A Useful Stick 1. Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge 2. Text AnalysisText Analysis 3....

A Useful Stick

1. Background Knowledge

2. Text Analysis

3. Exercises

4. Questions For Discussion

Background Knowledge

1. London ranks as one of the world’s oldest and most historic cities. It is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The city was founded about 43 A.D., when the armies of the Roman Empire conquered Britain. They soon built a seaport on the Thames River near the present-day London Bridge. The Romans called the port “Londinium”. The name of London comes from this word.

Background Knowledge

2. The English policeman has several nicknames but the most frequently used are “copper” and “bobby”. The first name comes from the verb to “cop”, meaning to “take” or “capture”, and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert (Bobby) Peel (1788-1850) who reorganized the London police force.

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Questions for Discussion

1.Can you guess what Mrs. Frobisher would do with the money?

2. What can old people do to enrich their lives?

3. Are old people useless? Tell of an old person who greatly influences you.

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Exercises

1. Multiple-choice Questions

2. True/False Questions

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Multiple-choice Questions

1. Mrs. Frobisher went to sit in Victoria Station every day because .

A) she liked that place

B) she wanted to train her legs

C) she was interested in passengers coming and going.

D) she was told to do so by her doctor


1. Mrs. Frobisher went to sit in Victoria Station every day because D .

A) she liked that place

B) she wanted to train her legs

C) she was interested in passengers coming and going.

D) she was told to do so by her doctor


2. Each of the following answers shows that Mrs. Frobisher was poor, except .

A) her poor legs

B) her old shoes

C) her thin coat

D) her not going to Hyde Park


2. Each of the following answers shows that Mrs. Frobisher was poor, except A .

A) her poor legs

B) her old shoes

C) her thin coat

D) her not going to Hyde Park


3. Mrs. Frobisher was planning to go back home when .

A) a stream of men and women rushed through the gate

B) two policemen came in sight and sat in front of her

C) the ticket collector took his place

D) a police officer walked past her


3. Mrs. Frobisher was planning to go back home when B .

A) a stream of men and women rushed through the gate

B) two policemen came in sight and sat in front of her

C) the ticket collector took his place

D) a police officer walked past her


4. Mrs.Frobisher helped catch the bank robber because .

A) she happened to be in his way of escape

B) she just happened to push her stick towards him

C) she had the sense of what was right and what was wrong

D) she wanted to prove that she was not useless


4. Mrs.Frobisher helped catch the bank robber because C .

A) she happened to be in his way of escape

B) she just happened to push her stick towards him

C) she had the sense of what was right and what was wrong

D) she wanted to prove that she was not useless


5. How did she feel when the officer asked for her name and address?

A) She was proud of herself.

B) She was surprised that she was of any help.

C) She was puzzled.

D) She was glad that she would win the prize.


5. How did she feel when the officer asked for her name and address? C

A) She was proud of herself.

B) She was surprised that she was of any help.

C) She was puzzled.

D) She was glad that she would win the prize.

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True/False Questions

1. Mrs. Frobisher was poor and old. She had no work.

2. Victoria Station was near her house.

3. There were many things to see in Victoria Station.

4. The doctor advised that she go to Hyde Park or Green Park.

5. Mrs. Frobisher did not like those parks.


1. Mrs. Frobisher was poor and old. She had no work. (T)

2. Victoria Station was near her house.






2. Victoria Station was near her house. (T)







3. There were many things to see in Victoria Station. (F)







4. The doctor advised that she go to Hyde Park or Green Park. (T)






4. The doctor advised that she go to Hyde Park or Green Park. (T)

5. Mrs. Frobisher did not like those parks. (F)


6. Mrs. Frobisher sat in Victoria Station every day for an hour or more because it was an interesting and exciting place.

7. Mrs. Frobisher came to the station not to seek pleasure but for her health.

8. Though Mrs. Frobisher was old, she took great interes

t in life.


6. Mrs. Frobisher sat in Victoria Station every day for an hour or more because it was an interesting and exciting place. (F)

7. Mrs. Frobisher came to the station not to seek pleasure but for her health.


t in life.



7. Mrs. Frobisher came to the station not to seek pleasure but for her health. (T)


t in life.



7. Mrs. Frobisher came to the station not to seek pleasure but for her health. (T)

8. Though Mrs. Frobisher was old, she took great interest in life. (F)


9. As soon as the young man came out of the station, Mrs. Frobisher knew he was the criminal the policemen were waiting for.

10.Mrs. Frobisher helped the policemen to catch the criminal.

11.Mrs. Frobisher used to think she was old and useless. After she helped to catch the criminal, she changed her view about herself.


9. As soon as the young man came out of the station, Mrs. Frobisher knew he was the criminal the policemen were waiting for.(F)

10.Mrs. Frobisher helped the policemen to catch the criminal.




10.Mrs. Frobisher helped the policemen to catch the criminal. (T)




10.Mrs. Frobisher helped the policemen to catch the criminal. (T)

11.Mrs. Frobisher used to think she was old and useless. After she helped to catch the criminal, she changed her view about herself. (T)

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Mrs. Frobisher often thought to herself that she was useless because of her advanced age, but one day something unusual happened, which brought her great excitement. What was it? Read on.

A Useful Stick

It was colder today than usual, Mrs. Frobisher thought, as she reached the seats in Victoria Station. Her leg was troubling her badly, and she sat down with satisfaction. By her side she placed the stick which she had to use when walking. She looked round without much interest.

There were only a few people on the seats. She never believed that sitting there improved her health in any way; but Dr. Lund had said that she must be out of her flat, and in the open air, for at least two hours every day.

“Well, with this leg, I can’t walk for two hours a day,” she had replied sharply; “and where are the parks in this part of London?”

“Take a bus to Hyde Park or to Green Park,” he had said.

“And who’ll pay for that every day? I’m not a rich woman.”

Then he had told her to sit in Victoria Station when she got tired of walking; so she sat there every day for an hour or more. It cost her nothing, and it was not as bad as she had feared. The air was fairly fresh because all the trains were electric; but nothing very important ever happened, and it was always dull. She was never sorry when she could go back home and read by her fire, or listen to the radio.

She looked down at her old shoes. A good pair of shoes was one of her needs, but she had only a little money at present. Perhaps in a few months she could buy a pair; then she would be able to walk better.

She looked up when a crowd of people from a train rushed through the gate which was just in front of the seats. She often wondered why people came to London every day in such large numbers, and why they were always in such a hurry. Her own days were long and dull, and time passed slowly for her.

She pulled her coat more closely round her shoulders. The day was cold, and her coat was getting thin; but she was glad enough to have a coat of any kind.

Once she had been of some importance in the world. She had worked on committees and she had had a secretary to help her; but that was long ago. Now she was old and poor, and she had a bad leg too. A useless old woman!

She was beginning to think of her fireside in her flat when two policemen walked past her form behind. They made no noise, but sat down together on the seat exactly in front of her.

Mrs. Frobisher was not at all pleased at this unusual event. They were big men, and she could not see much. The back of a policeman’s coat is a dull view; but it was too much trouble to move.

One of the men took a photograph from his pocket, and both looked at it for several minutes. It seemed that they wanted to remember it. Mrs. Frobisher, by moving slightly to one side, could see that it was a photograph of a young man.

A police officer walked past the seat, looked quickly at the two men, went over towards a notice-board on the right-hand side of Gate Number 14, and stood still.

Mrs. Frobisher, who was no fool, noticed these things with rising excitement. She told herself that something was going to happen. Life was getting more interesting.

She looked round the station, but could see nothing unusual. Some passengers were hurrying towards the trains; some were buying books; some were drinking coffee; some were waiting near the gates.

In a few minutes the police officer near the notice-board made a slight sign with his right hand, and the two policemen slowly stood up. They walked in a very careless manner towards the gate in front of the seats. The ticket-collector suddenly appeared and opened the gate. One of the policemen hid himself behind a wall on the left; the other bent down behind the notice-board on the right, near the officer. A train moved slowly into the station and stopped. In a few seconds all the doors of the carriages were open.

Mrs. Frobisher’s heart was beating faster than usual. “ How would Dr. Lund like to hear my heart now?” she wondered. She forgot the cold, and anxiously held the seat with one hand.

In a few moments the usual stream of men and women was rushing through the gate. Among these people a young man with his hands in the pockets of a heavy coat walked with long steps. Mrs. Frobisher wished that she could walk like that. He did not seem to understand how lucky he was to possess a strong pair of legs. Probably, she thought, he had never had a pain in his leg in his whole life.

Quietly the two policemen and their officer left their hiding places and gathered round him. For a moment he looked surprised.

The officer said a few words, and suddenly the young man jumped backwards and started to run away from the police. One of them caught his arm, but he turned suddenly and escaped. He slipped past the two men and hit the officer in the face, knocking him down. In a moment the criminal was on his way towards the entrance of the station.

The other people there were so surprised by these events that they stood still with expressions of disbelief on their faces. Mrs. Frobisher’s admiration of the young man changed to anger.

“Catch him!” she cried, standing up and using her stick for support. The criminal was now rushing towards the seats and the officer was getting up. Her anger increased when she saw red blood on the officer’s face.

As the criminal reached the seat on her left, she pushed her stick towards him. By chance more than by arrangement, it went between the knees of those wonderful legs, and he fell heavily to the ground with a loud cry.

A strange sound came from Mrs. Frobisher’s mouth. Her heart was making a terrible noise in her ears. As the stick flew across the station, she fell back on the seat again. She closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them, the criminal was beginning to get up, but the police were beside him before he was on his feet. He had no hope of escape, and was led outside by the policemen.

The officer picked up Mrs. Frobisher’s stick and took it back to her.“Yours, I think, Madam,”he said, breathing heavily. Then he took out a notebook. “May I have your name and address, please, Madam?”

“Oh, why?” said Mrs. Frobisher in a weak voice. “I didn’t really hurt him, did I?”

“You did very well indeed, Madam,” he said. “That man’s a bank robber, and we’ve been trying to catch him for weeks. We were informed that he was on that train from Brighton, and so we waited for him. He almost escaped, as you noticed, but your quick action stopped that. We were delighted when we saw him on the ground.”

“Then why do you want my name and address?” she asked.

He pointed to the notice-board on the right. “There’s a notice over there,” he said. “It’s too far away to read from here, but the Southern Bank has offered ￡ 500 to anyone who helps to catch this man. You helped a great deal, Madam; so, if you’ll kindly give me your name and address, you’ll no doubt receive the money in a short time.”

“I’m not as useless as I used to think, ” Mrs. Frobisher told herself.

“I beg your pardon, Madam?” the officer said.

“Never mind,” she said, and told him who she was.

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sharply [] =in a sharp manner ad. 尖刻地e.g. He answered sharply “no”. 他严厉地回答“不”。

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dull [] =monotonous, uninteresting a. 乏味的，单调的e.g. Actually this is a dull book. 实际上，这是一本枯燥无味的书。

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committee [] =group of persons appointed to attend to special business n. 委员会e.g. He was invited to attend a committee meeting. 他被邀请参加委员会会议。(be or work) on committees 任委员会委员e.g. Jim’s Dad is on the factory strike committee.

吉姆的爸爸是工厂罢工委员会的委员。

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secretary [] =employee in an office, who deals with correspondence, keeps records, makes arrangements and appointments for a particular member of the staff n. 秘书e.g. Mr. Davis was not in the office, his secretary answered my phone call.

戴维斯先生不在办公室，他的秘书接了我的电话。

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excitement [] =state of being excited n. 兴奋e.g. That news caused great excitement. 那个消息令人极为兴奋。

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passenger [] =person being conveyed by bus, taxi, tram, train, ship, aircraft, etc. n. 旅客，乘客e.g. There is only one passenger on the bus. 公共汽车上只有一个乘客。

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stream [] =steady flow ( of liquid, persons, things, etc) n. （人）流；水流e.g. Streams of people were coming out of the railway station. 人潮从火车站涌出。

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possess [] =own, have v. 拥有e.g. He lost all that he possesses overnight. 他一夜间失去了拥有的全部东西。

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backwards [] =towards the back ad. 向后e.g. He looked backwards over his shoulder. 他回头向后看。

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escape [] = get free, get away (from) vi. 逃脱；逃跑e.g. The canary has escaped from its cage. 金丝雀从笼中逃掉了。

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criminal[] = person who commits a crime or crimes n. 罪犯e.g. The criminal was finally caught in New York State after five months.

罪犯最终于五个月后在纽约州被抓到了。

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entrance[] =opening, gate, door, passage, etc by which one enters n. 入口e.g. The entrance to the cave had been blocked up. 那个洞的入口已被阻塞。

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disbelief[] =refusal to believe n. 怀疑，不相信e.g. He shook his head in disbelief. 他怀疑地摇着头。

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admiration[] =feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, respect or, wonder n. 羡慕e.g. She speaks English so well that her friends are filled with admiration. 她英语说得好极了，她的朋友皆羡慕不已。

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notebook[] =book in which to write notes n. 笔记本e.g. He wrote down important appointments in his notebook. 他在笔记本上记下重要的约会。

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robber[] =person who robs n. 强盗e.g. The robber robbed the old lady of her watch. 强盗抢走了老妇人的手表。

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inform[] =give knowledge to vt. 通知，告知e.g. Keep me informed of fresh developments. 随时告诉我新的发展。

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view (1) n. = field of vision 视野，眼界e.g. Clouds came down and the hill tops passed from our view. 云层笼罩了下来，我们看不到山顶了。Phrases: in view of = considering, taking into account 鉴于，由于e.g. In view of the facts, it seems useless to continue. 由这些事实看来，继续下去似乎是无效果的。 come into view = become visible 被看见e.g. As we rounded the bend the lake came into view. 我们转过弯，那湖泊就呈现在我们的眼前。

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(2) n. =scenery, landscape, etc 风景e.g. This house has fine views over valleys and mountains. 这是一所面山临谷风景优美的房子。(3) vt. =look at, examine, consider 看，检视，考虑e.g. The subject may be viewed in various ways. 这问题可从各方面考虑。

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slip (1) n. =act of slipping; false step; slight error caused by carelessness 滑，失误，小疏忽e.g. It’s completely a slip of pen. 这完全是笔误。(2) v. =lose one’s balance; fall or almost fall as the result of this 失足，滑倒e.g. He slipped on the icy road and broke his leg. 他在结冰的路面上滑倒而摔断了腿。(3) v. =go or move quietly or quickly, esp. without attracting attention 匆匆行动或悄悄移动；潜行e.g. The years slipped by. 岁月在不知不觉中逝去。

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(4) v. =move, get away, escape, fall, by being difficult to hold, or by not being held firmly （由于很难抓住或未抓紧而）滑落，掉e.g. The fish slipped out of my hand. 鱼从我手中滑落。(5) v. =move smoothly and effortlessly; go with a gliding motion 滑动，滑行e.g. The ship slipped through the water. 那条船在水上滑行。

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(not) in any way=in no way 一点也不e.g. We can not in any way allow this to continue. 我们无论如何也不能允许这种情况继续下去。

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at least 至少e.g. You should at least have warned her.

你至少也应该警告她。

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at present=now 现在，此刻e.g. We don’t need any more at present. 我们现在不需要更多的了。

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on the right-hand side of 在…的右手一侧e.g. There’s a bank just on the right-hand side of the restaurant. 在饭店右手边就有一家银行。

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in a few seconds 几秒钟的功夫（过了几秒钟）e.g. I shall be ready in a few seconds. 几秒钟内我即将准备妥当。

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hit the officer in the face 向军官脸上击了一拳e.g. The runaway hit the officer in the face so that he could escape. 逃跑者向军官脸上击了一拳以便能逃脱。

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make a noise 发出响声e.g. He was careful not to make a noise when he went downstairs. 他下楼梯时小心翼翼不发出响声。

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be on one’s feet=be standing 站了起来e.g. No sooner had the question been put than he was on his feet to reply. 问题一被提出来他就站起来回答。

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Victoria Station:a railway station in London

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Her leg was troubling her badly, and she sat down with satisfaction:Her leg was aching terribly, and she was glad that she could finally sit down. 她的那条腿疼得不行，她如释重负地坐下来。

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Hyde Park:a park in central London

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(Click the picture to see the map)

Green park:to the east of Hyde park

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She had worked on committees:She had been a member of certain committees

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The other people there were so surprised by these events that they stood still with expressions of disbelief on their faces.:The other people were shocked by what they saw, so they stood there, couldn’t do anything to help. 在场的其他人被这场面惊呆了，一动不动地站在那儿，满脸疑惑。

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By chance more than by arrangement, it went between the knees of those wonderful legs, and he fell heavily to the ground with a loud cry. :It is more correct to say that this happened by chance than by arrangement, the stick was put between the young man’s strong legs, so the young man cried and fell down.没想到那根拐杖正好卡在那双健美的长腿的两个膝盖之间，他大叫一声重重地摔倒在地上。 by chance=accidentally 偶然e.g. I met him by chance on Fifth Avenue. 我在第五大街上偶然遇见了他。 Return

Her heart was making a terrible noise in her ears: She felt her heart beating wildly.

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before he was on his feet:before he got up from the ground

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Brighton ['braitn]:a seaside place in southeast England for people to spend their holiday

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if you’ll kindly give me your name and address:a polite way of speaking

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Once she had been of some importance in the world. She had worked on committees.她也曾有过显赫的时候。是某个委员会的成员。Be + of + Noun: 通常在句子中作表语，其功能与形容词相同。这种结构比较正式，一般在正式文本中使用。名词前可以用形容词修饰，但不加冠词。必须指出，用在此结构中的名词一般都为抽象名词：e.g. This matter is of great importance. (=This matter is greatly important.) 这件事情至关重要。 Return

The back of a policeman’s coat is a dull view; but it was too much trouble to move.警察制服的后背没什么好看的，可是要移动一下又太费事了。

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She never believed that sitting there improved her health in any way; but Dr. Lund had said that she must be out of her flat, and in the open air, for at least two hours every day.她从不相信坐在那里能改善健康状况。但伦德医生认为她必须走出公寓，每天至少在室外呆上两个小时。

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“Well, with this leg, I can’t walk for two hours a day”, she had replied sharply;…她反讥道：“唉！我怎能用这条腿一天走两小时呀。”

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Her own days were long and dull, and time passed slowly for her.她的日子却是那么漫长和单调，对她来说，时间总是过得很慢。

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She pulled her coat more closely round her shoulders. The day was cold, and her coat was getting thin; but she was glad enough to have a coat of any kind.她把身上的大衣裹得更紧了。天气很冷，她的大衣显得单薄了。但是，对她来讲，不论有件什么样的大衣，她都会感到心满意足。

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In a few moments the usual stream of men and women was rushing through the gate.不一会儿，象往常一样，由男男女女汇成的人流向出口涌去。

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Mrs. Frobisher’s admiration of the young man changed to anger.弗罗比舍太太对这个年轻人的羡慕转变为愤怒。

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What problems do you think confront old people?

What problems do you think confront old people? Reference Answer:

Health problems, financial problems, safety problems, and emotional problems.

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What are the actual problems of Mrs. Frobisher?

Reference Answer:

1) health problems: She had a bad leg and had to walk with the help of a stick.

2) Financial problems: She was not well-off. She could not afford the fares to parks; she wore a pair of old shoes and longed for a good pair; it was getting colder but she had not enough clothes to protect her from the cold.

3) Emotional problems: She felt lonely and depressed. She was reluctant to be out of her flat; her days were long and dull; she had no interest in life.

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Can you use four adjectives to describe what Mrs. Frobisher thought of herself?

Can you use four adjectives to describe what Mrs. Frobisher thought of herself?

Reference Answer:

Old, poor, sick, and useless.

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How did Mrs. Frobisher change her view about herself?

How did Mrs. Frobisher change her view about herself? Reference Answer:

She helped the policemen to catch the criminal. This caused her to look at herself with fresh eyes: she was not as useless as she used to think. Return

A Useful Stick 1. Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge 2. Text AnalysisText Analysis 3....

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Transcript of A Useful Stick 1. Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge 2. Text AnalysisText Analysis 3....