Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Warmup

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Warm-up Activities Additional lnformation for the Teacher’s Reference Text The Ant and the grasshopper Further Reading Speaking Skills Additional Work

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Warm-up Activities 1. The teacher may divide students into five or six groups and ask them to introduce any fable that they have heard of to their group members. 2. Introduce to the students the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper and invite comments on the ant and grasshopper in the fable. To which party does your sympathy go? In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “Why not come and chat with me”, said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way? ” “Jam helping to lay up food for the winter”, said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same”. “Why bother about winter? ” said the Grasshopper, “we have got plenty of food at present. ” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Additional lnformation for the Teacher’s Reference 1. Somerset Maugham was a famous English novelist, shortstory writer, playwright and critic. He was born in Paris and educated at King’s School, Canterbury, and at Heidelberg. In World War I, he served as a secret agent. He qualified in 1897 as a doctor from St. Thomas medical school but abandoned medicine after the success of his first novels and plays. His players are no longer popular, and his fame rests on his many short stories and four of his novels: Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), Cakes and Ale (1930) and The Razor’s Edge (1944). These reveal a cynical but sometimes compassionate view of humanity.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 2. La Fontaine was a French writer , remembered especially for his Fables (1668 - 1694), moral tales drawn from AESOP and oriental sources which he used to comment satirically on contemporary society.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. Monte Carlo is a town in the independent principality of Monaco, on the Mediterranean coast known as the French Riviera. It is an international resort with a gambling casino, a yacht harbor and an annual automobile rally and the Monaco Grand Prix car race.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Main Idea of the Text Introduction to the Author and the Article The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes Phrases and Expressions Exercises

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Main Idea of the Text In this short story, Somerset Maugham, by describing two brothers’ attitudes toward life, examines the nature and inconsistent qualities of human beings. George was a hard-working and respectable man with a decent job as a lawyer. He was also a faithful husband loving father to four daughters. He believed that the industry should be rewarded and giddiness punished. His brother Tom, however, was an unscrupulous and good-for-nothing scoundrel. He philandered with the prettiest girls, danced, ate in the most expensive restaurants, and dressed beautifully. He borrowed money from relatives and friends. At the beginning, he fooled George

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper by making empty promises repeatedly. Later on he even went to such an extreme that he blackmailed his brother. Loading money to his brother, George appeared to be in Tom’s favor at the first sight. On a second thought, readers can find that George helped his brother only for his own sake. For instance, he gave Tom some money in order that Tom might quit his job as a bartender. By doing so, he saved his face and the good reputation of his family. But unfortunately Tom took advantage of his weakness of vanity over and over again. The story offers a new interpretation of the fable of La Fontaine The Ant and the Grasshopper whose classical teaching is that in an imperfect world industry is rewarded and giddiness punished, and reveals the dual personality of ordinary people.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Introduction to the Author and the Article William Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965) was a famous English novelist, short-story writer, playwright and critic. He was born in Paris and educated at King’s School, Canterbury, and at Heidelberg. After qualifying as a medical student he became a successful playwright and novelist. His plays are no longer popular, and his fame mainly rests on his many short stories and four of his novels, Of Human Bondage (1915); The Moon and Sixpence (1919), Cakes and Ale (1930) and The Razor’s Edge (1944).

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper In this short story, which is chosen from Maugham’s Collected Short Stories, Maugham, by describing two brothers’ attitudes toward life, examines the nature and inconsistent qualities of human beings.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Text The Ant and the Grasshopper William Somerset Maugham When I was a very small boy I was made to learn by heart certain of the fables of La Fontaine, and the moral of each was carefully explained to me. Among those learned was The Ant and the Grasshopper, which is devised to bring home to the young the useful lesson that in an imperfect world industry is rewarded and giddiness punished. In this admirable fable ( I apologize for telling something which everyone is politely, but inexactly, supposed to know) the ant spends a laborious summer

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper gathering its winter store, while the grasshopper sits on a blade of grass singing to the sun. Winter comes and the ant is comfortably provided for, but the grasshopper has an empty larder, he goes to the ant and begs for a little food. Then the ant gives him her classic answer: “What were you doing in the summer time? ” “Saving your presence, I sang all day, all night. ” “You sang. Why, then go and dance. ” I do not ascribe it to perversity on my part, but rather to the inconsequence of childhood, which is deficient in moral sense, that I could never quite reconcile myself to the lesson. My

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper sympathies were with the grasshopper and for some time I never saw an ant without putting my foot on it. In this summary (and I have discovered since, entirely human) fashion I sought to express my disapproval of prudence and commonsense. I could not help thinking of this fable when the other day I saw George Ramsay lunching by himself in a restaurant. I never saw anyone wear an expression of such deep gloom. He was staring into space. He looked as though the burden of the whole world sat on his shoulders. I was sorry for him. I suspected at once that his unfortunate brother had been causing trouble again. I went up to him and held out my hand.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “How are you? ” I asked. “I’m not in hilarious spirits, ” he answered. “Is it Tom again? ” He sighed. “Yes, it’s Tom again. ” “Why don’t you chuck him? You’ve done everything in the world for him. You must know by now that he’s quite hopeless. ” I suppose every family has a black sheep. Tom had been a sore trial to his for twenty years. He had begun life decently enough, he went into business, married and had two children.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper The Ramsays were perfectly respectable people and there was every reason to suppose that Tom Ramsay would have a useful and honourable career. But one day, without warning, he announced that he didn’t like work and that he wasn’t suited for marriage. He wanted to enjoy himself. He would listen to no expostulations. He left his wife and his office. He had a little money and he spent two happy years in the various capitals of Europe. Rumours of his doings reached his relations from time to time and they were profoundly shocked. He certainly had a very good time. They shook their heads and asked what would happen when his money was spent. They soon found out, he borrowed. He was charming

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper and unscrupulous. I have never met anyone to whom it was more difficult to refuse a loan. He made a steady income from his friends and he made friends easily. But he always said that the money you spent on necessities was boring; the money that was amusing to spend was the money you spent in luxuries. For this he depended on his brother George. He did not waste his charm on him. George was a serious man and insensible to such enticements. George was respectable. Once or twice he fell to Tom’s promises of amendment and gave him considerable sums in order that he might make a fresh start. On these Tom bought a motor-car and some very nice jewellery. But when circumstances forced George to realise that his brother would

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper never settle down and he washed his hands of him, Tom, without a qualm, began to blackmail him. It was not very nice for a respectable lawyer to find his brother shaking cocktails behind the bar of his favorite restaurant or to see him waiting on the box-seat of a taxi outside his club. Tom said that to serve in a bar or to drive a taxi was a perfectly decent occupation, but if George could oblige him with a couple of hundred pounds, he didn’t mind for the honour of the family giving it up. George paid. Once Tom nearly went to prison. George was terribly upset. He went into the whole discreditable affair. Really Tom had gone too far. He had been wild, thoughtless and

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper selfish, but he had never before done anything dishonest, by which George meant illegal; and if he were prosecuted he would assuredly be convicted. But you cannot allow your only brother to go to gaol. The man Tom had cheated, a man called Cronshaw, was vindictive. He was determined to take the matter into court; he said Tom was a scoundrel and should be punished. It cost George an infinite deal of trouble and five hundred pounds to settle the affair. I have never seen him in such a rage as when he heard that Tom and Cronshaw had gone off together to Monte Carlo the moment they cashed the cheque. They spent a happy month there.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper For twenty years Tom raced and gambled, philandered with prettiest girls, danced, ate in the most expensive restaurants, and dressed beautifully. He always looked as if he had just stepped out of a bandbox. Though he was fortysix you would never have taken him for more than thirty-five. He was a most amusing companion and though you knew he was perfectly worthless you could not but enjoy his society. He had high spirits, an unfailing gaiety and incredible charm. I never grudged the contributions he regularly levied on me for the necessities of his existence. I never lent him fifty pounds without feeling that I was in his debt. Tom Ramsay knew everyone and everyone knew Tom Ramsay. You could not approve of him, but you could not help liking him.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Poor George, only a year older than his scapegrace brother, looked sixty. He had never taken more than a fortnight’s holiday in the year for a quarter of a century. He was in his office every morning at nine-thirty and never left it till six. He was honest, industrious and worthy. He had a good wife, to whom he had never been unfaithful even in thought, and four daughters to whom he was the best of fathers. He made a point of saving a third of his income and his plan was to retire at fifty-five to a little house in the country where he proposed to cultivate his garden and play golf. His life was blameless. He was glad that he was growing old because Tom was growing old too. He rubbed his hands and said:

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “It was all very well when Tom was young and goodlooking, but he’s only a year younger than I am. In four years he’ll be fifty. He won’t find life so easy then. I shall have thirty thousand pounds by the time I’m fifty. For twentyfive years I’ve said that Tom would end in the gutter. And we shall see how he likes that. We shall see if it really pays best to work or be idle. ” Poor George! I sympathized with him. I wondered now as I sat down beside him what infamous thing Tom had done. George was evidently very much upset. “Do you know what’s happened now? ” he asked me.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I was prepared for the worst. I wondered if Tom had got into the hands of the police at last. George could hardly bring himself to speak. “You’re not going to deny that all my life I’ve been hardworking, decent, respectable and straightforward. After a life of industry and thrift I can look forward to retiring on a small income in gilt-edged securities. I’ve always done my duty in that state of life in which it has pleased Providence to place me. ” “True. ” “And you can’t deny that Tom has been an idle, worthless, dissolute and dishonourable rogue. If there were any justice he’d be in the workhouse. ” “True. ”

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper George grew red in the face. “A few weeks ago he became engaged to a woman old enough to be his mother. And now she’s died and left him everything she had. Half a million pounds, a yacht, a house in London and a house in the country. ” George Ramsay beat his clenched fist on the table. “It’s not fair, I tell you, it’s not fair. Damn it, it’s not fair. ” I could not help it. I burst into a shout of laughter as I looked at George’s wrathful face, I rolled in my chair, I very nearly fell on the floor. George never forgave me. But Tom often asks me to excellent dinners in his charming house in Mayfair and if he occasionally borrows a trifle from me, that is merely force of habit. It is never more than a sovereign.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes La Fontaine (Jean de la Fontaine 1621 -1695): French writer, remembered especially for his Fables (1668 -1694), moral tales drawn from AESOP and oriental sources which he used to comment satirically on contemporary society Saving your presence: with an apology for saying this in your presence. a black sheep: a person who does something bad, especially something which brings embarrassment and loss of respect to the family

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes Monte Carlo: a town in the independent principality of Monaco, on the Mediterranean coast known as the French Riviera. It is an international resort with a gambling casino, a yacht harbor and an annual automobile rally and the Monaco Grand Prix car race. He always looked as if he had just stepped out of a bandbox: He always looked very clean and fresh. Providence: God Mayfair: a fashionable area in London, east of Hyde Park sovereign: a former British gold coin worth ￡ 1

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Phrases and Expressions settle down: adopt a more stable or quiet way of life; get used to a new way of life wash one’s hands of sb. / sth. : refuse to be responsible for sb. / sth. any longer be in sb’s debt: feel grateful to sb. for his / her help make a point of doing sth. : do sth. because one considers it important or necessary

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper, which is devised to bring home to the young the useful lesson that in an imperfect world industry is rewarded and giddiness punished. The fable The Ant and the Grasshopper is designed to instruct the young people with a practical moral teaching that in an imperfect society hard work is appreciated and it will payoff while being too fond of excitement and pleasure is discouraged and it will be punished.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I apologize for telling something which everyone is politely, but inexactly supposed to know. . . To be polite, I suppose that everyone has known the fable; but I doubt whether it is accurate, so I’m sorry for telling the story again.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I do not ascribe it to perversity on my part, but rather to the inconsequence of childhood, which is deficient in moral sense, that I could never reconcile myself to the lesson. When I was a child I could never accept the moral lesson of the fable, which I attribute to my immature moral consciousness rather than to my unreasonable feeling or behavior.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper In this summary (and I have discovered since, entirely human) fashion I sought to express my disapproval of prudence and common-sense. In this concise way (since then I found it a completely human way) I tried to show my disapproval of the ant’s carefulness and practical good sense and judgment.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper For twenty-five years I’ve said that Tom would end in the gutter. And we shall see how he likes that. For twenty-five years I’ve said that Tom would end in poverty and let’s see how he feels when he lives in poverty.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Tom had been a sore trial to his for twenty years. For twenty years Tom had been troublesome and annoying as a test of his family’s patience.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I suppose every family has a black sheep. I take it as a fact that every family has a person who brings embarrassment and loss of respect to the family.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I never saw anyone wear an expression of such deep gloom. He was the first one that I ever saw who appeared to be so gloomy.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper He would listen to no expostulations. He wouldn’t listen to any earnest and kindly reasoning against what he was doing at all.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper He made a steady income from his friends and he made friends easily. He borrowed money regularly from his friends and he was so charming that he won friendship easily.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper He did not waste his charm on him. He got what he wanted from his brother with his attractiveness.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper George was a serious man and insensible to such enticements. George was so sincere that he was easily fooled by his brother’s tricks.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Once or twice he fell to Tom’s promises of amendment and gave him considerable sums in order that he might make a fresh start. For several times George believed Tom’s promises to change himself and gave him a considerable amount of money so that he could live a new life.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper devise (a plan, system or machine) vt. — design Examples: She devised a method for quicker communications between offices. Scientists have devised a test that shows who is most likely to get the disease.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper bring home sth. — make explicit sth. in an emphatic way Examples: The point is brought home in yesterday’s detailed statistics. The episode has brought home to me the pointlessness of this war.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper giddiness n. — the state of being rarely serious or living for the pleasure of the moment. Examples: It is generally agreed that in an imperfect world giddiness is to be punished. He was tired of hard work and felt a desire for a life of complete giddiness.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper industry n. — the fact of working very hard Examples: The clerk was rewarded for his industry. She has demonstrated a great deal of industry in finishing the project on time.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper laborious adj. — taking a lot of time and energy Examples: After the lengthy and laborious negotiation, the two parties finally reached an agreement. Collecting the raw materials proved to be a long and laborious task.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper ascribe sth. to sb. (sth. ) — consider sth. to be caused by, written by, or belonging to sb. (sth. ) Examples: There seems no particular reason to ascribe economic rationality to one group and not the other. While the outbreak of the disease directed media attention to pollution in the North Sea, ascribing the guilt to pollution was premature.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper perversity n. — the quality or state of being unreasonable in one’s behavior Examples: Undoubtedly, it would be wrong to continue out of perversity. I am a reasonable man, but, forced to revenge, I am not without a certain sense of perversity.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper on someone’s part — made or done by sb. Examples: There’s no need for any further instruction on my part. There are instances of excessive force on the part of security police.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper reconcile oneself to sth. — accept sth. although it makes one unhappy to do so Examples: These men reconcile themselves to circumstance, make their own compromises with destiny until happier times. Brilliant or not, I must reconcile myself to the idea that I would never reach the top.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper chuck vt. — throw sth. away in a careless way Examples: She took off her shoes and chucked them on the floor. Somebody in the passing crowd chucked a bottle onto the field.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper waste sth. on sb. — use sth. extravagantly, needlessly or without an adequate result Examples: He didn’t waste his charm on his fiancée who grew fond of him. I can’t believe you wasted your money on that junk!

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper qualm n. — feeling of doubt, esp. about whether what one is doing is right Examples: I have no qualms about recommending the same approach to other doctors. The manager has no qualms about dropping players who do not perform well.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper make a point of doing sth. — do sth. because one considers it important or necessary Examples: She made a point of spending as much time as possible away from her home. He makes a point of letting others know he takes care of his children.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper gutter n. — a condition of life in which someone is poor and has no self-respect Examples: Instead of ending up in jailor in the gutter, he was remarkably successful. He was an alcoholic who has only recently gotten his life out of the gutter.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper prudence n. — sensibility and carefulness Examples: A lack of prudence in the business world may lead to financial problems. But what passion was there in a life lived with prudence?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper expostulation — earnest and kindly reasoning against something one intends to do or has done Examples: My expostulations had no results. His brother wouldn’t listen to any expostulations.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper convict vt. — find ( sb. ) guilty of a crime , esp. in a court of law Examples: We convicted him of his errors. These criminals have been convicted of sin.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper infamous adj. — well known for wicked behavior Examples: An infamous plot was cracked. He was mistakenly considered as an infamous traitor.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Exercises I. Comprehension questions 1. What is the moral lesson of the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper? How did the narrator as a child react to the fable? 2. What was George’s mood when the narrator saw him in a restaurant? 3. What accounted for Tom’s decision to leave his family and office? 4. What kind of life did Tom live in Europe?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 5. By what means did Tom cheat George out of his money? 6. Why did George fall to Tom’s promises of amendment again and again? 7. How did Tom become a wealthy man? 8. How did George feel when Tom suddenly became rich?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper II. Topics for Discussion 1. What is the author’s purpose of telling the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper? 2. Maugham once says “we are a haphazard bundle of inconsistent qualities. ” Does George belong to this category? State your reasons. 3. If you have a scapegrace brother, will you adopt the same attitude towards him as George does? Will you stick to the blood-is-thicker-than-water principle when dealing with his wrong doings?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 4. Do you think every family has a black sheep as the author asserts?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper III. Vocabulary A. Replace the italicized parts in the following sentences with words or phrases from the text that best keep the original meanings. 1. ( hilarious 2. ( provide for ) We were invited to a fancy-dress party at Alison’s last Sunday and everyone of us had a good time. ) Bob died of cancer last year, leaving his wife two young daughters; so she had to give them all the things necessary for life.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. ( dissolute ) Flynn is a charming fellow, still handsome though dissipated, and always eager to have a good time. 4. ( ) It was a very long journey from York to London and Ross was grateful for John’s company. ) After being fired for spending too much time on the phone, the vengeful secretary spread vile rumors about the company. society 5. ( vindictive

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 6. ( saving your ) presence “Some of the members of your organization are unscrupulous schemers, sorry to say this when you’re here. ” 7. ( levied … on) The judge imposed a $3 million fine on the paper mill for polluting the river and its environment. 8. ( One of the good things about Amanda is that you can always rely on her inexhaustible enthusiasm. unfailing )

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 9. ( brought home to ) 10. ( wash my ) hands of At the forum they showed a documentary which made all the people present aware of the seriousness of the financial situation. If you are going to regard every suggestion I make as a criticism, then I will stop being involved in the whole matter.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B. Find the words from the text that are most nearly opposite in meaning to the words in bold type in the following sentences. 1. ( prudence ) They were embarrassed at his indiscretions in talking about family matters in front of strangers. 2. ( thrift ) Jack was always spending a lot of money on luxury goods, and his extravagance eventually led him into bankruptcy.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. ( forgiven ) 4. ( ) gloom 5. ( infamous ) The attack on World Trade Center in September 2001 was a terrorist act condemned by almost all nations of the world. His unusual name and undernourished body have long been a source of merriment for his friends and colleagues. Myra comes from an illustrious political family which includes one Member of Parliament and two former Cabinet ministers.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 6. ( assuredly ) When I entered the room, the man greeted me uncertainly and asked if he was in the right place. 7. ( blameless ) The judge agreed that the defendant had been depressed and was therefore not fully responsible for her actions. 8. ( convicted ) Just as expected, yesterday the court acquitted Graham Sykes and five associates of fraud charges.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 9. ( sympathy ) I try to be broad-minded, but do feel antipathy toward people who are dirty and unkempt. 10. ( enticement ) It is hoped that the severe prison sentences will serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper C. Choose the word or phrase that best completes each of the following sentences. B you richly when it comes to the 1. Hard training will ___ actual competition. A. bring C. serve B. pay D. make A a 2. At the news conference, the foreign minister ___ confident smile and answered all the questions raised by the journalists. A. wore C. settled B. expressed D. cultivated

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper C this 3. After years of research, scholars have finally ___ anonymous play Christopher Marlowe. A. taken. . . for C. ascribed. . . to B. obliged. . . with D. reconciled. . . to B about whether they’re 4. Most parents have occasional ___ doing the best thing for their children. A. burdens C. necessities B. qualms D. securities

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A me to thank you for all you have done for the 5. It ___ association in the last few years. A. falls to C. falls on B. falls into D. falls in with 6. I never heard anyone in my village mention my uncle Tony D — I think he was a bit of a. ___ A. white elephant C. guinea pig B. dark horse D. black sheep

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper D that she suggested for discussion were based on 7. The ___ the most recent medical research. A. contributions C. expostulations B. occupations D. amendments C 8. Rosa used to be quiet and introverted, but now she is ___ being sociable. A. looking forward to C. making a point of B. going back on D. standing up to

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 9. Mary broke off her engagement to John when she found D the pretty girls in his office. him often ___ A. putting up with C. making fun of B. seeing through D. philandering with B , she was remarkably 10. Instead of ending up in jail or ___ successful and became one of the wealthiest people in Britain today. A. in the raw C. in the extreme B. in the gutter D. in the flesh

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper IV. Cloze Fill in the blanks with words from the following list. Use the words in their proper forms. Make sure that no word is used more than once. bring blank after matter adapt lead in do on use freedom dwell delight retire above have alert down sensible enjoy displease solution picture practical application

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper He smiled grimly. He was not sentimental. He (1) _____ his had enjoyed authority and it gave him an austere satisfaction to know that he _______ displease had kept everyone up to the mark. It did not (2) him to think that he had been feared rather than loved. He saw his life as __ a problem(3) in higher mathematics, the working-out of which _____ of all his powers, but of has required intense (4) application _______ consequence. Its which the result had not the least (5) practical _______. But interest lay in its intricacy and its beauty in its (6) solution _____. ___ nowhere. His future was (8) blank like pure beauty it (7) led He was fifty-five, and full of energy, and to himself his mind

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper ____ as ever, his experience of men and affairs seemed as (9) alert was wide: all that remained to him was to settle (10) down ____ in a country town in England play bridge with elderly ladies and ______ colonels. He had met, when (12) on __ golf with (11) retired leave, old chiefs of his, and had observed with what difficulty _______ themselves to the change in their they (13) adapted circumstances. They had looked forward to the freedom that had pictured the would be theirs when they retired and (14) _____ charming uses to which they would put their leisure. Mirage. It having dwelt was not very pleasant to be obscure after (15) _____

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper __ with a couple of maids in a spacious Residency, to make (16) do when you have been accustomed to the service of half a dozen _____ all, it was not pleasant to realize that local boys and, (17) above _____ a row of beans to anyone when you had you did not (18) matter ____ to the delicate flattery of knowing that a word grown (19) used ______ and a frown humiliate all sorts and of praise would (20) delight conditions of men.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper V. Translation A. Translate the following paragraph from the text into Chinese. I suppose every family has a black sheep. Tom had been a sore trial to his for twenty years. He had begun life decently enough: he went into business, and married and had two children. The Ramsays were perfectly respectable people and there was every reason to suppose that Tom Ramsay would have a useful and honorable career. But one day, without warning, he announced that he didn’t like work and that he wasn’t suited for marriage. He wanted to enjoy himself. He would listen to no expostulations. He left his wife and his

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper office. He had a little money and he spent two happy years in the various capitals of Europe. Rumors of his doings reached his relations from time to time and they were profoundly shocked. He certainly had a very good time. They shook their heads and asked what would happen when his money was spent. They soon found out: he borrowed. He was charming and unscrupulous. I have never met anyone to whom it was more difficult to refuse a loan. He made a steady income from his friends and he made friends easily. But he always said that the money you spent on necessities was boring; the money that was amusing to spend was the money you spent in luxuries. For this he depended on his brother George. He did

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper not waste his charm on him. George was a serious man and insensible to such enticements. George was respectable. Once or twice he fell to Tom’s promises of an amendment and gave his considerable sums in order that he might make a fresh start. On these Tom bought a motor-car and some very nice jewellery. But when circumstances forced George to realize that his brother would never settle down and he washed his hands off him, Tom, without a qualm, began to blackmail him. It was not very nice for a respectable lawyer to find his brother shaking cocktails behind the bar of his favorite restaurant or to see him waiting on the box-seat of a taxi outside his club. Tom said that to serve in a bar or to driver

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper a taxi was a perfectly decent occupation, but if George could oblige him with a couple of hundred pounds, he didn’t mind for the honour of the family giving it up. George paid.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper VI. Writing The moral lesson of The Ant and the Grasshopper is: Idleness brings want. But the author did not agree. He said: “I could never quite reconcile myself to the lesson. ” Do you accept the traditional value of the fable or do you share the author’s opinion? Write an essay to illustrate your point of view. The suggested title is What Does the Fable Mean to Me?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B. The lives of most men are determined by their environment. They accept the circumstances amid which fate has thrown them not only with resignation but even with good will. They are like streetcars running contentedly on their rails and despise the sprightly flivver that dashes in and out of the traffic and speeds so jauntily across the open country. I respect them; they are good citizens, good husbands, and good fathers, and of course somebody has to pay the taxes; but I do not find them exciting. I am fascinated by the men, few enough in all conscience, who take life in their own hands and seem to mould it to their own liking. It may be that we have no such thing as free will, but at all events we have the illusion of it. At a cross-road it does seem

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper to us that we might go either to the right or the left and, the choice once made, it is difficult to see that the whole course of the world’s history obliged us to take the turning we did.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Further Reading The Verger Main Idea of Further Reading Idiom Studies Exercises

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Further Reading The Verger Somerset Maugham (Albert Edward Foreman had been verger of a church called St. Peter’s in Neville Square for sixteen years, and during this time he had performed his duties perfectly, always keeping the church clean and tidy, always perfectly dressed for every funeral and wedding. Then a new vicar was appointed. It was not long before this man discovered the surprising fact that Foreman could neither read nor write. The vicar told him that he must learn to do so at once. )

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “We don’t want to be harsh with you, Foreman, ” said the vicar. “But the churchwardens and I have quite made up our minds. We’ll give you three months and if at the end of that time you cannot read and write, I’m afraid you’ll have to go. ” Albert Edward had never liked the new vicar. He’d said from the beginning that they’d made a mistake when they gave him St. Peter’s. He wasn’t the type of man they wanted with a classy congregation like that. And now he straightened himself a little. He knew his value and he wasn’t going to allow himself to be put upon.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “I’m very sorry, sir, I’m afraid it’s no good. I’m too old a dog to learn new tricks. I’ve lived a good many years without knowin’ ’ow to read and write, and without wishin’ to praise myself, self-praise is no recommendation, I don’t mind sayin’ I’ve done my duty in that state of life in which it ’as pleased a merciful providence to place me, and if I could learn now I don’t know as I’d want to. ” “In that case, Foreman, I’m afraid you must go. ” “Yes, sir, I quite understand. I shall be ’appy to ’and in my resignation as soon as you’ve found somebody to take my place. ”

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper But when Albert Edward with his usual politeness had closed the church door behind the vicar and the two churchwardens he could not sustain the air of unruffled dignity with which he had borne the blow inflicted upon him, and his lips quivered. He walked slowly back to the vestry and hung up on its proper peg his verger’s gown. He sighed as he thought of all the grand funerals and smart weddings it had seen. He tidied everything up, put on his coat, and hat in hand walked down the aisle. 40 He locked the church door behind him. He strolled across the square, but deep in his sad thoughts he did not take the street that led him home, where a nice strong cup of tea awaited him; he took the wrong turning. He walked slowly along. His heart was heavy. He did not know what he should do with

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper himself. He did not fancy the notion of going back to domestic service; after being his own master for so many years, for the vicar and churchwardens could say what they liked, it was he that had run St. Peter’s, Neville Square, he could scarcely demean himself by accepting a situation. He had saved a tidy sum, but not enough to live on without doing something, and life seemed to cost more every year. He had never thought to be troubled with such questions. The vergers of St. Peter’s, like the popes of Rome, were there for life. He had often thought of the pleasant reference the vicar would make in his sermon at evensong the first Sunday after his death to the long and faithful service, and the exemplary character of their late verger, Albert Edward Foreman. He sighed deeply.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Albert Edward was a non-smoker and a total abstainer, but with a certain latitude; that is to say he liked a glass of beer with his dinner and when he was tired he enjoyed a cigarette. It occurred to him now that one would comfort him and since he did not carry them he looked about him for a shop where he could buy a pocket of Gold Flakes. He did not at once see one and walked on a little. It was a long street, with all sorts of shops in it, but there was not a single one where you could buy cigarettes. “That’s strange, ” said Albert Edward. To make sure he walked right up the street again. No, there was no doubt about it. He stopped and looked reflectively up and down.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “I can’t be the only man as walks along this street and wants a fag, ” he said. “I shouldn’t wonder but what a fellow might do very well with a little shop here. Tobacco and sweets, you know. ” He gave a sudden start. “That’s an idea, ” he said. “Strange ’ow things come to you when you least expect it. ” He turned, walked home, and had his tea. 80 “You’re very silent this afternoon, Albert, ” his wife remarked. “I’m thinkin’, ” he said.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper He considered the matter from every point of view and next day he went along the street and by good luck found a little shop to let that looked as though it would exactly suit him. Twenty-four hours later he had taken it, and when a month after that he left St. Peter’s, Neville Square, for ever, Albert Edward Foreman set up in business as tobacconist and newsagent. His wife said it was a dreadful come-down after being verger of St. Peter’s, but he answered that you had to move with the times, the church wasn’t what it was, and henceforward he was going to render unto Caesar what was Caesar’s. Albert Edward did very well. He did so well that in a year or so it struck him that he might take a second shop and put a manager in. He looked for another long street that hadn’t got a tabacconist in it and when he found it, and

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper a shop to let, took it and stocked it. This was a success too. Then it occurred to him that if he could run two he could run half a dozen, so he began walking about London, and whenever he found a long street that had no tobacconist and a shop to let he took it. In the course of ten years he had acquired no less than ten shops and he was making money hand over fist. He went round to all of them himself every Monday, collected the week’s takings and took them to the bank. One morning when he was there paying in a bundle of notes and a heavy bag of silver the cashier told him that the manager would like to see him. He was shown to an office and the manager shook hands with him.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Mr. Foreman, I wanted to have a talk to you about the money you’ve got on deposit with us. D’you know exactly how much it is? ” “Not within a pound or two, sir; but I’ve got a pretty rough idea. ” “Apart from what you paid in this morning it’s little over thirty thousand pounds. That’s a very large sum to have on deposit and I should have thought you’d do better to invest it. ” “I wouldn’t want to take no risk, 120 sir. I know it’s safe in the bank. ” “You needn’t have the least anxiety. We’ll make you out a list of absolutely gilt-edged securities. They’ll bring you in a better rate of interest than we can possibly afford to give you. ”

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A troubled look settled on Mr. Foreman’s distinguished face. “I’ve never ’ad anything to do with stocks and shares and I’d ’ave to leave it all in your ’ands, ” he said. The manager smiled. “We’ll do everything. All you’ll have to do next time you come in is just sign the transfers. ” “I could do that all right, ” said Albert uncertainly. “But ’ow should I know what I was signin’? ” “I suppose you can read, ” said the manager a trifle sharply. Mr. Foreman gave him a disarming smile. “Well, sir, that’s just it. I can’t. I know it sounds funny-like, but there it is, I can’t read and write, only me name, an’ I only learnt to do that when I went into business. ” The manager was so surprised that he just jumped up from his chair.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper “That’s the most extraordinary thing I ever heard. ” “You see, it’s like this sir, I never ’ad the opportunity until it was too late and then some’ow I wouldn’t, I got obstinatelike. ” The manager stared at him as though he were a prehistoric monster. “And do you mean to say you’ve built up this important business and amassed a fortune of thirty thousand pounds without being able to read or write? Good God, man, what would you be now if you had been able to? ” “I can tell you that, sir, ” said Mr. Foreman, a little smile on his still aristocratic features. “I’d be verger of St. Peter’s, Neville Square. ”

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes to Further Reading knowin’ ’ow: knowing how. This is the way Cockneys (eastern Londoners) speak a particular dialect of English. In the dialect, most sounds represented by “h” are not pronounced. The same is true of the following words, such as “’appy”, “’as”, and “’and”.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes to Further Reading Gold Flakes: a brand name of cigarettes

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes to Further Reading render unto Caesar what was Caesar’s: This is a quotation from the Christian Bible. It means meeting one’s proper obligations as a citizen. And here, it means to relive one’s old experience or revive one’s old dream.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Notes to Further Reading gilt-edged securities: shares, esp. those offered for sale to the public by the government, that are considered safe, paying a small rate of interest but unlikely to fail

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences I’ve lived a good many years without knowin’ ’ow to read and write, and without wishing to praise myself, self-praise is no recommendation, I don’t mind sayin’ I’ve done my duty in that state of life in which It’s pleased a merciful providence to place me, and if I could learn now I don’t know as I’d want to. Although I’m illiterate, I’ve lived for many years happily. I have no intention to praise myself as self-praise should be discouraged. I’ve performed my duty very well, even God is pleased to have me put in such a position. I may not want to learn to read and write even if I am able to start to learn.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences In the course of ten years he had acquired no less than ten shops and he was making money hand over fist. During the ten years, he had taken and stocked no less than ten shops and was making profit very fast.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences He did not fancy the notion of going back to domestic service. He didn’t like the idea of going back to do house-keeping work ．

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences He went around to all of them himself every Monday, collected the week’s takings and took them to the bank. He visited his shops one by one, collecting all the money made and then deposited it in the bank.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences Mr. Foreman gave him a disarming smile． Mr Foreman gave an honest and friendly smile to the manager of the bank.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences I’m too old a dog to learn new tricks. I’m too old to learn to read and write.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences But when Albert Edward with his usual politeness had closed the church door behind the vicar and the two churchwardens he could not sustain the air of unruffled dignity with which he had borne the blow inflicted upon him. When Albert Edward closed the church door as the vicar and other two churchwardens left as politely as usual he couldn’t keep calm and his dignity any longer although he managed to maintain that air of dignity when he suffered the blow.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Paraphrase of Difficult Sentences His wife said it was a dreadful come-down after being a verger of St. Peter’s, but he answered that you had to move with the times, the church wasn’t what it was, and henceforward he was going to render unto Caesar what was Caesar’s. His wife said that it was a terrible fall in social position when he resigned from the church of St. Peter’s. He responded that you had to change when things changed because the church was headed by a new vicar. Therefore, he was going to relive his old experience of doing business.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Main idea of Further Reading In further reading, the author mainly tells a story of the verger Albert Edward Foreman who performed his duty very well but was forced to learn to read and write. As a verger, Albert had his routine life challenged when the new vicar came. Reluctant to accept the vicar’s humiliation, Albert had to resign his job. On the way home, he happened to walk along a street where no tobaccos were sold. So he decided to set up in business to be a tobacconist and newsagent. In the course of ten years, he made money hand over fist. His business proved to be a great success.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Idiom Studies 1. beat about the bush not telling sth. immediately or quickly, but in a complicated way 拐弯抹角地说 2. spill the beans tell one’s secret to others without one’s permission 泄密

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. the last straw that breaks the camel the last in a series of unpleasant and undesired events that makes one not tolerate a situation any longer （一系列打击，不快事件中）最终使人无法忍受的事； 终于导致垮台的因素 4. bark up the wrong tree direct an inquiry or accusation at the wrong place or person 错怪了人，把事情搞错了 5. bear fruit produce desired results 产生所期望的结果

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 6. sour grapes deprecation as a form of consolation to oneself about what one would like to have, but can not 酸葡萄 7. wither on the vine disappear gradually rather than being destroyed suddenly 逐步消失；夭折 8. sow one’s wild oats go through a period of irresponsible pleasure-seeking while young （年轻时）放荡，纵情玩乐

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 9. a thorn in one’s flesh a person or thing that continually annoys or hinders one 经常惹人烦恼的人或物 10. take a leaf out of one’s book copy sb. ; act or behave in a similar way to sb. 模仿某人，以某人为榜样

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Exercises I. Comprehension questions 1. How did Albert Edward perform his duty as verger of St. Peter’s? How did he react when the new vicar asked him to learn to read and write? 2. How did Albert Edward feel when he decided to leave St. Peter’s? 3. What made Albert decide to set up in business as tobacconist? 4. What did Albert Edward’s wife say about her husband’s going into business? What was his response? 5. Why was Albert Edward unwilling to invest in stocks and shares?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper II. Topics for Discussion 1. Suppose you were in the position of Albert Edward, would you follow the new vicar’s advice and learn to read and write? State your reasons. 2. Albert Edward said, “You had to move with the times. ” Do you believe in this philosophy? 3. There is a saying “A loss may turn out to be a gain. ” or “ Misfortune may prove to be a blessing in disguise. ” Do you think it applicable to Albert Edward? Give examples to support your argument.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Speaking Skills Pursuing Objectives in Life Oral Practice More Expressions for Practice

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Pursuing Objectives in Life People vary greatly in their pursuits in life, such as hedonism, epicurism and utilitarianism. But whatever be your pursuing objectives, no one is going to stop you from doing what you want to and no one will be there to constantly drive you either. Therefore you, and you alone, will be accountable for your actions. Practice the following dialogues with your partners and learn to identify your pursuing objectives in life.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Oral Practice A: Which life pattern do you prefer, Tom’s or George’s? B: Well, George’s for sure. You see, for twenty years Tom raced and gambled, flirted with the prettiest girls, danced, ate in the most expensive restaurants, and dressed beautifully. I would say he was a most amusing companion, but you know he was perfectly worthless. He borrowed all the time, and he even blackmailed his own brother. What a shame! But George was quite a different character. He had been hardworking, decent, respectable and straightforward all his life. Unlike Tom, he was honest, industrious and worthy, and took on great responsibility for his family and people around him. I really appreciate that!

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A: For most people, ambition is first and foremost defined as an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power. The ambitious individual, far from identifying himself and his fortunes with the group, wishes to rise above it. To be exact, the ambitious man or woman sees the world as a battle, and competitiveness is his or her principal emotion. For them, the world has limited prizes to offer, and he or she is determined to get his or hers. What do you think of their attitudes? B: Well, surely ambition is behind dreams of glory, of wealth, of love, of distinction, of accomplishment, of pleasure, of goodness. But I would see ambition in quite a different way. What really matters, I think, is how you do with your dreams and expectations, that is to say, how to make your dreams come true.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A: I do agree. Some people say that success is a myth, and ambition is a sham. You know, many people are naturally distrustful of ambition, feeling that it represents something intractable in human nature. So, do you see any virtues out of ambition? B: I would say ambition could be quite positive in our lives. It is true that we human beings mostly live within a realm of choicelessness. But we do choose how we shall live: courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with a purpose or drift aimlessly. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life. And as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed. In the end, forming our own destiny is what our ambitions are about.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A: Have you heard of this saying, “God must have loved the common people, because he made so many of them. ” B: Sure, that is from U. S. President Abraham Lincoln. Despite his seeming ordinariness, he went on to greatness — while giving new meaning and dignity to what the world considered “average. ” A: It seems in our society, many ordinary people who have set their sights high do find a way to achieve their goals later in their lives; while on the other hand, many most-likely-tosucceed people fail to achieve much in the end. In your opinion, how do “average” people excel?

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B: Well, I think the secrets of the “average” people who excel include: Learn self-discipline, Bring out the best in people, Build a knowledge base, Develop special skills, Keep promises, And bounce back from defeat. A: Success is a choice. I think the first step to achievement in business and life is to build self-esteem, since our selfesteem is the value we put on ourselves.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B: I can’t agree with you more. We can expect great things from people who feel good about themselves. They can push themselves. They can set long-term goals. They have dreams that everyone expects to be fulfilled. People with high self-esteem are risk takers, but more important, they are achievers. On the contrary, people with low self-esteem are often unfocused and easily frustrated. They tend to be underachievers, complete with the package that is so characteristic of those kinds of persons: lack of discipline, poor organizational skills, an inability to finish things, a sense of discontent, sensitivity to criticism, envy of others.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper More Expressions for Practice l l l You must establish a solid work ethic and a sound strategy in order to become achievers. To maintain financial viability and ensure a good quality of life, we all need to develop life skills that enable us to be independent, tolerant, sociable and enterprising. One of the great problems of mankind is that we suffer from a poverty of the spirit, which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper l l For me, the principal fact of life is the free mind. For good and evil, man is a free creative spirit. In short, as Jack London states: “I accepted the rising of the sun, I accepted that up above me was all that was fine and noble and gracious, all that gave decency and dignity to life, all that made life worth living and that rewarded one for his hardship and misery. ”

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Additional Work I. Idiom Studies II. Vocabulary Expansion III. Reading Appreciation IV. Translation of Proverbs

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper I. Idiom Studies The idioms given below include a reference to the plant. Choose a suitable one from the list to fill in each blank in the following sentences. Make changes when necessary. beat about the bush spill the beans the last straw that breaks the camel’s back bark up the wrong tree bear fruit sour grapes wither on the vine sow one’s wild oats a thorn in one’s flesh take a leaf out of one’s book

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 1. There was some debate as to whether the benefit scheme should be withdrawn or simply allowed to ________. wither on the vine 2. He says that my new car is a waste of money, but that’s just _____; sour grapes actually, he would like very much to own one himself. beat about the bush come 3. If you’ve got bad news, don’t ________; straight to the point. 4. The manager is trying to get rid of Tom because he has been ________ a thorn in his flesh since he joined the department.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 5. I was not one of those young people who _________; sowed their wild oats I was a fairly decent youth. 6. If you want to buy a villa as splendid as mine, you should ___________ take a leaf out of my book and start saving money. 7. The police were looking for a tall thin man, but they were ___________; barking up the wrong tree thief was short and fat. 8. Alice’s friends were going to have a surprise party for her, but spilled the beans Ben _______. 9. Jane has tried every means to make Tom change his mind, but borne fruit so far. none of them have _____

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 10. Losing my job was bad enough, but being evicted from my the last straw that broke the camel’s back house was _________________.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper II. Vocabulary Expansion There are four choices marked A, B, C, and D under each of the following sentences. Choose the one that best completes the meaning of each sentence. 1. As one of the youngest branch manager in the IT company, D of a brilliant career. Mr. Yang is certainly on the ___ A. track B. margin C. course D. threshold

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper C times, human beings did not travel for pleasure, but to 2. In ___ find a more favorable climate. A. prime B. primary C. primitive D. preliminary

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. While it’s true that techniques of active listening can ___ A the value of lecture, few students possess such skills at the beginning of their college careers. A. enhance B. enlarge C. access D. exaggerate

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 4. In the library, I found Dabbie was frowning, apparently ___ D a word. A. tumbled to B. collided with C. coincided with D. stumped on

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper A rescue efforts and there’s now 5. Fierce storms have been ___ little chance of finding more survivors. A. hampering B. bewildering C. tangling D. blundering

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 6. They didn’t even give him any sick-pay when he was off ill, C way to treat an employee. which is a fairly ___ A. vulnerable B. makeshift C. shoddy D. backhanded

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 7. It must be realized that large price increase can only ___ B demands for even larger wage increase. A. call off B. trigger off C. make off D. carry off

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 8. When the old lady was back from shopping, she was shocked to C. find that her house had been ___ A. pawned B. leased C. ransacked D. mortgaged

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B about the 9. Since this was my first job interview, I asked ___ salary. A. discouragingly B. diffidently C. differentially D. diffusely

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper B in the woods off the 10. The lost car of the Lees was found ___ highway. A. vanished B. abandoned C. scattered D. disregarded

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper III. Reading Appreciation Read the stories about the origin of the following phrases. Keeping up with the Joneses Behind the phrase, “keeping up with the Joneses, ” lies a human story that is found, in one form or another in every country of the world. In the United States many have been told that anyone can become rich and successful if he works hard and has some good luck. Yet, getting rich creates some problems. When one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tries to look as rich and as successful as his neighbors.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper The expression was first used in 1931 by a struggling young American by the name of Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself: He began earning 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. Young Momand was very proud of his riches. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood on Long Island, outside New York City. But just moving there was not enough. For when Momand his wife saw that their neighbors belonged to a country club they too joined a country club. And when he saw that rich people were expected to ride horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. Momand his wife also hired a servant and gave very grand parties for their new neighbors. It was like a race, but one could never finish this race

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper because one was always trying to keep up. Momand his wife could not do that. The race ended for them when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They left their wealthy neighborhood and moved back to an inexpensive New York City apartment. Momand later said that his experience had been a cruel awakening for him. Nevertheless, he was able to see the funny side of it. He looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors. He decided that this would make a good comic series for newspapers. So in 1913 he started writing one that appeared in many papers across the country. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses, ” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Where did keeping with the people around you. Momand’s comic series appeared in different newspapers for over 28 years. People never seem to tire of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the “right” books, go to the “right” universities and eat in the “right” restaurants. Every city has an area where people want to live because others will think better of them if they do. Park Avenue in New York, Nob Hill in San Francisco, and Rittenhouse Squire in Philadelphia are three such areas. There are similar places, and “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses, because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Face the Music When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to go face the music, ” it does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour music, indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us had to “face the music, ” especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice: “I want to talk to you!” And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was! The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. the

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper. He said — in 1851 — that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their cue to go on, they often said: “It’s time to go face the music. ” And that is exactly what they did — face the orchestra which was just below the stage. An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved onto the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly, or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So, “to face the music, ” came to mean: having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper Other explanations come from the army. Men had to face inspection by their leader. The soldiers worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean — shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do? Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something unacceptable, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave facing the music, such as it is, and facing the back of his horse.

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper IV. Translation of Proverbs 1. Life is a battle. 人生就是一场战斗。 2. Life is but an empty dream. 浮生若梦。

Unit 3 The Ant and the Grasshopper 3. Life is short and art is long. 人生短暂，艺术无涯。 4. Better a glorious death than a shameful life. 忍辱偷生不如死的光荣。