CONTEMPORARY

College English (Book 2)

创 作 单 位：辽东学院外语学院本单元作者：齐家媛

Confessions of a Miseducated ManConfessions of a Miseducated Man － by Norman Cousins

Lesson 12

Confessions of a Miseducated ManConfessions of a Miseducated Man － by Norman Cousins

Lesson 12

Part One: Background

Information

Part Two: Text Appreciation

Part Three: Text in Details

Part One: Background

Information

Part Two: Text Appreciation

Part Three: Text in Details

Contents

Background InformationBackground Information

Subtitle Here

1. About the Author

2. Bird’s eye view

3. Tribalism

4. World Population

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• Norman Cousins (1915—1990)• Careers: • writer • editor • citizen diplomat • promoter of holistic healing • unflagging optimist• Lifelong Concerns:• war and peace• world governance• justice• human freedom• the human impact on the environment• health and wholeness

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1. About the Author1. About the Author

Belief in world governance: • He believed that enduring world peace could only be achieved through effective world governance. Belief in world federalism: • He argued for a world no longer based on the supremacy of

nationalism and other superficial differences. Contribution to peace and human well-being: • He arranged for medical treatment in USA for 24 young Japanese women who came to be known as the “Hiroshima Maidens”; • helped support the medical care of 400 Japanese children orphaned by the atomic bomb; • with his wife, legally adopted one of the "Maidens"; • helped create a program for the “35 Polish women who had been victims of Nazi medical experiments during the war”.

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1. About the Author1. About the Author

Quotations • Inevitably, an individual is measured by his or her

largest concerns.• Life is an adventure in forgiveness.• A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates,

should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas—a place where history comes to life.

• If something comes to life in others because of you, then you have made an approach to immortality.

• Just as there is no loss of basic energy in the universe, so no thought or action is without its effects, present or ultimate, seen or unseen, felt or unfelt.

• Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.

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1. About the Author 1. About the Author

Bird’s eye view: a situation or topic as if viewed from

an altitude or distance

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2. Bird’s eye view2. Bird’s eye view

Get a bird's eye view, Maui's spectacular sights

3. Tribalism3. Tribalism

• Originally, tribalism refers to behavior and attitudes that are based on strong loyalty to tribe. Scholars believe that modern regionalism, racism, and nationalism are merely more refined forms of primitive tribalism.

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4. World Population4. World Population

Population 2006-03-06

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1. China 1,311,461,762

2. India 1,090,540,218

3. USA 297,582,756

4. Indonesia 244,357,819

5. Brazil 187,453,214

World 6,496,061,544

Text AppreciationText Appreciation

Subtitle Here

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1. Structure of the text

2. Theme of the text

3. Writing techniques

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1. Structure of the text1. Structure of the text

• Part 1 (Paras.1—7 ): The old education focusing on nations’ differences should give way to the new one emphasizing the similarities.

• Part 2 (Para8 ): We should respect all human beings because human life is such a rare occurrence.

• Part 3 (Para.9 ): However different peoples may be, they are united in their humanness, in their basic human faculties and gifts.

• Part 4 (Paras.10—11): They are also united in their needs.

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• The author’s central idea is that , to prepares ourselves for this new world, we must all be re-educated so that we will be able to understand that there are more similarities than differences among peoples. The differences are superficial and insignificant whereas the similarities are essential and fundamental. These similarities enable all of us to be members in this global village and to live happily with mutual respect.

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2. Theme of the Text2. Theme of the Text

• Repetition. • Normally to make a piece of writing neat, we

don’t repeat the main verb or other parts of a sentence. But repetition technique frequently used by writers and speakers for emphasis. In Paragraphs 3, 4 and 9 of the text, not only the structure but the key words are repeated while in Paragraph 10 , only the structure is a of “how to do” is repeated.

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3. Writing technique 3. Writing technique

3. Writing technique3. Writing techniqueExample: • 1. And the simplest reality of all was that the human c

ommunity was one --- greater than any of its parts, greater than the separateness imposed by the nations, greater than the different faiths and loyalties or the depth and color of varying cultures.(para.4)

•  2. Geography had instructed me in differences of terrain, resources, and productivity. Comparative culture had instructed me in the differences of background and group interests. Anthropology had instructed me in the differences of facial bone structure, skin color and general physical aspect. (para.3)

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Text In DetailsText In Details

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Text in DetailsText in Details

1. in the nature of a confession: a kind of confession; statements of my past wrongs

2. instruct: to teach; to educate (The word “instruct”, in the sense of “educate”, is used in the pattern: to instruct sb. in sth.)

3. comparative culture: an academic discipline; a study that involves comparing cultures of different countries.

4. group interests: interests of ethnic, social, political groups

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5. principal: main, chief, major, the most important

• Do not mix it up with its homonym—principle.

6. all but: almost or nearly

7. Let me say it in a differently: Let me say it in a different way. “Put” here means to say or to express, e.g.

• Let me put it another way.• Can you put it in simple English?• To put it bluntly, I think this company is

bankrupt.

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8. not so much as: not one thing but rather sth. else, e.g.

• I like teaching not so much for the pay as for the chance to be among young people.

• He lost his job not so much for his incompetence as for his age. At 45, he was considered too old.

9. get through doing: to complete; to finish doing

10. in terms of: only as; only in connection with

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11. well traveled: been to many countries

12. far-flung areas: very distant places

13. give way to: to give its place to sth. better, to be replaced by, e.g.

• The traditional extended family has now given way to the nuclear family.

• Coal is dirty and will have to give way to gas or other cleaner energy.

14. not to hold sth. cheaply: to hold sth. dear; to think that sth. is important

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15. in combination: when put together

16. take in past experience: to absorb or understand or learn from past experience

• 17.visualize future needs: to foresee future needs and take action to meet these needs

• 18.what counts: what is important• More examples of the use of “count”:• I know that what I say here does not count.• These empty promises don’t count. We need

action.

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• 19.forms and colors and ordered sounds: referring to literature, architecture, art and music

• 20.the unity of human needs: the delicate balance or interdependence of human needs

• 21.thundering propaganda: very loud or noisy propaganda

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