自考英语二(新版)-原文-Unit-1-The-Power-of-Language

Unit1ThePowerofLanguageAFamousQuoteLanguageisthedressofthought.------SamuelJohnsonSamuelJohnson(1709-1784),Britishmanofletters,oneofthemostoutstandingfiguresofthe18thcenturyinEngland.HemadelastingcontributionstoEnglishliteratureasapoet,essayist,moralist,literarycritic,biographer,editorandlexicographer.Johnsonhasbeendescribedas“arguablythemostdistinguishedmanoflettersinEnglishhistory.”TextACriticalReadingPre-readingQuestions1.Doyouusuallychallengetheideaanauthorrepresents?Whatdoyouthinkisactivereading?2.Whatsuggestionsdoyouexpecttheauthorwillgiveonreadingcritically?Criticalreadingappliestonon-fictionwritinginwhichtheauthorputsforthapositionorseekstomakeastatement.Criticalreadingisactivereading.Itinvolvesmorethanjustunderstandingwhatanauthorissaying.Criticalreadinginvolvesquestioningandevaluatingwhattheauthorissaying,andformingyourownopinionsaboutwhattheauthorissaying.Herearethethingsyoushoulddotobeacriticalreader.Considerthecontextofwhatiswritten.Youmaybereadingsomethingthatwaswrittenbyanauthorfromadifferentculturalcontextthanyours.Or,youmaybereadingsomethingwrittensometimeagoinadifferenttimecontextthanyours.Ineithercase,youmustrecognizeandtakeintoaccountanydifferencesbetweenyourvaluesandattitudesandthoserepresentedbytheauthor.Questionassertionsmadebytheauthor.Don’tacceptwhatiswrittenatfacevalue.Beforeacceptingwhatiswritten,bycertainthattheauthorprovidessufficientsupportforanyassertionsmade.Lookforfacts,examples,andstatisticsthatprovidesupport.Also,looktoseeiftheauthorhasintegratedtheworkofauthorities.Comparewhatiswrittenwithotherwrittenworkonthesubject.Looktoseethatwhatiswrittenisconsistentwiththatothershavewrittenaboutthesubject.Ifthereareinconsistencies,carefullyevaluatethesupporttheauthorprovidesfortheinconsistencies.Analyzeassumptionsmadebytheauthor.Assumptionsarewhatevertheauthormustbelieveistrueinordertomakeassertions.Inmanycases,theauthor’sassumptionsarenotdirectlystated.Thismeansyoumustreadcarefullyinordertoidentifyanyassumptions.Onceyouidentifyanassumption,youmustdecidewhetherornottheassumptionisvalid.Evaluatethesourcestheauthoruses.Indoingthis,bycertainthatthesourcesarecredible.Forexample,Einsteinisacrediblesourceiftheauthoriswritingaboutlandmarkachievementsinphysics.Alsobecertainthatthesourcesarerelevant.Einsteinisnotarelevantsourcewhenthesubjectispoetry.Finally,iftheauthoriswritingaboutasubjectinitscurrentstate,besurethatthesourcesarecurrent.Forexample,studiesdonebyEinsteinintheearly20thcenturymaynotbeappropriateifthewriterisdiscussingthecurrentstateofknowledgeinphysics.Identifyanypossibleauthorbias.AwrittendiscussionofAmericanpoliticswilllikelylookconsiderablydifferentdependingonwhetherthewriterisaDemocratoraRepublican.Whatiswrittenmayverywellreflectabiasedposition.Youneedtotakethispossiblebiasintoaccountwhenreadingwhattheauthorhaswritten.Thatis,takewhatiswrittenwith“agrainofsalt.”Bybeingacriticalreader,youwillbecomebetterinformedandmaychangeyourviewsasappropriate.TextBTheLanguageofConfidencePre-readingQuestions1.Arethereanywordsthatmakeyoufeelconfidentordiffident?2.Doyoubelievethatlanguagecaninfluencepeople’sthought?Givesomeexample.Thelanguageweuseprogramsourbrain.Masteringourlanguagegiveusagreatdegreeofmasteryoverourlivesandourdestinies.Itisimportanttousethelanguageinthebestwaypossibleinordertodramaticallyimproveourqualityoflife.Eventhesmallestofwordscanhavethedeepesteffectonoursubconsciousmind,whichislikeachild,anditdoesn’treallyunderstandthedifferencebetweenwhatreallyhappensandwhatyouimagine.Itiseagertopleaseandwillingtocarryoutanycommandsthatyougiveit---whetheryoudothisknowinglyornotisentirelyuptoyou.“Try”Itisasmallwordyetithasanamazingimpactuponus.Ifsomeonesays,“I’lltrytodothat”youknowthattheyarenotgoingtobeputtingtheirwholeheartintoit,andmaynotevendoitatall.Howoftendoyouusethewordtrywhentalkingaboutthethingsthatmattertoyou?Dosay“I’lltrytobemoreconfident”or“I’lltrytodothat”or“I’lltrytocall”?Thinkaboutsomethingthatyouwouldliketoachieve,andsayittoyourselfintwodifferentways.Firstlysay,“I’lltryto…”andnoticehowyoufeel.Nextsay,“Iwilldo…”andseehowyoufeel.Thelattermakesyoufeelbetterthanthefirstone,doesn’tit?Itgivesyouasenseofdetermination,afeelingthatitwillbedone.Listentothepeoplearoundyouandwhentheysaytheywilltrytonoticeifitgetsdoneornot.Eliminatethewordtryfromyourdictionaryandseehowyourlifeimproves.“Can’t”Thisisanothersmallwordwithabigimpact.Itdisempowersus,makesusfeelweakandhelpless,anddamagesourself-esteem.Itlimitsourinfiniteabilitiesandstiflescreativity.Rubitoutfromyourinternaldictionaryandreplaceitwithsomethingthatmakesyoufeelgreat.Insteadofsayingyoucan’t,whynotsaysomethinglike“Ichoose…”or“Ichoosenotto…”Usingwordslikethisallowsyoutotakebackyourpowerandtobeincontrolofyourlife.Wordsmayappearsmallandinsignificant,yettheyhaveadeepandlastingeffectonus.Masteringyourlanguagegivesyouthepowertolivewhateverlifeyoudesire.Whatwordsdoyouusealotthatdisempoweryou?Makealistofwordsyoucommonlyuseandthenwritenexttothemsomealternativesyoucanuse.Makethesealternativeswordsthatmakeyoufeelfabulous,notonlyaboutyour