Reading 1. Looking for a Job after University?
First, Get off the Sofa
Teaching aims:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
to learn the new words and expressions;
to understand the texts and learn to paraphrase some difficult sentences in English; to analyze the structure of the texts;
to get to know the cultural background of the texts;.
to learn to think and presents one‟s viewpoints from different perspectives; to learn to write a resume;
Teaching schedule:
Class period 1-2: warm-up activities
new words and expressions cultural background knowledge Class period 3-4: reading 1 study
reading, sentences making, simulated writing and sentence paraphrasing
Class period5-6: exercises, writing practice; cross culture reading Class period7-8: quiz and reading 2
Warm-up questions:
1. What‟s the first problem facing the students to graduate? 2. Why can‟t so many students get employed after graduation?
3. What do you think are the key points for a graduate to get employed? Questions for critical thinking:
1. Why is Generation Y also called Generation Grunt? 2. Do you think the Goodwins good parents?
3. Which advice Lindenfield gives to parents do you agree with (if any), and why? Assignments:
1. recite paragraph 1-2
2. summarize the text orally
3. Write a resume for scholarship in a US university in your subject. 4. role-play conversation:
Suppose you want a summer job to accompany some foreign students to visit Tianjin city, prepare the scripts and role play it with your partner.
Background points:
1.Degrees in the UK: Traditionally, in the British university system, BA (文学学士) and BS (理学学士) are awarded in different categories: a first class degree (I), a second (IIi or IIii called “a two one” and “a two two”), a third (written III) and a pass
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degree. Most people get a second.
There are also ordinary degrees with more general courses of study without these categories.
2. The successive generations and their characteristics in North America since 1940s. Years of birth Names Characteristics 1946 – 1960 1960 – 1980 Baby boomers Generation X Born in the great increase of births independent, informal, entrepreneurial 1980s – 1990s Generation Y or Millennial Generation spoilt by parents; have structured lives; teamwork; Text Organization
(Problems) after graduation
(Advice) for dealing with the problems
Looking at the problems from various viewpoints
Parents(1-2) author(3) graduates(4-6) mother(7-9) Advice from
Psychotherapist (10-15) 1. Parents‟ balance: (positive) not making life too comfortable
2. Better for fathers to help boys after a job setback
3. it‟s a good idea to get some jobs like bar work,
shelf-stacking.
Author (16):more examples
Words and expressions:
1. galvanize: to spur into, stimulate 使振奋；刺激
The manager‟s arrival has galvanized the workers into activity. 2. fraught: be worried/anxious about 忧虑的，焦虑不安的 Sophie has sounded a bit fraught on the phone. 3. clutch: to catch sth with force
Be in sb‟s clutches, fall into sb‟s clutches He lost his cluthes on the rope and fell. 3. slump: 下跌；垂头弯腰地坐着
What has caused the slump of the stock price?
The company‟s benefit has slumped to under 2oo million this year. I spent the evening slumped in front of the TV. 4. grunt：（厌恶/不满时的）咕哝声，嘟哝声
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A renegade hog grunted in the undergrowth. He grunted when the bullet hit him.
He grunted some incomprehensible reply. 5. revert: return to
If you revert to your old eating habits, you‟ll gain weight again. After the settlers left, the area reverted to desert 6.detached: indifferent,漠然的；超然的 He had a detached expression on her face. She kept a detached attitude towards rumors.
7. chilling:令人沮丧的，令人泄气的，冷淡的
The proposed law would have a chilling effect on freedom of expression. 8. Comprehensive：综合性的
We offer a comprehensive range of goods and services. An objective test can be quite comprehensive. 9. heal: to cure 治愈，消除
The medicine and rest can soon heal your cold. The pain of his loss has never truly healed. 10. transition:过渡
Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. 11. sap：削弱，使虚弱
The whole incident seems to have sapped Mum‟s strength. Lack of planning is sapping the efficiency of the company. Consultation:咨询，求教；磋商，商量
She has a consultation with the psychologist this evening.
We can go ahead only after a consultation with the with the management. pushy:一意孤行的，强硬的
He made himself unpopular by being so pushy. nudge:轻推
Mary nudged me on the ribs to tell me to shut up. advocate：拥护者，提倡者
This judge is a strong advocate of prison reform. Apathy:冷淡，毫无兴趣
We should not show apathy towards the poor children. Look on：旁观
Phil looked on in disbelief as Maggie got up o the table and started to dance. Fork out:（不情愿地）付出，花费
They had to fork out $100 to get the car repaired. In the same boat:出于同一境地
We are all in the same boat, so let‟s not criticize each other. Pull pints：做酒吧侍应，提供酒水服务 He used to pull pints at a local nightclub. Come full circle：循环，回到原处
It will be a waste of time. You will come full circle. Take a soft/hard line：采取温和/强硬的态度
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Environmental groups took a very hard line with the industry. If nothing else：至少
Andrea‟s work has always been neat and tidy, if nothing else. Strike the right note：说话说到点子上，办事恰到好处 He has struck the right note by Praising their work By all means：一定，务必，尽一切努力 By all means I must visit my sick friend. Talk through：详细讨论
He had to talk it through with his wife. Go for sb/sth:适用于
We expect you boys to behave yourselves, and the same goes foe the girls.
Difficult sentences:
1. The memories of forking out thousands of pounds a year so that he could eat well and to the odd party, began to fade. Until now.
The parents paid a lot of money for her son‟s university fees and living expenses and for occasional social events-at graduation these memories of money were mostly forgotten because the parents were proud. But now the parents are thinking of money again because the son doesn‟t‟t have a job and doesn‟t‟t seem to be actively seeking one.
2. This former scion of Generation Y has morphed overnight into a member of Generation Grunt.
The distinguished son of Generation X has changed into a member of Generation Grunt-he doesn‟t seem to communicate much, lies around and doesn‟t get a job, or can only do a low-status routine job.
3. I passed the exams, but at the interviews they accused me of being „too-detached‟ and talking in language that was „too technocratic‟, which I didn‟t think possible, but obviously it is.
Jack passed the entrance exams for a government post, but he was criticized in the selection interviews. They said he was not personally involved and used the language of a technical expert or high authority. As a new graduate, he probably wanted to show his expertise so he can‟t understand this criticism.
4. For the rest it is 9-to-5 “chilling” before heading to the pub.
The others who do not have a routine low-status job chill out all day and go to pub for a drink in the evening.
5. I went to a comprehensive and I worked my backside off to go to a good university…
Jack went to a school for students of all abilities, so he had to work very hard to a good university. To work your backside off is informal and means you work very hard indeed.
6. Carrying on life as normal and don‟t allow them to abuse your bank account or sap your reserves of emotional energy.
The mother has always had a full-time job, so they do not have relevant personal experience. It is difficult for them to give their son advice about how to get a job.
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7.After that, the son or daughter needs to be nudged firmly back into the saddle.
Then the parents should push their children firmly so that they get back into control of their lives.
Reading 2 If You Ask Me
Topics for discussion:
1. If you can not find an ideal job when you graduate from the university, what would you do?
2.What do you know about the writer’s a.Family background? b.Career as a student? c.Ambition?
d.Appreciation of other people? e.Love of life?
f.Financial expertise? g.Sense of responsibility? h.philosophy of life?
3.Do you favor what the author do? What quality do you admire with him? 4. What are the style features of reading 2?
Questions for readers, informal words/exclamations/expression/discourse markers/phases Grammar focus:
1. word formation: compound nouns 2. word formation:noun phrases 3. try as… might 4. given that…
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