Unit-6-Matriculation-Fixation市公開(kāi)課一等獎(jiǎng)省賽課微課金獎(jiǎng)?wù)n件

Unit6MatriculationFixation

ObsessiveInterestinattendingeliteuniversities

1/19StructurePara1-6theincident(1--2;3--4;5--6)Para7-8theauthor’scommentselicitedbytheincidentsPara9-14commentsontwotypesofcollegeobsessivesPara15conclusion

2/19DetailedStudy3/19Para1-2Thesetwoparagraphsmakeuptheintroductorypartinwhichtheauthorusesanincidentasastartingpointoftheessay.

Para3-4Asaresponsetotheman'sstory,theauthortriestogivesomeadvicebyrelatinghisownexperiences,i.e.hishighschoolfriends,hisuniversitydays,andhispresentcareer.Para5-6

Themanisnotveryresponsiveandinterestedintheauthor'saccount,whichevokestheauthor'scomment"Ineverdidfindoutwhyhewasvisitingthehospital.”

Para7-8

Thesetwoparagraphsplayanimportantroleintheessay.Ontheonehand,theyaretheauthor’scommentselicitedbytheincident;ontheotherhand,theyfunctionasatransitiontofurtherdiscussiononthematter.

Para9

Theauthorcriticizesparentswhotrytomaketheselectionofcollegesfortheirchildren.

4/19Para10Theauthorairshisviews,whichisdifferentfromthatofparentsmentionedintheprecedingparagraph.Hearguesthatagooduniversitydoesnotnecessarilyguaranteeasuccessfulcareer,andassertsthatparents’responsibilitydoesnotendwhentheirchildrenleavehomeforuniversity.Para11Theauthorgivesanillustrationofthesecondgroupofpeoplewhoareobsessedwithcollegeselection.Theyaredisillusionedparentswhosechildrenareunlikelytoenterprestigiousuniversities.Para12Thisparagraphgivestheauthor’sviewonasecondclassofobsessives.Theauthorarguesthatenteringaprestigiousuniversityisnotacriteriontojudgeaperson’ssuccess.Inadditionheoffersthereassuringadvicethat“l(fā)ifedoesn’thavejustoneact.ThereisoftenActTwo.AndActFive.”P(pán)ara13-14Thetalkaboutdinnerpricesseeminglyhassomethingtodowithaffordability,itisactuallyananecdotetheauthorusestopokefunatthoseallparents.Para15Inthisconcludingparagraphtheauthorhumorouslyexpresseshisattitudetowardscollegeselectionbysaying"people...can'tdecidewhetherIaminsensitiveororneryorflat-outdumb."5/19(1)Twoyearsago,IwaslanguishinginthewaitingroomofaPhiladelphiahospitalwhenacompletestrangerunexpectedlybegantellingmeabouthisdaughter’scollegeplans.Asmy79-year-oldmotherwasrecoveringfrommajorsurgerythatafternoon,Icouldnotgivehimmycompleteandundividedattention.Butasthebriefingsessionworeon,Ididmanagetogarnermostoftherelevantdetails.(2)Thegirl,brightbutnotbrilliant,hadbeenacceptedtoafirst-tieruniversitywithoutfinancialaidbuthadalsobeenacceptedtoalocal,second-echelonuniversitywhereshewaspromisedafreeride.Moneybeingtight,withothercollege-boundchildreninthefamilyqueue,themanhadpersuadedhisdaughtertoaccepttheseconduniversity’soffer.Nowhewasworriedthatshewouldonedayruethisdecision.Becauseshewouldbegraduatingfromalessprestigiousinstitution,fewercontactswouldbe

madeandfewerdoorswouldbeopened.Herdegreewouldputherwithinstrikingdistanceoftheyellowbrickroad,butnotphysicallyontheroaditself.smartbutnotoutstandingveryneartoroad—theroadofgold,ametaphorforsuccesssinceitwasalocaluniversity,therewouldbefewerchancestoestablishanetworkofinterpersonalrelationshipsthatcouldbepotentiallyhelpfulinthefuture.6/19

(3)Asamanoftheworldaccustomedtobeingtoldthemostintimatedetailsaboutcompletestrangers’marriages,careersandhobbies,Ihadlongagoacquiredtherequisiteskillstomediatethiscrisis.Itoldthemanthatmanyofmyhighschoolclassmateshadgraduatedfromthesecond-tieruniversityinquestionandhadgoneontoliverich,fulllives.

(4)ItoldhimthatImyselfhadgraduatedfromasecond-echelonPhiladelphiauniversitynotunliketheonehisdaughterwasentering,andhadmanagedtocarveoutanicelittlenicheformyself.ItoldhimthatmycollegedayshadbeenamongthehappiestofmylifethatthesunneversetwithoutmythankingGodfortheilluminationandinspirationprovidedbymytalented,dedicatedprofessors.Pressedforbiographicaldata,IexplainedthatIwasafreelancewriter,tickedoffalistofmycredentialsandsaidIwasprettyhappywiththewaymycareerhadturnedout.(5)Themanhadneverheardofme,hadneverreadanythingI’dwritten.Thoughhetriedtofeigninterestinmypatheticcurriculumvitae,Icouldseethathewasdevastated.Byfollowinganacademicpathsimilartomine,hisdaughter,whowasalsoplanningacareerinjournalism,wasgoingtoendupasbigafailureasI.(6)Ineverdidfindoutwhyhewasvisitingthehospital.securemyselfagoodandcomfortable

positionbyhardworkandgreatefforturgedtogivepersonal

information7/19(7)Imentionthisincidentbecauseitillustratestheneuroticgabbinessthatafflictsparentswhenitcomestimetosendtheirchildrentocollege.IknowwhereofIspeak.Nextfall,mydaughtergoestocollege.Threeyearslatermysonwillfollowsuit.Iwillbesorrytoseethemgo;overtheyearstheyhaveprovedtoberemarkablyamusing.Buteverydarkcloudhasasilverlining.Oncemychildrenhaveleftthehouse,Iwillneveragainhavetoparticipateinamindnumbingdiscussionaboutwheremychildrenormyfriends’childrenormyneighbors’’childrenaregoingtocollege,andwhy.Onthissubject,Iamcompletelylappedout.(8)Thislackofinterestdoesnotstemfrompureselfishnessorunalloyedcontemptforotherpeople’soffspring.Rather,IfeelthiswaybecauseIfindalmostallconversationsaboutthecollegeselectionprocesstobebanal,self-aggrandizing,self-flagellatoryorpunitive.I’drathertalkaboutcribbage.

Whydoestheauthorsaythathewillneverparticipateinamind-numbingdiscussionaboutcollegeselectionprocess,oncehiskidshavelefthome?

Theauthorbelievesthatsuchdiscussionsaremeaninglessorevenharmful.Here,heseemstosuggestthatforthoseparentswhohappentomaketherightselectionsfortheirchildrenorwhosechildrengotoprestigiousuniversitiessuchatopicwouldbeself-aggrandizing,butforthosewhofailtomaketherightselectionsorwhosechildrengotolessprestigiousuniversitiessuchatopicwouldbeself-flagellatory.8/19(9)Themostinfuriatingconversationistheonewheretheparentclearlyseeksadecisive,career-validatingmomentofemotionalclosure.

Suchindividualsbelievethatsecuringadmissiontoatop-flightuniversityprovidesachildwithanirrevocablepassporttosuccess,guaranteeingalifeofuninterruptedeconomicmirth.ParentssuchastheseupwardlymobilechuckleheadsexudeanalmostPrussianbelligerencewhenannouncingtheirchildren’sdestinations,congratulatingthemselvesonajobwelldone,whileissuingasottovocetaunttoparentsofthelessgifted.Forthem,thehardpartofchildrearingisnowover.Juniorwenttotherightprepschool,madetherightfriends,signedupfortherightactivitiesandisnowheadedfortherightschool.NowwecangettheheckoutofhereandmovetoTuscany.(10)Butinreality,lifedoesn’tendatageseventeen.Ortwenty-one!Inreallife,somechildrengetthefinesteducationsbutstillbecomefirst-classscrew-ups.Myownprofessionisfilledwithpeoplewhowenttotherightschoolbutendedupinthewrongcareer.Someofthoseboysandgirlsmostlikelytosucceedaregoingtoenduponwelfareorskidrow.Atwhichpointthey’llneedparentalinput.Orcash.Aparent’sresponsibilitydoesn’tendoncethekidsleave.Aparent’sresponsibilityneverends.That’swhyNaturegivesyouthejob.Themostannoyingconversationistheonewheretheparenttriestobeemotionallysettledonceforallbyselectingforthechildagoodcollegethatguaranteeshisorherfuturecareer.happinessandsatisfactionwitheconomicsuccesstheirchildren’sentryintotopuniversitieslaughingquietlyatthoseparentsoflessgiftedchildrenAchildissupposedtoentercollegeatseventeenandgraduateattwenty-one.absoluteandhopelessfailureseventuallyliveonsocialwelfarefortheirsurvival9/19(11)Asecond,farmorenumerousclassofobsessivesconsistsofpeoplewhosuddenlyrealizethattheirBrandXchildrenaren’tgoingtomakethecut.Seventeenyearsofunreadtextbooks,unvisitedmuseumsanduntakenA.P.Coursesarenowfinallytakingtheirtoll,andthosegrandiosedelivery-roomdreamsofAmherst,Bard,andDukearesuddenlygoingupinsmoke.Bashfully,shamefacedly,miserably,theseparentsnowmumblethenamesoftheglamourlessinstitutionstheirprogenyareskulkingoffto.Invariably,theyarecollegesyouneverheardofintownsnoonewantstovisitinstateswhosecapitalsonlyrepeatwinnersonJeopardy!canname.Themarkethasspoken,theglumparentalexpressionsseemtosay.Mychildisanidiot.

Theirchildrenfallintothecommonvarietythatarenotlikelytoachievemuchandcannotpossiblybeadmittedtoprestigiousuniversities.Theobscureuniversitiestheirchildrenaregoingto,whichtheyfeeltooashamedtoletothersknowabout.10/19(12)Butonceagain,realityhasawayofupsettingtheworstlaidplansofmiceandMensa.Somekidsarelatebloomers.Somekidsarebetteroffinalesscompetitiveenvironment.Lotsofpeopleachievehugesuccessinthissocietywithoutadegreefromaprestigiousuniversity.Justbecauseyourchildhasfailedtoclearthefirst,oreventhetwentieth,hurdledoesn’tmeanyoushoulddisownhim.Matissedidn’tgetrollinguntilhewasinhisforties.BillGates,DavidGeffen,MichaelDell,GraydonCarterandMadonnaareallcollegedropouts.RonaldReaganattendedtinyEurekaCollege,whileWarrenBuffetwenttoFootballUinLincoln,Neb.DespitewhatyoumayhavereadinF.ScottFitzgerald(whodroppedoutofPrincetonin1917),lifedoesn’thavejustoneact.ThereisoftenActTwo.AndActFive.Nottomentionthesequels.Matriculationfixationreachesitsdottiestformduringtheobligatorycampusvisit.Hereitisneverentirelyclearwhatparentsarelookingfor,particularlyinhigh-profileinstitutionswhoserenownhasinsomewayprecededthem.DuringarecentvisittoM.I.T.,Iwatchedthefirstsecondsofanadmissionsofficevideopokingfunattheuniversity’sreputationasanerdfactory.Whilemywifeanddaughterwatchedtherestofthevideo,whichassuredapplicantsthatM.I.T.nerdswerehardtofind,Itookastrollaroundthecampus.Isawalotofnerds.AndIdonotmeanthisasacriticism.makeprogresswhosefamehasmoreweightthantheseinstitutionsthemselves.Theauthorsuggeststhatsomeparentsthinkmoreofthefameofauniversitythantheuniversityitself,hence"itisneverentirelyclearwhatparentsarelookingfor.11/19(13)Laterthatmorning,aguideshowedabunchofusaroundcampus.Atonejuncture,shepointedoutarestaurantwherestudentscouldgrabafast,inexpensivemeal.“Howmuch?”askedonehigh-strungmother.“Abouteightbucks,”shewastold.Thewomanshuddered,notingthatforkingoverfordinnereverynightcouldgetprettydarnedexpensive.(14)“It’sgoingtocostyougrandtosendyourkidtoschoolhere,”Iinterjected.“Don’tstartworryingaboutdinnerprices.”(15)Sincethatvisitthisfall,thisincidenthasbecomeaninvaluablepartofmyrepertory.Now,wheneverIamdragoonedintothe30,000thinterminableconversationaboutthecollegeselectionprocess,Iindicatethatsedulousmonitoringofon-campusrestaurantpricesshouldbeavitalcomponentofthewinnowingprocedure.Peoplewhohearmesaythingslikethiscan’tdecidewhetherIaminsensitiveororneryorflat-outdumb.Well,let’sjustputinthisway:IwasneverM.I.T.material.12/19你印象最深的？13/19

Whatisthesignificanceofthisessay?

(1)Theideathatgettingintoelitecollegemakesabigdifferenceinlifemaybewrong;(2)Toalargeextent,whatcontributestoaperson'ssuccesslaterinlifearehispersonaleffortsandabilitiesratherthanhiseliteu