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Unit Five

The Tapestry of Friendship

海南大学外国语学院 基础英语教研室

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• Contents• A. Text one• I. Pre-reading: • (I). Warm-up questions • (II). Background information • II. While-reading: Text Analysis• (I) Structure analysis• (II) Comprehension questions • (III) Language points• (IV) Difficult sentences • III. Post-Reading:• (I) Grammatical items• (II) Translation Exercises• (III) Oral activities• (IV) Writing practice • B. Text two• （I）Questions for text comprehension• （II）Language points

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• I. Pre-reading: • Cultural background• Friendship• English Quotes about Friendship:• Tell me what company thou keepst, and I’ll tell thee what

thou art. － Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist

• My friends are my estate. － Emily Dickinson, American Poet

• My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. － Henry Ford, American Industrialist

• The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one. － Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Essayist

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• True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice. － Samuel Johnston, American Statesman

• Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it. － Cicero, Roman author, orator and politician

• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. － George Washington, First president of the U.S.

• The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money. － Mark Twain, American humorist, novelist, short story author

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• Chinese Sayings about Friendship:• 近朱者赤，近墨者黑。

Keep good men company and you shall be of the number.

• 亲兄弟，明算账。Even reckoning makes long friends.

• 物以类聚，人以群分。Birds of a feather flock together.

• 君子之交淡如水。A hedge between keeps friendship green.

• 海内存知己，天涯若比邻。A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near.

• 有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎！Isn’t it great when friends visit from distant places?

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Gender Patterns in FriendshipWomen’s Friendship

Female friendships are often seen as having elements of intimacy and support. Women typically describe their friendships in terms of closeness and emotional attachment. What characterizes friendships

between women is the willingness to share important feelings, thoughts, experiences, and support. Women devote a good deal of time and intensity of involvement to friends. Friendships between women, more so than between men, are broad and less likely to be

divided.

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• Men’s Friendships• Unlike women, men are typically socialized by society

to be less social and have more difficulty with friendships; they are often raised to compete with other men and not cooperate with them, to hide their vulnerabilities and not share their inner experiences. However, like women, men can benefit from the social bonds of friendship. The great friendships recorded in history have been between men, and friendships among men have often been romanticized and idealized. Men’s friendships have typically been described in terms of bravery and physical sacrifice in providing assistance to others. Despite this historical romanticization of the male friendship, researchers have found that men have significantly fewer friends than women, especially close friendships or best friends.

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• Friendship between Men and Women• There is much debate about the possibilities of male and

female friendships. Much of this debate has had to do with the idea that sexual attraction will prevent men and women from forming a strong platonic bond. There can be many challenges to female-male friendships. For instance, in a society where men have typically had more power and dominance, equality can be an issue. Both genders may benefit from these interactions: Men may learn more about sharing and establishing emotional support, while women might enjoy interactions that are less emotionally challenging.

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• II. While-reading: Text Analysis• (I) Structure analysis• analysis of the text• In the text, the author discusses the

differences between a buddy and a friend in a forceful way. The main idea of the text can be summarized in one sentence: a buddy is a fine life companion while a friend is that part the race with which you can be human.

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• Structural analysis of the text• This text distinguishes two kinds of friendship: that between

men and that between women. It can be divided into four parts.

• Part I (Paragraphs 1 – 2): the prelude, where the author reveals what kind of film the woman had just seen.

• Part II (Paragraphs 3 – 6): the introduction, where the author advances the double standard of friendship on the basis of the personally observed shift of focus of the cinema lens.

• Part III (Paragraphs 7 – 18): the body, where the distinctions of the two types of friendship are detailed.

• Part IV (Paragraph 19): the conclusion, which summarizes the fundamental difference between male companionship and female friendship.

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• Rhetorical features of the text• To show the differences between buddiness and friendship

effectively, the author of the text coordinates sentences in various ways. Sometimes he uses conjunctions such as but, yet and while. And sometimes he simply puts two clauses together without using any conjunction at all.

• For examples: • Well, she thought, on the whole, men had buddies, while

women had friends. Buddies bonded, but friends loved. Buddies faced adversity together, but friends faced each other. There was something palpably different in the way they spent their time. Buddies seemed to “do” things together; friends simply “were” together. (paragraph 8)

• Buddies hang tough together; friends hang onto each other. (paragraph 11)

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• Words and Expressions• slight: a. of no importance or consideration;

trifling• e.g. There was a slight increase in her weight

after the winter holidays. • 寒假结束后，她好像有点儿发胖。• Translation: • 他是个高个子德国人，讲一口漂亮的英语，只带一丁点口音。

• Answer: He was a tall German who spoke perfect English with only a slight trace of accent.

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• cosmic: a. • (1) very great • e.g. This earthquake was a disaster of cosmic scale.• (2) relating to the universe or cosmos• e.g. The other great cosmic reality is time.• Some people believe that what happens in their

lives is influenced by cosmic forces.

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• shift one’s focus (onto/to): move one’s attention from one thing to another

• e.g. It was not until the last year that we began to shift our focus onto the drive for modernization.

• That is why I insisted that the focus of our work should be rapidly shifted to the economic development.

• flick: (slang) n. a movie• Symonyms: movie, film, motion picture, moving

picture, picture, picture show, show

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• Americans are suckers for action flicks that are famous for senseless explosions, car chases, bar brawls and shoot-outs.

• What kind of movies are they? Please translate the following into English.

• 言情片 romance/love story • 动作片 action film• 恐怖片 horror film• 惊悚片 thriller• 动画片 cartoon/animation• 悬疑片 mystery• 贺岁片 New Year greetings pictures / New

Year blockbuster

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binge: n. a period of unrestrained, immoderate self-indulgence, esp. in food and drink

e.g. When she was depressed, she went on an ice-cream binge. During Christmas, Canadians spent a whopping $40.3 billion as

they went on a spending binge.

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• sidekick: (slang) n. a close companion or comrade• e.g. He is Sam’s sidekick, to my knowledge. • Mark has been Luke’s sidekick since junior high

school.• cull: v. choose from various sources• e.g. Here are a few facts and figures I’ve culled

from a lifetime of experience.• It’s a collection of fascinating stories culled from

a lifetime of experience.

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• inherit: v. • (1) receive or take over from a predecessor• e.g. William inherited a fortune but ran it through

in no time.• My brother inherited the lion’s share of our

father’s money.• The new administration inherited the economic

problems of the last four years.• (2) be born with• e.g. Rosie inherited her red hair from her mother.

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• pick on: • (1) (Informal) criticize or blame; tease; harass• e.g. His older brother always picked on him. • The older children liked to pick on the younger

ones. • (2) single out; choose • e.g. The professor always picks on me to translate

long passages. • He always picks on small points to criticize.

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• border on: come near or verge on, resemble, come nearer in quality, or character

• e.g. His rigid translation of this literary work borders on literalness.

• Some of his statements are so incorrect that they border on fraudulence.

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• adversity: n. difficulties; misfortune • e.g. Adversity is a good discipline. • 逆境是最好的磨练。• Translation:• Prosperity makes friends and adversity tries them. • Answer: 富贵交友易，患难显真情。• In times of prosperity, we have to be prepared for

adversity.• Answer: 顺境时，我们要居安思危。

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• count: v. consider or be considered as• e.g. I count myself fortunate to have had such a

good education.• I think we can count this meeting a great

success.• I hope you won’t count it against me if I don’t

come to your birthday party.

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• chicken: n. • (1) (Informal) a young or inexperienced person, esp.

a young girl• e.g. Well, she’s certainly no spring chicken. • (2) (Slang) a cowardly or fearful person• e.g. “Don’t be scared, Chickens!” came her voice

with teasing gaiety.• chicken out • (Slang) refrain from doing sth. because of fear or

cowardice • e.g. I chickened out when I saw how deep the water

was.

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• Vocabulary• 1. Word Derivation• 1) fragile a. →fragility n.• ①这个花瓶易碎，拿的时候小心一点儿。• This vase is fragile, please handle it with care. • ② 她柔弱的外表下隐藏着坚强的意志。• She has a strong will hidden within her fragile

body. • ③很多发言人警告说世界秩序很脆弱。• Many of the speakers warned of the fragility of

the world order.

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• drastic a. →drastically ad.• ①法国大革命导致剧烈的社会变革。• The French Revolution has brought drastic

social changes. • ②政府警告要采取严厉措施。• The government is threatening to take drastic

action. • ③随着一场大雪的降临，气温急剧下降。• With a heavy snow, the temperature dropped

drastically.

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• replace v. →replacement n.• ① 课堂上的电脑永远不会取代老师。• Teachers will never be replaced by

computers in the classroom. • ②我们需要一个人来接替离职的秘书。• We need a replacement for the

secretary who left.

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• athlete n. → athletic a. • ①我听说他当运动员时获过许多奖项。• I heard that he won a lot of prizes

when he was an athlete.• ②很多女孩儿都喜欢美国小伙子，就是因为他们体格健壮。

• A lot of girls like American guys, simply because they are athletic.

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• portray v. → portrait n. • ①也许正是这个原因，漫画家们才没有想好该怎样来刻画他。

• Perhaps it was for this reason that cartoonists did not work out how they would portray him.

• ②书桌上方挂着一幅总统的肖像，很可能是在他三十来 岁时画的。

• Over the desk was a portrait of the President, probably painted in his thirties.

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• inherit v. → inheritance n. • ① 他打算让他的儿子继承他的生意。• He intended that his son should

inherit the business.• ②这一头衔按世袭传给长子。• The title passes by inheritance to

the eldest son.

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• confident a. → confidence n. • ①他看起来沉着而又自信，我肯定他能得到那个工作。

• He seemed cool and confident. I’m sure he is going to obtain the job.

• ②没有通过这次考试，他彻底失去了信心。• After he failed the exam, his

confidence was totally destroyed. .

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• embarrass v. → embarrassing a. → embarrassment n.

• ①记者询问他的私生活使他感到很尴尬。• The reporter’s questions about his private

life embarrassed him. • ②夜里在走廊上遇见陌生男人使她感到很不好意思。

• It was embarrassing to her to meet strange men in the corridor at night.

• ③这段小插曲令所有相关人员都感到非常尴尬。• The episode was a huge embarrassment

for all concerned.

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• Grammar• 1) Ellipsis • Ellipsis occurs when part of the sentence is

omitted, but the omission is clearly understood. It is a grammatical technique that avoids repetition and clumsiness. In a compound sentence, it works in the following way:

• a. ellipsis of the subject (only in imperatives and some idiomatic expressions)

• e.g. Thank you for your help. • See you tomorrow.

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• b. ellipsis of the predicate or part of the predicate• e.g. His face is tanned and his hands (are) big and

strong.• Gold is more expensive than silver (is). • I would like to help build the scout hut, but I can’t

(help you build the scout hut).• c. ellipsis in a clause ending with why, how, where or

what:• e.g. He mocks his teachers without knowing why (he

mocks his teachers).• Many countries are intending to fight crime, but they

don’t know how (to fight it).• I’m sure we’ll find your friend, but God only knows

where (we will find her).

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• rather vs. fairly• Both strengthen or weaken the adjective or

adverb that follows. Fairly is used before “positive” adjectives; while rather is used before “negative” adjectives.

• e.g. The book is fairly interesting but the film is rather boring.

• However, you can use both fairly and rather before “neutral” adjectives, but the meaning is different:

• e.g. The tea is fairly/rather hot.

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• When you say: “The tea is fairly hot,” you imply that you like to drink hot tea. So hot is “positive” for you. When you say: “The tea is rather hot,” you imply that you don’t like hot tea, or that the tea is too hot for you to drink. So hot is “negative” for you.

• To make things more complicated, rather can also be used before “positive” adjectives:

• e.g. Fiona is rather clever. • Paul is rather tall.• “Fiona is rather clever” means almost the same as “Fiona is

very clever”. “Rather clever” is much more of a compliment than “fairly clever”.

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• III. Post-Reading • Oral Activities• 1. Having a Dialogue• Suppose a friend of yours is suffering a setback in his/her love

affair. Have a conversation with him/her, letting him/her tell you what has actually happened between the two of them, and trying to help him/her put the matter in perspective.

• Structures and Patterns:• － Are you still seeing …?• － How are you going with your girlfriend/boyfriend?• － Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know that …? What

happened? • － Did she/he tell you why she/he …? • － Don’t be cynical. I don’t think you will have any difficulty in

finding another girlfriend/boyfriend. There are plenty of fish in the sea.

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• 2.Having a discussion• Topic: Is Confucius’ teaching “make no friends inferior

to ourselves ” （无友不如己者） still constructive in modern society? Would you like to follow it? Have a debate over the issue in two opposing groups.

• Viewpoints: • Group A. Everybody is equal in the modern society.

There is no inferior or superior friend in this sense. • Group B. Friends who are less capable or less

righteous than you may adversely affect your life or career.

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• Writing• Essay writing: An introduction• Expository essay/exposition• The purpose of an expository essay is to inform,

explain, clarify, define or instruct. It requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, cause and effect analysis, etc.

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• The expository essay is held together by the following structure:

• a. A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement in the first paragraph of the essay.

• b. Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

• c. Body paragraphs that include evidential support whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal.

• d. A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

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• I. Text II• 1. Lead-in Questions• 1) How do you communicate with your

parents? • Key: chatting; writing; doing things

together …• 2) How would you describe your

relationship with your mother/father? • Key: intimate; remote; rebellious …

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• Questions for discussion• Why did the mother and the daughter

choose letter-writing as their form of communication?

• Have you ever communicated with your parents by writing? If yes, under what circumstance did it happen?

• What is the advantage of this form of communication?

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• About Aristotle and Churton Collins• Aristotle (384－ 322 B.C.), Greek philosopher and scientist whose

thought determined the course of Western intellectual history for two millennia. He is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre.

• John Churton Collins (1848－ 1908) was a distinguished literary critic of the late 19th and early 20th century. His first book was a study of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1874), and later he edited various classical English writers, and published volumes on Bolingbroke and Voltaire in England (1886), a Study of English Literature (1891), a study of Dean Swift (1893), Essays and Studies (1895), Ephemera Critica (1901), Essays in Poetry and Criticism (1905), and Rousseau and Voltaire (1908), his original essays being sharply controversial in tone, but full of knowledge.

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• Debate• Between men and women there is no

friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.