大学英语二若干话题.doc

Unit1
1) What do you think about Erich Fromm’s view on motherly love and fatherly love?
It is true that motherly love is unconditional. I believe what I’ve got from my mother is the deepest love I’ve ever received. (When I was at home, mother took good care of me / celebrated my birthdays / woke me up and prepared breakfast… Now I am away from home, she calls me every two or three days…) It seems that my life is much more important than hers.
As for fatherly love, I am not sure if his love is conditional, but obviously it’s different from mother’s love. Father also loves me very much (cares about my education, future but not much about my daily life; helps in my study and progress…).
2) Can you tell the difference between them according to your personal experiences?
I think there’s something in his statements, although it is hard for me to identify whose love is fatherly and whose love is motherly in the case of my parents. Unlike most mothers in the world, my mother is strict, concerns with my study and progress, gets angry when I cover up any of my wrongdoings…
On the other hand, my father has been very kind to me. He knows my needs, comforts me after my mother criticizes me, brings me toys, books, takes me to look around during holidays… I enjoy his company very much, feeling secure and relaxed. That is why I often think I have the best father in the world.
3. Work in groups to tell your group members whom you love very much and explain why.
I love my mother most, because she is always very kind to me, unlike my father who will scold me or slap me if I make mistakes or if I am naughty. My mother is an ordinary-looking woman, but in my eyes she is very beautiful. She is very hard-working and does almost all the housework. When I was working for the entrance examinations, she was very considerate and never let me do any housework. When I was hungry at night, she would fix a snack for me. She is a good cook. It’s a pity that I am not able to have what she cooks because I am far away from home now.
4) How do you feel when you walk on the street and see a disabled person?
I feel pity towards those who are disabled. I wonder how they can manage in their daily life and whether they have a job. I feel lucky that I am not disabled.
5) Do you know anyone who is disabled? If you do, talk about him/her.
Yes. My aunt is deaf and dumb. She has been like this since her childhood. My grandmother said that she became deaf because of taking the wrong medicine. She is now more than fifty years old and she has never been married. She was very kind to me. In fact it was she who brought me up. She often felt it unfair because she couldn’t hear. But she is very intelligent, and she is good at sewing. She sometimes kidded/teased me with gestures that she wanted to cut off her ears because they couldn’t work.
VII. Discussion
1. What do you think makes a good heart?
I think there are many things to make a good heart. These are: kindness to others, generosity, sympathy for others (compassion), endurance, never hurting others, being
satisfied with life, patience, etc.
2. What do you learn from this article about the relationship between the father and the son?
The father knew his disability stood in the way between him and his son. That’s why he said to his son: “You set the pace, I’ll adjust to you.” The son was young, so he was ashamed of his father because other people stared at them. But deep in their hearts they loved each other. The father was proud of his son, and the son learned a lot from his father.
3. How and why does the son’s attitude change?
The son realized that it was his father who taught him many things such as how to have a good heart. He knew that having a good heart was more important than a good appearance. Especially after his father died, he felt it more intensely that it was
his father who guided him in his life.
4. If you were the son, how would you feel towards the father?
If I were the son, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen with him by others. I would be proud of my father no matter how he looked because it was he who gave me life and brought me up. His disability was not his own choice. He was disabled, which was hard enough for him. How could the others look down upon him, let alone his son?  
Unit2
1) Do you agree that men and women seldom mean the same things even when they use the same words? Are there any examples in your daily life that may support your point of view?
1) —Yes, I agree. Male speakers are more direct, and female speakers are more indirect or tactful. For instance, if a man says “You don’t look good in that dress”, he means what he says. In contrast, a woman might say “That’s an interesting dress you’re wearing”, when she actually means she doesn’t like the dress. She is trying to be tactful.
—Usually, when people say something, they try to make themselves understood by expressing the literal meaning. But on some occasions, the same words can have different meanings. For example, when a woman falls in love, her words to her lover may imply something special. When she says that she feels cold, she might actually mean that it’s time for the man to move closer to her. In that case, it is an invitation to the man to hold her hands, or to put his arms around her.
2) Besides the gender differences, are there any other differences that may cause people to speak differently?
2) —I think, besides gender differences, differences in social position, education background, culture, occupation and age may also cause problems in understanding each other.
—In my opinion, those who speak the same language may express themselves differently because they have different personalities, likes and dislikes, or value systems. All these work together to lead to different personal styles or ways of communication.
Unit3
What Accounts for Success?
1. I think intelligence and hard wok are the most important things. First you must be intelligent. You won’t be able to succeed if you are stupid. But intelligence alone is not enough. You also need to work hard. There is a saying which goes like this “No pains, no gains”. There is no free lunch in this world. Success is something you have to earn painstakingly.
2. In my opinion, the most important thing is to be prepared and perseverant. Many people complain that they don’t have the opportunity to succeed. That is not true. The fact is that they are not ready and don’t see the opportunity, not to say how to seize it. Opportunities only favor those who are prepared. Then perseverance is also very important. Once you start a thing, you shouldn’t give up when you face difficulty. You have to try again and again to figure out a way to solve the problem.
3. I think your dreams and the determination to pursue them are two vital factors for your success. Once you make up your mind to follow your dreams, you will become very independent and diligent.
Besides, physical fitness is also important to success. As the old saying goes, health is the capital to revolution. In order to succeed, you also need outside support such as social relationships and family influence. They will contribute to your success if you can use them properly.

What personal qualities are likely to make a successful university student?
Qualities of a successful student
A. being flexible and being able to adjust to the college life quickly,
B. being able to set a reasonable goal,
C. being self-disciplined and strong-willed,
D. being inquisitive, active and aggressive,
E. being confident and having a positive outlook on life,
F. having the capacity for independent thought,
G. being good at dealing with personal problems.
Qualities of an unsuccessful student
A. being rigid and unable to adapt to the college life,
B. lacking self discipline and being weak-willed,
C. lacking inquisitiveness,
D. being passive,
E. being pessimistic and lacking self-confidence,
F. lacking creativity and avoiding taking risks frequently,
G. being poor in dealing with interpersonal relationships.
Unit4
1. When you have any health problems, will you always go to the doctor? If so, what do you expect from the doctor?
When I have health problem, I will go to the doctor. I want the doctor to examine me, to diagnose the problem, to write a prescription or to tell me if there is anything I should or should not do. I want the doctor to give me some necessary tests. Above all, I always expect the doctor to tell me that I will be able to get over the problem or recover quickly.

I usually avoid going to the hospital because to see a doctor is really tiring and time-consuming. So when I don’t feel well and it’s not a very serious case, what I usually do is to have a good rest. For example, when I have a cold, I will drink a lot of water and stay in bed. If it’s a serious health problem and I can’t recover by taking a good rest, I’ll go to the doctor and get some medicine. Just like most people, I hope the doctor will comfort me besides prescribing me the medicine.
2. Is there really a doctor in the body? If so, who do you think is the doctor? Why?
I think there is a doctor in the body and it is the mind. Usually if we are quite confident, we will react as if everything will go well. That is to say, if we are mentally sure that we will get better, the body will start functioning better. Otherwise we will lose heart and our illness will probably get worse. I really believe in the power of “mind over matter”.
3. How would you feel if you knew your doctor had given you a placebo instead of medicine?
It depends. If I got better, I would feel lucky to have been given a placebo instead of real medicine because medicine often has some side effects. However, if I didn’t feel better, I would be very angry and probably would never go back to that doctor.
4. If you got better anyway, would you think the doctor had cheated you? Would you be pleased that you had been able to heal your own body just by believing that you could?
I would think the doctor had cheated me. At the same time, I would be pleased that I had been able to heal my body just by believing that I could. I would be proud of my willpower and become more confident of myself. 
Unit5
1) Do you have recurring dreams, that is, dreams that you often have?
2) Have you ever wondered about the meanings of your dreams? Do you have any explanation for your dreams?
3) Why do you think people dream?
      A: Do you have recurring dreams?
      B: Yes. I often dream of having to take an exam I haven’t prepared for.
      A: Oh that’s the case for me. I think many students have such dreams. Have you ever wondered about the meanings of your dreams or tried to find any explanations for them?
      B: I am curious about the meanings of my dreams, but I don’t have any explanations for them. My grandmother told me that if I dream of coffins or water, I will make a fortune. I did dream of water, but I am not rich. I ask my parents for money every month.
      A: I read some books on dreams. According to what I have read, there are hidden meanings behind dreams. But I think it’s superstitious. I believe in science. Well, how about you. Why do you think people dream?
      B: It is hard to say. However, as a Chinese saying goes, we think of something too often and we dream of it during the night. I think when the body is at rest, the minor part of the brain continues to work. That may be the reason why we dream.  
Unit6
1. What do you eat and what don’t you eat?
I like fresh fruit, vegetables, pork, seafood, all kinds of nuts, etc. I don’t like beef, lamb, chicken and pickles.
Although I’m not a vegetarian, I like vegetables and fruit most. I eat a lot of them. I also like seafood because I was born in a city on the coast. I’ve been exposed to seafood ever since my childhood. I don’t eat meat, any kind of meat.
2. Why do you eat certain foods and why don’t you eat certain foods?
The reason why I eat certain foods or don’t eat certain foods is simple: taste. In other words, I eat what tastes good, and don’t eat what doesn’t. But there is one exception. I’ve never tried snake because I’m scared by the creature. The mere mention of the word “snake” makes my skin crawl.
3. Is there anything you find strange about people’s eating habits? What is it and why?
Yes. People in Guangzhou eat rats, snakes and many other birds or animals. It is said that they eat anything with 2 legs except human beings and anything with 4 legs except tables. Although it is an exaggeration, it shows they really eat a wide range of things. Many people think that’s strange because rats and snakes are nauseating. I also find eating raw fish strange, because I think raw fish contains a lot of bacteria.
Places to Eat
Imagine that you are going to invite several classmates to celebrate your birthday. Which of the following places do you prefer to go and why? Work in groups to exchange your ideas. Choose a representative to give a report to the whole class.
1) cafeteria 2) fast-food restaurant
3) food stall 4) family restaurant
5) university dining hall 6) your home
7) expensive restaurant
Sample 1
I would invite some of my classmates to my home for a small birthday party. Compared with restaurants, homemade food is much cheaper, so it is relatively more acceptable to students, who don’t have regular incomes. Besides, celebrating my birthday in my house allows my friends and me to feel more comfortable and have more fun. For instance, we don’t have to hold down our voices and sit still at a table as we should act in a restaurant or in a school dining hall. At the same time, I can play some music or TV programs we like while we enjoy our meal. In a word, I consider my home the best place for a birthday celebration.
Sample 2
I would like to invite my friends to a party at a fast food restaurant. First, fast food restaurants such as KFC and McDonald’s are popular with young people. The youth feel completely relaxed at such restaurants, so it’s a good place for fun. Second, the restaurants themselves offer special birthday services. For instance, birthday cakes and candles are often provided by the restaurants. This usually adds to the joyful atmosphere of a birthday party. Third, compared with one’s own homes, which are the first choice of many people, fast food restaurants are more convenient and cheaper to some extent.
Sample 3
I prefer to go to a cafeteria. If I happen to invite one or more gluttons, it helps save a lot of trouble and money. Furthermore, nobody would regard me as a miser since we students are financially dependent. It also saves the trouble of deciding what to eat and where to go. I believe
the friendly atmosphere is more important than anything else.
Unit8
Do you budget (预算) your