Learning about Language教学设计

Unit 1

The written word

教学设计

Teaching Aims and requirements ♦

Read a student’s essay about appreciating literature and a student’s report on Robert Burns ♦ Listen to information on how to write a literary review ♦ Discuss some classic literature and give your opinion on a literary review ♦ Write a literary review ♦ Recite a poem Teaching Procedures

Welcome to the unit Step 1: Brainstorming As we all know, reading plays an important role in our daily life and we often have chances to appreciate good books. They bring us pleasure as well as knowledge. So we’re always lost in good books, especially some world-famous works.

Can you name some of the books you’ve read?

Would you like to recommend your favorite book to your classmates? For reference Gone with the Wind. It was written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936 and set a sales record when 50,000 copies were sold in one day. By 1965, it had sold more than 10,000,000 copies and had been translated into 25 languages in 29 countries. It is one of the most successful best-sellers ever written. With Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell taught us, “Tomorrow is another day.”

For reference 安娜·卡列尼娜》

ANNA KARENINA

------列夫·托尔斯泰 Tolstoy, Leo

《环绕地球80天》

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

------儒勒·凡尔纳 Verne, Jules

《忏悔录》

A CONFESSION

------列夫·托尔斯泰 Tolstoy, Leo

《双城记》

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

------查尔斯·狄更斯 Dickens, Charles

《茶花女》 CAMILLE

------小仲马 Dumas, Alexander, Fils

《罪与罚》CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

------费奥多尔·陀思妥耶夫斯基 Dostoevsky, Fyodor

《大卫·科波菲尔》DAVID COPPERFIELD

------查尔斯·狄更斯 Dickens, Charles

《堂·吉诃德》DON QUIXOTE

------米盖尔·台·塞万提斯 Cervantes, Miguel de

《欧也妮·葛朗台》EUGENIE GRANDET

------奥诺瑞·德·巴尔扎克 Balzac, Honore de

《高老头》FATHER GORIOT

------奥诺瑞·德·巴尔扎克 Balzac, Honore de

《远大前程》GREAT EXPECTATIONS

------查尔斯·狄更斯 Dickens, Charles

《格列佛游记》GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

------琼纳森·斯威夫特 Swift，Jonathan

《简·爱》JANE EYRE

------夏洛蒂·勃朗特 Bronte，Charlotte

《悲惨世界》LES MISERABLES

------维克多·雨果 Hugo，Victor

《包法利夫人》MADAME BOVARY

------居斯塔夫·福楼拜 Flaubert, Gustave

《福尔摩斯回忆录》

MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

------阿瑟·柯南道尔 Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan

《雾都孤儿》OLIVER TWIST

------查尔斯·狄更斯 Dickens, Charles

《傲慢与偏见》PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

------简·奥斯丁 Austen, Jane

《复活》RESURRECTION

------列夫·托尔斯泰 Tolstoy, Leo

《鲁滨逊漂流记》

ROBINSON CRUSOE

------丹尼尔·笛福 Defoe, Daniel

《德伯家的苔丝》TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES

------托马斯·哈代 Hardy，Thomas

《基督山伯爵》THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

------大仲马 Dumas, Alexandre, Pere

《巴黎圣母院》THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

------维克多·雨果 Hugo, Victor

《汤姆·索耶历险记》THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

------马克·吐温 Twain, Mark

《浮士德》FAUSTUS

------歌德 Johann, Wolfgang, von, Goethe

《红与黑》BLACK AND RED

------司汤达 Stendhal

《战争与和平》WAR AND PEACE

------列夫·托尔斯泰 Tolstoy, Leo

《呼啸山庄》WUTHERING HEIGHTS

------艾米莉·勃朗特 Bronte，Emily

《三个火枪手》THE THREE MUSKETEERS

------大仲马 Dumas, Alexandre, pere

《哈姆雷特》HAMLET

------威廉·莎士比亚 Shakespeare, William

《罗密欧与朱丽叶》ROMEO AND JULIET

------威廉·莎士比亚 Shakespeare, William

《威尼斯商人》THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

------威廉·莎士比亚 Shakespeare, William

《灰姑娘》CINDERELLA

------格林兄弟 Grimm Brothers

《小红帽》LITTLE RED －

CAP

------格林兄弟 Grimm Brothers

《白雪公主》LITTLE SNOW－WHITE

------格林兄弟 Grimm Brothers

《皇帝的新装》THE EMPEROR'S NEW SUIT

------汉斯·C·安徒生 Andersen, Hans C.

《卖火柴的小女孩》THE LITTLE MATCH－SELLER

------汉斯·C·安徒生 Andersen, Hans C.

《丑小鸭》THE UGLY DUCKLING

------汉斯·C·安徒生 Andersen, Hans C. As is said above, literature plays an important role in our daily lives. We read books for pleasure, for academic purpose or for obtaining and sharing information with other people. In this unit we are going to deal with the topics of English literature. I’d like you to give me some information about literature. Would you please list some genres of literature? Drama, poetry, novels, short stories, science fictions and etc. Nowadays, besides the traditional books, that is, books in print, do we have any other kinds of book? For reference E-books : E-books are the books downloaded to your computer by Internet online, which are

bought online and read online. Also if when you need to take a hardcopy of books then you can print them and enjoy with it. So e-book

is an electronic (or digital) version of a book. Now, let’s have a discussion:

What are the benefits of reading e-books? For reference The main benefits of E-Books are: 1. When you need certain information, you can get it immediately, by downloading an e-book at your any kind of Computer like Mac, laptop, PDA and more... 2. In most cases, e-books are cheaper than paper books. 3. E-Books are free and easy to download from the internet. 4. E-books are quickly searchable and you can search it by topic and categories. 5. E-books take up less space so you can store hundreds and thousands of e-books in your computer. 6. E-books are portable and so you can carry it without worrying about their weight. 7. E-books can be printable, so that if you wish to read an e-book in the traditional way. 8. E-books are very simple and easy to purchase and download.

9. You can make a good library of all kinds of digital books that you need. 10. All lovers of e-books can enjoy them anywhere at anytime by using today’s technology. Because they can save their time, money and comprise searches by internet. Step 2: Sharing information Group work: Look at the four pictures at page 1. Let’s study them one by one and try to discuss. The following questions might help you. Picture 1 Have you ever been a member of a reading club? What did you do in the reading club? Does our school have a reading club? Are you a member of this club? If you are, what do you think of the club? What kind of activities does a book club usually hold? (In a reading club, people read books together and then discuss them. People can share information about books and authors, hold book fairs, write articles about the books they read and do other book-related things.) Why might people want to join a book club? (They might want to join a book club because it provides a place for people with similar interest to find friends easily and share information about their favourite books and authors. In a reading club, people can always learn more.)

Picture 2 Do you think reading books in print is the only way to read? In what other ways can we read? (People now have more choices about the ways to read books. For example, we can browse online literature websites and read short stories on web pages. Some books are stored

as Word files or PDF files on CDs or even posted online. We can use a computer to run the CDs or visit websites and read e-books. We can also store e-books on portable electronic gadgets like a PDA and read the books wherever we go. Recently, some telecommunication companies have begun providing a service where they send chapters of a book through text messages. That way, people can read books on their mobile phones.)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-books?

(E-books have a lot of advantages. They save a lot of space. A CD can store many books and it weighs just a few grams so that it is much easier to carry some CDs than to carry a heavy suitcase full of books in print when travelling or moving house. E-books provide people with a more personalized way of reading as the readers can set the pages, adjust the point size of the text or change the background colour. Some even provide a voice function so that people can ‘read’ their books by listening. Many people report that they read e-books faster than books in print. Besides, we can save a lot of trees because no paper will be used for e-books. However, as many other electronic gadgets, e-books have disadvantages as well. To read e-books, people must first have an electronic device that can display them. Besides, when reading e-books, people cannot make notes or comments on the margin as they can with books in print. More importantly, e-books available online may hurt copyright holders.) Have you tried reading an e-book? What was it like? Are e-books popular? If not, do you think it will become popular? Do you prefer reading books in print or e-books? Why? Picture 3 What is science fiction? (Science fiction is a genre of literature that uses imaginary stories. The stories talk about things or adventures happening and are usually set in the future, with themes based on scientific theories.) Do you like science fiction? Can you name one or two science fiction writers? Can you name any examples of science fiction books that are widely read now? (French writer Jules Verne is regarded as the father of science fiction. He wrote many famous science fiction stories which are still popular now, such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, Five Weeks in the Balloon and From the Earth to the Moon.) Why do you think science fiction is so attractive to people? Is science fiction popular in China? Can you name any Chinese science fiction writers? Picture 4 Do you like reading or writing poems? Why or why not? Which poem is your favourite? Why do you like it? Could you recite it for us?

Which poet’s work do you enjoy reading the most?

Step 3: Discussion 1.

Do you think that e-books will replace books in print? 2.

What are some of the differences between poetry and science fiction books? Sample answers 1. In my opinion, e-books will eventually replace books in print. E-books have many advantages over books in print. First of all, they are much easier to carry. We can take many of our favourite books on a CD-ROM (or several) when travelling, while even one book in print may add too much weight to our suitcase. Besides, reading becomes easier on e-books as we can set point size of text and the paper size to what is most comfortable for us. In addition, storing e-books is much easier. You may put all the books on your bookcase in just one CD and you don’t have to worry that the humid air may destroy the books. Of course, it may be quite a long time before e-books replace books in print. 2. In my opinion, there are many differences between poetry and science fiction. To begin with, poetry uses much more concise language and special writing techniques like rhythm and rhyme. Next, poets often express their thoughts and feelings in poems, while science fiction writers often tell what may be possible in the future based on developments in science. Lastly, poems usually reflect life or society at specific times, while the main topics of science fiction books range from scientific discoveries, space travel, life on other planets to environmental changes.

For reference Poetry

Poetry is a popular art form, which emphasizes rhythm, sound and imagery. Poems usually use language set up in lines, with a regular rhythm and often a definite rhyme scheme. Poets usually express their strong feelings through this art form. For more information about poetry, you may visit the following website: http://eserver.org/poetry/ Science fiction stories Science fiction stories often show what may be possible in the far future based on what we can already observe today. A popular theme of science fiction is what society might look like in the future. Scientific discoveries, space travel, life on other planets and environmental changes also are often discussed in science fiction stories. For more information about science fiction stories, you may visit the following website: http://www.sfsite.com /fsf/ Step 4: Homework 1. Collect more information about literature. 2. Prepare the Reading part.

Reading

Appreciating literature Step1: Lead-in Let’s enjoy a section of film. Is it wonderful? Do you know something about the film?

It’s

based on Dickens’s famous novel

“Oliver Twist”.

It’s an example of classics. Classics are the antiques of the literary world. In this unit, we’ll have the chance to get more information about classic literature.

Resources Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He had a happy childhood after his family moved to Chatham. At the age of 12, Dickens had to leave school because his father was imprisoned for debt. The poverty and adversity Dickens experienced as a child greatly influenced his later views on social reform. Before his death on 9 June 1870, he wrote about 15 major novels and many short stories, most of which are famous for their surprising endings. If you want to learn more about this great novelist, you may visit the following website: http://www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/dickens.html Step 2: Fast reading for general ideas Go through the passage as quickly as possible and try to find answers to the three questions in part A on Page 2. Just focus on and identify the information needed to answer these questions.

Answers

A 1 Classics are the antiques of the literary world including novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were well written and received.

2 England’s greatest writer.

3 Seven years old. Step 3: Detailed reading for important information

1. Let’s read the passage a second time and complete Parts C1 and C2 on page 4.

Answers C1 1 Because they think they are old-fashioned and boring, and have nothing to do with life today. 2 She doesn’t think that they are old-fashioned or boring. 3 Joe is a kind and simple man. 4 On his gravestone it reads, ‘By his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.’

5 A stranger. 6 Because he thinks Joe is not clever enough and far from being a well educated gentleman. 7 He learns that wealth does not buy happiness and that friends are more important than a fancy education. 8 An example of character development is the change in Pip from being concerned only with money to seeing that money is not the most important thing in life. C2

1

d

2

c

3

a

4

b

5

e

2. Listen to the tape and try to complete Part D and Part E. Answers D

1

c

2

d

3

e

4

a

5

g

6

f

7

h

8

b E

(1) authors

(2) Pip

(3) husband

(4) England

(5) symbol

(6) novel

(7) fortune

(8) gentleman

(9) shallow

(10) theme

3. Read the text again and choose the best answers according to the text. 1. Some people think that classics are old-fashioned because of the following statements except __________. A. they were written a long time ago.

B. the language used in them is quite different from the language used today. C. they are difficult for people to understand.

D. They can only be found in bookshops and libraries. 2. Which of the following statements is wrong? A. Clueless, the award-wining film is based on Charles Dickens’s novel.

B. The film based on Great Expectations was released in 1998. C. At first, Charles Dickens published many novels in newspaper. D. Good classics are examples of great writing and wisdom. 3. When and where is Great Expectations set in? A. In the USA in the 1800s.

B. In England in the early 1800s. C. In England in 1812..

D. In the USA in 1870.

Keys: D

A B

Step 4: Post-reading activities

1. Pair work: Pay attention to the Reading strategy of the article, focusing on the way the author tries to convince the reader to adopt a certain point of view. Point out these places in the essay:

1. However, if this is true, why do we still find classics in bookshops and libraries? 2. Why else would many films based on them be successful? 3. I do not think that these classic novels would be made into films if they had nothing to do with life today. ……

2. Let’s come to Part F. Work in pairs and share your opinions with each other.

3. Discussion: What makes a good persuasive essay? In persuasive or argumentative writing, we try to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking. Elements toward building a good persuasive essay include



establishing facts to support an argument



clarifying relevant values for your audience (perspective)



prioritizing, editing, and/or sequencing the facts and values in importance to build the argument



forming and stating conclusions



“persuading” your audience

that your conclusions are based upon the agreed-upon facts and shared values



having the confidence to communicate your “persuasion” in writing

Step 5: Language points classics, literary, received, wisdom, dust, work, chapter, harm, simple, tension, twist, plot, generous, fortune, abrupt, constant, Words reminder, shabby, shortcoming, shallow, prejudice, civil, bent, theme, wealth, fancy, settle, educated, acquaintance Vocabulary have something to do with, have a place, in the world, be based on, be made into, at a Useful time, on stage, be set in, have a kind word to expressions sb., a symbol of, set sb. free, before long, be kind to, in the early 1800s, be bent on 1. They are novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written and well received that people still read them today. 2. But Joe is a kind and simple man, who Sentence patterns would rather die than see any harm come to Pip. 3. Excited by his move to London, Pip can hardly wait to begin his new life. Step 6: Homework 1. Read the text again and again. Try to memorize the language points. 2. Read the review of the famous novel Les Miserables in part B on page 105 of the Workbook.

Grammar and Usage Step 1: General introduction

The grammar items in this unit focus on negative statements. You are expected to understand the meanings of negative statements. You will also learn the ways to make a negative statement. Then you may apply what you have learnt to practical use by finishing two exercises. Step 2: Exercises Turn the following into negative statements: 1. They’re listening to pop music now.

________________________________

2. Many people can speak English nowadays. _________________________________

3. You must make your bed after you get up every day. _______________________________________________ 4. His mother has a beautiful car. ________________________________________________ 5. We need a pen and piece of paper. ________________________________________________ 6. I need wear a warm coat. _________________________________________________ 7. The old man always goes for a walk in the park after supper. _______________________________________________ 8. The doctors volunteer in the countryside every year. _________________________________________ 9. Mike does sports in the afternoon. ________________________________

10. You’d better talk with your parents right now.

___________________________________

Keys: 1. They aren’t listening to pop music now.

2. Many people can’t speak English nowadays. 3. You don’t have to make your bed after you get up every day. 4. His mother doesn’t have a beautiful car. 5. We don’t need a pen and piece of paper. 6. I needn’t wear a warm coat. 7. The old man seldom goes for a walk in the park after supper. 8. The doctors don’t volunteer in the countryside every year. 9. Mike doesn’t do sports in the afternoon. 10. You’d better not talk with your parents right now. Step 3: Explanation and practice: 1. Make a list of the most commonly used negative words: no, not, never, neither, hardly, seldom, few, little, barely…

2. Please decide whether it is a true statement: John Keats was a famous short story writer.

This statement is untrue. We can correct an untrue statement in the following way: John Keats was not a famous short story writer. 3. As we learned, negative statements are often used to correct a mistaken idea. Let’s

recall the ways to make negative statements.

4. Read Part 1 and Part 2. When not is used with a negative prefix, the meaning of the sentence is positive. However, the positive meaning is not as strong as that of a direct positive statement. For example: Students are not discouraged to discuss things with their classmates. (Students are encouraged to discuss things with their classmates.) Your actions were not inexcusable, but they were certainly not appropriate. (Your actions were excusable, but certainly not appropriate.) It is not uncommon for him to be late. (It is very common for him to be late.)

not can be used before a phrase of time, distance or a noun phrase to emphasize the negative meaning of the phrase. For example:

It is not a long distance from the city center to the new railway station. (=It is very near from the city center to the new railway station.) It will not be long before most people around the world know how to use a computer. (=Soon, people around the world will know how to use a computer.) There were not many people present for the lecture. (=There were very few people present for the lecture.) 5. Read Part 3. In informal English, the negative expressions can be used with whether and if to show doubt or uncertainty. For example: I wouldn't be surprised if they didn’t buy a house soon.

(=I wouldn’t be surprised if they bought a house soon.) I wonder whether/if I shouldn't get a haircut. (=I wonder whether/if I should get a haircut.) I wonder whether/if I shouldn't buy a new suit. (=I wonder whether/if I should buy a new suit.) 6. Read Part 4. Pay attention to some negative expressions. on no account, in no circumstances, never before, nowhere, at no time, by no means, 7. Read a book report written by Sharon. Try to cycle the negative statements. Answers

A

1 … he experiences an abnormal childhood without any parents.

2 He is raised in a place with other children who also have no parents.

3 He is then sent to a workhouse, where he has to work very hard and hardly has time to relax.

4 Oliver does not like anything about the workhouse.

5 He is treated very badly and seldom has enough food or water.

6 Fagin is not a good character and cares only about himself.

7 Oliver does not know anything at first and stays with Fagin.

8 He does not want to steal from anyone, but in order to survive, Oliver is forced to become a criminal.

9 Mr Barnlow is a man without any of Fagin’s vices.

10 Unless Oliver can escape, he will never be reunited with Mr Barnlow.

11 He will have only misfortune, not a real family and the love he deserves, which is the major theme of the book.

8. Finish Part B individually. Answers

B

1 surprised if, didn’t

2 not uncommon

3 Not many

4 wonder whether/if, shouldn’t

For reference There are some other patterns which can be used to express negation. 1

too + adjective +to-infinitive

In this pattern too, with the meaning ‘very’, is used before an adjective. After the adjective, an infinitive is used to mean ‘(somebody)

cannot do’ or ‘something cannot be done’. Sometimes for somebody can be used before the infinitive. For example:

My father is too old to have such a long journey.

(=My father is very old and cannot travel so long.)

She is too happy to say a word at the party. (=She is so happy that she cannot say anything at the party.)

The box is too heavy to carry. (=The box is so heavy that no one can carry it.)

The house is too expensive for us to buy. (=The house is so expensive that we cannot buy it.)

2

few + a countable noun; little +an uncountable noun When we use few

to modify a countable noun, we mean ‘not many’, and the noun should be in its plural form. When we use little to modify an uncountable noun, we mean ‘not much’. And few or little here has the negative meaning. For example:

Few students in our class have ever read Katherine Mansfield’s short stories. (=Not many/Only one or two students in our class have ever read Katherine Mansfield’s short stories.)

We have little rain all this summer. (=It almost does not rain during this summer.)

Because few or little has the negative meaning, we do not use the negative form in question tags. For example:

Few people liked his painting at that time, did they?

There is little ink in the bottle, is there?

For reference 关于英语中的否定句

1)一般否定

I don’t know this. No news is good news.

There is no person /not a person/not any person in the house. 2)特指否定

He went to his office, not to see him.

I am sorry for not coming on time. I don’t think/believe/suppose/feel/imagine you are right.

3)部分否定

I don’t know all of them.

I can’t see everybody/everything.

All the answers are not right.（并非所有答案都对。）

All is not gold that glitters. （闪光的不一定都是金子。）

Both of them are not right.（并非两人都对。）

4)全体否定

None of my friends smoke. I can see nothing/nobody. Nothing can be so simple as this.

Neither of them is right. 5) 延续否定

You didn't see him, neither/nor did I.

You don't know, I don't know either. He doesn't know English, let alone/to say nothing of/not to speak of French. 6) 半否定句

We seldom/hardly/scarcely/barely hear such fine singing. I know little English.

I saw few people. 7) 双重否定

You can't make something out of nothing.

What's done cannot be undone. There is no sweet without sweat.

No gain without pains. I can't help /keep/ laughing whenever I hear it.

No man is so old but (that) he can learn. 8)排除否定

Everyone is ready except you.

He did nothing but play. But for your help, I couldn't do it. 9)加强否定

I won't do it at all. I can't see it any more.

He is no longer a boy. Step 4: Consolidation

I. Multiple choice

1. His mother had talked to him for many minutes while he was watching TV, but ＿＿＿＿.

A. a little did he hear

B. little did he hear

C. little heard he

D. a little heard he

2. During the war, ＿＿＿＿but also he lost his wife and his child.

A. not was his job in the lab taken away

B. not only was his job in the lab taken away

C. not merely his job in the lab was taken away

D. not just was taken away his job in the lab

3. I think this is the first time that we have met.＿＿＿anywhere.

A. Before have we never seen each other

B. Never before we have seen each other

C. Each other have we seen never before

D. Never before have we seen each other

4. ——

The old man wouldn’t stay at home for a rest even if it rained.

——

＿＿＿＿. He would feel sick if he stayed home for one day.

A. So would my grandpa

B. So wouldn’t my grandpa

C. Neither would my grandpa

D. Nor wouldn’t my grandpa

5. By no means ＿＿＿

to our plan for the trip.

A. will she agree

B. she will agree

C. agrees she

D. will agree she

6. They went into a small house but ＿＿＿.

A. no persons did they find

B. not a person found they

C. not a person did they find D. not a person they found

7. Henry often helps look after Granny Wang, but＿＿＿.

A. seldom is George

B. seldom George does

C. seldom does George

D. seldom looks George after Granny Wang

8. Nothing but two ancient Chinese coins ＿＿＿＿

after they took out the jar.

A. did they find in it

B. they found in it

C. in it did they find

D. in it found they

II. Translation 1. 这两本书都不是英国出版的。

2. 你们当中我一个也不认识。

3．我不同意所有这些方案。

4．在他还没来之前，我们就把所有的工作都做完了。

5. 这些规章制度多不完善！

6. 未经允许，任何人不得入内。

7. 听到这个消息后，没有一个人不感到惊奇。

8. 人们直到失去了健康才知道健康的可贵。

9. 直到五月的一个星期六下午，玛格丽特才安排我与她姐姐见面。

10. 不久他就告诉了我们这件事。

11. 对他的成绩我们怎么赞扬也不过分。

12. 他刚进办公室，电话铃就响了。

13. 只有傻瓜才会做这种事情。

14. 她是班里最自私的了。

15. 他的失败完全是由于他自己的粗心大意。

Keys :

I. 1-5 BBDCA

6-10 CCB II.

1. Neither of the books is published in England. 2. I know none of you.

3. I agree to none of these plans.

4. We had finished all the work before he came. 5. How imperfect the rules and regulations are! 6. Nobody can come in without permission. 7. Having heard the news, everybody felt surprised.

There was nobody who did not feel surprised.

There was nobody but felt surprised. 8. People do not know the blessing of health until they lose it．

9. It was not until a Saturday afternoon in May that Margaret could arrange for me to meet her elder sister. 10. It wasn't long before he told us about this affair．

11. We can hardly praise his achievement too much．

12. No sooner had he entered the office than the telephone rang．

13. None but a fool would do such a thing．

14. Nobody is more selfish than her in the class．

15. His failure was due to nothing else than his own carelessness．

Task

Writing a literary review Skills building 1: listening for key words First, I’m going to read a paragraph aloud to you. After that, I’d like you to use your own words to summarize what I read. So please listen to me attentively, paying special attention to the emphasized key words.

Just as a proverb says, 'Life is filled with twists and turns.' One can't gain any success if he or she never experiences difficulty or failure. In other words, trouble exists from beginning to end during our lifetime. Students may fail in their exams, scientists

may

fail in their experiments, and players

may be defeated

in their matches. Discuss in pairs: While listening to a lecture or a news report, do you always have to pay attention to every word the speaker uses? What do you think are the most important words to pay attention to? Why do you think so? Read the guidelines in Skills building 1 on Page 10. Try to give a speech, following the guidelines. Step 1: recognizing key words 1. Suppose in your English class, your teacher is telling you how to write a literary review. Now listen to this speech, trying to fill the table in Part A on Page 10. Tapescript

Teacher: Remember that a literary review is usually written in the simple present tense. In the first paragraph, you should mention the author of the story as well as its title. You should also write what genre, or category, the story belongs to. It is important to mention where the story is set, as this help put the story in an environment that the reader can understand. So in Paragraph One, you need to mention the author, the title, the genre and where the story is set. In the next paragraph, you should give a summary of the plot. You can also describe the important characters in the story. You should describe any character development which takes place in the story as well. Briefly describe the changes that occur in the characters from the beginning of the story to the end. So in Paragraph Two, you should talk about the plot, characters and character development. In the third paragraph, you should discuss the important themes of the story, and the language used in it. How an author uses language is what makes writing so interesting. Imagery is a type of language that both authors and poets use to make their writing colorful. Imagery uses a lot of pictures and images, such as symbols, to help us understand more clearly. Be sure to mention all the imagery and give examples from the text. So in Paragraph Three, you should discuss the themes and the symbols. In the last paragraph of your review, you are expected to write your personal opinion of the story. You should say why you like it or why you don’t. Would you recommend it to a friend? If you want to, you can give the story a rate of one to five, with five being the highest score and one the lowest. Your personal opinion and rate of the story could be given at the end.

2. Listen to the tape again, and check the answers. Answers A

author, title, genre, setting Paragraph 1

plot, characters, character development Paragraph 2

themes, symbols Paragraph 3

personal opinion, rate of the story Paragraph 4

3. What role do you think friendship plays in our daily life? Now, let’s read a short story. After that, you may get a better understanding of friendship.

4. Read the story again and then complete the table with the key words in the short story. B Title Author ‘The

home-made Theme

ball’

Jerry Johnson Symbols friendship the old home-made soccer ball andthe new soccer ball, the old bench andthe new sneakers okay Genre short story three out of five Characters Kevin, Steven Kevin and Mike are good friends, and play soccer with their home-madePlot ball every day. However, when Kevin gets new sneakers and a new soccerball, things change. Your opinion Mike, Star rating 5. Listen to the conversation in Part C and check your notes in Part B against what you hear in Part C. Tapescript You:

Hi, Jane. Have you finished reading the story and filling in the table yet? Jane:

Yes, I have. What did you write for the first two boxes? You:

Well, the story is called ‘The home-made ball’ and it’s by Jerry Johnson. So that’s what I wrote. What genre did you say it was?

Jane:

I said it was a short story. What did you say it was? You:

I wrote the same thing. The characters were called Kevin and Mike, right? Jane:

There was also Steven. What did you write about the plot? You:

I said that Kevin and Mike are good friends, and play soccer with their

home-made ball every day. However, when Kevin gets new sneakers and a new soccer ball, things change. Jane:

That sounds good. What did you think the theme was? I think that the theme was friendship. You:

I agree. Did you think of any symbols from the story? Jane:

I thought the things, like the old home-made soccer ball and the new soccer ball, the old bench, and the new sneakers, were all symbols. The contrast between the old and new things was very interesting. You:

Oh, good answer. What was your opinion of the short story? How did you rate it? Jane:

I thought the story was really good, and I gave it four out of five. How about you? You:

I thought it was okay. I gave it three out of five. Skills building 2: asking for and giving opinions 1. Group work: Discussion: How to ask for and give opinions? What do you think of…?

How do you like/find…?

How do you feel about…?

Do you think that…?

In my opinion,…

I think that…

As far as I’m concerned,…

Personally,…

2. Pair work: Create a situation and make a dialogue, you’ll practice using the phrases you listed just now. 3. Read the guidelines on Page 12. Step 2: giving your opinion on a literary review 1. Read the literary review of “The Attic” on page 12. Focus on the plot, characters and the theme of the story. 2. Have a discussion about the five questions listed below the review. Give your ideas freely. 3. Acting: Work in pairs, making a dialogue. One acts as the reporter and the other as the reader. Try to use as many questions as possible. Sample answers Reporter:

Good morning, Miss Yang. I’ve just read your literary review of ‘The Attic’ in a magazine. Could I ask you a few questions about it? Reader:

Sure. What would you like to know about? Reporter:

Do you think the plot of ‘The Attic’ sounds

interesting? Reader:

Yes, it is really entertaining and poetic from beginning to end. Reporter:

People say the author uses colours to describe Cindy’s mood. What do you think of this way of writing? Reader:

I like the way. In my eyes, colours add beauty to the story.

Reporter:

Well, why do you think Virginia Fox uses chocolate as a symbol of happiness? Reader:

I feel that chocolate usually helps us think of a sweet and rich life, which symbolizes happiness and success in Cindy’s life.

Reporter:

Personally I feel the same way. By the way, which character do you think is the most interesting in the story? Reader:

If you ask me, I would say my favourite character is definitely Stuart, the ‘prince’.

Reporter:

Can you tell me why? Reader:

Because I feel that he adds some comedy to this otherwise dark tale. Reporter:

Do you think ‘the beauty of freedom’ is a good theme for a short story?

Reader:

Yes, it is an important theme in ‘The Attic’, which makes it different from other Cinderella stories. Reporter:

Thank you very much. Skills building 3: writing a literary review 1. Read the guidelines at the top of page 13. Remember what should be included in a review. 2. Work in groups of four to write an outline of a literary review. Step 3: writing your review

You are expected to write a literary review of “The home-made ball” based on the information you have collected in Steps 1 and 2 and through this to practice the skills you have learnt in Skills buildings 1, 2 and 3. 1. Review the information you have collected and the main points you need to include in writing a review. 2. Work in groups of four to write the review. Possible example ‘The home-made ball’ is a short story written by Jerry Johnson. The story is set in modern-day America. The main character of ‘The home-made ball’ is a boy called Kevin. Kevin and Mike are good friends who play soccer with their home-made ball every day, but when Kevin gets new sneakers and a soccer ball, things change. Friendship is an important theme in this short story. The author, Jerry Johnson, uses the old and new things, like the old home-made ball and the new soccer ball, and the old bench and the new sneakers as symbols. The old things symbolize the most valuable thing, friendship, which needs to be cherished. I think this story is really good and I give it a rating of four out of five.

Project

Reciting a poem

Part A: Reading At the beginning of this period, let’s enjoy an English poem: She walks in beauty. Look at the screen and listen to the tape, trying to grasp the theme of the poem. It’s a romantic poem. As we all know, romantic themes tend to be

emotional. Today, we’ll read and later recite a romantic poem about love by Robert Burns A Red, Red Rose.

Let’s come to the reading part of Project.

1. Read the report on the poetry of Robert Burns, Skim for the main idea of this article and tell how it is organized. Paragraphs 1—4 introduction of Robert Burns

Paragraphs 5—7 some information about a movement of poets called the Romantic Movement Paragraphs 8—9 the poem ‘A Red, Red Rose’ with its introduction and explanation 2. Pair work: Rearrange the events in the order of time. Fill in the following table:

Time

Event

1750 1759 1794 1796 1870 1877 The Romantic Movement started. Robert Burns was born. The poem ‘A Red, Red Rose’ was published.

Robert Burns died at the age of 37. The Romantic Movement ended. The monument to Burns was first publicly exhibited. 3. Read the article for a third time to get more information about this report, and then fill in the following table about Robert Burns. Year of birth Place of birth Year of Family status death

1759 Alloway, Scotland 1796 Poor

His first love

Nelly Kirkpatrick Name Main works Encouraged him to start writing poetry ‘To a Mouse’; ‘The Holy Fair’; ‘A Red, Red Rose’

Effect on him

Name of the Romantic Movement

movement The movement Representative poets John Keats; William Wordsworth; Robert of poets Burns

Romantic themes tend to be more emotional. The poems are always about love, dreams or nature.

The way *All of Scotland mourned his death, and afterwards many people donated money to support his widow and children. The monument to people memorize him him was first publicly exhibited in 1877 and about 30,000 people attended the first exhibition. *The house in Alloway, where Burns was born, is now a museum of his life and work. 4. Read and recite the poem A Red, Red Rose, trying to understand the meaning of the poem. Part B 1. Group work: Discuss the eight questions in Part B. Then prepare your project. 2. Present your project. Homework 1. Read the passage in project and recite the poem. 2. Do Parts B1 and B2 on page 101 of the Workbook. Features ● Self-assessment

The self-assessment section at the end of the unit aims to allow you to determine the progress you have made. The colour bar with five levels shows how confident you yourselves feel about what you have learnt. In this unit, 16 items are listed, each having a score of 5, with a total of 80 points possible. These items cover the main study targets in this unit, such as skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, the usages of vocabulary and grammar items, as well as doing activities in English. Through assessing yourselves as learners, you will realize whether you have achieved the goals for this unit. In Part A, some items are presented to you and you are asked to check how well you think you have developed these skills. Each item corresponds with one or more parts in this unit. For example, by going over Part E on page 5, you will know whether you are able to use the vocabulary learnt in the unit or not. You have the opportunity to evaluate your own skills and abilities in English. If you feel very confident about an item, you get a score of 5. If you feel slightly confident about another item, you get a score of 2. By adding all the scores and dividing by 16, you will get a percentage, which shows your level. If you feel there are some areas in which you are not confident or just slightly confident about, you can think about how to improve on them.