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Unit 9
The Joy of Travel
In-Class Reading
Transformative Travel
I. Word List
Directions: Memorize the words and phrases before class. You will benefit from your effort when you get the passage from your teacher and read it in class.
Proper Names
Aruba
(地名)阿鲁巴岛(加勒比海上一小岛)
New Words
alternative *
adj. being different from the usual 非传统的,不同的
e.g. an alternative lifestyle
approval *
n. the fact of believing that someone or something is good or is doing the right things 许可,赞同
e.g. By doing well at school he hoped to win his parents' approval.
challenge *
v. test the skills or abilities of someone or something 考验(人或事物)的能力,激发
e.g. Every teacher ought to be challenging kids to think about current issues.
circumstance *
n. (usually plural) condition or fact connected with an event or action 环境,情况
e.g. She made it clear that under no circumstances would she cancel (取消) the trip.
commitment *
n. a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way 承诺
e.g. We have made a commitment to pay our bills on time.
deliberately *
adv. done in a way that is intended or planned 故意地
e.g. I'm sure he says those things deliberately to annoy me.
dimension *
n. a part of a situation that makes you regard the situation in a particular way 方面,部分,特点
e.g. There is another dimension to this problem which you haven't considered. 这个问题还有你尚未考虑到的一面。
elicit *
v. (formal) obtain (especially information or a reaction), or produce 引出，引起
e.g. They were unable to elicit the support of the public.
engagement *
n. an agreement to marry someone 订婚
e.g. They have officially announced their engagement.
fantasy *
n. an idea or belief that is based only on imagination, not on real facts 幻想
e.g. His favorite fantasy was about owning a big house and an expensive car.
horizon *
n. 地平线
be on the horizon
seem likely to happen in the future 即将发生，已露端倪
e.g. Business is good now, but there are a few problems on the horizon.
impulsiveness
n. 冲动
incorporate *
v. include something in something larger 使......并入
e.g. Suggestions from the survey have been incorporated into the final design.
insight *
n. a clear understanding of something, especially something complicated 深刻见解，洞悉
e.g. The article gives us a real insight into the cause of the present economic crisis (危机).
insulate *
v. protect someone from unpleasant experiences or unwanted influences 使隔离(以免受到影响)
e.g. They wonder if their community is insulated from big city problems.
introductory
adj. 介绍性的，引导性的
e.g. I'd like some information about your introductory course in word-processing (文字处理).
lifestyle *
n. the living conditions, behavior, and habits that are typical of somebody or are chosen by somebody 生活方式
e.g. They enjoyed an income and lifestyle that many people would envy ( 嫉妒).
mindset
n. someone's attitudes and ways of thinking about things, which are often difficult to change 意向，精神状态
novel *
n. a long written story about imaginary people and events 小说
ordinarily *
adv. usually 通常地，惯常地
e.g. Ordinarily, it is possible to predict the results with some accuracy. 通常是可以比较准确地预测结果的。
perspective *
n. a particular way of thinking about something, especially one that is influenced by your beliefs or experiences 视角，观点
e.g. He says the death of his father 18 years ago has given him a new perspective on life.
previous *
adj. happening or existing before the one mentioned 以前的
e.g. It was a surprisingly dry day after the rain of the previous week.
publicly *
adv. in public 公开地
e.g. He never spoke publicly about the affair.
reinforce *
v. make something stronger 加强，增强
e.g. His behavior merely reinforced my dislike of him.
route *
n. a way of achieving something
e.g. Buying the best is as sure a route to success in investment as in any other field.
sample *
v. try an activity, go to a place, etc. in order to see what it is like 体验
e.g. Here is your chance to sample the delights of country life.
session *
n. a meeting or period of time used for a particular purpose (从事某项活动的)集会(或一段时间)
e.g. a drinking session, question-and-answer session, photo session, group therapy sessions
solitude
n. the state of being alone especially when this is what you enjoy 单独，独居
structure *
v. arrange something in a careful, organized pattern or system 组织，安排
e.g. By structuring the course this way, we are forced to produce something the companies think is valuable.
systematically *
adv. 有系统地
e.g. She began applying (申请) systematically to colleges.
terrified *
adj. very frightened 害怕的，受惊的
e.g. I am terrified of heights.
transform *
v. completely change the appearance, form, or character of something or someone, especially in a way that improves it 使改观，使变形
e.g. A few mirrors can transform a dark room, making it look larger and lighter instantly.
transformation *
n. 变化，转变
e.g. In the last five years he has undergone a personal transformation.
transformative
adj. 起改造作用的，有改革能力的
transition *
n. (formal) the act or process of changing from one form or state to another 转变，变迁
e.g. The health-care (医疗保健) system is in transition at the moment.
trap *
v. cause somebody to be in a bad situation from which they cannot escape 使陷入困境
e.g. The two men died when they were trapped in a burning building.
unattached
adj. not involved in a romantic relationship 未订婚的，未结婚的
unemployed *
adj. without a job 失业的
e.g. He's been unemployed for over a year.
unfamiliar *
adj. 不熟悉的，不常见的
e.g. At night, especially in unfamiliar surroundings, be alert (警觉的) at all times.
wasteland
n. 荒地
wreck *
n. a person that is in a bad physical or mental condition 受到严重损害的人
e.g. The stress she had been under at work reduced her to a nervous wreck. 由于工作紧张她的精神快要崩溃了。
Transformative Travel
1 Twenty-five years ago I felt like a wreck. Although I was just 23, my life already seemed over. The future appeared as much like a wasteland as the emptiness I could see while looking back to the past. I felt lost, without choices, without hope.
2 I was stuck in a job I hated and trapped in an engagement with a woman I didn't love. At the time, both commitments seemed like a good idea, but I suppose it was the fantasy of being a successful, married businessman that appealed to me far more than the reality.
3 I decided to take a class just for the entertainment value. It happened to be an introductory counseling course, one that involved personal sharing in the group. We were challenged to make commitments publicly about things we would like to change in our lives, and in a moment of pure impulsiveness, I declared that by the next class meeting I was going to quit my job and end my engagement.
4 A few days later I found myself unemployed and unattached, excited by the freedom, yet terrified about what to do next. I needed some kind of transition from my old life to a new one, a sort of ritual that would help me to transform myself from one person into another. So I did something just as impulsive as my previous actions: I booked a trip for a week in Aruba.
5 In spite of what others might have thought, I was not running away from something but to something. I wanted a clean break, and I knew I needed to get away from my usual environment and influences so as to think clearly about where I was headed.
6 Once settled into my room on the little island of Aruba, I began my process of self-change. I really could have been anywhere as long as nobody could reach me by phone and I had the peace and quiet to think about what I wanted to do. I spent the mornings going for long walks on the beach, the afternoons sitting under my favorite tree, reading books and listening to tapes. Probably most important of all, I forced myself to get out of my room and go to meet people. Ordinarily shy, I now decided that I was someone who was perfectly capable of having a conversation with anyone I chose. Since nobody knew the "real" me, the way I had always been, I felt free to be completely different.
7 It took me almost a year to pay off that trip, but I am convinced that my single week in Aruba was worth three years in therapy. That trip started a number of processes that helped me to transform myself. This is how I did it:
8 I created a mindset that made me ready for change. I expected that big things were on the horizon, that a trip such as this could change my life. I believed with all my heart that I could change, if only I could find a quiet place to sort things out and experiment with new ways of thinking and acting.
9 I insulated myself from the usual influences in my life and the people whose approval was most important. One of the reasons that therapy often takes so long is that, once you leave the safety and support of a session, you reenter the world where familiar people elicit the familiar reactions. By separating myself from others' approval and influences, I was able to think more clearly about what I really wanted.
10 I structured my time in order to produce change and growth. Solitude, isolation, or new environments in themselves are not enough; you must also complete tasks that are relaxing and educational. The most important part of any therapy is not what you understand or what you talk about, but what you do. Insight without action is entertaining but not always helpful. Instead of reading novels and calling home regularly, I took the time to participate in different activities that would make me change.
11 I pushed myself to experiment with new ways of being. I sampled alternative lifestyles and pretended to be a different person. I acted in unfamiliar ways just to see how it felt. Whatever I would usually do in various circumstances, I forced myself to do the opposite. This reinforced the idea that anything was possible, that I could do anything I wanted.
12 I made public commitments of what I intended to do so it would be harder to back down. There were times when I wanted to avoid doing those things I found most frightening. Until this trip, I had never traveled to a strange place deliberately alone. Whenever I thought about taking safe routes, I imagined that I would soon have to face my classmates and that I would have to explain my actions to them.
13 I processed my experiences systematically. I wrote in a journal each day and spoke to people I met about what I was doing and why. When I returned, I talked to several people I trusted about what had taken place. Each of them offered a different perspective that I valued and found useful in incorporating the experience into my life.
14 I made changes when I returned that continued the transformation that started while I was in Aruba. It is easier to make changes when you are away from home than to maintain the changes after you return. To make sure I didn't slip back into old patterns, I immediately made new decisions about my work and my relationships that kept me moving forward.
15 I decided that much of my future traveling would have some transformative dimension to it. Although it is possible to make extraordinary progress in a single week, transformative change takes place over a lifetime. I promised myself that I would make other trips from time to time in order to continue my growth. (987 words)
Time taken: _____ minutes
Phrases and Expressions
appeal to
interest or attract someone 对......有吸引力
e.g. I think what appeals to me about his painting is the colors he uses.
back down
withdraw a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier 打退堂鼓，退缩；食言
e.g. Even those who seemed to have good reason to criticize have backed down.
be capable of
have the skills, power, intelligence, etc. needed to do something 有能力做
e.g. A force 10 wind is capable of blowing the roofs off houses.
experiment with
try something to see if it works or is true
e.g. The school is experimenting with new teaching methods.
get away from
leave
e.g. I'll get away from work as soon as I can.
in spite of
despite 尽管
e.g. In spite of fame and fortune, she was basically an unhappy woman.
make sure
find out if something is true or check that something has been done
e.g. Please make sure that the house is properly locked.
participate in
take part in or become involved in 参与
e.g. Over half the population of this country participate in sports.
pay off
give someone all the money you owe them 还清(债务等)
e.g. He used the firm's money to pay off his gambling debts.
sort things out
put (things or ideas) into order 整理(东西、思想等)
e.g. It takes a long time to sort out my thoughts before I can start writing.
with all one's heart
very strongly; completely 非常；真心实意地
e.g. I love my family with all my heart.
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