Unit 1 Personality新编大学英语第二版第三册教案

Unit 1 Personality

Useful Information

In a general sense, the term personality refers to all the personal and moral characteristics that determine the way a person thinks, feels and acts in his or her social and personal relations. These traits include a vast variety of attitudes and attributes such as shyness, generosity, patience, flexibility, sadness, humor, cheerfulness, selfishness, independence and aggressiveness. Most people are a mix of positive and negative traits. Personality traits that are valued in one culture may be frowned upon in another culture. Similarly, qualities that are encouraged in boys might be regarded as negative traits in girls.

It is difficult to know exactly how much of our personality is inherited and how much is determined by parental and peer group influences. Is there a gene for shyness or stubbornness, for example? Are we born compassionate or do we acquire certain attitudes from our parents, our grandparents, our friends and other role models? Most research tends to suggest that our basic personality is inherited but that many factors shape and mould our personality as we mature. If our personality were entirely a result of our genes, then it would be virtually impossible to alter undesirable traits or to strengthen our weaknesses.

Most lucid individuals, at some point in their lives, realize that certain aspects of their personalities constitute drawbacks in their relationships with other people. A selfish person might discover that selfishness does not create lasting friendships. An ill-tempered or intolerant person might find cooperative teamwork very difficult. A quiet shy person might find some work situations very stressful. Recognizing one’s strengths and weaknesses is an important step in the process of personal development because this can bolster self-confidence and motivate the desire to improve oneself. A person who is able to evaluate his or her strong points and weak points—with the help of parents, friends, teachers or aptitude tests—is also better equipped to make career choices. Different jobs require different personalities. A person who is matched appropriately to the skills and attitudes required for a particular job is more likely to be effective and successful.

In recent years, various studies have shown that health and personality are interrelated. Negative attitudes can have negative effects on a person’s health. In constantly looking at the dark side of things, a pessimist can become discouraged to the point of feeling helpless. This passivity can, in turn, lead to destructive behavior such as drinking too much alcohol or becoming mean and bitter. Optimists, on the other hand,

attempt to make the best of a situation. Rather than regarding themselves as victims, they feel that they have some control over their lives.

The power of positive thinking has been used by sports psychologists for many years to help athletes control their nerves and build up their self-confidence. By visualizing themselves in a winning situation, athletes increase their chances of being successful. Similar approaches are being used with cancer patients. While optimism or positive thinking cannot actually cure a disease, it appears to contribute to well-being and to keep the disease at bay. Optimism is associated with hope, and hope, at any stage in one’s life, is always a mobilizing and energizing force.

Part One Preparation 1. Mr. and Miss So and So 1) Gentle 2) Dedicated 3) Considerate 4) Adventurous 5) Calm 6) Aggressive 7) Critical 8) Energetic 9) Selfish 10) Ambitious 11) Self-confident 12) Easygoing 13) Truthful 14) Outgoing 15) Frank 16) Sensitive 17) Bossy 18) Patient 19) Talkative 20) Persuasive 21) Sympathetic 22) Emotional 2. Personality and Job Jobs Personality Traits salesperson shrewd, hard-working, boastful, acute, tricky, (salesman or saleswoman) teacher patient, tolerant, talkative, unselfish, loving, humorous, bossy doctor patient, calm, independent, careful, sympathetic police officer (policeman) brave, alert, independent, strong, calm accountant careful, honest, cautious, patient lawyer persuasive, expressive, eloquent, serious, knowledgeable, talkative tourist guide enthusiastic, talkative, expressive, energetic, considerate, good-tempered host or hostess of a show emotional, expressive, optimistic, quick-minded, exaggerated, humorous reporter curious, extroverted, open-minded, adventurous , spokesperson secretary spokesperson (spokesman) 3. Personality Test 4. Personality Words

easy-going, tolerant, sensitive, frank, thorough, efficient intelligent, talkative, diplomatic, cautious, matter-of-fact Part Two Reading-Centered Activities In-Class Reading

I. Pre-Reading

1. 1) There are many factors that contribute to shyness. Some examples are low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, limited social activities, and lack of education. Some people, I think, are born shy. It’s a trait inherited from their parents. I still remember when I was a little girl, I was extremely shy. I was brought up in the countryside, and there weren’t many activities for me to take part in. There were very few chances for me to meet different sorts of people. What’s more, I believed that I was ugly. So I seldom talked to people. Even when I was spoken to, I was reluctant to respond. My face would turn red immediately. But after I entered college, I gained more self-confidence. I came to realize that appearance is only skin-deep. What’s more important is one’s knowledge, one’s personal qualities, one’s character, and one’s good virtues.

2) There are several ways to overcome shyness. First we should remember that nobody can be perfect, so there’s no reason to feel discouraged if we have some shortcomings. On the contrary we should know our strengths and emphasize our good aspects to build self-confidence. Don’t always focus on our weaknesses because we can improve ourselves. For example, study hard and read widely to enrich our knowledge. Try to make more friends, and encourage ourselves to get involved in more activities in school. Don’t take other people’s comments too seriously, but trust ourselves. And another important point is that we can do something to change our personalities. So why don’t we start from now?

II. Passage Reading

Words, Phrases and Grammatical Points

1. “All kinds of people describe themselves as shy…” (l.1~2)

和describe…as类似的词组有: accept…as; interpret…as; regard…as; view…as; look on…as; consider…as; take…as; perceive…as; label…as。as后面可以接名词，动名词，形容词。

e.g. He did not accept this reply as valid.

Would you describe yourself as being a hard worker? You should not interpret the silence as a refusal.

Many conservatives disapprove of the tax, regarding it as unfair. She is viewed as a strong candidate for the job. We look on her as a daughter.

Do you consider him (as) a friend or a colleague? She took what he said as a compliment.

Stress is widely perceived as contributing to heart disease.

If you spend any time in prison you’re labelled as a criminal for the rest of your life.

2. confirm: (l.21) 证实，肯定，进一步确定

e.g. New evidence has confirmed the first witness’ story. 新的证据证明了第一个目睹者所言是真实的。

Her remarks confirmed me in my opinion that she was a very gentle young lady. 她的话使我进一步确信她是一个温柔的女孩。 Compare: conform, affirm

conform: 遵照，符合，一致，后面常跟上to 或with

e.g. I) You must either conform to the rules or leave the school.

II) This piece of equipment does not conform to the official safety standards. affirm: 断言，声明

e.g. I) He affirmed to me that he was innocent. II) She affirmed that she was telling the truth.

3. compliment: (l.22) 赞美的话，恭维的话。

e.g. She paid me a very charming compliment on my paintings. She accepted his compliments about her dress with a smile. 在表示“问候，祝福”等意时，compliment 用复数compliments。

e.g. With the compliments of the season. 谨致节日的祝贺。（西方人在圣诞和新年时的贺词）

4. eliminate (l. 27) reduce (l. 27) diminish (l. 39)

Eliminate means to remove or get rid of completely. Reduce means to make less in size, amount, price, degree, etc. Both eliminate and reduce are transitive verbs. They have to be followed by an object. Diminish is to (cause to) become less in size or importance. It can be used either as a transitive verb or an intransitive verb.