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Contemporary College EnglishContemporary College EnglishBook OneBook One

Unit 4Unit 4

The Boy and the Bank The Boy and the Bank OfficerOfficer

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Background:

bank / churches and churchgoers

Text:

sentence understanding /word study

Discussion:

questions on text

Activities:

dramatization

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• Functions performed by banks today have been carried out by individuals, families, or state officials for at least 4,000 years.

• Banks first emerged in the Middle Ages when people grew tired of carrying around all their gold and began leaving their money with the goldsmith.

Italian Banking in the 14th Century

BackgroundBackground::BanksBanksHISTORY OF BANKSHISTORY OF BANKS

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• During the early Renaissance( 欧洲 14 至 16 世纪文艺复兴 ), as international trade revived, Italian money changers once again appeared. They did business in the streets from a bench (banca in Italian; hence the word bank). Florence, Italy, became a great banking center, dominated by the Medici ( 梅第奇 )family. The Medici family, one of the most prominent banking families in Europe during this time, became quite wealthy from its banking and money lending practices.

BackgroundBackground::BanksBanks

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• With the growth of commerce and trade in Northern Europe, the Netherlands( 荷兰 )became an international financial center. The Bank of Amsterdam( 阿姆斯特丹 / 荷兰首都 ) was organized in 1609. A chartered public bank( 特许银行 )was opened in Sweden( 瑞典 )in 1656. Bank notes were probably first issued in the 1660s by the Bank of Stockholm( 斯德哥尔摩 / 瑞典首都 ) in Sweden. It was probably the first financial institution in the world to issue standard-size payable-on-demand( 随到随付 )bank bills, which eliminated the handling of copper coins.

BackgroundBackground::BanksBanks

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BackgroundBackground::BanksBanks• The Bank of France was founded in 1800. For most of the 19th century the money markets of Europe were dominated by the House of Rothschild. The house was operated by Rothschild and his oldest son, Amschel Mayer, until its dissolution in 1901. The four other Rothschild sons opened bank branches in Vienna, Austria; Naples( 那不勒斯 ), Italy; London, England; and Paris, France. The London and Paris branches are still in operation.

Frankfurt House of Rothschild

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BackgroundBackground::

Churches and Churches and churchgoerschurchgoers

The British churchgoer prefers a severe preacher because he thinks a few home truths will do his neighbors no harm.

---Attributed to George Bernard Shaw, Irish

playwright.

Nobody but poor folks get happy in church.

---Richard Wright, U.S. novelist.

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SentenceSentence UnderstandingUnderstanding

1)Everything about him suggested a carefully dressed authority.

---His clothes, his manner, etc. indicated that he was a carefully dressed man who had an important position and power.

2) Now if you will excuse me.

This expression is used when one wants to go back to one’s work, or to attend to other customers, or just to end the conversation.

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3) I didn’t think twice.

I didn’t think very carefully.

4) Excuse me?

But why/ I don’t understand.

5) I had my opening.

I found a good chance to or to say something.

6) I moved in for the kill.

I began to prepare to kill, destroy or defeat my enemy. He had a strong argument to silence the bank officer.

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7) How do you explain that?

What can you say to get out of this ridiculous logic?

8) Look, we’re just wasting each other’s time.

You are just talking nonsense. I don’t want to listen to you any more.

9) …has been shaking the boy down…

….has been getting money from the boy by using threats…

10) Anyway, the police are on the case.

Anyway, the police are working on the case.

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Word StudyWord Study:: happen to do: occur by chance

我们恰好是邻居。

We happened to be in the neighborhood.

happenhappen: : ---refers to accidental or unplanned ---refers to accidental or unplanned eventevent

occuroccur: : ---refers to accidental or unplanned ---refers to accidental or unplanned event; event;

(more formal than happen)(more formal than happen)

take place: take place: suggests that an event is/was suggests that an event is/was plannedplanned

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in the first / second…placein the first / second…place: : ---firstly / ---firstly / secondly…secondly…

in my / your… placein my / your… place: : ---in my situation---in my situationoverlightedoverlighted: : ---- having too much light-- having too much light

over-: over-: ------above; outside; acrossabove; outside; across

overcoat overhead overhang overallovercoat overhead overhang overall

--- to excess; too much--- to excess; too much

overtime overeat overburdenovertime overeat overburden

overcharge overweight overheated overcharge overweight overheated

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-ish: 1). somewhat,near to

reddish greenish yellowish darkish

2). in the manner of

foolish childish boyish womanish snobbish

3). of a country

Irish Polish Finnish Spanish

fortyish: at about the age of forty

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mustachemustache: : hair on upper liphair on upper lip

beardbeard: : hair growing on man’s hair growing on man’s chinchin

goateegoatee: : short pointed beardshort pointed beardauthorityauthority: :

--- powers to give orders and make others obey--- powers to give orders and make others obey eg. The leader must be a person of eg. The leader must be a person of authority.authority.

--- person with special knowledge--- person with special knowledge

eg. She is an authority on phonetics.eg. She is an authority on phonetics.

--- (pl.) person or group having the power to give --- (pl.) person or group having the power to give orders or take actionsorders or take actions 掌权之人；当局掌权之人；当局eg. the authorities concerned eg. the authorities concerned 有关当局有关当局

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more than: (colloq.) ---very; extremely; beyond

They were more than willing to help.

more… than…:

The child was more frightened than hurt.

He always seemed old to me, more like a

grandfather than a father.

no more than: ---only; just / ---the same as

It cost me no more than $5 to buy the book.

He’s no more able to read Spanish than I am.

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think twice about / doing sth: ---think carefully before deciding to do sth

You should think twice about employing someone you’ve never met.

Once bitten, twice shy. 一次上当，下次小心。---(saying) after an unpleasant experience one

is careful to avoid sth similar

Lightning never strike in the same place twice.

同一灾祸不会在同一场所重复发生。 ---(saying) an unusual event, or one that happens

by chance, is not likely to occur again in the exactly the same circumstances or to the same people.

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as to + whether : as to + whether : concerning / about / regardingconcerning / about / regarding

whowho

whenwhen

… …

I can’t decide as to when we should start.I can’t decide as to when we should start.

It’s still unclear as to whom this car belongs to.It’s still unclear as to whom this car belongs to.

no… but to…:no… but to…:

He had no choice but to sell the house.He had no choice but to sell the house.

(do / did/ does) + no… but do: (do / did/ does) + no… but do:

I did nothing but follow the rules.I did nothing but follow the rules.

至于其他，我一无所知。 I don't know anything as to the others.

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but:but:

one cannot / couldn’t but do sthone cannot / couldn’t but do sth: :

--- (formal) have to--- (formal) have to

I couldn’t but admit that he was right.I couldn’t but admit that he was right.

(negative word) + but + clause(negative word) + but + clause: :

---without the result that---without the result that

No man is so old but he may learn.No man is so old but he may learn.

( No man is too old to learn.)( No man is too old to learn.)

but for sb / sthbut for sb / sth: : --- without sb / sth--- without sb / sth

But for the rain, we would have had a nice holiday.But for the rain, we would have had a nice holiday...

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move in for sthmove in for sth: : --- become active in --- become active in doing sthdoing sth

I moved in for the kill.I moved in for the kill.

move in on sb / sthmove in on sb / sth: : ---approach sb / ---approach sb / sth, esp. in a threatening waysth, esp. in a threatening way

The police moved in on the terrorists.The police moved in on the terrorists.

move in sth: --- live, be active, pass one’s time, etc. in a particular social group

她生活在高级社交圈里。 She moves in the highest circles of society.

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zero in on sb / sthzero in on sb / sth::

---aim guns, etc. at or find the range ---aim guns, etc. at or find the range of ( a particular target)of ( a particular target)

--- fix attention on sb / sth; focus on --- fix attention on sb / sth; focus on sb / sth(sl)sb / sth(sl)

We should zero in on the key issues for We should zero in on the key issues for discussion. discussion.

damndamn: : advadv. . veryvery

damn good / clever / welldamn good / clever / well

敌人炮兵集中炮火于那个十字路口。An enemy battery zeroed in on the crossroad.

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Discussion:Discussion:1)1)How do you understand the author’s friend’s How do you understand the author’s friend’s

attitude toward banks? attitude toward banks?     The author’s friend hatesThe author’s friend hates banks, saying that banks, saying that

they act like churches.they act like churches.2) 2) What can banks do for us? And what about What can banks do for us? And what about

churches?churches? Banks keep, land and issue money as well as offer Banks keep, land and issue money as well as offer

many other financial services such as deposits, loans, many other financial services such as deposits, loans, exchange, savings, etc.. They also help to regulate the exchange, savings, etc.. They also help to regulate the economy with changes in interest rate in money economy with changes in interest rate in money supply.supply.

Churches represent Almighty God; lt has right to tell Churches represent Almighty God; lt has right to tell people what to do and what not to do.people what to do and what not to do.

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Discussion:3) Are there any differences and similarities

between banks and churches? They are ordinary stores. But a bank’s

goods happen to be money.4) What do you think of the ending of the

story? What effect may it bring to the story? The ending of the story is unexpected. It

may bring the story interesting. This article seems to prove that the

prejudices of people like the author are ungrounded.

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Activities:Activities:

Dramatize the story and act it out.Dramatize the story and act it out.

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Dramatize the story and act it out.Dramatize the story and act it out.B: But I don’t understand. I opened the account myself, so why B: But I don’t understand. I opened the account myself, so why

can’t I withdraw any money?can’t I withdraw any money?

O: I’ve already explained to you that a fourteen-year-old is not O: I’ve already explained to you that a fourteen-year-old is not allowed to withdraw money without a letter from his parents.allowed to withdraw money without a letter from his parents.

B: Nut that doesn’t seem fair. It’s my money. I put it in. it’s my B: Nut that doesn’t seem fair. It’s my money. I put it in. it’s my account.account.

O: I know it is, but those are the rules. Now if you’ll excuse O: I know it is, but those are the rules. Now if you’ll excuse me. May I help you, sir?me. May I help you, sir?

N: I was going to open a new account, but after seeing what N: I was going to open a new account, but after seeing what going on here, I think I’ve changed my mind.going on here, I think I’ve changed my mind.

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O: Excuse me, sir?

N: Look. If I understand what’s going on here correctly, what you are saying is that this boy is old enough to deposit his money in your bank but he is not old enough to withdraw it. Since there doesn’t seem to be any question as to whether it’s his money or his account, the bank’s so-called policy is clearly ridiculous.

O; It may seem ridiculous to you, but that is the bank’s policy and I have no other choice but to follow the rules.

N: Have you withdraw money before by yourself?

B: Yes.

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N: How do you explain that? Why did you let him withdraw money before, but not now?

O: Because the tellers were not aware of his age before and now they are. It’s really very simple.

N: You’re really getting cheated. You ought to get your parents to come in here and protest.

O: You know, you really shouldn’t have interfered.

N: Shouldn’t interfered? Well, it damn well seemed to me that he needed someone to represent his interests.

O: Someone was representing his interests.

N: And who might that be?

O: The bank.

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N: Look, we’re just wasting each other’s time. But maybe you’d like to explain exactly how the bank was representing that boy’s interests?

O: Certainly. We were informed this morning that

some neighborhood bully has been shaking

this boy down for more than a month. The

other guy was forcing him to take money out

every week and hand it over. The poor kid was

apparently too scared to tell anyone. That’s the

real reason he was so upset. He was afraid of

what the other guy would do to him. Anyway,

the police are on the case and they’ll probably

make arrest today.

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N: You mean there is no rule about being too young to withdraw money from a savings account?

O: Not that I ever heard of. Now, sir, what can we do for you?

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