Lesson 4

Midnight Visitor

I. Warm-up

II. Background Information

III. Language Study

IV. Text Appreciation

I. Warm-up 1. Phrases of Body Langua1. Phrases of Body Langua

gege1. to nod consent

2. to nod one's farewell

3. to nod as a sign of agreement or as a familiar greeting

4. to hold one's head high

5. to shake one's fist

6. to shake one's head

7. to show a V sign

8. to wink at a person

9. to shrug one's shoulders

10. to make a face

11. to crook a finger

12. to thumb one's nose

13. to twiddle one's thumbs

14. thumbs down

15. thumbs up

16. to thumb a lift

2. You’re Watched2. You’re Watched

Nowhere you do, wherever you go, somebody probably has an eye on you.

　 It used to be that you could get in your car and drive off and, if you didn’t want to be found, no one would be able to find you. These days however, we leave a trail wherever we go and, if you know how, you can find almost anyone, anywhere.

If your car has a Global Positioning

System (GPS) device, the police can track

it wherever it goes, just in case it gets

stolen. If you stop to buy gas, you might

pay with a Smartcard, which combines

the functions of your credit cards, ATM

cards, identity card and driver’s license.

Every purchase with a Smartcard leaves

an instant trail of dates, times and

locations, creating a perfect record of

where you’ve been and what you’ve been

doing.

Perhaps you decide to buy a hat to block the cameras (don’t forget to pay cash!). Even then, you’re still easy to find, thanks to the cell phone in your pocket. Based on the signal strength from surrounding transmission antennas, your telephone operator can determine your exact location, even when your phone is turned off.

　 So, for those who value privacy over convenience, the only solution may be to live without cars, telephones, and credit cards. Oh, and don’t forget the hat.

Questions for discussion:

1.As the article pointed out, we are surrounded by many modern facilities. Did you ever benefit from any of the system? Tell your classmates.

2.Are the facilities mentioned in the article good or not according to your point of view?

3.Are the facilities a kind of violation of your privacy?

II. Background Information1. Espionage and relate1. Espionage and relate

d termsd terms 1. spy 2. espionage 3. international spy 4. double agent 5. secret agent 6. secret service 7. special agent 8. intelligence 9. intelligence agency10. counterintelligence

agency11. spy movies12. detective stories

1. 间谍 2. 侦察、谍报 3. 国际间谍 4. 双重间谍 5. 秘密特工 6. 特工处 7. 特工 8. 情报 9. 间谍机构10. 反间谍机构11. 间谍片 12. 侦探故事

13. standoff

14. spy plane

15. reconnaissance plane

16. surveillance

17. hostages

18. prisoners19. captives

20. hackers

21. encryption

22. eavesdrop23. business espionage24. factionalism

13. 僵局14. 间谍飞机15. 侦察机16. 监视17. 人质18. 囚犯19. 俘虏20. 黑客21. 加密22. 偷听23. 工业间谍事件24. 内讧

25. coup d’etat 26. smuggling 27. Economic Espionage Act 28. undercover agent or undercover operation 29. CIA=Central Intelligence Administration30. FBI= Federal Bureau of Investigation

25. 政变26. 走私27. 经济间谍活动法案 ( 美国 )

28. 秘密的地下工作者/ 活动

29. ( 美国 ) 中央情报局 30. ( 美国 ) 联邦调查局

2. FBI and CIA2. FBI and CIA

On July 26 in the year 1908, during the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, Attorney General Charles Bonaparte ordered 9 newly hired detectives, 13 civil rights investigators, and 12 accountants to take on investigative assignments in areas such as antitrust, peonage, and land fraud. Ninety-six years later, that small group of 34 investigators has grown into a cadre of over 28,000 employees.

The FBI also participated in intelligence collection. Its highly skilled and inventive staff cooperated with engineers, scientists, and cryptographers in other agencies to enable the United States to penetrate and sometimes control the flow of information from the belligerents in the Western Hemisphere.

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

In 1982, following an explosion of terrorist incidents worldwide, FBI efforts were expanded in the three others: foreign counterintelligence, organized crime, and white-collar crime. The FBI solved so many espionage cases during the mid-1980s that the press dubbed 1985 "the year of the spy”.

Two events occurred in late 1992 and early 1993 that were to have a major impact on FBI policies and operations. In August 1992, the FBI responded to the shooting death of Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan, who was killed at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, while participating in a surveillance of federal fugitive Randall Weaver. In the course of the standoff, Weaver's wife was accidentally shot and killed by an FBI sniper.

Eight months later, at a remote compound outside Waco, Texas, FBI Agents sought to end a 51-day standoff with members of a heavily armed religious sect who had killed four officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Instead, as Agents watched in horror, the compound burned to the ground from fires lit by members of the sect. Eighty persons, including children, died in the blaze. These two events set the stage for public and congressional inquiries into the FBI's ability to respond to crisis situations.

In the new millennium, the FBI stands dedicated to its values and standards ensuring that the FBI effectively carries out its mission.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by U.S. President Truman. CIA was to coordinate the nation’s intelligence activities and correlate, evaluate and disseminate intelligence that affects national security. The CIA is an independent agency, responsible to the President, providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers. The Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) serves as the principal adviser to the President and the National Security Council (NSC) on all matters of foreign intelligence related to national security.

CIA (Central Intelligence Administration)

The United States has carried out intelligence activities since the days of George Washington, but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed New York lawyer and war hero, William J. Donovan, to become first the coordinator of information, then, after the US entered World War II become head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942. The OSS—the forerunner to the CIA—had a mandate to collect and analyze strategic information. After World War II, however, the OSS was abolished along with many other war agencies and its functions transferred to the State and War Departments.

It did not take long before President Truman recognized the need for a postwar, centralized intelligence organization. Truman reviewed several plans and soon created a small office Central Intelligence Group (CIG) to screen and evaluate the large amount of information and reports flowing into the White House. The Truman administration later decided this new office didn’t meet all their needs plus it was never fully accepted by the military or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). President Truman also feared another Pearl Harbor and that the Russians would attack the US. To make a fully functional intelligence office, Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 establishing the CIA.

3. Discussion3. Discussion

1. In contrast secret agents in Hollywood movies or popular literature, what is the image of the secret agent called Ausable in The Midnight Visitor? Try to describe him.

2. Being a secret agent so far away from the commonly accepted image, what is it that makes Ausable so uncommon?

III. Language StudyI.I. Word StudyWord Study

1. accent

2. automatic

3. blink

4. command

5. concerning

6. confounded

7. disillusioned

8. explanatory

9. glance

10. stiffly

11. frustrated

12. extend

13. hesitate

14. risk

15. slip

16. stammer

17. start

18. figure

19. swiftly

20. thrill

n. a. the way a person pronounces the words of a language showing which country or which part of a country he comes from b. stress

Examples:

He speaks with a strong American accent.

He speaks English with a foreign accent.

He speaks in heavily accented English.

a primary accent

1. accent

2. automatic

adj. self-regulatingExamples:

an automatic rifle

an automatic washing machine

It’s his automatic answer, which is likely

to be more reliable.

4. command

blink at sb.

blink one’s eyes

blink away one’s tears: to try to hide tears by

blinking

blink the fact that…: to refuse to consider; ignore

v. to shut and open the eyes quickly

Examples:

Why are you blinking at me constantly?

The little girl blinked away her tears, and

stood up quickly.

command

v. a. to order b. to control; hold back

Examples:

The officer commanded his men to fire.

The officer commanded that his men

(should) fire.

You’d better learn to command yourself/

your temper.

commanding adj. powerful and impressive

Examples:

He said in a commanding tone.

He is now in a commanding position.

5. concerning

prep. about

Examples:

This book deals with questions concerning

China’s diplomatic policies.

The President answered nothing concerning

his love affair with a model in the press

conference.

6. confounded

adj. a. damned; used to show you are

annoyed b. confused

Examples:

You’re a confounded nuisance.

A group of confounded customers surrounded the counter.

confound v. a. to damn

b. to perplex; puzzle c. to mix; confuseExamples:

Confound it! 真讨厌！ Confound you! 去你的！Her strange behavior confounded everyone

in the hall.I was confounded to hear that he had resigned.They confounded Jack with Jimmy. They are twins.

7. disillusioned

adj. feeling disappointed and unhappy because sb./sth. is not as good as you thoughtdisillusioned with sb./sth.

Examples: Disillusioned Susan decided to forget the

man she had loved for many years. He was disillusioned with life in many

aspects.

Word Formation

illusion n. disillusion v./n.

8. explanatory

adj. meant to explain

Examples:

explanatory notes 注释It’s the President’s explanatory speech.

9. glance

v. to take a quick look

Examples:She glanced at the watch and continued the

reading.A man glanced round the room and stepped back.

1. 尤指以 赞赏、愉快、好奇或饶有兴趣的神态长时间地盯着看，常常达到出神的地步；

2. “ 盯着瞧”，尤指吃惊、恐惧、愤怒或无礼地瞪大眼睛目不转睛地看；

3. “ 看一眼”， “扫视”，强调匆忙快速的动作过程；4. “ 瞥见”，强调动作的偶然性和所见到事物的不充分、不全

面。

1. gaze (at)

2. stare (at)

3. glance

4. glimpse

10. stiffly adv. without being able to move one’s

body

Example:

The old man bent down stiffly.

stiff adj. a. difficult to bend; rigid; not flexible

b. thick and hard to stir

c. hard; difficult

d. severe; tough

e. (of a price) too high

f. (of a breeze) blowing strongly

g. (of an alcoholic drink) strong

h. not friendly

ExercisePlease give the correct explanation of “stiff” in the following phrases and translate them.

a stiff neck stiff manners a stiff drawer a stiff wind a stiff drink a stiff hike a stiff penalty a stiff price a stiff hinge

a stiff paste

僵硬的脖子 a.生硬的态度 h.很紧的抽屉 a.强风 f.烈酒 g.艰难的跋涉 c.严厉的惩罚 d.过高的价格 e.不易活动的枢纽 a.很稠的糊 b.

adj. feeling upset and impatient because you cannot control a situation or achieve sth.

11. frustrated

Examples: He once got very frustrated in work, but

fortunately he had been through that period.

She was a frustrated actress.

frustrating adj.

It is frustrating that she is not good at learning foreign languages.

12. extend

v. a. to continue for a particular

distance or a period of time

b. to stretch out the body or a limb

at full length

c. to offer

Examples:

My boss agreed to extend my stay in HongKong for a few days.

The bird extended its wings in flight.

The queen extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guest from afar.

13. hesitate v. to be slow in deciding

hesitate at/about/over sth.hesitate to do sth.

Examples:

She is a girl who hesitates at nothing.

You can hesitate before replying.

• Don’t hesitate to tell me if you have any

problem.

14. risk

v. to put sth. in a situation in which it can be lost, destroyed, or harmed risk+ n./doing

Examples:

To save that traveler, they had to risk getting caught in the storm.

He just wanted to obtain as much money as possible, even risking life.

at risk: to be in danger take a/the risk: to do sth. that involves failure/danger at the risk of : with the possibility of danger, etc.

Examples: They didn’t want to put your life at risk. She is too sensible to take a risk when driving. At the risk of being hated, he decided to reject

the proposal. He was determined to get there even at the risk

of his life.

15. slip

v. a. to give sb. sth. quietly and secretly b. to slide accidentally c. to go somewhere quietly and quickly, in order not to be noticedExamples:

The thief slipped the watch into his pocket.

The little girl slipped (on the ice), but she

laughed.

A man slipped out by the back door.

16. stammer

v. to speak with difficulty, repeating words or sounds because one is nervous or afraid

Examples: He was too nervous to stop stammering.

The child stammered out a request to his father.

17. start

n. sudden movement of surprise, fear, etc.

Examples:He sat up with a start.The news gave him a start.

Cf. startle v. to give a shock or surprise to

She was startled to see that man so pale.

What startling news it was that the building caught fire!

18. figure

n. a. symbol for a number b. diagram c. human form d. person, esp. person of influence

Examples:

He has an annual income of six figures.

The blackboard is covered with geometrical figures like squares and triangles.

I saw a figure approaching in the darkness.

Alexander the Great is a great historical figure.

19. swiftly

adv. fast; rapidlyExamples:

She rushed in and then out of the room swiftly.

swift-running 急速跑动a swift reaction 迅速的反应

20. thrill n. a. a sudden strong feeling of excitement and pleasure

Examples:a thrill of horror/fear/joythe thrills and spills: excitement caused by taking part in or watching dangerous sports or entertainments. 紧张和刺激He got his thrills from car racing.

b. novel, play or movie that involves an exciting and gripping plot

2. Phrases and Express2. Phrases and Expressionsions

List:

1. check on

2. deal with

3. raise the devil with sb.

4. stand aside

5. take chances

1. check on

check (up) on sb.: to investigate one’s behavior, background

check (up) on sth.: to examine sth. to discover whether it is true/safe/correct

Examples:The police are checking on the man.The police are checking on the fingerprints on file.

2. deal with

a. deal with + sb.: to tackle the problem set by sb.; behave towards sb.

b. deal with +sth.: to manage/cope with sth.; discuss sth.

c. deal with + sb./sth.: to have social/business relations

Examples:

a. How would you deal with angry and impolite customers?

b. 1) You’d better learn to deal with an awkward situation tactfully. 2) This chapter deals with British literature in the 1980’s.

c. 1) I hate dealing with rude people. 2) Our school seldom dealt with companies.

deal in

a. to trade in sth.b. to indulge in sth. (derogative) 沉溺于某事（贬义） Examples:

The businessman dealt in shoes.She is a woman who always deals in gossip

and slander.

3. raise the devil with sb.

to behave in an angry and threatening way

Examples:

She raised hell when she found she had been cheated.

He raised the devil with me when I received a call from my ex-boyfriend.

4. stand aside

a. to move to one sideb. to do nothingc. to withdraw, eg as a candidate in an election

Examples: Please stand aside to let me pass. I feel guilty that you have done all the work

and I’ve just stood aside.

If you stand aside right now, you’ll do a great favor to other applicants.

5. take chances

to behave riskily

Example: Don’t take your chances when driving a car.

take a chance (on sth.): to take a riskExample:

He left home and decided to take a chance on pursuing a career in acting.

take one’s chance: to benefit as much as possible from one’s opportunitiesExample:

If you want to work in a creative field, you should learn to take your chance.

3. Word Building3. Word Building

List:

1.compound nouns

2.compound adjectives

3.compound adjectives formed from phrases

1. compound nouns1. compound nouns

n.+n. doorbell seasiden.+v. heartbeat headache adj.+n. greenhouse shorthandn.+gerund daydreaming sun-bathinggerund +n. frying-pan sleeping-bagv.+adv. breakthrough dropoutadv.+v. income outbreakn.+prep.+n. sister-in-law mother-in-law v.+pron.+adv. forget-me-not touch-me-not

2. compound adjectives2. compound adjectives

n.+-ed thunder-struck sun-tanned n.+-ing peace-loving fault-finding meat-eating English-speakingn.+adj. seasick taxfree knee-deep nation-wide adj.+-ed open-minded hot-tempered quick-witted cool-headedadv.+-ing hardworking everlasting well-behaved new-built

3. compound adjectives formed from phrases

Examples:

They kept a round-the-clock watch on the house.

The police made an on-the-spot inspection.

Jack is of the look-before-you-leap sort.

He told the whole story in a matter-of-fact tone.

I’ll cherish those never-to-be-forgotten days.

You will see a paper…come to me in the next-

last-step of its journey into official hands.

IV. Text Appreciation

I. Text Analysis

1. General Analysis

2. Structure

3. Further Discussion

II. Sentence paraphrase

Plot: Ausable appears helpless, but he

gets rid of his deadly enemy without lifting a

finger.

Setting: a French hotel room

Protagonists: Ausable, Fowler, Max and a

waiter

Structure of the text

Part 1 (paras. 1-5 ) about:Part 2 (paras. 6-16 ) about:

Part 3 (paras. 17-26 ) about:

Who Ausable is. & why Fowler wants to see him.

The unexpected visit of Ausable’s adversary Max.

How Ausable outwits Max and makes him jump on the “balcony”.

Further discussion about the story

Questions

• …come to me in the next-to-last step of its journey into official hands. (para. 5) What is meant by this sentence? Where would this important paper probably go from Ausable?

• I am going to raise the devil with the management this time; … (para. 11) What does the word “management” refer to here?

Stage 1:

• Text Glimpse

• What was Fowler’s first impression of Ausable?

• How did Fowler get his first thrilling experience of the day?

• How did Ausable deal with the situation?

• How did Ausable finally outwit Max?

Stage 2:

• Making character sketches: physical appearance;

how the person acts, talks, thinks and deals with

persons.

Stage 3:

Group Activities

• Retell the text in your own words.

• Find words and phrases that can sum up your impressions of Ausable.

• Try to turn the passage into a little play and act it out.

Sentence Sentence Paraphrase Paraphrase

Ausable was, for one thing, fat… Though he spoke French

and German passably, he had never altogether lost the

New England accent he had brought to Paris from Boston

twenty years ago. (para. 2)

for one reason (why Fowler was disappointed)

Ausable was, for one reason, fat… His French and German were not very good, but acceptable. Although he had been in Paris for twenty years, he never lost the American accent.

…a sloppy fat man who, instead of having messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties, gets only an ordinary telephone call making an appointment in his room. (para. 4)

put into one’s hand quietly, secretly and quickly

(old-fashioned) women who are very beautiful

…an untidy fat man just has an ordinary phone call agreeing to meet somebody later in his room. There are no other imagined things as a beautiful lady with dark eyes putting a slip of message secretly into his hand.

Examples:

He slipped some money into the official’s hand.

She slipped a piece of paper under the door.

We won’t let him slip through our fingers.

The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood as aside to let his frustrated guest enter. (para. 4)

when; while

feeling discouraged or dissatisfied

the opposite of the action “to lock”

The fat man laughed to himself when he opened the door of his room and gave way to his dissatisfied guest.

The “ed” –adjective is used as attribute in this sentence.

For halfway across the room, a small automatic

pistol in his hand, stood a man. (para. 6)

In the middle of the room, there was a man with

a small automatic pistol in his hand.

… you gave me quite a start. (para. 8)

You frightened me. / You surprised me.

It might have saved me some trouble had I

known about it. (para. 12)

subjunctive mood

If I had known about it, I would not have spent so much effort.

Examples:

Had she taken that train, she might have

been killed, too.

Had I met him, I would have recognized him.

She would not have died had she had some

money.

I wish I knew how you learned about the report,

… (para. 15)

subjunctive mood

I want to know how you succeeded in finding out the report, but I have no idea.

Examples:

I wish I knew.

I wish I could.

I wish I were 20 years younger.

I wish I were you.

I wish he were still alive.

Keeping his body twisted so that his gun still

covered the fat man and his guest, … (para. 22)

The “ed” –adjective is used as object complement in

this sentence.

He twisted his body in order to point his gun right at the fat man and his guest .

Examples of different meanings of “cover”:

I’ll blow up that bridge. You cover me.

The enemy guns covered the whole city. It

was no longer safe to stay.

The End