Unit 4 The Joy of Work

　　Work Is a Blessing

　　① I grew up in Lakeland, Louisiana, one of 12 children. We all lived on my parents' subsistence farm(自给自足的农场). We grew cotton, sugar cane, corn, hogs, chickens and had a large garden, but it didn't bring in much cash. So when I was 12, I got a part-time job on a dairy farm down the road, helping to milk cows. We milked 65 cows at 5 in the morning, and again at 2 in the afternoon, seven days a week.

　　② In the kitchen one Saturday before daylight, I riiber complaining to my father and grandfather about having to go milk those cows. My father said, "Ya know, boy, to work is a blessing."

　　③ I looked at those two men who'd worked harder than I ever had - my father eking out a living on that farm, and my grandfather farming and working as a carpenter during the Depression. (1)I had a feeling I had been told something really important, but it took many years before it sank in.(承上、总结的话)

　　④ Going to college was a rare privilege for a kid from Lakeland, Louisiana. My father told me if I picked something to study that I liked doing, I'd always look forward to my work. But he also added, "Even having a job you hate is better than not having a job at all." I wanted to be a farmer, but I joined the ROTC(美)后备军官训练队，预备役军官训练营(Reserve Officers' Training Corps) program to help pay for college. (2)And what started out as an obligation to the Army became a way of life that I stayed committed to for 37 years, three months and three days.

　　本部分重点及难点：

　　1. I had a feeling I had been told something really important, but it took many years before it sank in. 我有种感觉--父亲跟我说了一些确实重要的东西，但许多年后我才真正理解。

　　sink in: be understood

　　It took many years for the teachers' words to sink in.

　　2. And what started out as an obligation to the Army became a way of life that I stayed committed to for 37 years, three months and three days.

　　(1) an obligation to the Army 对于部队的义务

　　(2) a way of life 生活方式

　　(3) stay / be committed to 致力于

　　He has been committed to working for the people heart and soul for more than twenty years.

　　(4) 译文：当时的"义务"从军便成为了我的生活方式--我在部队服役长达37 年三个月零三天。

　　⑤ In the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I saw a woman with her baby on her back, breaking bricks with a hammer. I asked a Bangladesh military escort why they weren't using a machine, which would have been a lot easier. He told me a machine would put that lady out of work. Breaking those bricks meant she'd earn enough money to feed herself and her baby that day. (3)And as bad as that woman's job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive. It riinded me of my father's words: to work is a blessing.(承上、总结的句子)

　　本部分重点及难点：

　　3. And as bad as that woman's job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive.

　　此处疑似错句，应省略前面的as，即改为：And bad as that woman's job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive. 虽然她的工作实在很糟糕，但那却足够养活一个小家庭。

　　as意为"虽然"，用于倒装，句式如下：

　　Though he is very young, he is very learned.=Young as he is, he is very learned.

　　Though he is an old man, he is very energetic.=Old man as he is, he is very energetic.

　　Though I like him very much, I won't do his homework for him.

　　=Much as I like him, I won't do his homework for him.

　　Though he tried, he failed again.=Try as he did, he failed again.

　　请认真答题，答题结果将记入知识点测评的成绩!

　　【单选题】7. _______, he is very gentle and has a sweet voice.

　　· A. As he is boy

　　· B. As he is a boy

　　· C. A boy as he is

　　· D. Boy as he is

　　【答案】D

　　【解析】本题考查as用于倒装句。Although/though he is a boy=boy as he is，这里一定要注意的是修饰可数名词单数形式的不定冠词要省略。这句话的意思是"虽然他是个男孩，他非常温和而且声音甜美。"

　　【知识点】as用于倒装句

　　⑥ Serving in the United States Army overseas, I saw a lot of people like that woman in Bangladesh. And I've come to believe that people without jobs are not free. They're victims of crime, the ideology of terrorism, poor health, depression and social unrest. These victims become the illegal immigrants, the slaves of human trafficking, the drug dealers, and the street gang mibers. I've seen it over and over again on the U.S. border, in Somalia, the Congo, Afghanistan and in New Orleans. People who have jobs can have a home, send their kids to school, develop a sense of pride, contribute to the good of the community and even help others. When we can work, we are free. (总结概括的句子)We are blessed.

　　⑦ I don't think I'll ever quit working. I'm retired from the Army, but I'm still working to help people be prepared for disasters. And I may get to do a little farming someday, too. I'm not going to stop. I believe in my father's words. I believe in the blessing of work.

　　III. 部分练习讲解

　　P168 Bridging the Gap

　　Directions: Fill in the blanks with a word or a phrase that best completes the passage. You may choose a suitable one from the list given.

　　解题方法：把词分类

　　动词 　　　　　　名词 　　　　形容词

　　improve 　　　　weight 　　　stressed

　　check out 　　 priority 　　　different

　　clearing away 　routine 　　　routine

　　arrive route

　　We all get the Monday blues from time to time, but there are ways to 1 improveyour working life and be happy at work. If you're going through a rough patch(经历难关，经历一段困难时期) at work or are lacking job satisfaction, 2 check outthese ways to boost your mood and have a happier work day.

　　If your workday often leaves you feeling 3 stressed and overwhelmed, it is time to calm things down by getting more organized. Firstly, make sure you 4 arrive a few minutes early for work to give you time to organize your tasks for the day and get mentally prepared. Secondly, organize your space by 5 clearing awayany clutter and streamlining your workspace. Finally, make a list of everything that you need to do that day in order of 6 priority. lf you can, try taking care of the more difficult things first to help take a 7 weightoff your mind.

　　Variety is the spice of life, and this is never truer than when it comes to your working day. Following the same 8 routineday in, day out can quickly cause boredom and dissatisfaction to set in, so try making every day a little 9 differentin any way you can. Try doing routine tasks in a different order, talking to someone new or taking a different 10 routeto work. If you really can't shake up(重组) your workday itself, instead try organizing something fun and different to do on your lunch break every so often.

　　II. Text Learning

　　How to Start Your Own Business

　　1 The paradox of starting your own business lies in the simultaneous challenge and reward, making it an experience unlike any other. So many businesses fail, and most entrepreneurs exclude thiselves from the possibility. The tragic reality is that when businesses fail, the passion often dies with it.(承上句) By following some sound advice and being prepared for the process, you will decrease your chances of losing a lot more than you bargained for. I have recently started a business and have learned some crucial lessons in the process that I feel privileged to share with you.(承上启下句)

　　2 1. Identify your motivation. Why do you want to start your own business? To have more time? To make more money? To be your own boss? To have creative control over what you love to do? Write out all of your motivating factors and prioritize thi.(承上启下句)When you see thi listed, you might see a pattern in that you're just unhappy at your current job and starting your own business isn't the answer.

　　3 2. Identify your passion. What do you love to do? What skills and knowledge do you uniquely bring to the table? What gets you excited about your work? Keep that passion at the forefront of your business plan, your marketing strategies, and your daily routine. (1)If you keep your passion in plain sight, you will stay focused on the purpose of your business and not solely on the logistics.

　　4 3. Identify your market. If you are starting your business locally, research your competitors. Determine if there is room in the market for your business. What will you do differently to draw in customers? What niche market are the other businesses missing? If you are starting an Internet company, research the requirients for your own unique Web presence. Your business cannot survive without customers, so do enough research on the front end to determine if there are enough potential clients to keep your business alive.

　　5 4. Identify your finances. If you have ever purchased a new home, you know that the financial obligations (债务)extend beyond the down payment and the mortgage. You have to buy furniture, trash cans, a garage door opener(车库门遥控开关), light fixtures and landscaping equipment(景观美化设备), and before you know it, you've far exceeded your financial boundaries. That can happen just as easily in a business. Do exhaustive(详尽的) financial planning. Meet with a financial advisor(财政顾问) or someone at your bank to examine the financial viability of your business and the process of getting it up and running. Plan wisely and do not assume the best about your business. Be prepared for financial loss and get advice on how to alleviate that burden in the future.

　　6 5. Identify your support systi. Seek out advice from seasoned business owners, even those in your own field. Develop relationships with people who can offer sound advice and criticism that you might not see. If there is a business owner in your community or in your network that you aspire to model, examine his or her business practices and how they handle various situations. Ask for counsel before big decisions, and even create your own makeshift Board of Directors to help guide you in the planning and start-up process.

　　7 Once you have all of these elients in place, you are prepared to start the process of developing a business plan, applying for a license, establishing a marketing presence(营销实体), etc. (2)Owning your own business can be unparalleled in the professional world, and if you surround yourself with wise counsel, you can have a career that daily feeds your passion.

　　本文重点及难点：

　　1. If you keep your passion in plain sight, you will stay focused on the purpose of your business and not solely on the logistics.

　　(1) keep sth. in plain sight 显而易见，一览无余

　　(2) stay focused on 关注于

　　2. Owning your own business can be unparalleled in the professional world, and if you surround yourself with wise counsel, you can have a career that daily feeds your passion.

　　(1) unparalleled 无双的，无与伦比的，空前的

　　(2) surround yourself with wise counsel 征求他人的建议

　　(3) a career that feeds your passion 满足你的热情的事业，充满激情的事业