2024年4月28日发(作者：诸如柏)
Unit 12 A Case of "Severe Bias"
Key to the Exercises
Text comprehension
I. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose of writing.
A
II. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or
false.
1. T (Refer to Paragraph 3. In American news media, black America is poor,
criminal, addicted and dysfunctional. Indeed, the media have covered only a small
segment of the black community and presented it as the norm.)
2. T (Refer to Paragraph 3, where it is said that "it is an insidious practice, all
the uglier for its blatancy," meaning that the media's practice of misrepresenting
black America is obtrusive and offensive.)
3. F (Refer to Paragraph 4, where it is indicated that media reports on crack
babies, gang warfare, violent youth, poverty and homelessness are all featured as
black, while rarely is there any article about blacks playing a positive role, or any
role at all.)
4. F (Refer to Paragraphs 6?, where it is shown that in numbers there are more
white Americans on welfare, but among the urban underclass there is a larger
proportion of blacks.)
5. F (Refer to Paragraph 12, in which the author tells us that she has not seen a
recognizable "gang" member or any "gang" activity, nor has she been the victim of
"gang violence.")
6. F (Refer to Paragraphs 14?6, which show that blacks' true characteristics and
contributions are the biggest secret in America. Every black, even those with the
strongest minds, craves affirmation of their contributions to American society.)
III. Answer the following questions.
1. Refer to Paragraph 3. It refers to the small group of blacks who are poor,
criminal, addicted and dysfunctional.
2. Refer to Paragraphs 3?, and 11. The author especially focuses on the news
media, and she also touches upon the film industry.
3. Refer to Paragraph 7. As presented in the media, white America is always
whole and lovely and healthy, while black America is usually sick and pathetic and
deficient.
4. Refer to Paragraph 9. By "twilight zone," the author means that the image of
black America is very confusing because of the discrepancy between its image in
the media and its real character.
5. Refer to Paragraph 12. According to the author, she has never experienced
any "gang" activity in Denver, nor has she been the victim of "gang violence."
6. Refer to Paragraphs 5?, and 13. Yes, news reports and journalism are always
supposed to be the mirror on American reality.
IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences.
1. The media's malicious use of a small segment to represent all black America
is shameless and offensive.
2. The media are supposed to present American culture and American
experience truthfully by reflecting American reality, and people usually accept
news reports as truth without any doubt. Unfortunately, in many cases what they
present is anything but the truth.
3. The distorted, inaccurate news coverage is worse than covering nothing at
all about blacks.
4. I am not suggesting we close our eyes to the very real problems associated
with the lower class in cities, nor denying that blacks are overrepresented in this
class.
5. Most black people work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes. We have
made our contributions to American society, but the media never notice and cover
it. That makes blacks resentful.
Structural analysis of the text
With a series of sentences beginning with "I am not," the author shows how
different the image of blacks established by the media is from reality. And using
again the same sentence structure in Paragraph 6, the author emphasizes that she
is not an exception but one of the majority of blacks. With this structural repetition,
the author is comparing herself with the majority of blacks and contrasting the
image of blacks in the media with that in real life.
Rhetorical features of the text
Nor is it a matter of closing one's eyes to the very real problems of the urban
underclass -- which undeniably is disproportionately black. (Interrupting a
sentence)
And as self-reliant as most black Americans are -- because we've had to be
self-reliant -- even the strongest among us still crave affirmation. (Interrupting a
sentence)
I want America to know us -- all of us -- for who we really are. (Putting special
emphasis)
That is the real portrait of black America -- that we're strong people, surviving
people, capable people. (Introducing an explanation)
Vocabulary exercises
I. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.
1. that's it
2. supply
3. people in the lowest social position
4. hazy area; marginalized area
5. independent; self-dependent
II. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase from the box in its
appropriate form.
1. are guilty of
2. have been screaming out
3. contribution
4. was featured
5. being reminded of
6. in the light of
7. in the eyes of
8. deserving the attention of
III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.
1. victim 2. blatant
3. nutritional 4. Vibrations
5. denial 6. relegation
7. aberration 8. addictive
IV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each
sentence without changing its original meaning.
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. A
5. B 6. A 7. C 8. B
V. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in
the sense it is used.
1. Synonym: favour (support)
2. Antonym: balanced (fair, objective)
3. Antonym: honest (straightforward, sincere)
4. Synonym: impaired (harmed, incomplete)
5. Synonym: serious
6. Synonym: infer (derive, conclude, reason)
7. Synonym: inexact (faulty, mistaken, erroneous)
8. Antonym: elite (gentry)
VI. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.
1. provides space for
2. because of
3. makes interesting
4. protect
5. competitive
6. careful
Grammar exercises
I. Rewrite the following sentences, omitting if.
1. Had it not been for our adopted son, we would not now be surrounded by
caring strangers.
2. Had I known that, I wouldn't have said anything.
3. Should the guests arrive early, no one will be here to greet them.
4. Were I the President, I would make some changes.
5. Had Susan not been so lazy, she could have passed her history final.
6. Had Harry locked his door properly, the burglar would not have entered his
apartment.
7. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.
8. Should there be a global nuclear war, some scientists predict that life on
earth as we know it would end forever.
II. Complete the following sentences with the proper forms of the verbs in
brackets.
1. would not be waiting
2. would not be able to go
3. had read
4. had given
5. would love
6. had finished
7. listened
8. would have fallen
9. had been
10. will not dry out
III. Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases given.
1. Given
2. unless
3. In the event of
4. but for
5. Supposing
6. in case
7. on condition that
8. so long as
IV. Explain the following sentences.
1. If he laughs last, he laughs best.
2. If you try to grasp everything, you will get nothing.
3. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile.
4. If he had been born in better times, he would have done credit to the
profession of letters.
5. If the same thing should happen in wartime, it would amount to disaster.
6. If you should hear him talk, you'd think he had passed half his life in
Australia.
7. If you don't follow your doctor's advice, your cough will get worse.
8. If you lose one hour in the morning, you will be looking for it the rest of the
day.
V. Improve the following sentences.
1. The sheriff was looking for a middle-aged woman driving a dark green
Buick sedan with a little Scotch terrier beside her.
2. To start a conversation, I asked her for a light while waiting for the train.
3. Seymour lay in a hammock and watched the vultures circling steadily
overhead.
4. Filled with eagerness, curiosity, and excitement, Nancy carefully unwrapped
the small package.
5. We watched with the aid of powerful binoculars the gulls flying over the
windswept waves and barren rocks.
6. The pair of antique candlesticks shining brightly on the table attracted the
admiring glances of many visitors.
7. With a smile the doctor said that there was nothing seriously wrong. / The
doctor said with a smile that there was nothing seriously wrong.
8. When discussing creativity, John E. Gibson stresses a person's ability to
finish a pun.
VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping
the underlined structures in your sentences.
(Reference version)
1. As sick as he was, he came to work.
2. Visitors and the media teams all gathered to commemorate this
breath-taking, record-breaking, epoch-making event.
Translation exercises
I. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. 这些都不能用来界定我，也不能描述我40年生命中认识、共事、热爱、交往的任
何其他黑人。
2. 日复一日，周复一周，这样的信息，即美国黑人行为不端、道德败坏，传遍美国各
地。
3. 在这个场景中，数百万黑人被边缘化了，我们的身份和社会地位不是以事实为依据、
而是以虚幻的形象和直觉为依据。
4. 我们是身体强健的人，为生存打拼的人，能胜任工作的人——这才是美国黑人的真
实形象。
II. Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and phrases
given in brackets.
1. The film is about an elderly lady and a young nurse who befriended her.
2. In a family, a cell of society, women as mother and wife play an unregarded
but important role.
3. Having experienced many changes of history, many rises and falls of fortune,
it is at present a city vibrant with life and energy.
4. The local club has been relegated to the second division.
5. The board is investigating whether the general manager has been guilty of
serious professional misconduct.
6. We cannot interpret his words in a modern light, but must understand the
limitations imposed on him by the time in which he wrote.
7. The jury pronounced him innocent of fraud, though the evidence against
him is a fact to which we cannot close our eyes.
8. The tragedy of the Titanic can never occur in modern society. The shipboard
computer can automatically alter the course, let alone discover an iceberg in
advance.
III. Translate the following passage into Chinese.
我是一个肯尼亚黑人和堪萨斯白种女人的儿子，在我的白人祖父母的照料下长大成人。
祖父历经大萧条，二战期间服役于巴顿的部队；当祖父开赴海外战场时，祖母在莱文沃斯
堡的轰炸机流水线上作业。我在美国那些最好的学校里读过书，也在世界上最贫穷的国家
里生活过。我娶的是一位黑人妇女，她的血管里流淌着奴隶和奴隶主的血液——而这一血
统又遗传给了我们的两个宝贝女儿。我的不同种族和肤色的兄弟姐妹、叔伯侄甥们生活在
世界的三大洲，而只要我还活着，便永远不会忘记在这世界上的任何其他国家里我这样的
经历都不会发生。
这样的经历没有将我塑造成最保守的候选人，但它在我的骨子里深深地烙上这样一个
信念：这个国家高于它的各部分的总和，这众多部分的组合使我们成为真正的一体。
Exercises for integrated skills
I. Dictation.
Race is a concept that is completely societal. / In America, race helped
Americans to explain / why some Americans could be denied certain rights and
freedoms / that others never even had to fight for. / Since our economy was
largely based on slavery, / it seemed easy to qualify people as black or white, /
depending on arbitrary criteria in order to deny blacks rights. / That denial of
rights became institutionalized / in government policy as well as everyday living /
and became "natural" to the lives of many.
Even though race is only a social construct, / racism and discrimination are
very real / and have existed throughout history. / For blacks in this country, / they
began as slaves. / Even after the slaves were freed and slavery ended, / policies
directed against blacks did not end. /
II. Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think
appropriate.
(1) where (2) with
(3) foundations (4) off
(5) minds (6) of
(7) on (8) into
(9) of (10) options
2024年4月28日发(作者：诸如柏)
Unit 12 A Case of "Severe Bias"
Key to the Exercises
Text comprehension
I. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose of writing.
A
II. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or
false.
1. T (Refer to Paragraph 3. In American news media, black America is poor,
criminal, addicted and dysfunctional. Indeed, the media have covered only a small
segment of the black community and presented it as the norm.)
2. T (Refer to Paragraph 3, where it is said that "it is an insidious practice, all
the uglier for its blatancy," meaning that the media's practice of misrepresenting
black America is obtrusive and offensive.)
3. F (Refer to Paragraph 4, where it is indicated that media reports on crack
babies, gang warfare, violent youth, poverty and homelessness are all featured as
black, while rarely is there any article about blacks playing a positive role, or any
role at all.)
4. F (Refer to Paragraphs 6?, where it is shown that in numbers there are more
white Americans on welfare, but among the urban underclass there is a larger
proportion of blacks.)
5. F (Refer to Paragraph 12, in which the author tells us that she has not seen a
recognizable "gang" member or any "gang" activity, nor has she been the victim of
"gang violence.")
6. F (Refer to Paragraphs 14?6, which show that blacks' true characteristics and
contributions are the biggest secret in America. Every black, even those with the
strongest minds, craves affirmation of their contributions to American society.)
III. Answer the following questions.
1. Refer to Paragraph 3. It refers to the small group of blacks who are poor,
criminal, addicted and dysfunctional.
2. Refer to Paragraphs 3?, and 11. The author especially focuses on the news
media, and she also touches upon the film industry.
3. Refer to Paragraph 7. As presented in the media, white America is always
whole and lovely and healthy, while black America is usually sick and pathetic and
deficient.
4. Refer to Paragraph 9. By "twilight zone," the author means that the image of
black America is very confusing because of the discrepancy between its image in
the media and its real character.
5. Refer to Paragraph 12. According to the author, she has never experienced
any "gang" activity in Denver, nor has she been the victim of "gang violence."
6. Refer to Paragraphs 5?, and 13. Yes, news reports and journalism are always
supposed to be the mirror on American reality.
IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences.
1. The media's malicious use of a small segment to represent all black America
is shameless and offensive.
2. The media are supposed to present American culture and American
experience truthfully by reflecting American reality, and people usually accept
news reports as truth without any doubt. Unfortunately, in many cases what they
present is anything but the truth.
3. The distorted, inaccurate news coverage is worse than covering nothing at
all about blacks.
4. I am not suggesting we close our eyes to the very real problems associated
with the lower class in cities, nor denying that blacks are overrepresented in this
class.
5. Most black people work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes. We have
made our contributions to American society, but the media never notice and cover
it. That makes blacks resentful.
Structural analysis of the text
With a series of sentences beginning with "I am not," the author shows how
different the image of blacks established by the media is from reality. And using
again the same sentence structure in Paragraph 6, the author emphasizes that she
is not an exception but one of the majority of blacks. With this structural repetition,
the author is comparing herself with the majority of blacks and contrasting the
image of blacks in the media with that in real life.
Rhetorical features of the text
Nor is it a matter of closing one's eyes to the very real problems of the urban
underclass -- which undeniably is disproportionately black. (Interrupting a
sentence)
And as self-reliant as most black Americans are -- because we've had to be
self-reliant -- even the strongest among us still crave affirmation. (Interrupting a
sentence)
I want America to know us -- all of us -- for who we really are. (Putting special
emphasis)
That is the real portrait of black America -- that we're strong people, surviving
people, capable people. (Introducing an explanation)
Vocabulary exercises
I. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.
1. that's it
2. supply
3. people in the lowest social position
4. hazy area; marginalized area
5. independent; self-dependent
II. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase from the box in its
appropriate form.
1. are guilty of
2. have been screaming out
3. contribution
4. was featured
5. being reminded of
6. in the light of
7. in the eyes of
8. deserving the attention of
III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.
1. victim 2. blatant
3. nutritional 4. Vibrations
5. denial 6. relegation
7. aberration 8. addictive
IV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each
sentence without changing its original meaning.
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. A
5. B 6. A 7. C 8. B
V. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in
the sense it is used.
1. Synonym: favour (support)
2. Antonym: balanced (fair, objective)
3. Antonym: honest (straightforward, sincere)
4. Synonym: impaired (harmed, incomplete)
5. Synonym: serious
6. Synonym: infer (derive, conclude, reason)
7. Synonym: inexact (faulty, mistaken, erroneous)
8. Antonym: elite (gentry)
VI. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.
1. provides space for
2. because of
3. makes interesting
4. protect
5. competitive
6. careful
Grammar exercises
I. Rewrite the following sentences, omitting if.
1. Had it not been for our adopted son, we would not now be surrounded by
caring strangers.
2. Had I known that, I wouldn't have said anything.
3. Should the guests arrive early, no one will be here to greet them.
4. Were I the President, I would make some changes.
5. Had Susan not been so lazy, she could have passed her history final.
6. Had Harry locked his door properly, the burglar would not have entered his
apartment.
7. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.
8. Should there be a global nuclear war, some scientists predict that life on
earth as we know it would end forever.
II. Complete the following sentences with the proper forms of the verbs in
brackets.
1. would not be waiting
2. would not be able to go
3. had read
4. had given
5. would love
6. had finished
7. listened
8. would have fallen
9. had been
10. will not dry out
III. Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases given.
1. Given
2. unless
3. In the event of
4. but for
5. Supposing
6. in case
7. on condition that
8. so long as
IV. Explain the following sentences.
1. If he laughs last, he laughs best.
2. If you try to grasp everything, you will get nothing.
3. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile.
4. If he had been born in better times, he would have done credit to the
profession of letters.
5. If the same thing should happen in wartime, it would amount to disaster.
6. If you should hear him talk, you'd think he had passed half his life in
Australia.
7. If you don't follow your doctor's advice, your cough will get worse.
8. If you lose one hour in the morning, you will be looking for it the rest of the
day.
V. Improve the following sentences.
1. The sheriff was looking for a middle-aged woman driving a dark green
Buick sedan with a little Scotch terrier beside her.
2. To start a conversation, I asked her for a light while waiting for the train.
3. Seymour lay in a hammock and watched the vultures circling steadily
overhead.
4. Filled with eagerness, curiosity, and excitement, Nancy carefully unwrapped
the small package.
5. We watched with the aid of powerful binoculars the gulls flying over the
windswept waves and barren rocks.
6. The pair of antique candlesticks shining brightly on the table attracted the
admiring glances of many visitors.
7. With a smile the doctor said that there was nothing seriously wrong. / The
doctor said with a smile that there was nothing seriously wrong.
8. When discussing creativity, John E. Gibson stresses a person's ability to
finish a pun.
VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping
the underlined structures in your sentences.
(Reference version)
1. As sick as he was, he came to work.
2. Visitors and the media teams all gathered to commemorate this
breath-taking, record-breaking, epoch-making event.
Translation exercises
I. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. 这些都不能用来界定我，也不能描述我40年生命中认识、共事、热爱、交往的任
何其他黑人。
2. 日复一日，周复一周，这样的信息，即美国黑人行为不端、道德败坏，传遍美国各
地。
3. 在这个场景中，数百万黑人被边缘化了，我们的身份和社会地位不是以事实为依据、
而是以虚幻的形象和直觉为依据。
4. 我们是身体强健的人，为生存打拼的人，能胜任工作的人——这才是美国黑人的真
实形象。
II. Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and phrases
given in brackets.
1. The film is about an elderly lady and a young nurse who befriended her.
2. In a family, a cell of society, women as mother and wife play an unregarded
but important role.
3. Having experienced many changes of history, many rises and falls of fortune,
it is at present a city vibrant with life and energy.
4. The local club has been relegated to the second division.
5. The board is investigating whether the general manager has been guilty of
serious professional misconduct.
6. We cannot interpret his words in a modern light, but must understand the
limitations imposed on him by the time in which he wrote.
7. The jury pronounced him innocent of fraud, though the evidence against
him is a fact to which we cannot close our eyes.
8. The tragedy of the Titanic can never occur in modern society. The shipboard
computer can automatically alter the course, let alone discover an iceberg in
advance.
III. Translate the following passage into Chinese.
我是一个肯尼亚黑人和堪萨斯白种女人的儿子，在我的白人祖父母的照料下长大成人。
祖父历经大萧条，二战期间服役于巴顿的部队；当祖父开赴海外战场时，祖母在莱文沃斯
堡的轰炸机流水线上作业。我在美国那些最好的学校里读过书，也在世界上最贫穷的国家
里生活过。我娶的是一位黑人妇女，她的血管里流淌着奴隶和奴隶主的血液——而这一血
统又遗传给了我们的两个宝贝女儿。我的不同种族和肤色的兄弟姐妹、叔伯侄甥们生活在
世界的三大洲，而只要我还活着，便永远不会忘记在这世界上的任何其他国家里我这样的
经历都不会发生。
这样的经历没有将我塑造成最保守的候选人，但它在我的骨子里深深地烙上这样一个
信念：这个国家高于它的各部分的总和，这众多部分的组合使我们成为真正的一体。
Exercises for integrated skills
I. Dictation.
Race is a concept that is completely societal. / In America, race helped
Americans to explain / why some Americans could be denied certain rights and
freedoms / that others never even had to fight for. / Since our economy was
largely based on slavery, / it seemed easy to qualify people as black or white, /
depending on arbitrary criteria in order to deny blacks rights. / That denial of
rights became institutionalized / in government policy as well as everyday living /
and became "natural" to the lives of many.
Even though race is only a social construct, / racism and discrimination are
very real / and have existed throughout history. / For blacks in this country, / they
began as slaves. / Even after the slaves were freed and slavery ended, / policies
directed against blacks did not end. /
II. Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE word you think
appropriate.
(1) where (2) with
(3) foundations (4) off
(5) minds (6) of
(7) on (8) into
(9) of (10) options