Reading and vocabulary优质课教学设计

Period 1: Reading—The Cat That Vanished

Objectives ●

To learn about fantasy literature ●

To learn to read with strategies Focus Words Expressions

vanish，blink，shape，doubt，bend，hesitate，shine，dream，awake，revenge，

marry，punish，possess

behave strangely, stand still，know without any doubt that…, know… as strongly as…, climb through the hole in the walls, stand under a line of tall trees, have the scent of flowers, look around carefully, shine down over…, dream but awake at the same time Patterns

1.

She came out of a garden to where Will was standing．

2.

Still watching，Will saw the cat behave strangely.

3.

Then she leapt back，with her tail held up．

4.

When it had gone past he crossed the road, keeping his eyes on the place where the cat had vanished. 5.

It looked as if someone had cut a patch out of the air, about two meters from the edge of the road.

Procedures

▇Warming up by learning about “fantasy”

Hello, class! We have come to Module 2 Fantasy Literature—Philip Pullman. But what is fantasy? Who is Philip Pullman? Fantasy

is a genre of art, literature, film, television, and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. The genre is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by overall look, feel, and theme of the individual work, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three (collectively known as speculative fiction). In its broadest sense, fantasy covers works by many writers, artists, and musicians, from ancient myths and legends, to many recent works embraced by a wide audience today.

As with other forms of speculative fiction, actions and events in fantasy very often differ from those possible in consensus reality. In many cases, especially in older works of fantasy but in many modern works as well, this is explained by means of divine intervention, magic, or other supernatural forces. In other cases, most frequently in works of modern fantasy in the high fantasy subgenre, the story might take place in a fantasy world that is wholly different from our own, complete with distinct laws of nature that permit magic. ▇Warming up by learning about “Philip Pullman”

Philip Pullman was born in Norwich on 19th October 1946. The early part of his life was spent travelling all over the world, because his father and then his stepfather were both in the Royal Air Force. He spent part of his childhood in Australia, where he first met the wonders of comics, and grew to love Superman and Batman in particular.

From the age of 11, he lived in North Wales, having moved back to Britain. It was a time when children were allowed to roam anywhere, to play in the streets, to wander over the hills, and he took full advantage of it. His English teacher, Miss Enid Jones, was a big influence on him, and he still sends her copies of his books.

After he left school he went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English. He did a number of odd jobs for a while, and then moved back to Oxford to become a teacher. He taught at various middle schools for twelve years, and then moved to Westminster College, Oxford, to be a part-time lecturer. He taught courses on the Victorian novel and on the folk tale, and also a course examining how words and pictures fit together. He eventually left teaching in order to write full-time.

His first published novel was for adults, but he began writing for children when he was a teacher. Some of his novels were based on plays he wrote for his school pupils, such as The Ruby In The Smoke.

Philip still lives in Oxford, and he writes in a shed at the bottom of his garden. The shed contains

two comfortable chairs (one for writing in, one for sitting at the computer in), several hundred books, a six-foot-long stuffed rat which took a part in his play Sherlock Holmes and the Limehouse Horror, a guitar, a saxophone, as well as the computer, decorated with dozens of brightly coloured artificial flowers attached to it by Blu-Tack.

Blu-Tack plays a big part in Philip Pullman's writing process. With it he sticks to the wall pictures, notes, posters, reminders, postcards, book jackets, anything that will stay there.

Another product of technology that Philip can't do without is Post-it Notes, the smallest yellow ones in particular. They are very useful for planning the shape of a story: he writes a brief sentence summarising a scene on one of them, and then puts them on a very big piece of paper which he can fill with up to sixty or more different scenes, moving them around to get the best order.

Philip Pullman believes firmly in the virtues of healthy exercise and a moderate diet - for other people. It makes them feel virtuous, and makes them feel good if not happy. The most exercise he normally takes is unscrewing the top of the whisky bottle. If he liked the taste of tobacco, he would smoke vigorously. He is fond of sport, and plays it by watching television. He is a big fan of Neighbours, but that is the only soap he watches, as Neighbours gives him quite enough to think about.

He is married to Jude. Their son Jamie is a viola player, and their younger son Tom studies music at university.

As far as he can tell, Philip Pullman is moderately harmless and useful. He would like to carry on doing what he's doing now, and there seems no reason why he shouldn't, but if it suddenly became against the law to write stories, he would break the law without a second's hesitation. ▇Before you read Now let’s go to page 11 to read first His Dark Materials and The Cat That Vanished.But first please go over the word list for this module, paying attention to the pronunciation of the word, the relationship between its pronunciation and its spelling.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman His Dark Materials

is one of the greatest fantasy novels/ ever written. The story takes place/ in several different worlds. The heroine is a young girl/ called/ Lyra/ and the hero is a boy/ called/ Will. In the first book, Lyra's scientist father makes it possible/ to enter other worlds. The children have many extraordinary adventures/ in these different worlds, and play an important part/ in a war/ that could destroy the universe. It's an exciting novel/ with witches, talking bears, and other strange creatures. It is also very philosophical, with ideas/ that both adults and children will enjoy.

The Cat That vanished At this time of night/ there was very little traffic，and the road/ where he stood/ was quiet，with comfortable houses，and trees/ along both sides of the road．Will was

so tired that he could not think clearly/ but as he stood trying to decide what to do，he saw a cat．

She came out of a garden/ to where Will was standing．Putting down his shopping bag，Will held out his hand, and the cat came up/ to him. Then/ she turned away/ and went across the road，towards the bushes/ just past the trees，and/ there/ she stopped．

Still watching，Will saw the cat behave strangely. She put out a paw/ to pat something/ in the air/ in front of her，

something/ that was invisible/ to Will．Then/ she leapt back，with her tail/ held up．Will knew cat behaviour and watched more carefully. The cat approached the place/ again, just an empty patch of grass/ between the trees and the bushes，and patted the air/ once more. Again/ she leapt back，but less far/ and with less fear/ this time．After another few seconds，the cat stepped forward，and vanished．

Will blinked．Then/ he stood still，close to the nearest tree, as a truck passed by. When it had gone past

he crossed

the road, keeping his eyes/ on the place/ where the cat had vanished. It wasn’t easy, because there was nothing to really see, but/ when he came to the place/ and looked

more closely, he saw it. But/ he could only see it/ from some positions. It looked as if someone had cut a patch/ out of the air, about two metres/ from the edge of the road. The patch was almost square/ in shape/ and less than a metre across. From most positions，It was nearly invisible，and it was completely invisible/

from behind．You could only see it/ from the side/ nearest the road，and/ you couldn’t see it easily/ even from there. On the other side of the patch was exactly the same thing/ that was on this side: a patch of grass. But/ Will knew/ without any doubt/ that/ that patch of grass /on the other side/ was in a different world. He couldn't possibly have said why. He knew it/ as strongly as he knew that/ fire burned/ and kindness was good. He was looking at something/ that was very alien. And/ for that reason only, he bent down and looked through. What he saw/

frightened him, but/ he didn't hesitate. Pushing his shopping bag through, he climbed through the hole/ in the walls of this world/ and into another. He was standing/ under a line of tall trees. Like the trees/ in his own town, they grew/ in a line/ along the road. But this was the centre of a wide road, and at the side of the road/ was a line of cafes/ and small shops, all completely silent and empty/ under a dark sky. The hot night had the scent of flowers/ and the salt smell of the sea. Will looked around carefully. Behind him/ the moon shone down/ over green hills, and/ on the slopes of these hills/ there were houses/ with rich gardens/ and an open park. Just beside him/ was that patch/ in the air. It was as difficult to see/ from this side as from the other, but definitely there．Bending to look through, he saw the road /in his own town, his own world. He turned quickly away. Although he knew nothing/ at all/ about this world, it had to be

better than the life/ he had just left. Feeling that/ he was dreaming/ but awake/ at the same time, he stood up /and looked around/ for the cat, his guide. ▇While you read While reading try to cut/ the sentences into thought groups, blacken the predicates, underline the useful expressions and darken the connectives. ▇After you read Copy all the useful expressions into your Expression Book and make your own sentences with them. Useful expressions from His Dark Materials

by Philip Pullman one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written, take place in several different worlds, a young girl called…, in the first book, enter other worlds, have many extraordinary adventures, play an

important part in…, destroy the universe, an exciting novel

Useful expressions from The Cat That vanished at this time of night, very little traffic，comfortable houses，, along both sides of…, think clearly, come out of a garden, put down…, hold out…, come up to…, turn away, go across…, behave strangely, put out…, pat…in the air, in front of her，be invisible to…, leap back，watch carefully, approach…again, an empty patch of…, with less fear, this time, step forward，stand still，close to…, pass by, cross the road, keep one’s eyes on…, see… from some positions, cut…out of …, about two metres from…, square in shape, a metre across, invisible from behind, see… from the side nearest…,on the other side of…, a patch of…, know without any doubt that…, in a different world, know… as strongly as…, for that reason only, bend down, look through, push…through, climb through the hole in the walls, stand under a line of tall trees, in a line, along the road, the centre of a wide road, at the side of …, under a dark sky, hot night, have the scent of flowers, look around carefully, shine down over…, houses with rich gardens and an open park, look through, turn quickly away, know nothing at all about…, dream but awake at the same time

■

Reading the text again to fill in the necessary information The Cat That vanished What did Will see one night? Will saw a cat．

Where did the cat stop? A cat stopped where Will was standing．

How did Will see the cat Will saw the cat behave strangely.

behave? What did the cat do then? What did Will do then? Where could Will see it? The cat stepped forward，and vanished．

Will looked more closely, he saw it. Will could only see it from a patch of grass. What did Will know about Will knew that patch of grass was in a different world. that patch of grass?

What was Will looking at? What did Will do then? He was looking at something that was very alien. He climbed through the hole in the walls of this world and into another. Where was Will standing?

What did Will do then? He was standing under a line of tall trees.

Will looked around carefully.

What was beside him in the Just beside him was that patch in the air.

air? What did Will do then? Feeling that he was dreaming but awake at the same time, he stood up and looked around for the cat, his guide.

Additional Materials Complete the article with one word in each blank: At this __1___ of night when there was very little traffic，Will ___2__ out of his comfortable houses __3___ walked along the side of the street. He tried to think __4___, but he couldn’t. Suddenly he saw a cat coming out of a garden, patting one of his __5___ the air, and disappeared in a patch out of the air. Will crossed the road, keeping his eyes on the ___6__ where the cat had vanished.

All of a __7___ Will got to know without any __8___ that the cat had gone to a different world. He climbed through the hole in the walls, and __9___ himself standing under a line of tall trees ___10__ a different world. Will thought that he was dreaming but awake at the same time.

(key: 1.time 2. came 3. and 4. clearly5. paws 6. place 7.sudden 8.doubt 9. found 10. in ) 6.

S Answer the reading comprehension questions: 1. What does patch mean in the text? A. A dressing or covering applied to protect a wound or sore. B. A pad or shield of cloth worn over an eye socket or an injured eye. C. A small piece, part, or section, especially that which differs from or contrasts with the whole: a patch of thin ice; patches of sunlight.

D. A small plot or piece of land, especially one that produces or is used for growing specific vegetation: a briar patch; a bean patch. 2. The word “alien” in the passage means: ________________

A. Owing political allegiance to another country or government; foreign: alien residents. B. Belonging to, characteristic of, or constituting another and very different place, society, or person; strange. See Synonyms at foreign. C. Dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed, as in nature: emotions alien to her temperament. D. Mysterious, and strange in appearance. 3. Which of the followings is not mentioned in the passage? A. Will was so tired that he could not think clearly but as he stood trying to decide what to do，he saw a cat．

B. Putting down his shopping bag，Will held out his hand, and the cat came up to him.

C. Still watching，Will saw the cat behave strangely.

D. Will knew someone had cut a patch out of the air, about two metres from the edge of the road.

4. The cat that vanished is Will’s _________.

A. guide B. pet C. teacher D. servant

(Keys: ABDA)