Unit 5 Text A The Company Man - 图文

Answer the following questions based on the information contained in the text. 1. What do you know about Phil and his family? Answer for reference Phil was one of the six vice-presidents of a large corporation and one of the three promising candidates who might succeed to the position of the president. He was a perfect Type A, a workaholic, working six days a week; he literally worked himself to death at the age of fifty-one at 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday. Though he was married and had one daughter and two sons, he had completely neglected his family. His wife had been missing him long before he died, and his children regarded him not as father but as a stranger. He even lost touch with his values and with himself. He always ate egg salad sandwiches at his desk and never relaxed. Even the monthly golf game offered him a good opportunity to talk or do business. As a result, he was overweight by 20 or 25 pounds and he did not realize that he was a heart-attack natural. 2. What can you infer from the author?s telling us that Phil “worked like the ?Important People?”? Answer for reference That the company had not extended the four-day week upwards into the executive ranks shows that they considered themselves too important a group to be allowed to ease up. That is why Phil, in competition with the other “Important People” in the company, voluntarily worked “six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night”. 3. What can you infer from Paragraph 11? What point does the author want to stress in this paragraph? Answer for reference. From Para. 11, we can infer that the workaholic Phil never paid enough attention to the growth and education of his youngest son, who failed to go in for a college education and did no more than odd jobs to get enough money for marijuana and food. It was only over the las t two years that Phil began to worry about his youngest son. In Para. 11, the author emphasizes the fact that Phil had completely lost touch with his family. 4. List all the details that Goodman selects to show that Phil is a typical workaholic? Answer for reference Students are encouraged to list as many details as they can possibly find with the help of the hints given below With regard to how Phil worked, one may find some details in Paras. 4

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and 5 In terms of his attitude to his wife, one may refer to Paras. 7 and 8 As to how he treated his three children, the author selects quite a number of details in Paras. 9-12. In terms of how he treated himself, students may refer to Paras. 4 and 14 for details. V Detailed Study Detailed Study: Part 1 ▆ Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs their implications, paying special attention to the italicised parts. 1. What can you learn from the first paragraph? He worked himself to death ,finally and precisely, at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. What are the functions of the two adverbs “finally and precisely” in this sentence? The first sentence provides information concerning “who”, “what”, ?how? and “when”. “finally” suggests the tragic ending of Phil. “precisely “ highlights the exact time of his death, thus stressing his devotion to work. Language points in this part executive n. countabe. a manager in an organization or company who helps make important decisions e.g. chief executive the executive: the part of a government that makes sure decisions and laws work well. －6－

南 阳 理 工 学 院 备 课 讲 稿

教 学 内 容 Detailed Study: Part 2 Questions for consideration 1. Can you describe the relationship between Phil and his wife and children? His wife lost him for years to his work. His wife once tried to stop him from overworking but failed. He had totally neglected his children. 2. Why did Phil?s wife try to conceal her bitterness in front of the president at the funeral? She was concerned about her financial situation after her husband died. Phil provided well for his widow. 3. A company friend said, “I know how much you will miss him.” And she answered, “I already have.” (Para. 7) Being a workaholic, Phil spent little time at home before he died. His wife had missed him long before he died. 4. The boy once said, “My father and I only board here.” (Para. 12) Since Phil “worked six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night”, he totally neglected his family. To Phil, “home” was nothing but a house that provided accommodation and meals. He and his son were just like strangers who happened to lodge in the same place. There was little communication between father and son. Language points in this part 1. survive v. remain alive after sb.; continue to live or exist in spite of nearly being killed or destroyed by sth. The urge to survive drove them on. 求生的欲望驱使他们继续努力。 You need to be tough to survive in the jungle. 要在丛林中活下来就要有坚忍不拔的意志。 If the industry doesn't modernize it will not survive. 该制造业若不现代化就不能继续存在。 2. survivor n. All the ships in the vicinity of the crash joined in the search for survivors. 撞船事故发生地区的所有船只都参加了搜寻幸存者的工作。 The sole survivor of the crash was a little boy. 这次撞车事故的唯一幸存者是一个小男孩。 He is the only survivor of the plane crash. 他是那次飞机失事唯一的幸存者。

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3. compete vi. try to win or gain sth. By defeating others who are trying to do the same Companies must be able to compete in the market-place. 公司一定要在商品交易中有竞争力。 Companies must be able to compete in the marketplace. 公司一定要在市场中有竞争力。 ～ against/with sb/in sth/for sth 竞争、对抗、比赛 4.beloved a. much loved The man endeavored to please his beloved wife. 那人尽量使他深爱的妻子快乐。 He is beloved by all. 他是众人所爱戴的。 5.manufacture vt./ n.(大量)制造，制造业[ pl.]产品 The company manufactures cars. 这家公司制造汽车。 In design and quality of manufacture they were outclassed by the Italians. 在产品设计和质量上，意大利人大大超过了他们。 Ammonia, coal tar and coke are all by-products obtained in the manufacture of coal gas. 氨气、煤焦油、焦煤都是煤气生产过程中的副产品。 The manufacture of these small components is expensive. 制造这些小部件是非常昂贵的。 6. embarrass vt. Cause sb to feel self-conscious or awkward使为难, 使窘迫, 使尴尬 You didn't embarrass me in the slightest.你一点也没让我为难。 She dragged up that incident just to embarrass me. 她又扯起那件事故意想使我难堪。 He was embarrassed by many debts. 他被很多债务弄得焦灼不安。 embarrassing embarrassed grab at seize sb.or sth. eagerly or desperately 抓住，获得 The boy made a grab at the frog, but it jumped away. 那男孩伸手向青蛙抓去，可是它跳开了。 A drowning man will grab at a straw. 快淹死的人连一根稻草也要抓的。 He grabbed at the boy, but can not save him from falling. 他想抓住那男孩儿，然而那孩子还是跌倒了。 7.stay up 熬夜 Afterwards she relented and let the children stay up late to watch TV. 後来她宽容了些，让孩子们晚睡看电视。 I am going to stay up late to finish my paper. －8－