新标准大学英语综合教程4教师用书(外研社)(15)

Reading and interpreting

8 Look at the sentences from the passage and identify the style features.

1 Twelve years at school and three years at university, teachers banging on about opportunities in the big

wide world beyond our sheltered life as students, and what do I find? This shows the informality of an incomplete sentence in the first part, the use of an informal expression

(banging on) and a rhetorical question to the reader (What do I find?) 2 Try as I might to stay cheerful, all I ever get is hassle, sometimes with people (especially boys, god,

when will they grow up?)

This has the use of an informal word (hassle), an informal exclamation (god) and a question to the

reader (When will they grow up?)

3 Actually, I had my eye on the course at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Here there is a discourse marker typical of speech (Actually) and an informal phrase (had my eye on).

4 I kind of understand it, and not just because my degree is in economics. Here “kind of” is a sort of discourse marker of informal speech (showing something is general, vague or

not definite).

5 I wanted something in finance and investments, because you know, maybe with a job like that, I could

use my degree.

This has a discourse marker of informal speech (you know).

6 ... it’s true, he really did seem to have three hands.

Again here is a discourse marker of informal speech (it’s true). 7 I talked to him about ... well, about pretty well everything This has another discourse marker of informal speech (well) and an informal phrase (pretty well).

9 Answer the questions.

1 What is the focus of each section of the story?

The first part is the background before the story really begins. It focuses on the writer’s financial

problems after graduation and on her need to work since her family cannot support her.

The second part focuses on nice people who help the writer, mainly on Mike who gives her a job in a

pub.

In the third part, the focus is on the writer’s sad feelings on her