Unit 5 When work is a pleasurePART 1Understanding and LearningOverviewThis unit centers on the topic of work-an indispensable part of individual lives. Work may serve different purposes and have different meanings to different people. Text A argues, by differentiating among work, labor, and play, that interest and enjoyment in work are important for the benefit of both individuals and society. Text B, by telling us a story of a shoemaker and the author, stimulates thoughts on building a tradition of working with pride, self-esteem, and responsibility. All of these elements, as shown in both texts, cannot be achieved in a job that is done merely for the sake of money.Concerning the writing style, Text A is developed mainly by means of contrasts, which are effectively used to highlight, point by point, the differences between workers and laborers. Text B, by means of narration through the use of the first person “I” and with detailed description and lively conversations, gives the readers a strong feeling of being personally on the scene, and achieves the effect of great vividness.In order for students to get a strong understanding of the unit theme and foster a good attitude toward work, the teacher should encourage thought-provoking discussions and activities. The topics for the discussions may include why we work, how we can foster love for work, how we achieve happiness at work, etc. Possible activities are peer interviews, retelling of Text B, questionnaire survey to gauge the happiness level of a specific occupation and to work out how to achieve greater happiness at work. Section AWill you be a worker or a labor?Background information1 continuing educationContinuing education refers to the education for adults, usually in classes that are held in the evening and especially on subjects that are related to their jobs.2 experiential learningExperiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. It is learning through reflection on doing, which is often contrasted with rote learning (死记硬背). Experiential learning focuses on the learning process for the individua1. An example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observationand interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. Thus, one makes discoveries and experiments with knowledge firsthand, instead of hearing or reading about others’ experiences.Detailed study of the text1In a society where slavery in the strict sense has been abolished, the social indications around work, the value of work and the salary, have degraded many laborers into modern slaves-“wage slaves”.(Para. 1)Meaning: In a society where slavery, strictly speaking, has been put to an end, the social status of work, the value of work and the salary, have made many laborers become modern slaves-“wage slaves”.★degrade:vt. treat sb. without respect and make them lose respect for themselves贬低(某人);羞辱(某人)The examination supervisor warned students not to degrade themselves by cheating on the exam.监考老师警告学生不要在考试中舞弊,以免自取其辱。

Note“Wages slaves” here refers to those who work for the mere purpose of earning a wage.2 People are considered laborers if their job has an adverse effect on them, yet they feel compelled to continue working by the necessity of conforming to societal expectations and earning the revenue to support themselves and their families. (Para.2)Meaning: People are considered laborers if their job has a bad or negative effect on them, but they are forced to work because they want to meet the expectations of the society and earn some money to support themselves and their families.★adverse:a. .not good or favorable不利的; 反对的; 反面的Economists fear that any conflict between the two countries could have adverse effects on global financial markets. 经济学家们担心两国之间的任何冲突都可能对全球金融市场产生不利影响。

★conform:vi. (~ to/with) obey sth. such as a rule or law遵照;遵守;服从The city has a few modern buildings in the central area which do not conform with the style of the city’s overall character.该城市中心区域有一些现代建筑跟城市的整体风格特点不相符合。

★revenue:n.［U］money that a business or organization receives over a period of time, esp. from selling goods or services (公司、机构的) 收益, 收入A spokesman for the finance department said costs generally rise when revenue increases.财务部门的发言人说收益增加成本通常会增加。

Note societal: a. relating to society or the way society is organized 社会的In time, humans began to develop societal organizations that eventually would become what we know as towns and cities.经过一段时间之后，人类开始形成社会组织，这些社会组织最终发展成为我们所知道的乡镇和城市。