英語(yǔ)專業(yè)英語(yǔ)短篇小說(shuō)教案及課后答案.

1、Keys to Unit OneLangston Hughes: Early AutumnTeaching objectives: 1.To learn the elements of fiction/short story2. Text for Reading3. Interpretation and DiscussionDifficulties:1. To find the meaning under the surface of the words2. To write a short story after reading Time: 4 periodsTeaching procedu

2、res:1. the Introduction of the textbook as well as the teaching aims2. the elements of fiction/short storyFiction: the word fiction is a rather general term that can be define d as narrative told in prose. Therefore, fiction refers to different ty pes of writing such as folktale, myth, legend, etc.,

3、 but it is most often associated with the novel and the short story.Short story: the short story is necessarily limited in length and scope.Key words of short story: a single incident; a single character or afew characters; compact; creative and imaginative3. Exercises and analysis:1) Opinions of Un

4、derstanding:(1) What was probably untrue of Mary?A. She missed the days of the past.B. She still loved Bill.C. She worked to keep a family of three children.D. She was satisfied with her life and job in New York.(2) Which of the following adjectives can probably best describe Bills attitude?A. Emoti

5、onal.C. Puzzled.B. Indifferent.D. Hopeful.(3) Mary didn tsay anything when she got on the bus. Why?A. She had nothing more to say.B. She was disappointed in Bill.C. She was too emotional.D. She knew the situation was hopeless.(4) The last sentence of the story “she had forgotten to tell him that her

6、 youngest boy was named Bill, too ”shows that _.A. Mary knew she would meet Bill again some day.B. “Bill ”is a very common name.C. Mary had been thinking about Bill and still loved him.D. Mary was proud of her youngest son.(5) The title of the short story “Early Autumn ”may suggest to the reader tha

7、t _.A. the bitterness of an emotional long winter was aheadB. it was still the bright time of ones life, like early AutumnC. both Mary and Bill were now middle-aged peopleD. the love between them was not as “hot”as summer days2) Questions for Discussion (Suggested answers for reference):(1) Can you

8、pick out words and sentences to show that Mary and Bill were now different in their attitudes toward each other?1) Mary: she saw him for the first time in years. (line 5)Bill: At first he did not recognize her(line 8)2) Mary: Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss(line 11)Bill:b

9、ut he held out his hand. (line 12)3) Mary: “ I live in New York now,” (eagerlyshesaidtelling. him her address) (line 14)Bill: “ Oh” smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes. (having no interested in her living place now.) (lines 15-16)4) Mary: “ Married yet? (concerning” k

10、eenly about his marital status) (line 21)Bill: “ Sure.Two kids. ”(being satisfied with his present situation and showing pride in mentioning his family.) (line 22)5) Bill:“ And your husband?”he asked(nothernoticing. her subtle emotional change.) (line27)Mary: “ We have three children. I work in the

11、bursar s office(avoidingatColumbia”mentioning her husband in her reply). (line 28)6) Bill:“ You re looking very ” (he wanted to say old)“ (not beingwell,” he said.sensitive to her condition.) (line 29)Mary: She understood. (being very sensitive to her own condition.) (line 30)7) Mary:“ Welive on Cen

12、tral Park West, ”she said. “ Comeand see us sometime.”(offering a direct invitation.) (line 33)Bill:“ Sure, ” he replied.“ You and your husband must have dinner with my family somenight. Any night. Lucilleand I loved to have you. ”(givinga polite indirect rejection.) (lines34-35)8) Mary: “ There s m

13、y bus,” she(linesaid42).Bill: He held out his hand,-by“.Good”(ready to part with Mary.) (line 43)Mary: “ When ” she wanted to say(not ready to part with Bill) (line 44)(2) Several times the author describes the scene on Washington Square: the dusk, the chilly weather, the falling leaves, the passing

14、 people. Does he only want to tell us where and when the story takes place? What other effects do such descriptions achieve?(The description of the setting gives the reader a feeling of sadness and depression. It was getting dark and getting cold with leaves falling. The bright daytime was over and

15、the unpleasant darkness was ahead, and the warm and comfortable summer and early autumn days were beingreplaced by the cold and long winter. The setting echoes and reinforces Mary s feelings of regret and yearning and implies the emotional crisis that she might have to face.)3) Explanation and Inter

16、pretation:(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)1) Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved.(Notice the two key words: “impulsively ”and “thought. ”This has direct relation to her reactions at Washington

17、 Square, New York, years later. She made an impulsive decision and the man she “thought”she loved was not the man she wanted to be a life partner with.)2) Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand.(Her unconscious reaction reveals that their sweet love in

18、the past had been kept alive in Mary s memory for all these years, but Bill had undergone a total change, treating her as an ordinary acquaintance of the past.)3) “ And your husband?” he asked her.“ We have three children. I work in the bursar s office.” at Columbia(This is the first time Bill initi

19、ated the conversation, but he had failed to notice the signs inMary s emotional reaction and asked a question he should have not asked. Mary avoided thequestion by talking about something else. Why did she avoid mentioning her husband? There ismessage in the avoidance.)4) The lights on the avenue bl

20、urred, twinkled, blurred.(The vision came from Mary s eyes. Obviously, her eyes were now filled with tears.)5) The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn t know. Space and people.(A lot of people had walked into their lives, Mary and Bill s family

21、 members and their respective circle of friends and colleagues. It was no longer their world of two young lovers when they were in Ohio.)4) Suggested Homework:Suppose you were Bill Walker and you had a habit of writing down what happened to you in your diary. After the chance meeting with Mary at Wa

22、shington Square, you went home and wrote a brief paragraph about the meeting. The paragraph may begin like this:Oct. 11, 2009I had never expected to see Mary, but I met her at Washington Square. She looked rather old to me I didn teven recognize her immediatelyFor reference only:Oct. 11, 2009(I had

23、never expected to see Mary, but I met her at Washington Square. She looked rather old to me I didn teven recognize her immediately. It was quite a surprise that she could pick me out among the hustling and bustling crowd in the street. After all, it has been quite a few years since we parted - Eight

24、, nine, or ten years? Time flies and we both changed a lot, no longer the heady, impulsive kind of youngsters that we once were. For some reason, she seemed rather emotional about this chance meeting, and was keen in knowing about what had happened to me in these years and in telling and inviting me

25、 to her place. Somehow, she avoided mentioning her husband, the man she quickly married after we ran into a little problem in our relationship. Ten years is a long time, enough to reshape a person s life. I wish her and her family all the happiness, sincerely.)Keys to Unit Two(1) I. B. Singer: The W

26、ashwoman(2) Frank Sargeson: A Piece of Yellow Soap1) Questions for Discussion:(Suggested answers for reference)(1) Does the piece of washing soap have the “power”as the narrator tells us? What is the “power ”that forces him to take off?(The piece of yellow washing soap is, of course, an ordinary one

27、. The narrator is a“ na?venarrator”who believed that it had some sort of mysterious “power,”while the readers areexpected to know better. This power comes from the narrators deep sympathy for the tragicfate of the washing woman. Seeing the situation, he simply could not continue to demand the paymen

28、t which he knew the woman was unable to produce.)(2) In this Unit, we have two stories about two washwomen. There are a lot of similar descriptions and common characteristics in the two stories. Find and list them.(They were both reduce to desperation, depending solely on washing for living. Both we

29、re hard-working and uncomplaining, quietly but almost heroically bore their burden and struggled for a hard existence. The author describes their common feature the white and shrunken fingers as symbol of suffering in the lives of the working people. They both were both dead by the end of the storie

30、s.)(3) The two first-person narrators tell two stories of two washwomen who shared similar tragicfate. Discuss the differences in the narrators that result in the differences in the way the two short stories are told.(Singer s narrator knows more and tells more about the washing woman, often making

31、direct comments and revealing his own feelings about the life of the woman whose story he istelling. He frequently emphasizes that what he istelling is real, and hints thatthe story hassignificance. The narrator s voice is very close to the authors. Please see more in “Reading Tips ”on page 11. On t

32、he other hand, Sargeson s narrator is a na?ve one, that is, the narrator sunderstanding is purposely made shallow, and the reader need find by himselfthe realmeaning in the situation. Sothe narrator stands at some distance from the author. Pleasesee more in “Reading Tips”on page 15. Therefore, in Te

33、xt I , we, as readers, are basically “given”or “received”the story, while in Text II , we need to participate imaginatively in the story to “dig out ”the true meaning the na?ve narrator has left unexplained.)2) Explanation and Interpretation:(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, a

34、nd point out their significancein the context of the story.)From “The Washwoman”:(1) She had been so sick that someone called a doctor, and the doctor had sent for a priest. (According to the custom, a priest should be present while one is dying. The implied messageis the doctor thought that he coul

35、d do nothing to save her, and the best thing to do was to prepare for her death.)(2)“ With the help of God you will live to be a hundred and twenty,” said my mother, as ablessing.“ God forbid!.”(“My Mother ”extended a good wish for long life to her, but the washing woman thought that a long life was

36、 a terrible thing, because it only meant suffering longer.)(3) Her soul passed into those spheres where all holy souls meet, regardless of the roles they played on this earth, in whatever tongue, of whatever religion.(A good person, like the old washwoman, would go to heaven because she had a noble

37、soul. She would rise above all the earthly considerations of class, race, nation and religion. )From “A Piece of Yellow Soap”:(4) My eyes would get fixed on her fingers and the soap, and after a few minutes I would lose all power to look the woman in the face. I would mumble something to myself and

38、take myself off .(The narrator could not bear to look at this washing-tub slave for too long. He would have to find some excuse and leave. He could not push her over the cliff while she was standing on the verge of total desperation.)(5) She had a way too of feeling inside her handbag as she passed

39、me, and I always had the queerfeeling that she carried there a piece of soap. It was her talisman powerful to work wonders (Possibly in the bag there were a few pennies that the woman had earned from her washing,and she was going to buy food or some necessities. Seeing the narrator, to whom she knew

40、 she owed money, she unconsciously or protectively put her hand in the bag. The narrator, being“ na?ve,”misunderstood her reaction while they met in the street.)Suggested Homework:Translate the following paragraphs from “The Washwoman ”into Chinese:The bag was big, bigger than usual. When the woman

41、placed it on her shoulders, it covered her completely. At first she stayed, as though she were about to fall under the load. But an inner stubbornness seemed to call out; no, you may not fall. A donkey may permit himself to fall under his burden, but not a human being, the best of creation.She disap

42、peared, and mother sighed and prayed for her.More than two months passed. The frost had gone, and then a new frost had come, a new wave of cold. One evening, while mother was sitting near the oil lamp mending a shirt, the door opened and a small puff of steam, followed by a gigantic bag, entered the

43、 room. I ran toward the old woman and helped her unload her bag. She was even thinner now, more bent. Her head shook from side to side as though she were saying no. She could not utter a clear word, but mumbled something with her sunken mouth and pale lips.For reference only:衣服包很大，比平時(shí)更大。婦人將那一大包衣服駝在肩

44、上，包袱把她的身子完全蓋住了。一開(kāi)始，她穩(wěn)住腳，好像隨時(shí)都會(huì)在大包袱的重壓下倒下。 但似乎有一種內(nèi)在的毅力在呼喚，讓她挺住，不能倒下。一頭驢可以允許自己被重壓壓垮，但人為萬(wàn)物之靈，則不可趴下。她漸漸走遠(yuǎn)，母親嘆了口氣，默默為她祈禱。兩個(gè)多月過(guò)去了。冰雪消融后，冰雪又至，新一陣寒潮襲來(lái)。一天晚上，母親正坐在油燈旁補(bǔ)衣衫， 門突然被推開(kāi)， 一團(tuán)小小的霧氣引領(lǐng)著一個(gè)巨大的包袱進(jìn)了屋子。 我跑上前去幫老太太卸下包袱。她愈加消瘦，背更駝了。她不停地晃著腦袋，像在說(shuō)太過(guò)分了。她連話都說(shuō)不清楚，從癟陷的嘴中透過(guò)蒼白的嘴唇嘟噥了幾聲。Keys to Unit ThreeRichard Selzer: The

45、Discus Thrower1) Questions for discussion (Suggested answers for reference)(1) What impression do you get of the patient from the description given in the story?(In spite of his serious illness, the man never moans or complains. He talks little and generally keeps the physical suffering to himself.

46、He tries to maintain an image of a real man although he is in the grip of Death. He behaves in the manner of Hemingway s “tough guy ” acting by the principal that “A man can be destroyed but can not be defeated.”)(2) In the short conversations, we hear the patients demand to know about exact time an

47、d his demand for shoes. Why is he still interested in time and what does he want shoes for since he can t walk anymore?(His interest in exact time and his demand for shoes seem to suggest that, deep in his heart, the man refuses to accept the fate. It might be the result of fierce psychological conf

48、lict within the patient, with reality and rationality on one side, and wish and will on the other side. Some abnormal behaviors indicate the mans unwillingness to reconcile with the fate in spite of his self-restrain.)(3) Read carefully the paragraph about plate-throwing. Why does the writer give su

49、ch detailed description of it? What is your interpretation of this rather abnormal behavior?(From the detailed descriptions of his “discus”throwing, we seem to learn that the man is rather skillful at that, and that he might have had some training in the sport of throwing discus. Then why dose he th

50、row plates? Is it because it brings back the memory of the best moment in his life when his physical power wins the glory and cheers? By this impulsive “reliving ” or“restaging”of the explosive energy he once had, the man gains some satisfaction he laughs after it and proves that he is still alive.

51、This action reveals the complicated inner world of a man who is forced to face death.)(4) Why does the writer choose “The Discus Thrower ”as the title? Is it coincidence that the short story has the same title as the famous Greek sculpture Discobolus (Discus Thrower)?(In the Greek sculpture, we see

52、the frozen moment of beauty: male vitality, energy and muscle power. It is a celebration of life and physical capability. This patient might once be a discus thrower, professional athlete or amateur, and now forms such a contrast to the sculptured image. This leaves a lot of room for reader s own re

53、flection on life and death.)2) Explanation and interpretation(Explain the implied meaning of the following sentences, and point out their significancein the context of the story.)(1) a. From the doorway of Room 542 the man in the bed seems deeply tanned. Blue eyes and close-cropped white hair give h

54、im the appearance of vigor and good health.b. He lies solid and inert. In spite of everything, he remains impressive, as though he were a sailor standing athwart a slanting deck.(The patient is fatally ill, but he looks, or keeps an image of a strong man. His life isthreatened by disease, but the sp

55、irit of a strong man is still there. He does not collapse, but does what he can, though rather vainly, to struggle to maintain the dignity of a man.)(2) “ Yes, ” he says at last and without the least irony. (see suggested answer toQuestion 2.)“ You can bring me a pair of shoes.(3) It s a blessing, she(the head nurse) says.(Though the head nurse is the one who has complained a lot about the patient s unreasonable behaviors and upon his death she says “It s a blessing,”it does not mean that she is cold blooded, and thus feels relieved of her troubles. She means that God has all