Text A

Writing for Myself

Text A Writing for Myself

Part I Pre-readingPart IIWhile-readingPart III Post-reading

Pre- reading questions

1. If you are required to write a composition, whom do you write it for? Yourself or your teacher?

2. Have you ever written anything for yourself? If yes, what’s your topic?

3. Have you ever thought of becoming a writer? How about now?

Spaghetti and the proper way of eatingSpaghetti is the Italian-style thin

noodle, cooked by boiling and

served with sauce. Usually you

would put a fork into a plate of

spaghetti, turn the fork

several times so that

spaghetti will wind around the

fork, then place the fork into

your mouth. It’s impolite to

suck.

Russell Baker

born in Loudoun County, Virginia. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in English he worked as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun from 1947-54, starting as a police reporter and working his way up through the ranks to London correspondent and to White House reporter.

Russell Baker

He joined the New York Times in 1954 in

Washington and covered the White House,

Congress, State Department and politics. In 1962

he began writing his "Observer" column for the

New York Times op-ed page and continued to

write that column for 36 years until Dec. 25,

1998. In his farewell column, he noted that he

had written some 3 million words.

Russell Baker

Baker won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1979, and another in 1983, for biography, for his memoir, "Growing Up." In addition to that memoir, which became a best-seller, Baker has published more than a dozen other books, including, "There's a Country in My Cellar," "Poor Russell’s Almanac," and "Russell Baker’s Book of American Humor."

Russell Baker

He served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Since 1993, he has been the host of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS, where he introduces the wonderful dramas that appear on that program. Baker eventually returned to his Virginia roots—Leesburg, Virginia, the town he affectionately called Burgville in his columns.

Pulitzer prizes

awarded annually for outstanding achievements in

journalism, literature, and music. Named after Joseph

Pulitzer (1847-1911), the Hungarian-born US newspaper

publisher, the prizes were established by Pulitzer's will.

普利策奖一年一度颁发给在新闻、文学和音乐领域有突出业绩的人士。该奖以匈牙利裔美国报纸出版商的瑟夫 . 普利策（ 1847－

1911 ）的名字命名，是根据他的遗愿而设立的。

Text organization

Part I: Baker was bored by everything associated

with English courses, including writing.

Part II: Baker found himself attracted by one

particular topic and wrote about it for his own joy.

Part III: The experience of writing the essay helped

him discover his talent for writing and realize

what he wished to do in life.

Pair work

1. How did baker used to feel about English courses?

2. When did he begin to think it possible for him to become a writer?

3. What did Baker hear about Mr. Fleagle? 4. What was his own impression( 印象） of

his new English teacher? 5. Why did he put off the writing

assignment till the last minute? 6. What was the topic that held his

attention?

Pair work

7. Why did he want to write about that topic? 8. What did he think Mr. Fleagle would do if he

were to write the essay the way he wanted? Why? 9. What was Baker prepare for when he found

all the papers were given back but his? 10 What was Mr. Fleagle’s announcement? 11. Whose essay was Mr. Fleagle reading to

the class? How did the class respond( 反应） ? 12. Why did Baker feel so delighted?

Para. 1

Questions: 1. When did the author’s dream of

becoming a writer seem possible? 2. Why had he felt bored by everything

associated with English courses?

Para. 2

Questions: 1. What did the students think of Mr.

Fleagle? 2. According to Mr. Baker, which word

would vividly describe Mr. Fleagle? 3. How many “prim” is used in this

paragraph?

Para. 3

Questions: 1. What can we learn from the word

“prepared for”? 2. What are the words that show the

author has no interest in the composition?

Para 4

Questions: What kind of dish was spaghetti in

those days? What can we infer from the word

“vivid”? What is the possible relationship

between “I” and “Doris”?

Para. 5

Questions: What words suggest that the author is

thinking of sth. in the past? Pick out the phrases which show that

the author only writes for himself. Why did the author repeatedly

emphasize that it is written for himself? Try to find out the repetitions used in

this Para.. What does the writer want to convey?

Para. 6

Questions: Supposing there were still enough time,

would the author write another one?

Para. 8

1) Even Mr. Fleagle stopped … smile.: Even Mr. Fleagle stopped twice or three time to prevent himself from smiling.

☆ hold back: prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.)

e.g. People could hardly hold back their anger when they found that millions of dollars of public funds had been used to build luxurious houses for city officials.

Questions: 1). Can you imagine the scene of the classroom? I: The class: Mr. Fleagle: 2). What do you think of the composition?

Para. 9

1) In the eleventh grade … calling.: In the eleventh grade, and one might say at the last

possible moment, I had found something I had wished to take up as a career.

☆ the eleventh hour: the last moment before sth important happens

e.g. The president’s visit was called off at the eleventh hour.

(Here ‘calling’ means profession or trade.) Questions: 1. What’s the essence of an essay according to the

author?2. Read the first paragraph again to understand coherence

of the article.

synonymous words and phrases. dull, lifeless, cheerless, tedious turn out. Write, compose, put down anticipate, prepare for formal, rigid, prim, correct, proper, respectable vivid memories of sth. Come flooding back to

sb., sth. Reawakes in one’s mind, sb. recalls sth. Recapture, relive Pleasure, delight, happiness Contempt, ridicule Topic, title

Comprehension

According to the text, please decide According to the text, please decide

whether the following statements are whether the following statements are

True (T) or False (F).True (T) or False (F).

Para. 1-2

1. The author always enjoyed his English Classes in high school.

2. He wanted to become a writer since he was little.

3. The author’s third-year English teacher would most likely make the English class even more boring

4. The word “primly” has a negative meaning.

Para. 3-5

5. For a long time Mr.Fleagle proved to be tedious and boring.

6. Almost all the topics the teacher asked the class to write were tedious and boring.

7. Baker picked the topic “ The Art of Eating Spaghetti” because he liked to eat spaghetti.

8. The author wrote the essay for the teacher.

Para. 6-9

9. Baker turned in the paper on eating spaghetti because he felt he wrote a good essay.

10. Mr. Fleagle read out loud Baker’s essay because he thought the essay was well written.

11. The whole class did not seem to like Baker’s essay.

12. The teacher’s comments on essay seemed to change Baker’s attitude toward writing.

Pair work

One of you asks the first six questions and the other answers. Starting from question 7,change roles. When you have finished, the teacher may want to put some of the questions to you for a check.

Group work

Break into small groups and discuss the following questions. Later the teacher may want to ask some of you to report the answers of your group to the class.

Group work

1. As a student, Baker was long bored by writing compositions. Later, however, his attitude changed completely. What do you think brought about this change?

2. Mr. Fleagle says” it’s of the very essence of the essay”, yet he gives no further explanation. Think it over. What does he mean?

3. How do you understand the title “Writing for Myself”?

Useful Expressions

1. 断断续续 off and on

2. …对 感到腻味

3. 觉得…枯燥难懂

4. 以…而出名

5. …据说某人

be bored by ...

find ... dull and difficult

have a reputation for...

sb. be said to be ...

Useful Expressions

6. 拘谨刻板，落后于时代 formal, rigid and out-of-date

7. 随笔小品文

8. 躺在沙发上

9. …不得不面对

10. 围坐在晚餐桌旁

an informal essay

lie on a sofa

face up to ...

be seated around the supper table

Useful Expressions

15. 别无选择，只好做… There is no choice but to do...

11. …重现在我脑海中

12. 自得其乐

13. 违反规定

14. 不及格分

... reawake in my mind

for my own joy

violate the rules

a failing grade

Useful Expressions

16. 更不可思议的是 what’s more

17. 专心听讲

18. 乐乎乎地开怀大笑

20. 最后的时刻

listen attentively

laugh with open-heartedenjoyment

at the eleventh hour

19. 心花怒放 pure delight

Find out the synonymous words and phrases from Text A for the words and phrases below.

Synonyms

dull (L. 4):

turn out (L. 5):

anticipate (L. 8):

formal (L.10):

Find out the synonymous words and phrases from Text A for the words and phrases below.

Synonyms

vivid memories of sth. come flooding back to sb. (L.25):

recapture (L. 35):

pleasure (L. 54):

contempt (L. 52):

topic (L. 22):