New Horizon College English Book 33School of Foreign Studies Unit 1

Unit One Section A The Tail of Fame

Brain StormFAMEWhat can fame bring to people?a life of luxurya rise in social statusa good taste for social lifeHappiness! ?

seeking/chasing fame by all means:

sexually explicit photos: hidden rules: affairs: flaunt wealth: fraud or cheating:

Watch and Discuss: Is fame a burden to famous people?

burden of fameloss of identitylack of privacyless freedom of speechliving on the favor of fanspaparazzi: [p:pr:tsi]

Whats your understanding of fame and fame-seeking?

BeethovenFame should be a by-product of ones honest labor in life, not a result of ones impure pursuits.

Contents

I. New Wordsidle: Not working or producing anything adj.To waste time doing nothing vt. * idol: An idle youth, a needy age.

Example Dont idle away precious time and be sorry in vain when youthful heads become white .

I. New Words2. sustain:Make sth. continue to exist for a period of time To keep up the strength, spirits, or determination

ExampleThe hope that a rescue team would be searching for them sustained the trapped miners. The speaker succeeded in sustaining the listeners attention (interest) to the very end.

I. New Words3. discount: a. regard sth. as unlikely to be true or important vt. b. reduce the price of sth. vt. c. a reduction in the usual price of something Cn.You should discount much of what he says.ExampleAll sale items have been heavily discounted.I bought this pair of boots at a 30% discount.

I. New Words4. distinct: clearly different or belonging to a different type;

b. able to be clearly seen, heard, smelled, etc. Beer has a very distinct (distinctive) smell; its quite distinct from the smell of wine. Example There is a distinct smell of beer in this room.

5. justify: show that there is a good reason for sth. That other people think is unreasonable ExampleMy training, education and personal qualities justify my application for the position. A stupid person always tries to justify himself for his mistakes.

Contents

Structure AnalysisArgumentation + Supporting Details + ConclusionArgumentationPart 2Part 3ConclusionPart 5Part 4Paras. 2~5Para. 6Para. 7Para. 8Part 1Para. 9Supporting Details

Detailed Analysis

Part I General Statement (Para. 1)

A: It is like a dog chasing his own tail who, when he captures it, does not know what else to do but to continue chasing it.

Q2: What is the writers statement about fame?

A: The cruelty of success is that it often leads those who seek such success to participate in their own destruction.

Q1: What is it like to seek fame?

Detailed Analysis

Part II Specific Argumentation paras. 2-8

A: The conquest of fame is difficult at best, and many end up emotionally if not financially bankrupt.

Q2: What will happen to artists if theyre bored?

A: Their work begins to show a lack of continuity in its appeal and it becomes difficult to sustain the attention of the public.

Q1: What does the writer think of conquest of fame?

Q3: How do celebrities pay for their distinct style?

A: They pay for it by giving up the freedom to express themselves with other styles or forms.

Detailed Analysis

Part II Specific Argumentation (Paras. 2-8)

A: They have to please their audiences by saying things they dont mean or fully believe.

Q5: What if celebrities remain true to themselves?

A: They pay a heavy price for doing so, as shown in the case of Oscar.

Q4: In what way are artists similar to politicians?

Q6: What will become of those who initially fail?

A: Oddly, those who initially fail but never give up trying turn out to be the greatest winners.

Detailed Analysis

Part II Specific Argumentation (Paras. 2-8)

A: Failure motivates them to work even harder to succeed. But unfortunately, not many follow their lead.

Q7: How does failure affect singled-minded seekers?

Detailed Analysis

Part III Conclusion (Paras. 9)

A: People may find that once they have conquered fame, it is not really what they ever wanted. So you should be happy with what you are and do what you are proud of. Maybe you wont be famous in your own lifetime, but you may create better art.

Q1: What is the authors advice on fame seeking?

Contents

Passage ReadingPart I (Para.1): General StatementLanguage pointsQuestions

Part I Argumentation: Chasing fame often leads to self-destruction. Para. 1 An artist who seeks fame is like a dog chasing his own tail who, when he captures it, does not know what else to do but to continue chasing it. The cruelty of success is that it often leads those who seek such success to participate in their own destruction.

The Tail of Fame

A. Language points1. Participate in : take part in or become involved in an activityEveryone in the class is expected to participate actively in these discussions.

Example

Para 2 The lure of fame is hard to resist. Para. 2 Dont quit your day job! is advice frequently given by understandably pessimistic family members and friends to a budding artist who is trying hard to succeed. The conquest of fame is difficult at best, and many end up emotionally if not financially bankrupt. Still, impure motives such as the desire for worshipping fans and praise from peers may spur the artist on. The lure of drowning in fames imperial glory is not easily resisted.

A. Language points1. at best : even when considered in the most positive wayThe meeting was at best partially successful.

ExampleThe technique is at best ineffective and at worst dangerous.

A. Language points2. end up : finally be in particular situation or placeIn stead of ending up in jail he became remarkably famous.

Example

A. Language points3. spuron (into) : encourage someone or make them want to do sth.

We spurred them on to greater efforts.

ExampleIt was his mothers words that finally spurred him into action.

A. Language points4. drown in : have a very strong feeling or a serious problem that is difficult to deal with

These countries are drowning in debt.

ExampleWe are drowning in data but starved of information.

Para 3 It would be hard to keep the audiences lasting enthusiasm. Para. 3 Those who gain fame most often gain it as a result of exploiting their talent for singing, dancing, painting, or writing, etc. They develop a style that agents market aggressively to hasten popularity, and their ride on the express elevator to the top is a blur. Most would be hard-pressed to tell you how they even got there. Artists cannot remain idle, though. When the performer, painter or writer becomes bored, their work begins to show a lack of continuity in its appeal and it becomes difficult to sustain the attention of the public. After their enthusiasm has dissolved, the public simply moves on to the next flavor of the month.

Para 3 It would be hard to keep the audiences lasting enthusiasm.

Para. 3 Artists who do attempt to remain current by making even minute changes to their style of writing, dancing or singing, run a significant risk of losing the audiences favor. The public simply discounts styles other than those for which the artist has become famous.The public only accepts the styles for which the artist has become famous and they think other styles are not worth their attention.[mainju:t]apart from; except

A. Language pointsexploit : a. to use (esp. a person) unfairly for ones own profit or advantage b. to use or develop (a thing) fully so as to get profitThe world economic system exploits the developing countries in favor of the developed countries.

Example

We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.

A. Language points2. ride on the express elevator to the top : (a metaphor) means becoming famous quickly Susan Boyle rode on the express elevator to the top due to her astounding performance in the Britains Got Talent show.

Exampleexpress: 1. vt.2. n. 3. adj.

A. Language points3. be hard-pressed to do sth. : have difficulty to do sth.

This year the airline will be hard-pressed to make a profit.

Example

A. Language points4. flavor of the month/year/week : an idea, person, style, etc. that is very popular at a particular time, but only for a short while.

ExampleAny flavor of the month, like a flash in the pan, will lose its appeal to the public before long.

A. Language points5. run a/the risk of : be in the situation in which sth. Bad could happen

Men run a greater risk of suffering from heart disease than women.

Example

Para 4 distinctive styles of famous artists limits them to express themselves with other styles or forms.Para. 4 Famous authors stylesa Tennessee Williams play or a plot by Ernest Hemingway or a poem by Robert Frost or T.S. Eliotare easily recognizable. The same is true of painters like Monet, Renoir, or Dali and moviemakers like Hitchcock, Fellini, Spielberg, Chen Kaige or Zhang Yimou. Their distinct styles marked a significant change in form from others and gained them fame and fortune. However, they paid for it by giving up the freedom to express themselves with other styles or forms.

A. Language points1. pay for : suffer as a result of doing sth.

We will pay for our mistakes in some way at sometime.

Example

Para 5 Some famous people have to please the audience sometimes against their own will.Para. 5 Fames spotlight can be hotter than a tropical junglea fraud is quickly exposed, and the pressure of so much attention is too much for most to endure. It takes you out of yourself: You must be what the public thinks you are, not what you really are or could be. The performer, like the politician, must often please his or her audiences by saying things he or she does not mean or fully believe. You have to forget your true self

Para 6 It is hard to find an artist who is both successful and uncompromising.Para. 6 One drop of fame will likely contaminate the entire well of a mans soul, and so an artist who remains true to himself or herself is particularly amazing. You would be hard-pressed to underline many names of those who have not compromised and still succeeded in the fame game. An example, the famous Irish writer Oscar Wilde, known for his uncompromising behavior, both social and sexual, to which the public objected, paid heavily for remaining true to himself. oppose or disapprove of sth.

A. Language pointscontaminate :make sth. dirty or poisonousvt. The food was contaminated during the production process.

Example

A. Language points2. remain/be true to : continue to be loyal to someone or somethingThe TV series are criticized as not remaining true to the original work.

Example

A. Language points3. uncompromising : unwilling to change ones opinions or behavior

The group has taken an uncompromising position on environmental issues.

ExampleWord buildingun+ compromise + -ing uncompromising

Para 6 the example of Oscar Wilde is provided as an illustration.Para. 6 The mother of a young man Oscar was intimate with accused him at a banquet in front of his friends and fans of sexually influencing her son. Extremely angered by her remarks, he sued the young mans mother, asserting that she had damaged his good name. He should have hired a better attorney, though. The judge did not second Wildes call to have the woman pay for damaging his name, and instead fined Wilde. He ended up in jail after refusing to pay, and even worse, was permanently expelled from the wider circle of public favor. When things were at their worst, he found that no one was willing to risk his or her name in his defense. His price for remaining true to himself was to be left alone when he needed his fans the most.

A. Language pointsbe intimate with:Involve or have a secual relationship with; have a very close friendship with

She is intimate with the president.

Example

A. Language points2. accuse ab. of sth. : say that someone has done sth. wrong or is guilty of sth.The founder of Wikileaks website, Julian Assange, is accused of having committed a sex-crime..

Example

A. Language points3. be expelled from. : be dismissed officially from a school, club, etc.

The Korean national hero, Yuxi Huang, was expelled from the academic community for academic cheating (fraud).

Example

A. Language points4. at ones/its worst: as bad or unpleasant as someone or sth. can be

The pain was at its worst in the late evenings.

Example I dont want you to see me at my worst.

Para 7 Those who fail reap the greatest reward and enjoy the freedom to express themselves in the style they like.Para. 7 Curiously enough, it is those who fail that reap the greatest reward: freedom! They enjoy the freedom to express themselves in unique and original ways without fear of losing the support of fans. Failed artists may find comfort in knowing that many great artists never found fame until well after they had passed away or in knowing that they did not sell out. They may justify their failure by convincing themselves their genius is too sophisticated for contemporary audiences.

A. Language points1. Sb. find comfort in knowing / thinking that or in knowing / thinking that

, ExampleLazybones always find comfort in knowing that a lucky dog needs no haste, or in knowing that an unlucky dog runs heartbroken.

Para 8 Failure has motivated some artists to work even harder to succeed. But not many follow their examples.Para. 8 Single-minded artists who continue their quest for fame even after failure might also like to know that failure has motivated some famous people to work even harder to succeed. Thomas Wolfe, the American novelist, had his first novel Look Homeward, Angel rejected 39 times before it was finally published. Beethoven overcame his father, who did not believe that he had any potential as a musician, to become the greatest musician in the world.

Para 8 Failure has motivated some artists to work even harder to succeed. But not many follow their examples.Para. 8 And Pestalozzi, the famous Swiss educator in the 19th century, failed at every job he ever had until he came upon the idea of teaching children and developing the fundamental theories to produce a new form of education. Thomas Edison was thrown out of school in the fourth grade, because he seemed to his teacher to be quite dull. Unfortunately for most people, however, failure is the end of their struggle, not the beginning.

A. Language pointssingle-minded : having one clear aim or purposeExamplea. + n.+ ed Word building blue-eyed kind-hearted broad-minded good-natured gray-hairedlight-heartedopen-minded cold-hearted near-sighted single-handed

A. Language points2. come upon/on : find sth. or meet someone unexpectedly

Tao Yuanming, a famous writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), wrote the well-known essay Peach-Blossom Spring. In it he tells a story which goes like this: A fisherman happened to come upon a place called Peach-Blossom Spring. Example

Para 9 People should do what they are happy with. They may not be famous, but they may create better art.Para. 9 I say to those who desperately seek fame and fortune: good luck. But alas, you may find that it was not what you wanted. The dog who catches his tail discovers that it is only a tail. The person who achieves success often discovers that it does more harm than good. So instead of trying so hard to achieve success, try to be happy with who you are and what you do. Try to do work that you can be proud of. Maybe you wont be famous in your own lifetime, but you may create better art.

A. Language pointsdesperate: needing or wanting sth. very muchVery worried and willing to do anything to change a bad situation

. He is desperate for a job to support his family

Example The missing mans family are getting increasingly desperate.

A. Language pointsdesperately: adv. extremely; very

.

He desperately wanted his article published

Example

Contents

Dubbing the Movie clipsStep 1: Note down the lines Step 2: Translate the lines into English Step 3: Assign the roles in the group and dub the clip.

Director Liu from Multicolordistinguished guestCCTV Spring Festival Gala a(n) ordinary/common person signaturefansentertainment circlegossiplive in peaceauthorize us to be your representativeTips for translation:

Thats just our work.ask sb. for feedback on after servicepowerful sue sb.reputation right Youll become famous again with those negative reports.count on youI have to survive.very hotTips for translation:

Contents

The way to know life is to love many things.

VincentvanGogh (18531890) Check the Internet to know them more

Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardlycatch it going.

Tennessee Williams

Writing a poem is discovering.

Robert Frost

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.

T. S. Eliot

The pain passes, but the beauty remains.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Have no fear of perfection you'll never reach it.

Salvador Dali

In feature films, the director is God; in documentary films, God is the director.

Alfred Hitchcock

There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life. Federico Fellini

I dream for a living.

Steven Spielberg

I am someone who likes taking risks. Chen Kaige

Love that can be explained is not love. Zhang Yimou

A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.

Oscar Wilde

That way, all we have to do is make sure we don't put psychotics in high places and we've got the problem solved.Thomas WolfeIt is comforting to believe that leaders who do terrible things are, in fact, mad.

Friends applaud, the comedy is over.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Man must search for what is right, and let happiness come on its own.

Johann Pestalozzi

I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.

Thomas A. Edison

Thanks for your attention

2008 Annual Teaching ContestHope CupSchool of Foreign Studies Gao Li