1 我当时在明尼苏达州莫里斯市的圣玛丽学校任教，马克·埃克隆是我教的三年级一班的学生。全班 34个学生都和我很亲密，但马克是万里挑一的。他衣冠整洁，一副乐天派的样子，即便偶尔调皮一下，也 显得那么可爱。
2 马克上课时还会说个不停。我只得一次次地提醒他，未经允许是不可以在课堂上讲话的。然而，每 次我不得不纠正他的捣乱行为时，他的反应总是那么真诚，这给我留下了深刻的印象。“谢谢您纠正我的行 为，老师！”起初我不明白他的话到底是什么意思，可是不久我就习惯了，这话每天都听他说好多遍。
3 一天上午，当马克又在不停地说话时，我没了耐心，于是犯了一个新教师会犯的错误。我看着马克 说道：“如果你再说一个字，我就用胶带把你的嘴封住！”
4 不到10秒钟就听见查克突然嚷起来：“马克又说话了。”我并没有让任何学生帮我监督马克，可是既 然我已经在全班面前说明了惩罚办法，就要说到做到。
5 我还记得当时的情景，就像是今天上午刚刚发生似的。我走到自己的桌前，不慌不忙地拉开抽屉，
拿出一卷胶带，接着一言不发地走到马克桌前，撕下两条胶带，在他的嘴上贴成一个大大的叉。然后我又 回到教室的前面。
6 当我瞥了马克一眼，想看看他的反应时，他对我眨了眨眼。他得逞了！我笑了起来。我回到马克的 桌旁，撕掉了贴在他嘴上的胶带，并无可奈何地耸了耸肩，这时全班都欢呼起来。撕掉胶带后他说的第一 句话是：“谢谢您纠正我的行为，老师。”
7 那年年底的时候，我被安排去教初中数学。时光飞逝，不知不觉中马克又坐在了我的教室里。他比 过去更英俊了，而且还是那么彬彬有礼。因为不得不仔细听我讲解“新数学”，九年级的马克不再像在三年 级时那么爱讲话了。
8 有个星期五，班里的情况有点儿不对头。整整一周我们都在努力学习一个新的概念。我感到学生们 开始泄气了，而且彼此之间变得急躁、易怒。我得改变一下班里的气氛，以免情况失控。于是我让学生把 班上其他同学的名字列在两张纸上，在名字之间留出些空间。然后我让他们考虑一下对于每位同学的最好 的评价，并把它写下来。
9 那堂课剩下的时间全花在了完成这项任务上。当学生们离开教室的时候，每个人都把他们写好的两 张纸递给了我。查利面带微笑。马克对我说：“谢谢您教导我，老师。周末愉快。”
10 那个星期六，我把每个学生的名字分别写在一张纸上，然后把其他人说的关于那个学生的话都一一列 在上面。星期一，我把这些纸分别发给对应的学生。有的有两页之多。没多久，所有的学生都在微笑。“真的
27 The Power of Words 吗？”我听见有人轻声说。“我从没想到会有人看重那件事！”“我没想到别人会这么喜欢我！”
11 没有人再在班上提起那些纸。我也不知道他们是否在课后或与他们的父母谈论过那些（列在纸上的）
事，可是那并不重要。这次活动已经达到了目的。学生们又感到快乐了，相互之间又愉快地相处了。
12 那一拨学生接着进入更高的年级。几年后的一天，我度假回来，父母到机场接我。开车回家的路上，
母亲问了些关于旅行的事，都是老一套：天气怎么样，以及大致的旅行经历。然后谈话中有点儿冷场。母 亲斜瞟了父亲一眼，只说了句：“她爸？”于是父亲清了清嗓子，在说重要的事情之前，父亲通常这样做。
“埃克隆夫妇昨晚打电话来了，”他开始说道。
13 “是吗？”我说。“我已经好几年没和他们联系了。不知道马克现在怎么样了。”
14 父亲的回答很平静。“马克在越南牺牲了，”他说。“明天举行葬礼。他父母希望你能参加。”直到今 天，我还清清楚楚地记得父亲在494号州际公路上告诉我马克的事情时的具体位置。
15 我以前从没见过躺在军用灵柩里的军人。马克看上去是那么英俊，那么成熟。那一刻，我只有一个 念头：马克，只要你能和我说句话，我愿意付出一切。
16 葬礼过后，马克的大多数同学都到查克的农舍去吃午饭了。马克的父母在那儿，他们显然在等我。
“我们想给您看样东西，”马克的父亲边说边从口袋里拿出一个皮夹。“这是马克牺牲后他们在他身上发现 的。我们想也许您认得这样东西。”
17 他打开皮夹，小心翼翼地拿出两页破旧的从笔记本上撕下的纸。很显然，那两页纸用胶带粘贴过，
并被反反复复地折叠过很多次。我不用看就知道那两页纸是什么，我在上面列出了每个同学提到的马克的 优点。“非常感谢您这么做，”马克的母亲说。“如您所见，马克很珍视它。”
18 马克的同学纷纷围住了我们。查利十分腼腆地笑着说，“我还留着我的那份呢。我把它放在我家书桌 最顶层的抽屉里了。”查克的妻子说：“查克让我把他的那份放在我们的结婚纪念册里了。”“我那份也留着 呢，”玛丽莲说。“夹在我的日记本里了。”另一个同学维姬从手袋里拿出了皮夹，把她那页破旧不堪的纸拿 给大家看。“我一直把它带在身边，”维姬毫不犹豫地说。“我想我们都留着自己的（优点）单子。”
19 在那个时候，我终于坐下来，哭了。我为马克，也为所有永远不能再见到他的那些朋友而流泪。
PART 3 Further Development
1 Vocabulary Review
1 C 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 B 6 A 7 C 8 A 9 A 10 A
2 Writing Versus Calling
Letter Writing Calling
Advantages
1) It saves money.
2) Letters can be kept and read again and again.
3) Letters can express our deep feelings.
4) It’s a pleasure to write.
1) It is quick to make a phone call and contact each other.
2) It enables us to hear each other’s voice.
3) We can get our friends’ response quickly.
4) People would feel more relaxed when they are talking on the phone.
(to be continued)
28 Unit 2
Letter Writing Calling
Disadvantages
1) It takes more time to write.
2) It takes more time to send a letter.
3) Mail may get lost.
4) People with poor handwriting may be reluctant to write letters.
1) It is more expensive than letter writing.
2) Calls usually cannot be kept or listened to again.
3) It is difficult to express deep feelings over the phone.
4) You won’t have time to think about what you’re talking.
3 How Powerful Are Your Words?
Sample Situation 1
Jack: Goodafternoon,MissBrown.
Miss Brown: Hello, Jack. How are you, Jack? You don’t look well.
Jack: I am worried about my English. I failed the final exam. I got 57. I feel terrible. Could you please give me a pass? I promise I will work harder from now on.
Miss Brown: I am sorry, Jack. I can’t do that. If I did that, it would be unfair to other students.
Jack: ButIhavebeenworkingveryhard.IwasnervousandcarelesswhenItookthe
exam.
Miss Brown: If I gave you a pass, then anyone who failed would come to me and want the same thing. What should I do? Should I let them all pass? I can’t do that. I hope you can work harder and take the make-up examination.
Jack: Yes,MissBrown.Thankyou.Good-bye!
Miss Brown: Good-bye!
Situation 2 John: Hi, Mary!
Mary: Hi, John.
John: I bought two tickets for the concert. Would you like to go with me tonight?
Mary: Tonight? I’m afraid I can’t. Have you forgotten that we have a math test tomorrow?
John: Don’t worry about the test. I’m sure we can pass.
Mary: No, I am new here, and I have to work harder.
John: Well, but it’s a really good concert.
Mary: I’m terribly sorry.
John: OK, how about the weekend? We can do something else.
Mary: OK, we can decide later.
Situation 3
Robert: Hi, Cathy!
Cathy: Hi, Robert!
Robert: Could you please do me a really big favor? I want to take Sarah to see my grandparents.
Butunfortunatelymymotorcyclebroke.Couldyoupleaselendmeyours?
Cathy: Hmm…, your grandparents live in the countryside, right? The roads are bumpy and muddy. You know mine is a brand-new one.
(continued)
29 The Power of Words
Robert: I know that. Rest assured. I will take very good care of it. I won’t break it, I promise. And after we return, I’ll clean it.
Cathy: That sounds fine. Here is the key.
Robert: Thank you very much. I appreciate your kindness.
Cathy: Haveagoodtime!Butdrivecarefully.Remember,it’smymotorcycle!
Situation 4
Linda: Hello. What can I do for you?
Customer: Nothing, thanks. I’m just looking.
Linda: How about this pair of shoes? They are very cool.
Customer: Idon’twanttobuyshoestoday.Besides,they’retooexpensive.
Linda: They’re not really expensive. The good leather and the workmanship are worth the price.
Customer: ButIdon’tlikethecolor.Ipreferblack.
Linda: Fortunately, we have black. Let me show you.
Customer: I must say they look nice.
Linda: You bet! Try them on.
(The customer tries them on.)
Linda: Wow! You look great! They suit you perfectly.
Customer: OK, I’ll take them.
Linda: Thank you!
4 Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?
Sample
Picture 1: A very ambitious baby.
Picture 2: This is how it feels sometimes when you have to give a speech. / Fear of public speaking.
Picture 3: Risks in life.
Picture 4: Life with… and without…
5 All the Good Things
(Open.)
Additional activity 1 The Power of Words
The following is a list of the most dangerous words and the 10 most powerful words. Work in groups to answer the questions below.
• The most dangerous word: “but”
• The 10 most powerful words:
• Four most important: “What do you think?”
• Three most important: “I appreciate you!”
• Two most important: “Thank you!”
• Single most important: “we”
1 Do you agree that “but” is the most dangerous word?
2 Why do you think these 10 words are considered the most powerful? What do you think about them?
30 Unit 2
2 This Is My Film!
STEP ONE
Put on a movie clip with the sound off and ask students to watch it carefully.
STEP TWO
Students work in groups to dub the movie clip themselves.
STEP THREE
Students watch the original movie clip and then compare it with their dubbed versions.
PART 4 Translation and Writing
2 Translation Practice
1 另一方面，打电话更快捷，所以当你需要很快得到答复时，打电话更合适些。
2 一些最精彩的信是灵感乍现时写就的，所以把文具放在你能坐下来花几分钟给朋友写一封短信的地方。
3 一封手写的信，装在一个不是装账单的信封中。当我们的朋友劳累了一整天，疲惫地回家的时候，
这封信就等候在她回家的路上。信中的话将帮助她消除一天的辛劳。这是一份多么美好的礼物啊。
4 有时你无法记住全部的评论，因为电话里说的话转瞬即逝，而且不能像珍藏的信件那样，可以保存 起来以备日后阅读。
5 很多成年人一直保留着多年前他们还是孩子时收到的几页纸，有些人甚至不管走到哪儿都随身带着，
是什么促使他们这么做的呢？答案就是感激。
6 利用一切机会给予他人认可，因为这会使他们更加自信，并能激发他们的积极性。这还会使你成为 一个在他们的生活中有重要影响的人。
3 Writing
1 Sample 1
Will Phone Calls Replace Letter Writing?
The conventional way of sending messages is writing a letter. Though it takes a lot of time, it is one of the most commonly used ways of communication. With the development of science and technology, the telephone emerged and it has become so popular that it becomes indispensable in our daily life.
It is difficult to say which is better. Every means of communication has its advantages and disadvantages. Writing a letter is not only a means of communication, but also a kind of pleasure.
The letters can be kept and read again and again. Sometimes they are inspiring, and sometimes they are encouraging. You can write a lot of things in a letter and it does not cost you much to mail it.Butitisslow,andyouhavetowaitarelativelylongtimetogetaresponsefromyourfriends.
On the other hand, making telephone calls is much faster, so they are more appropriate when you need a quick reply. They also enable you to hear your friends’ voice, which gives you a wonderful
31 The Power of Words
feeling. It is so easy just to pick up the phone and call, whereas letter writing takes more energy.
Buttelephoningisexpensive,andsometimesyoucannotrememberallthecommentsthatare
made because calls are transient, and cannot be kept for reading later like treasured letters.
So it is very hard to say which is better or whether phone calls will replace letter writing. The only thing we can do is to make a wise choice between letter writing and calling according to our needs.
Sample 2
Will Phone Calls Replace Letter Writing?
Will Phone Calls Replace Letter Writing?