Unit 5 True Height
I. Part Division of the Text
Parts | Lines | Main Ideas |
1 | 1~11 | Michael faced the most challenging competition in his pole-vaulting career. |
2 | 12~35 | Michael’s childhood was marked with dreams and tough training. |
3 | 36~90 | Michael topped his personal best, won the championship and t a new world record. |
4 | 91~95 | What was most unusual about Micha尿酸偏低
el’s victory was that he was blind. |
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For Part 3
Chart Completion
Height of the pole | Michael’s reaction before/after clearing the bar | Importance |
Before | After |
17 feet | His palm were sweating. He needed a towel to dry his grip. (L. 1) | 1. If Michael Stone was surprid, excited or vain…(LL. 37~38) 2. He emed unaware of …(LL. 40~41) | 3 inches higher than his personal best |
17 feet 2, 17 feet 4 | | …, again he showed no emotion. (LL. 43~44) | |
17 feet 6 | 1. It (L. 53) 2. The 设计作品
intensity … anxiety. (L. 56) 3. He became more ten. (L. 57) 4. Afraid would be … (LL. 58~59) | 1. It was … that brought Michael back to earth. (LL. 79~80) 2. On his back with that wonderful hot sun…(LL. 81~81) | 9 inches higher than his personal best |
17 feet | | He later went on that day to clear 17 feet | A National and International Junior Olympics record |
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Ⅴ. Writing Skills
As the text consists of the main story and a flashback, the narration has to switch from the ongoing competition to earlier events and then return to the ongoing competition. How does the author manage to make the parts in the text flow smoothly?
1. One way is to repeat a key word in the last ntence of a paragraph in the first ntence of the next paragraph, e.g.
It also has the element of flying, and the thought of flying as high as a two-story building is a mere fantasy to anyone watching such an event.
As long as Michael could remember he had always dreamed of flying.
2. Another way is to pick up a key idea from a previous paragraph and repeat it in the ntence introducing the next paragraph, e.g.
All of Michael’s vaults today emed to be the reward for his hard work.
Detailed Reading
Ⅰ. Difficult Sentences
1. (LL. 8~9) It combines the grace of a gymnast with the strength of a body builder.
Translate the ntence into Chine.
(=它融合了体操运动员的优雅与健美运动员的力量。)
2. (LL. 16~20) He would be running sown a country road. As he raced between golden wheat fields, he would…
Why is Michael’s dream of flying described in details?
(=Becau Michael has a very deep impression about the dream. There are two evidence for that: 1) His mother read him numerous stories about flying when he was growing up. 2) He always dreamed of flying.)
3. (L. 21) Where he flew would always coincide with his mother’s stories.
Paraphra the ntence.
(=In his dreams, he would always fly over tho places described in his mother’s stories.)
4. (L. 23) His dad, on the other hand, was not a dreamer.
1. What is function of the phra “on the other hand”?
(=The phra is ud for comparing different things or ideas.)
2. What can you infer from the phra?
(=Michael’ s parents are totally different types of people and they play the different roles in Michael’s success.)
5. (LL. 47~48) Nothing to be ashamed of, but Michael would not allow himlf the thought of not winning first place.
1. Paraphra the first part of the ntence.
(=He would not be ashamed of getting himlf the cond place, but…)
2. What can you learn from the ntence?
(=Michael holds a very attitude toward the competition. On the one hand, he wouldn’t think it is a shame of winning the cond place, on the other hand, he would try his best to win the first place.)
6. (LL. 54) Then it all hit him like a wet bale of hay.
1. Paraphra the ntence.
(=If something strikes you like a wet bale of hay, it comes as a sudden, forceful and unpleasant surpri.)
2. U some adjectives to describe how Michael felt at that time.
(=He felt anxious, ten, nervous, etc.)
7. (LL. 68~69) The silence was deafening.
Is this ntence contradictory with “silence” and “deafening”?
(=No. “Deafening” here is ud to modify “the silence”. It is not an ordinary silence, but a deafening one. This shows both Michael and the crowd are very ten at that moment.)
8. (L. 76) Only this time he knew he wasn’t dreaming.
What does “only” mean here?
(=“Only” here means “but”.)
Ⅱ. Words and Expressions
1. (L. 48) be ashamed of: feeling foolish or uncomfortable becau of (sth.)
*You should be ashamed of your behavior!
他由于问了这样简单的问题而感到难为情。
(=He was ashamed of asking such a simple question.)
2. (L. 53) startle: vt. Give a sudden shock or surpri to
*You startled me! I didn’t hear you come in.
