UNDERSTANDING AND LEARNING
Overview:
Unit 4 is designed to let students navigate their college romance. Text A tells a love story about two college sweethearts, while Text B presents an image of a college girl who is in love and wants to initiate the first step to date a boy. The two texts have the same theme, but the dating practices are somewhat different: One is more traditional and the other more modern. Though the rhetoric modes used in both texts are narrative, Text B, however, is also more like an exposition, with the girl’s opinion about dating being clearly stated: what kind of date is most beneficial, who should initiate , and who should pay. The teacher may want to expose students to the elaborated description of the girl’s inner struggle. To let students find out what kind of date they really want and how they can deal with it properly, the teacher may start with a class discussion, based on the pre-reading activities, and then proceed to a story-telling activity on the topic of “love just happens when you least expect it”. The activity contains two layers: from oral to writing.
Section A
College sweethearts
Background information
Campus romance in the 1960s in the United States
The 1960s in the United States are often perceived today as a period of profound societal change. Attitudes to a variety of issues changed, sometimes radically, throughout the decade. The urge to “find oneself”, the activism of the 1960s, and the quest for autonomy were characterized by changes toward sexual attitudes and practices, particularly among the young. These changes to sexual attitudes and behavior during the period are often referred to as the “sexual revolution”. The sexual revolution was often seen to have been centered on the university campus, among students. While the term “revolution” implies radical and widespread change, this was not necessarily in the case. Even in the “liberal” 1960s, conservative and traditional views were widely held. The love story in Text A coincides with what happened in that particular historical period of time in the United States. From the story students can see the main characters, college sweethearts back then, were actually following a more traditional pattern of dating, romantic but conservative, a clear stream on campus in the 1960s.
Detailed study of the text
1. I smile at my two lovely daughters and they seem so much more mature than we, their parents, when we were college sweethearts. (Para. 1)
Meaning beyond words: Married to her college sweethearts, the author now is happy with her family and two grown daughters. 2. Linda, who’s 21, had a boyfriend in her freshman year she thought she would marry, but they are not together anymore. Melissa, who’s 19, hasn’t had a steady boyfriend yet. My daughters wonder when they meet “The One”, their great love. (Para. 1) 2. Meaning beyond words: Her two daughters are at the age of just dating, but they seem to be very mature wondering when they will meet their true love. 3. They think their father and I had a classic fairy-tale romance heading for marriage from the outset. (Para. 1) Meaning beyond words: Her daughters consider their parents’ marriage a typical conventional romance because they think it aimed at marriage from the very beginning. ★ classic: a.(usu. before noun) admired by many people, and having a value that has continued for a long time 经典的
The Coca-Cola bottle is one of the classic designs of the last century. 可口可乐瓶子上是上个世纪的经典设计之一。 Usage NOTE Classic, classical 。 1. Classic 用作形容词表示“经典的；精彩的；一流的” 例如：Death on the Nile is one of the classic Agatha Christie. 《尼罗河上的惨案》是阿加莎·克里斯蒂的经典作 品之一。 当你看到一场精彩的演出时， 就可以说 “That’s classic!” 来表达赞美。Classic 口语中也会用到classic这个词。。例如：London is the classic example of the scattered city.伦敦是标准分 用作形容词也表示“典型的；标准的” 散型城市。 。例如：We have all the standard classics of Hayao Classic也可用作名词，表示“文学名著；经典作品；杰作” Miyazaki at home. 我们家有宫崎骏的所有经典作品。 。例如：Classical music is music written 2. Classical不能用作名词，只能用作形容词，表示“古典的，经典的” by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. 像莫扎特和贝多芬所创作的音乐称为古典音乐。 莫扎特和贝多芬所创作的音乐属于古典音乐 (classical music), 但这些古典音乐经久不衰，有永久的意义和价 值，所以这些音乐也可称为经典的音乐 (classic music) 。反之，在前面有一例中说可口可乐瓶子的设计是精一流的，所以是经典 (classic) 之作，但很明显可口可乐瓶子的设计不是古典的 (classical) 设计。所以， 彩的， 经典的 (classic) 作品不一定就是古典的 (classical) 作品。 ★ romance: n.
1) [C] a story about the love between two people爱情故事
You’ll be in the joy of creation when writing a children’s story, a novel, or a romance. 当你写一部儿童故事，一部小说，或一部爱情故事时，你就会感受到创作的喜悦。
2) [U] love or a feeling of being in love爱情；恋爱
Many people believe that marriage is not an ever-lasting romance but like a business. 很多人认为，婚姻不是一个浪漫的结合，而是一种商业的行为。
★ head for: go or travel toward a particular place, esp. in a deliberate way (朝…) 前进；（向…）去 The ship was heading for Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean. 船只正航向古巴，它是一个位于加勒比海的岛国。
4. Perhaps, they’re right but it didn’t seem so at the time. (Para. 1) Meaning: My daughters’ perception may be right, yet our romance back then was actually not like what they have assumed. 5. In a way, love just happens when you least expect it. Who would have thought that Butch and I would end up getting married to each other? He became my boyfriend simply because of my shallow agenda: I wanted a cute boyfriend! (Para. 1) Meaning: Love comes your way when you don’t really expect it. No one thought that Butch and I would finally get married. He became my boyfriend simply because I would like to fulfill my shallow wish: to have an attractive boyfriend in college. Meaning beyond words: here is the suspense of the story-the author gives a broad hint that she will tell us how she and her husband got married at last. ★ cute: a. very pretty or attractive漂亮的；可爱的
Mathew is so delighted because he’s got a really cute baby brother. 马修如此高兴是因为他有了一个很可爱的小弟弟。
6. for him I think it was love at first sight. (Para. 1) Meaning: At the school dinning hall that important night, we were introduced to each other through my roommate. I met Butch just out of curiosity, but he seemed to fall in love with me as soon as he saw me. 7. “You have beautiful eyes,” he said as he gazed at my face. (Para. 2) Meaning beyond words: The author was obviously attractive to Butch since he tried to please her by praising her eyes.
★ gaze: vi. look at sb. or sth. For a long time, giving it all your attention, often without realizing you are doing so (常指无意识地) 凝视，盯着看
He spent hours gazing out of the window when he was supposed to be working. 在应该工作的时间，他却茫然地凝视着窗外好几个小时。
★ gaze at: look at sb. or sth. With one’s eyes fixed at sth. often without knowing （常指无意识地）凝视，盯着看
He was standing on the bridge gazing down at the river beneath. 他站在桥上，双眼凝视着桥下的河。
8. He kept staring at me all night long. (Para. 2)
★ stare at: look at sth. or sb. With eyes widely open for a long time without moving凝视；盯着看 In many cultures, it’s rude to stare at people. 在许多文化中，直愣愣地盯着人看是粗鲁的行为。
9. I really wasn’t that interested for two reasons. First, he looked like he was a really wild boy, maybe even dangerous. Second, although he was very cute, he seemed a little weird. (Para. 2) Meaning beyond words: She wasn’t interested in him because she got the impression that he was wild and strange, which illustrates that she didn’t know much about him at the beginning. Therefore, it’s not true that their romance was heading for marriage from the start. ★ weird: a. (infml.) very strange and unusual, and difficult to understand or explain古怪的；奇异的
We were a little afraid when we walked into the weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这座诡异的老房子到处嘎吱作响，我们走进去时有点儿害怕。
10. Riding on his bicycle, he’d ride past my dorm as if “by accident” and pretend to be surprised to see me. I liked the attention but was cautious about his wild, dynamic personality. (Para. 3) Meaning beyond words: She understood his little trick: trying to see her by manufacturing excuses. Though she was happy to be the focus of his attention, she was also very alert to his wild and dynamic personality. ★ by accident: in a way that is not planned or intended偶然；意外地
The trigger of the gun must be locked so that it cannot be fired by accident. 枪的发射板机必须被锁住，这样就不会意外地擦枪走火。
★ pretend to do sth: behave as if sth. is true when in fact you know it is not假装…；装作…
I didn’t pretend to be an expert on the subject because I must be honest. 我没假装我是这方面的专家，因为我必须诚实。
★ cautious: a. careful to avoid danger or risks小心的；谨慎的；慎重的
Many scientists are cautious about interpreting function and behavior of “Black Holes”. 许多科学家对如何解释“黑洞”的功能和活动都持谨慎的态度。
★ dynamic: a.
1) full of energy and new ideas, and determined to succeed精力充沛的；有创新思想的；志在成功的 He seemed a dynamic and energetic leader. 他似乎是一个充满朝气和活力的领导者。
2) continuously moving or changing不断移动的；不断变化的
Markets are dynamic and companies must learn to adapt to the constant economic changes. 市场是动态的，公司必须学会适应持续不断的经济变化。
11. He had a charming way with words which would charm any girl. (Para. 3) Meaning: He knew how to please and attract girls because what he said was always pleasant to their ears. ★ charm: vt. attract sb. and make them like you, sometimes in order to make them do sth. for you迷住；吸引 Almost all of the young women in the room were charmed by his boyish manner. 房间里几乎所有的年轻女性都被他那男孩子气的举止迷住了。
n. [C, U] a special quality sb. or sth. has that makes people like them, feel attracted to them, or be easily influenced by them魅力；魔力；吸引力；可爱之处
These lovely old towns have a charm you couldn’t find in the big cities. 这些可爱的老城镇有你在大城市找不到的魅力。
12. Fear came over me when I started to fall in love. His exciting “bad boy image” was just too tempting to resist. What was it that attracted me? (Para. 3)
Meaning: I was in an awkward position: I started to fall in love with him, but I was also afraid of that. His bad boy image was too attractive to resist, but at the same time it was somewhat fearful. So, what exactly was it in him that attracted me? ★ come over sb: if a feeling comes over you, it suddenly affects you in a strong way （某种感情）突然攫住，突然影响
A wave of sleepiness came over me. 一阵倦意向我袭来。
★ tempt: vt. try to persuade sb. To do sth. By making it seem attractive怂恿；利诱
They tempted him to join their company by offering him a large salary and a company car. 他们为他提供高薪和一辆公司的汽车来利诱他加入他们的公司。
★ tempting: a. used for describing sth. That makes you feel you would like to have it or do it诱人的；吸引人的 At first glance, the contract was tempting; however, upon closer examination it became clear that the contract had many problems. 乍一看，合同是诱人的，但仔细检查后发现该合同有许多问题。
13. I always had an excellent reputation. My concentration was solely on my studies to get superior grades. But for what? (Para. 3) Meaning: I was an outstanding student who only concentrated on studies in order to get excellent grades. But so what? Shouldn’t a good student also have fun? ★ reputation: n. [C] the opinion that people have about sb. or sth. Because of what has happened in the past名誉；名望
The company has a worldwide reputation for quality. 这个公司的质量享誉全球。
★ superior: a. Better, more powerful, more effective, etc. Than a similar person or thing, esp. One that you are competing against更好的；更强的；更有效的
She got the job because she was the superior candidate. 她得到了此工作，因为她是更好的候选人。
14. College is supposed to be a time of great learning and also some fun. I had nearly achieved a great education, and graduation was just one semester away. But I hadn’t had any fun; my life was stale with no component of fun! I needed a boyfriend. (Para. 3)
Meaning: College is definitely a nice place for education but should have some fun as well. Throughout my years at college, I had devoted all my time to study but hadn’t had any fun yet. Now that I was graduating, I wanted to have a boyfriend to enrich my college life. ★ semester: n. [C] one of the two periods of time that a year at high school and universities is divided into, esp. in the US （尤指美国中学和大学的）一学期，半学年 the first / second semester 第一 / 第二学期 the spring / fall semester 春季 / 秋季学期
★ stale: a.
1) not interesting or exciting any more不在有趣的；没有新意的；乏味的
Many marriages might go stale, but not the marriage of her parents. 很多婚姻可能会变得乏味，但她父母的婚姻不会。
2) bread or cake that is stale is no longer fresh or good to eat不新鲜的
French bread goes stale (= becomes stale) very quickly. 法式面包会很快变得不新鲜。
★ component: n. [C] one of several parts that together make up a whole machine, system, etc.机器、系统等的零件；成分；组成部分
The course has four main components: business law, finance, computing and management skills. 该课程有四个主要的组成部分： 商务法、金融、计算机和管理技能。
15. Not just any boyfriend. He had to be cute. My goal that semester became: Be ambitious and grab the cutest boyfriend I can find. (Para. 3) Meaning: The one I wanted to date was not just an ordinary boy; he had to be handsome, pleasant and attractive. My ambition for that semester, therefore, was to find the cutest boyfriend at college. ★ ambitious: a. Determined to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.有抱负的；有雄心大志的；野心勃勃的
She is a very ambitious woman and plans to expand her business as soon as possible. 她是一个很有野心的女人，并计划尽快扩大自己的生意。
16. I worried what he’d think of me. (Para. 4) Meaning beyond words: Her concern about hoe Butch would look at her shows that she was becoming more interested in him and cared about his real thinking. 17. True, we lived in a sexual attitudes was taking place, but I was a traditional girl who wasn’t ready for the new ways that seemed common on campus. (Para. 4) Meaning: It was true that we lived in an era when sexual attitudes were changing dramatically, but since I wasn’t ready for the new sexual practice seemingly common on campus. ★ sexual: a. Relating to the physical activity of sex性的；与性（生活）相关的
Many elderly people continue to have a satisfying sexual life. 许多年长者仍继续有着满意的性生活。
18. Butch looked superb! I was not immune to his personality, but I was scared. (Para. 4) Meaning: Butch looked extremely wonderful. I was surely influenced by his personality, but I felt scared. ★ superb: a. Extremely good极好的；出色的；卓越的
Gifted with a superb voice, she became a famous opera singer. 她天生一副好嗓子，成为了一位出色的歌剧演员。
★ immune: a.
1) (not before noun) not influenced or affected by sth.不受影响的
Few women were immune to his charm. 很少有女人对他的魅力无动于衷。
2) safe from a disease, because you cannot be infected by it免疫的；有免疫力的
Most people who’ve had chickenpox once are immune to it for the rest of their lives. 大多数曾经出过水痘的人都会终生对水痘有免疫力。
19. The night when he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend, I went along with him. (Para. 4) Meaning: That night when my boyfriend announced publicly I was his girlfriend, I did not have any objection. Meaning beyond words: She has apparently changed her perception of Butch, from being merely curious about him at first to becoming cautious about his wild, dynamic personality later; from being fearful of failing to resist his “bad boy image” to approving of being his girlfriend.
★ go along with sb. / sth: agree with or support sb. or sth.同意；支持
Kate’s already agreed to visit my parents, but it’s going to be harder persuading Mike to go along with it. 凯特已经同意去看我的父母，但要说服迈克也同意会更难。
20. And then I suddenly thought: “Oh my gosh! Am I his girlfriend? How did that happen?” (Para. 4) Meaning beyond words: All of a sudden, she realized that she had made a mistake because she was not really ready to have a boyfriend yet.
21. Then he whispered sweet words in my ear and said, “I’m going to marry you one day and I will be a lawyer. You will see.” (Para. 4)
22 I was laughing inside and said to myself, “I’d never marry this guy. He’s rebel without a good future. He’s my boyfriend because I hate my boring student life. I just want to have fun.” (Para. 5)
Meaning: Though I agreed to be his girlfriend, from my heart, he was just a rebellious boy without a bright future. Therefore, I was not very serious about relationship. To me, the only expelled from purpose to date him was to get away from my boring student life.
23 Sure enough, the following month, I found out he had failed all his courses. (Para. 6)
Meaning: Just as I had expected, he didn’t pass any of his courses.
24 Consequently, he was going to be the university. (Para. 6)
Meaning: As a consequence, the university was going to dismiss him from the school.
★ consequently: ad. as a result 结果；因此；所以
The rain was heavy and consequently the land was flooded. 雨下得很大，结果土地被水淹没淹了。
★ expel sb. From sth. :officially force sb. To leave a school or organization （从学校或组织中正式）开除
Each year more than 10 students are expelled from the university for cheating on their exams. 每年有超过10名 学生因为考试作弊被大学开除。
25 To my disgust, he seemed designed to his fate. I knew there was hope, so I led him to the college secretary for reconsideration, (Para. 6)
Meaning: What upset me was that he seemed to accept his fate. As I knew there was still a hope, I took him to the college secretary to see whether the decision be changed.
★ disgust: n. [U] a strong feeling of dislike, annoyance, or disapproval 厌恶；气愤；反感 I threw the book aside in disgust. 我气愤地把书扔到一边。
26 “You are going to graduate with a BA in political science from UPenn and proceed to the College of Law,” I told him, lodging an appeal on his behalf, which was approved. (Para. 7)
Meaning beyond words: What she did for her boyfriend indicated their relationship had come to a new stage. Besides encouraging him to consult with the college secretary and submitting the appeal on his behalf, she also planned for his future career. She told him he had to continue his students at law school. ★ proceed: vi.
1) (fml.) continue to do sth. that has already been planned or started 继续进行；继续做
The city government was running our of money but was determined to proceed with repairing all of the roads as planned.是政府的钱快用完了，但政府决定继续按计划修复所有该修的道路。 2）move in a particular direction（向某一方向）
When the airplane from San Francisco landed in New York, passengers for Madrid were instructed to gate 26 for boarding. 当旧金山来的飞机在纽约降落后， 去马德里的乘客被要求继续前往26号登机口登机。
★ proceed to sth. : if you proceed to the next part of an activity, job, etc., you do or take part in the the next part of it 进而做（参加）某事（活动）
He accepted my invitation and then proceeded to the commit that people shouldn’t own cars because they damage the environment. 他接受了我的邀请，然后继续他的评论：人们不应该拥有汽车，因为汽车会破坏环境。 ★ lodge:
vt. Formally make sth. As a complaint or claim 正式提出（投诉、要求） He has a month in which to lodge an appeal. 他在一个月内可提出上诉。
vi. live somewhere temporarily, usu. paying rent to live in sb. else’s house, or provide sb. with a place to live （通过付住宿费）借住；（为某人）提供住宿
All the travelers lodged in a three-star hotel. 所有的旅客都住在一家三星级的酒店。
★ behalf: n. (on sb.’s ~ / on ~ of sb. )instead of sb., or as their representative 代表某人
On behalf of the entire company, I would like to thank you all of your excellent contribution. 我代表整个公司对您所做的卓越贡献表示感谢。
★ approve:
vt. Officially accept a plan, proposal, etc. 批准；认可
The court approved the sale of the property. 法院批准出售这一房产。 vi. think that sb. or sth. is good , right, or suitable 赞许；赞成；同意
I approve of your trying to make some money, but please don’t neglect your studies. 我赞成你赚一些钱，但请不要忽视你的学业。
27 Butch was granted reconsideration. And, once we became steadies, he coordinated his studies and social life, passing all of his classes. He eventually studied law.(Para. 7)
Meaning beyond words: Here we see the turning point of the relationship between the two. Her suggestions did work well with Butch since he was granted reconsideration. As soon as they became steady lovers, Butch balanced his studies and social life and passed every course. Finally, he studied law as had been planned.
★ grant:
vt. (fml.)give sb. or allow them to have sth. That they have asked for 给予；准予
The European Union could grant Spain’s request for financial assistance. 欧盟可能会同意西班牙提出的有关提供财政援助的要求。
n. [C] an amount of money given to sb., esp.by the government, for a particular purpose. （尤指政府发给的）补助金，拨款
He was awarded a grant which enabled him to successfully finish his research at the university. 他获得了政府发的补助金，这是他能够成功地完成他在大学的研究。
★ coordinate: vt. organize the different parts of a job or plan so that the people involved work together effectively 调节；协调
A senior embassy official is coordinating efforts to free the captives. 大使馆的一位高级官员正在协调各方为释放俘虏所作的努力。
28 Despite Butch;s somewhat wild character, at his core, he is always a perfect gentleman and deserves a lot of credit for that.(Para. 8)
Meaning: In spite of Butch’s a little wild character, he was always a perfect gentleman in essence, for which he should be given recognition.
★deserve: vt/
1) have earned sth. by good or bad actions or behavior 应得；应受到（奖赏或惩罚）
People who confront their difficulties bravely are people who deserve respect. 勇于面对困难的人是值得尊敬的人。
2）if a suggestion, idea, or plan deserves consideration, attention, etc., it is good enough to be considered, paid attention to, etc. （建议、观点或计划）值得考虑、注意等
The suggestion that you have put forward deserve serious consideration. 你提出的建议值得认真考虑。
29 True, he’d sometimes take the liberty of displaying his love by planting a kiss on my lips right in front of my astonished friends who watched and disapproved. (Para.9)
Meaning: Without my permission, sometimes he would press a kiss on my lips to show his love in front of my friends, who were astonished and resented what he did.
★ liberty: n.
1) [sing.] sth. you do without asking permission, esp. which may offend or upset sb. else 擅自的行为；冒犯的举动；放肆的行为
It would be taking too much of a liberty if one of my friends used my house while I was away. 如果我不在时，我的一个朋友用了我的房子，那就太过分了。
2）[U] the freedom and the right to do whatever you want without asking permission or being afraid of authority. 自由；自由权
He firmly believes that liberty is inseparable from social justice. 他坚定地认为，自由与社会公正是分不开的。
★ display：
vt. clearly show a feeling, attitude, or quality by what you do or say 显示，显露（某种情感、态度或特质） She displayed no emotion on the witness stand. 她在证人席上面无表情。
n. [C] an arrangement of the things for people to look at or buy 展览；陈列；展示
There is a display of photos of the theater from its early days in the lobby. 大厅里展出了剧院早期的照片。
★ disapprove: vi. that sb. or their behavior, ideas, etc. are bad or wrong 不赞同；反对
He was certain that she would disapprove of his plan to spend that summer doing research at the North Pole. 他肯定她会反对利用暑假在北极做研究的计划。
30 But the truth is we had a pure and responsible relationship for seven full years. Sitting by the palm trees, hand in hand, we would listen to romantic songs, watch the sunset, and weave dreams of being together with children of our own, forever. (Para.8)
Meaning beyond words: Butch showed much respect for her conservative perception of love. For seven years, they just enjoyed their romance in a tradition way. ★ weave: v. (wove,woven)
1) put many different ideas, subjects, stories, etc. Together and connect them smoothly 编造（故事等）
The author weaves a complicated plot of romance and intrigue in her new novel.作者在她的新小说里编造了复杂的故事情节，充满了浪漫和阴谋。
2）make cloth, a carpet, a basket, etc. by crossing threads or thin pieces under and over each other by land or on a loom 织；编织
This type of wool is woven into a fabric which will make jackets.这种类型的羊毛被织成了做夹克的面料。
31 Two years passed in a blur. One day, Butch took me by surprise as he knelt down and proposed marriage holding a dozen red roses! (Para. 9)
Meaning: Two years passed so quickly that I didn’t really remember everything clearly. One day, I was startled when Butch, holding a dozen red roses, knelt down to purpose marriage.
★ blur:
n.[C,usu.sing.] sth. that you cannot remember clearly 模糊的记忆；记不清的事情
I was hurt badly and the day after the accident went by in a blur. 我受了重伤，出事的那天只剩下一片模糊的记
忆。
v. become different to see, or make sth. Difficult to see, because the edges are not clear （使）模糊；（使）看不清 The street lights were blurred by the fog. 街灯在迷雾的笼罩中变得昏暗了。 ★ take sb. by surprise: happen unexpectedly 出乎某人意料
The question took her by surprise, and she did not know what to say. 这个问题完全出乎她的意料，她不知道该说些什么。
★ kneel: vi. (also ~ down) (knelt, knelt) be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees 跪着；跪下
She knelt down on the grass to examine a flower. 她跪在草地上仔细观察一朵花。 ★ propose：
v. ask sb. to marry you, esp. in a formal way （尤指正式向某人)求婚
I still remember the might your father proposed to me. 我仍记得你父亲向我求婚的那天晚上。 vt. (fml.)suggest sth.as a plan or course of action提议；建议
I purpose delaying our decision until the next meeting.我建议将我们的决定推迟到下次的会议。
★ propose marriage: (fml.) ask sb. to marry you 求婚
He was a bit shy at first, but then he got the courage to propose marriage to her. 他起先有点不好意思，但后来就鼓起勇气向她求婚了。
33 Filled with deep emotion, I confessed my love for him, “How roooomaaaantic” (Para.9)
Meaning: I admitted my love for him with deep affection. It was super romantic!
Meaning beyond words: She was so happy and thrilled to accept Butch’s marriage proposal that she said the word romantic in a slow and exaggerated way.
★be filled with: be full of 充满；装满
He looked at without speaking, and for the first time I could see that his eyes were filled with pride.他看着我没有说话，我第一次看见他的眼里充满了骄傲。
★confess: v. admit sth. That you feel embarrassed about承认（使自己尴尬的事情）
I have to confess (that) when I first met Ian I didn’t think he was very bright. 我必须承认，当我第一次见到伊恩时，我并不认为他非常聪明。
33 Then my brain woke up from fantasy land. I cried out, “Good heavens. No! We’re too young to tie the knot. We haven’t even graduated from college yet!” I really loved him but was pessimistic about our success.
Meaning beyond words: All of a sudden, she woke up from the romance scene. Though she already accepted love from Butch and confessed her love for him, she was not sure whether they would get married and have a happy ending as they were college students. ★knot: n.[C]
1) A part where one or more pieces of strings, rope, cloth, etc. have been tried or twisted together （线、绳、布等打成的）结
It is not easy for small children to learn how to die a knot in their shoelaces. 小孩子学习如何系鞋带并不容易。 2）a tight uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, etc., caused by a strong emotion such as fear or anger （恐惧、
愤怒等导致的）紧张（感）
Her stomach was in knots. 他的心揪得紧紧的。 ★tie the knot: get married 结婚
Mary was curious and wanted to know when June was going to tie the knot.玛丽很好奇，想知道简什么时候结婚。 ★pessimistic: a. expecting that bad things will happen in the future or that sth. will have a bad result 悲观的；悲观主义的
Due to the economic slowdown, the tone of the meeting was very pessimistic. 由于经济衰退，这次会议的基调非常悲观。
★ be pessimistic about: have a pessimistic view of sth. 对...持悲观看法（意见）
The doctors are pessimistic about his chance of recovery from the injury. 医生对他伤势的恢复持悲观态度。
34 We marry five years later.(Para. 10)
Meaning beyond words: Though she was pessimistic about their chance for success of love, she accepted Butch’s proposal. They got married five years later, which illustrates their deep and true love for each other.
35 Our faithful journey of love and learning took us down rocky roads of hardship and on smooth easy-going highway.(Para. 11)
Meaning beyond words: Our devoted and faithful love guided us both in times of happiness and also in times of hardship.
★faithful:a. Remaining loyal to a particular person, belief, political party, etc. and continuing to support them （对某人、信念、政党等）忠诚的，忠实的
36 It is a long, romantic, sometimes crazy, love story that sums up a 29-year long honeymoon together as a couple who are still madly in love with each other. (Para. 11)
Meaning beyond words: She felt very proud of her long-lasting romantic, sometimes even crazy love, which was just like a 29-year long honeymoon for her and her husband.
★honeymoon: [C]a holiday taken by two people who have just got married 蜜月
Many couples take a honeymoon, a one-to-two-week trip, to celebrate their marriage. 许多新人会度蜜月，即一到两个星期的度假旅行，以庆祝他们的婚姻。
37 Our love commenced with a casual attraction but bloomed into a mature love and rich life.(Para. 11)
Meaning beyond words: Completely beyond her expectation, love came to her as she started with a casual date but ended up growing into a mature love and rich life.
★commence:v.(fml.)begin or start sth. 开始；着手
Construction of the new bridge will commence as soon as our company receives the down payment for this large project.我们公司一收到这个大项目的首期付款，就会马上开始新桥梁的建设。 ★bloom:vi. if a plant or a flower blooms, its flowers appear or open 开花；（花）盛开
The plant has a beautiful orange flower , which blooms in Mary every year.这种植物在每年的五月都会开出一种美丽的橙色花朵。
Structure analysis and writing
Focus on a narrative essay
This unit provides students with the opportunity to practice writing a narrative. There are several ways to organize sentences in a narrative. However, the most common one is to use chronological order: to arrange the details in the order of occurrences. The combination of all the occurrences in a narrative can be seen as an experience. The experience may be in the past; it may be a typical experience of what people usually do, or it may be going on now.
Ordering sentences and ideas chronologically is not hard; however, it can be difficult to make the occurrences in the narrative connected in a clear and reasonable way because many times students will include unnecessary or irrelevant details in their writing. To achieve unity, a narrative needs a very clear thesis statement which displays the attitude about the topic. For example, if a narrative is describe a significance moment in the thesis statement. Then it arranges the sentences logically and includes only the sentences that relate to the thesis
Another issue in writing a narrative deals with coherence. A narration tells a story or describes a sequence of events. It is important in narrative to show the time relations between sentences and ideas. Using adverbs of time will help to achieve coherence. The following paragraph from Text A illustrate how to narrate an event:
Butch looked superb! I was not immune to his personality, but I was scared. The might when he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend, I went along with him. And then I suddenly thought: “Oh my gosh! Am I his girlfriend? How did that happen?”Then he whispered sweet words in my ear and said,” I’m going to marry you one day and I will be a lawyer. You will see.”
Analysis of the whole text structure
Text A is a narrative that tells a romantic story about the author herself. The story started with just curiosity about love during her college years and ended up with a happy marriage. The text can be grouped into three main parts:
Part One (Para.1)is the introduction which prepares for the topic of love. The narrator now has two daughters who are the age of dating. They believe that their parents had a romance story heading for marriage from the very beginning. However, it’s not completely true. The narrator started dating Butch not for love but for fun because she wanted to get away from her boring college life.
Part Two(Para.2-10)is the major part of narrative, consisting of nine paragraphs. It is interspersed with flashbacks of the narrator’s dating experiences. The story records the long journey of love in a time sequence and how they together went through ups and downs for seven years before they finally got married. The chart on the next page contains the elaboration of the narrator’s inner thinking and struggles in the course of her love journey.
Part Three(Para.11)echoes the beginning of the narration to reiterate that their love actually started with a casual attraction only but bloomed into a mature love and rich life. Having weathered the storm of love, their marriage now has turned out to be a long, romantic, sometimes crazy, love story, which sums up a 29-year long honeymoon.
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容