Transcript Confessions of a Miseducated Man

CONTEMPORARY
College English
(Book 2)
Lesson 12
Confessions of a Miseducated Man
－by Norman Cousins
创 作 单 位：辽东学院外语学院
本单元作者：齐家媛
Lesson 12
Confessions of a Miseducated Man
－by Norman Cousins
Contents
Part One: Background Information
Part Two: Text Appreciation
Part Three: Text in Details
Background
Information
Subtitle Here
1. About the Author
2. Bird’s eye view
3. Tribalism
4. World Population
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1. About the Author
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Norman Cousins (1915—1990)
Careers:
writer
editor
citizen diplomat
promoter of holistic healing
unflagging optimist
Lifelong Concerns:
war and peace
world governance
justice
human freedom
the human impact on the environment
health and wholeness
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1. About the Author
Belief in world governance:
• He believed that enduring world peace could only be
achieved through effective world governance.
Belief in world federalism:
• He argued for a world no longer based on the supremacy of
nationalism and other superficial differences.
Contribution to peace and human well-being:
• He arranged for medical treatment in USA for 24 young
Japanese women who came to be known as the
“Hiroshima Maidens”;
• helped support the medical care of 400 Japanese children
orphaned by the atomic bomb;
• with his wife, legally adopted one of the "Maidens";
• helped create a program for the “35 Polish women who had
been victims of Nazi medical experiments during the war”.
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1. About the Author
Quotations
• Inevitably, an individual is measured by his or her
largest concerns.
• Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
• A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates,
should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas—a
place where history comes to life.
• If something comes to life in others because of you,
then you have made an approach to immortality.
• Just as there is no loss of basic energy in the universe,
so no thought or action is without its effects, present
or ultimate, seen or unseen, felt or unfelt.
• Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.
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2. Bird’s eye view
Bird’s eye view:
a situation or topic as if viewed from
an altitude or distance
Get a bird's eye view, Maui's spectacular sights
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3. Tribalism
• Originally, tribalism refers to
behavior and attitudes that are
based on strong loyalty to tribe.
Scholars believe that modern
regionalism, racism, and
nationalism are merely more refined
forms of primitive tribalism.
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4. World Population
Population 2006-03-06
1. China
1,311,461,762
2. India
1,090,540,218
3. USA
297,582,756
4. Indonesia
244,357,819
5. Brazil
187,453,214
World
6,496,061,544
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Text
Appreciation
Subtitle Here
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1. Structure of the text
2. Theme of the text
3. Writing techniques
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1. Structure of the text
• Part 1 (Paras.1—7 ): The old education focusing on
nations’ differences should give way to the new one
emphasizing the similarities.
• Part 2 (Para8 ): We should respect all human
beings because human life is such a rare
occurrence.
• Part 3 (Para.9 ): However different peoples may be,
they are united in their humanness, in their basic
human faculties and gifts.
• Part 4 (Paras.10—11): They are also united in their
needs.
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2. Theme of the Text
• The author’s central idea is that , to prepares
ourselves for this new world, we must all be
re-educated so that we will be able to
understand that there are more similarities
than differences among peoples. The
differences are superficial and insignificant
whereas the similarities are essential and
fundamental. These similarities enable all of
us to be members in this global village and to
live happily with mutual respect.
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3. Writing technique
• Repetition.
• Normally to make a piece of writing neat, we
don’t repeat the main verb or other parts of a
sentence. But repetition technique frequently
used by writers and speakers for emphasis.
In Paragraphs 3, 4 and 9 of the text, not only
the structure but the key words are repeated
while in Paragraph 10 , only the structure is a
of “how to do” is repeated.
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3. Writing technique
Example:
• 1. And the simplest reality of all was that the human
community was one --- greater than any of its parts,
greater than the separateness imposed by the
nations, greater than the different faiths and loyalties
or the depth and color of varying cultures.(para.4)
• 2. Geography had instructed me in differences of
terrain, resources, and productivity. Comparative
culture had instructed me in the differences of
background and group interests. Anthropology had
instructed me in the differences of facial bone
structure, skin color and general physical aspect.
(para.3)
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Text In Details
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Text in Details
1. in the nature of a confession: a kind of
confession; statements of my past wrongs
2. instruct: to teach; to educate (The word
“instruct”, in the sense of “educate”, is used in
the pattern: to instruct sb. in sth.)
3. comparative culture: an academic discipline; a
study that involves comparing cultures of
different countries.
4. group interests: interests of ethnic, social,
political groups
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5. principal: main, chief, major, the most
important
• Do not mix it up with its homonym—
principle.
6. all but: almost or nearly
7. Let me say it in a differently: Let me say it in
a different way. “Put” here means to say or
to express, e.g.
• Let me put it another way.
• Can you put it in simple English?
• To put it bluntly, I think this company is
bankrupt.
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8. not so much as: not one thing but rather sth.
else, e.g.
• I like teaching not so much for the pay as
for the chance to be among young people.
• He lost his job not so much for his
incompetence as for his age. At 45, he was
considered too old.
9. get through doing: to complete; to finish
doing
10. in terms of: only as; only in connection
with
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11. well traveled: been to many countries
12. far-flung areas: very distant places
13. give way to: to give its place to sth. better, to be replaced by,
e.g.
• The traditional extended family has now given way to the
nuclear family.
• Coal is dirty and will have to give way to gas or other cleaner
energy.
14. not to hold sth. cheaply: to hold sth. dear; to think that sth.
is important
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15. in combination: when put together
16. take in past experience: to absorb or
understand or learn from past experience
• 17.visualize future needs: to foresee future
needs and take action to meet these needs
• 18.what counts: what is important
• More examples of the use of “count”:
• I know that what I say here does not count.
• These empty promises don’t count. We need
action.
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19.forms and colors and ordered sounds:
referring to literature, architecture, art and music
20.the unity of human needs: the delicate balance
or interdependence of human needs
21.thundering propaganda: very loud or noisy
propaganda
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