Unit 6 The human touch
The Last Leaf
Procedure
Introduction
Language
Study Post Reading Activities Homework
Introduction to the Author

O. Henry (1862-1910)
The Red Cross assists victims of natural and man-made disasters.
fall victim to the office politics （替罪羊）
5. Scarcely adv. almost not
There is scarcely any surface water in the desert. scarce a. scarcity n.
11. fierce a.
1) violent and angry a fierce dog; a very fierce look; a fierce argument;
2) intense; strong Much of old Berlin was destroyed during WW II by bombing and by fierce house-to-house fighting at the end of the war.
barefoot doctor; bare hands; bare necessities of life
8. hear of (about)
Three weeks passed, and nothing was heard of the missing boy. Our main aim in producing the magazine is to give readers inspiration and ideas for their homes and it’s heart-warming to hear of /about the success we’ve had.
1. in tune with = harmonious(ly)
His ideas are in tune with the times.
out of tune with Her character is quite out of tune with her beauty.
2. Joint adj. shared
The present scarcity is of labor force.
6. Subtract v. remove a number from another number:
Four subtracted from ten equals six. When total taxes are subtracted from personal income, the remainder is called disposable income.
joint account joint venture joint second According to the bulletin, Albright College now offers a joint bachelor’s degree program in environmental studies together with Duke University.

pseudonym（pen name）of William Sydney Porter, American writer of short stories, best known for his ironic plot twists (变化) and surprise endings
Language Study
The car pulled up at the traffic lights. (come to a stop)
17. stand out (from, among)
to be much better or the best
On the record I have just played, the first song stands out from all the others. We had lots of good applicants for the job, but one stood out from the rest.
add, subtract, multiply, divide
7. bare adj. not covered by anything:
Soil held in place by plant roots is less likely to blow or wash away than bare soil. Birds sleep in bushes, on the branches, and even on the bare ground.
3. Stalk v. to follow an animal or person as closely as possible without being seen or heard, usually in order to catch or kill them:
The police had been stalking the woman for a week before they ar Masterpiece n.
No matter how great he is, no artist could be expected to complete a masterpiece every day, or even every year.
The Modern Times ----- Charles Chaplin The sculpture David ----- Michelangelo
15. Persistent a. lasting for a long time or difficult to get rid of:
The demand of change in the election law is so persistent that both Houses have promised to consider it. persistent depression & mass unemployment; persistent growth; persistent and heavy rainfall
2) (cause to) become thin or damaged by constant use
The waterproof coating will wear away very quickly or after many years depending on use and care. The marble steps have been worn away by the feet of thousands of visitors.
9. look the part : have appearance for a position
Despite looking the part, Michael was not an artist at all. I do prefer to wear smart clothes for work; it’s still not easy for women in business to be taken seriously --I like to look the part.
18. wear away
1) (of time) pass gradually They didn’t reach an agreement. Instead they wore the afternoon away in arguing. The day wore away, and we still couldn’t find a solution to the problem. Wear away one’s youth in trifles.
walk in an angry or proud way
4. Victim n. sb. hurt, damaged or killed or has suffered
Playing tricks on others on the first day of April is a custom among European peoples. In English-speaking countries the victim of such jokes is called an April Fool.
Polar bears prefer to hunt seals on land or ice but may stalk them from under water. Criminal stalked his victims like a hunter after a deer.
The new government is less oppressive (cruel & unfair), but violence still stalks the country.
a. artificial, pretended a mock battle; mock exams; She opened her eyes wide in mock disbelief.
13. Fancy n . the imagination
The writer is best known for his bold mixture of fact and fancy in his novels. The forecasts in his book were not wild fancies. have a fancy for: feel like doing sth Take a fancy to: like, fall in love with Take/catch the fancy of: attract