Unit 6 A French Fourth

1. Unit 6 A French Fourth

2. Objectives of Teaching To grasp the main idea and understand the structure of the text To appreciate the style and structure of the passage To have a better understanding of the influence of a foreign culture on expatriated families

3. Teaching Procedures Pre-reading Questions Text I. A French Fourth ● Passage ● Main idea of the passage ● Structural analysis ● Comprehension questions ● Text explanation ● sentence studies ● vocabulary studies Text II. Stuck in the MIddle Exercises

4. Pre-reading questions What do you do to celebrate National Day? ●People gather in Beijing's central Tiananmen Squareto watch the national flag-raising for China's National Day. ●October 1 marks the beginning of China's week-long national holiday, with millions of Chinese making trips and visiting relatives across the country. …

5. Our National Flag

6. The United States France Canada The United Kingdom

7. Suppose you were abroad, would you do anything special to commemorate the occasion? ●Tosing National Anthem ●To raise our national flag ● To invite some country fellows over for a party …

8. Main idea of the text This text talks about the influence of a foreign culture on expatriated families. The author starts with a way of celebrating his home country’s National Day, i.e. the Independence Day of the United States. The author makes a contrastive analysis of the costs and benefits of the expatriated people. The author talks about the effect of globalization.

9. Structural analysis The text can be divided into three parts. Part I (Paragraphs 1-3) In this part, the author tells us that he celebrated his National Day in another country by hanging an old flag from a fourth-floor balcony. He then reminds people like him of their native country and culture.

10. Part II Paragraphs ( 4-9) This part is the main body of the essay, in which the author tells us what is good and what is bad in living in a foreign country. He supports his argument with the experience of his own family and the difference between his generation and the generation of his own children.

11. Part III (paragraphs 10-12) This is the concluding part, in which the author touches upon the effect of globalization.

12. Comprehension question • Decide which of the following best states the author’s purpose of writing • To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of rearing children in a foreign culture. • B.To describe how the author uses the Independence Day as an occasion to make his children more aware of their American identity. • C. To compare the living environment for his children in Paris with the author’s own many years ago in the same metropolis. • D. To argue that the Independence Day is a wonderful occasion for patriotic education

13. 1.Along about this time every year, as Independence Day approaches, I pull an old American flag out of a bottom drawer where it is folded away — folded in a square, I admit, not the regulation triangle. I've had it a long time and have always flown it outside on July 4. Question

14. Why? 1. Here in Paris it hangs from a fourth-floor balcony visible from the street. I've never seen anyone look up, but in my mind's eye an American tourist may notice it and smile, and a French passerby may be reminded of the date and the occasion that prompt its appearance. I hope so. Cause or bring about (an action or feeling)

15. 2.For my expatriated family, too, the flag is meaningful, in part because we don't do anything else to celebrate the Fourth. People don't have barbecues in Paris apartments, and most other Americans I know who have settled here suppress such outward signs of their heritage — or they go back home for the summer to refuel. Question

16. 3. Our children think the flag-hanging is a cool thing, and I like it because it gives us a few moments of family Q&A about our citizenship. My wife and I have been away from the United States for nine years, and our children are eleven and nine, so American history is mostly something they have learned — or haven't learned — from their parents.

17. 3.July 4 is one of the times when the American in me feels a twinge of unease about the great lacunae in our children's understanding of who they are and is prompted to try to fill the gaps. It's also a time, one among many, when my thoughts turn more generally to the costs and benefits of raising children in a foreign culture. gap Twinge: a brief experience of an emotion, typically an unpleasant one

18. 4. Louise and Henry speak French fluently; they are taught in French at school, and most of their friends are French. They move from language to language, seldom mixing them up, without effort or even awareness. This is a wonderful thing, of course.

19. 4. And our physical separation from our native land is not much of an issue. My wife and I are grateful every day for all that our children are not exposed to. American school shootings are a good object lesson for our children in the follies of the society we hold at a distance.

20. 5. Naturally, we also want to remind them of reasons to take pride in being American and to try to convey to them what that means. It is a difficult thing to do from afar, and the distance seems more than just a matter of miles. I sometimes think that the stories we tell them must seem like Aesop's (or La Fontaine's) fables, myths with no fixed place in space or time. Still, connections can be made, lessons learned. question

21. 6. Last summer we spent a week with my brother and his family, who live in Concord, Massachusetts, and we took the children to the North Bridge to give them a glimpse of the American Revolution. We happened to run across a reenactment of the skirmish that launched the war, with everyone dressed up in three-cornered hats and cotton bonnets. This probably only confirmed to our goggle-eyed kids the make-believe quality of American history. question Pretending; imitating sth real

22. 7. Six months later, when we were recalling the experience at the family dinner table here, I asked Louise what the Revolution had been about. She thought that it had something to do with the man who rode his horse from town to town. Ah, I said, satisfaction swelling in my breast, and what was that man's name? "Gulliver?" Louise replied. Henry, for his part, knew that the Revolution was between the British and the Americans, and thought that it was probably about slavery.

23. 8. As we pursued this conversation, though, we learned what the children knew instead. Louise told us that the French Revolution came at the end of the Enlightenment, when people learned a lot of ideas, and one was that they didn't need kings to tell them what to think or do. On another occasion, when Henry asked what makes a person a "junior" or a "Ⅱ" or a "Ⅲ", Louise helped me answer by bringing up kings like Louis Quatorze and Quinze and Seize; Henry riposted with Henry Ⅷ.

24. 9. I can't say I worry much about our children's European frame of reference. There will be plenty of time for them to learn America's pitifully brief history and to find out who Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt were. Already they know a great deal more than I would have wished about Bill Clinton.

25. 10. If all of this resonates with me, it may be because my family moved to Paris in 1954, when I was three, and I was enrolled in French schools for most of my grade-school years. I don't remember much instruction in American studies at school or at home. I do remember that my mother took me out of school one afternoon to see the movie Oklahoma! I can recall what a faraway place it seemed: question Resonate: evoke or suggest image ,memories and emotions/resound

26. 10. all that sunshine and square dancing and surreys with fringe on top. The sinister Jud Fry personified evil for quite some time afterward. Cowboys and Indians were an American cliche that had already reached Paris through the movies, and I asked a grandparent to send me a Davy Crockett hat so that I could live out that fairy tale against the backdrop of gray postwar Montparnasse. Sinister: evil/harmful

27. 11. Although my children are living in the same place at roughly the same time in their lives, their experience as expatriates is very different from mine. The particular narratives of American history aside, American culture is not theirs alone but that of their French classmates, too. The music they listen to is either "American" or "European," but it is often hard to tell the difference. question

28. In my day little French kids looked like nothing other than little French kids; but Louise and Henry and their classmates dress much as their peers in the United States do, though with perhaps less Lands' Endfleeciness. When I returned to visit the United States in the 1950s, it was a five-day ocean crossing for a month's home leave every two years; now we fly over for a week or two, although not very often. Virtually every imaginable product available to my children's American cousins is now obtainable here.

29. 12. If time and globalization have made France much more like the United States than it was in my youth, then I can conclude a couple of things. On the one hand, our children are confronting a much less jarring cultural divide than I did, and they have more access to their native culture. Re-entry, when it comes, is likely to be smoother. On the other hand, they are less than fully immersed in a truly foreign world. That experience no longer seems possible in Western countries — a sad development, in my view. question

30. Fold away: make something into a smaller, neater shape by folding it, usually several times e.g. These camping chairs can be folded away and put in the trunk. e.g. The piece of paper was folded away carefully and tucked into her purse.

31. Regulation: in accordance with laws or rules; official As we walked along the street, we cold see the noisy cheerful group of people in regulation black parade tunics. Christians usually decorate the houses with the regulation decorations as Christmas approaches.

32. Why does the author hang the American flag from the 4th floor balcony? He does this for two reasons. First, he does not want to forget his native heritage as an American living in paris; second he wants to use this as a special means to teach his children about the american history and as a reminder of their american identity. … but I imagine that an American tourist may notice it and show his appreciation of my action with a smile. In my mind’s eye: I imagine

33. the date and occasion that prompt its appearance: The event of 13 states of British colonies declaring their independence on July 4,1776 brought about the appearance of this flag.

34. The author has kept the old flag for a long time. Why didn’t he get a new one? The text did not tell us explicitly, but it is very likely that this flag was brought to Paris from the U.S. a long time ago. To the author, the old flag is a better reminder of his home country than a new one.

35. Suppress such outward signs of their heritage: do not give manifestations of their traditional culture handed down from their ancestors. Suppress: prevent the development, action, or expression of (a feeling, impulse, idea, etc.) The troops suppressed the rebellion by firing on the mob. 军队向暴徒开枪镇压叛乱。 每个国家都扣留对它不利的消息。 Each nation suppressed news that was not favorable to it. Heritage: cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generation.

36. Refuel: to fill with more fuel for a vehicle (original meaning) / to fill someone’s mind with more knowledge of their native culture (here) e.g. The plane refueled at Beijing and flew on. 那架飞机在北京加油后继续飞行。 In a society of intense competition, people have to refuel every year to catch up with the rapid renewal of knowledge.

37. Why do the author and his family go back home for the summer? As expatriates, not used to the custom and cultural traditions in France Have little access to the traditional culture of their motherland. To trace the heritage of Americans To teach their children (reared up in France) the culture and history of their motherland.

38. Cool: calm and unemotional in a different situation He was marvellously cool again, smiling as nothing had happened. I didn’t like him at all. I thought he was cool and arrogant. cool, composed, collected, unruffled, nonchalant, imperturbable, detached These adjectives apply to persons, their attitudes, their behavior, or their actions to indicate absence of excitement or discomposure, esp. in times of stress.这些形容词适用于人或人们的态度、举止或行为，表示冷静沉着或不慌不忙，尤其是在紧张时刻。 Cool usually implies merely a high degree of self-control, also indicating aloofness: Cool 通常只指一种高度的自我控制，虽然它也可以表示冷漠超然： “Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool. Have unlimited patience” “An honest hater is often a better fellow than a cool friend” (John Stuart Blackie). Composed implies a serene, often sedate quality arising from self-discipline: Composed 带有产生于自我约束的一种安详宁静的，常常是镇定沉着的品质之意： The performer was composed as she readied herself for her entrance on stage. 这位演员在准备上场时沉着冷静。 Collected suggests self-possessed composure: 含有泰然自若、沉着镇静之意： The witness remained collected throughout the cross-examination. 证人在整个反诘问过程中保持着镇静自若。 Nonchalant describes a casual manner that may suggest, sometimes misleadingly, a lack of interest or concern: 指一种可能(误导性地)带有缺乏兴趣/关心意味的不拘礼节的态度： He doesn't seem excited; on the contrary, his demeanor is easy and nonchalant. 相反，他的举止轻松而无动于衷。 Detached implies aloofness resulting either from lack of active concern or from resistance to emotional involvement: 含有冷漠超然的意思，可以是因为不太关心也可以是因为不愿介入感情纠葛： She may be detached,she may even be unfeeling,but at least she's not hypocritically effusive. 她可能冷漠，她甚至可能冷酷无情，但至少她不会假惺惺地过分热情 .

39. July 4 is one of the times I, as a native American, feel instinctively uneasy about the great gaps in our children’s understanding of their American identity, and thus I am motivated to do something to fill the gaps. The American in me: the feeling of being American which is deeply rooted in my mind.

40. And our physical separation from our native land is not much of an issue: and living away from our native country does not matter (in our children’s acquisition of our native language).

41. Object lesson: a striking practical example of some principle or ideal E.g.They responded to daily emergencies in a way that was an object lesson to us all. E.g.That was an object lesson in how to handle a difficult customer. Folly: a foolish act, idea, or practice commit a folly 作蠢事 The -lies of youth are food for repentence in old age. [谚]年轻时胡闹, 年老时烦恼。

42. Take pride in being America: having a feeling of great pleasure or satisfaction of being a native America. Take pride in: be proud of E.g.The team has achieved unprecedented success this season. All the players take pride in being a member of this team. After years of hard work, she takes pride in writing beautifully.

43. Why is it difficult to convey the author’s pride of being An American to children? Because the children are typical expatriates in France. They are not easy to understand the historical heritages of their motherland and acquire the sense of community as their peer groups in the U.S.. Give them glimpse of American revolution: take the children to learn some details of the American Revolution.

44. Confirm: prove sth definitely true These statistics confirm our worst fears about the depth of the recession. The spokesman confirmed that the area was now in the rebel’s hands. confirm, substantiate,authenticate,validate,verify: all mean to affirm the truth, accuracy, or genuineness of something. 确认事实、精确性或事件的真实性。 Confirm generally implies removal of all doubt about something considered uncertain or tentative: 一般暗指消除所有不确定的试探性的疑惑： substantiate 是用实质性的可触摸到的事实来确定某事： “one of the most fully substantiated of historical facts” Authenticate implies the removal of doubt about the genuineness of something by the act of an authority or the testimony of an expert: 用权威的行为或专家的证词来消除对某事真实性的怀疑： The museum made the mistake of accepting the painting before it had been authenticated. Validate usually implies formal action taken to give legal force to something ( Validate 一般指正式的赋予某物法律效力的行为， 但也可以指证实某事的真实性，如理论、声明或判断 The divorce validated his parents' original objection to the marriage. Verify implies proving by comparison with an original or with established fact: 通过和原件或一已确定的事实比较而得到证实： The bank refused to cash the check until the signature was verified.

45. What was the purpose of this visit to the North Bridge? They took the children to learn details of the American Revolution. They hope that the reenactment of the war will help the innocent children to understand the historical event that led to the foundation of the nation. But to his disappointment, the result is not quite satisfactory because the children cannot completely grasp the gist of what they saw and heard

46. Satisfaction swelling in my breast: with my heart full of satisfaction Sth swell in sb’s breast: sb is full of some feeling/be intensely affected or filled with a particular emotion E.g. Having witnessed so many oversea Chinese protesting against the false report from some western mass media, a sense of identity swells in me/in my breast.

47. As we pursued this conversation: as we continued to discuss the topic of the American Revolution pursue: continue to study, explore or discuss (a topic , idea, or argument) pursue pleasure寻欢作乐 pursue a calling从事一种职业 pursue a discussion继续讨论 pursue one's studies从事研究 He felt their eyes pursueing him.他感到他们的眼睛老是跟着他。 对世界人民我们一贯奉行友好政策。 We have always pursued a friendly policy towards the people all over the world.

48. Frame of reference: a particular set of beliefs, ideas, or observations on which one bases his judgment. e.g. Please see to it that you are dealing with someone with a different frame of reference. The observer interprets what he sees in terms of his own cultural frame of reference. .

49. Why does the author recall his own experience as a child in Para 10? Because he wants to illustrate that as a child he had a particular way of viewing the world around him, which was quite different from that of the adults. Haste makes waste. So the knowledge of his native land should be accumulated gradually.

50. Square dancing: a traditional American dance in which sets of four couples dance together in a square formation Surreys with fringe on top: old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages with fancy decorations on top.