the date father didn’t keep 1. background knowledge background knowledge 2. text analysis text...

The Date Father Didn’t Keep

1. Background Knowledge

2. Text Analysis

3. Exercises

4. Questions For Discussion

Denmark: The Kingdom of Denmark, almost surrounded by water, is situated in northwestern Europe, consisting of a peninsula and 482 nearby islands. It is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries with a population of 5,127,000 and Copenhagen as its capital. We call the people of Denmark Danes. The official language of Denmark is Danish. During the Second World War Denmark was occupied by Germany. It recovered rapidly after the war. As a charter member of the U.N. in 1945, it broke a long tradition of neutrality by joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949 and the European Economic Community in 1972. In the late 1980s Denmark allowed its military forces to decline below NATO requirements.

Background Knowledge

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Background Knowledge

Denmark is famous for its butter, cheese, bacon, ham, and other processed foods. The people of Denmark are prosperous, and they have one of the world’s highest standards of living, a highly developed state education system, and advanced social security schemes.

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Exercises

1. True/False Questions

2. Multiple-choice Questions

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True/False Questions

1. Father and son went to Denmark to pay a visit to their old friends.

2. They happened to stay in the very inn where father had once been thirty years before.

3. When they went to have a drink, they saw the woman with whom father had been madly in love.

4. Father had planned to marry that girl.


1. Father and son went to Denmark to pay a visit to their old friends. (F)

2. They happened to stay in the very inn where father had once been thirty years before.





2. They happened to stay in the very inn where father had once been thirty years before. (T)






3. When they went to have a drink, they saw the woman with whom father had been madly in love. (T)





3. When they went to have a drink, they saw the woman with whom father had been madly in love. (T)

4. Father had planned to marry that girl. (T)Next


5. A few days later father changed his mind and broke the date with the young lady.

6. This story took place in a Danish inn, where Father met his old lover unexpectedly.

7. The girl’s father did not object to her love because her lover was an American.

8. Father went back to America to borrow some money to get married on.


5. A few days later father changed his mind and broke the date with the young lady. (F)

6. This story took place in a Danish inn, where Father met his old lover unexpectedly.





6. This story took place in a Danish inn, where Father met his old lover unexpectedly. (T)






7. The girl’s father did not object to her love because her lover was an American. (F)





7. The girl’s father did not object to her love because her lover was an American. (F)

8. Father went back to America to borrow some money to get married on. (T)

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9. The girl did not wait for Father. She got married soon after Father went back to America.

10.Father did not keep the date because of a misunderstanding: people from different countries read the date differently.

11.Father felt disappointed when the woman did not recognize him.


9. The girl did not wait for Father. She got married soon after Father went back to America. (F)

10.Father did not keep the date because of a misunderstanding: people from different countries read the date differently.




10.Father did not keep the date because of a misunderstanding: people from different countries read the date differently. (T)




10.Father did not keep the date because of a misunderstanding: people from different countries read the date differently. (T)

11.Father felt disappointed when the woman did not recognize him. (F)

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Multiple-choice Questions

Answer

1. Father’s attitude on recognizing the woman as his old lover was one of .

A) great joy

B) great sadness

C) mild shock and surprise

D) regret


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1. Father’s attitude on recognizing the woman as his old lover was one of C .

A) great joy

B) great sadness

C) mild shock and surprise

D) regret


Answer

2. When the woman went to fetch beer, father mopped his face with a handkerchief because .

A) he didn’t want to see her

B) he feared that she might recognize him

C) he felt sorry that he had not kept the date

D) he was puzzled why she hadn’t recognized him


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2. When the woman went to fetch beer, father mopped his face with a handkerchief because B .

A) he didn’t want to see her

B) he feared that she might recognize him

C) he felt sorry that he had not kept the date

D) he was puzzled why she hadn’t recognized him


Answer

3. Which of the following can best complete the son’s words “Dad, you don’t have to …”?

A) tell the truth

B) be worried

C) tell mother

D) explain


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3. Which of the following can best complete the son’s words “Dad, you don’t have to …”? (D)

A) tell the truth

B) be worried

C) tell mother

D) explain


Answer

4. How was the woman when father and son saw her at the inn?

A) She had forgotten all about her youthful romance.

B) She was rather happy.

C) She was angry that she had been cheated by that young American.

D) She was tired of her life in Denmark.


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4. How was the woman when father and son saw her at the inn? (B)

A) She had forgotten all about her youthful romance.

B) She was rather happy.

C) She was angry that she had been cheated by that young American.

D) She was tired of her life in Denmark.

5. Which of the following can support your choice in Question 4?

A) Now she was stout and her hair was untidy.

B) She had married a local innkeeper.

C)The woman’s words: “A wonderful country, America.”

D) The woman’s words: “It’s much better here.”


Answer


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5. Which of the following can support your choice in Question 4? (D)

A) Now she was stout and her hair was untidy.

B) She had married a local innkeeper.

C)The woman’s words: “A wonderful country, America.”

D) The woman’s words: “It’s much better here.”

6. The woman’s father objected to her romance because .

A) the young man was an American who had no job

B) the young man wouldn’t make a good husband

C) the young man would take his daughter away

D) the young man could not speak Danish


Answer


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6. The woman’s father objected to her romance because A .

A) the young man was an American who had no job

B) the young man wouldn’t make a good husband

C) the young man would take his daughter away

D) the young man could not speak Danish

Questions for Discussion

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The time difference between November 12th and December 11th in this text is almost 30 days. The girl married another man two weeks after the date she was to marry the man in the story. Do you think she really loved the first man? Why do you think she married the second man so quickly? What do you think is a good reason for marriage? Should it be based on love, financial security, or other reasons?

Text Analysis

In the following story the writer’s father broke an important date when he was young. How did it happen? Read the story and find the answer.

Text Analysis

It happened in one of those colourful Danish inns which offer service specially for tourists and where English is spoken. I was with my father on a business-and-pleasure trip, and in our leisure hours we were having a wonderful time.

Text Analysis

“I wish Mother were here,” said I.

“If your mother had come with us,” said Father, “it would have been wonderful to show her around.”

He had visited Denmark when he was a young man. I asked him, “How long is it since you were here?”

Text Analysis

“Oh, about thirty years. I remember being in this very inn, by the way.” He looked around, remembering. “Those were pleasant and enjoyable days…” He stopped suddenly, and I saw that his face was pale. I followed his eyes and looked across the room to a woman who was setting a tray of drink before some customers. She might have been pretty once, but now she was stout and her hair was untidy. “Do you know her?” I asked.

Text Analysis “I did once.” he said.

The woman came to our table. “Drinks?” she asked.

“We’ll have beer,” I said. She nodded and went away.

“How she has changed! Thank heaven she didn’t recognize me,” father said in a low voice, mopping his face with a handkerchief. “I knew her before I met your mother,” he went on. “I was a student, on a tour. She was a lovely young thing, very graceful. I fell madly in love with her, and she with me.”

Text Analysis

“Does Mother know about her?” I said suddenly, without thinking.

“Of course,” Father said gently. He looked at me a little anxiously. I felt embarrassed for him.

I said, “Dad, you don’t have to…”

Text Analysis

“Your mother would tell you if she were here. I don’t want you wondering about this. I was a foreigner to her family. I was dependent on my father. If she had married me, she wouldn’t have had any prospects. So her father objected to our romance. When I wrote to my father that I wanted to get married he cut off my allowance. And I had to go home. But I met the girl once more, and told her I would return to America, borrow enough money to get married on, and come back for her in a few months.”

Text Analysis

“We knew,” he continued, “that her father might stop and seize our letter, so we agreed that I would simply mail her a slip of paper with a date on it, the time she was to meet me at a certain place; then we’d get married. Well, I went home, got the loan and sent her the date. She received the note. She wrote me: ‘I’ll be there.’ But she wasn’t. Then I found that she had been married about tow weeks before, to a local innkeeper. She hadn’t waited.”

Text Analysis

Then my father said, “Thank God she didn’t. I went home, met your mother, and we’ve been completely happy. We often joke about that youthful love romance. I suggest that one day you write a story about it.”

Text Analysis

The woman appeared with our beer.

“You are from America?” she asked me.

“Yes,” I said.

She smiled happily, “A wonderful country, America.”

“Yes, a lot of your countrymen have gone there. Did you ever think of it?”

“Not me. Not now,” she said. “I thought so one time, a long time ago. But I stayed here. It’s much better here.”

Text Analysis

We drank our beer and left. Outside I said, “Father, just how did you write that date on which she was to meet you?”

He stopped, took out an envelope and wrote on it. “Like this,” he said. “12/11/13, which was, of course, December 11, 1913.”

Text Analysis

“No!” I exclaimed. “It isn’t in Denmark or any European country. Over here they write the day first, then the month. So that date wouldn’t be December 11 but the 12th of November!”

Father passed his hand over his face. “So she was there!” he exclaimed, “and it was because I didn’t show up that she got married.” He was silent a while. “Well,” he said, “I hope she’s happy. She seems to be.”

Text Analysis As we resumed walking I said, “It’s a lucky thing it happened that way. You wouldn’t have met Mother.”

He put his arm around my shoulders, looked at me with a heartwarming smile, and said, “I was doubly lucky, young fellow, for otherwise I wouldn’t have met you, either!”

Simplified from Reader’s Digest, 1975.

Approximately 740 words.

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Word to Know

colourful [] adj. 富有情趣的，富有特色的 =bright, gay, exciting, vivid

e.g. Her hope is to lead a colourful life.

她的愿望是过一种多姿多彩的生活。

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Word to Know

tourist [] n. 旅游者 =traveler

e.g. London is full of tourists in summer.

伦敦在夏季有很多观光客。

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Word to Know

leisure [] n. 闲暇，空闲 =spare time

e.g. She has no leisure for sport.

她没有空闲做运动。

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Word to Know

tray [] n. 托盘 =flat piece of wood, metal, etc with raised edges for holding light articles

e.g. She is holding a tea tray in her hand.

她手里拿着个茶盘。

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Word to Know

customer []n. 顾客 =person who buys things

e.g. Mr. Smith has lost some of his best customers.

史密斯先生已丧失了一部分最好的顾客。

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Word to Know

stout [] adj. 发胖的 =rather fat

e.g. She’s growing too stout to walk far.

她胖起来了，不能走远路。

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Word to Know

untidy []adj. 不修边幅的 =in disorder, slovenly

e.g. Professor Black is famous for his untidy appearance.

布莱克教授以外表不修边幅而著称。

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Word to Know

graceful [] adj. 优美动人 =having or showing grace

e.g. She is a graceful dancer.

她是位优美的舞者。

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Word to Know

foreigner [] n. 外国人 =person from, living in, or born in a foreign country

e.g. We could see few foreigners 20 years ago.

二十年前我们还看不到多少外国人。

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Word to Know

dependent []adj. 依靠的，依赖的 =depending

e.g. The man was out of work and dependent on his son’s earnings.

那人失业了，依赖他儿子的收入过活。

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prospect []n. 前景 =sth expected, hoped for, looked forward to

e.g. The manager held out bright prospects to me if I would accept the position.

如果我愿意接受那个职位，经理答应给我光明的前途。

Word to Know

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object (to) [] vi. 反对 =say that one is not in favour of sth, be opposed (to)

e.g. He stood up and objected in strong language.

他站起来以强烈的言词抗议。

Word to Know

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romance []n. 罗曼史，爱情故事 =love story

e.g. He told his romance so many times that everyone got bored.

他如此多次地讲述他的罗曼史使每个人都很厌倦。

Word to Know

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allowance [] n. 零用钱；津贴 =sum of money allowed to sb

e.g. The Director has an entertainment allowance.

董事有一笔交际费。

Word to Know

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slip [] n. 纸条 =narrow strip of paper

e.g. He couldn’t find the slip on which he wrote the telephone number.

他找不到写着电话号码的那张纸条了。

Word to Know

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loan [] n. 借款 =sth lent, esp a sum of money

e.g. Owing to large sum of domestic and foreign loans, the company went bankrupt.

由于有大量的内债和外债，这个公司破产了。

Word to Know

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youthful [] adj. 年轻的，有青春活力的 =young, having the qualities, etc, of young people

e.g. Although in her middle ages, Linda has a youthful appearance.

尽管人到中年，琳达却有着青春的外貌。

Word to Know

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countryman [] n. 本国人 =person of one’s own country

e.g. He called on his countrymen to fight the invaders.

他号召同胞去与侵略者战斗。

Word to Know

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exclaim [] vt. 大声说出；呼喊 =cry out suddenly and loudly from pain, anger, surprise, etc

e.g. “What!” he exclaimed, “Are you leaving without me?”

“ 什么！”他喊道，“你要丢下我离去吗？”

Word to Know

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resume [] vt. 继续，重新开始 =go on after stopping for a time

e.g. He resumed his work after lunch.

午饭后他继续工作。

Word to Know

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show somebody around 带领…参观（某地）e.g. The guide showed us around the old castle.

向导带我们去参观古堡。

Phrases and Expressions

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by the way 顺便说说e.g. By the way, do you intend going to the flower show next Wednesday?

顺便问一句，你下周三想去看花展吗？


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cut off 中断，停止e.g. They have cut off our water supply temporarily because they are repairing one of the main pipes.

他们暂时停止我们的供水因为他们在修理一个主要管道。


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show up 到场，露面e.g. She must have gone out early, for she had not shown up for breakfast.

她一定很早就出门了，因为她早饭都没有露面。


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in this very inn:

in this same inn


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It happened in one of those colourful Danish inns which offer service especially for tourists and where English is spoken.

故事发生在丹麦一个风景如画的乡村小客店里，那里供应旅游者膳食，而且服务员会讲英语。

Sentence Explanation

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She might have been pretty once, but now she was stout and her hair was untidy.

她年轻时可能很漂亮，但现在发胖了，头发也乱蓬蓬的。


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If she had married me, she wouldn’t have had any prospects.

如果她嫁给了我，她就不会有什么前途。

she wouldn't have had any prospects:

she wouldn't have had happiness and a bright future


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非真实条件句也是虚拟语气，所假设的情况与过去的已知事实相反，根本不可能实现，只是设想如果过去的情况不是那样，就会发生什么情况，但实际上并没有发生。形式：从句： if + 过去完成时或 could have done

主句： should/would/could/might have done

e.g. If I had had time yesterday, I would have gone with you.

如果我昨天有时间，我就跟你去了。（但昨天我没有时间）


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When I wrote to my father that I wanted to get married he cut off my allowance.

当我写信告诉我父亲说我打算结婚，他马上停止给我寄生活费。


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“that her father might stop and seize our letter, …”

她父亲可能会扣压信件。


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We often joke about that youthful love romance.

我们经常拿我年轻时的这段罗曼史开玩笑。


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“It isn’t in Denmark or any European country.”

在丹麦或其他欧洲国家不是这样写日期的。


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“It’s a lucky thing it happened that way. You wouldn’t have met Mother.”

你们这段恋情这样结束可不错，不然你就不会遇见妈妈了。

You wouldn’t have met Mother:

You wouldn’t have met Mother if you had married that lady.


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“I wish Mother were here,” I said.

“ 要是妈妈在这里就好了，”我说。 “wish (that) + 主语 + 一般过去时”表达对现在的遗憾，即表达与现在事实相反的情况。e.g. I wish I knew his address! (=I’m sorry I don’t know his address.)

要是我知道他的地址该有多好啊！


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而“ wish + 主语 + 过去完成时”表达对过去的遗憾，即表达与过去事实相反的情况。e.g. I wish I hadn’t spent so much money. (=I’m sorry I spent so much money.)

要是我没花费那么多钱就好了。


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How she has changed!

她变化真大！“How + 句子”是特定的感叹句。e.g. How I wish to be a bird flying in the sky!

我多么希望成为天空中飞翔的鸟啊！


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I was with my father o a business-and-pleasure trip, and in our leisure hours we were having a wonderful time.

我随父亲一同去既出差，有带游玩的旅行，在闲暇时，我们玩得非常开心。


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I followed his eyes and looked across the room to a woman who was setting a tray of drink before some customers.

我顺着父亲的目光望去，看到房间那边有一位妇女正拿着托盘给顾客送饮料。


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Father passed his hand over his face. “So she was there!” he exclaimed, “and it was because I didn’t show up that she got married.”

父亲用手捂住脸。“这么说，她去赴约了！”父亲叹道，“是因为我没来，她才嫁了人。” I didn’t show up:

I didn’t keep the appointment as expected


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He put his arm around my shoulders, looked at me with a heartwarming smile, and said, “I was doubly lucky, young fellow, for otherwise I wouldn’t have met you, either!”

他搂住我的肩膀，微笑着看着我，十分亲切地说：“小伙子，我是双倍的幸运，不然的话，我也不会和你在一起。”


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Where did the story take place?

Questions

Answer

Where did the story take place?

(In a Danish inn.)

Questions

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Had Father visited Denmark before? And when?

Questions

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Questions

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Had Father visited Denmark before? And when?

(Thirty years ago when he was a young student.)

Who did Father see in the inn? How did he feel?

Questions

Answer

Questions

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Who did Father see in the inn? How did he feel?

(His old lover. He felt shocked because the girl had changed so much and a little sad because the unexpected meeting reminded him of his youthful love romance.)

Did the woman recognize Father?

Questions

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Questions

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Did the woman recognize Father?

(No.)

Why didn’t she recognize Father? Did Father feel disappointed?

Questions

Answer

Questions

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Why didn’t she recognize Father? Did Father feel disappointed?

(The text does not tell us. But one thing is certain: Father must have changed a great deal too. No. Instead he felt relieved.)

Questions

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What happened 30 years ago?

Were both of them sorry for not having married each other?

Questions

Answer

Questions

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Were both of them sorry for not having married each other?

(No. The woman seemed to be very happy about her present life. And Father thought it was a lucky thing that they did not get married. Otherwise he would not have met his present wife.)

Father didn’t keep the date. Did he do so intentionally?

Questions

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Father didn’t keep the date. Did he do so intentionally?

(No. It was because of a misunderstanding.)

Explanation

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The normal way of writing a date in America is to write the month first, then the day, and then the year. For example, let us take the date December 5, 1944. To abbreviate the date, one would write it as 12/5/44. But in the European countries, the day comes first, then the month and then the year. So December 5, 1944 would be abbreviated 5/12/44. In China the year comes first, then the month, then the day. It would be 44/12/5. These differences can cause a lot of confusion.

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