Skill Training
Reading Skill
MAKING INFERENCES:HOW TO MAKE AN INFERENCE(2)
Reading is actually a two-way communication between the reader and the writer,which involves understanding,and forming and testing your thoughts in the course of reading.As a crucial skill for reading comprehension,drawing inferences involves asking yourself relevant questions as you read,thinking about what the author tells you and recalling previous experiences somewhat similar to what you are reading.Thus the process of inferring requires exactly the willingness to make predictions based on the evidence and come to a conclusion that has not been expressed in words.You can infer from:
1)willingness to ask yourself questions as you read.
2)evidence the author has provided in the reading material.
3)your own background beliefs,knowledge and experience.
4)logic for making a sound prediction or conclusion.
In reading,you can first read short sections of the text and ask yourself questions like:Has this event happened to me or somebody I know?From your knowledge and experiences,you can make a prediction about what is going to happen.
If you are proved right as you read on,you are making connections that help you understand better and more likely to remember what you have read.If what you predicted does not happen,you can read further so as to adjust your inferences based on implicit and explicit information from the context and provide justifications for them.
Practice 1
Read the following sentences,and make your best inference based on what you read and your own knowledge and experiences.
1.By 1592,Shakespeare was working as a writer and an actor in London.In that year,a disease called the black plague devastated the city.Officials closed the theaters and other public places to stop its spread.Shakespeare then turned to writing poetry.
It can be inferred that_________.
A.downtown areas were less busy than before
B.actors had to write poems rather than dramas
C.factory workers went back to rural areas
D.theater owners moved to other countries
2.London’s theaters reopened in 1594.By then Shakespeare had joined an acting group called Lord Chamberlain’s Men.They often presented plays for royalty.Along with acting and writing,Shakespeare was often involved with the business side of theater.
It can be inferred that_________.
A.Shakespeare could earn more money by writing and acting
B.Shakespeare was a playwright of both comedy and tragedy
C.Shakespeare got acquainted with royal family members
D.Shakespeare often attended to the business of his group
3.Several plays by Arthur Miller will probably be performed for many years to come.Critics say Miller was able to dramatize the emotional pain that average people suffer in their daily life.A critic once described Miller as an activist for the common man.
It can be inferred that_________.
A.Miller became an activist for common people
B.Miller disclosed defects of American policies
C.Miller described distress of common people
D.Miller reveals common problems of society
4.In a report,the authors noted:“The Bard,who is the birthright of the English-speaking world,has no seat of honour.A degree in English without serious study of Shakespeare is like a major in Greek literature without the serious study of Homer.”
It can be inferred that_________.
A.traditional classics should not give way to contemporary literature
B.Shakespeare should not be optional for majors of English literature
C.compulsory Shakespeare classes means emphasis on Shakespeare
D.all literature majors should take a college course on Shakespeare
Read the passage and do the exercises that follow.
Tim Robbins Brings Original Shakespeare
[1]Tim Robbins,the Oscar-winning actor,brought a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing,and now the play is being presented in Shanghai.
[2]Even though times have changed since the 1600s,nothing from the play had been altered.The story is still the same as when Shakespeare wrote it,and the language also remains unaltered.
[3]“There’s a thing we discovered in Los Angeles when we did the play:Don’t mess with Shakespeare,”said Robbins.“So we haven’t changed anything.It’s the original story,the original language,and I find that when we stay faithful to it,the story is told.I find when people try to put too much interpretation on it or change it,you tend to lose what Shakespeare was talking about.”
[4]One of the interesting facts about Robbins’ production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that it is performed without a set,relying on the creativity and physicality of the actors to create the forest and the surrounding background.The actors change costumes on the sides of the stage—a decision that Robbins made to “strip away the artifice of theater”.
[5]“So we actually didn’t introduce costumes into the production until a week and a half before our first performance last year because what we were finding was that there was so much that was evoked from the language through movement,through music,through people’s voices.The actors in essence were creating the forest without any sets,without any special effects.”
[6]This is the first time that Robbins and the Actors’ Gang have brought a play into the Chinese mainland.The feedback from the Chinese audience has been significantly more positive than that in Los Angeles.Even though the play has subtitles displayed on large screens on the sides of the stage,the audience was not even looking at them.
[7]But not everything that glitters is gold.A few years ago,the Actors’ Gang experienced a downturn due to the declining economy in the United States,and because the Actors’ Gang is a non-profit organization,donations had decreased.It was when Simon Hanna became the managing director that the Actors’ Gang began thriving again.
[8]The Actors’ Gang delivers 120 to 150 performances per year,with three to six different productions.Its style of theater is based on a rigorous training process that all company members go through,based on the work of Ariane Mnouchkine,a French stage director and founder of the Parisian avant-garde stage ensemble Théâtre du Soleil;the commedia dell’arte,a form of theater characterized by the usage of masks;and Anne Bogart,a prolific and award-winning American theater and opera director.
[9]“So you mix all three of those in with a little rock’n’ roll and a little Warner Brother’s cartoon,and you got the Actors’ Gang,” said Robbins.
New Words and Expressions
alter /ˈɔːltə（r）/ vt.改动；更改
artifice /ˈɑː（r）tɪfɪs/ n.诡计；巧妙办法
be based on sth.根据；基于
characterize /ˈkærɪktəraɪz/ vt.描述（人或物）的特性；具有……的特征
downturn /ˈdaʊnˌtɜː（r）n/ n.衰退；低迷时期
evoke /ɪˈvəʊk/ vt.产生；引起
faithful /ˈfeɪθf（ə）l/ adj.忠实的；忠诚的
in essence 本质上；基本上
interpretation /ɪnˌtɜː（r）prɪˈteɪʃ（ə）n/ n.解释；说明
mask /mɑːsk/ n.面具；假面
mess with sth.乱弄；胡来
original /əˈrɪdʒ（ə）nəl/ adj.原创的；原作的
physicality /fɪzɪˈkæləti/ n.演技
prolific /prəˈlɪfɪk/ adj.（艺术家、作家等）多产的；作品丰富的
rigorous /ˈrɪɡərəs/ adj.缜密的；严格的
set /set/ n.布景
stay faithful to 忠于
strip sth.away 去除
Tim Robbins 蒂姆•罗宾斯（1958— ，美国演员、导演、编剧及制片人）
Warner Brother 华纳兄弟，即华纳兄弟娱乐公司（Warner Bros.Entertainment，Inc.），全球最大的电影和电视娱乐制作公司
Practice 2
Below is a list of inferences based on the information provided in the passage.Glance over the passage again and match the inference with its supporting evidence.
1—______;2—______;3—______;4—______;5—______.
Practice 3
Read the passage more carefully and decide whether the following statements are True(T)or False(F).
( )1.Tim believes that when a play is explained in the simple language,the audience will understand it more easily.
( )2.The play is performed without decorations,relying on the actors’ physical talent to create the surrounding background.
( )3.The feedback from the Chinese audience has been much more positive than that in Los Angeles.
( )4.Tim came upon numerous ideas from performers’ movement,background music and people’s voices.
( )5.All company members go through a strict training so as to be qualified as actors in The Actors’Gang.
( )6.The costumes are casual,the stage is almost bare,and even the music is modern.
( )7.The play involves elements of French art,usage of masks,modern music and cartoon movies.
Reading More
Scan the below QR code,read the passage,and do the practices online.
New Words
peony /ˈpiːəni/ n.牡丹；芍药
pavilion /pəˈvɪliən/ n.（花园或公园里的）亭；阁
replica /ˈreplɪkə/ n.复制品；仿制品
sonnet /ˈsɒnɪt/ n.十四行诗
quill/ kwɪl/ n.翎笔；羽管笔
brush /brʌʃ/ 刷子；毛笔；画笔
Neo-Confucianism /ˈniːəʊ kənˈfju：ʃənizm/理学；新儒家思想
supreme /suːˈpriːm/adj.（级别或地位）最高的；至高无上的
autocracy /ɔːˈtɒkrəsi/ n.独裁政体；专制制度
monarch /ˈmɒnək/ n.君主；帝王
exquisite /ɪkˈskwɪzɪt/ adj.精美的；精致的
diction /ˈdɪkʃn/ n.措辞；用词
characterization /ˌkærəktəraɪˈzeɪʃn/ n.（小说或戏剧中的）人物的刻画；人物塑造
transcend /trænˈsend/ v.超出；超越
pursuit /pəˈsjuːt/ v.追求；寻找
Related Information
1.Miguel de Cervantes：米格尔·德·塞万提斯（1547—1616），西班牙小说家、剧作家、诗人，被誉为西班牙文学世界里最伟大的作家，代表作品《唐·吉诃德》。
2.Fuzhou：抚州，位于江西省东部，素有才子之乡、文化之邦等美誉，孕育了王安石、汤显祖、曾巩等名人。
3.Stratford：斯特拉福，位于英国中部、伦敦西北面的沃里克郡，是莎士比亚的故乡。这里风景如画、气候宜人，每年春暖花开时节举办莎士比亚节戏剧节（Stratford Festival），为期半年。