、联盟等forge a banknote, will, signture, etc. 伪造钞票、遗嘱、签字等5. After Prome
16、theus travelled to Lemnos and stole fire from Hephaestos, Zeus was furious and decided that humans had to be punished once and for all for their lack of respect. (Para. 2)1) furious a. full of violent anger 狂怒的，狂暴的e.g.She must be very furious by at your behavior. 她肯定对你的行为极为震怒。His father was furious
17、with him because he stayed in the netbar all night long playing computer gamesWhen Obama found out about the incident, he was furious. 他父亲大发雷霆，因为他整晚呆在网吧里玩电脑游戏。当奥巴马发现此事实情时，非常生气。2) once and for all: now and for the last (and only time)e.g.He has travelled a lot but hes now come back to his hometown on
18、ce and for all. 他游历了许多地方，现在落叶归根回到家乡。6. Zeus came up with a very clever plan to punish the two brothers, and as a result, the rest of humanity. (Para. 3)come up with: to find or produce (an answer, a solution, etc.) 提出，拿出e.g.What new idea have you come up with? 你有什么新想法？The clever girl came up with a
19、solution to the dispute. 那个聪明的女孩想到了解决争议的办法。7. but Epimetheus was completely charmed by the woman. (Para. 4)charm vt. to please, fascinate or attract (sb.); delight 迷人；使欣喜n. power of pleasing, fascinating or attracting people; attractiveness 吸引力, ，魅力e.g.The young man was charmed by her beauty. 那位年轻人被
20、她的美貌迷住了。She is a woman of great charm. 她很迷人。8. There was one tempting yet important conditiontempt vt. 1) to persuade or try to persuade sb. to do sth. 引诱，诱惑2) to arouse a desire in sb.; attract sb. 吸引e.g.He tried to tempt her into running away with him. 他企图引诱她和他私奔。The warm weather tempted us into g
21、oing for a walk in the park. 暖和的天气诱使吸引我们到公园散步。Word Formation: temptation n. 引诱，诱惑resist the temptation 抵制诱惑yield to the temptation 受向诱惑屈服9. Pandora was naturally very curious about the contents of her mysterious gift but she swore that she would never attempt to discover the secrets inside. (Para. 5
22、)1) curious a. eager to know or learn 好奇的e.g.Children are always curious about everything around them. 小孩对周围的事情总是充满好奇。Im curious to know what excuse hell make this time. 我很好奇他这次会找什么借口。2) attempt v. to make an effort to accomplish (sth.); to try (to do sth.) 努力；尝试；企图n. an act of attempting sth. 努力；尝试
23、；企图e.g.The prisoner attempted to escape from the jail, but failed. 那个囚犯企图越狱，但是没有成功。Dont attempt the impossible. 不要试图做不可能的事。10. Pandora soon became obsessed with her wedding gift from the gods. (Para. 6)obsess vt. usu. passive fill the mind of (sb.) continually 迷住，使困扰e.g.She was obsessed with/by the
24、fear of unemployment. 她老是害怕失业。The fear of death obsessed him all through his old age. 他晚年一直受到死亡恐惧的困扰。11. It seemed to make no sense at all, which caused her to reach a point where she could think of nothing else but of opening the box and revealing what she assumed would be the beauty and wonder wit
25、hin. (Para. 6)Paraphrase: It seemed to be an unreasonable request, and it made her only think of opening and finding out the beauty and wonder which she thought to be within the box.“which caused her to reach a point where she could think of nothing else but of opening the box and revealing what she
26、 assumed would be the beauty and wonder within” 是非限制性定语从句，在这个非限制性定语从句中，又嵌入由 where 引导的定语从句，修饰point，what 引导宾语从句，revealing 是宾语。1) make sense: to have an understandable meaning; be sensible 有道理；讲得通；有意义e.g.What you say said makes no sense. 你说的话没有道理。It doesnt make any sense to go to see a net friend alone
27、. 独自一人去见网友并不明智。2) reveal vt. to make (facts, etc.) known 揭示；暴露e.g.Secrets will be revealed some day. 秘密总会被泄露揭穿的。The police refused to reveal the details of the crime. 警察拒绝透露犯罪的细节。3) assume vt. 1) to accept (sth.) as true before there is proof 假定；设想2) to begin to act in or exercise (sth.); to underta
28、ke 承担e.g.We cant assume anything in this case. 在这种情况下我们无法作任何揣测不能做任何臆断。Lets assume that the two lines are parallel. 我们假定这两条线平行。He assumed the new post after his father fell ill. 他父亲病倒后，他担任了这个新职位。12. When Pandora could stand it no longer, and knew Epimetheus was out of sight, she crept up to her magni
29、ficent wedding present, took the key off the high shelf, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. (Para. 7)out of sight: out of the range of being seen; invisible 看不见in sight: in view; visible 看见e.g.The woman stood still, staring at the ship until it was out of sight. 那个女士女人静立在那里，凝望着轮船，直到看不见
30、。You must keep out of sight. 你要呆在别人看不见的地方。13. After some debate between the young married couple, Epimetheus fortunately agreed that nothing left inside could be worse than what had already been released, so they opened the lid once more. (Para. 10)release vt. to allow (a person or an animal) to go;
31、 to set free or liberate sb./sth. 释放e.g.The man was released after ten years imprisonment. 监禁十年后，那个人终于出狱了。She gently released herself from his embrace. 她轻轻地挣脱了他的怀抱。14. It flew out quietly like a beautiful dragonfly, touching the wounds created by the evil creatures, and healing them. (Para. 11)touch
32、ing和 healing是现在分词短语做状语。heal v. to (cause to) become healthy again 治愈；医治e.g.The wound soon healed up / over. 伤口很快愈合了。The doctor healed a lot of patients of their diseases. 医生治好了许多病人的疾病。Passage B The Legend of Abraham Lincolns BeardBackground Knowledge1. Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1
33、809 April 15, 1865) served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Before his election in 1860 as the first
34、 Republican president, Lincoln had been a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and twice an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. As an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery in the United States, Lincoln won
35、the Republican Party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year. His tenure in office was occupied primarily with the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Em
36、ancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Six days after the large-scale surrender of Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee, Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated.2. Grace Greenwood Bedell Billings Gra
37、ce Greenwood Bedell Billings (November 4, 1848 November 2, 1936) was an American woman, notable as the person who, as an eleven-year-old, influenced Abraham Lincoln to grow his famous beard.On October 15, 1860, a few weeks before Lincoln was elected President of the United States, Grace Bedell sent
38、him a letter from Westfield, New York, urging him to grow a beard to improve his appearance. Lincoln responded in a letter on October 19, 1860, making no promises. However, within a month, he grew a full beard. He later met with her.This anecdote became a popular childrens story following Lincolns a
39、ssassination. A statue depicting a meeting between Lincoln and Bedell is located in the center of the village of Westfield, at the intersection of US 20 and NY 394. 23Seen here on Google Street ViewBedell later married a Union veteran and moved to Delphos, Kansas, where she died in 1936. 3. The Phil
40、adelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily n
41、ewspaper in the United States.2. Owned by the local group Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC, The Inquirer has the nineteenth largest average weekday U.S. newspaper circulation and has won eighteen Pulitzer Prizes. Detailed Discussion of the Text1. His fully whiskered profile is featured on the US penn
42、y and five dollar bill, the official White House portrait, and many paintings and photographs. (Para. 1)feature v. to give a prominent part to (sb./sth.) 由主演n. 1) distinctive characteristic; aspect 特色；特征2) (in newspapers, television, etc.) special or prominent article or programme (about sb./sth.) 特
43、写；正片e.g. Yesterday we went to see a film that features the famous film star Arnold Schwarzenegger. 昨天我们去看著名影星阿诺得斯瓦辛格主演的电影。The store features round-the-clock service. 二十四小时服务是这家商店的特色。Curiosity is one a feature of children. 好奇是孩子们的一个特点。These days the TV station is broadcasting a feature on migrant wor
44、kers. 近来电视台正在播放一部农民工的专题片。2. In fact, it wasnt until shortly before he arrived in Washington D.C. to become the 16th US President that he began to grow his beard. (Para. 1)“It wasnt until that ” is an emphatic sentence, emphasizing the clause “until”.e.g.It wasnt until she went home that she found he
45、r cell phone was lost. 她回到家后才发现手机不见了。It was not until he graduated from university that he regretted how much time he had wasted. 大学毕业后他才后悔浪费了多少时间。3. As she put it, “your face is so thin.” (Para. 3)“as sb. puts it” means “just as sb. says”. e.g.As my teacher often puts it, “Experience is wealth.” 正如
46、我的老师经常说的， “经验是财富。”4. This was an important point for her grassroots campaign effort on Lincolns behalf. (Para. 5)on sbs behalf/in sbs behalf: as the representative of or spokesman for sb.; in the interest of sb. 代表某人e.g.I would like to extend our warm welcome to all the guests on behalf of our compa
47、ny. 我谨代表本公司向各位嘉宾表示热烈的欢迎。The legal guardian must act on behalf of the child. 法定监护人应该维护这个孩子的利益。5. Not all of her brothers planned to vote for Lincoln, but she informed him (Para. 5)inform vt. to give sb. knowledge (of sth.); to tell sb. ( of/about) 通知, ，告诉, 获悉, 告知 e.g.Please inform me of what has happ
48、ened. 请告诉我发生了什么事情。The villager informed the police that the suspect had run into the woods. 那位村民告诉警察嫌疑犯跑到树林里去了。6. We can only imagine the smile that must have appeared on Lincolns face upon reading this bit of campaign advice from a concerned young supporter. (Para. 7) “upon reading” means “when he
49、read”. Here “upon” can be replaced by “on”. e.g. On his arrival, the president called in all the members of the board to discuss the problems the company faced. 总裁一到，就召集董事会所有成员讨论公司所面临的问题。The 21-year-old girl cried with joy upon hearing the news that she won the championship. 那位二十一岁的女孩听到自己赢得冠军的消息时，不禁喜极而泣。On his arrival, the president called in all the members of the board to discuss the problems the company faced. 总裁一到，就召集董事会所有成员讨论公司所面临的问题。7. As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece
