Section B

2

5UNIT

A $3,000 dictionary

A $3,000 dictionary

To master the reading skill

To understand the text

To practice the phrases and patterns

To learn about speech writing

Objectives

The money game

Warming-up

Reading Skills

Text Study

Comparative Study

Contents

Unit Project

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

Warming-up

Lead-in

Background Information

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

Video Watching

1. What does the “Magic 25” mean in the video?

Tips

Tips

2. According to the speaker, what are the “No-No’s”

when using credit cards?

Back

Purchas

Tips

1. What does the “magic 25” mean in the video?

over 25$

under 25$

Get a new card

Pay for cash

Know exactly how much you spend

• Say no to cash advance;

• Don’t pay late;

• Because of fees;

• Pay off your card;

• Don’t make just the minimum payment;

• Don’t forget check credit report .

2. According to the speaker, what are the “No-No’s” when using credit cards?

Tips

1. What is a credit card?

2 .What is credit limit?

3. What is credit card debt?

Tips

Tips

Tips

1. What is a credit card?

Tips A credit card is a standard-size plastic token, with

a magnetic stripe that holds a machine

readable code. Credit cards are a convenient

substitute for cash or check, and an

essential component of electronic

commerce and internet commerce. Cardholders

normally must pay for credit card purchases within

30 days of purchase to

avoid interest and/or penalties.

2. What is credit limit?

Tips

Holders of a valid credit card have the

authorization to purchase goods and services up

to a predetermined amount, called a credit limit.

3. What is credit card debt?

Tips Debt results when a credit card holder purchases an item or service through the card system. Debt accumulates and its sum increases via interest and penalties when the holder does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent. The results of not paying this debt on time are that the company will charge a late payment penalty (generally in the US from $10 to $40).

Reading Skills

Presentation of the Skill

Reading Skill Practice

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

Denotation is the literal meaning of a

word, the one we find in a dictionary.

Connotation, on the other hand, is the

implied meaning of a word, the one a word

suggests to us, or what it makes us feel or

think. Connotation contains the emotional

implications and associations that a word

may carry.

Denotation and Connotation

Example 1

Here’s another familiar example: If we don’t pay our credit card bill on time, we get demanding, nasty emails from the credit card company saying something like: “Your failure to pay is unacceptable. Pay immediately or you’ll be in trouble!” (Text A, Para. 2)Denotation: extremely unkind or unfriendlyConnotation: The word implies that these unpleasant emails sent by the credit card company are disgusting and make people feel angry and annoyed.

Denotation and Connotation

Example 2

Advertisements invade our daily lives. We are constantly surrounded by the message to spend, spend, spend. (Text A, Para. 4)Denotation: go into a place in large numbersConnotation: It connotes a sense of forcefulness and it also has an implied meaning of being overwhelming, resented and unwanted.

Denotation and Connotation

Read the following sentences from Text B

and pay close attention to the underlined

words. Write the denotation of each word and

its connotation. Check the context for clues.

The first one has been done for you.

Denotation and Connotation

Practice

Denotation and Connotation

1. After all, a major feature of college life is limited

finances. Free stuff is like gold and I felt entitled to my

share! (Para. 1)

Denotation: a valuable soft yellow metal that is used to

make coins, jewelry, etc.

Connotation: It implies how anxious the author was to

get something free. He felt so excited about it, as if he

had found gold.

Denotation and Connotation

2. I moved closer to scout out the situation. (Para. 2)3. To my sheer amazement, plastic freedom made its way into my mailbox a few weeks later. (Para. 3)4. With my artificial sense of security, I bought a guitar, a fishing rod and a hunting rifle, long-stem roses for my girlfriend, a brand-new wardrobe, a sophisticated new calculator, and countless other trifles I felt I “absolutely needed”. (Para. 4)5. Friends would call and invite me for dinner, but my finances would prohibit any expenses, so I’d decline every time. I would manufacture excuses for why I always said “No” to their offers. (Para. 7)

Denotation and Connotation

6. A simple matter of credit card debt caused me to drive

everything I cared about from my life. I felt emotionally

crippled and financially bankrupt! (Para. 7)

7. I choked on every word, and I hesitated on the

number. I felt physical pain when I looked her in the eye.

(Para. 8)

8. If this does not change, many students, like myself,

will suffer the consequences of the illusion of a

seemingly free but staggeringly expensive $3,000

dictionary. (Para. 10)

Text Study

Text Comprehension

Language Focus

Critical Thinking

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

1. Why did the author feel entitled to his share of the free stuff? (Para. 1) 2. Why did he complete the form and submit it at last? (Para. 2)3. Why was he so surprised when he received a credit card? (Para. 3) 4. Why did he buy more things he felt he absolutely needed? (Para. 4)5. Why did he feel that he was letting his parents down? (Para. 6)6. Why did he feel that he was emotionally crippled? (Para. 7)7. Why did he say it was torture to explain his credit card debt to

his mom? (Para. 8)8. According to the author, what is the intent and purpose of

credit card companies? (Para. 10)

Because a major feature of college life is limited finances and free stuff is like gold.

1. Listen to Para. 1 and answer the following question.

Q: Why did the author feel entitled to his share of the

free stuff?

Tips

2. Why did he complete the form and submit it at last?

(Para. 2)

Tips

He thought he wouldn’t be qualified for the credit card anyway.

With the confidence that a probe of my finances would reveal the sheer weakness of my profile,I completed the form and submitted it.

原句：I moved closer to scout out the situation. In my mind, I heard my mother issue her famous line: “There is no such thing as free stuff!”, as the student behind the table urged me to receive a brand-new dictionary. (Para. 2, L1)

解释 : At first, he remembered what his mom had said and didn’t believe that there was something free in this world. However, he just couldn’t resist the temptation of a free dictionary in the end.

译文：我走近前去察看详情。当桌子背后的那位学生怂恿 我去领一本免费的全新的字典时，我的脑海里仿佛听 到了母亲的那句名言：“世上绝没有免费的东西。”

3. Why was he so surprised when he received a credit card? (Para. 3)

Tips

A. He was not interested in getting it.

B. He was rather weak financially.

C. He just started with a part-time job.

D. He was used to cash but not credit cards.

Choose the best answer to the question.

4. Why did he buy more things he felt he absolutely needed? (Para. 4)

Tips

Soon, however, I began to buy things that I

wanted. With my _______________________, I

bought a _____, a __________ and a ___________,

______________ for my girlfriend, a brand-new

_________, a sophisticated new _________, and

countless other trifles I felt I “absolutely needed”.

artificial sense of security

guitar fishing rod hunting rifle

long-stem roses

wardrobe calculator

Because he didn't live up to his parents’

expectations.

5. Why did he feel that he was letting his parents down? (Para. 6)

Tips

原句：Making matters worse, I lost one part-time job and with it my output of funds grew ever smaller, like those now long-dead roses.(Para. 5, L1) 解释 : What made things even worse was I lost one of my two part-time jobs, and because of this the money available to me became more limited than before; just like the roses I had sent to my girlfriend, my money had withered away.

译文：更糟的是，我失去了一份兼职工作，这样我能 使用的资金就如那些凋零的玫瑰一样，越来越少。

6. Why did he feel that he was emotionally crippled?

(Para. 7)

Tips

A. Everything he cared was taken away from his life.B. His friends would turn down all his invitations.C. No one wanted to make friends with him.D. His mom wouldn't care about his financial situation.

Choose the best answer to the question.

原句：I would manufacture excuses for why I always said “No” to their offers. My dirty little secret began to tear at my emotional stability. (Para. 7, L3)

解释 : I would invent excuses for not accepting my friends’ offers. My dishonest little secret began to shake my emotional stability.

译文：我会编造借口来解释为什么我对他们的提议总是 说 “不”。我那见不得人的小秘密开始扰乱我稳 定的情绪。

编造（虚假情况、借口等）

撕扯

Because he realized his financial situation

was a nightmare for his mom.

7. Listen to Para. 8 and answer the following question.

Q: Why did he say it was torture to explain his credit card debt to his mom? (Para. 8)

Tips

译文：是到解决问题的时候了。在那一刻，我觉得我给生活 带来的消极面开始消散。

原句：The time had come to move toward a solution. At that moment, I felt the negativity I had brought into my life began to dissolve. (Para. 8, L6)

解释 : It was time to solve my financial problem. Only at that moment did I feel that the negative effect on my life began to melt away.

消极性 使处于（某种情形）

8. According to the author, what is the intent and

purpose

of credit card companies? (Para. 10)

Tips

The intent and purpose

of credit card companies

is to profit from students’

accumulated debts.

A $3,000 Dictionary

Once the author completed a credit card

application, he was told would receive a ____

dictionary. The plastic freedom_____________

into his mailbox a few weeks later. His first

purchases were_____. Soon, he began to buy

things that he wanted and accumulate______.

What’s worse, he lost one____________. The

gravity of credit card debt crisis had left him in

_________. He felt he owed his parents more

free

made its way

tame

debt

part time job

despair

than he could imagine. He began to ___________

in many activities. After graduation, he explained

the financial distress to his mother and felt physical

_____ when looked her in the eye. Recently he

learned that many students fall to the __________

of easily accessible credit cards. Finally the author

pointed that the _____________________ must

become more severe, and college campuses

should be free of _____________________. Be-

cause “There is no such thing as _________!”.

lose interest

pain

temptation

screening procedures

credit card marketers

free stuff

Practical Phrases Specific Meanings1. be / feel entitled to (do) sth. 使某人有权利做某事2. urge sb. to do sth. 催促（某人）做某事

3. filter out 滤除（不需要的文 字、信息等）

4. let sb. / sth. down 使失望5. shrug off 对…满不在乎6. tear at 撕扯7. bring sb. / sth. into 使处于（某种情形）

8. access to 进入权；使用权；接触 的机会

使某人有权利做某事

(be entitled to / paid holiday)

Every worker will be entitled to four weeks' paid

holiday a year.

be / feel entitled to (do) sth. 短语逆译

短语应用每位工人每年都能享受 4 周的带薪休假。

意群提示

催促（某人）做某事 urge sb. to do sth. 短语逆译

(minister / takes the floor / denounce/ constitutional rule)

Minister takes the floor to denounce the people who urge him to suspend constitutional rule.  

短语应用部长会上发言谴责催促他停止宪制的人们。

意群提示

滤除（不需要的文字、信息等）

(filter out / UV (Ultraviolet Rays )

Children should have glasses which filter out UV (Ultraviolet Rays ) rays. 

filter out短语逆译

短语应用儿童应该戴上滤除紫外线的眼镜。

意群提示

使失望

(excessively / plot/ let sb. down)

Sadly, the excessively simple plot of the film let all of us down . 

let sb. /sth. down短语逆译

短语应用遗憾的是，过于简单的电影情节让我们所有人都感到失望。意群提示

对…满不在乎

(shrug off / hit)

The  middle  class may shrug off rising food prices, but the poor are being hit harder.  

shrug off短语逆译

短语应用中产阶级对于食品涨价也许只是耸耸肩而已，但对于穷人来说却是沉重的打击。

意群提示

撕扯

(hunting dogs / tear at / flesh )

African hunting dogs will tear at the flesh of their victim until it is weak.

tear at短语逆译

短语应用非洲猎狗会撕咬猎物的皮肉，直到它变得虚弱不堪。

意群提示

使处于（某种情形）

(behavior / bring sth. Into/ disrepute )

The players’ behavior on the field is likely to bring the game into disrepute.

bring sb. / sth. into短语逆译

短语应用球员在赛场上的表现很可能使这场比赛臭名远扬。

意群提示

进入权；使用权；接触的机会

(TV reporter/ fence/restrict/ access to )

Villagers told these TV reporters that the fence would restrict public access to the hills.

access to短语逆译

短语应用村民们告诉那些电视台记者这个围栏将限制公众进入山区。

意群提示

Functional Patterns Functions & Usages

1. sb./sth. does sth., as sb. does sth.

用于表达“某人做某事时，发生了能够影响其决定的事” 。

2. With the confidence/anticipation/ satisfaction/hesitation that …, sb. does …

用于表示“某人带着自信、期待、满意、迟疑等心情或感情做某事”。

3. It had been several years/a couple of weeks / a few days since sb. /sth. did sth., so sb does, but …

用于表达“由于时间关系，某人认为能够做某事，可结果却出乎意料之外”。

当桌子背后的那位学生怂恿我去领一本免费的全新的字典时，我的脑海里仿佛听到了母亲的那句名言：“世上绝没有免费的东西。

原句译文

逆译练习In my mind, I heard my mother issue her famous line: “There is no such thing as free stuff!”, as the student behind the table urged me to receive a brand-new dictionary. (Para. 2)

句型提炼

sb./sth. does sth., as sb. does sth.

句型提炼

应用提示用于表达“某人做某事时，发生了能够影响其决定的事”。

句型应用

(motherland / by chance /dilemma )

He saw the photos of his beautiful motherland by chance, as he faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return to his country.

典型例句当决定要不要回国，进退两难时，他无意间看到了自己美丽祖国的照片。

意群提示

我确信对我财产状况的调查会曝露我在财务上的不足，所以我填了表格，并把它交了。

原句译文

逆译练习With the confidence that a probe of my finances would reveal the sheer weakness of my profile, I completed the form and submitted it. (Para. 5)

句型提炼

With the confidence/anticipation/ satisfaction/ hesitation that …, sb. does …

句型提炼

应用提示用于表达“某人带着自信、期待、满意、迟疑等心情或感情做某事”。

句型应用

(With the confidence that / competition / peacefully)

With the confidence that he could win the competition easily, he closed his eyes and went to sleep peacefully.

典型例句他确信能够轻而易举地赢得这次比赛 , 于是闭上眼睛，安然入睡。

意群提示

我那可怕的金钱问题从开始至今已好几年了，所以我以为伤口愈合得相当不错了，但是当我向母亲解释我的信用卡债务时，对自己的厌恶感和所感到的尴尬合并成一种折磨。 。

原句译文

逆译练习It had been several years since my awful money issues began, so I believed the wound to be fairly well healed, but the blend of disgust and emotion I felt when I explained my credit card debt was torture. (Para. 8)

句型提炼

It had been several years/a couple of weeks

/ a few days since sb. /sth. did sth., so sb

does, but…

句型提炼

应用提示用于表达“由于时间关系，某人认为能够做某事，可结果却出乎意料之外” 。

句型应用

(keep company / spy / neighboring country /appear) It had been several years since I kept company with him, so I believed I knew him quite well, but I never knew he was a crown prince from neighboring country until I saw him appeared on the television news.

典型例句同他来往已经好几年了，所以我以为已经非常了解他，但是我看到他出现在电视新闻时，才知道他是位邻国王储。意群提示

1. 新学期刚开学 the first days of a new semester

2. 在财务上的不足 the sheer weakness of one’s profile

3.建立自己的信用 develop one’s own credit

4. 虚假的安全感 artificial sense of security

5.基本生活费 basic ongoing living expenses

6.真正有自主能力 的男孩

a truly autonomous man

7. 编造借口 manufacture excuses

8.哽咽地说出每一个字

choke on every word

9.孤立的事件 an isolated case

10. 可能断送未来 have the potential to ruin one’s future

起初，我感到非常震惊，

这些庞大的信用卡公司竟然信任我这个在经济上苦苦挣扎的学生，我只持有两份拿最低工资的兼职工

作，每月还在分期支付之前所买的电脑。 a. At firs

t, I was shocked that these

huge credit card corporations

trusted me, a struggling student

holding two minimum wage part-

time jobs and paying monthly

installments on a purchased

computer.

b. Making matters worse, I

lost one part time job and with

it my out put of funds grew

ever smaller, like those now

long-dead roses.

更糟的是，我失去了一份

兼职工作，这样我能使用的资金就如那些凋零的玫

瑰一样，越来越少。

c. I owed them more than I could

possibly imagine, specifically

their vision of a boy becoming a

truly autonomous man. Now, I

was letting them, and myself,

down.

我欠他们的比我能想象的更多，说得明确些，我辜负了他们让我成为一个真正有自主能力的男孩的期

望。现在，我让他们和我本人感到沮丧。

如果这个不改变，很多

学生就会像我一样，遭受 看似免 费 但 却高达3,000美元字典的假象

所带来的后果。 d. If this does not change,

many students, like myself, will

suffer the consequences of the

illusion of a seemingly free but

staggeringly expensive $3,000

dictionary.

Tips

2. Is it necessary for students to get a part-time job to make an allowance? Why or why not?

1. Do you think college students should be issued a credit card? Why or why not?

3. What can you do if you’ve already accumulated debt?

Tips

Tips

1. Do you think college students should be issued a credit card? Why or why not?

Tips

• Yes, because they are adults already and know how to budget their money. If they are not given the opportunity to manage their own finance, they will never learn. • No, they would spend all the money and sometimes even exceed the credit limit. Therefore, they will possibly end up with debt and suffered a lot.

2. Is it necessary for students to get a part-time job to make an allowance? Why or why not?

Tips

• Yes, it is important for students to get a part-time

job to earn some pocket money because that will

help them buy things needed and, to some degree,

improve their financial status. • No, students should concentrate on their study. If

they get a part-time job, they will be distracted from

their study and waste their time in college.

• Figure out what made me accumulate debt;

• Save more, spend less;

• Seek advice from a financial consultant;

• Make a plan to pay off the debt;

Tips

3. What can you do if you’ve already accumulated debt?

Talk about college students’

financial debt .

1. Why can college students easily fall into debt?

2. How can college students with a limited allowance avoid being in financial debt?

Tips

Tips

• Save money whenever I can;

• Open a savings account with a local bank;

• Keep a small amount of money in my wallet;

• Only buy things that are needed;

• Go shopping when things are on sale.

Tips

1. Why can college students easily fall into debt?

• Only buy things that are absolutely needed;

• Buy used books or discount stationeries;

• Try not to apply for a credit card;

• Limit leisure time activities;

• Avoid buying latest electronic products.

2. How can college students with a limited allowance avoid being in financial debt?

Tips

Thematic study

Comparative Study

Thematic Study

Language Features Analysis

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

2. According to your own experiences, how can college students handle their money efficiently?

1. Comparison between a smart consumer and a blind consumer.

Tips

Tips

1. Comparison between a smart consumer and a blind consumer.

Smart consumer

1. Save more money;2. Suspend desires and avoid luxuries;3. By sth. truly need;4. Not fall into debt;5. Learn skills applied to finances;6. Balance spending and saving.

Blind consumer

1. By lots of trifles;2. Accumulate debt; 3. Late payment;4. Lose interest in many activities;5. Emotionally crippled; 6. Financially bankrupt.

Tips

2. According to your own experiences, how can college students handle their money efficiently?

• Record how much they have spent; • Try to use cash instead of credit card; • Withdraw only certain amount of money

from bank;• Never borrow money from other people; • Only buy things they need; • …

    

Based on your study of

the two texts, compare

the writing styles of the

two texts in terms of their

typical language features.

1. What are the typical language features of the two texts?

2. List more examples from the text to support your ideas.

Tips

Tips

Text B exemplifies the writing technique of narration, in which the student’s induction to becoming a credit card debtor is depicted very vividly and elaborately.

1. What are the typical language features of the two texts?

TipsText A Text A is analytical, supported with specific examples and evidence.  

2. List more examples from the text to support your ideas.

TipsText A the statistics show how many commercial

ads people see while growing up: 

It’s been calculated that by the age of 18, the

average American will have seen 600,000 ads;

by the age of 40, the total is almost one million.

Unit Project

Doing a Report

Speech Writing

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection

Doing a report on college

students’ spending habits

Doing a Report

Many recent stories circulating among students are associated with finance, due to students’ over using of their credit card or monthly allowance. This could cause their distress and affect their concentration on study. Therefore, this unit project will require you to do a problem solving activity which involves the following steps:

Doing a Report

1 In groups of four, design a questionnaire regarding students’ spending habits.

2 Divide each group into two, and each pair will go together and interview 5-6 students on campus to find out their spending habits.

3 Put together the results of your interviews and them in your original group.

4 Report to the class your findings and analysis.

Doing a Report

Writing a speech on How to Save Money

You may include the following points:

●Beginning:

Two tips:

fascinating and unconventional

You may adopt:

several questions / an allegorical story / an aphorisms /

an introduction of a relevant background / motivation/

purpose of the speech.

Speech Writing

To be continued

You may include the following points:

Body :

Two special models:

argumentative structure model;

narrative structure model.

You may adopt:

reasoning / analyzing / examples / quotes

Speech Writing

Writing a speech on How to Save Money

To be continued

You may include the following points:

●Ending :

Tips:

Come up with a full, clear idea, and strive to reveal it.

Basic requirement:

Mention hope and Express passion.

You may adopt:

a summary style / a call type / oath ceremony /

wished ceremony.

Speech Writing

Writing a speech on How to Save Money

You may use the following expressions in your writing

Money doesn’t come easily;

Money doesn’t grow on trees;

Don’t let money burn a hole in your pocket;

Out of debt, out of danger;

Lend your money and lose your friend;

Never spend your money before you have

it.

Speech Writing

The end

A $3,000 dictionaryBSection