19.Sam and His Store
19. Sam and His Store
Content 一---一--一一--一一--一一- 米Brief Introduction Analysis and Explanation 米Exercises Questions for Consideration
Content Brief Introduction Analysis and Explanation Exercises Questions for Consideration
Text Sam,an owner of a small store in New York City,never stopped working until his death.However,his son,George,who had been an ambitious person,one day quit his job in order to pay attention to other things in life.What do you think about their attitudes to work? 1.Sam was a grocer in the Bronx.All his life he had worked hard,first as the only employee in the same small grocery,and then as its owner.The store,which opened at 7:30 A.M.,never closed before eight in the eveningand often later,for Sam never refused to serve late customers when he was still around cleaning up the place.His wife helped during most of the day, and her sister came in the morning to prepare the sandwiches that they would sell at noontime.Sam's three children had always been expected to give a hand when they were not o school or doing their homework
Text Sam, an owner of a small store in New York City,never stopped working until his death. However, his son, George, who had been an ambitious person, one day quit his job in order to pay attention to other things in life. What do you think about their attitudes to work? 1. Sam was a grocer in the Bronx. All his life he had worked hard, first as the only employee in the same small grocery, and then as its owner. The store, which opened at 7:30 A.M., never closed before eight in the evening—and often later, for Sam never refused to serve late customers when he was still around cleaning up the place. His wife helped during most of the day, and her sister came in the morning to prepare the sandwiches that they would sell at noontime. Sam’s three children had always been expected to give a hand when they were not in school or doing their homework
2.Sam took his long days as a matter of course.Like most men of his age and modest background,he regarded work as the normal human fate.He didn't resent taking pains to assure the financial security of his family because he was convinced that anything of value has to be earned.Surely,it never occurred to Sam to wonder whether this security was costing him too much freedom and personal happiness.For one thing. he didn't consider himself unhappy or unfairly burdened.He was just a man doing his duty.Besides,he had his rewards: the store had prospered nicely since he had bought it and he felt proud of his success.It was good also to know that he had earned the respect and friendship of his neighbors;it was good to feel needed,responsible,and liked
2. Sam took his long days as a matter of course. Like most men of his age and modest background, he regarded work as the normal human fate. He didn’t resent taking pains to assure the financial security of his family because he was convinced that anything of value has to be earned. Surely, it never occurred to Sam to wonder whether this security was costing him too much freedom and personal happiness. For one thing, he didn’t consider himself unhappy or unfairly burdened. He was just a man doing his duty. Besides, he had his rewards: the store had prospered nicely since he had bought it and he felt proud of his success. It was good also to know that he had earned the respect and friendship of his neighbors; it was good to feel needed, responsible, and liked
3.For Sam the little store didn't represent only a hard way to make a living and to provide his sons with the education that he had not received himself.It was not just a place to work.It was his true home,his world,the very center of his life,and his pleasure as well.He enjoyed his daily conversations with his customers,the jokes he shared with the policeman on the beat,and the company of Fred,the tailor next door,who came every day for an apple and a bit of gossip.During the quiet hours of midafternoon,Sam would stand at his door,between the oranges and the potatoes,happily surveying his street.He belonged there,in this community of shopkeepers who shared his problems and his satisfactions. G
3. For Sam the little store didn’t represent only a hard way to make a living and to provide his sons with the education that he had not received himself. It was not just a place to work. It was his true home, his world, the very center of his life, and his pleasure as well. He enjoyed his daily conversations with his customers, the jokes he shared with the policeman on the beat, and the company of Fred, the tailor next door, who came every day for an apple and a bit of gossip. During the quiet hours of midafternoon, Sam would stand at his door, between the oranges and the potatoes, happily surveying his street.He belonged there, in this community of shopkeepers who shared his problems and his satisfactions
--一一--一一--一一--一一--一 4.Sam's sons tried in vain to talk him into retiring at seventy. He couldn't imagine a life away from his store,his responsibilities,his friends;the very idea of doing nothing made him uncomfortable.Sam ran his store until he was seventy-four.One morning,as he was carrying a box of apples outside,he collapsed and died of a heart attack without having been sick or idle one day.That was pretty much what he had hoped for
4. Sam’s sons tried in vain to talk him into retiring at seventy. He couldn’t imagine a life away from his store, his responsibilities, his friends; the very idea of doing nothing made him uncomfortable. Sam ran his store until he was seventy-four. One morning, as he was carrying a box of apples outside, he collapsed and died of a heart attack without having been sick or idle one day. That was pretty much what he had hoped for
5.At the time of his father's death,Sam's youngest son George was thirty-eight years old.A geologist,he held a demanding and highly paid position with a company that built nuclear reactors.He had to explore possible locations for new reactors and to study the ground to see if it was safe.The job involved much traveling,but George didn't seem to mind being away from his family for long periods of time,and spending evenings on paperwork when he was back home.The resulting breakup of his marriage saddened him without bringing any change in his way of life.Anyone who knew George would have described him as a hard-working,ambitious,competitive man with a splendid future in the company
5. At the time of his father’s death, Sam’s youngest son George was thirty-eight years old. A geologist, he held a demanding and highly paid position with a company that built nuclear reactors. He had to explore possible locations for new reactors and to study the ground to see if it was safe. The job involved much traveling, but George didn’t seem to mind being away from his family for long periods of time, and spending evenings on paperwork when he was back home. The resulting breakup of his marriage saddened him without bringing any change in his way of life. Anyone who knew George would have described him as a hard-working, ambitious, competitive man with a splendid future in the company
6.Eleven months after his father's death,George stopped working.He was not fired;he was not pushed out by a rival;he simply quit.His friends could hardly believe the news at first. When they tried to get an explanation,George told them that, after much reflection,he had reached the conclusion that his beloved career was robbing him of his life.He had always been too busy to pay attention to anything that was not connected with his work;too busy to share the interests of his wife;too busy to see the days and the years go by.In short,he had been nothing but a successful robot.Now he was going to stop running and take a good look at the world.He wanted to get to know himself
6. Eleven months after his father’s death, George stopped working. He was not fired; he was not pushed out by a rival; he simply quit. His friends could hardly believe the news at first. When they tried to get an explanation, George told them that, after much reflection, he had reached the conclusion that his beloved career was robbing him of his life. He had always been too busy to pay attention to anything that was not connected with his work; too busy to share the interests of his wife; too busy to see the days and the years go by. In short, he had been nothing but a successful robot. Now he was going to stop running and take a good look at the world. He wanted to get to know himself
--一一--一一--一一--一一--一一- -一一--一--一一--一一-- to watch the birds in his garden,and to become aware of the passage of time.No,he said,he had no intention of looking for another job after a while;and he had no desire to travel.He was just going to live and think in peace,at leisure. (to be continued) From A Changing Scene,ed.,Lucette RolletKenan,New York,1982 Approximately 800 words
to watch the birds in his garden, and to become aware of the passage of time. No, he said, he had no intention of looking for another job after a while; and he had no desire to travel. He was just going to live and think in peace, at leisure. (to be continued) From A Changing Scene, ed., Lucette Rollet Kenan, New York, 1982 Approximately 800 words
Exercises ----一--一一--一一--一 ---一---一一-- 米True or False 张Multiple Choice
Exercises True or False Multiple Choice