Unit 1 Section A Love without Limitations
Part One: Objectives
1. To understand the true meaning of ‘love’ and talk about it. 2. To read with the skill ‘problem + response + evaluation’.
3. To write a composition with the structure ‘problem + response + evaluation’. 4. To learn how to scan a passage.
Part Two: Warming up
1. What’s your definition of love without limitations? 1) It is a dynamic and powerful energy that …;
2) It is based on an attitude of complete acceptance, which means …; 3) It is usually available in times of ….
In the aftermath of the WenChuan earthquake, for example, there was a swell of unlimited love within the Chinese people for the victims. In no time, such love streamed with ever-greater energy into every corner of China, thus leaving the victims with more courage in the combat against the catastrophe. Such love was, if anything, an endless flow of warmth that not only excited every Chinese but shook the world as well.
1) It is a dynamic and powerful energy that can spring from the bottom of every human heart and get the world through any of unusual misfortunes.
2) It is based on an attitude of complete acceptance, which means you feel as happy and concerned with others as with yourself.
3) It is usually available in times of adversity and typical of steep gain in potential energy. 2. What kind of person is apt to cherish such love?
It is often remarked that love is born in times of suffering and misery but dead in periods of ease and comfort. So for those who have a great start in life or enjoy a wealth of love and care from their family, life always goes right along, leaving them with nothing to attend to with heart and soul.
But for those who suffer one misfortune after another from childhood, life does not stand any chance to blossom without care and love from others, leaving them with much to feel indebted to. Clearly, it is natural for the second kind of person to cherish unlimited love and know what it matters to those in need because that is the case with their life.
1) Those who are born with a wealth of love and care from their families, …? 2) Those who suffer a lot of misfortune from childhood, …? 3. What did the speaker’s brother give first priority to?
My brother does not sweat the life he could never have. Instead he focuses on what he can do—to love.
For many, if not all of us these days, it is a constant struggle to get somewhere in life. There is just so much to learn, so much is changing every day, that I hardly have time to breathe, let alone love and care about the people around me.
My brother though, always makes it his first priority.
He never got the chance to go to a regular school or compete for a decent job; unfortunately, he was born with some brain damage making learning a challenge. He never had trouble learning how to love, though. And he knows how to teach others to love as well.
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It is because he often suffered blows from life that he cherished the true love from society and then knew what it meant to love and commit to the well-being of those in trouble. For people like him, therefore, there’s every reason to make love their first priority in life, especially when others are wanting in comfort.
As far as we learn from the short passage, lack of oxygen during birth left the speaker’s brother with some brain damage. That permanent disability deprived him of the chance to go to a regular school. His life must have been a mixture of misfortune from life and practical love from people around. My next question is as follows: 1) His misfortune caused by his brain damage?
2) His desire for care from his family members and society around?
3) His love for those who have given him timely help as well as for people in need? 4. What would her brother do in face of great tragedies?
The September 11th terrorist attacks are normally ranked as a national tragedy to the United States. In the wake of the attacks, so great was their impact on Americans that the whole nation, for a long time, was too emotionally exhausted to reckon with the sheer terror as well as with the loss of so many beloved lives.
In times of such widespread grief, however, her brother would 1) know well that others were in great need of timely comfort and care, because his life had been blessed with love and care from society; 2) make it his first priority to devote his unconditional love to those in need; and 3) believe that boundless love would make a great difference to the way the victims of the disaster felt about their grief.
As can be seen from the foregoing, those living in adversity know better the worth of love from others, and in return, they also have a clear idea about what to do when people around are in trouble. My next question is as follows: In the wake of 911, her brother would:
1) Know well from his own experience what others were in great need of, because …? 2) Make it his first priority to …?
3) Believe that boundless love would … ?
5. Look at the following pictures which share the same theme. What is it? Rose; chocolate; lovers; families 6. Famous Sayings about Love
1) He that has no children knows not what love is.
2) We never know the love of the parents until we become parents ourselves. 3) Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.
4) From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other.
Part Three: Related Information
1. September 11th disaster:
It is the result of a series of coordinated suicide attacks by terrorists upon the United States. On the morning of September 11th, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward and extensive damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania after passengers and
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members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane. Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died as an immediate result of the attacks with another 24 missing and presumed dead. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including citizens from over 90 different countries.
2. Why is calamity liable to give birth to love without limitations?
Beilby Porteus, Bishop of London, once remarked, ‘Calamity is the perfect glass wherein we truly see and know ourselves.’ So it is, because, in time of peace, most of us are too preoccupied with aspirations for fame and wealth to examine ourselves. As a gradual result, Americans born in the 1970s are often referred to as megeneration, or soulless slaves to consumerism who care little about bigger issues of politics, social justice or poverty.
Bertran Rusell, a famous British philosopher, once concluded from his many years of observation in China that the Chinese nation was wanting in passion for humanity. For the sense of gratitude to come back into us, therefore, there must come a time when we have to reflect on what has made all of our well-being possible. So the best point of time is bound up with the outbreak of a calamity, which can serve as a mirror for us to realize that what we are often concerned with means nothing without the existence of the nation as a whole. That is why there was an outpouring of patriotism among Americans in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, whereas there was an explosion of boundless love within the Chinese people in response to the rare earthquake in WenChuan.
3. How to integrate such unlimited love into our daily life?
It is no easy job to work such love well into our daily routine for good, since, as is taken for granted, where there is love there is always expectation. But for the very virtue to last in our life, the first and foremost thing to do is never fail to set aside the time to introspect what social factors contribute to our well-being and comfort, thus building up our awareness of gratitude to our society.
Just as Cicero once put it, a thankful heart is not only the great virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues as well. Also important is our clear identification of what we can do to add to our social unity, harmony and better-being, especially if we are in better positions to do so. Once the foregoing is achieved, what matters most to us next is how to put our duties into effect.
If we can reconcile our action with our gratitude, the returns from that will be in greater measure. If we exercise kindness in our social contact, for example, we will reap more of smile from society. If we exert true concern for those around, we are sure to harvest more help from them. And if we render unlimited love to the world, we are more than likely to find such love knows no bounds.
Part Four: Text Understanding
I. Idea Catching
The Birth of the Text
Factor I: Brain damage during birth deprived Jimmy of the ability to live like others. Factor II: True love from people around kept his life rich with warmth.
Factor III: In the wake of Sept. 11th disaster, he gave boundless love to those in need. Author: Impressed with her brother’s love, she had an urge to write it out.
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II. Structure Analysis
1. What is the text mainly about?
With her lifetime experience, the author tells us there have never been any limitations to love whatever life may present. 2. How is the text organized?
The author tackled the topic by organizing it into three patterns of ‘problem-response-evaluation’，i.e. the text begins with the problem concerned; then people involved respond to it with diverse actions; and the text ends up with evaluations of people’s responses.
Pattern I Main idea: Problem: Lack of oxygen at birth left my brother with brain damage.
Response: My family offered help and care to him in diverse ways. Evaluation: My father and Jimmy enjoyed each other’s company.
W. T.: Deduction: (Refer to Para. 3)
General Statement: My father and Jimmy were inseparable.
Specific Details: They ate and worked together …, At night they played games …whistled
the same tune.
Pattern II Main idea: Problem: The death of my parents turned Jimmy into a wreck. Response: I helped Jimmy adjust to a life without parents.
Evaluation: My care for him enabled his life to thrive and enriched my life
as well.
W. T.: Deduction: (Refer to Para. 4)
General Statement: After my father’s death, Jimmy was a wreck.
Specific Details: Jimmy was in disbelief… he grasped that the world he’d known was gone. Pattern III Main idea: Problem: The Sept. 11th disaster drained Americans of every emotion. Response: I tried to make Jimmy happy at his birth- day party but he
reacted to my effort actively.
Evaluation: Instead of cheering him, we were encouraged by his love. W. T.: Deduction: (Refer to Paras. 8, 9, 10, 11)
General Statement: Jimmy’s love hit home after the Sept. 11th disaster. Specific Details: Detailed narrative of holding a birthday party for Jimmy.
Conclusion Main idea: The constant love and support from our friends and family could get us
through whatever life might present. There had never been any limitations to what Jimmy’s love could accomplish.
W. T.: Induction: (Para. 12)
Known facts: 1) My father’s death changed Jimmy’s world; 2) Sept. 11th changed ours; 3)
We sang for Jimmy and prayed for peace; 4) We were reminded of constant love.
Conclusion: There had been no limitations to what Jimmy’s love could accomplish.
Part Five: Notes To The Text
☆ New words and expressions
1. justice n. the quality of being just; fairness 正义；合理
这个罪犯终于要依法惩处了。 At last the criminals are being brought to justice. 2. wreck n. ① a badly damaged ship, car or plane; 残骸
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他们潜入水下寻找一艘西班牙沉船中的黄金。
If these anxieties continue, she will become a nervous wreck.
② sb. who is tired or unhealthy 疲惫的人；健康状况差的人
如果她继续焦虑下去，她会得精神病。 They are diving for gold from the Spanish wreck. 3. beneath prep. in or to a lower position than sth. 在低于...的位置；在...之下
我们在树下荫凉处休息一下好吗？ Shall we rest in the shade beneath these trees? 4. disguise n.＆ v. 伪装；假扮
那贼乔装打扮带上了假胡须和眼镜。 The thief wore a false beard and glasses as a disguise. 这位妇女强作欢笑以掩饰内心的悲伤。
The woman tried to disguise her sadness in cheerfulness. 5. penetrate v. ① enter sth. or pass through it 穿透；渗入
爆炸声穿透了最厚的墙壁。 The noise of the explosion penetrated the thickest walls. ② see into or through sth. 看穿
她戴了一顶假发，但是我们很快就识穿了她的伪装。 She has a wig on, but we soon penetrate her disguise. 6. grasp v. ① understand 明白
简短的开头能使读者很快明白文章的内容。
A short opening paragraph enables the readers to quickly grasp what the article is about. ② take hold of sb. or sth.
舍本逐末。 Grasp the shadow and let go the substance. 7. reckon with to take account of in one’s plan
我没料到要等这么长时间。 I didn’t reckon with having to wait so long. 8. drain v. to cause to flow off gradually or completely
这些孩子让我筋疲力尽。 These children drain my energy. 人才流失 brain drain
9. restrain v. prevent sb. from doing sth. 听到这消息我无法控制我的兴奋之情。
I can not restrain my excitement about the news.
形近词：drain 流干，流走 constrain 强迫，迫使
10. end up (doing) sth. to be in the end ( in a stated place or condition)
如果你不努力的话，你将一事无成。 If you don’t work hard, you’ll end up nowhere. 11. get (sb.) through help sb. deal with a difficult situation
妈妈的支持让她走出了忧郁。 Her mother’s support got her through her depression. Any more phrases with ‘get’
get across get along get over get on get off get up … 12. delivery n. ① [C] the process of giving birth to a baby 分娩 在护士的帮助下，分娩意想不到地顺利。
With the help of the nurses, the delivery of the baby was unexpectedly easy. ② [C, U] the act of bringing sth. to a particular place 递交；送货 要记住，下一次邮递时间是两点钟。
Try to remember: the next postal delivery is at 2 o'clock. 13. code vt. mark sth. with a code 把...编码 我需要有个专家帮我破译这些密码电报。
I need an expert to help me understand the coded messages.
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n. ① [C] a set of numbers, letters, etc. that is used for identifying sth. 代码；代号 号码簿 a code book （电话）区号 an area code ② [C, U] 密码
战争期间，英国人成功地破译了纳粹的密码。
The British managed to break the Nazi codes during the war.
14. agreeable a. ① pleasant, nice or satisfactory 令人愉快的；令人满意的 他待人随和，谈话的风格令人非常愉快。
He is easy-going among his acquaintances, and has a most agreeable style of conversation. ② acceptable or able to be agreed on 可接受的 你同意我星期天去野餐的计划吗？
Are you agreeable to my plan for a picnic on Sunday? 15. vacant a. ① 茫然的；失神的 他四处张望，脸上露出茫然之色。
He was looking around with a vacant look on his face.
② empty; not filled with anything 空的；未被占用的 在每个大城市里，空闲的房子比无家可归的人多。
In every major city there are more vacant buildings than homeless people. 16. pledge v. promise to do sth. 保证，承诺
该政府承诺拿出25万美元来救助飞机失事的受害者。
The government has pledged $250,000 to help the victims of the crash. n. [C] a promise or agreement 承诺；协定 我们得到了各种组织给予帮助的承诺。
We have received pledges of help from various organizations.
17. blossom v. ① develop and become more successful 发展；成长；繁盛 当初这只是一个地方性的节日，如今已经发展成了一项国际活动。 What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event. ② produce flowers 开花
他像朵花似的盛开而后枯萎，像影子似的飘浮不定。
Like a flower he blossoms and then withers; like a shadow he flees and never stays. 18. sheer a. used for emphasizing the amount or degree of sth. 完全的；十足的 我在适当的时间出现在适当的地方全凭运气。
It was sheer luck that I happened to be in the right place at the right time. 19. merry a. happy and cheerful 愉快的，高兴的 祝我们的读者圣诞快乐。
Merry Christmas to all our readers.
20. exhaust v. make sb. extremely tired 使精疲力竭 照看小孩子会使人身心疲惫。
Caring for young children can exhaust you physically and mentally. 21. costume n. [C, U] 服装；戏装 a costume drama 古装戏
22. erect a. standing straight up; upright 直立的，竖直的
她仰着头，挺着腰。 Her head was erect and her back was straight. v. build sth. such as a building or bridge 建造；架设 官方计划建座纪念碑来纪念已故的将军。
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New Horizon College English Book Ⅲ 陈超
Officials plan to erect a monument in the late general’s honor.
23. bonus n. ① [C] sth. good that one does not expect 额外得到的东西；意外的好处 顾客购买50美元以上的物品将额外免费获得一张卡片。
Customers will receive a free card as a bonus with any order over $50.
② [C] extra money that one gets in addition to one’s usual salary 奖金；红利 大公司的员工以奖金的形式获得大额报酬。
Workers in big firms receive a substantial part of their pay in the form of bonuses. 24. pray v. speak to God in order to give thanks or ask for help 祈祷 他祈祷他的视力能恢复。 He prayed that his sight might be restored. 25. simplicity n. [U] the quality of being simple 简洁；朴素；单纯 这设计简洁而美观。 The design was beautiful in its simplicity. 26. track down find sb. or sth. after a long search 追踪到，追查到 All citizens should help the police in tracking down criminals. 所有市民都应该帮助警察追查罪犯。
27. pick on treat sb. badly or unfairly 找茬；欺负
你为什么老是和我过不去？ Why are you always picking on me? 28. tell on inform against sb. 告发
我不喜欢出于个人目的而告他人状的人。
I don’t like those people who tell on others for personal ends. 29. hit/strike home be understood and accepted 被领会 他能够意识到他的每一个推断都是对的。
He could see that each of his inferences hit home.
1. 难产 a difficult delivery
2. 负责外面的事 to be in charge outside 3. 讨回公道 to administer justice 4. 告发 to tell on
5. 在精心伪装下 under one’s careful disguise 6. 一脸的木然 vacant expression on one’s face 7. 过得有声有色 to blossom on one’s own
8. 能容苦和乐的家 a home with room for pain and joy 9. 热闹欢快的氛围 a merry and festive occasion 10. 相拥 to hold each other tight 11. 使团结在一起 to hold together 12. 被领会 to hit / strike home 13. 考虑/面对/对付 to reckon with 14. (帮某人)度过 to get (sb.) through
15. 使…和…一致 to reconcile … with … 16. 形影不离 inseparable 17. 伪装 disguise
18. 依靠自己活得有声有色 blossom on one’s own 19. 维持原状 stay the same
20. 眼泪开始流 tears begin to flow 21. 把某事做成 work sth. out
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22. 好极了 super
23. 额外的礼物 a welcome bonus 24. 度过难关 get through
☆ Paraphrase
1. My brother, Jimmy, did not get enough oxygen during a difficult delivery, leaving him with brain damage... (Para. 1)
Meaning: When my brother Jimmy was born, he didn’t get enough oxygen, which caused some damage to his brain...
2. My father, a saint, simply held the house together with his patience and understanding. (Para. 2) Meaning: My father, who was very good and kind, kept the family together with his patience and understanding.
Cultural tip: In Christianity, ‘saint’ is the title given to someone after they have died, because they have been very good and holy. The word is used here to emphasize the father’s patience.
3. I was in charge outside where I administered justice by tracking down the parents of the kids who picked on my brother, and telling on them. (Para. 2)
Meaning: I was responsible for protecting my brother in the neighborhood, where I would find the parents of the kids who treated my brother unkindly and tell them what their children had been doing.
4. He didn’t adjust to going to work without my father right away... (Para. 6) Meaning: At first, he didn’t get used to going to work without my father...
5. This hit home a few days after the September 11th disaster on Jimmy’s 57th birthday. (Para. 8) Meaning: I understood this to be true a few days after the disaster on September 11th, the day of Jimmy’s 57th birthday.
6. ... and they were still reckoning with the sheer terror the disaster had brought. (Para. 8)
Meaning: ... and they still had to deal with the absolute terror that the September 11th disaster had brought.
7. I called on my faithful friends to help make it a merry and festive occasion, ignoring the fact that most of them were emotionally drained and exhausted. (Para. 8)
Meaning: I asked my close friends to help make Jimmy’s party a happy and joyful occasion, ignoring the fact that most of them were emotionally tired. 8. We ended up reminding ourselves instead. (Para. 11)
Meaning: In place of reminding Jimmy, we finished up reminding ourselves (that there would always be people who cared about us).
9. ... we were reminded that the constant love and support of our friends and family would get us through whatever life might present. (Para. 12)
Meaning: ... we were reminded that continual love and support of our friends and family would help us overcome all the hardships in life.
10. The simplicity with which Jimmy had reconciled everything for us should not have been surprising. (Para. 12)
Meaning: The simple way with which Jimmy had helped us to accept reality should not have been surprising.
Part Six: Writing
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New Horizon College English Book Ⅲ 陈超
Problem -- Response -- Evaluation
Example 1 from the Text
Problem: (Paras. 4 and 5)
Jimmy was a wreck when my father died of a heart attack in 1991. He was simply in disbelief. He now quit speaking all together. No matter how hard I tried, Jimmy could not accept the hard fact. And my mother died of lung cancer six months later and I alone was left to look after Jimmy. Response: (Para. 6)
I had my brother, Jimmy, come and live with me in New York City for a while. He went wherever I went and seemed to adjust pretty well. I helped him return to our parents’ house and his old job as he wished. He has lived there for 11 years now with many different caretakers and blossomed on his own. He has become essential to the neighbor-hood. When you have any mail to be picked up or your dog needs walking, he is your man. Evaluation: (Para. 7)
It was possible to have a home with room for both his limitations and my ambitions. In fact, caring for Jimmy has enriched my life more than anything else ever could have.
Example 2 The population explosion of urban areas
Problem: slums
regular failures of electric and water services extensive unemployment, etc.
Response: improving the facilities in rural areas
attracting more people to live in rural areas
Evaluation: The problem might be solved if rural areas were to have all the facilities of urban
areas.
Sample Composition The population explosion of urban areas
(Problem)The population explosion of urban areas has given rise to a lot of problems such as sprawling slums and regular failures of electric and water services because of the excessive demands. In addition, the urban areas suffer extensive unemployment and strained educational and recreational facilities. The population explosion of urban areas must be corrected. (Response) One of the ways to correct the population explosion of urban areas is to improve the facilities in rural areas. Adequate parking facilities, attractive and well-stocked department and food stores, drug stores, gift shops and bakeries should be built in rural areas to convince more people living there to stay where they are. The government should offer lower tax rates and modest homes on convenient terms to those who choose to live in the rural areas. (Evaluation) If rural areas were built to have all the facilities that urban areas do, the population explosion in urban areas can be corrected.
Writing Practice
Directions: Write a composition of no less than 120 words with a problem-response-evaluation structure on the following topic. You can follow the detailed outline given as follows. Topic: The fight against air pollution
Problem: The region has been seriously polluted by harmful smog. Response: close down/modernize some factories move some factories out of the region plant trees
Evaluation: People are happy with the measures taken by the government.
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New Horizon College English Book Ⅲ 陈超 Sample Composition The fight against air pollution
(Problem) The region has been seriously polluted by harmful smog, which proves to be the cause of many illnesses and for the climbing death rate. As a result, people have started to move out of the area. (Response) In response to the problem, the local government has decided to fight against air pollution. It has closed down several factories, which were considered to be the major cause of the pollution. Many power plants have been modernized to give off less pollution and also moved further away from people’s homes so as to decrease the damage. At the same time, the local government has decided to plant trees in and around the region because trees can absorb some of the pollution. (Evaluation) People welcome all the measures taken by the government. Consequently, more and more people have begun to move back to the region to take part in this battle for a clean environment. Writing Assignment
Directions: Write a composition of no less than 120 words with a problem-response-evaluation structure on the following topic.
Topic: Love Without Bounds
Problem: The outbreak of a devastating earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Response: the timely response of the Chinese Communists to it the dash of PLA men to the rescue of the victims there the reactions of every Chinese citizen to the disaster
Evaluation: There are no bounds to what the love of the Chinese nation could accomplish. Sample Composition Love Without Bounds
At 2:28 p.m., May 12th, 2008, a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Wenchuan, an area of Sichuan, leaving the place with ruins everywhere. As an immediate result of that, around 69,000 people died, with another 18,000 missing, over 370,000 injured, and 5,000,000 survivors homeless. Accompanying the arrival of disaster was a sheer paralysis of electricity, water works, telecommunications and transportation. Usually accessible to tourism for its scenic beauty, the area was now completely secluded from the outside world. (Problem)
Faced with such a devastating disaster, the Chinese Communists held China together with their role models, and called upon the whole dropped relief supplies for the victims. Besides, medical workers from different parts of the country and the world flocked to the epicenter in good time to offer first aid to the injured and the sick. Unable to go there in person, most of us were in charge of rear services, for which some made tents, medicine, food, etc. day and night, and every one of us vied with one another to donate money and blood. In fact, effecting the rescue of the victims who remain as firm and appreciate our efforts as much as those in Sichuan do has refined our love more than anything else ever could have. (Response)
With the disaster relief drive being in full swing and with the live reports on it dominating the headlines of all mass media, we were reminded that sweeping across the entire China was an ever-greater flow of love that could get our nation through whatever life could present. There would be no bounds to what such love could accomplish. (Evaluation)
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