Section A

•There’s a lot more

to life than a job

so; for the reason

unbelievable

give

company

a job; employment

confuse

meeting

accordingly incredible

render corporation

occupation puzzle

conference

I. Old to New

II. Chinese to English

人生哲学非正式民意调查

销售代理人眼前的需求

社会保障 / 保险 ( 制度 )

明辨是非专业化

教育机构

philosophy of life

informal polls

educational institutions

a sales representative

immediate needs social security distinguish right from wrong specialization

At the age of 45, my usually well-ordered life

became fraught with (filled with) changes.

After 22 years of working for a major________

institution, a downsizing initiative and a major

bank merger ________in the elimination of

over 100 jobs, mine _____ one of them. My

once secure_______became a fallacy.

However …

financial

Spot DictationSpot Dictation

resulted

beingfuture

The second thing I did to improve my inner self

was to reevaluate my life. It used to be filled with

endless, and sometimes __________ events. Now,

instead of working towards materialistic things and

________ glorification, my heart and life are firmly

entwined around people I care for. Yes, having a

________ career is important, but it is no longer my

reason for ______. When I rejoin the “rat race”, it

will be on my terms, as nurturing my _____ is my

first priority. Having _________ my life, I’m

enjoying living now, instead of just ________to

make a living.

fulfilling

being

soul

simplified

existing

meaningless

personal

Discussion

•What is the quality /meaning of life?

good health,

Tips

economic condition,

leisure activities

happiness,

control over one’s life,

social roles,

interpersonal relationships,

spiritual well-being,

caring for the environment,

…

When talking about quality of life, people would

naturally associate it with being financially well off.

But the truth is that quality of life is not totally

decided by our financial status. More importantly,

we also want to feel that we have an understanding

of the world outside our career, for human beings

have collected a great deal of knowledge in many

different fields. To lead better lives, we should, first

of all, develop a meaningful philosophy of life. While

we are striving to get financially wealthy, we should

improve our moral sense at the same time.

Listening

Directions:Directions: Listen to the first part Listen to the first part and fill in the information about and fill in the information about James in the table. James in the table.

JamesJames

AgeAge

Marital StatusMarital Status

Nearly 30Nearly 30

Married with Married with a daughtera daughter

JamesJames

ProfessionProfession

AdvantagesAdvantages

ProblemsProblems

SchoolteacherSchoolteacher

Being good at his job;Being good at his job;

Winning the respect from his pupils Winning the respect from his pupils and their parents;and their parents;

Living a comfortable lifeLiving a comfortable life

Not having a great deal of money

Directions:Directions: Listen to the second Listen to the second part and fill in the information about part and fill in the information about Huge in the table. Huge in the table.

HughHugh

AgeAge

Marital Marital StatusStatus

A few years older than A few years older than JamesJames

UnmarriedUnmarried

HughHugh

ProfessionProfession

AdvantagesAdvantages

ProblemsProblems

Having his own company; Having his own company;

Earning a lot of money;Earning a lot of money;

Having a beautiful fiancée (the Having a beautiful fiancée (the daughter of a rich banker);daughter of a rich banker);

Having an elegant flat in London Having an elegant flat in London and a Mercedes sports carand a Mercedes sports car

Electronics engineerElectronics engineer

Having a lot of difficulties in Having a lot of difficulties in production and in meeting the production and in meeting the deadline; deadline;

Having a quarrel with his fiancée Having a quarrel with his fiancée

Part APart A

When James got up that morningWhen James got up that morning ，， his wifehis wife ， ， JoyceJoyce ，， was still asleep. He crept down was still asleep. He crept down

stairsstairs ，， and slipped out of the house. Within a few and slipped out of the house. Within a few

minutes he was jogging through the woods that minutes he was jogging through the woods that

led to the sea. The sun was just breaking through led to the sea. The sun was just breaking through

the early morning mist. It was going to be another the early morning mist. It was going to be another

fine day. But James hardly noticed.fine day. But James hardly noticed.

““My GodMy God ，， I’ll be thirty in a few days. What have I I’ll be thirty in a few days. What have I

done with my life?” he asked himself. As done with my life?” he asked himself. As

usualusual ，， this question made him think of his this question made him think of his

brotherbrother ，， Hugh. Hugh was a brilliant electronics Hugh. Hugh was a brilliant electronics

engineerengineer ，， and even though he was only a few and even though he was only a few

years older than Jamesyears older than James ，， he already had his own he already had his own

company. Hugh was earning a lot of money. Hugh company. Hugh was earning a lot of money. Hugh

had an elegant flat in London and a white Mercedes had an elegant flat in London and a white Mercedes

sports car to go with it. Hugh was engaged to the sports car to go with it. Hugh was engaged to the

beautiful daughter of a rich banker. Hugh was a beautiful daughter of a rich banker. Hugh was a

success. There was no doubt about that.success. There was no doubt about that.

““What am I? Just a schoolteacher in a sleepy What am I? Just a schoolteacher in a sleepy

seaside town!” he said to himself. But James knew seaside town!” he said to himself. But James knew

that he was very good at his job and it gave him a lot that he was very good at his job and it gave him a lot

of satisfaction. The children and their parents of satisfaction. The children and their parents

respected him. Howeverrespected him. However ，， he also knew he would he also knew he would

never earn a great deal of money at itnever earn a great deal of money at it ，， even though even though

life was comfortable enough. His wife was working life was comfortable enough. His wife was working

part time at a travel agency. Mandypart time at a travel agency. Mandy ，， their their

daughterdaughter ，， was a brightwas a bright ，， healthy child and has healthy child and has

just started kindergarten. just started kindergarten.

Part BPart B

Hugh woke up early that morningHugh woke up early that morning ，， tootoo ，， feeling feeling

terrible. He had been up late the night terrible. He had been up late the night

beforebefore ，， entertaining clients. His mouth felt dry. His entertaining clients. His mouth felt dry. His

head felt as if it were splitting open. He staggered into head felt as if it were splitting open. He staggered into

the bathroomthe bathroom ， ， looking for some aspirin. But then he looking for some aspirin. But then he

remembered what his doctor had told him. He had a remembered what his doctor had told him. He had a

suspected ulcersuspected ulcer ，， and taking aspirin wasn’t good for and taking aspirin wasn’t good for

his stomach. Groaning slightlyhis stomach. Groaning slightly ，， he stumbled in to the he stumbled in to the

kitchenkitchen ， ， where he made himself a cup of extra strong where he made himself a cup of extra strong

coffee. He sat there coffee. He sat there ，， drinking it and thinking about drinking it and thinking about

the next few days. All sorts of problems had pile dup.the next few days. All sorts of problems had pile dup.

He had agreed to supply a German firm with a large number He had agreed to supply a German firm with a large number of computer components. In order to make a profit on the of computer components. In order to make a profit on the dealdeal ，， he had to keep his own production costs down to he had to keep his own production costs down to the minimum and meet a strict deadline. But the deadline the minimum and meet a strict deadline. But the deadline was only a few days awaywas only a few days away ，， and he had run into a number and he had run into a number of difficulties in production. The German firm was going to of difficulties in production. The German firm was going to phone later that day and ask all sorts of difficult questions. phone later that day and ask all sorts of difficult questions. Then there was HelenThen there was Helen ，， his fiancée. They had had another his fiancée. They had had another quarrel and she had told him that she didn’t want to see him quarrel and she had told him that she didn’t want to see him or talk to him for several days. She said that she needed or talk to him for several days. She said that she needed time to think things through. Hugh wished he could at least time to think things through. Hugh wished he could at least see her over the weekendsee her over the weekend ，， but he had to go to Buffalo on but he had to go to Buffalo on Friday. He hated the place and it meant staying in hotel for Friday. He hated the place and it meant staying in hotel for several daysseveral days ，， which he hated even more. But he was which he hated even more. But he was trying to get an important order from an American company trying to get an important order from an American company there.there.

Discussions:Discussions:

1) Which of the two brothers is more 1) Which of the two brothers is more ambitious?ambitious?

— — Hugh is more ambitious because Hugh is more ambitious because

otherwise he wouldn’t have be otherwise he wouldn’t have be

come so successful.come so successful.

——James is more ambitious James is more ambitious

because he isn’t satisfied with because he isn’t satisfied with

his current life and wants to his current life and wants to

compete with Hugh.compete with Hugh.

2) Which of the two brothers is happier?2) Which of the two brothers is happier?

— — James is happier. He has a James is happier. He has a

comfortable life. He is respected comfortable life. He is respected

by his pupils and their parents by his pupils and their parents

and loved by his wife. He has a and loved by his wife. He has a

clever and lovely daughter. clever and lovely daughter.

3) Which one would you prefer to be?3) Which one would you prefer to be?

— — I’d rather be James.I want to lead a I’d rather be James.I want to lead a

peaceful and comfortable life away peaceful and comfortable life away

from the noisy city.from the noisy city.

— — I’d prefer to be Hugh. It has been the I’d prefer to be Hugh. It has been the

dream of my life to have my own dream of my life to have my own

companycompany ，， a beautiful car and a lot a beautiful car and a lot

of money at my disposal.of money at my disposal.

Work One Day a Week

1. What were John’s parents?

A. They were teachers.

B. They were doctors.

C. They were lawyers.

2. What did John want to become?

A. A doctor.

B. A lawyer.

C. A garbage collector.

Listen to the story and

do the exercise.

Key:Key: B CB C

If I CouldIf I CouldI’d rather be a sparrow ___________I’d rather be a sparrow ___________

YesYes ，， I would.I would.

If I couldIf I could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

I’d rather be ___________________I’d rather be ___________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I only couldIf I only could ， ， I surely wouldI surely would

__________________________.__________________________.

If I CouldIf I CouldI’d rather be a sparrow ___________I’d rather be a sparrow ___________

YesYes ，， I would.I would.

If I couldIf I could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

I’d rather be ___________________I’d rather be ___________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I only couldIf I only could ， ， I surely wouldI surely would

__________________________.__________________________.

than a snailthan a snail

a hammer than a naila hammer than a nail

SongSong

AwayAway ， ， I’d rather sail awayI’d rather sail away

Like a swan that’s _____________.Like a swan that’s _____________.

A man gets __________________A man gets __________________

He gives the world ________________He gives the world ________________

Its saddest sound.Its saddest sound.

I’d rather ______________________ I’d rather ______________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I couldIf I could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

I’d rather feel the ____________________I’d rather feel the ____________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I only couldIf I only could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

Like a swan that’s _____________.Like a swan that’s _____________.

A man gets __________________A man gets __________________

He gives the world ________________He gives the world ________________

Its saddest sound.Its saddest sound.

I’d rather ______________________ I’d rather ______________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I couldIf I could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

I’d rather feel the ____________________I’d rather feel the ____________________

YesYes ， ， I would.I would.

If I only couldIf I only could ， ， I surely would.I surely would.

here and gonehere and gone

tied up to the groundtied up to the ground

its saddest soundits saddest sound

be a forest than a streetbe a forest than a street

earth beneath my feetearth beneath my feet