A New English Course (Book 3)-unit14

Teaching ObjectiveTeaching Objective

• Get to know and appreciate O.Henry’s short stories.

• Analyze the plot development and the writing style.

• Master the important words and other important language points of the text.

Text IText I

        Pre-reading Activities (10 minutes)Pre-reading Activities (10 minutes)

• 1)      A brief introduction of O.Henry• O.Henry, American short story writer, was born William

Sydney Porter in 1862 and died of tuberculosis at the age of forty-seven. O.Henry is one of the most widely published of modern writers, he has been called “ The American D Maupassant”. His works have been translated into many languages and have run into innumerable editions in his own country.

• 2)      Pre-reading questions:• a.       What can the story be about?• “After Twenty Years” is a title that may suggest some event

that takes place twenty years after some other event. What could two such events be? What do you anticipate?

      While-reading Activities (40 minutes):While-reading Activities (40 minutes):

• 1)      Part I (lines1-9) of the text. Questions for the students to answer:

• a.       What’s the main idea of this part?• b.       When and where did the story happen?• c.       What was the weather like?

• 2)      Part II (lines10-20) of the text. Questions for the students to answer:

• a.       What’s the main idea of this part?• b.       Why did the man in the doorway speak up so quickly

about what he was doing even before the policeman utter any words?

      While-reading Activities (40 minutes):While-reading Activities (40 minutes):

• 3)      Part III A (lines21-49) of the text. Questions for the students to answer: a.       What’s the main idea of this part?

• b.       Was Bob successful in his career? Why?• c.       Are there any hints in the story to indicate that Bob was no longer a

respectable man? What are they?• d.       What was implied when the patrolman asked “ Going to call time on

him sharp”?• e.       Why did he ask the man from the West this question?• 4)      Part III B (lines50-72) of the text. Questions for the students to

answer: • a.       What’s the main idea of this part?• b.       Why did the plain-clothes man ask “ Is that you ,Bob?” doubtfully?• c.       What is the implied meaning of “ I was certain I’d find you here if

you were still in existence”?• d.       Why did the plain-clothes man listen with interest when Bob outlined

the history of his career to him?

1.       1.       While-reading Activities (40 minutes):While-reading Activities (40 minutes):

• 5)      Part IV (lines73-82) of the text. Questions for the students to answer:

• a.       What’s the main idea of this part?

• b.       How did Bob realize the tall man was not the man he wanted to meet?

• 6)      Part V (lines83-88) of the text. Questions for the students to answer:

• a.       What’s the main idea of this part?

• b.       Why was Bob’s hand trembling a little by the time he had finished reading Jimmy’s note?

        Post-reading Activities (40 minutes):Post-reading Activities (40 minutes):

• 1)      Questions for discussion:• a.       What kind of people were the two characters Bob and

Jimmy?• b.       What have you learned from this story?• c.       How did the author develop the plot of the story?

• 2)      Oral work• a.       Role play: Suppose that after Bob was arrested Jimmy

went to the prison to see him, what would the situation be? Make a dialogue between these two characters.

• b.       Interaction activities: Who is the man?

        Post-reading activitiesPost-reading activities

      Comments on the text:• --Structurally, a short story may break up

into five sections: the setting, the generating circumstance, the rising action, the climax, the denouement

• --the plot• --the characterization

Language study:Language study:

      The following words or phrases are key ones and students may be required to translate some sentences from English into Chinese or vice verse, or to make sentences of their own. (30 minutes)

• impressively, vicinity, majority, reassuringly, scarfpin, destiny, staunch, get in a groove, absurdity, egotism, glare, simultaneously

5)5)Language pointsLanguage points• on the beat• impress/impressive/impression/impressiveness• habitual• for show• chill gusts of wind• artful/artistic• cast one’s eye• stalwart• swagger• a guardian of the peace• vicinity/in the ~ of/neighborhood• all-night lunch counter• it’s all straight• tear down/torn down

strike a match

scarf pin

dine/dinner

chum/chap/old partner/old man

make one’s fortune/make a fortune

drag

figure/figure out

destiny/fate

correspond/correspondence/correspondent

lose track of/keep track of

proposition

bustling and hustling

stanch

You bet!

plodder

compete with sb. for sth.

get into a groove

on one’s way

dismal/dismay/dismayed

fill an appointment/make an appointment/keep an appointment

absurd/absurdity

bless my heart.

sure as fate

in existence

moderate/moderately

arm in arm

ego/egitism

outline(n.,v.)

submerged/emerge

glare at/stare at

simultaneously

gaze upon

snap one’s finger

under arrest

steady(adj., v.)

plain-clothes

absolute structures:

--subject +-ing participle/-ed participle/ adv.

e.g.The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch., the lids of it set with small diamonds.

The few passers-by …with coat collars turned high.

 

4) 4) Sentence comprehensionSentence comprehension• (1)..the officer…made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace.• (2)the policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively.• (3)the vicinity was one that kept early hours.• (4)Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight.• (5)His scarf pin was a large diamond, oddly set.• (6)We figured that …whatever they were going to be.• (8)…and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively.• (9)I’ve had to compete with…get my pile.• (10)Going to call time on him sharp?• (11)…the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow.• (12)…uncertain almost to absurdity…• (13)his egotism enlarged by success.• (14)Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and wires us

she wants you have a chat with you.• (15)Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to …to a pug.

Text IIText II

Text IIText II

• Pre-reading activities• Individual work: have you ever seen

films on detectives? What do you think about them? Take one for example.

                  While-reading activitiesWhile-reading activities• -          Read the text for general info• -          Study the text in detail• 1)      The supporting details:• Questions

• 1.  Why do you think a policeman should know nearly as much law as a profession lawyer?

• 2. What kinds of crimes do real policemen deal with daily?

• 3.  When does a real policeman actually star to work? What is the difference between a real policeman and one on TV on this point?

• 4.  What makes the detective cynical?

•  

2)2)Language pointsLanguage points• revolve around• criminal law/civil law• in court/bring sth to court• scantily-clad• dramatic/drama• confrontations/confront sb/be confronted with• reflect on• get involved in• against/for• twilight• legality/legal• simple-mindedness• stamp out• in the hops that in hops that• behind bars• cynical

Post-reading activitiesPost-reading activities

   Interview: the detective is interviewing witnesses to a hit-and-run car accident. The detective should ask questions skillfully and the witnesses should answer the questions accordingly.

Assignment:Assignment:

1. Finish all the exercises in the workbook;

2. Review Text I and prepare for the

dictation of words;

3. Preview Unit15.