Reading(1)：The search for happiness设计意图

M6 unit2●Reading

The search for happiness

Step 1: Lead-in Let’s enjoy a video. It can make us feel very happy and in good mood. And we can see most ordinary healthy people around us live a happy, meaningful and colourful life. We work and live with smiles every day. But how do you know disabled people stay happy in their life? Today we are going to talk about a special girl named Sang Lan, who used to be a successful gymnast. What do you know about this girl?

1. Different people find happiness and fun in different things. There are certainly no criteria assessing which way of being happy is the best. Do you think Sang Lan had had a happy life before she was injured? Do you think Sang Lan has a happy life now? What would you do if you had the same problem? 2. Suppose you had a chance to talk face to face with Sang Lan, what would you like most to ask her about? The following are suggested answers: --- childhood and school education --- things or experiences that had left her

the deepest impression before the accident --- reasons for learning gymnastics --- things that encourage her during hard times --- current physical condition --- expectations for future --- future career plans --- attitudes towards life, success and failure Step 2: Fast reading for general ideas

The reading text is an interview from a TV programme about happiness. Dr Brain, a psychologist who studies happiness, is interviewed in a television talk show and tells a story about a brave girl called Sang Lan. Go through the passage quickly to find answers to the three questions in Part A.

Answers 1. Happiness 2. Dr Brain. 3. In Ningbo, China in 1981.

Step 3: Careful-reading for detailed information 1. Read the passage again and complete Part C1. Questions in Part C1 are to check your reading comprehension by making correct judgments of the statements.

2. Listen to the tape and complete C2. Questions in Part C2 are for students to note some specific information according to the time sequence.

Answers C1

1 F

2 T

3 F

4 F

5 T

6 F

7 T

8 F

C2

2 b

3 f

4 e

5 a

6 d 3. Ask students to describe Sang Lan's personality.

brave

considerate

courageous

Personality of Sang

Lan

determined

optimistic

hard-working

1.

More relevant information in the interview which shows Sang Lan’s personality Before going to hospital ·

being successful in her sport when she was young ·

being described as energetic, happy and hard-working ·

working towards something special ·

trying to make her parents proud

While staying in hospital ·being in good spirits ·thinking about what she could do to get better ·being proud of the things she had accomplished ·feeling happy to be alive, and lucky to have the rest of her life to learn new things After leaving hospital ·studying journalism at Beijing University ·hosting a sports show about the 2008 Beijing Olympics ·looking forward to playing table tennis in the special Olympics for disabled people in 2008 ·thinking about positive things and staying optimistic ·believing that keeping busy helps her stay positive Step 4: Practice

1. Complete Part D Find these words and expressions in the interview. Guess their meanings from the context. Then

match them with the correct definitions.

Answers

1 g

2 c

3 b

4 f

5 d

6 I

7 a

8 e

9 h

2. Complete Part E Read this newspaper article about Sang Lan. Complete it with the words below. Answers 1dedicated

2 mistake

3 wall

4 neck

5 visitors

6 positive

7 journalism

8 programme

3. Let’s read the Reading strategy on page 19. Do you know what an interview means? An interview is a formal meeting at which one person asks another person a series of questions on a topic. When reading or watching an interview, you should pay attention to the topic, the opinions related to the topic, the questions asked and the answers to the questions. Step 5: Post-reading activities 1.

Think about the following questions again.

What is happiness? What is the real value of being alive? Does being healthy and wealthy mean happiness? Does being respected and well-liked mean happiness? 2.

Have a debate. The topic is “Sang Lan was happier before the accident than she is now.”

3.

Go over Part F in pairs and continue the dialogue after the example. Step 6: Language Points

Vocabulary

Words injure, struggle, disability, psychologist, gymnast, tournament , dedicated, energetic, specialist, severe, injury, hopeless, overcome, accomplish, journalism, positive, admirable, rebuild,

unbearable, disabled, optimistic

in hospital, devote …to…,

apart from, cheer up, in good spirits, rush sb. to,

be proud of,

stay positive useful expressions

sentence patterns 1.

In case some of our viewers don’t know her story, can you tell us a little bit about Sang Lan and who she is? 2.

While she was injured and in hospital, the world was amazed by the way she remained cheerful. 3.

In 1998, a small accident during one of her practice vaults at the Goodwill Games could have cost her her future happiness.

Step 7: Homework 1. Finish Parts A1 and A2 on page 108 in Workbook.

2. Go over the reading passage.