An Integrated English Course Book 4

Unit Thirteen

Text I Promise of Bluebirds

Mountain Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Western Bluebird

Text Structure• What’s the main idea of the text? What’s

the purpose of writing?

• How many parts can the text be divided into? (p. 203-204) What does each part tell us?

Main Idea• This text vividly describes the harmonious

relationship between man and nature through the unique friendship between an ordinary old man and bluebirds --- a species of North American songbird.

• Purpose of Writing• To narrate the harmonious relationship and

mutual help betwwen her father and bluebirds.

Three parts• Part I (Paragraphs 1-7) past• When and where? Who? What happened to Dad?

How were bluebirds and Dad related?

• The author starts the story in a bitter tone against the background of a cold winter. On her way to the hospital she briefly disclosed the importance of the small birds to the old man who was struggling with death.

• Part II (Paragraphs 8-19) past in the past

• The author recalls the life of her father, his philosophy of life and his sacrifice for the family and children. Just after he retired, he became interested in, and even hooked by, bluebirds, a kind of brilliant creatures .

• Part III (Paragraphs 20-30) past

• The author concentrates on how her father treated the birds and how the birds paid him back.

Part I (Paragraphs 1-7)• past

• These seven paragraphs function as a prelude to the story, where the author sets the wintry landscape as the background.

Questions for discussion1. Why did the author say the season was

wrong?

2. Why did the author ask herself the question “…will he ever see one again”?

3. What gave her father the strength to fight against his heart attack?

Language work• Severe adj. 1. 严格的，严厉的 : be severe with one's

children 对子女很严 2. (of style, appearance, clothing, etc)

unadorned; simple （指风格 ﹑ 外貌 ﹑ 衣物等）无装饰的 , 简单的 , 朴素的 : • Her plain black dress was too severe for

such a cheerful occasion. 她穿着黑色连衣裙 , 在这种欢乐的场合未免太素了 .

• Get/put sth out of one‘s head: stop thinking about sth; give up ； make one forget 不再考虑某事物 ; 放弃 ; 使忘掉• You'd better put the idea of marriage out

of your head. 你最好打消结婚的念头 .

• An interruption put it quite out of my head. 一打岔我就把这事全忘了 .

1. Why did the author say the season was wrong?

• Because in winter, a season which usually implies severity and bitterness, all birds had flown to the warm south, and it was impossible to see bluebirds in that region then.

• await – wait for (a formal use)• Very little was said as they awaited the arrival of

the distinguished guests.• Simpson is awaiting trial, which is expected to

begin the next spring.

2. Why did the author ask herself the question “…will he ever see one again”?

• The author asked herself the question “... will he ever see one again?” to reveal the critical situation of her father who treated bluebirds as angels of spring and life.

• 2. hover – stay in one place and move slightly in a nervous way 盘旋；徘徊，踌躇；留在某事物近旁

• She's always hovering around the place annoying people. 她老是在周围转来转去打搅别人 .

• He hovered about outside, too afraid to go in.• 他在外面犹豫徘徊 , 因过於胆怯而不敢进

去 . • hovering between life and death 处於生死之

间

• 3. he drifted in and out of consciousness – he lost and regained consciousness every now and then

• She failed to regain consciousness and died two days later.

• drift: to move passively or aimlessly into a certain situation or condition

• 4. let go – give up

• She held the photos with the determined grip of a small child and wouldn’t let go.

• He let go of the coat and it fell in the water. 他的手一松，手里的外衣就掉到水里了。

5. hold on to – keep one’s hand on or around 抓住，抓牢

• or hold onto• 1 If you hold on to something that gives you an advantage, you

succeed in keeping it for yourself, and prevent it from being taken away or given to someone else....a politician who knew how to hold onto power.

• 2 If you hold on to something, you keep it for a longer time than would normally be expected.Do you think you could hold on to that report for the next day or two?...

• 3 If you hold on to your beliefs, ideas, or principles, you continue to believe in them and do not change or abandon them if others try to influence you or if circumstances cause you to doubt them.

• Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years yet held on to his belief for the equality of his people.

3. What gave her father the strength to fight against his heart attack?

• For one thing, it was the bluebirds that gave him the strength to fight for survival, because he loved the birds, which mirrored his profound love for nature and life.

• For another, his family gave him much strength to live on.

Part II (Paragraphs 8-19)• Past in the past• What had been Dad’s job?• How many kids did Dad have? Had he had

an easy life? • Had the life been dull and monotonous for

the family? Why or why not?• What do we know about his personality?• What was Dad’s interest after his

retirement?

Part II• In this part, the author recollected the life of

her father who had worked hard throughout his whole life to support his family, yet he was never beaten down by hardships because he had tried his best to make his life colorful. Just after his retirement, the father became fascinated with bluebirds and gave part of his love to the brilliant creature.

Language work• 6. make sacrifices for

– give up something valuable or important in order to obtain something else for other people

• He was willing to make any sacrifice for the development of his motherland. [U]

• The great mother made many sacrifices to get her deaf-mute daughter to speak. [C]

• sacrifice sth to do sth• I'm not sacrificing my day off just to go shopping with Jane.

• sacrifice sth to sth/sb• The car‘s designers have sacrificed comfort to economy.• 汽车设计人员为降低造价舍弃汽车舒适方面的一些设想 .

7. showing a fine pall of coal dust – covered with a layer of thin coal dust

• fine: made of very small grains or particles 颗粒微小的 :

• fine powder, flour, dust, etc 细粉末 ﹑ 精制的面粉 ﹑ 微细的灰尘

• Sand is finer than gravel. 沙子比碎石细 .

• pall: cloth spread over a coffin 柩衣 ; 墓布 ; 棺罩 . (fig 比喻 ) dark or heavy covering (used esp as in the expression shown) 深色的或厚重的覆盖物 :

• A pall of smoke hung over the town. 市镇上空笼罩着烟幕 .

As wise as an owl

• as cunning as a fox

• As weak as a cat

• As fierce as a tiger

• As obstinate as a mule

• As quiet as a lamb

• As tender as a chicken

• As slippery as an eel

• As strong as a horse (an ox)

• As fat as a pig

• As blind as a bat

• As bold as a lion

• As greedy as a wolf

• As mute as a fish

• As silly as a goose

• As proud as a peacock

• As gay as a lark

• As heavy as an elephant

• As plentiful as blackberries

Examples of animal idioms:

8. sparkled with devilment – betrayed or reflected his playful spirit

• Sparkle: shine brightly with flashes of light

• devilment also devilry 恶作剧；玩笑 • She played a trick on him out of sheer

devilment. 她捉弄他完全是为了寻开心 .

Take up• -- 拿起 , 开始 , 从事 , 吸取 , 接纳 , 以某事作为爱好或消

遣• The carpets had to be taken up when the house was

rewired. • 这房子重新安装电线时 , 把地毯都掀了起来 . • When did he take up football?• 他是什么时候开始踢足球的 ? • The work took up all his time. • 那工作花费了他所有的时间。• take up gardening, golf, yoga • 以园艺 ﹑ 打高尔夫球 ﹑ 瑜伽作消遣

• …fashion a fishing-line threader out of an old ballpoint pen – make or construct a fishing-line threader with an old ballpoint pen

• Our Stone Age ancestors could fashion necklaces from sheep’s teeth.

• Through years of hard work, he fashioned a beautiful horse out of an oak root.

• fashion B from A• He fashioned a box from a few old pieces of wood.

fashion A into B• Jamie could take a piece of wood and fashion it into a

wonderful work of art.

• 10. remodel – give a building a different shape or form 改造

• Workmen were hired to remodel and enlarge the auditorium for a big ceremony.

• dig out 挖出；发掘；发现• They dug the potatoes out (of the ground). 他们（从

地里）挖出了马铃薯 .

• It is not easy to dig out the past.发掘过去的历史是不容易的。

• We are expecting to dig out some important facts. 我们希望能找出一些重要的事实。

11. We children no longer shivered – With the heat from the newly installed coal furnace, we children could live warmly in cold winter.

12. Each job had its claim on your best efforts – Each job had the right to demand your best efforts

• claim for sth: demand for a sum of money (as insurance, compensation, a wage increase, etc) 索款（作为保险金 ﹑ 赔偿 ﹑ 增薪等） :

• put in/make a claim for damages, a pay rise, etc 提出损害赔偿 ﹑ 增薪等要求 .

• More about claim

claim• claim to sth; ~ (on sb/sth): right to sth 对某事物的权

利• His claim to ownership is invalid. 他的所有权是无效的 . • a claim to the throne 对获得王位的权利 • You have no claim on (ie no right to ask for) my sympathy.

你没有要我同情的权利 . • (idm 习语 ) lay claim to sth : state that one has a right

to sth 声称对某事物有权利 : • lay claim to an inheritance, an estate, a property, etc 声称对遗产 ﹑ 产业 ﹑ 财产等有权利 .

• (idm 习语 ) stake (out) a/one's claim (to sb/sth) : mark out (a piece of land, etc) as one's own (esp formerly when arriving in a new country or area) 划（一块土地等）归为己有

• 13. His playful spirit would set us to giggling. – His humorous temperament would cause us to laugh.

• 14. we’d been had – we have been tricked or deceived欺骗，蒙骗• If your customer think he’s been had, you have to

make him happy.

• 15. think back – make an effort to remember things that happened in the past 回想；回忆

• Johnny thought back to the time in 1945 when the Fascists surrendered and the world regained peace.

• Thinking back, I don’t know how I had the courage to fight against the robbers.

16. cleared forests for farmland – removed the forests to cultivate land for farming

17. He was hooked. – He was fascinated as if fastened by a hook.

• be hooked (on sb) (sl 俚 ) be in love (with sb) 爱上（某人）； be/get hooked (on sth) (sl 俚 ) be/become addicted (to sth); be/become completely committed (to sth) 迷上（某事物） ; 完全陷於（某事物）之中 :

• get hooked on heroin, gambling, television 吸海洛因 [赌博 /看电视 ] 上了瘾

• She's completely hooked on the idea of a camping holiday. 她一心想着来个野营度假 .

Questions for discussion1. In paragraphs 8 and 9, the author recollected the

hard life of her family and the sacrifices her parents made for the children. What kind of relation do they have to the whole text?

2. Why did the author describe her father’s craftsmanship and spirit in paragraphs 10 – 12?

3. When did the author tell her father about bluebirds? Why?

4. The author mentioned the sparkle in her father’s eyes twice. Is it important?

5. What is the relation between paragraphs 18 and 19?

• 1) In paragraphs 8 and 9, the author recollected the hard life of her family and the sacrifices her parents made for the children. What kind of relation do they have to the whole text?

• The author recollected the hard life of her family to show that her father, although an ordinary coal miner, was a responsible man, and he dared to shoulder responsibilities of any kind. This can be treated as background information for the extension of the main idea of the whole story.

• 2) Why did the author describe her father’s craftsmanship and spirit in paragraphs 10 – 12?

• Because her father, although working very hard everyday in the coal mine, didn’t treat that as a burden. He found ways to enjoy himself, such as making exquisite wooden utensils with his own hands. His spirit of craftsmanship was a reflection of his philosophy on life and nature. The author was leading the readers step by step into his theme.

• 3) When did the author tell her father about bluebirds? Why?

• She told her father the help bluebirds needed after her father retired.

• For one reason, a retired person usually needed something to fill his vacant time. For another reason, the author, being a volunteer naturalist, thought it was suitable for her father to do something to help bluebirds, because her father was a responsible man and wanted to do everything perfectly.

• 4) The author mentioned the sparkle in her father’s eyes twice. Is it important?

• The eye is the window of a person’s soul. Through the description of her father’s eye, the author revealed the inner world of her father and provided the reader with a lively portrait of her father.

5) What is the relation between paragraphs 18 and 19?

• Paragraph 19 is the support and illustration to the content of paragraph 18. In paragraph 18, the father became fascinated with bluebirds gradually. And in paragraph 19, the author listed facts, through quoting her father’s statements and comments on bluebirds, to prove her father’s addiction to bluebirds.

Part III (Paragraphs 20-30)• In this part, the author concentrated on the

amicable (友善的 ) relation between her father and bluebirds, which implied the harmonious relation between human beings and nature, and illustrated the theme of this story--- the promise of bluebirds.

Language work• The presence of his children must have boosted…• Paraphrase: Dad must have been encouraged by his

children’s presence at his bedside in his fight against the heart attack…

• 18. … Dad was confined to the downstairs• Paraphrase: Dad could only move around in the

rooms downstairs, unable to climb upstairs or go outside.

• 19. …a bright flash of color circled the nesting box… – a bluebird circled the nesting box…

• This is a use of metonymy, the substitution of the name of an attribute for that of the thing meant, such as suit for business executive.

• 20. the rascals showed -- the lovely bluebirds came

• rascal: an endearment ( 爱称，昵称 ) for bluebirds

• it's about time  

• 终于 … 了 ! (当某件事超出所需的时间时 )

• It is high time you went to work. (the latest possible moment)

21. Sporting a resplendent blue head, back, and wings and tail …-- With his head, back, and wings and tail growing attractive rich blue feather…

22. She remained aloof on a distant perch. – She stood on a distant perch, seemingly uninterested in the new nest.

• battle (with/against sb/sth) (for sth); ~ (on) struggle 斗争 ; 搏斗 ; 奋斗 : • battling against ill health 与病魔作斗争 • They battled with the wind and the waves. 他

们与风浪搏斗 . • I'm battling with my employers for a pay-rise.

我正向雇主力争增加工资 . • Progress is slow but we keep battling on. 进展虽慢 , 但是我们在继续奋斗 .

• 23. Then she fought an even more vehement battle with another female.–Then she fought an even more violent battle with another female in respond to Caruso’s love.

• Afterward she resumed her haughty…• Paraphrase: After the flight, she assumed

again her arrogant posture while Caruso passionately went on with his pleasant courtship songs.

• 24. Suddenly…the sky mirrored Caruso’s courting raiment

• Paraphrase: Suddenly one extremely clear morning, when the sky was as blue as the color of Caruso’s courting clothing…

• marvel at sth (fml 文 ) be very surprised (and often admiring) 大为惊讶（常含赞叹之意） : • marvel at sb‘s boldness 赞佩某人勇敢 • I marvelled at the maturity of such a young

child/at the beauty of the landscape. 小小年纪如此成熟 [ 风景之美 ] 使我赞叹不已 .

• I marvel that she agreed to do something so dangerous. 我大为惊异的是 , 她竟同意做如此危险的事

• 25. the herculean efforts–extremely great strength or efforts

• a herculean task 艰巨的任务• The two men made a Herculean effort to

lift the fallen tree off the victim's car.

• 这两个人为了搬掉倒在受害者汽车上的树花出了巨大的力气。

Hercules (allusion典故 )•  in ancient Roman stories, a hero known for

his very great strength and for performing twelve very difficult and dangerous jobs known as the Labours of Hercules. People sometimes use the name “Hercules” to describe a man who is physically very strong. In ancient Greek stories, his name is Herakles.

Hercules: birthHercules was the Roman name for the greatest hero of Greek mythology -- Heracles. Like most authentic heroes, Heracles had a god as one of his parents, being the son of the supreme deity Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus's queen Hera was jealous of Heracles, and when he was still an infant she sent two snakes to kill him in his crib. Heracles was found prattling delighted baby talk, a strangled serpent in each hand.

Hercules: The LaborsWhen he had come of age and already proved himself an unerring marksman (神射手 ) with a bow and arrow, a champion wrestler and the possessor of superhuman strength, Heracles was driven mad by Hera. In a frenzy, he killed his own children. To atone for this crime, he was sentenced to perform a series of tasks, or "Labors", for his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae. By rights, Hercules should have been king himself, but Hera had tricked her husband Zeus into crowning Eurystheus instead.

Labor One: The Nemean LionAs his first Labor, Heracles was challenged to kill the Nemean lion. This was no easy feat, for the beast's parentage was supernatural and it was more of a monster than an ordinary lion. Its skin could not be penetrated by spears or arrows. Heracles blocked off the entrances to the lion's cave, crawled into the close confines where it would have to fight face to face and throttled it to death with his bare hands. Ever afterwards he wore the lion's skin as a cloak and its gaping jaws as a helmet.

Labor Nine: Hippolyte's BeltThe ninth Labor took Heracles to the land of the Amazons, to retrieve the belt of their queen for Eurystheus' daughter. The Amazons were a race of warrior women, great archers who had invented the art of fighting from horseback. Heracles recruited a number of heroes to accompany him on this expedition, among them Theseus. As it turned out, the Amazon queen, Hippolyte, willingly gave Hercules her belt, but Hera was not about to let the hero get off so easily.

The goddess stirred up the Amazons with a rumor that the Greeks had captured their queen, and a great battle ensued. Heracles made off with the belt, and Theseus kidnapped an Amazon princess.

Labor Ten: the Cattle of GeryonIn creating monsters and formidable foes, the Greek mythmakers used a simple technique of multiplication. Thus Geryon, the owner of some famous cattle that Heracles was now instructed to steal, had three heads and/or three separate bodies from the waist down. His watchdog, Orthrus, had only two heads. This Labor took place somewhere in the country we know as Spain. The hound Orthrus rushed at Heracles as he was making off with the cattle, and the hero killed him with a single blow from the wooden club which he customarily carried.

Death

Heracles had a great many other adventures, in after years as well as in between his Labors. It was poisonous Hydra (九头蛇 ) venom(毒液 ) that eventually brought about his demise. He had allowed a centaur ( 人马怪 ) to ferry his wife Deianara across a river, and the centaur had attacked her on the other side. Heracles killed him with an arrow, but before he died he told Deinara to keep some of his blood for a love potion. Deinara used some on Heracles‘ tunic (束身外衣 ) to keep him faithful, little realizing that it had been poisoned with Hydra venom from the arrow. Heracles wore the tunic and died in agony.

Questions for discussion1. Why did the father pause longer and

longer at the windows facing the back yard?

2. What can you learn from the love story between two bluebirds?

3. What did the mother mean by saying “they’ve given it back”?

• 1) Why did the father pause longer and longer at the windows facing the back yard?

• Because he was quite hooked by bluebirds and the time was early spring when bluebirds flew back to the north. So the father stood by the window longer and longer to wait for the return of the lovely bluebirds. It seemed they had an appointment.

• 2) What can you learn from the love story between two bluebirds?

• The love story between the two bluebirds was just like the innumerable heart-moving love stories of human beings, in which they fell in love with each other, they became married, they met hardships and enjoyed success together, they shouldered responsibility of rearing children together, and they were loyal to each other.

• 3) What did the mother mean by saying “they’ve given it back”?

• The father dedicated most of his time and energy in taking care of bluebirds, because bluebirds had become a significant part of his life. He struggled with heart attack and did not want to let go in order to be with the fascinating birds again. Now in spring, bluebirds flew back and brought forth pleasure and energy of recovery to the father. This must have been the best way to repay the man who cared them.

Text comprehension• Exercise III (p. 203)

• 1. Why did the narrator wonder whether his father would see any bluebird again?

• Because her father was hospitalized for a heart attack. Since he had already experienced two attacks, the narrator was unsure whether the old man could survive this time.

• 2. How do you understand him when the old man said in his bed that he couldn’t and didn’t want to let go?

• The fact that every human being has an instinct for life couldn’t account for everything here. There are more reasons why the old man didn’t want to stop fighting his disease. For one thing, he had a family. He loved them and they loved him. For another, he couldn’t rest assured of the bluebirds for whom he had a special feeling. In a sense, he no longer treated the creatures as animals but as humans and even as his own children. These new children, to him, needed more help from him than his grown-up children, as can be seen from his extraordinary concern for them when he was released from hospital.

• 3. What was the spirit of craftsmanship the old man brought into his job?

• Whatever job you do, you must put your heart into it.

• 4. What led the narrator to say that her father became an expert on bluebirds?

• The man was fascinated by the species and learned their characteristics through careful and long-term observations. He acquired the knowledge of the renowned quality of the creatures, the number of broods a pair would have and the help of the earlier nestlings offered to feed the later ones. All this made the narrator realize that her father had become an expert on this species.

• 5. What features are shared by Caruso’s family and the miner’s family?

• First, they have the same number of children. The coal miner had six children to raise and Caruso’s mate laid six eggs. Second, Caruso and his mate made herculean efforts to feed the nestlings just as the miner did to support his family, loading nine tons a day and going on to work once he was back home. What the bluebirds did probably reminded the old man and the narrator of the hard life they had ever had. This may strengthen their affection for the creatures.

• 6. What did the old man give to the bluebirds and what did they give back?

• What the old man gave to the bluebirds was not just nesting boxes but his constant care as well, though his emotional offering may be unintelligible to the creatures. What the birds gave back was nothing else but a promise of hope and triumph. The spiritual support from the creatures must have worked in his recovery from his severe heart attack.

Paraphrase• 1. The sparkle in his eyes often betrayed his playful

spirit when they met your eyes in conversation.• 2. Dad must have been encouraged by his children’s

presence at his bedside in his fight against the heart attack ...

• 3. Dad could only move around in the rooms downstairs, unable to climb upstairs or go outside.

• 4. After the fight, she assumed again her arrogant posture while Caruso passionately went on with his pleasant courtship songs.

• 5. Suddenly one extremely clear morning, when the sky was as blue as the color of Caruso’s courting clothing ...

Structural analysis of the text• In Part I (Paragraphs 1 -7), the author tells us the

background of her story, especially the importance of the small birds to her father.

• In Part II (Paragraphs 8-19), she recalls the life of her father, his philosophy of life, his sacrifice for the family and children and then his love for the birds.

• In Part III (Paragraphs 20-30), she focuses on how her father treated the birds and how the birds paid him back.

Rhetorical features of the text• The author used the following endearments to

describe the playful character of her father; eyes ... wise as an owl’s, sparkle with devilment (Paragraph 9), sly grin, the devilment that returned to his eyes (Paragraph 28). And her father called the bluebirds rascals.

• More examples of endearment: A husband can call his wife “bitch” and the wife can call him “bastard” in some situations to express their love for each other in a playful way.

Vocabulary exercises -I• 1. shone brightly with mischief

• 2. make; shape

• 3. called for

• 4. natural home

• 5. forerunners; indicators

• 6. lean and tough body

Grammar exercises -I• Although most of the adjectives are both

attributive and predicate adjectives, some could function as attributive only while some others could function as predicate only. Aloof and well here are predicative adjectives.

Grammar exercises -II• Note that total and sole are attributive

adjectives while adrift, asleep, faint and ill are predicative adjectives when the latter two refer to body conditions.

Grammar exercises -III• 1. A. takes charge of

B. trustworthy

• 2. A. temporary feature B. permanent feature

• 3. A. worried B. related

• 4. A. permanent feature B. temporary feature

Grammar exercises -IV1. The sheriff was looking for a middle-aged

woman driving a dark green Buick sedan with a little Scotch terrier beside her.

2. To start a conversation, I asked her for a light while waiting for the train.

3. Seymour lay in a hammock and watched the vultures circling steadily overhead.

4. Filled with eagerness, curiosity, and excitement, Nancy carefully unwrapped the small package.

5. We watched with the aid of powerful binoculars the gulls flying over the windswept waves and barren rocks.

6. The pair of antique candlesticks shining brightly on the table attracted the admiring glances of many visitors.

Grammar exercises -V• 1. An excellent speaker, he was never at a

loss for a word.• One of the most popular tourist sites in

Italy, Pompeii had nearly two million visitors last year.

• 2. Jim climbed slowly up the creaking steps, his courage slipping away at every step.

• Cartright sat there in silence, his right cheek twitching as usual.

Translation -I1. In the old days women in Japan were more

confined to the household.

2. This is a dull interlude in a speech sparkling with witticism (witty and amusing remarks).

3. While some basketball players like Michael Jordan were renowned for their magic skills, others were notorious for their scandals.

4. We all marveled at the perfection of his medical skills.

5. It is said that it took primitive men months or even years to fashion a single tool from stones.

6. The students hovered round their teacher, hoping to hear the examination results.

7. A strong sense of responsibility set him on taking over this hazardous/dangerous task.

8. Nobody has got anything against you at all. Get that idea out of your head.

Translation -II• 我父亲住在加拿大西部的一间小木屋里。他

在那里的山坡上和树林中开出了一处果园，从此便生活在花丛中，徜徉在逶迤曲折的小河旁。有一次，在周围还有厚厚的积雪时，我带给他一盆报春花，但他不久就找了个机会说，他不喜欢提前开花的植物：它们夺走了她在春天来临前的欣喜。他的爱似乎并不集中在他所拥有的天地里，而是散布在人和动、植物之间。

• 在他 72岁的时候，一次中风夺走了他所喜欢的野外生活。虽然他凭着自己的毅力，拄着一根拐杖，走上一英里左右，但是他的大部分时间是在隔窗眺望中度过的。他告诉我说，在这里，变幻万千的云彩和波光粼粼的河水，往往使他一连几个小时充满着喜悦，把他的思想引入无边的遐想之中。我相信这一点，并且相信他生活的愉快，因为它不仅从不抱怨，而且他的全身都散发着宁静祥和的气息。后来当我老是在窗口看到他那慈祥苍老的脸庞，眺望着山坡上的野鸡和知更鸟、还有远处的山谷和大山时，我意识到幸福的奥秘必定隐藏在那里。

Dictation•Environment protection/ is not only about green forests, tigers, blue skies/ and a handful of NGOs arguing for a noble cause. / It is big business. / With rapid population growth/ and the aggressive speed of industrialization the world over, / suppliers of pollution control equipment, / cleaner technologies and related services/ are looking to cater to an enormous and growing market. / It has been estimated/ that the global market in these goods and services/ is around $550 billion,/ and is likely to touch $640 billion by 2010. /

• The market in these goods and services/ is clearly dominated by companies from the industrialized world. / The United States is the world’s largest producer and consumer/ of these goods and services,/ apart from being the second largest net exporter after Germany. / The US, Japan and the European Union, put together,/ control 85 per cent of the trade in this industry. / Most of the developing countries,/ including India,/ are net importers.

Cloze• 1. for • 2. who • 3. be • 4. in • 5. in• 6. with • 7. consideration • 8. while • 9. before • 10. to

Text II My Son, the Lion • 1. What did Kobus really mean when he

asked his wife on the radio “What shall I do?”

• When he asked the question, he meant to request his wife to allow him to bring the cub home.

• 2. How did the author and her husband look after the cub?

• They tried their best to give the cub the right food, held him and comforted him, and spent time playing with him in order to make him healthy and happy.

• 3. What difficulties did the cub have when he was sent back to live with wild animals?

• He was a bit frightened to live among other animals. He cowered in the grass when he saw the other lions, and refused to budge. It took him some time to realize that he was a real lion.

• 4. What do we learn from this story?

• Man should treat animals in a friendly way and help them and protect them when they are in such a need. It is necessary for man to seek a harmonious relationship with animals.

Quiz --Vocabulary1. 风景，景色 2. 牺牲3. 手艺，技艺 4. 物种 5. 果园 6. 全部剧目 /技能7. 栖息地 8.鸠尾榫；吻合9.闪烁 10. 激励，使增长11. 热烈地 12.热诚的 ; 热情的 13. 精美 / 精致的 14.孵化

Key –Vocabulary1. landscape 2. sacrifice

3. craftsmanship 4. species

5. orchard 6. repertoire

7. habitat 8. dovetail

9. sparkle 10. boost

11. passionately 12. fervent

13. exquisite 14. incubate

Oral practice1. Some animals carry viruses that can cause

infectious diseases. Do you think these animals should be destroyed for the sake of health and safety of human beings? Why or why not? What should we do to solve the problem?

2. How could animals and human beings live harmoniously on the earth?

•  MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The probable death toll from swine flu in Mexico rose to 159, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Tuesday.

    "With the information available up to now, we can confirm that there are 159 deaths registered as suspect cases," he told reporters.

    The number climbed from 152 announced earlier the day.

    Meanwhile, Cordova said 2,498 suspected cases of swine flu have been reported, with 1,311 of the patients still in the hospital.

• WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- How do people catch swine flu?

•     Spread of swine flu can occur in two ways: through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine flu viruses; through contact with a person with swine flu. Human-to-human spread of swine flu has been documented also and is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

•     Can people get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?

•     No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. People cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

• WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Are there any precautionary measures against swine flu?

•     There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs causing respiratory illnesses like influenza, such as hand-washing with alcohol-based hand cleaners especially after coughing or sneezing and avoiding close contact with sick people.

•     If one gets sick with influenza, the patient is better to stay home from work or school and limit contact with others. Patients are also asked to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth through which germs spread.

• Chinese President Hu calls for stepped-up efforts to prevent swine flu

• BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China went on full alert Tuesday to guard against swine flu, as authorities ordered round-the-clock monitoring of the deadly virus and suspension of pork imports from Mexico and the United States.

•     Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday ordered the country to step up inspection and quarantine measures to prevent swine flu from entering China and ensure public health and safety.

•     Hu urged local Party and government departments to stick to the people-first policy, closely monitor the global swine flu situation, and take prompt and comprehensive measures to deal with the virus, which had killed about 150 people in Mexico.

•     Officials should enhance international cooperation and public awareness of swine flu, and make full preparations of necessary materials and technological reserves to combat the deadly virus, he said.

•     As of Tuesday morning, no confirmed cases of swine flu had been reported in China, and the related virus had not been found in pigs in the country which has the world's biggest pig population.