R einforcement

T ext Analysis

Quick Fix Society

B ackground

W arming up

Unit 5

Questions / Activities

Check-on Preview

Objectives

Quick Fix Society Unit 5

Warming up

A Map of U.S.

Warming up

Check-on Preview

1. Study the word “fix”. What does a “quick fix” mean in the text?

2. What are the three features of a quick fix society according to the author? Summarize them in your own words.

3. Provide examples for a quick fix society from your life.

4. Find out relevant brief information about the American highway system.

Warming up

Highway: connects cities; two or more lanes (superhighway; interstate highway)

Freeway: within a city; without stopping; three or more lanes in each direction

Expressway: fast road in or near cities

Turnpike (tollway): fast road you have to pay before using it

Different Fast Roads in the US

Objectives

• Understand the structure and the general idea of the story

• Grasp the usage of key words and phrases• Think about the theme of the story• Relate the theme to the reality in China today

Warming up

Background Genre

Explanatory Writing Comparison and Contrast (e.g. para. 4)

Exemplification (e.g. para.5)

Use of Rhetorical Questions

Repetition of Structure and Words

DetailedAnalysis

Structure

Theme

Text Analysis

Quick Fix Society Unit 5

Text Analysis Structure

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part I: Main Idea

How did the author find her trip to West Virginia and back home? Why?

What did the two trips set the author thinking about? What does the title “Quick Fix Society” mean? What purpose does the third paragraph serve?

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part I: Sentence Paraphrase• And we returned home refreshed, revitalized, and

reeducated. (para.2)

Alliteration: repetitive occurrence of the same letter

Used as subject compliment

Fix: more contexts to observe• We were in a real fix (i.e. Our car broke down and

there wasn’t a phone in sight.)—

• I need my fix of caffeine in the morning or I can’t think.

• The election was a fix. • I sat and thought for a while, trying to get a fix on

the situation. to understand what the situation is really like

sth. that has been dishonestly arranged

我们真有麻烦了。

Text Analysis

Detailed Analysis

Part I: Words & Expressions

Words PhrasesWords fix; insist; trip, tour, journey, voyage

Phrases can’t wait to; consist of; be reduced to; stuff with; in search of

Sentence Pattern

couldn't wait to …; I insist that…; return home refreshed, revitalized and reeducated

Grammar so as not to…; use of rhetorical questions

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part I: ExerciseTranslate the following sentences into English, using words inthe brackets.1. 这个报告可以压缩为三大部分。 (reduce) The report can be reduced to three main parts.2. 亨利掂着脚尖走进了讲座房间以免打扰旁人。 (so as to) Henry tiptoed into the lecture room so as not to disturb others.3. 每次这个男孩去祖母那儿，她都会在孩子的口袋里塞满糖果。 (stuff) Each time the boy went to see his grandma, she would stuff his pockets

with candy.4. 我坚持主张他应该去医院。 (insist) I insisted that he should go to the hospital.5. 他四处走着寻找丢失的钥匙。 (search) He walked around in search of his lost key.

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part II: Main Idea

What are the three features of a quick fix society? What is the principle of deferred gratification

according to the author? What do people tend to do to gratify themselves

now? What does the author mean by “superficially

instead of thoroughly”?

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part II: Sentence Paraphrase• Even our personal relationships have become

compressed. Instead of devoting large parts of our days to our loved ones, we replace them with something called “quality time”, which, more often than not, is no time at all.(para.6)

Paraphrasing: Even our personal relationships are affected, instead of spending much of our time with our loved ones, we now talk about giving them full attention in the limited time after work. But usually we have not time to do that at all.

Time spent with one’s children

More than or at least half of the time

To give an amount of time, attention, etc, to sb. or sth.

Text Analysis

Detailed Analysis

Part II: Words & Expressions

Words PhrasesWords afford

Phrasesinstead of; deferred gratification; save up; off the rack; a rainy day; agree with; linger over; more often that not; thanks to

Sentence Pattern

need to …; verb + Wh-word + to infinitive

Grammar verbs in the -ing form; attributive modifiers

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part II: ExerciseTranslate the following sentences into English, using words in the brackets.1. 他们在攒钱去欧洲旅行。 (save) They’re saving up for a trip to Europe.2. 网购省去了人们外出的麻烦。 (trouble) Shopping online saves people the trouble of going out.3. 你的故事和警察对我们说的一番话完全不符。 (agree) Your story doesn’t agree with what the police have told us.4. 由于父母一直以来付出的耐心，她现在成了一个很成功的歌手。 (thanks)

Thanks to the patience her parents have given her all those years, now she’s quite successful as a singer.

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part III: Main Idea

What is the function of the three questions at the beginning of para.7?

According to the author, what is the sad truth? Do you think it is a sad truth? What does the author propose in the end? Do you agree with her on that?

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part III: Sentence Paraphrase But I am saying that all of us need to think more seriously about

putting the brakes on our “we-want-it-all-and-we-want-it-now” lifestyle before we speed completely out of control. (para. 8)

Paraphrasing: But what I do want to say is this: Before we go too far/Before it’s too late, all of us need to think seriously about changing our lifestyle of seeking a quick fix in our lives.

Become impossible to manage or control

Text Analysis

Detailed Analysis

Part III: Words & Expressions

Words PhrasesWords skim; speed; advocate; rediscover

Phrases get it over with; in a hurry; put the brakes on; in the slow lane

Sentence Pattern

this urge to do it now; to get it over with; to skim the surface of life

Grammar attributive modifiers

Text Analysis Detailed Analysis

Part III: ExerciseTranslate the following sentences into English, using words in the brackets.1. 如果你愿意的话我就先讲吧—我宁愿早点说完了事。 (get) I’ll speak first if you like—I’d rather get it over with quickly.2. 抓住这次机会，我保证你不会后悔的。（ guarantee) Take this opportunity, and I guarantee you won’t regret it.3. 她主张保持长远的眼光。 (advocate) She advocates taking a more long-term view.4. 我只是浏览了一下他的信，还没有细读。（ skim） I've only skimmed (through/over) his letter; I haven't read it carefully yet.

Reinforcement

WritingWriting

DiscussionDiscussion

Quick Fix Society Unit 5

Reinforcement Discussion

Work in groups of four and discuss the following questions:

1.Do we live in a quick fix society? In what way is our society similar to/different from American society in this respect? 2.What are the possible reasons for a quick fix society? 3.Some say that modern people are justified in seeking a quick fix. Do you agree? Why or why not? 4.Can you find any examples showing that people are trying to slow down in life?

Reinforcement Writing

Writing Task Some people say that quick fixes are inevitable in

contemporary society. What is your opinion on this statement?