She’s Leaving Home

Unit 12Text 1

Teaching Objectives Practice reading past events expressed in

the simple present tense; Discuss relationships between family

members; Learn to pronounce with incomplete plosion

and liaison; Learn to combine sentences into one by

putting the more important information in the major clause.

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading After Reading

Before Reading Background Information

American Parents

American parents treat their children as their equals and encourage them to ask questions about the things around them. They hate slavish thinking and want their children to be creative and reasonably aggressive.

The law forbids parents to beat their children. In July, 1994, an American woman was arrested and fined $20000 because she slapped her young son on the face when she heard him calling his sister “bitch”. There is no doubt that Americans love children, but parents do not expect repayment. There is no law to require the son and the daughter to provide for their elderly parents who can no longer earn money.

Before Reading

Warm-up Questions:

What does home mean to you? What do you think is the ideal relationship

between parents and children? What do you usually do when you have

problems with your parents? What do you expect your parents to do?

Global Reading

Is this a piece of narration, description or argumentation?

How is the author getting on with her daughter?

How many parts can this passage be divided into?

Structural Analysis

Detailed Reading

Paragraph 1-8 Paragraphs 9-12 Paragraphs 13-16 Paragraphs 17-20

Paragraph 1-8

Question: What are the possible reasons for the

abnormal manners of the writer’s daughter before she leaves home for university?

Paragraph 1-2Language work

[1]My daughter Allie is leaving for university in a week. Her room is cluttered with shopping bags filled with blankets, towels, jeans and jumpers.

[2]She won't talk about going.

Paragraph 3

I say,“ I'm going to miss you,” and she gives me one of her looks and leaves the room. Another time I say, in a voice so friendly it surprises even me: “Do you think you'll take your posters and pictures with you, or will you get new ones at university?”

Paragraph 3-4[3]I say,“ I'm going to miss you,” and she gives

me one of her looks and leaves the room. Another time I say, in a voice so friendly it surprises even me: “Do you think you'll take your posters and pictures with you, or will you get new ones at university?”

[4]She answers, her voice filled with annoyance, "How should I know?”

Paragraph 5-6[5] My daughter is off with friends most of the

time. Yesterday was the last day she'd have for a few months with her friend Katharine, whom she’s known since kindergarten. Soon, it will be her last day with Sarah, Claire, Heather ... and then it will be her last day with me.

[6] My friend Karen told me, "The month before I left for university, I screamed at my mother the whole month. Be prepared."

Paragraph 7I stand in the kitchen, watching Allie make a glass of iced tea. Her face, once so open and trusting, is closed to me. I struggle to think of something to say to her, something meaningful and warm. I want her to know I'm excited about the university she has chosen, that I know the adventure of her life is just starting and that I am proud of her. But the look on her face is so angry that I think she might slug me if I open my mouth.

Her face, which indicated that she was ready to accept opinions from others and trust others, now shows that she is not willing to listen to me and trust me, or that she is not ready to hear me say anything and place trust in me.

The new and exciting experience of her life is just beginning.

Paragraph 8One night — after a long period of silence between us — I asked what I might have done or said to make her angry with me. She sighed and said, "Mom, you haven't done anything. It's fine." It is fine—just distant.

After letting out a deep breath slowly with a sound expressing sadness, she said,” Mum, you haven’t done anything to make me angry. It’s O.K.” It’s O.K. — just except that we can’t be close to each other as we’ve been.

Paragraphs 9-12

Question:

Do you think the writer is a qualified mother? What do you think of her response to her daughter’s abnormal manners?

Paragraph 9Somehow in the past we always found some way to connect. When Allie was a toddler, I would go to the day-care center after work. I'd find a quiet spot and she would nurse — our eyes locked together, reconnecting.

I would find a quiet place, where she would suck milk from my breast — we looked at each other…

Paragraph 10In her early teen, when other mothers were already the estrangement they felt with their adolescent daughters, I hit upon a solution: rescue raids. I would show up occasionally at school, sign her out of class and take her somewhere—out to lunch, to the movies, once for a long walk on the beach. It may sound irresponsible, but it kept us close when other mothers and daughters were floundering. We talked about everything on those outings — outings we kept secret from family and friends.

An idea of how to solve the problem suddenly occurred to me: take quick actions to improve mother-daughter relationship.

Paragraph 11

When she started secondary school, I'd get up with her in the morning to make her a sandwich for lunch, and we'd drink a cup of tea together before the 6:40 bus came.

Paragraph 12A couple of times during her final year I went into her room at night, the light off, but before she went to sleep. I'd sit on the edge of her bed, and she'd tell me about problems: a teacher who lowered her grade because she was too shy to talk in class, a boy who teased her, a friend who had started smoking. Her voice, coming out of the darkness, was young and questioning.

Paragraphs 13-16

Question:

What attitude does Allie adopt towards her mother’s affectionate actions?

Paragraph 13A few days later I'd hear her on the phone, repeating some of the things I had said, things she had adopted for her own. But now we are having two kinds of partings. I want the romanticized version, where we go to lunch and lean across the table and say how much we will miss each other. I want smiles through tears, bittersweet moments of reminiscence and the chance to offer some last bits of wisdom.

the parting that shows strong feelings of love; the parting that is made more interesting or romantic, or that suggests love and adventurebend oneself in a sloping position from one side

to the other of the table

Paragraph 14But as she prepares to depart, Allie's feelings have gone underground. When I reach to touch her arm, she pulls away. She turns down every invitation I extend. She lies on her bed, reading Emily Dickinson until I say I have always loved Emily Dickinson, and then she closes the book.

But as she gets ready to leave home for university, Allie’s feelings have been concealed or covered up.

reading poems written by Emily Dickinson. Here is a case of metonymy: Emily Dickinson is used to stand for the poems she wrote.

Paragraph 15Some say the tighter your bond with our child, the greater her need to break away, to establish her own identity in the world. The more it will hurt, they say. A friend of mine who went through a difficult time with her daughter but now has become close to her again, tells me, "Your daughter will be back to you."

Some people tell me that the closer your rein over your child, the greater her need to stay away from you to set up her own identity in the world.

a friend of mine who experienced a difficult time with her daughter

Paragraph 16"I don't know," I say. I sometimes feel so angry that I want to go over and shake Allie. I want to say: "Talk to me—or you're grounded!" I feel myself wanting to say that most horrible of all mother phrases: "Think of everything I've done for you."Talk to me — otherwise, you are not supposed to go out!

Paragraphs 17-20

Question:

What does Allie mean when she reads the pamphlet from her university to her mum?

Paragraph 17Late one night, as I'm getting ready for bed, she comes to the bathroom door and watches me brush my teeth. For a moment, I think I must be brushing my teeth in a way she doesn't approve of. But then she says, "I want to read you something. It's a pamphlet from her university. "These are tips for parents.

Paragraph 18I watch her face as she reads the advice aloud:" Don't ask your child if she is home-sick," it says. "She might feel bad the first few weeks, but don't let it worry you. This is a natural time of transition. Write her letters and call her a lot. Send a package of goodies."

Paragraph 19Her voice breaks, and she comes over to me and buries her head in my shoulder. I stroke her hair, lightly, afraid she'll bolt if I say a word. We stand there together for long moments, swaying. Reconnecting.

I pass my hand over her hair, gently, afraid that she’ll run away suddenly if I say a word.

Paragraph 20I know it will be hard again. It's likely there will be a fight about something. But I am grateful to be standing in here at midnight, both of us tired and sad, toothpaste smeared on my chin, holding tight to — while also letting go of — my daughter who is trying to say good-bye.

But I am very thankful to be standing in here at midnight, both of us feeling somewhat exhausted and distressed, toothpaste stained on my chin, hugging tightly in my arms — while also setting free — my daughter, who is making much effort to say good-bye.

clutter make untidy or confused, esp. by filling with

useless or unwanted things: The room was cluttered up with toys. His mind was cluttered with useless information. His study is cluttered up with books.

annoyance the feeling of being annoyed; the feeling of

being made a little angry or impatient by repeated troublesome actions: “Go away!” she replied with annoyance. “Do your exercises more carefully!” she said,

her voice filled with annoyance. annoy [v.]

jeans also called blue jeans; trousers made of

denim, a strong usu. blue cotton cloth, worn informally by men, women, and children: Boys and girls like to wear jeans, which has

become a common practice in China.

jumper a woolen garment for the top half of the

body; a dress without sleeves, usu. worn over a blouse: My wife likes to wear a jumper over a blouse in

autumn. You can see some girls in jeans and jumpers on

our campus.

poster a large printed notice, picture, or

photograph: They put up posters all over the town

advertising the art festival.

iced tea tea that has been made very cold by using

ice: I am fond of drinking iced tea in summer.

trusting trustful; ever ready to trust others:

Due to his trusting nature, he has been deceived several times.

struggle make great efforts, esp. when trying to deal

with a difficult problem in situation: I am struggling to control my temper. They are young writers, who have to struggle

for recognition.

slug hit with a heavy blow, esp. with one’s fist or

closed hand so as to make unconscious: The scouts slugged the guards and entered the

enemy camp. The two men slugged each other until both fell

down to the ground. slug the ball over the boundary

synonym: slog

sigh let out a deep breath slowly and with a soun

d usu. expressing sadness, tiredness or satisfaction; feel a mixture of sadness and fond desire about sth. past, far away, etc.: Thinking of all the opportunities she had lost, th

e woman sighed and wept. Having accomplished the task, the scientist sigh

ed with relief. Being alone in her room, the young woman sigh

ed deeply for her unreturned love.

distant separate in space or time; far off; not very

closely related: In the dim and distant past people lived in

caves. We hope to go there in the not-too-distant

future. There is a distant connection between these

two ideas. The two boys are distant relations.

somehow by some means; in some way not yet known or

stated: Don’t worry; we’ll get the lost money back somehow. We have to reach an agreement somehow. We must stop him from running himself somehow.

for some reason that is not clear: I think she is right, but somehow I am not completely

sure. Somehow I couldn’t get to sleep last night.

toddler a small child who has just learned to walk:

A toddler falls down easily while walking. Look at that toddler. He is walking unsteadily

towards his mother.

spot a usu. round part or area that is different from the

main surface, in color or in some other way: She is wearing a white dress with blue spots. She wiped a spot of black paint off the door handle.

a small round raised diseased mark on the skin: Do you know you have a spot on your nose?

a particular place: This is our favorite holiday spot.

an area mind or feelings: I am afraid that you touched a rather tender spot when

you mentioned his former wife.

lock fasten with a lock; put in a safe place and block

the entrance or opening: Lock the door when you leave. She locked all her valuables in a box.

hold or fasten firmly( usually in the passive voice ): The two fighters were locked together. The lovers were locked in a deep embrace.

become fixed or blocked: I can’t control the car; the wheels have locked.

estrangement causing( esp. people in a family ) to become

unfriendly towards each other: The quarrel led to a complete estrangement bet

ween her and her family. Cause an estrangement between two old friend

s. estrange [v.] : estrange sb. (from ) sb.

They are estranged from each other.

adolescent (of) a young teenager of about 13-16; (of) a

boy or girl in the period between being a child and an adult: The adolescent need to be educated by both

parents and teachers. Much effort has to be put into the education of

the adolescent.

rescue [vt.] Save or set free from harm, danger, or loss:

He rescued his stamp collection from the burning house. She clung to the floating wreckage for hours before she

was rescued. [n.] an act of rescuing

A rescue team is trying to reach the trapped miners We were about to close down the business, but the ban

k came to our rescue with a huge loan.

raid a quick attack on an enemy position, not to

control the place but to damage it: Following a bombing raid, our fighters launched

a cross-boarder raid. The hungry children mad a raid on the kitchen

and took all the cakes. a sudden visit by the police in search of

criminals or illegal goods: As a result of the raid, three people were

charged with possessing illegal drugs.

show up arrive as expected or arranged; (cause to)

be easily and clearly seen: Did everyone you invited show up? The cracks in the wall show up in the sunlight. The unexpected riots showed up the

deficiencies in police training. arrive, often after a delay:

It was four o’clock when he finally showed up.

occasionally from time to time; not regularly

I am not a heavy drinker, but I am fond of the bottle and drink a little occasionally.

My wife and I occasionally go to the cinema, for seeing a film gives us a somewhat different feeling from watching TV.

flounder move about helplessly or with great

difficulty, esp. in water, mud, snow, etc.: The little dog was floundering around in the

snow, so I picked it up. The fish was floundering on the riverbank,

struggling to the breathe.

outing a short pleasure trip, esp. for a group of

people; excursion: The whole class went on an outing to the

seaside.

secondary (of education or a school) for children over

11 years old: Children over 11 years old go to study at a

secondary school. Teachers in primary and secondary schools

work very bad.

edge the part or place where sth. ends or begins,

or that is farthest from its center: Don’t go too near the edge of the cliff. If you don’t want it, leave it on the edge of the pl

ate. Can you stand a coin up on its edge? She was standing by the water’s edge. He felt that he was on the edge of madness.

lower make or become smaller in amount, degree,

strength, etc.: They have lowered the price from $15 to $10. Please lower your voice.

tease make jokes about or laugh at unkindly or pla

yfully; pull one’s leg; try to provoke (sb) with questions or pretty annoyances : At school the other children always teased me b

ecause I was fat. Don’t take it seriously. He was only teasing you. The other boys used to tease him because of/a

bout his accent. [n.] person who is fond of teasing others; pro

blem that is difficult to solve

questioning appearing to have doubts or want

information: She gave him a questioning look. When he told me the story, I cast a questioning

glance at him.

adopt take sb. else’s child into one’s family forever and t

ake on the full responsibilities in law of a parent: He is not my real father; I am adopted. They have adopted a pretty girl as their daughter.

take and use as one’s own; to begin to have a quality or appearance: We have adopted their proposal. They have adopted a conciliatory attitude towards the re

bels. compare: adapt (adapt oneself to sth.)

She adapted herself quickly to the new environment.

parting (an example of) the action of saying good-

bye: Their parting was slow and unbearable.

version a slightly different form, copy, or style of an

article; a form of a written or musical work that exists in more than one form: This dress is a cheaper version of the one we

saw in that shop. Did you read the whole book or only the

abridged version.

lean slope or bend from an upright position;

support or rest oneself in a bent or sloping position; place so as to be supported from the side in a sloping position: The tree leant in the wind. He leaned forward to hear what she said. She leant against his shoulder. She leant the ladder up against the wall.

bittersweet Pleasant, but mixed with sadness:

She cherishes bittersweet memories of her childhood.

I shall never forget the bittersweet memories of my childhood.

reminiscences [pl.] a spoken or written account of one’s own

life (usu. in the past): We had to listen to his reminiscences of the war. His reminiscences of the war attracted a very

large audience. [U] recalling of past events and experiences;

reminiscing [adj.] reminiscent:

His style is reminiscent of Picasso’s.

depart leave; go away esp. when starting a journey:

The train to Edinburgh will depart from platform 6 in five minutes.

underground beneath the surface of the earth:

There is an underground passage here through which you can go to the other side of the road.

Here is an underground car park. operating secretly and often illegally, esp. in

opposition to an established political system: Those people printed and distributed

underground publications. The young couple engaged in underground

activities for several years.

turn down reject; refuse a request, an offer, or the pers

on that makes it: Thank you, but I’ll have to turn down your offer

of money. He proposed to her, but she turned him down.

turn sth. down: adjust in order to reduce the heat, noise, etc.

extend (of space, land, time, etc.) reach, stretch, or

continue: The hot weather extended in to October. The kingdom extended hundreds of miles in every

direction. make longer or greater, esp. to reach a desired

point: We will eventually extend the road as far as the station. The underground railway will be extended until it

reaches the northern end.

tight closely fastened, held, knotted, etc.; firmly

fixed in place: The drawer is so tight that I can’t open it.

bond (often pl.) sth. that unites two or more peopl

e or groups: There is a close bond between them. This very act of friendship seemed to strengthen

our bonds with each other.

break away escape, esp. with a sudden, violent effort:

The prisoner broke away form the two policemen who were holding him.

The lion failed to break away from the cage. end one’s connection with a group,

organization, way of thinking, etc.: This extremist faction broke away from the main

party in 1979. He is an innovative musician who broke away

from the classical tradition.

establish cause to be firmly settled or accepted in a

particular state of position; put beyond any doubt: He established himself as the most powerful

minister in the new government. Now that he has established himself in the

team, he is playing with much more confidence. Her latest film has really established her

reputation as a director.

identity who or what a particular person or thing is:

The identity of the murdered woman has not yet been established.

She experienced a loss of identity after giving up her career to get married.

ground strike or cause a boat to strike against the b

ottom of a sea, a river, etc.: The ship grounded on a hidden sandbank. He grounded his ship in two meters of water.

base on sth.: Our development plans are grounded on the res

ults of our market research. Our fears proved to be well grounded. ground one’s arguments on facts.

horrible causing horror or great fear; awful, very

unkind or unpleasant: The horrible accident caused the bridge to

collapse. I have a horrible feeling that we are going to

miss the plane.

approve of have a favorable opinion, esp. of a course of

action or type of behavior; regard as good, sensible, etc.: I don’t approve of smoking in bet. You have made a good decision that I

thoroughly approve of. I approve of your trying to earn some money by

yourself.

tip a helpful piece of advice:

This manual is full of useful tips. Take my tip and keep well away from that place.

transition the act of changing or passing from one

form, state, subject, or place to another: It was a peaceful transition from colonial rule to

self-government. She is subjected to frequent transitions from

high spirits to depression.

goody (often pl., infml) a good thing to eat; sth. part

icular attractive, pleasant or desirable: She has got us all sorts of delicious goodies for

tea. They have all the goodies – new cars, a big hou

se, holidays abroad – that a higher income brings.

A record collector played some goodies for me on his phonograph.

bury put a dead body into a grave; hide or cover over,

esp. with earth: Both my grandparents were buried here. The climbers were buried under an avalanche of rocks. The true facts were buried in a secret government

report. She was sitting with her head buried in a newspaper. He buried his hand in his pockets. He was buried in thought.

bolt run away suddenly:

A thief bolted at the sight of a policeman. When the police arrived, the burglars bolted.

sway (cause to) swing from side to side:

The trees were swaying gently in the wind. She swayed her body in time with the music. I am swaying between two opinions.

(often passive) influence sb., esp. so that he changes his mind: When you are choosing a career, don’t be sway

ed just by promises of future high earnings. He is easily swayed, so you cannot rely on him

completely.

grateful feeling or showing appreciation for sth. good

done to one, for sth. fortunate that happens, etc. thankful: I’m most grateful to you for your help. I am grateful to you that you didn’t tell my husba

nd about this. We were grateful to get back on dry land after o

ur rough boat trip.

After Reading

Structural Analysis Summary Future Forms Sentence Fragments Oral Work Writing

Summary

A. The text could be divided into four parts. Please write a summary for each part.

Paragraph 1-8

Paragraph 9-12

Paragraph 13-16

Paragraph 17-20

Structural Analysis

Parts Paragraphs Main Ideas

1

2

3

Paragraphs 1 to 4

Paragraphs 5 to 13

Paragraphs 14 to 20

The author found it hard to overcome the sadness as the moment of parting drew near. So he turned to his grandpa for help.

Narrating his sad experience of the loss of his eldest son during the war, the author’s grandpa illustrates how one can overcome the sad feeling resulting from the loss of some one dear to him by recalling not the moment of the parting, but the happy times spent together.

By the way he behaved when confront with another sad moment —the loss of his grandpa., the author shows us that he came to understand what his grandpa had taught him.

B. Please use one sentence to summarize the main idea of the text.

Check the grammar exercises in the student book

Additional exercises:Future Forms

Translate the following into English, using proper future forms:

1.     1. 雨一停，我们就动身 2.      如果你明天一早动身，就得在睡觉前把行李打好。 3.      委员们定于下星期四开会来解决这一问题。 4.      她说，到周末她将已返回中国。 5.      昨天他告诉我，他打算下个月结婚。 6.      他在记者招待会宣布，日本首相定于下星期一访华。 7.      我们明晚彩排，你来吗？外长们原定于五月十四日开会来讨论缓和危机的建议，可是战争爆发了。

Keys:

1.      We’ll start off as soon as the rain stops.

2.      If you are leaving early tomorrow morning, you’ll have to finish packing before bedtime.

3.      The committee are to gather next Thursday to settle the question.

4.      She said that by the end of the week she would have been back to China.

    

5.  He told me yesterday that he was going to get married next month.

6.      He announced at the press conference that the prime minister of Japan was to visit China next Monday.

7.      We’re having our dress rehearsal tomorrow evening. Are you coming?

8.      The Foreign Ministers were to have met on May 14 to discuss the proposals for easing the crisis, but the war broke out.

Check the vocabulary exercises in the student book

Additional exercise:Sentence Fragments

Look at the sentences below. Decide which of them are fragments; then decide if they need to be fixed. If they do, rewrite them correctly.

1. From a professional point of view, a good resume is an invaluable tool, according to Dr. Thomas DiPietro. Who teaches business communication at the University of Manitoba.

2. Walking along the river, throwing stones into the clear green water, which looked so inviting that I wanted to jump in.

3. There was an elder brother described by my father as: “Too damned clever by half. One of those quick, clever brains…”

4. Can such principles be taught? Maybe not. But most of them can be learned.

5. Most banks offer different types of mortgages. The fixed rate mortgage, which guarantees the same rate for the life of the loan, and the adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), which will fluctuate with changing interest rates.

A sentence fragment is an error that occurs when an incomplete sentence is punctuated as though it were a complete sentence. There are three things you should look for when reviewing your work for sentence fragments. First, look for a group of words without a subject. Next, be alert for a group of words lacking a verb, especially a group that contains a verbal rather than a complete verb. Last, make sure that you have not mistaken a subordinate clause for a complete sentence.

You will often be able to correct a sentence fragment by joining it to a main clause that precedes or follows the fragment. At times you may have to add missing words to make a complete sentence.

Professional writers sometimes use sentence fragments. They do so for special effect—to add emphasis or to convey realistic dialogue. They use sentence fragments carefully and intentionally. In most of the writing you do, however, including your writing for school, you should avoid sentence fragments.

Oral Work

Have a discussion on the following questions.

What do you think of the mother phrase “Think of everything I’ve done for you”? If your mother adopt this kind of wording, what would you feel?

Suppose you have a teenage child who turned cold to you, what would you do?

Writing

Write a biographical essay about a person of your choice.

It is likely that your subject might be too complicated to cover in a short essay. So, when you tell the story, you have choices to make in order to make the writing task more manageable. Before writing, think about these questions:

What will be your position? How much of the story do you want to tell? What topics will you cover? How will you organize the story?