UNIT 10 Why People Work

Lenonard R. Sayles

OUTLINE

1.Warm-up activity 2.Language Points 3.Paragraph translation 4.Exercises

1.Warm-up activity

1) Give the Ss 5 mins to go over the first part of the text and ask them to find the topic sentence of each of each of the five paragraphs.

A. Jobs and work do much more than most of us realize to provide happiness and contentment.

B. Work is more than a necessity for most human beings; it is the focus of their lives, the source of their identity and creativity.

C. Rather than a punishment or a burden, work is the opportunity to realize one’s potential.

D. For large numbers of people, the absence of work is harmful to their health.

E. Why should work be such a significant source of human satisfaction?

2 ） Give the Ss 2 or 3 mins to find the main idea of the second part. (people take pride in accomplishment.)3) Give the Ss 2 or 3 mins to find the main idea of the third part. (people take pride in belonging to an accomplished work group)

2.Language Points1) civilization: A stage of human social development.Eg. Many people admire the ancient civilization of Greece and Rome.

2) intangible: Incapable of being touched or grasped: real, but not material or concrete; hard to define or explain in wordsEg: Sound and light are intangible. He seems to care more for material things than for intangible ideas.

3) crucial: Of deciding importance; very important; decisiveEg: The Civil War was a crucial period in the history of the United States. It is crucial to perform an immediate operation on the injured man.

4) That can make the difference between a full and an empty life:

That can decide whether a person will have a rewarding and purposeful life or a meaningless one

5) Traditional complaints:Often-heard or common complaintsEg: The students have a lot of complaints about the food in the school canteen. The store has a special department to handle customer complaints.

6) I can’t wait for my vacation:

I am becoming impatient for my vacation.

7) contribution: Sth.one gives or does in order to help sth.else to be successful Eg: Einstein was awarded the Nobel prize for his contribution to the Quantum Theory.

8) potential: Inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into beingEg: I am sure you’ll be the focus of everyone’s attention at the party this evening.

9) depress: Cause sb. To feel sad, miserable or disappointedEg: It depressed Paul to learn that his son had failed again to pass the examination. Tom seemed somewhat depressed about the situation.

10) renew: Bring sth.back to its original good state; do sth.again.Eg: The two-week stay in hospital gave him renewed health. He believes that peace talks will be renewed again.

11) acute: Very strong or severeEg: A toothache may cause acute pain. The long drought has caused an acute shortage of water in many cities.

12) symptom: a physical condition which shows one has a particular illness.Eg: Fever can be a symptom of various diseases. The symptoms of flu include chills, fever, headache, backache, loss of appetite, and a general feeling of illness.

13) institution: a large organization such as a university, church, or bank; a building where certain people are looked after, for example, people who are mentally ill or children who have no parentsEg: Poor old George may end up in a mental institution.

14) While every effort is exerted to… while every effort is made to… exert: put into use; use fullyEg: He exerted all his strength but still could not move that rock. He exerted his influence to get his daughter a place in university.

15) harmful: causing or likely to cause harmEg: These chemicals are harmful to the environment. This medicine is harmful if taken in large quantities.

16) Financial cares: worries or anxieties caused by lack of money.Eg: New York is a great financial center. All the big financial institutions cut their interest rates today.

17) unemployment: the fact or state of being without a job.Eg: Both his parents died when he was young, so he has had to fend for himself since he was 15.

18) significant: importantEg: Please inform us if there are any significant changes in your plans. All these customs and cultures have made a very significant contribution to the way the American live.

19) satisfaction: the state of being satisfied.Eg: Mrs. Brown got great satisfaction from helping foreign students learn to speak English. It is hard to see how the issue can be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.

20) representative: a person chosen to act or make decision on behalf of another person or a group of people.Eg: Tom Brown is a representative of the workers on the board. Cathy is the representative of an American insurance company.

21) coordination: harmonious adjustment or working togetherEg: Prof. Asimov thinks there needs to be greater coordination between doctors and biologists.

22) aspect: a particular part or side of sth.Eg: We must consider all aspects of the plan before deciding. Climate and weather affect every aspect of our lives.

23) relationship: the way in which two people or two groups behave towards each other; the way in which two or more things are connected and affect each other.Eg: Tom is a person of wide social relationship.

24) Work off: get rid of by exercise, continuous action or effortEg: Bob has worked off a dozen pounds since last May by running one or two miles every morning. You’d better work your anger off before you speak to him.

25) envy: feel admiration toward somebody because he has things and qualities one wishes to have.Eg: Beth was pretty, rich, and intelligent and all the girls envied her. I envy you your success, but I am really pleased for you.

3.Paragraph translation

1) Jobs and work do much more than most of us realize to provide happiness and contentment. We’re all used to thinking that work provides the material things of life- the goods and services that make possible our modern civilization. But we are much less conscious of the extent to which work provides the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological well-being that can make the difference between a full and an empty life.

职业和工作在使人得到幸福与满足方面所起的作用比我们大多数人意识到的要多得多。我们都习惯于认为工作为人生提供物质的东西——提供使我们的现代文明成为可能的商品与服务。但是我们对工作在促进精神生活方面所起的作用则知之甚少。对比起来，这方面的作用虽然是无形的，却更加至关重要，它是人生过得充实还是空虚的决定性因素。

2 ） But work is more than accomplishment and pride in being able to command the job, because except for a few craftsmen and artists most work takes place “out in the world”, with and through other people.

但是工作不光是成就和能够胜任工作的自豪，因为除了少数工匠和艺术家的工作以外，大部分工作是在“外面”进行的，是与别人合作或通过别人来完成的。

3) The same pride in being part of a well-coordinated, successful unit is derived from being part of a larger collectivity. Working for a company that is thought of as being one of the best in the community can provide employees with both status and self-confidence.

在一个更大的集体中工作，如同在一个配合默契的成功的单位工作一样，其成员也能获得同样的自豪。在一个被公认为是社会上最好的公司之一工作，可以给雇员带来社会地位和自信心。

4.Exercises1 ）退休的人如果找不到什么事情可做，常会意志消沉。 Retired people are often depressed if they can not find something to do.

2) 为了帮我们准备好参加辩论，教练要我们经常注意与我们自己的论点相悖的论点。 To prepare us for the debate, the coach wanted us to be always aware of the arguments that are quite the reverse of ours.

3) 在工作日全家都忙着干活，但一到周末他们喜欢坐进汽车开到附近乡下兜风。 On weekdays the whole family were busy working, but when the weekend came they loved to get in the car and drive around the nearby countryside.

4) 医生往往为自己能够医治好病人罕见的疾病而自豪。 A doctor often prides himself on the ability to cure his patient of a rare disease.

5) 如果不按时将书归还图书馆或到期前不续借，就得按规定罚款。 If books are not returned to the library on time or not renewed before they are due, a fine must be paid in accordance with the reulations.

6) 总的说，很少有人不抱怨自己的工作的，然而一旦他们不能工作了他们又会不高兴。 On the whole, few people do not complain about their jobs. On the other hand, they would be very unhappy if they were unable to work.