Unit 3

1. Unit 3

2. Objectives • to understand the main idea and structure of the text • to appreciate the basic elements of a play • to grasp the key language points and grammatical structures in the text

3. Preparation • Task 1 Illustration of Cartoons • Task 2 What is “generation gap”? — a listening practice • Task 3 Interview

4. Task 1 Discussion • How can you illustrate the cartoons?

5. Task 1 Discussion How can you illustrate the cartoons?

6. Task 2 A Listening Practice What’s it in your mind? See CD

7. Task 3 Interview 1. When are your parents’ birthdays? 2. Do your parents celebrate your birthday? How about their own birthday celebration? 3. In your parents’ eyes, what are you interested in? 4. In your eyes, what are your parents interested in? 5. In what areas do your parents want you to improve? 6. In what ways do you want your parents to improve? 7. Do you feel grateful to your parents for whatever they have done for you? 8. Tell of an instance when your parents and you disagree over something.

8. In-class Reading Father Knows Better

9. Text analysis — a brief introduction to plays 3 settings 2 characters 4 conflicts the major components of a play 1 stage directions 5 climax 6 theme 7 language

10. What does a stage look like?

11. Functions of stage directions: • To set up stage properties in the proper place • To indicate a change in setting • To direct actors’ movement, gesture, facial expression, tone of voice, etc.

12. Text analysis — who are they? Scan the play and identify the characters: • The Thompson family: (father, mother, Heidi, Diane and Sean) • Restaurant manager, how old is he? (In his twenties.) • Mrs. Higgins, who is she? (School official in charge of admitting new students to Benjamin Harrison High School.)

13. Text analysis —conflict of the play When a conflict develops to the most intensified point, it becomes a climax. • Conflicts are the essence of a play, a clash of actions, ideas, desires or wills. • Three forms of conflicts: man against man, man against environment, or man against himself • The conflict in this play is between ____ and _____. (Mr. Thompson, his children)

14. Text analysis —how is the play organized? • Scan the play and decide on how many settings it comprises. Hint: Just read the stage directions put in the brackets. Suggested answer: 3 settings Setting 1 — A fast-food restaurant Setting 2 — The Thompson family dining room Setting 3 — An office at a high school

15. Text analysis — understanding the main idea Father embarrassed Sean by talking too proudly to the restaurant Manager. Father embarrassed Diane by persuading a work-mate into pressing his son to ask her to the senior prom. Father embarrassed Heidi by boasting to an official of her new school about how bright she was.

16. Text analysis — language style On the whole, the style is informal/colloquial: • short sentences • few complex structures • sentence fragments / incomplete sentences • repetitions, pauses and nonsensical words • familiar everyday words instead of ‘big’ or abstract words and difficult phrases • phrasal verbs

17. Your assignment: • Role-play: (three settings) • You are going to be divided into three groups. • Each group should be in charge of one part of this play. • Show your performance next time.

18. Language points in Scene 1 • locationn.(line 3) — locate v. — located adj. • the edge of the stage (line 6) • address the audience (line 7) • end up embarrassing sb. (line 11) • wait tables(line 12) • in unison(line 18) 1. do sth. at the same time 2. if people or organizations work in unison, they are working together because they agree with each other

19. Language points in Scene 1 • consist of(line 20) * consist in consist, compose, comprise & constitute • a man-to-man talk(line 43)  a talk that takes place between two men, esp. two men who need to discuss a serious personal talk • life’s dangerous sea(line 47)  Here the author uses a metaphor. He compares life to an arduous sea voyage, which needs hard and continuous effort.

20. Language points in Scene 1 (followed by “that” or “to do”) be wise , well informed, or well-mannered enough to avoid (specified behavior) • Father, you know better than that. (line 56) e.g. You ought to know better than to ask that. * (See Page 84 for more exercise.)

21. Language points in Scene 1 • The lights quickly fade to black… (line 57) e.g. 1. The colour had faded. 2. His voice faded to a whisper. 3. Hopes of reaching an agreement seem to be fading away. 4. In the last weeks of her life she simply faded away. • once in a while(line 60) • overall (line 61) • …trade my dad for anyone else’s. (line 61)

22. Language points in Scene 2 • be seated around the dining room table (line 67) • keep (sb.) in suspense(line 73)  suspensen. a feeling of worry or excitement that you have when you feel sth. is going to happen, etc. * break the suspense * hold sb. in suspense * be in suspense over

23. Language points in Scene 2 • I’ll bet.(line 79) • distractv.(line 81) — distracting adj. — distractedadj. — distractionn. • My treat. (line 103)  Here it means that Father is going to invite Dan to dinner and pay for it as a friendly act. Similar expression: ** Dinner is on me. ** Dutch treat: an occasion at which everyone pays their own bill ** go Dutch (with sb.): to share the cost, esp. of a meal

24. Language points in Scene 2 • Very short with her (line 109)  If you are “short with sb.”, you speak briefly and rather rudely to them because you are impatient or angry. • hand down(line 117)  If possessions, skills, or knowledge are handed down, they are given or left to people who are younger or belong to a younger generation. * hand in * hand on * hand out * hand over

25. Language points in Scene 2 You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are going to say now, and not what was said before. • at any rate(line 122) : whatever may happen; in any case e.g. 1. At any rate, you survived the car accident. 2. Well, at any rate, let me thank you for all you did for me. * at this/that rate * birth/death rate * first-rate * rate of exchange • rate, speed & pace

26. Language points in Scene 2 • narrow down (to)(line 125) e.g. We’ve narrowed down the list to four candidates. • What has come over you? (line 133) If a change or feeling comes over you, it affects you or happens to you, perhaps making you behave in an uncharacteristic way. e.g. 1. A great change had come over me since the previous night. 2. He has never been so rude to me. What’s come over him?

27. Language points in Scene 2 • Why, back in my day…(line 134)  Well, when I was young… (we didn’t behave like that) (It implies a gap between the younger generation and the older generation) • Get this over with, more likely. (line 138) It is more likely to get this over with. * get sth. over (with) (informal) to complete sth. unpleasant but necessary * get over sth.

28. Language points in Scene 2 interfere in sth. interfere with sth. • Swallowing hard… (line 151) • an honor student(line 163) • And it’s not just one of us who’ve felt the heavy hand of interference. Oh, no, all three of us live in constant dread knowing that at any time disaster can strike because:(line 166-168) e.g. 1. I had a constant headache for three days. 2. She is my constant companion. 3. The price of the product is not constant but varies with supply and demand.

29. Language points in Scene 3 • in charge of (line 172) * take charge of * in one’s charge • exceptional (line 181) Fine out the synonyms or synonymous phrase for “exceptional” in Scene 3. — bright (L.183) — got her brains (L.185) — talented (L.192)

30. Post-reading Tasks Character analysis: • Father — shows great respect for Mother ⇒pulled the chair for her before dinner, and obeyed her commands (like ‘do go on’, ‘do get on with’…) — quick to realize his blunder when finding his efforts were not appreciated ⇒ ‘I do? Yes, yes, I guess I do. I’ve done it again, haven’t I?’

31. Post-reading Tasks Character analysis: • Mother 1) How does Mother address Father and the children? Does it help reveal her character? 2) What is the role of Mother in the Thompson household? 3) How does she deal with the conflicts between Father and the children?

32. Post-reading Tasks Suggested answers: 1) She uses quite a number of do’s and don’ts, please’s, dear’s and sweetheart’s. 2) She is the real head, giving out commands to her children as well as her husband. 3) She is the ‘peacemaker’ or the ‘mediator’. — maintains Father’s dignity by telling the children “Don’t interrupt”, “Don’t distract your father”, etc. — tries to divert the conversation by talking about her dessert

33. Post-reading Tasks • How do you understand the title “Father Knows Better”? (It tells us about the mixed feelings the Thompson children have for their father. On the one hand, they realize their father is a ‘nice’ man, a ‘dear’ that they would not ‘trade for anyone else’ On the other hand, they hate the ‘heavy hand of interference’ from him… )

34. Post-reading Tasks • Now can you sum up the main idea of the play in one sentence? Father interfered / meddled in children’s affairs with _______ intentions, but only to find his efforts _______. (good, unwelcome) • What do you think causes the generation gap? ( misunderstanding of love, ineffective communication between the father and his children…)