1、.Unit 6 The Man in the Water.The Content Background Knowledge Theme of the Text In-class activities. Language Points Difficult Sentences Exercise.I. About the Author Roger Rosenblatt is a journalist, author, playwright and professor. As an essayist for Time magazine, he has won two George Polk Award

2、s, and awards from the Overseas Press Club and the American Bar Association, among others. His television essays for the “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” have won him a George Foster Peabody Award and an Emmy. He is also the author of six books. Roger Rosenblatt Professor of English Professor of Writing AB

3、, New York UniversityPh.D, Harvard University.II. About the Air Crash . One of the worst snowstorms in the history of Washington, D.C. hit the city 20 years ago on Jan. 13, 1982. Just about everything closed down the government, businesses, schools, the airports. By about noon, the skies cleared and

4、 Washingtons National Airport reopened for business. The crew of Air Florida Flight 90 began preparing for a nonstop trip to sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At 3:59 p.m., the twin-engine Boeing 737 was cleared for takeoff and began rumbling down the runway on its final flight. .Pictures. . Minutes l

5、ater, the plane smashed into the 14th Street Bridge, only 1,200 yards from the Pentagon, destroying four automobiles and killing five people. The jet then fell into the ice-covered Potomac River , bringing all the passengers to their instant death except five four passengers and one flight attendant

6、 from the tail section, who found themselves gasping and struggling in the icy water. . These five people however survived and they were able to survive because of four heroes. The author wrote this essay in praise of these heroes, three of whom had risked their lives to rescue the survivors and wer

7、e able to live to tell the story, but the man that really held the whole nations attention was the fourth one who had kept pushing his lifeline and flotation rings to others until he went under. .Pictures.Moments After the Crash At 3:59 the plane shuddered as it took off and tried to gain altitude.

8、It cleared two of the bridges on the Potomic River, but was losing altitude. The crew and passengers knew they were in trouble before it struck the 14th Street Bridge and it tore in half as it slammed through cars and railing (欄桿）then plunged into the cold, icy, dark waters. Moments later only the t

9、ail section remained afloat, 79 people were aboard Flight 90, six were to survive the crash, but only five would live. Huddled together in the cold icy waters，the survivors waited for the rescue helicopter to arrive. Treading （踩，踏）water, the survivors held on, some with broken arms and legs, two wit

10、h collapsed lungs caused from the impact. Were all going to die, someone said. . Aboard Flight 90 was Arland K. Williams Jr., who always sat in the tail section of the plane, “the safest part of the plane, he said.” Not long before, Williams had just discussed his marriage with the woman he loved, “

11、I think were going to marry soon. ”. It was 4:20 before the helicopter arrived at the scene, dropping the first lifeline delivering Bert Hamilton 100 yards to shore. It would be ten minutes before the helicopter returned, dropping the line to Williams. He caught it, but instead of wrapping it around

12、 himself, he passed the line to flight attendant Kelly Duncan, the only crew member to survive. She took the line, wrapped it under her arms and held tight as she was carried to shore. With room for only one helicopter at a time between bridges, it returned with two lifelines, and again Williams cau

13、ght it and handed it off to yet another survivor, Joe Stiley, the most seriously injured passenger. Tirado , who also clung to Stiley and her life line, however, exhausted, in pain and shock, soon lost her grip and plunged back into the cold icy waters of the Potomac. Rescuers again tossed her a lif

14、e line but she was unable to grasp it to save her own life.Pictures. Upon seeing this and as Tirado was about to go under, an onlooker, Lenny Skutnik, plunged from the banks of the river into the freezing water and brought her safely to shore. By 4:30 p.m, Williams had been in the freezing water for

15、 29 minutes, and his turn had finally come. The helicopter turned once more toward the sinking tail, its two-man crew eager to meet the man in the water, to tell him they had never seen such selfless courage. . They strained (竭盡全力）for signs of the hero of Flight 90. But the balding man was gone. He

16、could have gone on the first trip, pilot Usher wept, “but he put everyone else ahead of himself. Everyone.” .Comments on the Event The following are a few words his mother Virginia Williams used to describe her son. He was average, she said. Just average. Otherscomment: “Its people like these that a

17、re heroes. Those people who step out of he norm（規范, 準則） and put their life second in consideration of others in a crisis.” “For isnt it, in times of danger, the average man who saves us all?” ”.Theme of the Text Heroism Heroism of course has been admired. But this mans heroism was unusual. People us

18、ually expect revolutionaries to die martyrs; true believers to be willing to die for their faith; people ready to lay down their lives in performing their duty; even people to show courage in their attempt to win power, influence, money or to save their loved ones. But the man in the water did not f

19、it any of these descriptions. The man in the water did not have to give his rings to others; he did not even know these people. He was extraordinary precisely because he was ordinary. He showed what everyone of us could do. The display of his heroism was a song to the beautiful human character. This

20、 is true heroism. .III. Related Information Presidential Monuments:Washington Monument. In recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence, Washington earned the title Father of his Country. With this monument, the citizens of the United States show their enduring gratitude and r

21、espect for the first president in the United States. .Presidential Monuments:Jefferson Memorial. Thomas Jefferson political philosopher, architect, musician, book collector, horticulturist（園藝學家）, scientist, diplomat, inventor, and third President of the United States, also author of the Declaration

22、of American Independence, and Father of the University of Virginia.Presidential Monuments: Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln and the nation he fought to preserve during the Civil War (1861-1865). The Lincoln Memorial was built to resemble a Greek temple

23、. It has 36 Doric columns, one for each state at the time of Lincolns death. A sculpture by Daniel Chester French of a seated Lincoln is in the center of the memorial chamber. .The Potomac River. The Potomac River is often referred to as the Nations River, because it flows through the nations capita

24、l, where the magnificent monuments of the Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln memorials are reflected in its waters. It is one of the most beautiful and bountiful rivers on the East Coast and is known for its historic, scenic and recreational significance. It begins as a small spring at the Fairfax S

25、tone in West Virginia, and winds its way through the mountains and valleys of Appalachia, past battlefields and old manufacturing towns. The river flows more than 380 miles and grows to more than 11 miles wide as it reaches the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland. .IV. In-class activities. Des

26、cribe what happened during the whole air crash, and try to use the words and phrases youve just met! Discussion: Why? Why did the hero in the story do this? What did he do this for? .Language Points 1. As disasters go, this one was terrible, but not unique asgoes : compared with sth. average l As wr

27、iters go, Oscar Wilde was not the most talented. But he was among the most popular. 和一般商人相比， 人們認為他是非常誠實的。 l As businessmen go, he is considered pretty honest. 2. Washington, the city of form and rules, turned chaotic by a blast of real winter and a single slap of metal on metal. (para 1) chaotic: ad

28、j. in a state of disorder and confusion chaos: n. l The room was in a chaos. blast: strong , sudden movement of wind or air l When the window was opened, an icy blast came into the room. slap : strike with the palm of the hand, used figuratively here. 3. And there was the aesthetic clash as well -bl

29、ue and green Air Florida, the name of a flying garden, sunk down among gray chunks of ice in a black river. (para 1) aesthetic: 審美的；有審美能力的 aesthetics: 審美學；美學 anaesthetic / anesthetic: 麻木的；麻醉的；麻醉劑 chunk: thick, solid piece or lump 一厚塊，一大塊 a chunk of meat / ice. clash: V. 1. make a loud, broken, confu

30、sed noise (as /when metal objects strike together) Their swords clashed. 2. meet in conflicto The two armies clashed outside the town. 3. (of events) intefere with each other because they are to be at the same timeon the same dateo Its pity that the two concerts clashed. I want to go to both. 4. be

31、in disagreement witho I clashed with him at the meeting.o The color of the curtain clashes with the of the carpet.n. the clash of weapons / views / opinions . 4. Last Wednesday the elements, indifferent as ever, brought down Flight 90. And on that same afternoon human nature groping and struggling r

32、ose to the occasion. (para 2) the elements: the forces of nature 自然力；風，雨 等的力量 o be exposed to the fury of the elements grope: feel or search in the dark o grope for the door-handle / light switch o We groped our way in the dark corridor. indifferent to : having no interest in ; not caring for o How

33、can you be so indifferent to the sufferings of those people? rise to the occasion /challenge /task: prove oneself able to deal with an unexpected problem, a difficult task, etc. o Im sure he will rise to the occasion when he realizes what is at stake. (處于危險境地）.5. Of the four acknowledged heroes of t

34、he event, three ate able to account for their behavior. (para. 3)acknowledge: 1. admitl He refused to that he was defeated. He having been cheated.2. express thanks forl We should gifts promptly. 3. indicate that one recognizes sb. by greeting l I passed her in the street , but she didnt even me whe

35、n I smiled. 4. acknowledgement n.l We are sending you a small sum of money in acknowledgement of your help.account for: 1. give an explanation or reason for o He can account for every penny in his pocket.o Science can now account for many things that ancient people could not understand.2. answer for

36、l You will have to account for the misprints in the article. 3. amount to l In that country the production of raw materials account for a considerable proportion of the national economy. 那個國家原材料的生產在國民 經濟中占相當大的比重。. 6. On television, side by side, they described their courage as well in the line of du

37、ty. line: range of activity His line is banking. 他從事銀行業。 Thats not my line. 那不是我的本行。 in line with: in agreement with o Our foreign policy is in line with the interests of all the people of the world. (be) in line with (be) out of line with. 7. Skutnik added that “somebody had to go into the water, d

38、elivering every heros line that is no less admirable for being repeated. (para 3) deliver ones line : give a remark deliver a speech deliver a lecture. 8 . “In a mass casualty, youll find people like him,” said Windsor.” But Ive never seen one with that commitment. (para 4) mass casualty: large numb

39、er of people hurt or killed in an accident or battle. 9 . His selfishness was one reason the story held national attention; his anonymity another. (para 4) anonymity n. anonymous adj. an letter an gift. 10. Still he could never have imagined such a capacity in himself. (para. 5) ability capability &

40、amp; capacity: ability: 做某種具體事情的能力，特別是經過學習的實際本領; capability：做某事 的才干或本領，可與 ability通用，但更強 潛在的能力； capacity： 主要指接受，吸收 或容納的能力. He has the ability to swim like a fish. He has the capability of solving practical problems. The theater has a seating capacity of 300 people. The book is within the reading capa

41、city of young readers. 11. He was there, in the essential, classical circumstance. (para 7) essential: basic typical, most important classic: traditional or long established 12. So the age-old battle began again in the Potomac. For as long as man could last, they went at each other, nature and man.

42、(para 7) go at: attack; fight. 13. The man in the water set himself against an immovable, impersonal enemy; he fought it with kindness; and he held it to a standoff. He was the best we can do. (para. 9) set sb. against: make sb. start to fight or quarrel with an immovable, impersonal enemy: refers t

43、o nature, which is indifferent and cannot be persuaded to change its attitude towards us humans standoff: a situation in which neither side in a fight or battle can give an advantage . Difficult Sentences 1And there was the aesthetic clash as well -blue and green Air Florida, the name of a flying ga

44、rden, sunk down among gray chunks of ice in a black river. (para 1) When the air crash occurred, it was not just a clash of metal against the bridge, but also a clash between colors: the blue-green color of the plane and the gray and black color of the ice and river. . 2Last Wednesday the elements,

45、indifferent as ever, brought down Flight 90. And on that same afternoon human nature groping and struggling rose to the occasion. (para. 2) Last Wednesday, the bad weather, unconcerned about the consequences it might bring about as always, made Flight 90 fall down. On that same afternoon, human natu

46、re, groping for the flotation rings and struggling in the icy water, came to prove its greatness displayed in an unexpected tragedy. . 3. Of the four acknowledged heroes of the event, three ate able to account for their behavior. (para. 3) Only three out of these four heroes lived to tell people wha

47、t they actually had done and how they rescued the five survivors. 4. Skutnik added that “somebody had to go into the water, delivering every heros line that is no less admirable for being repeated. (para 3) Skutnik gave a remark that has been said before by many people in similar situations, but it

48、is still admirable. . 5“In a mass casualty, youll find people like him,” said Windsor.” But Ive never seen one with that commitment. (para 4) We can always find heroic people like him in a mass casualty because although not everyone is a hero, theres bound to be a fair representation of heroes in a

49、big crowd. But Ive never seen anyone with such a strong sense of responsibility. 6 . His selflessness was one reason the story held national attention; his anonymity another. (para 4) The fact that the man in the water who had displayed such heroism did not leave his name and no one was ever able to

50、 find it out was another reason why the whole nation felt so touched by this story. . 7. The fact that he went unidentified gave him a universal character. (para 4) The fact that he went unidentified made him a representative man, like everyone of us could do. We may feel that it might have been any

51、one. . 8. For a while he was Everyman, and thus proof (as if one needed it) that no one is ordinary. (para 4) “Everyone” echoes the title of a medieval play about a typical human being. It conveys the idea that this anonymous man really represents the best of human nature. What he did was not the ac

52、t of a supernatural being, but the act of an ordinary person. . 9. He was there, in the essential, classic circumstance. (para 7) What happened that day was a typical situation in which nature and man fought each other. And when nature begins to show its power, you always find man fight back. He is

53、always there. We can always expect to find such a hero. 10. the one making no distinctions of good and evil, acting on no principles, offering no lifelines; the other acting wholly on distinctions, principles and , perhaps, on faith. (para. 7) Nature is indifferent. It does not have any idea what is good or what is bad for human beings, and it does not care. It has no moral principles. Human beings, on the other hand, are differe