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A TURE LOVE STORY UNIT 8 In-class reading

Book one By zhang Yuee

English Department

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1.Warming-up Questions

2. Background Information

3. Extensive Reading

4. Intensive Reading

5. Exercises

6. Homework

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Can you give your own definition to love?

Love is when a boy starts body-building exercises and brushes his teeth three times a day. Love is when a girl looks at herself in the mirror all day and sighs. Love is when someone changes from an illiterate into a poet. If you want to stay with someone all the time, you are in love. If someone appears in your dream everyday, he or she is your love. Love is blind and unreasonable. Love is a mixture of sweetness and bitterness.

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Open Discussion:

1. What would you do if your parents are o

pposed to the relationship you've starte

d or established?

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If my parents don’t like the boy I’m dating, there would really be a fight for love. I love that guy, but my parents are also important to me. I know that my parents have good intentions, but what they think about a relationship may be out of date. I will try my best to tell them that it is necessary to change their view of love and marriage. I will tell them that I will

Sample answer 1

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give them and myself some time to cool down and think about this again. If I insist on my choice, I am sure I will have their blessings because, after all, they want me to be happy. Of course, what I desire most is that with my boyfriend’s help and sincerity, he will win them over!

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First, I will find out the reason why my parents object to my relationship. If it is reasonable, for example, they may have heard bad things about my girlfriend, then I will reconsider the relationship. But if it is about her family background or about her age, then I will ignore their objection. As an adult, I am able to make my own decision. I believe true love can conquer everything.

Sample answer 2

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1. Background Information

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1. About Elizabeth Browning and Robert Browning

Robert Browning was born in a rich family in 1812. His father, a clerk of the Bank of England, was a learned man with a library of 6,000 volumes and an amateur of art and literature. Robert was educated almost entirely at home, his mother teaching him music and his father giving him an introduction to Greek and Roman classics, the Italian Renaissance poets and 18th century English literature. Under this literary education, Browning set his heart early on being a poet. He began to write poetry at 12.

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Elizabeth Barrett, wife of Robert Browning the poet, who was six year younger than her, came from a well-to-do family. She enjoyed a happy childhood in the countryside. But when she was fifteen, a fall from her horse injured her spine and from then on she became a helpless invalid confined to her own room. When she was 13, her father published privately what she called her “great epic”, “The Battle of Marathon”. All her life she suffered from poor health and perhaps in some measure accounted for her great sympathy for human misery.

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She has been known chiefly for her sonnet-sequence, Sonnet from the Portuguese ( 葡萄牙十四行诗 ), love poems dedicated to her husband, which contain very subtle sentiments and delicate feelings expressed in beautiful language. But her father had forbidden all his daughters to marry. This is why we have such a story now.

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2. Extensive Reading

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1) Text Structure

2) Reading Comprehension

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Text Structure

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Part II(Paras. 2-3)

Part III(Paras. 4-6)

Part IV ( Para. 7 )

One of the most famous love stories in history.

Their lives before they knew each other. How they met and fell in love with each other.

Their life together.

Part I ( Para.

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Reading Comprehension

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1. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

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1. Elizabeth and Robert used to write each other almost every day before they married.

2. Elizabeth rarely left the house in her childhood because she had to accompany her sick father.

3. Robert put Elizabeth’s name in one of his poems.

4. Elizabeth and Robert both studied Greek. T

F

T

F

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5. Elizabeth wrote Robert first. 6. Robert had never kept a journal before he met Elizabeth.

7. Elizabeth and Robert secretly married in 1846. 8. Elizabeth and Robert lived in England all the time.

T

F

F

T

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Work in groups to discuss the following questions.

1. What do you think about Elizabeth and Robert getting married secretly? Was it right or wrong not to tell her father about their love and marriage?

2. What could be the possible reasons for Elizabeth’s father not wanting his daughters to marry?

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Question 1 Sample 1

Getting married secretly was what they had to do at that time. They were right not to tell Mr. Barrett about their love and marriage. As we can see from the passage, Mr. Barrett wouldn’t allow them to get married. If he had not been such an eccentric person, I think they would have told him. Anyway, parents may give advice, but they should never decide about marriage for their children.

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Question 1 Sample 2

In my opinion, they were wrong. For me, parents are the most important persons in the world. I tell my parents everything. Even though Mr. Barrett was eccentric and didn’t allow his daughters to get married, they should have told him about their decision and tried to persuade him to change his mind. He might have changed his mind if he had known the truth. Why didn’t they try? They were selfish not to tell him about their marriage.

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Question 2 Sample 1

I guess he was a very selfish man and was afraid his daughters would leave him after they got married. Then he would be very lonely and nobody would be around to take care of him in his old age.

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Question 2 Sample 2

Probably the father didn’t trust his daughters’ judgment about what kind of people they shouldmarry. A wrong judgment in this respect could lead to an unhappy marriage and then a miserable life.

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3. Intensive Reading

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1) Passage Reading

2) Sentence Study

3) Word Study

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1) Passage Reading

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A True Love Story

1 Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning were both English poets. The story of how they met, fell in love, and married is one of the most famous love stories in history. This love story is famous for its purity, its poetry, and its passion. But most of all, it is famous because their romance took place primarily by mail. For the two years before they married, they wrote to each other almost every day.

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2 Elizabeth Barrett lived a quiet life in the house of her father. She rarely left the house because she was very weak and sick with a lung disease. From childhood she spent her time reading, studying Greek, and writing poetry. Her poems were published and became popular both in England and in America. Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Barrett, supported his daughter’s writing. However, he was very strict and also eccentric -----

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he refused to let any of his three daughters marry. He wanted them all to stay with him. When Elizabeth was 37, she still lived with her father and her two unmarried sisters. She had never married or even been in love. She lived in a dream world. She knew Robert Browning only by name. However, she read his poetry and admired it greatly. She even put his name in a poem that she wrote.

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3 Robert Browning’s childhood was similar to Elizabeth’s. He studied Greek, read a great deal, and wrote poetry at a very young age. As a young adult, he continued to read and write, and struggled to publish his work. By the age of 30, he was not yet married.

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4 One day, Robert was reading some of Elizabeth’s poems. He admired her poetry very much. Suddenly, he saw his name in one of her poems. He was so surprised and pleased that he decided to write her a letter. The year was 1844.

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5 With this letter, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning began a secret correspondence. They wrote to each other almost every day. At first, their letters were formal and impersonal. They discussed poetry and literature. Slowly, the letters became more personal. A friendship developed as they discovered their common interests and ideas.

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They read and criticized each other’s poetry and began to discuss their friendship. They seemed to be perfectly compatible, both intellectually and spiritually. After one year, Robert wrote to Elizabeth that he loved her. They still had never met each other.

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6 Finally, Elizabeth and Robert arranged to meet while Elizabeth’s father was not in the house. They were nervous, and even shocked, to see each other face to face at last. They continued meeting and talking secretly once or twice a week for the next year. They also continued to write each other letters every day.

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Elizabeth wrote: “… You cannot guess what you are tome you cannot it is not possible… It is something to mebetween dream and miracle.” Robert answered that hehad never kept a journal before, but he had started onenow. In it he wrote the date of every visit with her andhow long it lasted. He even wrote the number ofminutes they had been together and said that theyadded up to two full days in length.

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7 Then, in September, 1846, in a secret marriage ceremony, Elizabeth Barrett became Elizabeth Barrett Browning. A week later, without telling Elizabeth’s father, the happy couple eloped to Italy. The shock was terrible for Mr. Barrett, but his anger could not diminish their happiness. In 1849, they succeeded in having a son. They lived in Italy, extremely happy, for 15 years, until Elizabeth’s death in 1861.

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2) Sentence Study

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1) This love story is famous for its purity, its poetry, and its passion.

这个爱情故事之所以出名，是由于它的纯洁、富有诗意和激情。

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被连接的词应该是同类词或同类成分。如：名词对名词，副词对副词，分词对分词。不能把其中一个概念用一种词类或语法成分表达，而另外一个或几个概念用其他词类或语法成分表达。

1. The patient’s symptoms were fever, dizziness, and headache.

2. They are looking for a house that has four bedrooms and that sits on a hillside.

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2. be famous for: be well known because of 以 ······ 而著名

China has been famous for its silk trade.

3. purity: the quality or state of being pure 纯洁，纯正

No one doubts the purity of his motives.

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2) But most of all, it is famous because their romance took place primarily by mail.

但这个故事的出名，最主要的原因还在于，他们的恋曲基本上是通过鸿雁传书的方式来谱写的。

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most of all … 最主要的 ; 常用于句首，或作插入语。相似的表达还有： first of all

1. Most of all, we can transform technology into productivity as quickly as possible.

2. My aim was first of all to determine what I should do next.

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it 指上文中的 this love story

by mail: 通过寄信

He made up the books into a parcel and sent it to his friend by mail.

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3) However, he was very strict and also eccentric he refused to let any of his three daughters marry.

然而他却是一个非常严厉而又古怪的人——他不许他的3 个女儿中的任何一个结婚。

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How lucky the girls nowadays are—they can go anywhere, say anything.

这个句子中破折号表示解释，即破折号后面的内容是对破折号之前内容的解释。

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Discipline at school is very strict.

strict: severe, esp. in rules of behavior 严格的，严厉的

此外，要特别注意其习惯搭配：1. be strict with sb./sth.: 对某人或某事严格要求 You must not mind if your aunt is strict with you.2. be strict about sth.: 严格对待、处理某事 We’ve had orders to be very strict about overdrafts.

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4) She knew Robert Browning only by name.

对于罗伯特 · 勃朗宁她只知其名。know sb. by name: 知道某人的名字

1. It’s a big school but the principal knows everyone by name.

2. I know the students by sight, not by name.

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5) He was so surprised and pleased that he decided to write her a letter. The year was 1844.

他惊喜万分，于是决定给她写一封信。那是 1844 年。

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1. My hometown is so far away that I have little chance to go back.

2. His heart beat so fast that he could hardly breathe.3. A teacher must always explain a situation as plainly

as possible so that each student will understand.4. When my teacher was scolding me, I wish I could

have a mask to cover my face so that no one could recognize me.

so …that… 表示 “如此 ··· 以至于 ···”; 而 so that 连在一起，往往引导目的状语从句，可译为“以便，为的是”。

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6) With this letter, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning began a secret correspondence.

从这封信开始，伊丽莎白 · 巴雷特和罗伯特 · 勃朗宁开始了他们的秘密信件往来。

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1. with 这里意思是 from

2. correspondence 这里指通信往来这一过程，不可数名词。不可数名词前有时可用不定冠词 a/an 表示一种，某种，大多在 a/an 和不可数名词间加形容词。

1. His interest in writing came from a long correspondence with a close college friend.

2. He has a strong love for adventure.

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7) They seemed to be perfectly compatible, both intellectually and spiritually.

他们才情并茂，精神融洽。

Perfectly: adv. 十分，非常

He’s a perfectly sensible man.

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intellectually and spiritually 用来修饰 compatible, 意思是：在才气和精神上。

both intellectually and spiritually 和前面用逗号隔开，是一种语气上的停顿。此处的逗号也可以去掉。

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8) … You cannot guess what you are to me you cannot it is not possible… It is something to me between dream and miracle.

······ 你无法猜测你对我意味着什么——你猜不到的——那是不可能猜到的 ······ 对我而言，你我之间的爱如梦如幻，像奇迹一般。

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本句中第一个 it 指的是前文中的 guess what you are to me 。第二个 it 指的是 their love for one another 。

句中介词短语 between dreams and miracle 是后置定语修饰 something 。

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9) A week later, without telling Elizabeth’s father, the happy couple eloped to Italy.

一周后，这对幸福的夫妻在没有告诉伊丽莎白父亲的情况下，私奔到了意大利。

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without telling 这一介词短语在句中作条件状语，表示“在没有告知 ······ 的情况下”。用介词短语作状语，可以使句子简洁明了。

How can you leave me so quickly without saying good-bye?

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1) Please don’t leave without me.2) It is stuffy in the room without the windows open.3) Without any work to do, they are leaving for home.4) Without a word more spoken, she left the room.5) She passed without seeing me.

关于介词 without 的用法： without 引导独立结构，可跟各种复合结构，包括带形容词、介词、不定式、现在分词、过去分词等的复合结构。其基本构成为“ without + n. + 复合结构”。

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3) Word Study

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primarily adv. in the first place; essentially 首先，主要地，基本地

1)The flight was delayed primarily because of the fogs.

2) Ten years ago it was primarily a fishing village, but now it’s a thriving tourist centre.

adj. 第一的；基本的；主要的1) As the principal of the project, you must take the primary

responsibility of the accident

2) In the primary stages of their civilization, they had no metal tools.

primarily:

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admire

vt. look at with pleasure or satisfaction; have a high regard for 赞赏，欣赏；钦佩；羡慕

2) We admire them for their great successes.

1) He intended to drive his car and admire the view.

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名词形式： admirationn. feeling or pleasure, satisfaction, respect (or, formerly, wonder) 赞赏；赞美；钦佩；

1) Basketball legend Michael Jordan plays baseball so well that his fans are filled with admiration.

2) We were lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene here.

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struggle

1. vi. fight; make great efforts 抗争；奋斗；努力；挣扎

1) It’s hard to rescue drowning people because they struggle so much.

2) He is a young writer who has to struggle for recognition.

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2. n. struggling; contest 斗争；奋斗

1) The struggle between the two teams is becoming fiercer and fiercer.

2) Despite his terrible injuries, he wouldn’t give up the struggle for life.

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compatible adj.

1. be able to live or work together in a friendly and peaceful way 能和睦相处的，合得来的 (be ~ with)

1) Their marriage ended because they were not compatible.

2) You should choose a roommate more compatible to your tastes.

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2. be able to exist in the same place and at the same time without harming each other 兼容的 (with)

1) The project is not compatible with the company's long-term aims.

2) Unfortunately, neither parent can donate a compatible organ for the child.

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5) shock

1. vt. cause shock to; fill with surprised disgust, horror, etc. 使休克，使受电击；使震惊1) Anyone touching that wire could get badly shocked.

2) His examination failure shocked him into studying harder.

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2. n. a sudden, unexpected event or situation 震惊，震动，触电

I got a bit of a shock when I saw the size of the bill.

The shock of the explosion was felt far away.

Several of those who survived the accident have been taken to hospital in a state of shock.

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3. 形容词： shocked 受到 ······打击的，受震惊于 ······ 的；触电的

1) I was shocked that he could be so careless.

2) A shocked silence greeted the announcement.

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4. Exercises

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1) Words and Diary

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Section B Write a diary according to each picture below, using the words or phrases provided in the right column.

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I fell in love with Liu Chang, the leader of our school’s basketball team. He is such an excellent player that he has become the focus of attention. In contrast, I’m such an ordinary girl and he knows me only by name.

Sample

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Sample

I have a great deal of love for him, but I have no chance to talk face to face with him. So I primarily write my diary to express my love to him.

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Sample

I believe in miracles. By the age of 22, we’ll have married each other. The wedding ceremony will be well arranged and the number of guests from both sides will add up to 1, 000.

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Sample

I know this can take place only in my dreams, but who’ll take the trouble to criticize a daydreamer? I would like to keep my sweet dream in my diary at the age of 16.

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2) Words and SentencesSection A Match each word in Column A with the appropriate definition in Column B.

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Section B

Complete the following sentences with appropriate words from Column A. Change the form if necessary.

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1. These features are ______________ to all human languages.

2. She was a woman of ___________ and goodness. 3. Make sure you are _____________ before you start

sharing a house. 4. The library bought all the ________________ between

Queen Victoria and her daughters. 5. The memory of them will not be _____________ by

time.

common

purity

compatible

correspondence

diminished

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6. Don’t you think it’s ___________ to keep a crocodile as a pet?

7. It would take a(n) ____________ to make the business profitable.

8. Hospitals always seem such ____________ places rows of identical beds in dull grey rooms.

9. I felt such an unusual ___________ for that girl. 10. Video games are very ____________ with children.

eccentric

miracle

impersonal

passion

popular

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Writing

Directions: In “A True Love Story”, Elizabeth and Robert spent very little

time together before they married. They learned about each other primarily through their letters. What do you think of that? Write a paragraph about your view on relationships that develop through letters.

Homework

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Thank you very much!