大学英语泛读教程3(第三版)-电子教案Unit 12

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Reading Comprehension
Based on the reading text, choose the most appropriate answer to the following questions.
a 1. Why were rotten teeth seen as a sign of prestige? Detail a. Because sweet food was expensive. b. Because dentistry was not cheap in those days. c. Because it was considered beautiful. d. Because only married women had black teeth.
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A Kick in the Teeth
Everyone loves a nice toothy grin, right? Well, not the Elizabethan English, apparently. In the 16th century, sweet delicacies were treats available only to the wealthy. For this reason, bad teeth were seen as a sign of prestige and it was not uncommon for society’s richest to blacken their teeth in an attempt to demonstrate their status. As daft as this practice seems, the darkening of teeth was not confined to the 16th century English. For centuries, the Japanese died their teeth black. Although, it was mainly women who did this to demonstrate they had come of age or were married, aristocratic men and soldiers who had been injured also adopted the habit. Unlike the Elizabethans, though, the Japanese were actually looking after the teeth, as the dye provided a coating that protected the teeth from decay.
Before You Start
• What are the current crazes in your country? How are people active in these crazes?
• Can you remember any interesting trends from previous eras? Give some examples.
b 4. What does the author think about the fish-swallowing fad? Vocabulary a. It was a stormy incident. b. It was not a big deal. c. It was not something to be proud of. d. It was quite a common occurrence.
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c 3. What does the author mean by “shaking their heads”? Vocabulary a. disagreeing with something b. getting annoyed with someone c. finding something hard to believe d. feeling disappointed by something
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All the Moves
Dance marathons have to rank among the craziest crazes imaginable. Taking place around the same time that students were gobbling fish, these competitions involved contestants dancing for weeks or even months on end in the hope of taking home a cash prize. Couples would be allowed short breaks every hour and 12 small meals throughout the day. The public paid a small fee to watch the sorry spectacle and, once they had purchased their tickets, they were allowed to come and go as they pleased. Part of the perversity of the whole thing was that the viewers weren’t watching the event to pick up the latest moves on the dance floor, but out of morbid fascination and amusement. Most of the time, the participants were merely stumbling around trying to keep their feet. The competition ended when one couple was left standing, the others having quit or dropped from exhaustion. After several people died, and the events were condemned as cruel and dangerous, dance marathons largely died out. The fad inspired the novel and subsequent movie They Shoot Horses Don’t They?
12
The Next Big Thing
Reading: Do You Remember When We Used to …? Three Bizarre Fads from History Words to Know: History; key word: interest Further Reading: Going Viral: The Internet Memes that You Just Can’t Avoid
• Have any trends from foreign countries become popular? If so, what has made the trends receive considerable publicity?
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Reading
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Do you Remember When We Used to …?
d 2. Which of the following is given as a reason for people watching the dance marathons? Detail a. They wanted to learn how to dance. b. They thought the events were moving. c. They wanted to receive a free meal. d. They found the dancers funny.
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A Do You Get It?
Multiple Matching
Reread the three fads in the text.
Which of the fads … __c___ 1. was dangerous? __a___ 2. was related to money and class? __b___ 3. caused protests by rights groups? __a___ 4. was most welcomed by women? __c___ 5. involved a paying audience? __b___ 6. started for unknown reasons? __a___ 7. relates to personal hygiene?
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A Fish Out of Water
Quite how swallowing live fish became a popular fad with American college students in the late 1930s is anyone’s guess, but several sources have traced the origins of this activity back to a young Harvard freshman called Lothrop Withington, Jr. Responding to a dare from his roommates, Withington ate a live fish in front of a crowd of onlookers at the Harvard Union. For reasons unknown, his antics sparked a frenzy for feasting on goldfish, and students around the country joined in. At the time animals rights groups were up in arms, and the media said it was a sign of the decadence of the youth. Looking back, as silly as the whole thing was, it all seems like a storm in a teacup.