An Integrated English Course An Integrated English Course Book 2Book 2

Unit Four

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you are supposed to

understand the main idea, structure of the text and the author’s writing style

master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text

Understand in one’s career choice what counts is to know who you are and what you can do to be the best of yourself

Teaching ProcedureTeaching Procedure

Pre-reading QuestionsText I. Me and My BIG Mouth Passage● Structure analysis● Main idea of the passage● Language points ● sentence studies ● vocabulary studies

Text II. Sam’s Wake - Up Call — and Mine

Pre-readingPre-reading

1. Who is your favorite footballer or pop singer? Why do you admire him/her?

Jay is my favorite pop singer. I like him because he is a talented composer and lyric writer. He has written so many songs of different styles. Besides, he is a great fighter who fights bravely against spinal nerve disease. I hope that he will recover soon.

2. What would you do to meet with challenges or cope with frustrations in your life or work?

If I met with challenges, I would handle them in a calm way because it does not help to be depressed or frustrated. I would try to find out what’s wrong exactly. Sometimes I would ask my parents or friends for help. In a word. I would do my best to overcome the difficulties.

Text I. Me and My Big MouthText I. Me and My Big MouthWhen my football-playing career ended, I had no idea how I wanted to

spend the rest of my life. Fortunately for me, there is a fine tradition in this country that if you are a successful athlete or performer, people supposed want to eat the same peanut butter that you do, drink the same beer, wear the same pants, etc.

That’s how I got involved in the worst product endorsement I ever did. I am bald and I agreed to be the spokesman for a toupee company.

The basic concept of the campaign was that if a he-man football player like Terry Bradshaw was not embarrassed to wear a toupee, no one else should be. To show potential customers how good I looked with hair, the company made and distributed to salons all over the country a plastic model of my head. These salons then stuck a toupee on the model and put it on the counter or in the front window.

They made a mode for my head at a Holiday Inn near the Shreveport Regional Airport. I lay down on a bed while people stuck up my nose so I could breathe, and then covered my entire head with plaster.

The plaster began drying too quickly, and they had trouble getting it off my head. In the meantime I was having difficulty breathing.

There were lots of bad ways to die, but being suffocated by plaster while getting your head duplicated for a toupee display is high on the list.

Eventually, they mass-produced my head, and it did look just like me. The toupee people were so proud of the plastic bust that they mailed one to my dad. The problem was I didn’t tell her it was coming.

This big box arrived at my parents’ house, and my father opened it up. He was shocked to see me looking right back at him. “Novis,” he yelled to my mother, “You better get in here. They sent us Terry’s head in a box.”

It bothered my mother so much tat they put it back in a box and stored it in the attic.As another part of the deal, I filmed several toupee commercials. In one swam with a

hairpiece on as an announcer said, “ You, too, can have a full robust life with our toupee. Look how natural it looks.” Then I surfaced with what looked like road kill stuck to my head.

Maybe the worst part of the deal was that I agreed to wear a toupee whenever I appeared in public. One day I was playing in a pro-am golf tournament on a hot afternoon. Sweat was pouring out from under the dense synthetic wig. Finally I just couldn’t take it anymore; I went behind a tree, ripped off the hairpiece and shoved it into my back pocket.

What I didn’t realize was that I had cut my head when I took it off, so my scalp was bleeding. I spent the rest of the tournament walking around with blood running down my face and the hairpiece hanging out of my pocket like a squirrel’s tail.

After that, for some reason, the company decided I was not a proper spokesman for their toupee and fired me. I had to hand in my hair.

Once again I needed to find a way to make a living. Talking is what I can do best, and I like to make people smile. When I was playing, reporters like to interview me because I gave them good sound bites.

Luckily, this had attracted the attention of TV network executives. One day my phone rang. A CBS executives asked, “Want $5,000 for just talking?” and that is how I got into the broadcasting long term.

When I signed with CBS, Terry O’Neil, the executive producer of CBS Sports, teamed me with veteran play-to-play announcer Verne Lundquist. Verne was facing a big challenge; he had to teach me how to do my job before I destroyed his career.

My first broadcast was a preseason game in San Diego between the Chargers and some other team. As a quarterback, the big picture had been the only thing that mattered to me, but as a broadcaster I soon learned it was the small frames that made up the big picture.

I didn’t know the players and their assignments; I didn’t know when to talk and when to keep quiet. I didn’t know what to look at, how to describe what I was seeing.

There was so much I didn’t know and I didn’t even know it.I would not describe my first game was a disaster, mostly because that would be understating ho

w truly bad I was. For example, in about the middle of the first quarter it became obvious to me that in addition to a lack of knowledge and preparation, I had a serious problem.

“Verne,” I said, “I can’t see a thing down there.” I had never watched a football game from that distance in my life. All I could see was a bunch of people with numbers I couldn’t read running around.

“Really,” said Verne, amazingly calm, considering that the broadcasting partner he was depending on for insightful commentary had just announced he had basically useless. “We’ve got to get you binoculars for the next game.”

Gradually I got better. Very, very gradually. The first few games I was probably more nervous than at any time during my entire playing career. I would always bring two clean shirts with me, because I knew I was going to sweat through one of them. Maybe I was so nervous because I really cared. I worked hard. I wanted to be good, to please the viewers. And I needed that job.

With a lot of help from Verne. I guess I did okay because CBS eventually offered me another job as co-host of “The NFL Today” with Greg Gumbel. I’d be the analyst. Before the first show I was extremely

nervous. Then, minutes before we went on the air, a heavy boommicrophone smacked me upside the head so hard it knocked me out. I felt dizzy, sick to my stomach, and my ears rang.IN a strange way, that hit in the head relaxed me. Being in the studio was brand-new to me, but I could relate it to a pain in my head. During my playing career, there had been many games when I had to play hurt, but as one reporter wrote, this was the first time I had to talk hurt.Fortunately all went well. Since then I’ve gone from CBS to Fox, and have made the transition from football player to football entertainer. My role on TV is not to be serious. People do not want to hear me speak football, things like “That’s the old sixty-six inside release.” They expect me to say things like “The Giants are having a bad offensive day, and they’ve got to make some changes. It’s like when I went fishing with my dad last week and we were catching a lot of fish and all of a sudden we couldn’t catch mud.”“Then my dad said to me, ‘Son, either these fish got real bright all of a sudden or they are not interested in these lures.’ When the defensive isn’t

biting, you’ve got to change your offensive at half time. You got to change lure. For a man who thought his beat talent was throwing an inflated ellipsoid a long way, I’ve been fortunate in my career. In the end I discovered my real talent——just being myself.

Structural analysisStructural analysis

The text can be divided into four parts.

Part One: (Paragraphs 1) As an introductory part of the whole

text. The author introduces the setting (the when and where of an event), the character (himself) and prepares the ground for conflict.

Part Two: (Paragraphs 2-13)

In these 12 paragraphs, the writer gave an account of 3 episodes he experienced in his career development: Paragraphs4-7, the first episode, is about his suffering when people are making a plastic model of his head; Paragraphs10, the second episode, described the writer’s toupee model experience; Paragraphs4-7, the third episode, gave an account of the writer’s experience as a toupee model.

Part Three: (Para.14-27): Paragraph 14 serves as a transitional paragraph which marks the end of the first conflict (the second part of the text) and the beginning of another conflict (the third part of the text); Paragraphs 15-22 tell us the writer enters the broadcasting business and begins a new career. It also builds up the writer’s second conflict in which the writer describes how he fumbles through his first sports broadcasting and what problems he has. Paragraphs 23-27 tell us how the writer progresses in sports broadcasting.

Part four: (Paragraph 28):In this last paragraph, the author

concludes his story with his own remark that serves as an emphatic assertion of the them: It is important to know who you are and what you can do to be the best of yourself.

Main Idea of the passage

This narrative text tells of the author’s unpleasant experiences in his career transition by describing the conflicts, solution to the conflicts and his final success, which elicits the theme of the writer’s writing: It is important to know who you are and what you can do to the best of yourself.

Language pointsLanguage points

Get/ be involved in

To take part in an activity or event, or to be connected with it in some way

E.g. The president was involved in the political scandal.

Potential customer A person who may become a customer in th

e future. E.g. White-collar workers are considered to

be the potential customer for this product. robust (apprec.) Having or showing good health or strength E.g. Good food, fresh air and hard work hav

e made the hill farmers a robust and healthy race.

Surface To appear E.G. As you round the corner, a wonderful vi

ew of the mountains surfaces in front of you.

commercial An advertisement on television or radio E.g. McEnroe has been signed up to do a series of

coffee commercials tournament A competition in a sport or game in which each

player or team plays several matches, and the winner is the one who wins the most matches

E.g. Thirty matches were played during the chess tournament, which lasted three weeks.

Cf. championship: a competition to find the best player or team in a particular sport, especially one that involves several stages or games.

E.g. we beat the Dodgers in the semifinals, and went on to win the championship.

shove To push something quickly or carefully into a space or container E.g. He bundled the papers together and shoved them

into/in/under a drawer. fire v. To make someone leave his or her job, especially because he or

she has down something wrong or something the employer does not approve of

E.g. You couldn’t fire someone for joining a union, but you can if they go on a strike.

Cf. lay off: to make workers, especially workers in a large factory or organization, leave their jobs, because there is not enough work for them to do, or not enough money to pay their salaries

E.g. Where demand for goods was shrinking, firms would close down or lay off worker

That( distance) (usu. In negatives) so; to such a degree E.g. He can’t walk that far. A bunch of (an informal American expression ) a lot of

(people or thing) E.g. I went to a bunch of stories but none

of them sold the kind of coat that I want.

Viewer Someone who is watching a particular television

program Cf. spectator: someone who is watching an

event or game Cf. audience: a group of people who have come

to a place to watch a play, a concert, or a film. Knock out To hit someone so hard that they fall down and

become unconscious E.g. Jackson hit Brian hard with his left fist and

knocked him out instantaneously Cf. knock someone out cold ( = so that they

become totally unconscious)

Text II. Sam’s Wake –up Text II. Sam’s Wake –up

Robert ReichRobert ReichA few years ago I had a problem: I could wait to get to the office in the morning and only left it at night reluctantly. Being a member of Us President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet was so much better than any new job I’d had. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Not surprisingly, the rest of my life shrivelled into a dried raisin. I lost contract with old friends. I saw little of my wife and even less of my two sons, Adam, then 15, and Sam,12.

One evening, for the sixth time in a row, I phoned home to tell the boys that once again I’d miss their bedtime. That’s OK, said Sam. But could I wake him up when I did get home? That would be really late, I said; he would have gone to sleep long before. It was probably better if I saw him the next morning.

Sam listened but insisted. He said he just wanted to know I was there.To this day I can’t explain precisely what happened at that moment. But I suddenly k

new, with utter finality, that I had to leave my job.A number of ordinary citizen’s wrote to me after I announced my resignation. Most

were sympathetic. A few were not.Many women on the fast track, they wrote, were already battling a culture

that criticized them for sacrificing too much — and here I was, seemingly agreeing that a balanced life was incompatible with a high-powered job. Others said while it may be easy for me to find another well-paying job that gave me more time for my family, others didn’t have that option. I was sending the wrong message to people like them, too.

I should have expected that my career decision would carry symbolic weight — after all, I was the secretary of labor. But I had no intention of sending a message to others about how they should lead their lives. Sam’s simple request was, rather, the wake-up call I needed to tell me how I should live mine.

Still, my choice was troubling because many of us face the problem of balancing work and family life.

While many of us make more money than our parents, the average, middle-income married couple with kids now work far longer hours than they did two decades ago — the equivalent of more than two months a year.

What’s going on? Partly it’s technology from mass production towards continuous innovation. To become more nimble, companies are trying even the typical, mid-level salaried employee’s pay to profits.

What we earn increasingly depend on bonuses, share options and overtime pay — all of which can rise or fall or disappear. We reconcile unpredictable incomes with predictable bills by going full out when work is available.

A friend of mine, a new father, is putting in 14-hour workdays. He’d rather not be working so hard, and no one had asked him to. But his pay is directly related to the firm’s profits. He thinks he’d better make hay while the sun shines.

My friend’s situation helps explain why so few of us take longer holidays or use family leave. We feel that if we opt out even a little, we may be opting out permanently. So we’re tempted to work harder.

I faced that temptation after I left Washington. Adam was running in a big cross-country race at school. Then someone called me about a project. The pay was generous, but I have to begin the day of the race.

I turned the project down and, judging from his big wave and bright smile, Adam was glad I did. He won the race, and I

like to think my presence there may have caused him to push himself a bit harder.

I wish I could say I had no regrets about the project I passed up. But not a few times on that Saturday my mind drifted, thinking about what it was “costing” me to be there. Then I saw Adam’s face he crossed the finish line. It was worth it.

Main idea of Text 2Main idea of Text 2

In “Sam’s wake-up call—and mine”, the author disclosed the reason and the whole process of his quitting of his high-powered job in favor of a balanced life for the sake of his family. Though occasionally he felt regretful, he thought his decision was worthwhile when he saw his son’s big smile

Topics for discussion:Topics for discussion:

1. How did the author balance work and family life? If you were he, what would you do?

On the one hand the job is very important to him and he really enjoyed his work. On the other hand, he realized that the family life was even more important. He’d rather give up his job for his family life. Though occasionally he felt regretful, he thought his decision was worthwhile when he saw his son’s big smile.

2. Can you explain precisely what happened at that moment in paragraph 5?

It occurred to the author that no matter how much he liked his job, family life was his first choice, or his life would shrivel into a dried raisin.

3. What does “the wrong message” in paragraph 7 refer to?

It is worthwhile to quit a high-powered job in favor of a balanced life for the sake of one’s family.

4. Why did he say that “my career decision would carry symbolic weight?”

He was a public figure. His decision would exert some influence on many other people, because they would follow him.

5. How do you interpret the title?

By “Sam’s wake-up call”, the author means that Sam wanted his father to wake him up when he came home no matter how late it was. By “my wake-up call” the author means that his son’s simple request awakened him to the importance of one’s family life.

Words and Expressions for Text IEndorsement n. expressing one’s approval or support, esp. publiclyToupee n. 1. a man ‘s wig 2. a patch of false hair for covering a bald spot Salon n. a stylish or fashionable small shop, esp. where services rather than goods

are soldSuffocate v. 1. to kill by preventing from breathing 2. to die in this manner

Duplicate v. to copy exactlyMass-produce v. to make large quantities of something, esp. so that it can be sold

cheaplyBust n. a statue of the upper part of the human body Hairpiece n. (often euphemistic) a piece of false hair used to make one’s own hair seem

thicker. Back to the text

Pro-am n. a competition, esp. in golf in which those taking part include both professionals and amateurs

Synthetic a. of or relating to compounds, materials, etc., made by a chemical process; not of natural origin

Wig n. an artificial covering of hair for the head, used to hide one’s real hair or lack of hair

Scalp n. the skin on the top of the human head, where hair growsPlay-by-play announcer an announcer who makes a commentary on a live broadcastQuarterback n. （美式橄榄球） 组织进攻的枢纽前卫，四分卫Binoculars n. A pair of glasses like short telescopes for both eyes, used for looking at

distant objectsOffensive a. causing offence, unpleasant n. a continued military attack

Back to the text

As a quarterback, the big picture had been the only thing that mattered to me, but as a broadcaster I soon learned it was the small frames that make up the big picture: As a player I only cared about the winning of the game, i.e. the general picture of it, while as a broadcaster I soon learned that it was the details, i.e. the series of actions taking place on the field that make up the whole view of the game.

For a man who thought his best talent was throwing an inflated ellipsoid a long way, I’ve been fortunate in my career: I thought my only talent was to play football (an inflated ellipsoid), but in job transition I have come to realize what I can do best.

Back to the text

Notes for Text IIAbout the author: Robert Reich was a member of the Clinton economic

s team which helped sustain the longest period of economics growth in the history of the US.

…the rest of my life shrivelled into a dried raisin: my life lost much of its vitality, like a dried and wrinkled raisin.

Many women on the fast track(para.7): Many women who are too busy with their work.

Share options(para.12) ： 认股权We reconcile unpredictable incomes with predictable bills by going full

out when work is available: In order to enable our predictable incomes to meet our predictable bills, we have to work as hard as possible.

He thinks he’d better make hay while the sun shines(para.13): He thinks he’d better try to make as much money as possible while he is still able to work so hard.

Back to the text

… after I left Washington: Here “Washington”, the capital of the United States, refers to the author’s official position in the US Government. The figure of speech employed here is metonymy, which consists in using the name of one thing for the name of another with which it is closely associated

E.g. from the cradle to the grave (from birth to death)

He spent the whole day reading Shakespeare. (“Shakespeare” stands for the works of Shakespeare)

back to the text