Unit Three My First Job一. Key Words1. apply : vi.a) ask officially for, esp by writingE.g. Last year he applied to return to his own village.He applied to the boss for promotion.b) <derivative> applicant : (n.) person who appliesE.g. There are many applicants for the post.c) <derivative> application (n.)E.g. His application was rejected.2. interview : n. & v.a) meeting between the employer and applican6s for the postE.g. Interview is the time not only for the employer to select future employees, but also for theapplicants to know more about the post.b) meeting with sb. for discussion, conference, etc.E.g. It is my greatest honor to be granted an interview by Your Majesty.c) have or obtain an interview withE.g. Who do you think is the most promising of all the applicants you have just interviewed?3. depress : v.a) make sadE.g. She was so depressed by the rain that she had to drink a lot of coffee.b) press, push or pull downE.g. If you depress the button there, a robot will come out to serve tea.c) make lowerE.g. Drugstores are forced to close down because they cannot afford to depress prices assupermarkets constantly do.4. disapproval : n.a) unfavorable opinion or feeling, dislikeE.g. The audience express disapproval of the actors by booing.b) <derivative> disapprove : (v.) think or say sth. is badE.g. The teacher disapproved of students' talking in class.5. undo : vt.a) untie, unfastenE.g. He undid his tie as soon as he walked out of the office building.b) cancel, bring back the state of affairs that existed beforeE.g. The new President undid many rules set up by the former President.6. attach : vt.a) (to) fasten or join (sth) to sth.E.g. They attached a photo to application papers.b) give (importance) toE.g. The factory attaches great importance to quality control.7. rangea) (vt.) vary between certain limitsE.g. The dressed range in price from 20 to 90 dollars.b) (n.) limits between which sth. variesE.g. He has a wide range of interests.8 dismaya) (vt.) fill (sb.) with fear and hopelessnessE.g. We were dismayed by the violence of his reaction.b) (n.) state of being dismayedE.g. To our dismay, our new car was missing.9. competent: a.a) completely skillful, good at doing sth.E.g. I don't think he is competent to drive such a long bus.We found he was competent for the post.Although he has had a long training, he is still not very competent at it.b) <derivative> competence (n.)E.g. George drives with competence.10. protesta) (v.) (against, about) express a strong objectionE.g. All the local farmers protested against the new airport being built on rich farmland. b_ (n.)E.g. People made a protest about the rise in price.11. prospect : n.a) view, sceneE.g. The prospect from the mountain was grand.b) sth. that one expect or consider is going to happen, mental viewE.g. He was excited by te prospect of owning his own house.c) possibility that sth. will successE.g. I se no prospect of his success.d) (pl.) chances of success in the futureE.g. At the end of the interview, the applicant asked about promotion prospects and otherexaminations he could take to go ahead and so on..12. indignity: n.a) injury to one's dignity, insultE.g. The man felt it an indignity to work under a young woman.b_ <derivative> dignity : (n.) quality that deserves respectE.g. He lost his dignity by losing his temper in public.二. Useful Phrases1. be short of : have not enough, be in want ofE.g. It was obvious that this young man was rather short of teaching experience.2. as a result : thereforeE.g. The girl did not work hard enough and she failed the exam as a result.3. smell of : give out the smell or scent ofE.g. The garden smells of roses.4. attach importance to : consider important, treat as importantE.g. Our teacher attached great importance to listening comprehension.5. have in common : share together or equallyE.g. Though they are twins, they have few interests in common.6. consist of / ina) (of) be made up (of)E.g. This apartment consists of three bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen.b) (in) have as the chief elementE.g. Happiness consists in being contented with what one has.7. in turn : one after anotherE.g. Each man stood up in tun and spoke .三. Warm-up Questions and Introductory Remarks1. Warm-up Questions(1) Have you had the experience of being interviewed?(2) What is an interview?(3) For what purpose is an interview needed?2. Introductory Remarks---Everyone wants to find a good job. What's the procedure for job hunting then? This text tells a true story of a young man, the first job he applied for, and the first job interview he experienced. Let's see what happened and what we can learn from it.四. Language Points and Question for Discussion(一) Lines1--51. Language PointsI saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post… = I saw a teaching post… advertised in a local newspapera) As the direct object "a teaching post" has a lengthy modifier, it needs to be postponed in order that the whole sentence has "end weight".E.g. We heard from his own lips the story of how he had been caught in a trap for days withoutfood.I applied, fearing as I did so, that without a degre e… my chances of getting the lob were slim.a) <structure> "Fearing… the job were slim" is adverbial, modifying "applied"; "That clause" is the object of "fear".; "as I did so" is adverbial clause, modifying "fearing".b) chances : possibility (when used in front of a sentence, it should be in pl. form.)E.g. Chances are that he has arrived w3ithout our knowledge.There is chance that he will win the game.2. Questions for Discussion(1) What information do you get from this paragraph?---We know the time the story took place, the way the author noticed the teaching postwas availableand the reasons he applied for it.(2) What does it mean "My chances of getting the job were slim"?---There was little likelihood that he could get this job.(3) Do you think it a wise decision to get a job before entering university?---It is a chance to come into contact with the workplace, to earn your pocket money, but it also takes up time that could be used for reading and studying.(二) Lines 6--101. Language Pointsa ten-minute bus ride = (it took) ten minutes to get there by busE.g. a 15-minute drive : a one-month training courseAs a result I arrived on a hot June morning too depressed to feel nervous. = Therefore when I got to the school on a hot morning in June I was in such low spirits that I did not and could not feel any anxiety of fear at all.2. Questions for Discussion(1) Why does this paragraph begin with "however"?---He has not expected to be asked for an interview.(2) What does it mean to be asked for an interview?---There is hope that one will get the jib.(3) What do you think may be the factors that make people feel depressed besides a long and awkward journey?---They may be spiritual, such as, diffic ulty, suffering, being homesick, frustration…They may be physical, such as, illness, hunger, tiredness, sleepiness…(三) Lines 11--131. Language Points…they struggled to survive the dust and the fumes from a busy main road. = …the evergreen shrubs tried hard to stay alive in the dust and fumes from a main road with very busy traffic.2. Questions for Discussion(1) What's the picture in your mind when you read the description of the school?---It's not a nice school. It is quite plain and in a very busy place.(2) What do you think are the favorable surroundings that a school should be in?---A school should be located in a quite and peaceful place away from pollution and distractions,with its building in pleasant surroundings, so that students can concentrate on and enjoy their studies.( 四) Lines 14--281. Language PointsHe looked at me with an air of surprised disapproval. = He looked at me in disapproval that was mixed with surprise.…fixing me suddenly with his bloodshot eyes. = suddenly staring at me with eyes that were red from sleepless or heavy drinking.2. Questions for Discussion(1) How does the description of the headmaster's appearance and behavior, the inside of the school impress you?---Unpleasantly. It's poor, plain and dirty.(2) What do the "bloodshot eyes" remind you of?---Perhaps drinking, sleeping little, illness, etc.(3) Why did he respond by mumbling?---He felt uncertain whether his point of view appealed to the headmaster or not.(4) Why did the headmaster grunt?---He seemed dissatisfied with the boy's answer.(5) Do you think games are a vital part of children's education? Why or why not?---Scientific research has shown that playing games can stimulate children's imagination and make them active, and studying in games is a much more effective and suitable way to develop children's personality. On the other hand, nobody should be forced to play games if they are really not interested in them.( 五) Lines 29--381. Language PointsMost of my friends would be enjoying leisure at that time. = most of my friends would be free on Saturday afternoons, doing whatever they liked.2. Questions for Discussion(1) What do you think of the teaching set-up? Do you think it's normal?---In some villages in our country, it is still the case. It was caused by the poor conditions in the school, meanwhile it would challenge a teacher's abilities, skills and patience.(2) How do the children enjoy leisure?---Feel free, relax, do what they like to do, play, yell, etc.(六) Lines 39--431. Language PointsThis was the last straw.= This was really the worst coming to the worst and too much toput up with.2. Questions for Discussion(1) Was the salary negotiable?---No . Before he could protest, the headmaster got to his feet and asked him to meet his wife.(2) What does the last paragraph imply?---The boy wouldn't take the job.(3) Do you think that working under a woman is an indignity?---No, men and women enjoy equal rights.(4) Why did the headmaster want to hire such an inexperienced teacher?---He had little money to offer, and probably had not been able to hire anyone else.五. Summary Questions and Concluding Remarks1. Summary Questions(1) What was the procedure followed by the boy in looking for a jib?---a).He saw a teaching post advertised in a local newspaper.b).He wrote to the school to apply for the jib.c). The school wrote him back and asked him for an interview.d). During the interview , he was asked many questions, both personal and professional, and meanwhile, he learnt a lot about the school.e). He made his decision: to refuse the jib.(2) What factors helped to bring about the boy's refusal?---a) The school was very far away and it was inconvenient for him to get there.b)Its surroundings were dirty and noisy.c) The headmaster didn't make a good impression on him, and they had very little in common.d) The teaching set-up filled him with feat.e) He couldn't negotiate the salary offered by the school.f) The last reason was that he considered it an indignity to work under a woman.2. Concluding Remarks---This interview that took place in the story was a very peculiar one. In actual life, an interview is usually a two-way conversation. When you apply for a job, you must try to give the employer a good impression by writing a decent application letter and a full resume. If asked for an interview, you should mind your dress, manners and language. Meanwhile you should also pay attention to the job environment, working condition and the like to see if they are suitable for you.。