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BOOK Ⅰ
L1 P14 Why does the author tell s not to be afraid to ask stupid questions?
The author thinks that many apparently naive inquiries like why grass is green, or why the sn is round, or why we need 55,000 unclear weapons in the world --are really deep questions. He says when you try to get the answers, you will gain deep understanding of the things. Its also important to know, as well as you can, what it is that you dont know, and asking questions is the way. He also tell us to ask stupid questions requires courage on the part of the asker and knowledge and patience on the part of the answers. And dont confine your learning to schoolwork. Discuss ideas in depth with friends. Its much brave to ask questions even when theres a prospect of ridicule than to suppress your questions and become deadened to the world around you.
L2 Icons P30 What are the factors to shift the hero-worship to the celebrity-worship?
The new forms of media--photography, moving pictures, radio and television are the main factors.
The reproduction of photos in newspapers turned famous people into celebrities whose dress, appearance, and personal habits were widely commented upon. Slowly, the focus of public attention began to shift away from knowing what such people did to knowing what looked like.
The shift was accelerated by the arrival of moving pictures. Between 1901 and 1914, 74 percent of the magazine articles about famous people were about political leaders,inventors, inventors, professionals, and businessmen. After 1922, however, most articles were about movie stars.
With the arrival of television, the faces of the stars became as familiar as those we saw across the breakfast table. We came to know more about the lives of the celebrities than we did about most of the people we know personally. Less than seventy years after the appearance of the first movimg pictures, the shift from hero-worship to celebrity-worship was complete.
L2 GO-GO AMERICAN P46 What is the Americans attitude towards time?Give necessary examples.
In the United States, many people keenly feel the shortness of each lifetime. They are aware that once a day in their life is gone, it will never come back. And Americans believe no one stands still .If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. So they value time and want every minte to count.
This attitde towards time is shown in the fast pace of life in the country. Whatever they do they always seem to be in a rush. You find people hurrying to get where they are going. They hurry to eating places for a mea and finish it as quickly as possible.
Also Americans do what they can to save time. They produce a lot of labour-saving devices such as clothes-and dish-washers; they rapidly communicate through phone calls, telex and e-mail and cut down on personal contacts.
L4 Take Over,Bosn! P62 Can you imagine what did Barret think of when he heard Snyders whisper Take over,bosn?
Becase of thirst,Barret was almost out of mind. He rose several times and was a constant threat. But when he heard Snyder said“Take over, bosn, he had a strange feeling suddenly. He came to realize he would and must take over the task and be responsible for the rest. As long as he stopped others from the little water, they would always have hopes and wouldnt die soon. So he picked Snyders gun up and decided to hold off the other from the water until night when a ship saved them.
L5 Are You Giving Your Kids Too Much?
P78 Why parents overindulge their children?
There are several reasons to explain why parents overindulge their children. One fairly common reason is that parents overindulge their chidren out of a sense of guilt. Parents who both hold down full-time jops may feel guilty about the amount of time they spend away from their children and may attempt to compensate by showering them with material possessions. Other parents overindulge because they want their children to have everything they had while growing up, along with those things the parents yearned for but didnt get. Still others are afraid to say no to their childrens denless requests for toys for fear that their children will feel unloved or will be ridiculed if thy dont have the same playthings their friends have.
L6 Culture Shock P94 What are four stages that people go through when they experience situations that are very different from those to which they are accustomed?
Stage one is a honeymoon phase, during which the new experience is perceived to be interesting, picturesque, entertaining, and charming. You may notice several superficial differences such as music, food, and clothing, and the fresh apeal of the new experience keeps you feeling interested and positive. When you stay in a new envirnment for a while, you move to stage two-the crisis stage-in which the shine wears off and day-to-day realities sink in. In relationship, you notie annoying habits;in a new country, you find barriers to establishing connections or to learning the language beyond a few polite phrases. If you stick with the experience and try to deal with it realistically, you will probably move to the third phase:recovery. In recovery, you learn the systems, procedures, language or nonverbal behaviors of the new environment so that you can cope with it on the basis of some mastery, competence, and comfort. Finally,when you feel that you function well and almost automatically in the new culture, you will move to the fourth phase:adjustment.
L7 The Model Millionaire(I) P108 Suppose you are the millionaire.Explain how you get to know Hughie Erskine and what you do in return for the pound he gave you when you first met.
I am Baron Hausberg. I have enough money to buy the whole of London. One day, on a whim I asked my artist friend Alan Trevor to pain me as a beggar. Alan had almost finished the picture when a very charming young man walked into his studio.I suppose he must have been very sympathetic with me, for when Alan was away a minute, the young man quickly put a pound into my hat. I was startled for a moment, but I was pleased when I realized that he took me for a real begger.
Later I learned from Alan all about this young man:he was poor, and could not marry the girl he loved because her father wouldnt let them unless he had 10,000 pounds.Touched by the young mans spirit of kindness, I decided to help him. The next day I had a cheque for 10,000 pounds delivered to him as a wedding gift.
L8 The Model Millionaire(II) P123 Retell the story The Model Millionaire in about 150 words, concluding your retelling with a one-sentence comment.
Hughie Erskine was a charming young man who was in love with a nice girl called Laura Merton.Lauras father made it clear to Hughie that he would not marry his daughter to him until Hughie had ten thousand pounds.
One day,Hughie went to see his artist friend Alan Trevor in his studio. There he found his friend painting a beggar, who was an old man in rags.Hughie felt so sorry for the poor model that he gave him the only pound he had.
The old model was actually a millionaire.When he heard all about Hughie and Laura, and their problem, he had a cheque for ten thousand pounds delivered to him the very next day.The couple were happily married,and the beggar attended their wedding.
The story shows that a genuine millionaire is not one who has, but who give.
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