李观仪《新编英语教程》第5册 UNIT11

e.g. This interesting instructor knows how to make an uninteresting subject interesting. (revised) This instructor knows how to make a dull subject interesting. Winston Churchill was skillful in using synonymous expressions. (find out the synonymy of worry and hobby in this essay.)
Text Analysis
This essay is an exposition. The theme is about the significance of cultivating a hobby. According to the author, the significance of a hobby lies in its relaxing the mind of rational, industrious, useful human beings. To explain how a hobby works, he first of all explains what worry really is. (para.1) Now we see that hobby is the only way to attenuate worry, so it’s of the first importance to a public man. But how can a hobby be cultivated? Para 2 answers the question. In order to better explain how hobby attenuate worry, the author classifies people into 3 catagraries: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death. (para.3 and 4) In this way, he states that hobby should be rightly chosen. Though hobby can release worry , it can only do to the rational, industrious, useful human being. So in para.5,Churchill again divides people into two
Writing Skill
Metaphor Metaphor is one of the figures of speech used in comparing persons, objects, actions, and ideas. A metaphor is an implied or indirect comparison in which the persons or things compared are, in general, not similar, for example, ―The love of money is the root of all evil.‖ In the present essay, in a number of places, Churchill speaks metaphorically, creating an imaginative and emotional impression. (find out the metaphors)
4. In para.3 Churchill broadly divides human beings into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death. What kinds of people do you think Churchill had in mind when he made such a classification? ―Those who are toiled to death‖ refer to manuallabourers, bluecollar workers.(para.3) ―Those who are worried to death‖ refer to people who work with their brains, e.g., professionals, public men. (para.3) ―Those who are bored to death‖ refer to people who are not doing anything seriously, perhaps the leisured class. The 4th paragraph refers particularly to this class of non-industrious and useless creatures. 5. Why does Churchill classify as unfortunate those people who can command everything they want, gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire? Do you think Churchill’s attitude towards those people is really one of sympathy? These people are simply hopeless; nothing works to relieve them of their boredom. Churchill does not really feel sympathetic towards them. Note the phrase ―avenging boredom‖. He seems to think that this is what they deserve.
classes: those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and those whose work and pleasure are one. Thus, the third category of human beings in the first classification, i.e., those who are bored to death, is excluded. Obviously, in Churchill’s opinion, these can’t be regarded as rational, industrious, useful human beings, and in their case, no hobby can help to relieve their boredom.
Cultural background
About the author—Sir Winston Churchill Winston Churchill(1874-1965), British statesman and author. Besides being one of the outstanding leaders in world history and one of the great British prime minister, Churchill was a prolific writer and an amateur painter. He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953. His paintings were given a retrospective one-man show in the galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1958.
Questions on the Text
1. While ―worry‖ is defined as a ―spasm of emotion‖ in the first sentence of the passage, what other phrases are used in the first paragraph to refer to this annoying state of the mind? ―its (the mind’s) convulsive grasp‖, ―the (old) undue grip‖ 2. What does the word ―attended‖ on line 5 mean? accompanied 3. In para.2 Churchill uses a metaphor to describe the cultivation of a hobby. Identify the metaphor and then explain it. The last sentence – ―The seeds must be carefully chosen… when needed.‖ The cultivation of a hobby is compared to that of a plant. First of all, the right hobby (the seed of a plant) must be carefully chosen for a person (good ground); then the process of cultivating a hobby, like that of growing a plant, requires care and effort. Only in this way can one reap in due time the fruit of one’s labour – the relaxing effect of one’s hobby.
Unit 11
Cultivating a Hobby
Winston ChurchillLeabharlann Baidu
Cultural Background Text analysis Writing Skill Questions on the Text Language Points Discussion Exercises
Use of Synonymous Expressions In writing, repetition of some important words, phrases or grammatical structures is often used to gain emphasis. e.g. 1. It is no use doing what you like; you have got to do what you do. 2. That is our policy and that is our declaration. 3. We will never parley. We will never negotiate But, a repeated word or phrase, by calling attention to itself rather than to its meaning, can sometimes be distracting and may consequently weaken your writing.