Unit 7 Text A Life of a Salesman1 Unit 7 Making a Living.

Unit 7 Text A Life of a Salesman 1

Unit 7 Unit 7

Making a Living Making a Living


Pre-reading Task Why does Onetta think it worthwhile

to work hard day after day? People need her; some people care for

her; she keeps her integrity by working hard.

Would you rather have a low-paid job that is interesting or a well-paid job that is boring?


The Author Tom Hallman, Jr.,

45, has worked at The Oregonian for 19 years.

He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in reporting in 1995 and feature writing in 1999 and in 2001.

The Boy behind the Mask

He won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his series of articles in The Oregonian on Sam Lightner.The series Sam: The Boy Behind the Mask tells the true, heart-wrenching story of Sam Lightner. Born with a rare disfiguring growth that covers and distorts the left side of his face, skull, and neck--Sam is determined to live a normal life.

http://www.bookbrowse.com/index.cfm?page=title&titleID=1100&view=excerpt


Text Structure Please scan the text to see if there is

any natural division of parts in the text.

Asterisks divide the text into 4 parts.

Please read the first paragraph of each part, locate the time words or references to time.

They are 5:45, 7:45, “This is the moment he’s been preparing for since 5:45 a.m.”, after 7 p.m..


Part 1 Paras 1-7 early morning Preparation for the day’s work

Part 2 Paras 8-25 mid-morning On his way to work


Part 3 Paras 26-62 day Door-to-door selling

Part 4 Paras 63-84 evening Paper work


The text is a description of a typical day in the life of Bill Porter and also a portrayal of his whole life. To do so, the author skillfully inserts flashbacks of past events and experiences in at least two places. Could you find them?


Flashback 1 Paras 11-20 his disability, his schooling, and his hard

struggle to make a living for himself Flashback 2

Paras 71 his back surgery and the selling of his

house


Two student will act as salespersons. All other students will act as their potential customers. They will leave the classroom, think of a product to sell, and plan their sales talk, the product should be relevant to campus life. The salespersons have 10 minutes to close a deal.

Role Play:


Thinking about Do you have any

experiences of being a salesperson? Have you ever sold things to others or been persuaded to buy something?

What are the qualities of being a good salesman?


This article first appeared in a newspaper; therefore it carries many characteristics of journalistic writing. First of all, a journalist tries to be objective in

reporting. As a result, third-person narrative is usually preferred over first-person narrative. Moreover, the journalist would not make any comments to reveal his/her feelings, but simply give the facts.

Text Analysis


Secondly, an eye-catching beginning helps lure readers to linger more on the story out of an overwhelming number of stories offered by the day’s newspaper. For example, at the beginning of this story, we learn that it takes our physically deformed hero great efforts to get up so as to do something important, yet what is this something? We are kept in suspense until the fourth paragraph.

Text Analysis-2


Text Analysis-3

Thirdly, the vocabulary is simple, the sentences and paragraphs short, sometimes elliptical. When needs arise, a paragraph is as short as one sentence.

Lastly, conversations can be transcribed word for word if they illustrate the theme, like the one in the text between Bill Porter and his indecisive female customer.


Language Study

Linger (L1): spend a long time doing sth., esp. because one does not want to leave 磨蹭；留恋；徘徊

She had a sandwich before heading off to work and had no time to linger for a glimpse of the city’s scenery.

没有时间让你磨磨蹭蹭吃饭了，校车快来了。 There is no time for you to linger over your meal the

school bus is coming. 这美好的印象将永远留在我的记忆中。 The fond impression will linger in my memory forever.


Language Study

lingering: continuing to exist for longer than usual or desirable

--a lingering illness--lingering doubts/suspicions--the lingering aroma of chocolate--lingering smell/aroma/odour(odor deodorant)


Language Study

tarry (arch or rhet 古或修辞 ) : to delay or be late in going, coming, or doing; to wait; to remain or stay temporarily, as in a place耽搁；逗留；徘徊 tarry on the way tarry (for) sb’s reply Tarry awhile at the charming country inn. 在这个可爱的乡村小酒馆里呆一会儿吧。

dally: to waste time dally over one’s work


Language Study twist (L5): 扭曲；歪曲

疼痛使他的脸都变了形。 His face was twisted with pain. 一些日本人极力歪曲他们肮脏的历史。 Some Japanese try to twist their dirty history.

twist and turn 蜿蜒 The road twisted and turned across the hills.

twists and turns 弯弯曲曲处；曲折变化 The twists and turns of his arguments made his

speech very difficult to understand.


Language Study

cripple (L12): hurt sb. badly so that they cannot walk properly

-- She was crippled in a car accident. (fig.) damage or weaken (sth) seriously -- The business has been crippled by

current financial crisis.


Language Study

gain on sb/sth (L14): chase to get in front of or near to sb/sth, esp. a rival or sth. pursued 逼近，接近 The police are gaining on us! The Democratic candidate was gaining on

his Republican rival in the election, but only defeated him at the last moment.


Language Study

kick up (L19): cause to rise 扬起；激起 The wind kicked up a cloud of dust. Stop kicking up a fuss. He is miserable enough.

tilt (L21): move into a sloping position She sat listening, with her head tilted slightly to

one side. 舆论已经偏向社会主义党。 Popular opinion has tilted in favor of the

Socialist.


Language Study

a pack of (L23): a set of persons with a common interest, sometimes <derogatory> not legal or organized

eg. a pack of thieves; a pack of lies; a pack of entertainment reporters; a pack of kids


Language Study

lean(L24): (1) v. bend; be in a sloping position

Galileo dropped a small stone and a big stone from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to falsify Aristotle’s theory.

(2) a. thin and healthy; small in amount or quality He has a lean athletic body. The shop is just making lean profits.

Language Study delivery 1) the process of birth 2) the delivering of letters,

goods, etc.正常分娩a normal delivery 顺产an easy delivery


Language Study 送货 make a delivery 收货 accept/take a delivery 邮递 postal delivery 快递 express delivery


fraternity Five Columbia University students

have been arrested in an undercover drug sting dubbed “Operation Ivy League.” They allegedly sold a menu of narcotics out of fraternity houses and on-campus residences, authorities said Tuesday.


美国警方 7 日称，在一次名为“常春藤行动”的卧底调查中，美国名校哥伦比亚大学的 5 名学生因涉嫌在联谊中心、宿舍等地出售多种麻醉毒品，被警方逮捕。



Language Study transfer (L37): move from one place to another

transmit: 1) send out (a signal/program) electronically by radio waves

2) send/pass on sth from one person to another

--transmit knowledge from one generation to another

--The tension soon transmitted itself to all the members of the crowd .

n. transmission

Language Study delegate, agent & representative delegate: 某人被选派或委托为代理或

代表…只能按照他们代表的大多数人的意志或指示行事

He is a trade union delegate.


Language Study agent: 代理人 / 商…任何一个有代理权

的人或团体，或在双方之间代表一方起中间作用的人

an estate agent


Language Study representative: 本义是指某人作为代表在一定

的场合行使职权或处理事务，但该词常用来指团体选出的代表该团体的利益参加某种会议或处理某类事务者。

They are representatives of the various departments of science and art.

Unit 7 Text A Life of a

Salesman 31


Language Study

guarantee (L58): (1) promise sth. with certainty 担保

雾天我们不能保证火车会准点到达。 We cannot guarantee the punctual arrival

of the train in foggy weather. 大学生现在毕业不包分配。 College students are no longer

guaranteed jobs upon graduation.


Language Study

(2) undertake to pay the cost of repairs resulting from a fault 保修 The company guaranteed its clocks for six months.

Compare: warrant 保证是真的；证明是正当的 This material is warranted to be pure silk. 美国干涉我国内政当然是没有道理的。 America’s interference with our internal affairs is

certainly not warranted.


Language Study

sell (on) sth (L58): <infml> persuade Will they be able to sell their ideas to

voters? I’m completely sold on the idea; I think

it’s a brilliant plan. In the end she’s really sold on the idea

of buying some soap. Can you sell your boss your scheme?

Language Study pledge: a solemn promise “ 公开保

证”make/take a pledge 宣誓give sb. one’s pledge 对某人发誓honor one’s pledge 恪守誓言carry out/redeem one’s pledge 履行誓

言break/violate one’s pledge 违背誓言



Language Study

tail (L106): 1) vt. follow secretly The car has been tailing me for the

whole morning. 2) n. <infml> the person who follows They put a tail on the spy as he left

the airport.


Language Study register (L115): (infml) (of facts, etc) be

mentally reordered or fully realized/noticed

--Her name didn’t register (with me/in my mind.)--I registered (that fact) that he was late.


Language Study

straight (L136): 1) consecutive: a straight-A student;

a two-hour straight live concert 2) simple, with nothing-added The workers were given a straight

choice between a pay cut and losing their jobs.


Language Study

be laid up (with) (L139): confined (as by illness) to bed; be bedridden

The football player was laid up in bed with a twisted knee.

He was laid up with acute flu for weeks.


Language Study

unreadable (L150): 1) (of handwriting) not easily

deciphered; indecipherable [syn: indecipherable, illegible,

unclear, undecipherable] 2) unsuitable for or not worth

reading; dull: unreadable prose; wholly unreadable statistics.


Language Study

in time (L157): within an indefinite time; eventually

In time they came to accept the harsh facts.

You will in time recover your health and strength.


Assignment

The text depicts a physically deformed salesperson who sustained himself on mere tough work. What are your reflections on this feature story? Write a journal entitled Purpose in Life.

Listening 1. Where are they from? 2. For what do they come to the

Royal College of Art?


Unit 7 Text A Life of a Salesman1 Unit 7 Making a Living.

Documents

salesman unit

text structureplease

normal life

campus life

good salesman

living unit

life of bill porter

series sam