Lesson 2Notes of a Native Son

By NinaForeign Languages College

describing 1 describe a gift. what gift you received make y

ou feel special? who give you ？ what is it? why you think it is special for you ?

2 describe a famous person in China. 3 describe your favorite room in your home. wh

at is it? why you like it? what you do in the room normally?

4 describe your best or favorite holiday, what? Where? with whom? why do you think best ?

Task for today

Work in pairs and describe what you see in the video to your partner

Possible words & phrases

人工呼吸 mouth-to-mouth breath/ artificial respiration 现场心肺复苏术 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / CPR 跨接电缆 Jumper cable

Notes of a Native Son What is “a native son”? Denotation

Connotation--- a person born in this place

--- irony. Though he was born in the United States, he is rejected by others.

(August 2, 1924 – November 30, 1987)

He was an American novelist, writer, playwright, poet and civil rights activist 民权活动家 .

James Baldwin

About his early life: infant, Harlem, New York, married a

preacher, David Baldwin, adopted James. 17, moved to Greenwich Village, studied at

The New School, began to write short stories, essays, and book reviews, later collected in Notes of a Native Son (1955).

James Baldwin

About his expatriation 放弃国籍 teenager, recognize his own homosexuality. In 1948, disillusioned by American prejudice

against blacks and homosexuals, left the United States, departed to Paris.

lived as an expatriate 移居外国者 in France. an influential African American writer but also an influential exile writer.

James Baldwin

About his writing: Most of Baldwin's work deals with racial and

sexual issues in the mid-20th century in the United States.

His novels are notable for the personal way in which they explore questions of identity as well as the social and psychological pressures related to being black and homosexual.

James Baldwin

precede: to come or go before in time, order, rank, or position. 在 --- 之前，先于

The earthquake was preceded by a loud roar.

at the mercy of without any protection against; helpless before ； under the control of sb/sth 任由 --- 摆布 / 控制

reflex  (also reflex action) an uncontrollable reaction of your body to something that you feel, see, or experience. 反射作用

Text A

enmity: n [U, C] deep-seated, often mutual hatred; hostility 仇恨，敌意

Ingenious: adj very clever and original; marked by inventive skill and imagination. 聪明的 , 别出心裁的

unanimous: of one mind; in complete agreement; agreed.

They unanimously approved the project last week.

vocal: expressing one‘s opinions or feelings freely in speech; outspoken 直言不讳的

vocal criticism Jim Crow 1. a practice or policy of segregating or discri

minating against blacks, as in public places, public vehicles, or employment.

2. a black person. dreadful:  extremely unpleasant; distasteful o

r shocking 可怕的，糟糕的

enact [esp passive] to act (sth.) out, as on a stage 展现

A strange ritual was enacted before our eyes.

Imprecation: sth. rude, angry, or hostile that is said to or about someone ; a curse. 诅咒 (FORMAL)

eject  ~ sb/sth (from sth) to throw out forcefully; expel. 驱逐

Officials used guard dogs to eject the protesters.

contrive: manage (to do sth) in spite of difficulties 想尽办法做

We contrived to get past the guards unnoticed.

bounce back (infml ) recover well after a setback 受挫折后恢复

Share prices bounced back this morning. The patient bounced back to good health.

loophole ： way of escaping a rule, the terms of a contract, etc 漏洞，空子

A good lawyer can always find a loophole. predilection  ~ (for sth) special liking (for st

h); preference 偏爱 his predilection for fast cars and fast horses.

= fondness contract: catch or develop (an illness) contract measles

as it/things turned out: as was shown or proved by later events 正如事後表明或证实的那样

pat adj exactly right; appropriate

Maureen O'Hara

an Irish film actress and singer

Charles Laughton

an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter 编剧家 , producer.

rebuff  n A blunt or abrupt repulse or refusal, as to an offer.   断然拒绝 , 冷落

Her kindness to him was met with a cruel rebuff.

rebuff v to reject bluntly compose: to make (oneself) calm or tranqui

l 使 -- 平静 , 冷静 discompose  v make (sb) feel uneasy or un

comfortable 使不安 ; 使烦恼 discomposure n [U].

sardonic  adj expressing scorn; mocking 嘲笑的 ; 讥笑的 brown out a period of dimming or fading of t

he electricity 灯火管制 They keep building all these expensive pow

er stations, and then we still have brown outs.

optical  of or relating to sight; visual optical instruments 光学仪器（如显微镜和望远镜） optical illusion something that tricks your e

yes so that what you think you see is different from what is really there. 视错觉 ; 光错视

A mirage is an optical illusion.

click n a brief, sharp sound 卡嗒声 the click of a door latch. nape n back part of the neck 项（颈的後部）

intercede  ~ (with sb) (for/on behalf of sb) to plead on another's behalf.

We interceded with the authorities on behalf of people unfairly imprisoned there.

intercession n [U] entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another.

the (Blessed) Virgin [sing] the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ 童贞女马利亚（耶稣之母）

astound  v to astonish and bewilder; amaze 使震惊 ; 使大惊

We were astounded to read your letter. blunt  having a dull edge or end; not sharp.不锋利的 ; 钝的 a blunt knife (fig ) frank and straightforward; not trying to

be polite or tactful 直率的 , 不客气的 a blunt refusal

derisive  adj mocking; jeering. 嘲笑的 ; 嘲弄的 derisive laughter=contemptuous note ~ (of sth) a quality (of sth); hint or sug

gestion (of sth) 含义，特征 There was a note of self-satisfaction in his s

peech.

poise  v be or keep (sth) balanced or suspended 使（某物）平衡或悬起

He poised the javelin in his hand before throwing it.

他把手中标枪握稳後掷了出去 .

incongruous  adj strange because not in harmony with the surrounding features; out of place 不协调的 , 前后不一的

She was small and fragile and looked incongruous in an army uniform...

congruous: appropriate or harmonious.

mug a heavy cylindrical drinking cup usually having a handle. 缸子（圆筒形有柄大杯）

hurl throw sth. violently and with a lot of force.

Groups of angry youths hurled stones at police...

duck move (esp one's head) down quickly, to avoid being seen or hit 迅速低下（尤指头）（以免被看见或被打中）

I saw the gun and ducked under the window.

E.g. Cameron’s speech We could have blocked that (referendum on

independence. ), we could have put it off but just as with other big issues, it was right to take - not - the big decision.

我们本可以阻止公投，也可以将其推迟——但这就像其他问题一样，接受重大的决定才是正确的，而不是进行躲避。

duck

shatter   break suddenly and violently into small pieces 粉碎

Safety glass won't shatter if it's broken. pot-belly n (a) large protruding belly (b) per

son who has this. pot-bellied adj (of a person) having a pot-b

elly misdirect  ~ sb/sth (to sth) instruct sb to g

o to the wrong place 指错方向

relive  to undergo or experience sth. again, especially in the imagination 再体验（某种经历） , 再经历

I relived that fateful day over and over in my mind.

get over: recover from sth. (e.g. an unpleasant/unhappy experience or an illness) 恢复常态

He never got over the shock of losing his wife.