Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.
—Thomas H.Huxley
Unit Goals
After learning the unit, students are expected to be able
·to understand the purposes of education,
·to know William Golding and his writing style,
·to identify the figurative language applied in writing,
·to know Francis Bacon and his concerns, and
·to improve language proficiency and critical thinking through the content of this unit.
Before You Read
1.Solo work: Picture-description.
Please describe the following pictures in detail and explain their symbolic meaning in your own words.Compare your answer with that of the author, and try to find their symbolic meaning in the boy’s (the author) eyes.
2.Work out the following questions.
1)How important is education to a person? What are the purposes for education?
2)What are some good methods in study or education? Why?
3)How do you understand René Déscartes’ famous remarks “I think, therefore I am”? How is thinking important to human beings?
4)Do you agree with William Butler Yeats’ lines “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”? Express your ideas.
5)Have you got an anecdote or true story about your school life? What do your learn from that experience? Share with your partner.
3.Form groups of three or four students.Try to find, on the Internet or in the library, information about the Noble Prize-winning writer William Golding and his famous works such as Lord of the Flies.Prepare a presentation about his life, achievements, literary style and major concerns.
Start to Read