1、English Self-Teaching Course Book TwoPage 1 of 31ContentsUnit 1 The Power of Language.2Text A Critical Reading.2Text B The Language of Confidence.3Unit 2 Mistakes to Success .4Text A Split Milk.4Text B The Cake .5Unit 3 Friendship and Loyalty .6Text A Reflections: Friendship and Loyalty .6Text B A T
2、ribute to the Dog.7Unit 4 The Joy of Work .8Text A Works Is a Blessing .8Text B How to Start Your Own Business .9Unit 5 Keep your Dreams Alive .10Text A Life Is Difficult.10Text B Begin Again .11Unit 6 The Value of Money .12Text A Teaching Children to Spend Pocket Money Wisely.13Text B The Importanc
3、e of Money in Life .13Unit 7 Inner Voice .15Text A Your Inner Voice.15Text B Make a Good First Impression.16Unit 8 The Great Minds .17Text A Life without Limits.17Text B An Unwanted Baby, Steve Jobs.18Unit 9 Facing Lifes Challenges .20Text A: 300 Hurdles.20Text B A Violin with Three Strings.21Unit 1
4、0 Ode to Public Transportation .22Text A: The Importance of Public Transportation.22Text B: Personal Advantages of Taking Public Transportation .24Unit 11 Cyber World .25Text A Cyber Love.25Text B The Impact of the Internet on Society .27Unit 12 A Break from Life .28Text A Feeling Free .28Text B Sel
5、f-esteem and Body Image .29English Self-Teaching Course Book TwoPage 2 of 31Unit 1 The Power of LanguageA Famous QuoteLanguage is the dress of thought.-Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson (1709-1784), British man of letters, one of the most outstanding figures of the 18th century in England. He made lastin
6、g contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson has been described as “arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history.”Text A Critical ReadingPre-reading Questions1. Do you usually challenge the id
7、ea an author represents? What do you think is active reading?2. What suggestions do you expect the author will give on reading critically?Critical reading applies to non-fiction writing in which the author puts forth a position or seeks to make a statement. Critical reading is active reading. It inv
8、olves more than just understanding what an author is saying. Critical reading involves questioning and evaluating what the author is saying, and forming your own opinions about what the author is saying. Here are the things you should do to be a critical reader.Consider the context of what is writte
9、n. You may be reading something that was written by an author from a different cultural context than yours. Or, you may be reading something written sometime ago in a different time context than yours. In either case, you must recognize and take into account any differences between your values and a
10、ttitudes and those represented by the author.Question assertions made by the author. Dont accept what is written at face value. Before accepting what is written, by certain that the author provides sufficient support for any assertions made. Look for facts, examples, and statistics that provide supp
11、ort. Also, look to see if the author has integrated the work of authorities.Compare what is written with other written work on the subject. Look to see that what is written is consistent with that others have written about the subject. If there are inconsistencies, carefully evaluate the support the
12、 author provides for the inconsistencies.Analyze assumptions made by the author. Assumptions are whatever the author must believe is true in order to make assertions. In many cases, the authors assumptions are not directly stated. This means you must read carefully in order to identify any assumptio
13、ns. Once you identify an assumption, you must decide whether or not the assumption is valid.Evaluate the sources the author uses. In doing this, by certain that the sources are credible. For example, Einstein is a credible source if the author is writing about landmark achievements in physics. Also
14、be certain that the sources are relevant. Einstein is not a relevant source when the subject is poetry. Finally, if the author is writing about a subject in its current state, be sure that the sources are current. For example, studies done by Einstein in the early 20th century may not be English Sel
15、f-Teaching Course Book TwoPage 3 of 31appropriate if the writer is discussing the current state of knowledge in physics.Identify any possible author bias. A written discussion of American politics will likely look considerably different depending on whether the writer is a Democrat or a Republican.
16、What is written may very well reflect a biased position. You need to take this possible bias into account when reading what the author has written. That is, take what is written with “a grain of salt.”By being a critical reader, you will become better informed and may change your views as appropriat
17、e.Text B The Language of ConfidencePre-reading Questions1. Are there any words that make you feel confident or diffident?2. Do you believe that language can influence peoples thought? Give some example.The language we use programs our brain. Mastering our language give us a great degree of mastery o
18、ver our lives and our destinies. It is important to use the language in the best way possible in order to dramatically improve our quality of life.Even the smallest of words can have the deepest effect on our subconscious mind, which is like a child, and it doesnt really understand the difference be
19、tween what really happens and what you imagine. It is eager to please and willing to carry out any commands that you give it- whether you do this knowingly or not is entirely up to you.“Try”It is a small word yet it has an amazing impact upon us. If someone says, “Ill try to do that” you know that t
20、hey are not going to be putting their whole heart into it, and may not even do it at all. How often do you use the word try when talking about the things that matter to you? Do say “Ill try to be more confident” or “Ill try to do that” or “Ill try to call”?Think about something that you would like t
21、o achieve, and say it to yourself in two different ways. Firstly say, “Ill try to ” and notice how you feel. Next say, “I will do ” and see how you feel.The latter makes you feel better than the first one, doesnt it? It gives you a sense of determination, a feeling that it will be done. Listen to th
22、e people around you and when they say they will try to notice if it gets done or not. Eliminate the word try from your dictionary and see how your life improves.“Cant”This is another small word with a big impact. It disempowers us, makes us feel weak and helpless, and damages our self-esteem. It lim
23、its our infinite abilities and stifles creativity. Rub it out from your internal dictionary and replace it with something that makes you feel great.Instead of saying you cant, why not say something like “I choose ” or “I choose not to ” Using words like this allows you to take back your power and to
24、 be in control of your life.Words may appear small and insignificant, yet they have a deep and lasting effect on us. Mastering your language gives you the power to live whatever life you desire.English Self-Teaching Course Book TwoPage 4 of 31What words do you use a lot that disempower you? Make a l
25、ist of words you commonly use and then write next to them some alternatives you can use. Make these alternatives words that make you feel fabulous, not only about yourself, but about life and what you are doing!Unit 2 Mistakes to SuccessA Famous QuoteSuccess is going from failure to failure without
26、losing your enthusiasm.- Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill（1874-1965）, British Conservative politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century, he served as Prime Minister twice.
27、He is the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature.Text A Split MilkPre-reading Questions:1. Did you make any mistakes on your way to success? Give some example.2. Do you believe that making mistakes is a necessary ingredient for success? Explain.Have heard of the s
28、tory about spilt milk? Well, we all know there is no use crying over spilt milk. But this story is different. I would hope all parents would respond in this manner.I recently heard a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. He was interviewed
29、 by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he was so much more creative than the average person; what set him so far apart from others?He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottl
30、e of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor a veritable sea of milk!When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, “Robert, what a great
31、 and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, “You know, Robert, whenever you mak
32、e a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which do you prefer?” He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilt milk.His mother then said, “You know, what
33、we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Lets go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.” The little boy learned English Self-Teaching Course Book TwoPage 5 of
34、 31that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!The renowned scientist remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didnt need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just op
35、portunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment “doesnt work”, we usually learn something valuable from it.Wouldnt it be great if all parents would respond the way Roberts mother responded to him?Text B The CakePre-readin
36、g Questions:1. Have you ever been wrongly blamed by your parents? How did you feel at that moment?2. What suggestions would you give to the parents who are blinded to their childrens merits?Cindy glanced nervously at the clock on the kitchen wall. Five minutes before midnight.“They should be home an
37、y time now,” she thought as she put the finishing touches on the chocolate cake she was frosting. It was the first time in her 12 years she had tried to make a cake from scratch, and to be honest, it wasnt exactly and aesthetic triumph. The cake was well, lumpy. And the frosting was bitter, as if she had run out of sugar or something, which, of course, she had.And then there was the way the kitchen looked. Imagine the huge blender fill with all the fixings for chocolate cake - including the requisite bowls, pans and utensils. Now imagine that the blender is turned on, high spee
