Title: Unit 6 Text A: Old Father Time becomes a Terror
1Unit 6 Text A Old Father Time becomes a
Terror
Richard Tomkins Financial Times (March21,
1999)
2Unit 6 Text A
- Part I Pre-reading activities
- Text Analysis
3Unit 6 Text A
- In many ways, the style of this piece is
typical of a certain variety of journalism. It is
clearly not a new story, but nonetheless belongs
within the pages of a newspaper. Such writing
finds its home in the editorial or comment
section where journalists and others contribute
regular or occasional columns reflecting on
topical issues.
4Unit 6 Text A
- Unlike news stories where reporters are
expected to confine themselves to the facts such
columns are intended to give free range to the
expression of personal opinion. At the same time,
particularly in the more serious papers (and the
paper from which this comes, the Financial Times,
certainly belongs to this category) the writer is
expected display this familiarity with the
problem under discussion.
5Unit 6 Text A
- This is frequently achieved by employing
concession. Thus, here the writer, have outlined
the problem of the pressure of time, goes on to
concede that not everybody is affected to the
same extent. He then details the differences that
exist before returning to his more general point
and concluding with his solution, another
characteristic ingredient of such editorial
articles.
6Unit 6 Text A
- His general conclusion is hardly new, having
been advice offered by philosophers for as back
as one cares to go, but gains novelty set against
the context to recent technological developments.
7Unit 6 Text A
- Although not a news story, the article
nevertheless shares with newspaper reporting in
general a taste for seeking support from the use
of direct quotations from a number of different
people. These quotations are provided together
with the name of the person and background
information on them.
8Unit 6 Text A
- These details add human interest and support
the argument by reference to the utterances of
someone who appear to be in a position to know.
As the quotations record spoken rather than
written English, the tone of language is often
colloquial. The frequent peppering of an article
with this type of direct quotation stands in
contrast to what is usual in a more purely
academic essay.
9The Introduction of the Author
10The Introduction of the Author
- Richard Tomkins consumer industries editor of
the Financial Times, where he has been a member
of the editorial staff since 1983. He is
currently based at the companys London
headquarters, where he leads team of journalists
covering the consumer goods sector and writes
about consumer trends, Tomkins was born in
Walsall, England, in 1952. His formal education
ended at the age of seventeen.
11The Introduction of the Author
- Before becoming a journalist, he was a casual
laborer, a factory worker, a truck driver, a
restaurant cashier, a civil servant, and an
assistant private secretary to a government
minister. He left government service in1978 to
hitchhike around the world, and on returning to
the U.K. in 1978, joined a local newspaper as a
trainee reporter.
12The Introduction of the Author
- He joined the Financial Times as a sub-editor
four years later. In this selection, he discusses
the time squeeze that many people are
experiencing and offers a way of combating the
problem.
13Unit 6 Text A
14Part II Pre-questions(1)
- 1. How does the singer treat his diary? Why? (He
treats it as a friend, to whom he can pour out
his inmost feelings.) - 2. Can we infer what attitude the singer takes
towards the pace of life today? (Its unwise for
people to be always in a rush, so much so that
they dont have time either for each other or for
themselves.)
15Part II Pre-questions(2)
- 3. Do you keep a diary? What sort of things do
you write about? - 4. What does the singer think about how other
people spend their time?
16Unit 6 Text A
- Part III Comprehension Questions
17Part III Comprehension Questions(1)
- 1?What did we use to expect from technology?
- 2?In what ways have inventions such as the
motorcar and the aircraft affected our life? And
what about the advent of washing machine? - 3?What new burdens has technology produced apart
from cramming work into our leisure time?
18Part III Comprehension Questions(2)
- 4?How fast is information generated today as
compared to a couple of centuries ago? - 5?What is Edward Wilsons purpose in subscribing
to sixty-old journals and magazine? - 6?What gives rise to our discontent with super
abundance?
19Part III Comprehension Questions(3)
- 7?Is everyone time-starved today? What percentage
of the population is suffering under the stresses
and strains of life today? - 8?What is stress envy, as conceived by Paul
Edwards?
20Part III Comprehension Questions(3)
- 9?How much free time has the average American
gained since the mid-1960s?How are the gains
distributed between the sexes? - 10?What is meant by the the growth of the
work-life debate?
21Part III Comprehension Questions(3)
- 11?What does Godbey mean by saying Its the kid
in the candy store? - 12?For time stress, what remedy does the author
offer?
22Unit 6 Text A
23Part IV Language Points
- 1. on the go (infml) active or busy
- Examples
- Ive been on the go all week, preparing my
thesis. - I was on the go all day and went home at about
10oclocj in the evening.
24Part IV Language Points
- 2. cope deal successfully (with sb./ sth.
difficult) - Examples
- Health psychologists study how people cope with
stress. - People who attempt suicide usually suffer from
extreme emotional distress and feel unable to
cope with their problems.
25Part IV Language Points
- 3. set aboutbegin(a task)start(doing
sth.)(used In the patternset about sth./doing
sth. no passive) - Example
- The school authorities must set about finding
solutions to the campus security problems. - My mom and I set about clearing up after the
guests left.
26Part IV Language Points
- 4. quantities / a large quantity of large
amounts / a large amount of - Examples
- The key to staying healthy and strong when
backpacking is to eat large quantities of
energy-rich foods. - In cold weather most animals must eat large
quantities of food to obtain the energy needed to
catty on normal body activities.
27Part IV Language Points
- 5. eat into gradually reduce the amount of
(sth. Valuable) damage or destroy - Examples
- All these car expenses are eating into our
savings. - Responsibilities at home and work eat into his
time. - Acid eats into the metal damaging its surface,
28Part IV Language Points
- 6. aircraft (plural unchanged) vehicle which
can fly, for example an aero plane or a
helicopter - Examples
- The goal of air traffic control is to minimize
the risk of aircraft collisions. - The Boeing Company is the worlds largest
manufacturer of commercial airplanes and military
aircraft.
29Part IV Language Points
- 7. in reality in actual fact really
- Examples
- Some famous private schools are theoretically
open to the public, but in reality are attended
by those who can afford the fees. - He is much smaller in reality than he looks on
the television.
30Part IV Language Points
- 8. multiply increase in number or quantity
add a number to itself a particular number of
times - Examples
- the weeds just multiplied, and before long the
garden was a jungle. - Multiplying large quantities in ones head has
become a lost art since the arrival of the
calculator.
31Part IV Language Points
- 9. burden heavy load
- Examples
- many pupils find homework a burden.
- Some farmers are complaining about the heavy
burden of taxation.
32Part IV Language Points
- 10. fractionsmall part, bit, amount or
proportion(of sth.) - Examples
- Only a small fraction of the population lived in
that remote area. - The black miners in South Africa used to earn
only a fraction of the wages paid to white miners
doing equivalent work.
33Part IV Language Points
- 11. pour ingo into a place quickly and in large
numbers - Examples
- Tourists poured onto Shanghai on National Day.
- many football fans poured into the stadium to
have a look at their favorite football players.
34Part IV Language Points
- 12. a handful of a small number of the amount
of sth. That you can hold on your hand - Examples
- Only a handful of graduates have not found jobs
so far. - Despite her productivity, only a handful of
Dickinsons poems were published before her
death. - She scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it
hard to make a ball. - Ethology is a science concerned with the
comparative study pf animal behavior.
35Part IV Language Points
- 13. comparativeinvolving comparison or
comparing - Examples
- Some sociologists have carried out large-scale
historical-comparative studies. - Ethnology is a science concerned with the
comparative study of animal behavior.
36Part IV Language Points
- 14. amount tobe equal to add up to
- Examples
- In 1959 the combined value of U. S. imports and
exports amounted to less than 9 percent of the
countrys gross domestic product. - The tuition fee amounts to ten thousand yuan.
37Part IV Language Points
- 15. minute very small in size or amount
- Examples
- Only a minute amount of money is needed.
- Studies show that water contains minute
quantities of lead.
38Part IV Language Points
- 16. frontier (usu. Pl) the extreme limit of an
area of knowledge or a particular activity the
border between two countries - Examples
- To open up the space frontier, NASA will try to
lower the cost of access to Earth orbit. - Mount Qomolangma, the highest mountain in the
world, with a height of 8,850 m (29,035ft), rises
in the Himalayas on the frontier of Nepal and
China. - Our passports were inspected at the Czech
frontier.
39Part IV Language Points
- 17-1. stress n. pressure or worry resulting
from mental or physical distress, difficult
circumstances, etc. (followed by on) - Examples
- There is enough evidence to suggest that job
stress may increase a mans risk of dying from
heart disease. - Population growth and pollution place enormous
stress on the worlds supply of usable water.
40Part IV Language Points
- 17-1. stress Vt. Put stress, pressure, or
strain on - Examples
- A person who is stressed typically has anxious
thoughts and difficulty concentrating or
remembering. - I must stress that what I say is confidential.
41Part IV Language Points
- 18. prosperity state of being economically
successful state of being successful or rich - Examples
- War brings no prosperity to the great mass of
ordinary citizens. - Some people arguer that globalization will bring
the prosperity so fat enjoyed only by wealthy
industrialized nations to the developing
countries.
42Part IV Language Points
- 19. oblige do sth. for (sb.) as a favor or
small service (used in the pattern oblige (sb.)
(with sth. /by doing sth.)) - Examples
- We are happy to oblige.
- Please oblige me by leaving me alone.
43Part IV Language Points
- 20-1. abundancequantity that is more than
enough plenty (followed by of) - Examples
- The visitor to Oxford has an abundance of sights
to see. - Most milk consists of an abundance of the major
nutrients needed by the body for good health.
44Part IV Language Points
- 20-2.In abundance
- Examples
- By the mid-15th century paper was available in
abundance. - There is still confusion about the number of
casualties. - We always left our managers office in a state of
confusion. - I explained the question to him three tomes, but
there was still a look of confusion on his face.
45Part IV Language Points
- 22. forecast tell in advance predict
- Examples
- The means of forecasting natural disasters, such
as floods, and hurricanes, have improved
immensely as science and technology have
advanced. - Because the behavior of weather systems is
chaotic, it is impossible to forecast the details
of weather more than about two weeks in advance.
46Part IV Language Points
- 23. volunteer person who offers to do sth.
Without being compelled or paid - Examples
- Some students served as volunteers to help the
old and disabled in the community in their spare
time. - The charity agency will recruit volunteers to
build affordable housing for the poor. - Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy concerned
with the essence and perception of beauty
ugliness. - Our teachers also taught us how to increase the
powers of perception.
47Part IV Language Points
- 24.perception way of seeing or understanding
sth. ability to notice and understand things - Examples
- Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy concerned
with the essence and perception of beauty and
ugliness. - Our teachers also taught us how to increase the
powers of perception.
48Part IV Language Points
- 25. nurture care for and educate (a child)
encourage the growth of (sth.) nourish - Examples
- Parents want to know the best way to nurture and
raise their child to adulthood. - With one years observation the biologists have
found how dolphins socialize, breed, and nurture
their young and how they communicate. - The local government has taken measures to
nurture the state-run factories.
49Part IV Language Points
- 26. offspring (plural unchanged) child or
children of a particular person or couple - Examples
- Heredity is the process of transmitting
biological traits from parent to offspring
through genes. - Asexual reproduction produces offspring that are
genetically identical to their parent.
50Part IV Language Points
- 27. appliance instrument or device for a
specific purpose - Examples
- The Energy Department has set efficiency
standards for new home appliances, - The company has operations in many different
business sectors, including household appliances,
aircraft engines, and financial services.
51Part IV Language Points
- 28. distribution the way in which people,
buildings, etc. are arranged over a large area
the act of giving things to a large group of
people or delivering foods to companies. - Examples
- The study of animal distribution is called
zoogeography. - Distribution of the goods is handled by local
companies.
52Part IV Language Points
- 29. famine (instance of) extreme scarcity of
good in a region - Examples
- China has succeeded in feeding its people
national attention to equity, agriculture, and
birth control has significantly reduced and
threat of famine. - To eliminate famine and reduce malnutrition,
attention needs to focus not only on food
production but also on food distribution,
consumption, and family planning.
53Part IV Language Points
- 30. widespread found or distributed over a
large area - Examples
- The landscape of the American west was
dramatically altered during the 20th century as a
result of the widespread construction of dams
along major rivers. - The corrosive nature of acid rain causes
widespread damage to the environment.
54Part IV Language Points
- 31. provokecause (sth.) to occur or arouse ( a
feeling etc.) - Examples
- Peoples concern over genetically modified food
has provoked a global debate that shows no sign
of ending soon. - They argued that NATO enlargement could provoke
Russian hostility and lead to regional
instability.
55Part IV Language Points
- 32. a variety of a lot of a particular type of
things that are different from each other - Examples
- My students come from a variety of different
backgrounds. - There are(is) a variety of excellent schools in
the area. - China has a great variety of mineral resources
56Part IV Language Points
- 33. streamline make (sth.) more efficient and
effective give a streamlined from to (sth.) - Examples
- Corporate mergers can result in job losses
because management combines and streamlines
departments within the newly merged companies. - Some racing cars are streamlined for speed and
are single-seated.
57Part IV Language Points
- 34. growth (process of ) growing development
- Examples
- Statistics show that the pace of population
growth may continue to increase. - Industrial growth depends on the availability of
both finance capital and physical capital.
58Part IV Language Points
- 35. domestic of the home ,household or family
of or inside a particular country - Examples
- Police and hospital records indicate that the
majority of victims of domestic violence are
women. - GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product.
59Part IV Language Points
- 36. forum an assembly ,place ,radio program
etc. for the discussion of public matters or
current questions - Examples
- The school authorities will provide a forum where
problems can be discussed. - The producers of the TV program Question Time
intended it to be a forum for public debate.
60Part IV Language Points
- 37. spring upappear, develop, grow ,etc.
quickly or suddenly - Examples
- New professional training schools sprang up all
over the country. - Fast food restaurants are spring up all over the
city. - A strong wind seemed to have sprung up from
nowhere.
61Part IV Language Points
- 38. futileproducing no result useless
pointless - Examples
- It was futile to continue the negotiations.
- I knew that it was futile to try and persuade her
once she had made the decision.
62Part IV Language Points
- 39. divert turn(sb./sth.) aside from a course
,direction ,etc. into another - Examples
- Some dams divert the flow of river water into a
pipeline, canal, or channel. - There had been an accident and traffic was being
diverted by the police. - Money set aside for development was being
diverted to finance the famine relief operations.
63Part IV Language Points
- 40. ariseappear become evident
- Examples
- Challenging ethical issues have arisen in science
and medicine. - Some birds attack crops when the opportunity
arose. - A financial crisis has arisen in the
multinational corporation.
64Part IV Language Points
- 41. shortage lack of sth. needed deficiency
- Examples
- The word id facing the prospect of water
shortages caused by population growth, uneven
supplies of water, pollution, and other factors. - Some African countries have acute food shortages
requiring emergency assistance.
65Part IV Language Points
- 42. switch off disconnect (electricity etc.)
- Examples Be sure to switch off the lights when
you leave home.
66Part IV Language Points
- 43. be doomed to (sth.) be certain to happen,
and you can do nothing to prevent it (used in the
patterns be doomed to sth. be doomed to do sth.) - Examples
- Their plan seemed to be doomed to failure.
- He thought that he was doomed to spend the rest
of his life in a wheelchair.
67Unit 6 Text A
68Part V Post-questions
- 1?Has technology made our life easier or more
burdensome? Give examples to illustrate your
view. - 2?The author makes mention of stress envy in
para.14.What do you think are the possible
sociological motivation behind it?
69Part V Post-questions
- 3?Do you agree with the author that all
time-liberating techniques in relieving the
widespread sense of time famine are doomed to
failure? Is cutting back on human desire the
ultimate solution? Why or why not?
70Unit 6 Text A
71Part ? Text Structure
72Part ? Text Structure
73Unit 6 Text A
- Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
74Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- abundance aircraft appliance arise
burden - comparative confusion cope
distribution divert - domestic famine forecast
forum fraction - frontier futile growth
minute multiply - nurture oblige offspring
perception prosperity - provoke shortage streamline
stress volunteer widespread
75Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- a handful of a variety of a
mount of - be doomed to eat into in
reality - on the go pour in
quantities/a large quantity of - set about spring up
switch off
76Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- Vocabulary
- 1. You can get a loan for essential household
equipment such as a cooker and a heating (
). - 2. Conventional medicine has concentrated mainly
on the treatment of chronic and acute illness,
and until recently years the role of preventive
medicine has suffered ( ) neglect. - 3. You should remember that a fridge doesnt kill
bacteria it only slow down the rate at which
they ( ).
77Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- 4. When asked to do us a favor by showing us
around the city. Jack said he was only too happy
to ( ). - 5. The town has been producing wool, cloth, and
blankets since the 13th century and much of its (
) today is still founded on those
industries. - 6.If you compare a striped object with one that
has a different kind of black and white pattern,
they do not appear to be the same size even if, (
), they are identical.
78Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- 7. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for his
role in the hijacking of a United States Trans
World Airlines ( ). - 8. Since it would probably be a highly dangerous
mission, the lieutenant called for ( ) who
would like to delicate themselves to the noble
cause. - 9. He got to his feet, leaving (
) coins for the bill, and them went out of the
restaurant into the night air.
79Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- 10. Despite the limitations of the official
figures, they do provides some indication of the
overall trend in the ( ) of
income. - 11. To prevent widespread ( ) ,
the report calls for the development of new crops
adjusted to hotter climates and drier soils, and
above all ,a reduction in population growth. - 12. Carrying ( ) cash could be
dangerous and inconvenient. Why not use a credit
card?
80Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- 13. Malnutrition in this region is (
) ----affecting up to 78of children under five
years old. - 14. The World Bank has decided to grant Hungary a
loan of 66 million dollars to ( )
its financial system. - 15. Oil prices have soared to above thirty
dollars a barrel, their highest level in a
decade, which is almost certain to ( )
another round of petrol price increases.
81Part VII Words and Phrases to Drill
- Keys
- 1) appliance 2) comparative 3) multiply 4)
oblige 5) prosperity 6) in reality 7)
aircraft 8) volunteers 9) a handful of
10) distribution 11) famine 12) large
quantities of/a large quantity of 13)
widespread 14) streamline 115) provoke
82Unit 6 Text A
83Part VIII Translation
- Directions Translate the following passage into
English, using the words and phrases given below.
- minute doom perception
offspring stress - nurture arise fraction
domestic a variety of
84Part VIII Translation
- ??,?????????????,??????,?????,????,???????
???????,???(workaholism)?????(addiction),????????
????????????????????????????,?????????????? - ?????????????,???,?????,?????,??????,?????
?????
85Part VIII Translation
- ????,?????????????????????????????,???????????????
????????????????????????????????
86Part VIII Translation
- Keys
- There is no question that today we are under
constant pressure to work longer hours to produce
more, to possess more, and to become a success,
Workaholism, a modern addiction, has thus arisen.
The cause of workaholism is the perception that
by working longer hours and completing more
projects, we will enhance our self-worth.
87Part VIII Translation
- Many women today feel the same stress to produce
and get ahead and, at the same time, to nurture
their offspring and shoulder a variety of
domestic responsibilities.
88Part VIII Translation
- Research shows that workahlism tens to distance
us from our immediate families. It forces us to
labor longer and longer hours leaving a minute
fraction of time to be physically and emotionally
available our loved ones. Intimacy among family
members is doomed to die in the process.
89Test B
- Life in the Fast Lane James Gleick
90Test B
- Part ?
-
- comprehension Check
91Part ? Comprehension Check
- Choose the best answer for each of the following
- 1. By comparing culture to one stomped anthill
Robinson and Godbey mean( ). - a. ants have a culture too
- b. culture is worthless
- c. people keep rushing around like disturbed
ants - d. people go about their business in an
orderly way
92Part ? Comprehension Check
- 2. From the text we can infer that advertisements
on television have changed as a result of ( ). - a. it being easer to switch channels
- b. the need to appear to children
- c. shorter commercial breaks
- d. telephone sales
93Part ? Comprehension Check
- 3. From the text we can infer that leaving the
television on while entertaining guests would be
judged by the author to be ( ). - a. an act of rudeness
- b. a sign of our taste for multitasking
- c. a way of displaying our wealth
- d. something everyone does nowadays
94Part ? Comprehension Check
- 4. The main message of the piece is that todays
pace of life is something most of us ( ) . - a. hate
- b. enjoy
- c. feel indifferent about
- d, do not notice
95Part ? Comprehension Check
- 5. According to the text, feeling that you have
too little time is related to your ( ). - a. sex
- b. age
- c. family size
- d. education
96Part ? Comprehension Check
- 6. The author implies that some questions are
difficult to answer because ( ). - a. we do not yet know enough
- b. we are too impatient
- c. the ideas on which they are based are
confused - d. they are about very complicated matters
97Part ? Comprehension Check
- keys
- 1.c
- 2.a
- 3.b
- 4.b
- 5.d
- 6.c
98Test B
99Part ? Language Practice
- Fill in the gaps with words or phrases listed in
the Words and Phrases to Learn box.. Change the
form where necessary. - 1?Unlike a book, you cannot __________________thro
ugh a video in the shop , so its content remains
a mystery until after you have purchased it and
taken it home.
100Part ? Language Practice
- 2?Taking aerobics classes on a regular basis
could be a splendid way to build
_________________and suppleness. - 3?The train pulled out leaving her and hundreds
of other travelers still pushing each other back
and _________________________ across the
dimly-lit platform.
101Part ? Language Practice
- 4?A cut in the interest rates would lift the
economy out of its current state of
________________ animation. - 5?The main part of the city center is a
pedestrian______________ but has a very efficient
tram service to take you across the town.
102Part ? Language Practice
- 6?In winter, the classroom frequently recorded
temperatures of between 38F and 48F
______________ so many children and staff were
frequently ill. - 7?Nowadays we seldom hear the tolling of a bell
to __________________ disaster or miss fortune.
103Part ? Language Practice
- 8?Mr. Johnson is _________ in his work with
heavy business responsibilities and, much as he
would like to do so, he cannot spend a whole say,
or even a whole evening ,with his children. - 9?All books written in rapid response to events
may ____________ superficiality and poor
organization.
104Part ? Language Practice
- 10?Many women choose to have pregnancy screenings
and may ________for abortion if evidence of
handicap is revealed. - 11?In his book, the author identified ten trends
which, he believes, will ________________ the
American society in the next decade.
105Part ? Language Practice
- 12?The poet was not made familiar to a general
reading pubic until the publication of his second
______________ of more poems. - 13?Marriage is about respect, commitment and hard
work, not just the ___________ of romantic
excitement.
106Part ? Language Practice
- 14?As you can see, the newly constructed coast
road runs ____________________ to the shoreline. - 15?I _________________ I did not remember her at
all, but since I have been away from the town for
so long, I suppose it is only natural.
107Part ? Language Practice
- 16?This area is noted for butterflies in the
summer, and in August the purple hairstreak will
be _______________________. - 17?Make sure that the extended roof of your house
is ______________________ as a heavy rain is
forecast to be on the way.
108Part ? Language Practice
- 18?At 16, when Holden and I first met, his
ability to speak my thoughts _____________________
_ and frightened me. - 19?There are many old sayings that point to the
wisdom of thought before action, such as look
before you leap, more ____________, less
speed, second thoughts are best and so on.
109Part ? Language Practice
- 20?The ads for the Boston Marathon are mostly
photos of runners, and theyre __________________
with the thoughts that might go through the
runners mind during a race.
110Part ? Language Practice
- Keys
- 1. browse 2. endurance 3. forth 4.
suspended 5.zone 6. no wonder 7.signify
8. under (tremendous) pressure 9. run the
risk of 10. opt11. characterize 12.volume13
.buzz 14.paralle l5.confess16 on the wing
17.waterproof 18.thrilled 19.haste20.caption
ed
111????! ????!