外研版高二英语课外文学原著阅读 after twenty years 学案(无答案)

After twenty years

---O. Henry

Part One

(1)The policeman made his rounds up the avenue(沿着大街巡视) in an impressive way. His impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for there were few people around. The time was barely 10 o'clock at night, but strong wind with a taste of rain in it had driven most people indoors.

(2)The policeman tested doors as he went to make sure they were locked. He turned now and then to cast(投；投射) his watchful eyes down the broad street. The officer, with his large form and confident walk, made a fine picture of a guardian(守护者) of the peace.

(3)His assigned area was one where most shops closed early at night. Now and then, a person might see the lights of a liquor store or an all-night small restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to business owners who had already gone home several hours ago.

(4)When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke up quickly.

(8)\"Twenty years ago tonight,\" said the man, \"I ate here at 'Big Joe' Brady's with Jimmy Wells, my best friend, and the most loyal guy in the world. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny(命运) worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.\"

(9)\"It sounds pretty interesting,\" said the policeman. \"Rather a long time between meets, though, it seems to me. Haven't you heard from your friend since you left?\"

(10)\"Well, yes, for a time we wrote to each other,\" said the other. \"But after a year or two we lost track of each other. You see, the West is a pretty big place, and I kept moving around pretty frequently. But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he's alive, for he always was the truest and most loyal friend in the world. He'll never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight, and it's worth it if my old partner turns up.\"

(11)The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids(盖子) of it set with small diamonds. (16)\"Good-night, sir,\" said the policeman, passing on along the street, trying doors as he went.

Part Two

(5)\"It's all right, officer,\" he said, reassuringly(使人放心地). \"I'm just waiting for a friend. It's an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I'll explain if you'd like to make certain everything is all right. About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands--'Big Joe' Brady's restaurant.\"

(6)\"Until five years ago,\" said the policeman. \"It was torn down then.\"

(7)The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed(方下巴的) face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. He had a diamond(钻石) pin(别针) in his scarf, oddly(古怪地) set. 1 / 3

Part Three

(17)There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling(冰冷的毛毛雨), and the wind became stronger and stronger. The few foot passengers in the street hurried silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity(荒谬), with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.

(18)About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long overcoat, with

外研版高二英语课外文学原著阅读 after twenty years 学案（无答案）

collar(衣领) turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street. He went directly to the waiting man.

(19)\"Is that you, Bob?\" he asked, doubtfully. (20)\"Is that you, Jimmy Wells?\" cried the man in the door. (21)\"Bless my heart!\" exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both the other's hands with his own. \"It's Bob, sure as fate(命运). I was certain I'd find you here if you were still in existence. Well, well, well! --twenty years is a long time. The old gone, Bob; I wish it had lasted, so we could have had another dinner there. How has the West treated you, old man?\" (22)\"It has given me everything I asked it for. You've changed lots, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.\" (23)\"Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.\" (24)\"Doing well in New York, Jimmy?\" (25)\"Moderately(适度地). I have a position in one of the city departments. Come on, Bob; we'll go around to a place I know of, and have a good long talk about old times.\" (26)The two men started up the street, arm in arm. The man from the West, his egotism(自负) enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career. The other, submerged in his overcoat, listened with interest.

(27)At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights. When they came into this glare each of them turned to gaze upon the other's face at the same time.

(28)The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.

(29)\"You're not Jimmy Wells,\" he said in a sharp voice. \"Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman(鹰钩鼻) to a pug(狮子鼻).\"

Accumulation of useful expressions(语言积累):

1. impressive(令人印象深刻的); impress 2. habitual（习惯的）; habit 3. barely（刚刚；几乎不） 4. watchful （留心的；警戒的） 5. assigned(指定的) 6. majority（大多数） 7. block（街区） 8. lean（倚） 9.tear down（拆毁） 10. strike a match（划火柴） 11. raise（养育） 12. make one’s fortune（发财） 13. drag out of（拖出） 14. lose track of（失去联系） 15. pull out （拔出） 16. fill an appointment （赴约） 17. grasp （抓住） 18.in existence （存在） 19. arm in arm （挽臂） 20. enlarge（扩大） 21. be submerged in（侵入） 22. gaze upon（凝视） 23. release （释放） 24. steady （沉着的） 25. appointed （约定的）

I Learning Aims

1. To help the students appreciate the novel from the four aspects: setting; characters; plot; theme. 2 / 3

外研版高二英语课外文学原著阅读 after twenty years 学案（无答案）

2. To let the students guess the ending of the story reasonably. 3. To arouse the students’ interest in reading novels in English. II Learning activities

Before reading: When we read a novel, we should pay attention to the four aspects:________, _________.__________,__________. While reading Part one(1-4)

Task1: What is the setting of the story?(When; where; how about the weather)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Task 2: The policeman made a fine picture of a guardian(守护者) of the peace. Can you find some supporting sentences in the passage?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part two(5-16)

Task 1:Can you draw a portrayal(画像) for the man from the west according to paragraph 7 and 11?

Task 2: What is the plot of part 2?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Task 3: What is the character of the man from the west? Give supporting details.

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Task4: What is the character of Jimmy? Give supporting details.

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Part three (17-29)

Task 1: How was the weather then?

___________________________________________________________________________ Task 2: Role play. Act out the dialogue with your partner. Add your own body language to make your performance vivid.

Task 3: Guess what happened next and give reasons for it.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Post-reading: Deep thinking

If you were Jimmy, what would you do? Whether will you choose to be loyal to friendship or be faithful to the law? And give your reasons.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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