Unit 7 Making a Living

1
Unit 7 Making a Living Text A Life of a
Salesman
2
Role Play
One student will act as a salesperson. All
other students will act as his/her potential
customers. (From the role-play we know the
sale of goods is rather a difficult job. It is
even more difficult for a handicapped person,
like Bill Porter in Text A.)
3
Text Analysis
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.
4
Text Analysis-2
Secondly, an eye-catching beginning helps
lure readers to linger more on the story out of
an overwhelming number of stories offered by the
days 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.
5
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.

6
linger (L1)remain or stay (longer than necessary)

• The scent of her perfume lingered in the room.
• The voice of singing lingered for three days.
• I lingered around the West Lake until its time
  to catch the train.

7
betray

• betray ones friend, trust, country, etc.
• His trembling voice betrayed his nervousness.
• She said it didnt matter but her facial
  expression betrayed her annoyance.

8
gain on sb/sth (L14) chase to get in front of or
near to sb/sth

• The patrol boat is gaining on the smuggling ship.
• In autumn the night gains on the day.
• See to it that no bad habit gains on you.

9
tilt n. v.??

• He tilted the chair back on two legs and
  stretched his long body.
• She tilted her head back to see whos behind.
• The chairman tilts towards my opinion.
• Minjin Party is criticized for its tilt towards
  independence of Taiwan.

10
Lean v.

• Shes leaning on a tree for rest.
• The old man leant against his cane.
• I lean towards your viewpoint.

11
Lean adj.

• a lean year / a lean harvest (ant.
  Profitable)
• Lean meat (ant. Fat)
• a lean athlete (thin but strong)

12
False start?????,??????,????

• 1) A false start is an attempt to start sth.
  which fails because you are not properly prepared
  or ready to begin.
• E.g. Any reform faces false starts and mistakes.
• 2) In a race, a false starts means one of the
  competitors moves before the start signal.

13
Pledge v. n. ????

• 1) The leaders pledged to step up cooperation
  between the two countries.
• 2) Its time to fulfill your pledge.
• 3) And for the support of this declaration, with
  a firm reliance on the protection of divine
  providence, we mutually pledge to each other our
  lives, our fortunes and our sacred
  honor.????????,???????????,????????????????????,??
  ???
•  

14
Strain v. ???n. ??

• During the Golden Week, the large number of
  tourists really strained the public facilities in
  many tourist attractions.
• The stresses and strains of such a busy and
  demanding career as salesman

15
register ??,?????

• 1)register to vote.
• 2) I registered my name with the golf club.
• 3) I warned him several times but it just didnt
  register in his brain.
• 4) He simply didnt register my warning.

16
be laid up (with an illness) 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.

17
in time within an indefinite time eventually

• In time they came to accept the harsh facts.
• You will in time recover your health and
  strength.

18
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.