Exploring dark future (P1)

天津市第三中学  朱煜

 

I. Warming up   

Technology makes our lives better, but it also has its dark side. What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology?

Advantages:

•increases work efficiency                           

•improve people's health

•increases humans’ abilities to exp-lore the world

•…

Disadvantages:

•people are becoming lazier

•communication between people has decreased

•… 

Discussion:

How do you think technology will affect our future lives?

 

II. Fast reading 

General questions about the article

1.What is the story of the first episode mainly about? 

It is about a woman, Lacie Pound, who works hard to please others in order to get a good rating, but fails. 

2.What may be the reason the show is named Black Mirror? 

It describes the dark screen of a computer, smart phone or TV that has been turned off. When you look into the screen, you see your own reflection looking back at you. 

 

III. Careful reading 

Read the article carefully and find the detailed information.

1.What does the author think of the third season of Black Mirror?

Each of the six episodes is equally nail-biting and thought-provoking. 

2.In the story, how does the rating system work?

People rate each other based on their behavior and social media posts. 

3.What happens if someone’s rating is below three?

He or she is rejected from a lot of social services, including renting a nice apartment or a good car. 

4.What are advantages of having a ranking system? 

It can help people quickly tell if a person is reliable or not. They no longer have to put up with a rude restaurant waiter either, because they can always give him or her a low mark. 

5.How does Pound treat the old woman?

Pound does to the old woman what others have done to her – she gives her a very low score. 

6. When is the show at its best?

It is at its best when the story is not just about technology, and it’s also about humanity. 

 

IV. Vocabulary 

Fill in the blanks with the correct words or phrases. 

explore, thought-provoking, lose one’s temper, straightforward, moral compass

1.The TV series helped to change a nation’s __________.

2.Her remarks were meaningful and ___________.

3.She is very blunt, _________ and honest. 

4.I decided to go out and _______ the town.

5.When she ___________, there's nothing you can do about it.  

Key: moral compass; thought-provoking; straightforward; explore; loses her temper 

 

V. Further thinking

ØWhat do you think of the ranking system in the story?

ØWhat are its advantages and disadvantages?

ØIf you were asked to improve the ranking system, how would you do it? 

 

Look at great artist’s work

(P4-5) 

湖南邵东经纬学校  姚烨

 

I. Warming up

Discussion:

ØAre you interested in painting?

ØCan you name some great masters of painting and their masterpieces?

 

ØWho is he? 

ØWhat do you know about him?

ØWhat is interesting about him?

He is US pop artist Alex Katz, whose works will be exhibited in Shanghai from Nov 7 to 13, 2016. 

 

II. Fast reading 

Read the text quickly and answer the following questions:

1.What is Alex Katz best known for?

He is best known for his paintings of charming, stylish women painted exactly with eye-catching areas of color.

2.What are the main characteristics of Katz’s works?

His way of showing simple looks always gives audiences the feeling of having a direct experience. He often shows people’s interesting qualities – their posture, clothing and facial expressions – in a cool way.

3.What was Katz’s reaction to Abstract Expressionism?

He did not paint in that style. Although he grew up when Abstract Expressionism was still popular, he turned to painting the human figure and landscapes.

4.How did Monet’s paintings of water lilies affect Katz?

Because of Monet’s famous series Water Lilies, Katz once feared painting water lilies. But luckily, he eventually dealt with his fear of Monet’s genius and tried the new approach of painting the water lilies with hard edges, and it worked well.

 

III. Specific reading 

Read the text again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the text.

1.Katz’s paintings suggest typical abstract expressionism.

2.Katz’s paintings have always received a lot of recognition.

3.For 50 years, Katz didn’t paint water lilies because he was uninterested in the flower.

4.In Adam D. Weinberg’s eyes, Alex Katz is somewhat stubborn.

5.The water lilies he painted are considered better than Monet’s.

6.Katz sticks to painting a series until he is happy with it.

Key: FFFTFT

 

IV. Language study

1.Best known for his paintings of charming, stylish women painted exactly with eye-catching areas of color, Katz, 89, has also painted men. 

本句的主干为：Katz has also painted men.

句中 Best known for ...用作 让步状语，意思是“（某人）最闻名的是……”，相当于一个让步状语从句：Although he is best known for …;

painted ...用作后置定语修饰前面的名词paintings

2.Groups of people at social gatherings have also played a big role in his paintings 

gathering n. a group of people meeting together for a particular purpose 集会；聚会

•Among the speakers at the gathering was our headmaster Nicholas Brady. 

gather v.（使）集合, 收集 

•The man signaled for me to gather the children together.   

•She stood up and started gathering her things together.  

3.“He quickly realized what he was doing and was fearless and single-minded.” 

single-minded adj. 专一的; 坚定的

single-mindedness n. 忠贞，专心

single-minded是一个合成词，由形容词+名词+ed构成，类似的合成有：

•warm-hearted     热情的

•bad/ill-tempered   脾气坏的

•short-sighted      近视的

•strong-minded     意志坚定的 

4.Sadly, Katz’s single-mindedness nearly made him pass up the chance to paint water lilies. 

pass up 放弃，错过（机会）

•“I can’t pass this up,” she said of the invitation.

•Never pass up new experiences, Scarlett.

 

V. Post-reading

Surf the internet and find out more about Alex Katz and his works.

 

Great memories of ice fishing (P6)

浙江省金华市外国语学校    翁冰玫

 

I. Warming up   

Group work

Work in groups. Share your most impressive memories of your family with your partners. Your story should include the following elements: When, where, who, what and how.

Students’ stories will vary. If necessary, some can be chosen to share with the whole class. 

 

II. Pre-reading

Read some background information about ice fishing and fish houses.

Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears (鱼叉) through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishermen may fish in the open or in heated enclosures (围栏 ). In North America, ice fishing is often a social activity.

An ice fishing house is a structure used to protect a fisherman from the winter elements while fishing through a hole in the ice. Fish houses are kept dark, making the water under the snow-covered ice appear to glow and light up the fish. Some ice fishing houses are heated, while others are even equipped with bunks (铺位) and stoves.

 

III. While reading 

1.Scan the article and answer the following questions:

1)What is the subject talked about in the article?

The author’s experience of ice fishing with family members.

2)Where did the story happen?

The story took place on Wood Lake in Wisconsin.

2.Read the article again and answer the questions below.

1)Did the author's parents easily accept the invitation to go ice fishing? Please give supporting details. 

No. As can be learned from Paragraph 1, their neighbors had been trying for years to make them accept the invitation to go.

2)What could be the best part of ice fishing according to the author?

Quality time with family and friends. This is shown in the last Paragraph: “We didn't always catch fish, but we always brought home great memories of a day with family and friends.” 

3)The author said they always brought home great memories of a day with family and friends. What are the great memories mentioned in this article? 

a)excitedly headed for Wood Lake (Para. 2) 

b)the well-equipped fishing house (Para. 4) 

c)the appealing lunch at the fishing spot (Para. 5)

d)a mix of quiet time and family chatter (Para. 6)

e)the interesting exploration of the snow and ice (Para. 7)

f)learning to understand and trust the sounds of the frozen lake (Para. 8)

3.Paraphrase the following sentences.

1.... lunch was always the highlight of the day.

... lunch was always the most fun part of the fishing day.

2.The smell of cooking meat was the envy of every other fish house in the neighborhood.

The smell of cooking meat was very appealing.

3.Healthy ice “talks” as it freezes and shifts.

By listening to the sounds of the movement of safe ice, fishermen can enjoy it and stay away from likely dangers. 

 

IV. Post-reading 

1.Discussion of writing skills

In the main body, a lot of emphasis is put on the detailed description of the events mentioned in question 3 above. What do you think the author’s purpose is?

To make the description more convincing and visually attractive.

2.Surf the internet and learn further about ice fishing activities both at home and abroad.