UNIT 6 The Human Touch

1. UNIT 6 The Human Touch

2. Related Information --- O. Henry (1862 -1910)

3. O. Henry is the pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, American writer of short stories, best known for his ironic plot twists and surprise endings.Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, O. Henry did not write professionally until he reached his mid-30s. Released from prison, O. Henry moved to New York City in 1901 and began writing full time. In his stories he made substantial use of his knowledge of Texas, Central America, and life in prison.

4. He also became fascinated by New York street life, which provided a setting for many of his later stories. During the last ten years of his life, O. Henry became one of the most popular writers in America, publishing over 500 short stories in dozens of widely read periodicals. His most famous stories, such as “The Gift of Magi,” “The Furnished Room,” and “The Ransom of Red Chief,” make simple yet effective use of paradoxical coincidences to produce ironic endings

5. Speak What do these pictures mean to you? What kind of love does each of them manifest? Talk to your partner about them. The Last Leaf is a story about human love which heightens the spirit of giving. This love is not between relatives, nor between lovers; it's between friends.

6. Pre-questions (1) Q1: What was, at first, Johnsy determined to do if the last ivy leaf should fall? A1: She made up her mind to die when the last leaf fell. Q2: What did she decide to do when she saw the last leaf still cling to the vine after two nights’ rain and wind? A2: She decided not to give up her life.

7. Pre-questions (2) Q3: How was it that the cold fierce wind did not blow away the last leaf? A3: Behrman, a kind neighbor, who was aware of Johnsy’s state of mind, risked death to paint the last leaf and save her. Q4: Why did Sue call the painted leaf Behrman’s masterpiece? A4: Because it was so perfect the girls both mistook it for the real thing.

8. Main Ideas • Johnsy and Sue are artists who move into Greenwich Village in New York City. • As Winter approaches and the weather gets colder, Johnsy becomes ill with pneumonia. She gets so sick that she believes that when the last leaf falls from the vine outside her window, she will die. • An old artist, named Behrman, who lives in the same building as the girls, braves a storm one night to paint a leaf on the wall — a leaf that will never fall. Cold and wet from painting in the icy rain, he catches pneumonia and dies. • This gives Johnsy the hope to survive her illness, and it also creates the masterpiece Behrman had always dreamed of painting.

10. Characters in the story doctor Johnsy Sue Old Behrman

12. In-depth Understanding Scan the story and fill in the blanks. Time: __________________ Place: _____________________ Characters: _________ _________ _________ _________ Events: ______, who fell victim to _________, decided that she would die when _____________ on the blank wall outside her window ___, but it did not ___ even after the storm. This persistent last leaf brought back Johnsy’s will to live. Later on it turned out that ______ wasn’t the real one; it was the one drawn by _______________________, who had drawn it at a night with heavy rain and cold wind at the expense of his own life – he was attacked deadly by _________. Threads: _________ ___________________ ____ __________ November, cold winter A three-story brick building Sue, Johnsy, Behrman, the doctor, Pneumonia pneumonia Johnsy the last ivy leaf fall fell the leaf an old artist named Behrman pneumonia soup the last leaf the doctor’s three visits masterpiece

13. Thread 1: the last leaf The story is, as indicated by its title, built around the last ivy leaf. In other words, the last ivy leaf is the main thread that runs through the whole story. Complete the following sentences, and then you will get a clear idea of this point. 1. At first, Johnsy was determined to ___ when the last ivy leaf fall. 2. When she saw the last leaf still cling to the vine after two nights’ rain and wind, she decided not to ____ ____ her life. 3. The cold fierce wind did not blow away the “last leaf” because Behrman, a kind neighbor, risked his ____ to _____ the last leaf. 4. At the end of the story, Sue called the painted leaf Behrman’s masterpiece because ____________________ ______________________________. die up give life paint it was so perfect that the girls both mistook it for the real thing

14. Thread 2: the doctor’s three visits The doctor’s three visits are another "thread" that helps make the story a coherent piece. Scan the story and underline the sentences that indicate this point. 1. Johnsy was seriously ill. (lines 11-23) 2. Johnsy had a 50-50 chance for survival and death while old Behrman was incurably sick. (lines 106-114) 3. Johnsy was sure to recover. (lines 115-116)

15. Thread 3: soup Soup is another "thread" that helps make the story a coherent piece. Scan the story and underline the sentences that indicate this point. 1. Johnsy refused to take any soup when she decided to die with the fall of the last leaf. (lines 44-47) 2. When she was shaken alive again by that undying last leaf, one of her first desires was to drink some soup. (line 101)

16. Thread 4: masterpiece Masterpiece is another "thread" that helps make the story a coherent piece. Scan the story and underline the sentences that indicate this point. 1. Old Behrman was a failure in art. He had always talked about a masterpiece, yet he was unable to deliver it. (lines 56-58) 2. “Someday I will paint a masterpiece, and we shall all go away.” (lines 73-74) 3. Finally, old Behrman painted his masterpiece at the cost of his life. (lines 119-128)

17. 4a) There are 3 main types of art: Visual Arts (V), Literary Arts (L) and Performing Arts (P). You will find an example of each in the columns below. How would you categorize the other art forms listed here? Some might be able to go into two or even all three columns. • drama (acting) V L P • painting V L P • music V L P • fashion design V L P • cartoons (animation) V L P • film (cinema, movies) V L P • short stories V L P • novels V L P • photography V L P

18. 4b) Art and Artists: suffixes • What do you call the people who perform or create these arts? • There are five suffixes that we commonly use for artists. • Be careful of spellings with some endings. • -ist -er -or -ian -ess

19. Sculptor sculptress dancer Poet, poetess Dramatist, actor, actress Painter, artist • sculpture ___________________________________ • dance ___________________________________ • poetry ___________________________________ • drama (acting) ___________________________________ • painting ___________________________________ • music ___________________________________ • fashion design ___________________________________ • movie making ___________________________________ • short stories ___________________________________ • novels ___________________________________ • photography ___________________________________ • cartoons (animation) ___________________________________ musician Fashion designer Movie-maker, director Short story writer, author, writer novelist photographer Cartoonist, animator

20. 4c) What kind of artist is...? • What kind of artists are the following people? • What are they famous for? Choose one of these artists, or one of your own favorite artists and describe what you think their "masterpiece" is. Steven Spielberg __________________ O' Henry __________________ Ralph Lauren __________________ Michael Jackson ________________ Pablo Picasso ______________ William Shakespeare _______________ Mozart _______________ Leonardo Da Vinci ____________________ Harrison Ford _____________________

21. Language Point • 1. joint • adj.共同的；连接的； • 【构词】joint=join(加入)+t (n) • 【例句】① The house is our joint property. • 这房子是我们的共同财产。 • ② These foreigners have put forward a proposal for a joint venture. • 这些外国人提出了一个合资企业的建议。 • 【常见搭配】joint effect 共同努力 • joint ownership 共同所有

22. Language Point • 2. victim • n. 牺牲品，受害的人 (或动物) • 【例句】Many pets are victims of overfeeding. • 有许多宠物因喂食过量而遭殃。 • 【常见搭配】fall a victim to • 成为…的受害者 • 【派生】victimize vt. 使牺牲，是受害 ，欺骗

23. Language Point • 3. fierce • adj. 凶猛的; 愤怒的 • 【例句】I was really scared by his fierce look. • 我被他凶狠的表情吓坏了。 • 【常见搭配】fierce effort • 拼命努力 • 【派生】 fiercely adv.（副词） • fierceness n.（名词）

24. Language Point • 4. fancy • n. 幻想 幻觉；爱好 • 【例句】① I always have the fancy that he will come back. • 我常常幻想他会回来。 • ② I've suddenly taken a fancy to detective stories. • 我突然喜欢上了侦探小说. • 【常见搭配】after sb’s fancy 中某人意 • de catch the fancy of sb. 吸引某人 • 【派生】fanciful adj. 存在于想象中的，想象出来的 • 【近形】fantasy n. 想象（的产物）

25. Language Point • 5. stream • n.河；流 vi.& vt. 流 • 【例句】① The stream is shallow. • 那条小溪水很浅。 • ② My eyes were streaming with tears. • 我的眼中流下了泪水。 • 【辨析】current stream • Current 可指空气，水，电等的流，强调流动的方向或路线以及力量和速度。 • Stream主要指“溪流”，强调源源不断流动的概念 • 【派生】streamy adj. 多河川的；流水般的 • 【近形】scream vi. 尖叫 n. 尖叫声

26. Language Point • 6. subtract • vt.减，减去，去掉 • 【例句】subtract 8from 10 you have 2. • 10减8得2 。 • 【常见搭配】~ sth. (from sth.) • ~减去 • 【派生】subtractive adj. (可)减少的， 负的 • subtraction n. 减(法) • 【近形】abstract adj.抽象的 n. 摘要

27. Language Point • 7. bare • adj.赤裸的；仅仅的 • 【例句】① He just walked in bare feet on the rugged path. • 他赤脚走在崎岖的小路上。 • ② Tom earn a bare subsistence wage. • 汤姆挣得工资勉强糊口。 • 【辨析】bare, naked, nude ： • bare adj. 指物体表面没有遮盖，没有装饰；或人的部分躯体露。 • naked adj. 赤裸的，无保护的。指人时表示一丝不挂的，指物时 • 表示无保护层或无装饰物 • Naked bathing is not allowed on this beach. • 此处海滩不准裸浴。 • nude adj. 裸体的，没有遮盖的，指人时比naked 更文雅，可用作名词 the nude 裸体人像 ； a nude hillside 光秃秃的山坡 【近形】bear n.熊 v.负担, 忍受, 带给, 具有, 挤, 向

28. Language Point • 8. sin • n.罪，罪孽 vi.犯罪 • 【例句】① It’s a sin to waste food. • 浪费粮食是一种罪过。 • ② Jonah sinned by not obeying what God told him to do . • 约拿不遵照上帝嘱咐的去做而犯了罪. • 【辨析】crime ; sin  • crime: 触犯法律的罪行  • sin: 冒犯上帝或宗教的罪恶、罪孽 • 【派生】sinful adj. 有罪的,有过失的 sinless adj. 无罪的; 无辜的 sinner n. 犯罪者

29. Language Point • 9. acute adj.尖的，锐的；敏锐的 • 【例句】①There's an acute shortage of water in the city . • 城里严重缺水。 • ②A painter must be an acute observer. • 画家必须敏于观察。 • 【常见搭配】acute disease 急性发作的病acute angle 锐角 • 【辨析】keen, acute, sharp, shrewd • 这些形容词均有“锐利的、敏锐的、机敏的”之意。 • keen 多指对复杂艰深的事物或问题有敏锐的观察和敏捷的理解。 • acute侧重感觉敏锐，能分辨出一般人难以觉察的细微区别。 • sharp指人头脑精明、敏锐或机警。 • shrewd指有头脑，善于判断分析，精明过人

30. Language Point • 10. scarcely • adv.仅仅；几乎不 • 【例句】①There were scarcely a hundred people • present. • 出席的不足一百人。 • ②To my surprise, the guide turned out to • know scarcely a word of English. • 让我吃惊的是，那个向导几乎一点英语都 • 不懂。

31. Language Point • 【常见搭配】scarcely any 几乎没有 • Mrs. Hockin had scarcely any breath to tell us anything, as she came in through the door. • 霍金夫人走进门以后几乎没有力气跟我们说话。 • 【辨析】hardly, scarcely, barely 这些副词均含“几乎不”之意。 • hardly指接近最低限度，差不多没有多余，强调困难和程度。 • scarcely指不太充分，不太够，不足，不能令人满意，强调数量。 • barely指仅仅够，一点不多，强调没有多余。 

32. 11. result vi. Language Point 1). (in) bring about, happen, come into existence 产生，发生，导致 e.g. The use of such techniques could result in ecological changes. 2). (from) be caused by e.g. Inflation results from an excess of demand over supply. Ecological changes result from the use of such techniques.

33. Language Point • 12.for the rest 至于其他，除此以外 • 【例句】①He's go for the rest for the rest of the now. • 他今天不会回来了。 • ②Save the rest for the food for tomorrow. • 把其余的吃的留到明天。

34. Language Point 13. hang on to sth. (cling on to) : work hard to keep sth. e.g. She’s the patient who manages to hang on to life for three or four months. What’s his motive for hanging on to power? CF : hang onto : hold sth. tightly e.g. She hung onto the key for fear that it would be taken from her hand.

35. Language Point 14. stand out can be seen very clearly 引人注目，显眼 be much better or much more important than other things of the same kind 突出,出色 e.g. This is one of the things that stand out in my memory. On the record I have just played, the first song stands out from all the others. .

36. The Negative Side of Old Behrman (Para18) • A failure in Art • A Heavy Drinker • A Braggart about his Oncoming Masterpiece • A Fierce Little Old Man who Mocked Terribly at Softness in any one

37. The Positive Side of Old Behrman • A Faithful “Guard Dog” of the Two Girls (Para 18) • A Passionate and Sympathetic Friend (Para 19 and Para 20) • A Selfless Man Who is Willing to Sacrifice His Life For the Sake of Another person’s Life (Para39) • A Great Artist Whose Masterpiece has brought a Young Girl Back to Life (Para29 – 39) • A Hero

38. Johnsy – A Young Girl Surviving the Challenge of Death • Her Dark Days (Before Para 29) • The Sick and Dying Girl • The Weak and Immature Girl • Her Bright Days (After Para 29) • The Saved and Recovered Girl • The Strong and Mature Girl

39. The Supporting People • Sue – A Kind and Faithful Friend • The Doctor – An Efficient and Truthful Expert

40. After-reading --- Useful expressions

41. 1.砖楼 • brick building • 2.某人在某方面的品味 • one’s taste in sth • 3.灯笼袖 • bishop sleeves • 4.和…是和谐的 • in tune (with) • 5.可怕地蔓延于这一地区 • stalk about the district • 6.到处 • here and there

42. 1.砖楼 • brick building • 2.某人在某方面的品味 • one’s taste in sth • 3.灯笼袖 • bishop sleeves • 4.和…是和谐的 • in tune (with) • 5.可怕地蔓延于这一地区 • stalk about the district • 6.到处 • here and there

43. 7.一成希望 • one chance in ten • 8.那不勒斯湾 • the Bay of Naples • 9.医药疗效 • curative power of medicines • 10.吹着轻快的口哨 • whistling a merry tune • 11.倒着数 • count backward • 12.空荡荡的沉闷的院子 • a bare, dreary yard

44. 13.常青藤 • ivy vine • 14.低声地 • in a whisper • 15.两眼一直盯着窗外 • keep one’s eyes fixed out the window • 16.住在底层 • live on the ground floor • 17.过分, 过度 • to excess • 18.嘲笑 • mock at

45. 19.看护人 • guard dog • 20.光线暗淡的 • dimly lighted • 21.流泪 • eyes stream • 22.听说 • hear of • 23.混合着… • mingle with • 24.无神的睁大的双眼 • dull, wide-open eyes

46. 25.拉起 • pull up • 26.急风骤雨 • beating rain and fierce wind • 27.显目/著, 突出 • stand out • 28.暗绿 • dark green • 29.(时间)流逝, 磨损, 磨去 • wear away • 30.紧紧抓住/抱住 • cling to

47. 31.呼唤 • call to • 32.煤气灶 • gas stove • 33.坐起来 • sit up • 34.脱离危险 • out of danger • 35.湿透的 • be wet through • 36.冰冷 • icy cold

48. I've learned that a true friendship has many memories, both good and bad, but all important. • I've learned that a best friend is more important than a boyfriend. • I've learned that sometimes the most used part of a best friend is the shoulder you cry on, and the shoulder you are willing to lend. • I've learned that nothing ever sounds stupid, funny, or unbelievable to a best friend, and you never feel stupid saying whatever it is. • I've learned that when your heart has been broken, a best friend is the best band-aid for it. • I've learned that sometimes you wonder how she knew, but then you realize that's just how close you are.

49. Questions for discussion Choose any one of the above statements, discuss it with your partner, and try to reach at a common understanding of it.

50. The Bay of Naples • Not to visit the Bay of Naples is not to visit Italy. If not visiting the Bay of Naples, one has no qualification to talk about love, life and even death. • 不到那不勒斯，就等于没有到过意大利；不到那不勒斯，就没有资格谈爱情、人生甚至死亡。