labor 劳动

split 劈开

treatment 待遇,对待

rail 栏杆,转栏

hatred 仇恨

lawyer 律师

procession 队伍,行列

speaker 演讲人

former 以前的

represent 代表

parade 使受检阅，展示

union 团结,联合

torch 火炬,火把

civil 公民的,国内的

circumstance 情况,境遇

economy 经济

apart 分开

pressure 压力

policy 政策

congress 国会，议会

emphasize 强调

western 西方的,西部的

virtue 美德;优点

territory 领土,区域

The American Ideal of a Great Leader

1 Of all figures from American's past, Abraham Lincoln is dearest to the hearts of the American people. In fact, the admiration they have for his borders n worship.(1)Writers note that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C. is not unlike the temples that ancient Greeks built in honor of their goods, and that annual ceremonies of celebrating Lincoln's birthday in schools and public places have sometimes had characteristics of religious services(仪式). Certainly Lincoln is Americans admire.

2 First of all, Lincoln's career fits a popular American belief that every child can dream of becoming President. (2)Americans admire the self-made person-the one who, with neither money nor family influence, fights his or her way to the top. Lincoln was born of poor parents. His mother died when he was young. He had little opportunity for schooling. His early study was done alone at night by the light of a fireplace. He did hard manual labor through the day - splitting rails for fences, taking care of livestock(牧畜), working on a riverboat or in a store. But as he grew older he studied law in his spare time and became a lawyer. He was a good speaker and student of political philosophy. His ability finally made a name for him and eventually he became President of the United States.

3 Lincoln is also admired because of his leadership during the difficult period of the Givil War. He dared to do what he thought was right at a time when his beliefs were unpopular with many people. He, in a sense, represents the spirit of union among the states. Before the Givil War, the economy of the South depended on an agricultural system which made use of slave labor. (3) When reformers(改革家) in the northern states put pressure on Congress not to permit slavery in western territories that later became states, some of the southern states wanted to secede, or withdraw, from the United States. They argued that the question of slavery was a matter for the individual states to decide rather than the federal government, and they did not want to accept its decision. The national government said that no state had the right to secede, and the Givil War was the result. If the South had won the war, what is now the United States might well have been divided into several countries. Lincoln worked hard to preserve the union, and the northern states were victorious.

4 Furthermore, Lincoln had many personal qualities that made him dear to the hearts of his countrymen. He had infinite patience and tolerance for those who disagreed with him. (4)As President, he appointed men to high government positions whom he considered most capable, even though some of them openly scorned(蔑视) him. He was generous to his opponents. There are many stories about his thoughtful treatment of southern leaders. When the war was over, he showed the South no hatred. Since generosity toward a defeated opponent is admired by Americans, Lincoln fitted the national ideal of what is right.

5 Shortly after the Givil War ended, Lincoln was shot while attending a play in a Washington theater. He died within a few hours.(5)The uncontrolled emotional reaction of the nation to his death was almost unbelievable and demonstrated the deep esteem(尊重) in which he was held. Newspapers were edged(加边) with black; religious leaders gave praise of Lincoln instead of their prepared sermons(讲道). His funeral procession in Washington was miles long. Lincoln's body

was taken by train back to his former home in Springfield, Illinois, but in all the major cities through which the train passed, the coffin(棺材) was paraded through streets lined with sorrowful thousands. In the small towns through which the train passed, bells rang in honor of the dead President. Citizens lit torches along the railroad track to show their last respects.

6 The circumstances of his death set Lincoln apart from other American leaders. Had Lincoln lived, it might well be that his postwar policies would have brought criticisms upon him that would have tarnished his popularity. Instead, an assassin's bullet erased in the minds of American any faults he had and emphasized his virtues.

Exercise A

Use context clues as well as word part clues to guess the meanings of the underlined words In the following phrases and sentences. You may express your ideas in Chinese if you find it too difficult to express them in English.

1. the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.: __________________________ . 2. the temples that ancient Greeks built in honor of their goods: _____________ . 3. religious services: _________________________________ .

4. the self-made person - the one who, with neither money nor family influence, fights his or her way to the top: ______________________ .

5. he did hard manual labor through the day - splitting rails for fences, taking care of livestock, working on a riverboat or in a store: _________________ .

6. He dared to do what he thought was right at a time when his beliefs were unpopular with may people: ______________________ .

7. ... some of the southern states wanted t secede, or withdraw, from the United States: ______________ .

8. He had infinite patience and tolerance for those who disagreed with him: ______ . 9. generosity toward a defeated opponent: __________________ .

10. The uncontrolled emotional reaction of the nation to his death was almost unbelievable ...: ________________ .

11. ... his postwar policies would have brought criticisms upon him that would have tarnished his popularity:

12. Instead, an assassin's bullet erased in the minds of Americans any faults he had and emphasized his virtues: _____________ .

Exercise B

Quickly find in the introductory paragraph the thesis sentence (a statement that expresses the central idea of the whole passage) and the topic sentence for each of the remaining paragraphs: 1. The central idea of the whole passage (the thesis sentence): 2. The main idea sentence or topic sentence in Para. 2: 3. The topic sentence in Para. 3: 4. The topic sentence in Para. 4: 5. The topic sentence in Para. 5:

6. The main idea of the concluding paragraph:

Exercise C

Translate into Chinese the underlined sentences in the passage.

Guided writing PART I

Skill: Developing a Paragraph from the Topic Sentence

A topic sentence is one that introduces the central idea of a paragraph, and it is usually a general statement. It is a most common practice to begin a paragraph with the topic sentence and then develop and explain it by giving supporting details and specific examples. Study the following example and see how this method is used: Topic sentence Jefferson was a good and tireless writer. Evidence 1. fifty- volume works

2. author of the Declaration of Independence 3. effect of his writing

Paragraph

Jefferson was a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now being published for the first time, will fill more that fifty volumes. His talent as an author was soon discovered, and when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his. Millions have thrilled to his words: \are created equal ...\

PART II

Paragraph Writing

Directions: Write a brief summary of Thomas Jefferson's ideas. The subheadings in the text may serve as a framework.

REVISION EXERCISES 1

1 Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. crisis resent motion proceed self-evident emerge stick feasibility survive owe slightly appoint hazard host existence influence spring perform hesitate name obtain impulse smash widen faint reject conflict crash action threaten

1. Many young writers of that time were ____ by Hemingway, who they thought had revolutionized the technique of writing.

2. His parents ___ him after his great grandfather, who was a Supreme Court Justice.

3. Racial discrimination in America has led many people to conclude that that all men are created equal is a ___ lie.

4. The plane ___ into a building when it was landing. Not a single passenger ___ the tragedy. 5. The attention of the guests was drawn to the corner of the room where a heated argument had ___ up.

6. The ___ did not sit down until he was sure that all the guests were comfortably seated in the