Unit FourUnit FourUnit FourUnit FourWhy I Want a WifeWhy I Want a Wife

Teaching ObjectivesPre-reading QuestionsGlobal ReadingDetailed ReadingExtended knowledge

Teaching Objectives

• Practice reading, writing, listening and talking, and translating about an ideal wife;

• Discuss about the responsibilities of a wife.

Pre-reading Questions• What role does a wife usually play in a

traditional Chinese family? What role does a wife play in a western country family? Are there any similarities or differences between them?

• What should be a wife’s duties?

Global Reading

What is the prevailing tone of the essay? How many parts can this passage be divided into? What’s the main idea for each part? What major writing techniques are adopted in this passage?

What is the most effective way the writer uses to illustrate her points?

Detailed Reading

Paragraph 1-2Paragraph 3-7Paragraphs 8-9Paragraph 10

Paragraph 1-2Questions:

What incident makes the author think about the topic of wanting a wife?

What is the definition of a wife in the dictionary?

Language work: classification n. a group, division, class or

category into which something is placed e.g. Your insurance group classification changes when you buy a bigger or more powerful car.

classify v. to arrange (animals, plants, books etc.) into classes; divide according to class or typee.g. books are classified according to subject area.

classified adj. divided or arranged in classes e.g. This document contains some classified information/He scanned the column of classified ad in the morning paper.

altogether adv. Completely, thoroughly e.g. We weren’t altogether surprised when she arrived late. Such methods are not altogether satisfactory.I am not altogether sure I want that.

be in the altogether (informal) without clothes

scene n. 1. a place seen (as if) in a picturee.g. She painted the beautiful country

scenes.

2. a place where an event or action happens

e.g. The police arrived to find a scene of horrifying destruction. Evidence was found at the scene of the crime.

Phrases behind the scenes: out of sight secretly

e.g. Officials working behind the scenes urged them to avoid further confrontation.

on the scene: (infml) become present e.g. His friends suddenly appeared on the scene after years of neglect. I phoned the police and they were on the scene within minutes.

make a scene: a show of anger or feelings, especially between two people in public e.g. I’m ashamed of you, making a scene in the restaurant like that.

set the scene: to provide a base for e.g. The unjust peace agreement set the scene for another war. His resignation set the scene for a pre- election crisis.

Paragraph 3 – 7 Questions:What are the wife’s duties and responsibilities when he

r husband wants to go back to school?

How would a wife deal with her husband’s social life?

What household chores would a wife take care of?

Why is the word “wife” consistently used throughout the text instead of the pronoun “she” or “her”?

Language workkeep track of: to keep oneself informed about a person,

situation to have accurate and up-to-date4 information about something all the time

e.g. How do you manage to keep track of the latest economic development? It’s hard to keep track of all the new ideas and developments in education.

lose track of: fail to keep oneself informed about … e.g. He’ll lose tack of time when he listens to this music.

nurturing adj. providing physical and emotional nourishment and care

e.g. She needs a good nurturing teacher for her child.

nurture v. 1. to give care and food to e.g. She walked round the garden looking fondly at the

plants she had nurtured. She nurtured the child as if he had been her own.

2. to cause or encourage to develop e.g. Their ideas are actually nurtured in the university.

The company structure continue to nurture high- grade personnel.

attendant n. a person employed to look after and help visitors or customers in public place. e.g. He was a car park attendant during the evening.

attendant (on, upon) adj. (fml) happening at the same time as something elsee.g. One of the difficulties attendant on shift work is lack of sleep.

see to: to deal with or take care of e.g. You ought to have your eyes seen to by a doctor. Will you see to it that this letter gets posted this afternoon?

helping n. a serving of food, portion e.g. I’d like a second helping, I’m still hungry.

Large helpings are served in that restaurant.

assume v. to take or claim for oneself; begin to have or use e.g. You will assume your new

responsibilities tomorrow. The army assumed control of the

government. I make a mistake and I will assume

responsibility for it.

monogamy n. the custom or practice of having only one wife or husband at one time

mono- one, single

e.g. monologue, monoplane

monogamous adj.

Cf. bigamy n. the state of being married to two people at the same time

bi- two, twice, double

e.g. bicycle, bilingual

polygamy n. the custom or practice of having more than one husband or wife at the same time in a society where this is allowed.

poly- many

e.g. polygon, polysyllable

Paragraphs 8-9

Questions:

What would one do if one finds a more suitable wife?

What would happen to the wife when one completes his studies according to the text?

Language workreplace … with: change one for another, often b

etter, newere.g. The factory replaced most of its workers with robots.

replacement n. e.g. Your worn-out tyres need replacement.

I must find a replacement for my secretary.

replaceable adj. e.g. Don't worry - all that stolen stuff is

replaceable.

solely adv. not including anything else or any others;

only e.g. I’m concerned solely for your happiness.

We can’t rely solely on the internet.

sole adj. being the only one, only e.g. The sole survivor of the accident was a little

boy. My sole objective for the time being is to

finish the project as soon as possible.

through (with): finished, done e.g. Please wait for a moment, I’m not

through yet. He was through with his term

paper.

Paragraph 10Questions:

What is the value of the question “Why do I want a wife”?

What is the value of the question “Who wouldn’t want a wife” at the end of the text?

Language work (Oh) my god: used to emphasize how

surprised, angry, shocked, etc. a person ise.g. My God, what a mess! Oh my God, I've never seen

anything like it!

Similar expression:Good heavens/grief/gracious! (ALSO Good

God/Lord!)

Post-reading practice • I. Word Derivation• 1. His failure to get the job was in large part

due to his ___________ in working experience. (adequate)

• 2. That man was really cold-blooded – he was even ____________ to his wife’s worries. (sympathy)

• 3. SLA, or second language ___________, sheds some light on how a person learns a foreign or second language. (acquire)

• 4. “Fashion is a form of ugliness so _________,” says Oscar Wilde, “that we have to alter it every six months.” (tolerate)

• 5. The __________ (classify) of books in the library follows the Dewey Decimal System.

• 6. Nicknames stick to people, and the most ridiculous are the most _________ (adhere).

• 7. The incumbent president is considered more ________ (liberty) in his foreign policy stands than his predecessor.

• 8. The earthquake and its _____________ diseases claimed thousands of victims. (attendant)

• 9. In South Africa the official policy of apartheid continued to provoke incidents in the universities.

• 10. These are simply your own ________ (assume) before there’s proof to verify them.

• II. Phrasal verbs:• 1. When the police came _____ the scene, the

trouble-makers had all gone.• 2. Whenever her son came home for the

weekends, the woman would annoyingly find his room cluttered _____ _____ smelly socks, dirty shirts and many strangely-dressed friends of her son’s.

• 3. Jealous ____ its cultural heritage, the financially straiten town is pulling all its resources for conservational purposes.

• 4. Let’s pick _________ where we left _________.• 5. While a significant number of American

Indians live in the urban areas, many still adhere ______ their traditional tribal lifestyles on the reservations.

• 6. The audience was carried _________ by the speaker’s eloquence.

• 7. After destroying the village the enemy carried ________ all the cattle.

• 8. We all see _____________ him and no one will ever admire him.

• 9. A squirrel hides enough pine cones to see the winter _________.

• 10. Many overseas Chinese went to the airport to see the visiting new President of China _______.

• Key:• I. Word Derivation:• 1. inadequacy 2. unsympathetic

• 3. acquisition 4. intolerable 5.classification 6. adhesive

• 7. liberal 8. attendant• 9. (incidentally) 10. assumptions

• II. Phrasal verbs:• 1. on 2. up, with 3. of 4. up, off• 5. to 6. away 7. off 8. through• 9. out 10.off