应用英语教程 综合英语3 教师用书 U2.pdf

Unit 2 Life Stories Text Analysis I. Background information 1. About the author The text is written by Jenny Medeiros, who is a lead editor and a freelance writer in the areas of technology and productivity. 2. About the text The text is one of the column articles in Goalcast, one of the world’s largest sources of authentic storytelling, retrievable at /2018/01/12/stephen- hawkings-life-story/. II. General analysis of the text The text is an expository essay presenting the life story of Stephen Hawking. In the beginning part, the author summarizes Stephen Hawking’s life as a world-renowned physicist despite his disabilities. In the second part, the author presents different stages of his life, including his birth and childhood, his school years, the diagnosis of ALS at the age of 21, his battles against the disease and his academic achievements, his emergence as a best-seller in spite of the loss of his speech. In the third part, the author mentions the celebrity status of Hawking and his peaceful death at the age of 76. Stephen Hawking’s life story is fascinating and inspiring because his disability never stifled his potential. He was one of the most well-known physicists although he was confined to a wheelchair and could only communicate with a muscle in his cheek. He also made great efforts to publicize his knowledge to non-scientific community and manifested his adventurous spirit and sense of humor in a variety of activities. What we can learn from him most is the attitude to living life to the fullest. The text can be divided into three parts: a summary of Stephen Hawking’s life, different stages of his life and his peaceful passing. Opening The author summarizes Hawking’s life: a world-famous physicist (para. 1) despite his disability. 1