Lecture Notes - U1

Electronic Teaching Portfolio Book Three

Unit One: People Around Us

Part I Get Started

Section A Discussion

▇ Sit in groups of threes or fours and discuss the following questions.

1. How do you expect to be treated by people around you? Please give examples.

2. Have you ever met anyone just once but remember that person well? If yes, share your

experiences with your group members.

3. Do you think special help should be offered to the sick, the poor, the aged and the

handicapped?

▇ Answers for reference: 1. A sample answer:

I expect everyone to treat me in a friendly way. For example, when I ask someone for information, I hope he or she can patiently tell me what he or she knows. I expect a ―sorry‖ from someone who has hurt me and a ―thank you‖ when I do him or her a favor. 2. A sample answer:

Yes. I remember a mother and son on the train from Xining back to Guangzhou. They were sitting opposite me. They offered to share their food with me and told me what places they were going to visit and about the life they were living in Xining. Their trust in a stranger like me and their sincere hospitality impressed me profoundly. 3. A sample answer:

I definitely think so. In fact the whole society should offer special help to the aged, the sick, the poor and the handicapped since they are virtually unable to depend on themselves for a decent life. Our government should strengthen the welfare system for such disadvantaged people. And we, as ordinary citizens, should show concern and love for them by performing acts of kindness to help them, such as making donations or getting involved in charity events.

Section B Quotes

▇ Study the following quotes about people around us. Which quote(s) do you like best? Why?

John Donne

⊙ No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

— John Donne

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Interpretation:

Everybody lives in relation to other people in a community. Our well-being depends on this community and we, in turn, should contribute our efforts to its prosperity and harmony.

About John Donne (1572-1631): an English poet, who is famous for his Songs and Sonnets (《歌与十四行诗》) and Elegies (《挽歌》).

Homer

⊙ The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.

— Homer

Interpretation:

An offer of help is likely to be of little value or importance to us, but it means a lot to those in need and it makes a great difference to their lives.

About Homer: an ancient Greek epic poet. He is traditionally held to be the author of The Iliad 《(伊利亚特》) and The Odyssey 《(奥德赛》), which have had an enormous influence on the history of Western literature. Some ancient sources estimate that Homer lived in the 8th century BC while others claim that he lived much nearer to the supposed time of the Trojan War (特洛伊战争) in the early 12th century BC.

Pearl S. Buck

⊙ To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.

— Pearl S. Buck

Interpretation:

When we choose to do something good for others, the act of kindness will be considered noble only if it is done with a willing heart and genuine delight.

About Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973): an American writer also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu (赛珍珠). She is famous for her novel The Good Earth (《大地》). In 1938, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature ―for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces‖.

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Cicero

⊙ Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.

—Cicero

Interpretation:

Being grateful is the highest moral standard. In fact, all other good human qualities, such as kindness, generosity, compassion and courage, derive from gratitude.

About Cicero (106 BC–43 BC): an ancient Roman statesman and a great orator. He was an important figure in many of the significant political events of his time and is more often remembered today for his philosophical works as well as for his writings on rhetoric. His works include On the Laws, On Fate, On Friendship, On Duties, etc.

Section C Watching and Discussion

Watch the following video clip ―Shenzhen Drafting Samaritan Law‖ and do the tasks that follow: 插入视频片段： ―Shenzhen Drafting Samaritan Law.mp4‖

1. Fill in the missing words according to what you hear from the video clip. Lawmakers in Shenzhen have been considering making laws to protect people willing to help strangers in distress, while the proposal comes after several tragedies where passersby failed to help those injured people. The new draft proposes that Samaritans won’t be held accountable for the consequences of their compassion. And if those in distress ever try to hold their helpers responsible for injuries or damages by deliberately distorting the facts or lodging false complaints, they will face various punishments.

2. How do you explain the phenomenon that people try to hold their helpers responsible for

injuries or damages? (Open.)

Script：

Shenzhen Drafting Samaritan Law

Lawmakers in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in the south have been considering making laws to protect people willing to help strangers in distress, while the proposal comes after several tragedies where passersby failed to help those injured people. The local government is collecting public opinions before drafting China’s first so-called ―Good Samaritan regulation‖.

Let warm-hearted people be in peace. The new draft proposes that Samaritans won’t be held accountable for the consequences of their compassion. And if those in distress ever try to hold

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their helpers responsible for injuries or damages by deliberately distorting the facts or lodging false complaints, they will face various punishments.

Xu Long, Shenzhen CPPCC member, said, ―The regulation would protect helpers from being sued or even receiving punishment. We hope it can promote the development of a harmonious society.‖

It is not very comfortable to know that people need to be legally protected before reaching out to help those in need. But if that can stop tragedies such as the 2-year-old toddler Yueyue’s death, it will win hearts and minds.

Yueyue died last month after she was twice run over by vans and ignored by 18 passers-by as she lay critically injured on a street in Foshan, Guangdong province.

Many believe the apathy of the onlookers was the result of what happened to Peng Yu five years ago when the man helped an injured old woman but was later sued and had to pay the woman 45 thousand yuan in damages.

But the belief of goodness shall not be tainted, according to those in Shenzhen. ―To protect morality by law can encourage people to do the right thing is good.‖

Legally protecting Good Samaritans has been adopted by many countries over the years, but China was left behind. Many believe it is a step toward rebuilding social credibility and harmony.

Part II Listen and Respond

Section A Word Bank

In this section you will listen to a short passage entitled “At the 7-Eleven Store”. The following words and phrases may be of some help.

lighting n. [U] the arrangement or type of light in a place照明；灯光 slipper▲ n. [C] a light soft shoe that one wears at home室内便鞋，拖鞋 aisle★ n. [C] a narrow passage between rows of seats, shelves, etc. in a building or a plane通道，过道 canned a. (of food ) preserved in a round metal container（食物）罐装的 brightly ad. cheerfully欢快地 get the best of gain more advantage from在（交易等）中得便宜 for free without payment免费地；无偿地 image n. [C] a mental picture that one has of what sb. or sth. is like（头脑中对某人或某物的）印象

Section B Task One: Focusing on the Main Ideas

▇ Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage.

1. What did the old woman look like when the speaker saw her?

A) She was in neat clothes and walked elegantly.

B) She was in shabby clothes and walked with difficulty.

C) Her clothes were too thick and heavy and she could hardly walk. D) She was fashionably dressed and walked with her head held high.

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2. Why did the old woman come into the store?

A) Because she needed some food. B) Because she wanted to take a rest.

C) Because the store looked bright at night.

D) Because the store was warmer than the outside. 3. What was the speaker’s attitude toward the woman?

A) She was just polite to her. B) She was honest with her. C) She felt sorry for her.

D) She was impatient with her.

4. Did the woman get food from the store?

A) Yes, she bought some canned food.

B) Yes, the speaker gave her some food for free. C) No, she didn’t like the food sold in the store.

D) No, she left with no food because she couldn’t pay. 5. How did the speaker feel afterwards?

A) She felt relieved when the woman left. B) She was glad that he was a good employee. C) She regretted not having helped the woman.

D) She was worried that the woman might complain to her boss. ▇ Key:

1.B 2.A 3. A 4. D 5. C

Section C Task Two: Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording again and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1) The store was brightly lit and the shelves were .

2) The woman was wearing a(n) , a and a pair of .

3) In the store, the old woman stopped before the rows of canned and picked up a can of and looked at the . 4) The speaker found it harder to his smile because the woman’s hands were covered with and the rose from her clothes.

5) The speaker was to say ―Take the corn‖, but the rules came to his mind.

6) The speaker wished that he had acted like a rather than a . ▇ Answers for reference:

1) The store was brightly lit and the shelves were neatly arranged.

2) The woman was wearing a(n) old dress , a thin sweater and a pair of black slippers .

3) In the store, the old woman stopped before the rows of canned vegetables and picked up a can of corn and looked at the label .

4) The speaker found it harder to maintain his smile because the woman’s hands were covered

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