Unit 2 Civil-Rights HeroesUnit 2 Civil-Rights HeroesText A The Freedom Givers

• Pre-reading Task

• Background Information

• Comprehension Questions

• Language Points

• Text Structure

• Translation

Part I Abraham, Martin and John

Enjoy a piece of music (originally sung by

Dion, the chief singer of the Belmonts)

Pre-reading TaskPre-reading Task

Abraham, Martin and JohnAbraham, Martin and John Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed a lot of people, But it seems the good die young, But I just looked around and he's gone. Has anybody here seen my old friend John? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed a lot of people, But it seems the good die young, But I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where he's gone? He freed a lot of people, But it seems the good die young, But I just looked around and he's gone. Didn't you love the things they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and

me? And we'll be free. Someday soon, it's gonna be one day.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby? Can you tell me where he's gone? I thought I saw him walkin' Up over the hill, With Abraham, Martin and John.

Listen to the recording two or three times and Listen to the recording two or three times and

then think over the following questions:then think over the following questions: 1.  Can you guess who Abraham, Martin, John and

Bobby are?

2.  What did these people stand for and their special contributions?

3. Do you know why they all died young and who killed them?

4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to

be about?

1. They are Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy, John Kennedy’s brother.

2. They stood for the civil-rights leaders, who advocated black civil-rights. 3. They were assassinated young because they fought for the civil-rights, which resulted in making many enemies.4. The texts in this unit are going to talk about the civil-rights and its givers.

Part II Background InformationPart II Background Information

1.1. Knowledge of American geographyKnowledge of American geography The Southern States (m

arked with blue and green): Al: Alabama, Ar: Arkansas; F: Florida; G: Georgia; L: Louisiana; M: Mississippi; N: North Carolina; S: South Carolina; Ten: Tennessee; Tex: Texas and V: Virginia

The Deep South states are marked with green.

2. Freedom and rights2. Freedom and rights:: Freedom of the individual is considered one of the es

sential features of western civilization, which is itself sometimes called the Free World.

This freedom is often expressed in terms of rights to do certain things or to be treated in a particular way.

When a person does something that others think strange, British and American people will often say, “It’s a free country,” meaning that although they disagree with the choice they recognize the other person’s right to make it.

3. The civil rights movement3. The civil rights movement

(in the US) the national campaign by African-Americans for equal rights, especially in the 1950s and 1960s.

The campaign included boycotts (=refusals to buy particular products), the actions of freedom riders, and in 1963 a march to Washington led by Martin Luther King.

It succeeded in causing the introduction of bussing and affirmative action.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were also introduced as a result of the civil rights movement, which has helped to change the attitudes of many white Americans.

4. 4. The Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad

A secret system used in the US before the Civil War for helping thousands of slaves to escape to the free northern states or Canada.

The slaves were called “passengers”, the people who helped them were “conductors”, and the slaves hid in “stations” (safe houses) along the way.

.

5. Josiah Henson5. Josiah Henson He was born a slave on 15th June, 1789 in

Charles County, Maryland. He was sold three times before he reached the age of eighteen. By 1830, Henson had saved up $350 to purchase his freedom. After giving his master the money he was told that the price had increased to $1,000.

Cheated of his money, Henson decided to escape with his wife and four children. After reaching Canada, Henson formed a community where he taught other ex-slaves how to be successful farmers.

His autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson (1849) was read by Harriet Beecher Stowe and inspired her best-selling novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

6. Levi Coffin6. Levi Coffin He was born in Greensboro, on 28th

October, 1798. Later he became as a member of the

Society of Friends, Coffin attempted in 1821 to start a school for slaves but their owners refused to allow them to attend.

In 1826 Coffin moved to Newport, Indiana. This was on the route where fugitive slaves made their way from the South to Canada. Coffin soon became involved in helping the runaways and it has been estimated that over 3,000 slaves stayed at his home during their journey.

Built in 1827 and now a National Historic Landmark, this house was owned by Levi Coffin (1789-1877), a Quaker abolitionist. Because of his outstanding role in the operation of the Underground Railroad, Coffin has been termed its "president." It is believed that Coffin and his wife Catherine helped more than 2,000 fugitive slaves escape to freedom, using this house as a principal depot.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/in2.htm

7. John Parker7. John Parker John Parker was born into

slavery in Norfolk, Virginia in 1827. He bought his freedom for $1,800 and in 1849 he and his wife moved to Ripley where he worked in the ironworks. Parker was an integral part of the Underground Railroad; he helped fugitive slaves cross the Ohio River from Kentucky as they went north to freedom. For nearly fifteen years Parker risked his life and his own freedom by hiding in coffins, diving off a steamboat into the river with bounty hunters on his trail as he fought for the freedom of the enslaved.

The John Parker House in Ripley, Ohio

Part III Comprehension Questions:Part III Comprehension Questions:

1.Why did Barbara Carter speak proudly of her great-great-grandfather?

2. Why did the author travel to Henson’s last home?

3. What was the Underground Railroad? Who forged it?

4. Why did the author want to tell the readers the stories of the heroes of the Underground Railroad?

5. How did John Parker win his freedom?   

 6. Why did some people try to capture John Parker?7.Why did Levi Coffin, a white man, help black slaves to

freedom?8.  What risks did Coffin run while helping slaves?9. What difficulties did the slaves have in traveling the

Underground Railroad to freedom?10.  Why did many slaves go to Canada?11.Why did Henson decide to escape?

1.For her great-great-grandfather, Josiah Henson has lived on through the character in American fiction that he helped inspire: Uncle Tom’s Cabin. (L9-10)

2.To know more about the man. (L15-17)

3.(See to the culture note Josiah Henson and other courageous men and women together forged the Underground Railroad. (L20-21)

4.Because the heroes of the Underground Railroad remain too little remembered and their exploits are still kept unknown. (L29-31)

5. He saved enough money to buy his freedom. (L40-41)

6.Because he was a guide who helped people not to be captured by slave hunters. (L42-44)

KeysKeys

7. Because he believed in Christianity that they should help those who were hungry and had no clothes to wear, no matter what color they were. (L59-61)

8. He was the risk of getting his store and home burned and even thrown to prison.

9. They had to march a journey of hundreds of miles, during which there were no signs and few maps. (L77-79)

10.Because slavery had been abolished there early in 1833. (L87-88)

11.Because he faced the situation of being separated from his family.

Part IV Language Points:Part IV Language Points:1.  Slender: (of people) slim; not very wide but comparatively lo

ng or high Although her face was quite plain, she had long, slender expres

sive hands, like a concert pianist. King crabs have long, slender legs, with a span over 1 meter (3

feet).

Synonym: lean, narrow, slight, thin; fragile, spindly, skinny

Anonym: fat, obese, plump, paunchy, chubby, stout

2.  Settlement: a place where people have come to settle Manhattan was the site of the original Dutch settlement of New

Amsterdam. The village is a settlement of fifty houses.

Syn: Community, colony, camp, outpost

3. Confident: feeling or showing thrust in oneself or one’s ability (usu. Followed by about/of/that clause)

Michael was confident that he would be enrolled by Harvard University.

The more familiar you are with this machine, the more confident you will be about using it.

The soccer team is quite confident of being able to win this important game.

4. Give up: abandon an attempt to do sth. He’s given up smoking since his illness. The rescue team had given up all hope of finding the two

drivers alive. She was working part-time but she suddenly gave up.

Syn: abandon, give up, quit, desert, discard

5.Ironically: it seems ironic (that) Ironically the widespread use of antibiotics seems to be

causing a lot of unexpected health problems. Ironically it is often the poorer people who give the most. Ironically, most people came to watch the match on the day it

poured with rain.

6.Racial: relating to a person’s race, or to different races of people

Slavery is closely associated with racial prejudice, the belief that one race is superior to another.

Mandela was elected President in South Africa’s first multi-racial elections, held in 1994.

c.f.: ethnic: of a nation, or tribal group that has a common cultural group.

ethnic minorities/groups/communities In China, there exists ethnic problems rather than racial

problems.

7. Stand up (for sb./sth.): speak, work, etc. in favour of sb./sth.; support sb./sth.

You have to be prepared to stand up for the things you believe in.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Always stand for your friends.

8. Historic: famous or important history In his book, Churchill recalls that historic first meeting wit

h Roosevelt. More money is needed for the preservation of historic buil

dings and monuments.

C.f.: historical

9. Site: place where a building, town, etc. was, is or will be situated

The local government hasn’t yet chosen the site for the new skyscraper.

There are many archaeological sites in southern England. This monument marks the site of the battle. Rescue workers rushed to the site of the plane crash.

10. Mission: particular task or duty undertaken by an individual or a group

Some delegates were immediately sent to Israel. Their mission was to negotiate a ceasefire.

The five young people have been on a mission to help the Cambodians.

My mission in life is to help poor people.

11.Forge: (fig): create by means of much hard work The two countries agreed to forge closer economic ties. She forged a new career for herself as a singer.

Syn: mould, cast, shape

12. Underground: in or into secrecy or hiding His mother took him to Hong Kong where she worked in the

underground communist movement. For about thirty years the African National Congress (ANC)

operated as an underground organization.

13. Web: network of fine threads spun by a spider or some other spinning creature; complex series or network

The little boy was frightened by the spider’s web in the window.

Every day thousands of we surfers flock to this popular site, posting messages.

14.  Liberate: set free

Examples: The new Afghan government is trying to liberate its people from poverty with international help.

Many commercial and public organizations now have their own Web site and publish a “home page”, giving information about the organization.

The troop’s aim is to liberate the country by the end of the year.

Other usage: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity

15. Authorize: give approval or permission for (sth.); give authority to

The central government authorized $200 billion to construct new dams to generate cheap hydroelectric power.

The President requested that Congress authorize the presence of US troops in the eastern region.

He was obliged by the arguments of the Minister of Labor to authorize a 23 per cent general wage increase.

Syn: legalize, allow, approve, entitle

16.  Exploit: brave or adventurous deed or action The general’s wartime exploits were later made into a film and

a television series. My grandfather entertained us with stories of wartime exploits.

17.  Be intent on doing sth.: be eager and determined to do sth.

Working day and night, Janet seems intent on breaking the record in the Guinness Book of Records.

18. Peer: look closely or carefully, esp. as if unable to see well (followed by at/through/into, etc.)

Stephen had been peering at a computer printout that made no sense at all.

He stood beside her peering up at the sky.

Syn: stare, gaze, glance, gawp, gape

19. Decade: period of ten year Many countries were involved in Antarctic exploration dur

ing the first decades of the 20th century. Education budgets have been increased over the last decad

e in China.

Other usage: deca- 十； mono- 一 ; dual- 二 ; tri- 三 ; quad- 四 ; penta-五 ; hexa-六 ; hept-七 ; oct-八 ;

20. On the side: as an additional job or source of income; secretly

Some teachers have to find ways of making some money on the side.

In order to earn money to send his children to school, he makes a little money on the side by cleaning windows in his spare time.

21. Capture: capturing or being captured Rebel forces captured the city after a week-long battle. Some of the terrorists who were involved in the 9.11 event

have been captured by the FBI. The whole town celebrated when two tanks were captured.

At one time Peter took part in the capture of three thieves. The whole town celebrated when two tanks were captured.

22. Close in (on/around): come near to, esp. in order to attack from several directions; surround

Hitler committed suicide as Soviet forces were closing in on Berlin.

Right after the suicide explosion, Israel troops began to close in on the Palestinian city.

23. Painful: causing pain, hurtingSymptoms of pneumonia include painful

cough, fever, difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing and chest pain.

The old photograph brought back painful memories of his childhood.

24. Religious: of religion Daoism (Taoism) is one of the three main Chinese

religious and philosophical traditions, the others being Confucianism and Buddhism.

The local government wants to increase the amount of religious education in schools.

25. Conviction: firm opinion or belief The old woman had a firm conviction that there would be a

better life after death. A non-believer, Tom doesn't have any religious

convictions. It is her personal conviction that all corruption should be

exposed and dealt with according to relevant laws.

26. Terminal: (building at the) end of a railway line, bus route, etc.; a piece of equipment, usu. Consisting of a keyboard and a screen, which connects the user with a computer system.

Most large airports have shops, restaurants, and banks in the terminal building, plus special lounges for departing passengers.

All staff have terminals attached to the company’s main computer.

27. Impose: 1) place a (penalty, tax, etc.) officially on sb./sth. The government has made a decision to impose a further ta

x on wines and spirits. The local government tried to impose fines on the factorie

s, which poured untreated waste into the river. 2) try to make sb. accept (an opinion or a belief) I wouldn’t want to impose my religious conviction on any

one. It may not be wise for parents to impose their own tastes o

n their children.

28. As for: with regard to As for your request for a free sample, we will send it to yo

u in about ten days. Some people have complained, but as for me I’m perfectl

y satisfied with the working conditions here.

29. Transport: take sth./sb. from one place to another in a vehicle.

Reducing the costs of transporting natural resources to production sites is one of the sky factors in economic competition.

Pipelines are used mainly to transport liquids or gases over long distances.

30. Disguise: Give sb./sth. a false appearance (used in the pattern disguise sb./sth. as)

She disguised herself as a man so she could fight on the battlefield.

Jack escaped across the border disguised as a Catholic priest.

31. abolish: end the existence of (a law, custom, system, etc.)

Slavery was not finally abolished in the British Empire until 1833.

Their mission is to abolish the global fur industry permanently by utilizing appropriate legal and non-violent methods.

32. Make the best of: accept an unsatisfactory situation cheerfully and try to manage as well as you can

I know it’s cold and raining but we’re here now, so let’s just make the best of it.

The living conditions in the village were very poor, but we had to make the best of it.

33. Compel: make (sb.) do sth.; force In the past children were frequently compelled to work fro

m an early age. A large debt burden compelled many developing countries

to undertake stabilization and adjustment policies. Duty compelled the soldiers to volunteer for the mission. An energy crisis compels fuel conservation

34. At risk: threatened by the possibility of loss, failure, etc.; in danger

It is reported that some areas in the west are at high risk of desertification.

The buildings in the slum tend to be overcrowded, inadequately served by water and at risk from fire.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I must refuse your offer.

35. Starve: (cause a person or an animal to) suffer severely or die from hunger

Some people starved to death during the long drought. Children in the developed counties are living a happy life,

while many African children are starving. (figu.)She's lonely, and starving for companionship.

36. In the eyes of: in the opinion of In the eyes of his students, Richard is a sensible and reliabl

e teacher. In the eyes of my parent, I am still a young person althoug

h I am already in my thirties. The practice of religion in America sometimes seems stran

ge in the eyes of the European. In the eyes of law, he was innocent, though some people w

ouldn't think so.

37. Pass for: appear like; be accepted or looked upon as (same as pass as)

He speaks American English well enough to pass for an American.

My younger sister really wants to go and see the film, but I don’t think she’d pass for 18. 

Part V Text Structure:Part V Text Structure:

Parts Paragraphs

One Para 1-5

It is high time to honor the heroes who helped liberate slaves by forging the Underground Railroad in the early civil-rights struggles in America.

Two Para 6-23

By citing examples the author praises the exploits of civil-rights heroes who helped slaves travel the Underground Railroad to freedom.

After winning his own freedom from slavery, John Parker helped other slaves to escape north to Canada to get freedom. (Para 6-10)

Story on

e

Supported by a strong religious conviction, the white man Levi Coffin helped black slaves to escape at huge risk.(Para 11-15)

Story TwoBy traveling the Underground Railroad, Josiah Henson reached his destination and become free at last. Para 16-23)

Story Three

Civil-Rights Givers

Part VI Translation:Part VI Translation: Translate the following passage into English, u

sing the words and phrases given below. Settlement painful capture underground racial conviction disguise abolish liberate close in on   痛苦的奴隶生活坚定了亨森为自由而战的决心。他获得自

由后不久就成了一个帮助逃跑奴隶的组织中的一员。他几次偷偷地回到美国帮助其他奴隶通过地下铁路获得自由。有一次在逃跑时，亨森和几个逃跑的奴隶被捕捉奴隶的人包围。他将逃跑的奴隶乔装打扮一番，成功的躲过了追捕。另外，他在得累斯顿为逃跑的奴隶建造了一个居住小区，并建了教堂和学校，逃跑的奴隶们在这里能够学到有用的谋生之道。他坚信奴隶制将被废除，所有奴隶终将获得解放，种族歧视消失的那天一定会到来。

Key: Henson’s painful life as a slave strengthened his d

etermination to struggle for freedom. Shortly after he achieved freedom he became a member of an organization that assisted fugitive slaves. He secretly returned to the United States several times to help others travel the Underground Railroad to freedom. Once some slave catches closed in on the escaping slaves and Henson when they were on the run. He disguised them and successfully avoided capture. In addition, he built a small settlement in Dresden for escaped slaves, setting up a chapel and a school where they could learn useful ways of making a living. He held to the conviction that slavery would be abolished, all the slaves would be liberated, and the day was bound to come when racial discrimination no longer existed.

Text B Text B The Dream, The Stars & Dr. KingThe Dream, The Stars & Dr. King

Part one :Language Practice Fill in the gaps with words or phrases listed in the Words an

d Phrases to Learn box. Change the form where necessary.

1. Despite his achievements as a _________ money manager and generous philanthropist (慈善家 ), Soros’s lifelong dream was to become a noted philosopher.

2. A nurse needs a lot of patience and goodwill. A bit of charm also helps, and a lot of _______ and training is needed.

3.The Maya civilization reached its period of greatest development about 250 A.D. and continued to ________ for hundreds of years.

4.You could argue that her sense of insecurity ________growing up in an unstable family environment.

5. Against the predictions of the opinion polls, he comfortably won the general election of April 1992, but his government soon faced ________ economic problems.

6. _______ the birthday celebration comes unexpectedly over the radio the announcement of the President of the country declaring a state of emergency for suspected enemy missiles approaching.

7. It was a series of legislative(立法的 ) acts that finally gave federal agencies power to _______ black rights and thus opened the way to an end to discrimination.

8. His most famous work was painted to commemorate his daughter’s miraculous _____from paralysis(麻痹症 ).

9. Most central banks, such as the Federal Reserve System in the USA, control the note issue and _________ the banking system against collapse.

10. The new president decided that police corruption was the first thing to ________ when he came to power.

11. Many people are not satisfied with the new employment laws which _______ against black people and other minorities.

12. Work becomes harder _______. It seems that I have to seek help from my professors.

13. John is ________ his brother in that he is much more

enthusiastic about his schoolwork.

14. Black people in the area are claiming that they have been _______ repeated racial attacks from police officers.

15. This policy, they say, is _______ confused and at worst non existent.

16. The official report _________ the likely benefits of the scheme, but avoids considering the costs.

17. Stephen has _______ since the days he could only afford one meal a day. He is now the owner of ten discount chain stores.

18. The new president would _______ to remember that he wouldn't have made it without the support of the black

voters.

19. I really admire those businesswomen who manage to achieve success __________.

20. The state of the country’s economy is very worrying _________, it seems unwise to raise tax on capital investment.

Keys:1.Remarkable; 2. Commitment; 3. Flourish;

4. Resulted from; 5. Grave; 6. In the midst of;

7. Enforce; 8. Recovery; 9. Guarantee;

10. Remedy; 11. Discriminate; 12. With each passing day;

13. Unlike; 14. Subjected to; 15. At best;

16. Plays up; 17. Come a long way; 18. Do well;

19. Against all the odds; 20. In this context.

Part Two: comprehension checkPart Two: comprehension check

Choose the best answer for each of the following:1. The writer implies that in America ________. a. Whites score better that blacks on intelligence

tests b. Blacks outnumber whites in the middle class c. Schools have raises the ceiling of their classrooms d. The advances made by blacks are entirely due to

one man2. According to the author, women have gained greater

equality due to ____ a. better education b. the changing nature of work c. the women’s liberation movement d. anti-discrimination laws

3. Old hatreds against blacks are kept alive by _______

a. military action overseas b. news reports

c. fear of job losses d. affirmative action

4. It can be inferred that Newt Gingrich _______

a. knows nothing about history

b. thinks the English treated the Irish family

c. agrees with Roger Wilkins

d. is against affirmative action

5. Which of the following can we infer believe in the advice “divide and rule”?

a. the author b. Bob Dole

c. Dr. King d. Roger Wilkins.

6. The author’s position with regard to affirmative action is ______.

a. entirely negative b. entirely positive

c. mostly negative d. mostly positive

Keys: a d c d b b