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Unit 2
Human Behavior
In-Class Reading
What, Me? Showing Off?
1 We're at the Wilson's annual party, and over at the far end of the living room an intense young woman with blazing eyes and a throbbing voice is criticizing poverty, war, injustice and human suffering. Indeed, she expresses such anguish at the anguish of mankind that attention quickly shifts from the moral issues she is expounding to how very, very, very deeply she cares about them.
2 She's showing off.
3 Down at the other end of the room a scholarly fellow has just used "angst", "Kierkegaard" and "epistemology" in the same sentence. Meanwhile our resident expert in wine meditatively sips, then pushes away, a glass of perfectly good French wine.
4 They're showing off.
5 And then there's us, complaining about how tired we are today because we went to work, rushed back to see our son's school play, shopped at the market and hurried home in order to cook gourmet food, and then repaired another dining-room chair.
6 And what we also are doing is showing off.
7 Indeed everyone, I would like to propose, has some sort of need to show off. No one's completely immune. Not you. And not I. And although we've been taught that it's bad to boast, that it's trashy to toot our own horn, that nice people don't strut their stuff, seek attention or name-drop, there are times when showing off may be forgivable and maybe even acceptable.
8 But first let's take a look at showing off that is offensive, that's not acceptable, that's never nice. Like showoffs motivated by a fierce competitiveness. And like narcissistic showoffs who are willing to do anything to be and to stay the center of attention.
9 Competitive showoffs want to be the best of every bunch. Competitive showoffs must outshine all others. Whatever is being discussed, they have more--expertise or money or even aggravation--and better--dentists or children or marriages or recipes--and deeper--love of animals or concern for human suffering. Competitive showoffs are people who reside in a permanent state of rivalry. For example, you're finishing a story about the sweet little card that your five-year-old recently made for your birthday when the competitive showoff interrupts to relate how her daughter not only made her a sweet little card, but also brought her breakfast in bed and saved her allowance for months and months in order to buy her--obviously much more beloved--mother a beautiful scarf for her birthday.
10 Narcissistic showoffs, however, don't bother to compete because they don't even notice there's anyone there to compete with. They talk nonstop, they brag, they dance, they sometimes quote Homer in Greek, and they'll even go stand on their head if attention should flag. Narcissistic showoffs want to be the star while everyone else is the audience. And yes, they are often adorable and charming and amusing--but only until around the age of six.
11 I've actually seen a narcissistic showoff get up and leave the room when the conversation shifted from his accomplishments. "What's the matter?" I asked when I found him standing on the terrace, brooding darkly. "Oh, I don't know," he replied, "but all of a sudden the talk started getting so superficial."
12 Another group of showoffs--much more sympathetic types--are showoffs who are basically insecure. Insecure showoffs show off because, as one close friend explained, "How will they know that I'm good unless I tell them about it?" And whatever the message--I'm smart, I'm a fine human being--showoffs have many different techniques for talking about it.
13 Sometimes showoffs ask for cheers to which they're not entitled. Sometimes showoffs earn the praise they seek. And sometimes folks achieve great things and nonetheless do not show off about it.
14 Now that's impressive.
15 Indeed, when we discover that the quiet mother of four with whom we've been talking intimately all evening has recently been elected to the state senate--and she never even mentioned it!--we are filled with admiration, with astonishment, with awe.
16 What self-restraint!
17 For we know very well--I certainly know--that if we'd been that lucky lady, we'd have worked our triumph into the conversation. As a matter of fact, I'll lay my cards right on the table and confess that the first time some poems of mine were published, I not only worked my triumph into every conversation for months and months, but I also called almost every human being I'd ever known to proclaim the glad tidings both local and long distance. Furthermore--let me really confess--if a stranger happened to stop me on the street and all he wanted to know was the time or directions, I tried to detain him long enough to enlighten him with the news that the person to whom he was speaking was a Real Live Published Poet.
18 Fortunately for everyone, I eventually--it took me awhile--calmed down.
19 Now, I don't intend to defend myself--I was showing off, I was bragging and I wasn't the slightest bit shy or self-restrained, but a golden, glowing, glorious thing had happened in my life and I had an overwhelming need to exult. Exulting, however, may be a permissible form of showing off.
20 Exulting is what my husband does when he fries me an egg and practically does a tap dance as he carries it from the kitchen stove to the table, setting it before me with the purely objective assessment that this may be the greatest fried egg ever made.
21 Exulting is what my mother did when she took her first grandson to visit all her friends, and announced as she walked into the room, "Is he gorgeous? Is that a gorgeous baby? Is that the most gorgeous baby you ever saw?"
22 And exulting is what that mother of four would have done if she'd smiled and said, "Don't call me 'Marge' any more. Call me 'Senator'".
23 Exulting is shamelessly shouting our talents or triumphs to the world. It's saying: I'm taking a bow and I'd like to hear clapping. And I think if we don't overdo it (stopping strangers to say you've been published is overdoing it), and I think if we know when to quit ("Enough about me. Let's talk about you. So what do you think about me?" does not count as quitting), and I think if we don't get addicted (i.e., crave praise for every poem or fried egg), and I think if we're able to walk off the stage (and clap and cheer while others take their bows), then I think we're allowed, from time to time, to exult.
24 Though showing off can range from very gross to very subtle, and though the point of showing off is sometimes nasty, sometimes needy, sometimes nice, showoffs always run the risk of being thought immodest, of being harshly viewed as... well... showoffs. And perhaps we ought to consider the words Lord Chesterfield wrote to his sons: "Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise."
25 And yes, of course he's right, we know he's right, he must be right. But sometimes it's so hard to be restrained. For no matter what we do, we always have a lapse or two. So let's try to forgive each other for showing off. (1224 words)
Time taken: ________ minutes
Proper Names
Lord Chesterfield
切斯特菲尔德伯爵（1694－1773），英国政治家，外交家，作家，以所著《致儿家书》和《给教子的信》而闻名，称号The 4th Earl of Chesterfield。
Homer
荷马（约公元前 9--公元前8世纪，古希腊吟游盲诗人，著有史诗《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》，其著作和生平众说纷纭。
Judith Viorst
（女子名）朱迪思.凡尔斯特
Kierkegaard
（男子名）克尔恺郭尔（1813－1855）丹麦出生的宗教哲学家。被认为是存在主义的创始人。因对成体系的理性哲学的批评，特别是对黑格尔主义的批评而著名。其论据是：真实的生活不能由抽象的概念体系所包含。
Marge
（女子名）玛吉
Wilson
（男子名）威尔逊
New Words
admiration*
n. a feeling of great liking, respect , and approval 钦佩，赞赏，羡慕
e.g. I) He lost the fight-but won the admiration of the world.
II) In return she receives hard work and royalty from her staff, plus admiration for her forward thinking.
adorable*
adj. very attractive, delightful, lovable迷人的，讨人喜欢的，可爱的
e.g. I) Oh, what an adorable little girl!
II) From the little summerhouse there's a grand view of this adorable countryside.
aggravation*
n. irritation, annoyance 烦恼，恼火
e.g. I was going to complain that my steak wasn't cooked properly, but I decided that it wasn't worth the aggravation.
allowance
n. a sum of money given for a particular purpose and/or on a regular basis 津贴，补贴，零用钱
e.g. I) The scholarship includes an allowance of 100 pounds for books.
II) After graduation, an allowance from his father enabled him to stay in London and write.
angle
1) v. try to get, especially by means of indirect remarks or requests(用暗示等方法)取得，谋取
e.g. I) I am quite sure she was not angling for a compliment.
II) He got the invitation to Washington he had been angling for.
2) n. the space or distance between two lines or surfaces at the point where they join together 角，角度
e.g. I) Oxford Road joins the High Street at an angle of 90 degrees.
II) The low angle of the winter sun throws long, dramatic shadows.
angst
n. an anxious feeling that is caused by worrying about the state of the world 忧虑，疑惧（尤指对于世界局势）
e.g. I'm very sympathetic towards young people going through all the pain and angst of those years.
astonishment*
n. great surprise 惊讶，惊奇
e.g. To the astonishment of his friends, he took off his shoes.
awhile
adv. for a short time 一会儿，片刻，暂时
e.g. We rested awhile at the side of the road, enjoying the spectacle (景象).
bait
n. food or something else used to attract (fish, animal, birds, etc. which are then caught) or as a temptation 诱饵，诱惑物
e.g. I) Cheese is good bait for catfish.
II) The shop used free gifts as a bait to attract new customers.
blazing
adj. of tremendous intensity, heat, or force 强烈的，燃烧的，炫目的
e.g. She turned and faced him, her eyes blazing.
brood
v.
1) think quietly and deeply about, especially something that makes one unhappy 忧思，沉思
e.g. I) He brooded over what she had said for several days.
II) He sat at his desk, brooding darkly on why she had left him.
2) (of a bird) sit on eggs to hatch them (禽类)孵蛋
e.g. We could not tell if the bird was brooding on her eggs or not.
confess
v. admit that one has done something that one feels ashamed of or embarrassed about 坦白，承认.
e.g. I) I must confess that I haven't read it.
II) Perhaps I shouldn't confess this, but I did on one occasion forge (假冒) Tony's signature.
crave
v. have a strong desire for something 渴望得到，迫切需要
e.g. They crave meat, and Musakanya knows where to get it.
darkly*
adv. gloomily 悲观地，忧郁地
detain
v. prevent (someone) from leaving or doing something; delay 留住，耽搁
e.g. I) She was detained in the office by unexpected clients.
II) We'll be obliged to detain you here while we continue the investigation.
epistemology
n. the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope 认识论
e.g. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.
expound
v. present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail 详述，阐述
e.g. The monks used to come to the village frequently and expound Buddhist (佛教的) principles.
exult
v. show or feel very happy and proud, especially as the result of a success 狂喜，欢欣鼓舞
e.g. The members of the soccer team exulted over their winning season.
forgivable*
adj. that can be forgiven 可原谅的，可宽恕的，可饶恕的
e.g. Missing bricks would have been forgivable in an old building, but not in a brand-new (崭新的) house.
gorgeous
adj. extremely attractive, beautiful, or pleasant 非常漂亮的，令人愉快的
e.g. I) She flashed me a gorgeous smile, as I came past her at dinner.
II) She's gorgeous, and from that moment, her name had stuck in my mind.
gourmet
adj. (of food and drink) produced according to the highest cooking standard
e.g. The gourmet meal cost $ 50 per person.
gross
adj.
1) (informal) extremely unpleasant, very rude or offensive 粗俗的，粗野的
e.g. I) He felt he had said something gross and indecent.
II) Stop playing with your food. That's really gross.
2) total; whole总的，毛的
e.g. I) This bridge supports gross weights of up to 24 tons.
II) The gross weight of a product includes the weight of its package.
harshly*
adv. sternly, severely, cruelly 严酷地，无情地，严厉地
e.g. I) He thinks you've marked his essay rather harshly.
II) It was terrible to treat the mentally ill so harshly.
injustice*
n. unfairness, lack of justice 非正义，不公正，无道义
e.g. I) A sense of anger and injustice flooded my mind when I thought back to my childhood.
II) When he became a victim of what he presumed to be injustice, he would complain.
meditatively
adv. in a state of thinking carefully or deeply 深思地，沉思地
e.g. He stared meditatively at the items spreading out on the table.
name-drop
v. casually mention the names of famous people one knows or claims to know in order to impress others 借名流权贵来抬高自己
e.g. Readers who hope to name-drop will be disappointed.
narcissistic
adj. with too great a love for one's own abilities or physical appearance 自我陶醉的，孤芳自赏的
needy
adj. 1) in a condition of need or want (处于) 缺少或欠缺状态的
e.g. Many people criticized a regime that spent so much money on sport when there were more needy areas.
2) extremely poor 极其贫穷的，无生计的
e.g. Over 90 percent of what people give goes directly to help the needy.
nonstop
1) adv. without stopping, continuously 不停地
e.g. This airplane flew nonstop from New York to Paris.
2) adj. without stopping, continuous, ongoing 不停的
e.g. My neighbor's nonstop chatter (闲谈) became annoying.
offensive
adj. highly irritating or annoying, unpleasant or disagreeable to the sense, disgusting 冒犯的，讨厌的，令人不快的
e.g. I) The advertisements were highly offensive to women.
II) I consider David's article on July 19 to be inaccurate, offensive and ridiculous.
outshine
v. surpass in excellence, achievement, etc. 胜过，优于，使相形见绌
e.g. The young girl violinist outshone all the other competitors.
overwhelming
adj. too great to resist or overcome, very large 势不可挡的，巨大的
e.g. I) He felt an overwhelming urge to tell someone about what had happened.
II) The painting is simply without parallel anywhere in the world and has an overwhelming power which charms all those who have set eyes upon it.
permissible
adj. that is or may be allowed 许可的，可允许的
e.g. I) Delay is not permissible, even for a single day.
II) It is permissible to edit (修改) and rephrase the statement.
proclaim
v. make (something) known officially or publicly, declare with emphasis 宣告，宣布，声明
e.g. I) She proclaimed that what I had said was untrue.
II) The army commanders proclaimed a state of emergency in that area.
restrained *
adj. calm and controlled, not showing strong feelings 克制的，自制的，受约束的
e.g. I) He was furious, but his manner was very restrained.
II) Her voice was not restrained, nor was she the least embarrassed.
rivalry
n. competition, the condition of being a rival or rivals竞争，竞赛，对抗
e.g. I) The parents encouraged friendly rivalry among their children.
II) There was fierce rivalry between the two companies to get the contract.
scarf
n. a piece of cloth for wearing round the neck, head, or shoulders 围巾，披肩
e.g. The east wind made the girl pull her black woolen scarf tightly round her neck.
scholarly *
adj. having the qualities of a scholar, concerned with academic learning and research 有学者风度的，有学问的
e.g. Glasses gave her a scholarly look.
senate
n. an assembly having the highest law-making powers in a government 议会，最高立法机构，参议院
e.g. I) He was elected to the California State Senate.
II) The United States Senate has 100 senators, two from each state.
senator
n. a member of a senate 议员，参议员
e.g. I) President Lyndon Johnson had also been a senator from Texas.
II) Senator Smith spoke in great detail about the proposed legislation (法规).
shamelessly *
adv. without shame, not modestly不知羞耻地，不谦虚地
e.g. He is well aware of his gift, using it shamelessly on every possible occasion.
show-off
n. a person who behaves in a way that makes his skills, abilities, or good qualities very obvious in order to impress people or to attract attention 爱炫耀或卖弄的人
strut
v. (strutted, strutted, strutting)
1) used in "strut one's stuff" : show off one's talents or skills 炫耀技能、才智等
e.g. The lab was a place for young Arthur to strut his stuff and become known.
2) walk in an upright, proud way 趾高气扬地走，高视阔步
e.g. This honor entitled her to strut in front of the marching band at football games.
suffering*
n. pain of body or mind 肉体或内心的痛苦
e.g. Any donation you can give will help us ease the suffering and isolation of the homeless this New Year.
terrace
n. a flat area next to a house usually with a stone floor, used as an outdoor living area (房屋外的) 露台，平台
e.g. A light shone from the basement halfway along the terrace.
throb
v. (throbbed, throbbed, throbbing)
1) shake or vibrate as a sound 震颤，颤动
e.g. The music from their party throbbed through the apartment building.
2) beat with increased force or speed (急速强烈地)跳动，搏动
e.g. I hit my toe against the door this morning and it's starting to throb.
tidings
n. (plural, formal) news, information, or notification 消息，音信
e.g. I dare to hope that your heart will be touched by the tidings of my survival.
toot
v. produce a short sound or series of sounds 发出鸣声或嘟嘟声
e.g. Bob tooted his horn, hoping Bill would hear him and come out.
trashy*
adj. of the nature of trash, of inferior quality or worth 毫无用处的，毫无价值的
e.g. I wouldn't call his book trashy but it wasn't very well written.
Phrases and Expressions
all of a sudden
unexpectedly 突然，出乎意料地
e.g. I) All of a sudden, the tyre burst.
II) All of a sudden, I noticed that someone was following me.
angle for
try to obtain something by hinting 使用暗示手段以期获得某物
e.g. I) I suspect that she's been angling for promotion.
II) Martha was angling for an invitation to Steve's birthday party.
count as
be regarded as 看成，视为
e.g. I) These benefits do not count as income for tax purposes.
II) The Grand Canyon (大峡谷) is generally counted as one of the most spectacular sights in the US.
entitle somebody to something
give a right or claim, qualify 给......权利/所有权/资格
e.g. I) The position of vice president entitles her to a large office.
II) You are not entitled to unemployment benefit if you have never worked.
lay/put one's cards on the table
be completely straightforward, conceal nothing 彻底公开，和盘托出
e.g. I think it's time I put my cards on the table. You see, I'm not really a student.
show off
try to impress others with one's abilities, wealth, intelligence, etc. 炫耀自己的能力、财富、智慧等
e.g. I) Do stop showing off-it's embarrassing.
II) For keen travel writers, now is your chance to show off your talents by entering our annual travel writing competition.
toot one's own horn (AmE. informal)
praise oneself, call attention to one's own skill, intelligence, or success, boast 自吹自擂，炫耀自己的才能、功绩
e.g. I) Oh, you should listen to him toot his own horn!
II) One who does things well does not have to toot his own horn.
work... into...
manage to include something in a piece of writing, speech, or activity 把......穿插进，把......插入
e.g. I) Would it be possible to work a couple of meetings into your schedule?
II) We hope you can work a few jokes into your speech to make it more interesting.
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