Adventure in China begins (P4)

辽宁省沈阳市第二中学 常虹

 

I. Lead-in 

Suppose you were a foreigner who came to Beijing from a tiny city for the first time, what might impress you most?

lWhat might arouse your admiration?

lWhat might arouse your curiosity?

lWhat might arouse your appetite?

lWhat might arouse fear?

 

II. While reading

Scanning: 

Read the article and answer the following questions. 

1.What did the author do when he first arrived in Beijing?

One of the first things I did was visit one of the city’s hutong. Strolling around the narrow streets, the warm air was filled with the smell of delicious food as people played mahjong and rode their old-fashioned bikes.

2.What did the author find strange?

First, hearing the slurping of Chinese diners or the throat-clearing sounds of colleagues was a funny culture shock at first. Next is the attention that being a foreigner brings. On the subway or in streets and restaurants, some people stare and try to take secret photos of me.

3.Was he happy to be stared at by other people?

It frustrates him. The author thinks it’s like being a celebrity but without the champagne-fuelled parties or millions of dollars in the bank. 

 

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

1.The author planned carefully before coming to Beijing.(T)

2. The author found traveling in Beijing is risky.(F)

3. The old-fashioned bikes are not typical in Beijing.(F)

4. British people always make bodily noise.(F)

5. The author’s favorite food has not been figured out.(T)

6. Motorbikes are cheap so it’s the best way to travel around in China.(F)

 

Read in depth. Read, think and answer the question.

What does “it” refer to in the sentence “It has one shopping street that’s around 500 meters”?

A. Beijing                  B. England

C. Preston                 D. Hutong

Answer: C.

 

III. Language focus

Use other words to explain the underlined part.

1. Beijing couldn’t be more different to my home city.

is very different from

2. There isn’t a great deal of choice when it comes to restaurants.

when it is a question of/in regards to

3. I still find some habits here quite strange and humorous.

think; believe

4. To hear the slurping of Chinese diners or the throat-clearing sounds of colleagues was a funny culture shock at first. 

a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment

 

IV. Post-reading

Discuss in groups:

1.Do you know other forms of culture shock that foreigners suffer in China?

2.Do you make noise at table or clear your throat loudly in public? What do you think of such behavior?

 

V. Homework

Write an article explaining your idea of an ‘ideal Beijing’. What aspects would you improve/change? 

 

Nature calms emotions (P5)

辽宁省沈阳市第二中学 常虹

 

I. Lead-in

How are you feeling right now? Tired? Bored? Upset? Sleepy? Depressed? 

Now let’s watch a video. Tell us how you feel after watching it. 

Tell us how you feel now.

BBC’s nature documentary

Planet earth: (rating 9.7 in Douban)

   Emmy Award-winning, five years in the making, the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC

Planet earth II: (rating 9.9 in Douban)

    David Attenborough returns in this breathtaking documentary showcasing life on Planet Earth.

Believe it or not, watching nature programs could help us reduce stress.

 

II. While reading

Scanning: 

Read the passage and answer the following questions.

1.What did the research find out?

As the researchers found out, watching nature programs has direct and uplifting benefits on the mood and well-being of their viewers. 

2.Where do the participants come from?

7,500 participants are from the US, UK, Singapore, India, South Africa and Australia. 

3.What is the feedback of Planet Earth II?

Planet Earth II broke viewing records with its release in the US. A decade after its first series, the follow-up’s stunning views of nature made it one of the most-watched television programs of 2016 and, according to the BBC, the most successful nature documentary for 15 years.

4.How will researchers help viewers get rid of stress?

They now plan to use the findings to bring viewers closer to the natural world, making them feel happier. For example, the realhappinessproject.com was launched on March 8. It uses interactive tools such as the “happybot” to create a personalized collection of natural history clips for each viewer.

 

Put the details of the research in correct order.

a.They were given psychometric tests.

b.They watch clips of Planet Earth II, dramas and news stories.

c.They come from the US, UK, Singapore, India, South Africa and Australia.

d.The participants were asked to fill in surveys about their mood.

Answer:cdba

 

III. Language focus

Fill in the blanks with the words’ correct form.

  During the research, __named__(name) “The Real Happiness Project”, the __participants__(participate) were asked to fill in surveys about their mood. Their __reactions__(react) were then recorded with __facial__(face) mapping technology and psychometric tests. Results showed that people __aged__(age) between 16 and 24 showed the most decrease in feelings of __nervousness__(nervous) and __tiredness__(tire). The shifts in emotion as a result of watching this powerful natural history series are __significant__(significance) as we know that wonder and __contentment__(content)are the foundations of human happiness.”

 

IV. Language work

Translate the following sentences.

lKeltner explained that the findings mean that our connection to nature could be a huge boost to cognitive performance such as attention and sense of calm. In turn, it made us more social and effective teamworkers and could even improve our physical health.

Keltner 解释说，这个发现意味着我们与大自然的联系可以对认知表现比如注意力和内心平静感有一种巨大的促进。反过来，这种促进也会让我们成为更和谐有效的团队伙伴甚至会改善我们的身体健康。

lThe shifts in emotion as a result of watching this powerful natural history series are significant as we know that wonder and contentment are the foundations of human happiness.

这种由于观看这样震撼的自然历史片而导致的感情的转变是很重要的，因为我们都知道惊叹和满足感是人类幸福的基础。

V. Post-reading

Discussion:

1.Which type of movie is your favorite? Tell us one example.

2.What do you usually do when you feel stressed?

 

VI.Homework

Watch this remarkable nature documentary: Planet Earth II in your spare time to become relaxed.

 

Grow by speaking up (P6)

北京市海淀区学区管理中心 王俊英

 

I. Lead-in

1.Have you ever experienced a bad moment？What did you do at that moment?

2.Do you often speak up when you meet difficulties? Why or why not?

Let us read an article related to“Speak Up”!

 

II. While-reading

Read the article quickly, and answer the question:

What’s the article mainly about?

The author learned to speak up and to help others to speak out.

 

Read the article carefully and answer the following questions. 

1.What is the possible reaction of people when they hear the story of the author’s childhood? 

People would be amazed. They would say: “Are you serious? ”

2.What did the author learn to do in his childhood?

The author protected himself by not speaking up. 

3.How bad was the author’s childhood?

He was treated badly and hurt. His name was changed at least three times, he lived in van when he was between colleges, he was full of anxiety, depression, and even wanted to kill myself.

4.Did the author change himself later? How did he do it?

Yes, he will complete his doctorate and become a widely published author now. He learned to start speaking up for himself and then he got help from people around him.

5.What is the hope of the author now? 

He hopes that sharing his story will help others see what is possible, even in the darkest of times, and help others to speak out. 

6.What lesson did the author learn from his life experience?

He’s learned that if we can hold on and find help, if we find ways to get through the day and speak up, we'll not only survive, but become stronger than before. Our very survival can be an inspiration all on its own. 

 

Read, think and answer.

How many parts can you separate the article into? Can you draw a mind map.

Three parts.

 

 

III. Post-reading

Discuss in groups.

1.What’s your understanding of the sentence “Our very survival can be an inspiration all on its own. ”？

2.What do you learn from the article?

3.Do you agree with the ideas of the author? Why or why not? 

 

IV. Useful Expressions

lSpeak up: speak one’s opinion without fear or hesitation; speak louder; raise one’s voice.

lspeak up for someone or something: to speak in favor of someone or something. If anybody says bad things about me, I hope you speak up for me. I want to speak up for the rights of students.

ltrial and error: A method of reaching a correct solution or satisfactory result by trying out various means or theories until error is sufficiently reduced or eliminated.

 

V. Homework

Writing:

Choose one of the following.

1.Retell the article with the help of your mind map.

2. Write down what you’ve learned from the article.