CHAPTER 5 reading notes

Quartet - Anthony Caro

1. Essences Daily

    （每日精华）

【1】句型

eg.
Social attitudes have changed profoundly in the past 30 years, but traditional sexual roles remain entrenched. Women are expected to shut up and look demure. 

es.
AAA have changed profoundly in the past 30 years, but BBB remain entrenched. CCC are expected to shut up and look demure. 

il.
Technology has changed profoundly in the past 100 years, but humanity remains entrenched. The rich are still deemed to be evil in some regions.

 【2】句式

The last words of Uncle Ben before a thief whom Peter Parker let get away murders him on a sidewalk full of people for absolutely no explicable reason.

读到这句话时，我想分析一下句子结构。

The last words of Uncle Ben before a thief whom Peter Parker let get away murders him on a sidewalk full of people for absolutely no explicable reason.

现在划分一下句子主干，这根本就不是个句子，是个短语，然后一堆词在修饰。

The last words. 

1) of Uncle Ben

2) before.....后面是一个句子 a thief  before a thief murders him，然后有个句子来修饰主语 a thief:  whom Peter Parker let get away 

3) on a side walk

4) fill of people 

5) for absolutely no explicable reason.

2. Q&A  (导读问题与答案）

【1】 

   What does “you are always choosing”? Can you define it and give an example?

You choose to do or not to do, whether proactively or forcedly, recognizing it or not. Always.

For example: You run 26.2 miles. Imagine you run it when a gun put to your head. Imagine you run it with nice shoes and in full preparation. You both are choosing.

 【2】

     What’s the point of telling William James’s story?

    The point is, whether we like it or not, we are always taking an active role in what's occurring to and within us, choosing, always.

 【3】

    Any responsibility problems you had with your boyfriend/girlfriend or parents? If any, please tell us your story.

   I take the responsibility of taking care of my parents and earning money. I take the responsibility to improve myself and exercise and spend more time with my friends and meet new people.

I also noticed the problems we had before and I solved some, but others remain, forever. 

"In fact, I had often been cold and arrogant toward her; other times I took her for granted and blew her off and hurt her. These things were my fault too."


People don’t just magically cheat on somebody they have been with unless they are unhappy for some reason. 

I myself have tried many methods to get out of the negative emotions and hurting pains. Now accept them，and am pursing a new life, though the experience still affect my decisions on personal affections.

Actually, I may still do not know. I still do not want to talk any. It hurts, deeply. Maybe it is still not the right time. 

I think I am fine. Better than before. It is OK.

3. Some thoughts while reading  

    （阅读过程中的思考）

Control what you can. Ignore the rest. Firstly, find out what you can control and what you cannot. Accept what you cannot control. Do something for what you can control.

One man with the pain of the loss of his son can still control his emotions, though it is pretty hard and crazy to be happy and easy and natural to be sad.

One boy broke up with his girlfriend cannot control what response the girl chose, but he can choose to recovery and upgrade himself, or just abandon himself ever.

How we react to the events is our choice. Events do not upset us. Beliefs do.

Pain of one sort or another is inevitable for all of us, but we get to choose what it means to and for us.

4. Words expected to remember 

     (必记单词）

【01】home in on the smallest behaviors

• to find and move directly toward (someone or something)
  
  

【02】own up to

• 承认（错误），坦白

  
  

【03】 garner

• collect / gather