Unit 5 The Value of Money-【新课程能力培养】2023-2024学年新教材高中英语必修第三册学习手册（人教版）

UNIT 5　THE VALUE OF MONEY Culture Background Analysis In 1903, American seaman Henry Adams (Gregory Peck) is stranded penniless in Eng- land and gets caught up in an unusual wager be- tween two wealthy, eccentric brothers, Oliver ( Ronald Squire ) and Roderick Montpelier ( Wilfrid Hyde-White ) . They persuade the Bank of England to issue a one-million-pound bank note,which they present to Adams in an envelope (only telling him that it contains some money). The reason for this is that Oliver be- lieves that the mere existence of the note will enable the possessor to obtain whatever he needs,while Roderick contends that it would ac- tually have to be spent for it isn􀆳t of any use. Once Adams gets over the shock of discovering how much the note is worth,he tries to return it to the brothers,but is told that they have left for a month. He then finds a letter in the envelope, explaining the wager and promising him a job if he can avoid spending the note for the month. At first, everything goes as Oliver had predic- ted. Adams is mistaken for an eccentric millio- naire and has no trouble getting food, clothes and a hotel suite on credit,just by showing his note. The story of the note is reported in the newspapers. Adams is welcomed into exclusive social circles,meeting the American ambassador and English aristocracy. He becomes very friendly with Portia Lansdowne(Jane Griffiths), the niece of the Duchess of Cromarty. Then,an American Lloyd Hastings( Hartley Power) asks him to back a business venture. Hastings