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Unit Twelve

A Case of “Severe Bias”

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: • (I) Background Information1. The black middle class

The black middle class, within the United States, refers to African Americans who occupy a middle class status within the American class structure, those who own their own home or small business, and by the strictest definition, those with a degree from college.

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• 2. Challenges facing the black middle class• Downward mobility: 45% of children from a

black • middle class family end up “near poor”, while

16% of• children from a white middle class family end

up “near• poor”.• Financial crisis: 33% of the black middle class

was in • danger of falling out of the middle class at the

start of • the recession

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3. Comments• The best guarantee of durable, amicable race

relations• in America is the continued growth of a strong, • self-confident black middle class. • — The Times

• There is little doubt that middle-class black America is

• 30 － 40 years ahead of us back in Blighty (a slang

• referring to Britain).• — The Guardian

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This selection originally appeared in Newsweek, 1989. In the text the author contrasts media images of black Americans with the reality of their lives, emphasizing what black Americans are not.

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(Paragraphs 14 — 16): The author calls for action to correct the distorted media image of blacks and make blacks and their contributions to American society recognized.

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The text can be divided into the following three parts:Part I

(Paragraphs 1 — 3): This part brings up the topic that the media have distorted the image of black Americans out of a severe bias, and most blacks, including the author herself, are not at all like what is depicted in the media.

Part II (Paragraphs 4 — 13): This part gives a detailed description of the fact that the media have presented a biased image of black America and transmitted it to the whole country as the norm.

Part III

II. While-reading: Text Analysis (I) Structure analysis

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In this text, the punctuation mark dash has been used in many sentences. For instance, Day after day, week after week, this message － that black America is dysfunctional and unwhole － gets transmitted across the American landscape.

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PracticeFind more sentences in the text in which dash is used and explain its usage in them.

• Nor is it a matter of closing one’s eyes to the very real problems of the urban underclass － which undeniably is disproportionately black. (Interrupting a sentence)

• And as self-reliant as most black Americans are － because we’ve had to be self-reliant － even the strongest among us still crave affirmation. (Interrupting a sentence)

• I want America to know us － all of us － for who we really are. (Putting special emphasis)

• That is the real portrait of black America － that we’re strong people, surviving people, capable people. (Introducing an explanation)

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What is the image of black people in the American news media? (Paragraph 3)

They are depicted as poor, criminal, addicted and dysfunctional.

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Why do the American media insist on playing this myopic, inaccurate picture game? (Paragraph 7)

Because they have a severe bias against black people and create a bad image of them.

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What are the problems of the urban black underclass? (Paragraph 8)

Poverty, crime, addiction and dysfunctional relationships.

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What does the author mean by the phrase “twilight zone”? (Paragraphs 9)

“Twilight zone” refers to a gray area, a border in-between two or more things that is unclearly defined, a border that is hard to define or even impossible to define. Here the author means that the image of blacks remains unclear, because of the discrepancy between the image depicted by the media and the image in reality.

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Why does the author think it is necessary to have a real portrait of black America? (Paragraphs 16)

It is because black people deserve an objective and truthful evaluation of their contribution to American society and history. They can no longer bear a distorted image based on a severe racial bias.

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Group discussion: There is no doubt that media is playing an essential role in almost every aspect of our life. Please discuss with your classmates the major areas media cover. You may refer to text.

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illiterate: a.

e.g.You must be illiterate if you’ve never heard of Marx.He is musically illiterate.

not able to read or write

Translation:无论他是百万富翁还是乞丐，无论他是知识分子还是文盲，他的母亲都永远爱他。No matter he is a millionaire or a beggar, educated or illiterate, his mother loves him forever.

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我给她读莎士比亚优美的十四行诗，但在这样没文化的人面前，简直是对牛弹琴。 I read that beautiful Shakespearean sonnet to her, but it was pearls before swine to such an illiterate person.

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addicted: a. unable to stop taking or using sth. as a habite.g.become addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco,

etc.strongly interested in sth. as a hobby or pastime e.g.He is addicted to TV soap operas.

Translation:他醉心于诗歌，希望有一天自己成为诗人 He was addicted to poetry and hoped one day to be a poet himself. ____________________________________________________________

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他是个旅行迷。 He was an addicted traveler. _________________________________

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dysfunctional: a.

e.g.Children from a dysfunctional family is more likely to be shy.

abnormally functioning

functionalAntonym:

e.g.After repairs, the railroad is functional again. I’m hardly functional if I don’t get eight hours’ sleep!

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insidious: a

e.g.He had insidiously wormed his way into her affections.The leaflets were a more insidious form of propaganda.

spreading or acting gradually and unnoticed but with harmful effects

e.g.a sinister motive/actionThere was something cold and sinister about him.a menacing face/toneAt night, the dark streets become menacing.

Synonym:sinister, menacing

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warfare: n.

e.g.There were many countries engaged in warfare.

the activity of fighting a war, especially using particular weapons or methods

the activity of competing in an aggressive way with another group, company, etc.

e.g. The debate soon degenerated into open warfare.

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warfare & warComparison:

warfare: the activity of fighting in a war, used esp. when talking about particular methods of fightinge.g.diplomatic/economic warfare

war: fighting between two or more countries or opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons

e.g. If a war breaks out, many other countries will be affected.

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the state of receiving money paid by the government to support one’s life

e.g.More and more people are living on welfare as a result of the financial crisis.

on welfare:

Translation:

他们宁愿工作也不愿靠福利过活。They would rather work than live on welfare.__________________________________________________

他们往往认为靠福利过活的人是寄生虫。They tend to regard people on welfare as parasites. ____________________________________________________________

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e.g.Detectives deduced from the clues who had committed the crime.We deduce from his behavior that he is trying to gain attention.

deduce: varrive at (facts, a theory, etc.) by reasoning; infer sth.

Derivation:deduction

e.g. It’s an obvious deduction that she is guilty.The dividend will be paid without the deduction of tax.

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myopic: a. [medical] unable to see things clearly that are far away

e.g.He thinks that Dolly is myopic and should see a good doctor.

unwilling or unable to think about the future

e.g.He is politically myopic. The government still has a myopic attitude to public spending.

e.g. He was too short-sighted to focus on the object.Only a short-sighted man will lose sight of the importance of education.

Synonym:short-sighted

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pathetic: a.

e.g.His answers were pathetically inadequate.

causing one to feel pity or sadness

e.g.The pathetic sight of starving children made her burst into cry.

extremely inadequate; contemptible

Translation:

他的眼泪引起了在场人的怜悯。His tears were pathetic to witness.______________________________________

她跳舞跳得好，但唱歌就差劲了。She dances well, but as a singer, she is pathetic._____________________________________________________

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interpreter: n.

a person whose job is to translate what sb. is saying into another language e.g.Speaking through an interpreter, the

President said that the talks were going well.a person who performs a piece of music or a

role in a play in a way that clearly shows its meaning e.g. She was considered one of the finest

interpreters of Debussy’s music.

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interpreter & translator

Comparison:

interpreter: a person who interprets, esp. one who translates speech orally

e.g.He spoke very little English, so I talked to him through an interpreter.

translator: a person who translates writing or speech into a different language.

e.g.His love of language inclined him towards a career as a translator.

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(be) guilty of:

e.g. The jury found the defendant not guilty of the offence. We’ve all been guilty of selfishness at some time in our lives.

having done sth. illegal; (being) responsible for sth. bad that has happened

Translation:他犯了重大的判断失误。He was guilty of an important misjudgment. ________________________________________________

他因侵犯我的隐私权被判有罪。He was given a sentence for being guilty of intrusion upon my privacy.____________________________________________________________

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Read in a good light lest it should hurt your eyes.

e.g.

in a good light:with a proper lighting condition

Optimists tend to see things in a good light.

e.g.from a positive perspective

Translation:

把这幅画挂在光线充足的地方，否则没人能看得见。Hang the picture in a good light, otherwise no one can see it.____________________________________________________________

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如果我们对一个人的第一印象很好，那么以后我们对他的印象就很难变坏。If we see a person first in a good light, it is difficult subsequently to darken that light.____________________________________________________________

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underclass: n.

As an urban underclass, he has very limited access to health care.The long-term unemployed are becoming a new underclass.

e.g.

the lowest social class, consisting of people who are very poor and who are not likely to be able to improve their situation

Synonyms:

lower class

I am from one of the lower classes and I’m proud of it.

e.g.

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beset: v.surround (sb./sth.) on all sides; trouble constantly; threaten

The voyage was beset with dangers. The team was beset by injury all season.

e.g.

Translation:

他疑虑重重。He was beset by doubts.___________________________

我们在沼泽地受到蚊子的围攻。In the swamp, we were beset by mosquitoes.__________________________________________________

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validity: n.

The period of validity of the agreement has expired.

e.g.

the state of being legally or officially acceptable

We had doubts about the validity of their argument.

e.g.

the state of being logical and true

Synonyms:

soundness, legitimacyHe now enjoys soundness of mind and body.I doubt the soundness of the theory. the legitimacy of the governmentIt is difficult to judge the legitimacy of the child.

e.g.

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scenario: n.

Imagine a scenario where only 20% of people have a job.

e.g.

a situation that could possibly happen

written outline of a film, play, etc. with details of the scenes and plot

It looked ominously like we were about to repeat the earlier scenario.

e.g.

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be relegated to:

I have been relegated to the role of a mere assistant.

e.g.

be given a lower or less important position, rank, etc. than before

Synonyms:

be downgraded to, be reduced to She’s been downgraded from principal to deputy. The embassy will be downgraded to a trade office. They were reduced to begging or starving.Every building in this area was reduced to rubble.

e.g.

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twilight zone:a gray area, a border in-between two or more

things that is unclearly defined, a border that is hard to define or even impossible to define

Wrestling is in a twilight zone between sport and entertainment.

e.g.

Translation:

生活和生存之间的模糊地带the twilight zone between living and merely existing__________________________________________________________

法院这一新的大胆举动，势必产生权限不明的情况。The effect of the court’s new departure was to create a twilight zone of authority. _____________________________________________________________

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aberrant: a.

aberrant behavior/ideasan rocket on an aberrant course

e.g.

not following the normal or correct way

Antonym:

anomalous, deviantHe is in an anomalous position as the only part-time worker in the firm.These beliefs are labeled deviant by the majority.

e.g.

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pervasive: a.

A sense of social change is pervasive in her novels.

e.g.

existing in all parts of a place or thing

Translation:

这个国家弥漫着一种恐怖的气氛。 There is a pervasive atmosphere of fear in this country. ____________________________________________________________

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infest: v.

Our garden is infested with weeds.e.g.

live in (a place) persistently and in large numbers

Collocation:infest sth. (with/by sth.)The Strait of Malacca was infested with pirates.The streets are infested with drug dealers.

e.g.

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let alone:

There isn’t enough room for us, let alone six dogs and a cat.He hasn’t enough money for food, let alone amusements.

e.g.

not to mention

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affirmation: n.

The poem is a joyous affirmation of the power of love.

e.g.

a positive assertion

Translation:

他肯定地点点头。He nodded in affirmation._____________________________

他们要求她证实那一事实。They asked her affirmation of the fact. ___________________________________________

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portrait: n

She had her portrait painted.e.g.

painted picture, drawing or photograph of (esp. the face of) a person or an animal

The book contains a fascinating portrait of life at the court of Henry VIII.

e.g.description in words

Collocation:portrait & painting

The portrait of her mother was her most prized possession.

e.g.

portrait: a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person

painting: a picture that has been painted

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e.g.她恐惧地尖叫起来。

She screamed out in terror.

scream out: to give a loud, high cry, because you are hurt,

frightened, excited, etc.

e.g.头版上出现了一条触目惊心的粗体标题。

A bold headline screamed out from the front page.

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e.g. 鱼在这些岛民的生活中占主要地位。 Fish features very largely in the life of these islanders.

feature: give a prominent part to (sb./sth.)

e.g. 我最喜欢的女主角正在一部新片中担当主角。

My favorite actress was featuring in a new movie.

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e.g. 有人提醒我不要忘了我的承诺。

I was reminded of my promise.

be reminded of: be made to remember sth.

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e.g. 这个婴儿在他母亲的眼中很漂亮。 The baby is beautiful in the eyes of its mother.

in the eyes of: in one’s opinion

e.g. 在孩子们眼中，世界是个充满幻想的地方。

The world is a place full of fantasies in the eyes of the children.

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e.g. 油价终于获得了应有的关注，但关注的方式和大多数人所预期的并不一致。

Oil prices are finally getting the attention they deserve, but not the way that most folks anticipated.

deserve the attention of: should be noticed, should be

considered

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1) victimize v. → victim n.

e.g.工会领袖声称，有些会员因为参加罢工，遭到了惩处。

我们在为遭受饥荒的灾民募捐。

Union leaders claimed that some members had been victimized for taking part in the strike.

We are collecting money for the famine victims.

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2) blatancy n. → blatant a. → blatantly ad.

e.g.长城上留下了曾经喧嚣与繁盛的痕迹。

我从来没有见过这种明目张胆践踏人权法案的现象。

他们公然无视停战协定。

The Great Wall is imprinted with blatancy and bloom of the former times.

I have never encountered such blatant disregard for the Bill of Rights.

They blatantly ignored the truce agreement.

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3) nutrition n. → nutritious a. → nutrient a./n.

e.g.本食品含有您的狗所必需的一切营养。

维持健康最好的方法之一就是保持营养的饮食。

植物从泥土中吸收矿物质和其他养料。

This food provides all the nutrition your dog needs.

Keeping a nutritious diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

Plants draw minerals and other nutrients from the soil.

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4) vibrant a. → vibrate v. → vibrancy/vibration n.

e.g.北京是一座充满生机的城市。

崎岖不平的道路使车颠得很厉害。

这艘船即使全速前进，发动机的震动也很小。

Beijing is a city vibrant with life.

The rough road made the car vibrate.

Even at full speed, the ship’s engines cause very little vibration.

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5) deny v. → denial n. → deniable a.

e.g. 他得不到上大学的机会。

囚犯再三否认对其的指控。

我想这些更动可以驳回吧？

He was denied the chance of going to university.

The prisoner repeated denials of the charges against him.

I suppose these changes are deniable?

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6. relegate v. → relegation n.

e.g.当地俱乐部队已被降为乙级。

这个足球队正处于降级的边缘。

The local club has been relegated to the second division.

This football team was on the edge of relegation.

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7) aberrant a. → aberration n.

e.g.她有很多反常的想法。

谎言是对真理的歪曲。

She was full of aberrant ideas.

A lie is an aberration of the truth.

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8) addict v. → addictive a. → addiction n.

e.g.她特别喜欢户外生活。

因特网的确容易让人着迷，但如果你能把握分寸，也会获益良深。

他对中国菜开始有了点嗜好。

She was addicted to outdoor living.

The Internet is definitely addictive, but if you can keep it in control, it has many advantages, too.

He has acquired a small addiction to Chinese food.

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Conditionals a. There are five major types of conditionals:Zero conditional:

e.g.Phosphorus burns if you expose it to air.If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

a structure used for talking about things which always happen under certain conditions. The structure is like: if + present + present.

First conditional:

e.g. If I have the money, I will buy this car.If you cook the supper, I’ll wash the dishes.

a structure used for talking about possibilities in the present or in the future. The structure is like: if + present + future.

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Second conditional:

e.g. If I were you, I would not talk to him.If I were you, I would drive more carefully in the rain.

a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the present or in the future. The structure is like: if + past + conditional.

Third conditional:

e.g. If I had studied harder, I would have aced the test.If you had driven more carefully, you would not have had an accident.

a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the past. The structure is like: if + past perfect + perfect conditional.

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Wish sentences:

e.g. I wish I hadn’t said that to him.I wish I was the spiderman.

a structure expressing a desire for a situation that does not exist right now in the present. The structure is like: wish + past perfect

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slavery, history, melting pot, media coverage

III. Post-Reading

Giving a talkImagine yourself to be a speaker and talk to a group of students about what you think of racial prejudice in the U.S. You can base your talk on the contents of the text.Words and phrases for reference:

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a. To some extent yes, now the United States even has

a black president. b. No, the gap still exists even though a lot of

progress has been made.

Having a discussion

Do you agree or disagree that the gap between blacks and whites has been leveled?

Viewpoints for reference:

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Write an essay on “The Creation of a Harmonious Relation among Races and Nationalities”. In the first part, make a general statement about the topic you are going to discuss. In the second part, argue your thesis in detail, using your own knowledge or adapting what you have learned from Text I. In the third part, sum up what you have discussed to conclude the whole essay.

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Suggested viewpoints: The Creation of a Harmonious Relation among Races and Nationalities It is unlawful to discriminate against anyone

because of their race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins in the area of jobs, training, housing, education and the provision of services.

It is unlawful to use threatening or abusive or insulting words in public which could incite racial hatred.

It is illegal to publish anything likely to cause racial hatred.

Ensure that people understand the importance of giving everyone an equal chance, whatever their race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality.

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Lead-in Questions

1) What does the word “black” mean to you? a. unlucky, unfortunate, such as “the black Friday” b. evil, malicious, such as “black-hearted” c. good, fortunate, such as “the black figure” d. nothing special2) Can you recall some important figures fighting for the equality of African Americans?e.g. Martin Luther King, Barack Hussein Obama II

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About the text ― It is taken from Simple Speaks His Mind (1950), Hughes’s most popular and beloved fictional creation.

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About the author ― James Mercer Langston Hughes (1902 － 1967) was an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. He is best-known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance.

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But what you really ought to have is a soap-box out on the corner of 126th and Lenox where the rest of the orators hang out. (Paragraph 2)― But what you really need is to go to the corner of 126th street and Lenox to express your opinions on a temporary platform, along with the other speakers there.

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the N.A.A.C.P. (Paragraph 3)― the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization for ethnic minorities in the U.S.

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Don’t let one cross your path! (Paragraph 3)― Don’t allow bad luck befall you! Black cats have been historically referred to as symbols of bad luck and portents of doom and destruction.

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1. What does Hughes mean by saying “But what you really ought to have is a soap-box out on the corner of 126th and Lenox where the rest of the orators hang out”?

He wants to make clear to the readers that the issues of American blacks should be made well known to everyone in the country, including the whites.

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2. How are the examples of black related to the theme of the article?

These examples, though superficially unrelated to the theme that the American black is prejudiced against, are actually deep-rooted conceptions of American culture. They are also used to show that the word black itself is innocent, and it is the people who associate this word with negative implications that are guilty.

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3. Why did Simple want to replace all the expressions including black with white?

Simple’s logic is just as simple as his name. He thinks that with the change of words, the black can be equal with the white.

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4. Why does the writer end the article with a question “What is wrong with black”?By asking this question at the end of the article, the author wants to draw the readers’ attention to the theme of the article once more: black people still suffer from racial discrimination even though they have gained equal rights on paper.

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5. Do you think blacks still suffer from prejudice in the U.S. today?

Open to discussion.

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Questions for discussion

1) Share the possible prejudices you may hold with your

classmates and discuss them.

2) No color bears a definitely positive or negative meaning. Share with your classmates your knowledge about different colors, particularly the culture indication behind them.

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François-Marie Arouet (1694 －1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade.

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Text II

Francis Bacon, (1561 － 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist and author. He was extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.

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