Friends for Life

Unit 5Text 1

Teaching Objectives

To be familiar with expository writing; Discuss how to cherish friendship; Proper use of various adjective forms Learn to use the following structures:

The longer I live, the more important it is to feel connected.

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading After Reading

Before Reading Background Information

Make Friends in America

People from different cultures sometimes do things that make each other uncomfortable without meaning to or without even realizing it.

One sign that this is true is that Americans show great concern about families in trouble and try hard to help them.

Politicians repeatedly promise to help solve the problems. Most Americans have never been out of the country and have very little experience with foreigners. But they are usually spontaneous, friendly and open, and enjoying meeting new people, having guests and bringing friends together formally or informally.

They tend to use first names in most situations and speak freely about themselves. So if your American hosts do something that makes you uncomfortable, try to let them know how you feel .Most people will appreciate your honesty and try to make you feel relaxed.

The poverty line is based on the income of a family. Newspapers and television programs highlight problems within families.And common Americans complain that there are too many divorces and teenage mothers.

Many people find it easier to meet people in the United States than in other countries. They may just come up to introduces themselves or even invite you over before they really know you. Sometimes Americans are said to be superficially friendly. Perhaps it seems so. But they are probably just having a good time. Just like anywhere else, it takes time to become real friends in the United States.

 

When you stay with American friends, they will probably enjoy introducing you to their families and friends. They usually make a point of trying to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. On the whole, they tend to be informal. Men shake hands but usually when they are introduced. When a woman and a man are introduced, shaking hands is up to the woman. Americans rarely shake hands to say good-bye expect on the business occasions.

House guests may bring gifts when they come to visit, and they often offer to help in some ways. As a guest, you may want to ask the host or hostess if there 's anything you can do to help in the kitchen. In many cases, the gesture is more important than actually.

Before Reading

Warm-up Questions:

How do you define “friends”? Have you known about the popular TV se

ries “friends”? Is it a kind of friendship you want to have?

What is needed to make friendship grow, blossom and last?

Global Reading

Is this a piece of narration, description, argumentation or exposition?

What does the message of “friends for life” try to convey to the readers?

How many parts can this passage be divided into?

Structural Analysis

Detailed Reading

Paragraph 1-2 Paragraphs 3-4 Paragraphs 5-8 Paragraphs 9-11 Paragraphs 12-13 Paragraphs 14-15

Paragraph 1-2

Questions:

What is the definition of “friend” by psychologist?

How does the author understand “friends”?

Paragraph 1-2

Language work

Even though “friend” is a term of endearmentused to describe many people in our lives, weoften have a hard time knowing what the termmeans. Psychologists identify friends as thosewho accept each other, confide in each otherand feel responsible for each other.

In our transient cultures, we depend more on

friends for things we once got from families

emotional support and often even financial

help.

Paragraphs 3-4

Question: Do you believe that friendship can occur in

marriage and families?

Language work

Friendship can occur any place—even in a marriage.

He was my best friend, and I still miss him desperately.

Paragraphs 5-8

Question:

How important is the friendship outside families ties?

Language work

Friendship ranks with marriage and kinship as one of the most important relationship in our lives, yet it can be neglected.

Their acceptance affirms that self and lets us develop as individuals.

Most of us have been making friends since childhood, so we tend to think process is instinctual.

Paragraphs 9-11

Question:

Where did the problem of Michael’s relation with his girlfriend stem from?

Language work

Increasing numbers of people are finding that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship, as the sexes mingle more often today.

“She kept pointing out how patronizing I was, offering to do the work for her because I felt she was less capable.

Then Michael realized he was hearing the same complaint from his girlfriend.

I was a generation behind the times. Now I’m married to the girlfriend I had when I met Marcia, I’m indebted to her for that.

Paragraphs 12-13

Question:

How can you mend a broken friendship?

Language work:

“ If I didn’t care about you, I’d just shrug my shoulders and go my own way. But since I do care, I’d like to straighten this out.”

I can’t say I healed a broken friendship with my sister—our sibling rivalry was nothing unusual.

Paragraph 14-15

Question:

Can you identify any metaphor used in Paragraph 14?

To After Reading

Near the end of his battle with cancer, Milton sent me to see our new granddaughter.

I take them, one by one, on adventures all over the world, and each time I find new friendships.

endearment

Act, word, expression of affection: a term of endearment, e.g. darling

√ Word derivation:

endear

endear sb / oneself to : make dear or liked: endear oneself to everyone an endearing smile

identify

say, show, prove, who or what somebody or something; establish the identity of His accent was difficult to identify. Could you identify your umbrella among a

hundred others? After years of research scientists have

identified the virus that is responsible for the disease.

confide in

have trust or faith in: There’s no one here I can confide in. Can I confide in his honesty?

transient

lasting for only a short period of time transient happiness a transient success

emotional having strong feelings

Newspaper reporters were there to record the emotional union between the woman and her children.

√ Word derivation: unemotional: not showing one’s feelings

Pat’s father was a distant, unemotional man who didn’t really talk to his children.

occur

take place; happen: Don’t let this occur again. When did the accident occur.

occur to: come into one’s mind An idea has occurred to me.

desperately

very or very much√ Word derivation desperate: filled with despair and ready to d

o anything, regardless of danger The prisoner’s became desperate in their attem

pts to escape.

rank as/ among

to regard as having a certain relative position Yao Ming ranks among the world’s best basket

ballers. This result ranks as one of their most successf

ul election performances of the last year ten years.

neglect

to give too little attention or care. Staff at the hostel were accused of neglecting

and abusing children in their care.

affirm to state positively that something is true

affirm the truth of a statement Word derivation affirmation: affirming; sth. affirmedaffirmative: yes

The answer is affirmative. = The answer is “Yes”.

individual

a single person considered separately from the class or group The decision to have an abortion shoul

d be up the individual involved. It’s the responsibility of each individual

within the class to make sure they have the correct books.

childhood

time during which one is a child have a happy childhood.

☺ word bank

√ adulthood

√ manhood

√ brotherhood

√ sisterhood

instinctual

= instinctive: based on instinct, not coming from training or teaching; Animals have an instinctual dread of life.

Word derivation

instinct: natural tendency to behave in a certain way without reasoning or training Birds learn to fly by instinct

mingle

mix truth mingled with falsehood mingle with the crowds Two rivers that join and mingle their waters.

point out

to draw attention to something I’d just like to point out that whenever there’s a problem

I’m the one who has to deal with it.

patronizing

Behaving toward other people as if superior or more important, i.e. like a patron Don’t be so patronizing—I’m not a child any

more. I know just as much about it as you do.

capable

gifted, able a capable doctor/ teacher/ doctor

capable of : having the power, ability or inclinationShow your teacher what you are capable of.

complaint

a statement of annoyance, dissatisfaction, etc. The principal received a number of complaints

from parents that their children were being bullied.

times period of time, more or less definite, associated

with certain events, circumstances, persons, etc. : In Stuart times The house is old but it will last my times.

the conditions of life, the circumstances, etc of a period characterized by certain qualities, etc. : We lived through terrible times during the war

years.

at the best of times: even when conditions are good He’s an irritating fellow even at the best of times.

behind the times: having out-of-date ideas at times: from time to time, occasionally; no

w and then at all times: always

be indebted to

owing money or gratitude I’m greatly indebted to you for your help.

straighten out

to settle something by removing the confusion or difficulties in it Mr. Rogers promised he would straighten

everything out, so I signed the paper. They seem to have the completely wrong idea

of what I want. Can you straighten it out?

heal

become healthy and sound The wound is not yet healed.

restore to health; cure heal sb of a disease

end Time heals all sorrows.

sibling rivalry

refers to our natural tendency to compete

with our brothers or sisters for affection of our parents or other favorable acknowledgements in school and society.

battle

a fight The president is fully committed to the battle

against drug trafficking. At last the World Health Organization is

winning the battle against malaria in the region.

adventure

an exciting and unusual experience The story of her single-handed voyage across

the Atlantic is one of heroism and adventure.

After Reading

Structural Analysis Summary Sentence combination Collocation of words Oral Work Writing

Summary

A. The text could be divided into six parts according to the development of sequence. Please write a summary for each part.

Paragraph 1-2

Paragraph 3-4

Paragraph 5-8

Paragraph 9-11

Paragraph 12-13

Paragraph 14-15

Structural Analysis

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

1

2

3

Paragraphs 1 to 2

Paragraphs 3-4

Paragraphs 5-8

It supplies a psychological definition, as well as the author’s understanding, of friendship

The author gets down to a discussion of friendship within familial ties.

The author moves on to talk about the significance of friendship outside kinship ties and offers suggestions on friend-making.

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

4

5

6

Paragraph 9-11 The author discusses the friendship between opposite sexes

Paragraph 12-13 The author tells us how to fix a broken friendship.

Paragraph 14-15It is about the author’s friendship with her grandchildren.

B. Please use one sentence to summarize the main idea of the text.

Check the grammar exercises in the student book

Additional exercises:Sentence combination

Group 1 (paragraph 2) So many people live away from their families. So many people are single into their thirties. Friends provide essential companionship.

Please combine the following sentences in the group into one sentence. And then make a comparison with the original sentence in the text.

Group 2 (paragraph 4)1. He died.2. I fought fiercely with my sister when we were

young.3. My sister has become one of my best friends.

Group 3 (paragraph 7)1. We find that.2. The heart of friendship requires more attention

and skill than we thought.3. How to make the relationship blossom, grow

and survive.

Group 4 (paragraph 10)1. She kept pointing out it.2. How patronizing I was!3. I offer to do the work for her.4. I felt she was less capable.

There are various ways to combine these sentences, but some may be more effective in expressing the writer’s feelings and more suitable for the tone of the text. And this helps us decide the best way. When we are writing, we should always be conscious of the available choices in expression and the difference between each other.

Check the vocabulary exercises in the student book

Additional exercise:Collocation of words

Please fill in the blank with an appropriate words with the hint given in the parentheses.

1. Electronic speed has revolutionized the _____ and reception of communications. (transference, transmission, transportation, circulation)

2. William felt so hungry that he ordered a double ______ of steak. (piece, part, portion)

3. Play is the ________ business of childhood. (fundamental, principal, basic)

In English as it is in every language there is no definite rules for collocation of words. But there is still some effective way by which we can learn and remember how to put words together properly and use them in an authentically. It is a good idea to keep a vocabulary notebook. Besides pronunciation and definition, it is also necessary to write down some sample sentences which demonstrate how the word is used. With these sample sentences, we say understand with which words is this new word often used together.

Oral Work

A. Have a discussion on the following questions.

When your friend wronged you, what would you do?

How would you cherish the friendship? How many friends do you need for life?

B. Debate on making of friends

♦ Some think that a simple direct approach is more efficient.

♦ Others say that we need to be less direct in order to cushion ourselves against possible rejection and the fright of exposing our own helplessness.

Divide the class in two groups by supporting either side of the opinion

WritingA. Write a composition on the topic “ My

Bosom Friend”. Please specify some of the episodes between you two which consolidate your friendship.

B. Try to sketch a poem on the topic of “Friendship”