Miniature masterpieces (Page 4)
山东烟台二中 赵娟
I. Pre-reading
Group Work: discuss in groups.
1. Have you ever written a twitter or a micro blog on the Internet?
2. Why do so many people enjoy writing micro blogs?
II. Scanning
1. What is micro-fiction?
Key: Micro-fictions are stories told in 140 characters in any genre.
  2. What are the difficulties faced by micro-fiction writers?
    Key: There is no room for scene setting or character building. Every word has to be used with care.
III. Reading comprehension
  1. What sentence in the article is closest in meaning to the following one?
   After nearly a hundred years, this shortened literary form has become popular on the Internet.
   Key: This shortened literary form has made its way into the digital(数字)world.
      You can always get the main idea/message of the story very fast.
      Key: You are always taken to the heart of the story very quickly
  2. What is the meaning of the underlined word “commitment” in Paragraph 3? (No more than 2 words)
     Key: usage/ cost/ spending
3. Why does the author think micro fictions are so good?
Key: It demands no time commitment but it does have a story to tell.
4. Why did Hemingway say he thought the six-word story his best?
Key: Every word in the story is used with the utmost care.
IV. Post-reading
    Write a micro-fiction about school life. (No more
than 140 words)
Dealing with space junk (Page 5)
山东烟台二中 赵娟
I. Pre-reading
Look at the picture and guess what they are.
Key: space junk
II. Skimming
Question:
1. What are the two sources of space junk?
Key: One is exploded rockets, and another source is astronaut error.
2. Why do scientists want to get rid of space junk?
Key: Space junk is a huge threat to the lives of astronauts in space shuttles and on the International Space Station.
III. Scanning
Read the article carefully and decide whether the sentences are True or False.
1. NASA has successfully moved some of the space junk around Earth by using lasers.
Answer :F
NASA is considering using lasers (激光) to move

space junk around the Earth.
2. The laser’s energy could knock the space junk out of orbit (轨道).
Answer: F
The laser’s energy could change the junk’s course by 650 feet (about 198m) a day.
3. The largest amount of junk was caused by a rocket launched (发射) in 1994.
Answer: T
4. A tiny speck (微粒) of paint from a satellite once dug a hole in a space shuttle window nearly half a centimeter wide.
Answer: T
5. There is no danger of us on Earth getting hit by space junk.
  Answer: F
  ---Is there any danger of us on Earth getting hit by space junk?
  ---Probably not.
IV． Free talk
  Discuss in groups: In what ways could space junk be removed completely? What Actions could be taken? Share your ideas with your partner.
No such thing as a bad job (Page 6)
I. Reading
Choose the best answer:
1. What lesson did the author learn from the taxi driver?
A. How to make the best use of time.
B. How to excel in the service business.
C. How to turn an interest into your career.
D. How to become a motivational speaker.
2. Why did the author look around for a “Candid Camera”? 
A. Because he was afraid he would be photographed in the cab.
B. Because he was worried what the driver could be up to.
C. Because he was amazed by the way the driver was treating him.
D. Because he wasn’t interested in the tapes offered by the driver.
3. It can be inferred from the story that _____.
A. the taxi driver couldn’t accept just being average
B. the author was anxious to get back to meet a client
C. when the author waited for a taxi at the airport, he was not in a rush
D. the taxi driver loved to play his favorite music during rides
4. According to the story, the taxi driver ____.
A. was dissatisfied with his present job
B. was once often rewarded for being a model worker
C. enjoyed offering his customers more than they expected
D. was forced to become a taxi driver to support his family
 II. Language study
Did I tip him big time? You bet!
v “Big time” is just a slang or very informal way of saying “very much” or “a great amount”.
v “You bet” is used to emphasize a statement or to mean 'certainly'
 For example:
１. —How was the interview?
—Terrible, I messed up big time.
２.— Are you coming to the party?
— You bet!