上海建桥学院大学英语

Women, Half the

sky !

Unit Six

Text A I’m Going to Buy the Brooklyn

Bridge

ContentBackground information

Warming-up activity

Text organization

Sentence study

Words and phrases

Exercise useful expressionsabstractvocabulary & structureclozelistening

Background Information

Feminism

In the 1960s feminism (=the belief that women and men are equal in abilities and should have equal rights and opportunities) became the subject of intense debate when the women's liberation movement encouraged women to reject their traditional supporting role and to demand equal status and equal rights with men in areas such as employment and pay.

Since then the gender gap between the sexes has been reduced. However the battle between feminist and traditional views of a woman's role continues. It is widely accepted by younger people that women should, if they wish, be allowed to develop their careers and not give up work when they have a family.

The Brooklyn Bridge Suspension bridge spanning the East River from Brooklyn

to Manhattan Island, New York City. It was opened in 1883 and has a length of 1595 feet (486 meters). At the time of its completion, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge. It was designed by the brilliant engineer John Roebling (1806-1869) and complete by his equally ingenious son Washington Roebling (1837-1926). The Brooklyn Bridge is mentioned in several common expressions about the sale of the bridge by one person to another. E.g. A person who “could sell someone the Brooklyn Bridge” is persuasive;A person who “tries to sell the Brooklyn Bridge” is extremely dishonest;A person who “would buy the Brooklyn Bridge” is gullible.

Warm-up Activity

Questions For DiscussionQuestions For Discussion

What are women’s social roles and responsibility? What are men’s social roles and responsibility? Can woman strike a balance between career and life? For girls: all the things that you think are man’s responsibly. For boys: all the things that you think are woman’s

responsibly. If you had a second life, which one would you prefer to be,

a man or a woman? Why? Can you name some successful women? What are their

common characteristics?

The Most Powerful Women

family

affect

work stress

promotion

social recognition

Crises Facing Women

Text organization

Parts Paras. Main Ideas

1 1-3

2 4-7

3 8-11

4 12-14

5 15

Despite her friend’s advice, she believes the superwoman stories again.Her encounter with a superwoman and its influence on her.What prevents her from becoming a superwoman.

Why she’s still fascinated by modern superwoman stories.

To her, admiring a heroine is something worth doing.

She is still fascinated by superwoman stories

Sentence study

Sentence studyL7. She has a bridge in Brooklyn she’d like to sell

me.

【【解析解析】】Here the friend thought the author gullible enough to be persuaded to buy the bridge from her. She deliberately played on the meaning of the expression selling the Brooklyn Bridge to somebody ( tricking somebody in a deal).

Sentence study

L12. But like a dieter who devours …my resolve slipping occasionally.

【【解析解析】】But like a dieter who eats quickly a whole box of cookies when his determination to go on a diet is not firm, I sometimes found myresolve was not firm either.

L32. I should have known better than to ask. The answer had a familiar ring.

【【解析解析】】I should have been more sensible and should not have asked such a silly question, for the answer was the same old answer familiar to one.

Sentence study

L53. …with a check drawn on a Martian bank

Sentence study

【【解析解析】】with a check which is alien (strange) to the shop assistant.

L55. They also serve who only stand and wait…they don’t get to be superwomen that way.

Sentence study

【【解析解析】】People also get credits though they only provide support without taking direct part in an activity. But John Milton forgot to add that these don’t have the opportunity to be superwomen that way.

L75.We can’t have our cake and eat it too – the old low-dream diet.

Sentence study

【【解析解析】】Women have always expected little, believing that you can’t have everything at once. （ It implies that men are encouraged to achieve their goals in life, but women know that they can only achieve some goals at the expense of other goals. ）

Words and Phrases

1. 1. undo

1)disturb/ upset/ ruin His extravagance will undo him some day. 他挥霍无度，总有一天要毁了自己。In 5 minutes he undid my whole day’s work.. What is done cannot be undone. (proverb) 覆水难收2) open, untie, unfasten, loosenWould you please undo this knot for me. (untie)un-( +adj) 不 unable unconditional unconsidered unsociableun-(+V.) 相反的动作 undress, unload, unlock, untie

Words and Phrases

(usu. in a polite or gentle way)(usu. in a polite or gentle way) scold, denounce, condemn ; criticize sb. for failing to do scold, denounce, condemn ; criticize sb. for failing to do sth. sth. 指责；责备指责；责备reproach…for/with…reproach…for/with… 因因…………而责备而责备Do not reproach yourself, it was not your fault. Do not reproach yourself, it was not your fault. His mother reproached him for his bad manners. His mother reproached him for his bad manners. 他的母亲他的母亲责备他礼貌不周。责备他礼貌不周。She gave me a look of approach. She gave me a look of approach. 她带着责备的目光看着她带着责备的目光看着我。我。Her manner is beyond/above reproach. Her manner is beyond/above reproach. 她的行为无可挑剔她的行为无可挑剔

Words and Phrases

2. 2. reproach v. & n.reproach v. & n.

interval n. interval n. （时间、空间上的）间隔；幕间休息（时间、空间上的）间隔；幕间休息She woke him for his medicines at intervals throughout the She woke him for his medicines at intervals throughout the night.  night.  at 20- minute intervals = at intervals of 20 minutesat 20- minute intervals = at intervals of 20 minutes 相隔相隔 //每隔 每隔 2020 分钟分钟at intervals of 3 meters at intervals of 3 meters 每隔三米每隔三米at long intervals at long intervals 偶而偶而 , , 间或 间或 at regular intervals at regular intervals 每隔一定时间每隔一定时间 ; ; 每隔一定距离 每隔一定距离 at short intervals at short intervals 常常 常常 in the intervals  in the intervals  不一会儿不一会儿 , , 不久不久

Words and Phrases

3. at `intervals3. at `intervals

put (time or money ) away for a special purpose put (time or money ) away for a special purpose My husband set aside half an hour every morning to do My husband set aside half an hour every morning to do sports. sports. She set aside a little money every month to support her She set aside a little money every month to support her family.family.Let’s set aside our personal feelings. Let’s set aside our personal feelings. 让我们抛开个人情让我们抛开个人情感。感。He set all our objections aside. He set all our objections aside. 他不理会我们所有的反对他不理会我们所有的反对意见。意见。

Words and Phrases

4. set aside4. set aside

1) possess sth.: own sth. 1) possess sth.: own sth. 拥有拥有…………2) possess a particular feature or part 2) possess a particular feature or part 具有具有…………特征特征3) possess sb/be possessed by/with…sth. 3) possess sb/be possessed by/with…sth. 着迷；被（邪念，着迷；被（邪念，想法，情感等）缠住，控制想法，情感等）缠住，控制Fury/a violent rage suddenly possessed her. Fury/a violent rage suddenly possessed her. 她突然大发雷她突然大发雷霆。霆。What possessed you? What possessed you? 你怎么会这样鬼迷心窍？你怎么会这样鬼迷心窍？The news possessed him with grieve. The news possessed him with grieve. 这消息是他悲痛。这消息是他悲痛。Possess yourself in patience until I tell you the news. Possess yourself in patience until I tell you the news. 耐住耐住性子等我把消息告诉你。性子等我把消息告诉你。

Words and Phrases

5. possess: vt.5. possess: vt.

1) cheat( usu. passive) 1) cheat( usu. passive)   She was so smart that she couldn’t be taken in easily.She was so smart that she couldn’t be taken in easily.Don’t be taken in by his promises.Don’t be taken in by his promises.2) 2) He had nowhere to sleep so we offered to take him in. He had nowhere to sleep so we offered to take him in. 留宿留宿This is the total cost of the holiday, taking everything in.This is the total cost of the holiday, taking everything in. 包含包含My dress is a bit loose round the waist, could you take it in for My dress is a bit loose round the waist, could you take it in for me? me? 改窄改窄It took me a long time to take in what you were saying. It took me a long time to take in what you were saying. 理解理解

Words and Phrases

6. take in6. take in

1) power to move the feelings; attraction; interest1) power to move the feelings; attraction; interest2) strong request for help, support, kindness2) strong request for help, support, kindness 恳请；呼吁恳请；呼吁They are appealing for funds to build a new school building. They are appealing for funds to build a new school building. 呼吁筹呼吁筹集资金集资金…… …… Films of that sort have lost their appeal for me.Films of that sort have lost their appeal for me.Her novels have wide appeal.Her novels have wide appeal.He hasn’t got much sex appeal. He hasn’t got much sex appeal. 他缺乏性感。他缺乏性感。His His appeal forappeal for forgiveness went unanswered. forgiveness went unanswered.appealing n. appealing n. 打动人心的打动人心的

Words and Phrases

7. appeal v. & n. 7. appeal v. & n.

Exercises

Useful expressions1. 校友简报2. 校长助理3. 博士论文4. 终稿5. 击中要害6. 不轻易相信7. 硕士学位8. 女总裁9. 像瑞士手表一样精确10. 绑着鲜艳的红格子绸带11. 不由地质疑12. 把事情安排得有条不紊13. 我真不该多此一问14. 有一种熟悉的声音15. 有权有势的人

16. 开始动笔写17. 得了一种奇怪的病18. 不时的19. 搞定这件事 20. 和时间赛跑21. 现代神话故事22. 等待良机23. 欺骗24. 就像一日三餐没有美味一般平淡无奇25. 对生活乐观的态度26. 实现心中的梦想27. 就像节食者一时意志薄弱把整盒饼干

吃个精光，我发现自己的决心有时会溜掉。

28. 每当不坚定时，我就在报刊上到处搜寻，大量的阅读成功的故事

1. An alumni bulletin2. Assistant principal3. Doctoral dissertation4. The final draft5. Hit home6. Be suitably skeptical7. Master’s degree8. A woman executive9. As precisely as a

Swiss watch10. Be gaily tied with red-

checked ribbon11. wonder aloud12. get my act together13. I should have known

better than to ask14. have a familiar ring15. movers and shakers

16.put pencils to paper17.develop a strange illness18.at frequent intervals19.ok the matter20. race the clock21.modern fairy tales22.bide one’s time23. take in24.as unappealing as a diet

with no treats25.an optimistic approach to

life26.achieve their heart’s desires27. like a dieter who devours a

whole box of cookies in a moment of weakness, I found my resolve slipping occasionally.

28. in weak moments I’d comb the pages of newspapers and magazines and consume success stories by the pound.

Write an abstract for the text with the key words given.

set aside; get one’s act together; urge; by nature; achieve one’s heart’s desire; appeal; have something to do with; despite; fairy; superwoman

Abstract

Exercises

Being a superwoman has always been a dream for me. However, so many difficulties keep me from achieving my heart’s desire. I am by nature completely unable to get my act together; I can almost expect something to go wrong as soon as I set to work; everything on my schedule might take three times the number of minutes set aside; I usually feel exhausted after a busy day, etc. Despite all these difficulties, I still believe in those modern fairy tales. It has something to do with the appeal of an optimistic approach to life. The belief in superwomen urges average women on towards our dreams.

Sample

Vocabulary and structure

Exercises

cloze

Listening