Iconic symbol of UK lives on (P4)

山东烟台二中 赵娜娜

I. Lead-in 

Have you ever used a public telephone? How often, if ever? Why?

With the development of mobile phones, there are less and less people using public phones nowadays.

Giles Gilbert Scott, the man behind the famed red telephone boxes.

Watch the video about phone boxes and answer the questions.

1. When did the first phone come to be?

In 1876

2. What is the other expression for “telephone box”?

Kiosk

3. When did red telephone boxes fall into decline?

In 1968

Brainstorming:  

How else could we use red phone boxes to save them? 

As tourist attractions

To sell things

Use in movies

II. While-reading 

Fast reading

Read the article quickly, and answer the question:

What’s the main idea of the passage?

As an iconic symbol in Britain, the function of red phone boxes for phone calls is in decline, but new uses start booming.

Read the passage quickly again and finish the following match

Para. 1

Current situation of red phone boxes

Para.2&3

A general introduction of the boxes

Para. 4-6

New uses of red phone boxes 

Para.7&8

Functions in their heyday and in the rain

Careful reading

Part 1

Read Para.1 carefully, and judge the following statement as true or false:

Use of Britain’s famous red telephone boxes has been falling for decades, and there are only a few of them left.

Part 2

Read Para2-3 carefully, and answer the following questions:

1. What is the red phone box made from?

It is made from iron and glass (铁和玻璃材质的) and has the Queen’s coat of arms (盾形徽章). 

2.Why is the phone box important in the countryside?

It acts as a landmark 

Part 3

Read Para4-6 carefully, and answer the following questions:

1.What make red boxes the perfect backdrop (背景) for a selfie？

Red boxes are a symbol of the UK. People who receive the photo will have no trouble guessing where the selfie was taken.

2. What has changed in the way red phone boxes are used? Why?

The red boxes are no longer popular places to make a call from, new uses are being found for them all the time. Because mobile phones became more widespread, there has been less and less point in public phones.

3.Can you give some examples of the changes?

For example, some have been changed into tiny coffee shops. Others are hat stores. In one remote (偏远的) area of the country, a red box that had not been used for a long time has been turned into a small lending library. 

Read the last two paragraphs carefully again and explain the phrases in English using your own words.

heyday/use … as toilets in an emergency/be caught up in the rain/unpredictable/be one’s best bet 

III. Post-reading 

Discussion

If you had the chance to turn a red phone box into something, what would you choose and why?

IV. Homework

Writing: 

Write an article to introduce British red phone boxes.

 

Unusual English tradition (P5)

山东烟台二中 赵娜娜

I. Lead-in 

Guessing

Can you guess what they are doing according to the pictures?

Morris dancing

Can you summarize some features of morris dancing? 

Special costumes

Wearing bells on trousers 

Waving handkerchiefs

Holding a stick

II. While-reading 

Fast reading

Read the article quickly, and answer the question:

What’s the main idea of the passage?

It describes morris dancing as a form of folk dancing and its crisis of unpopularity among youngsters.

Read the passage quickly again and finish the following match

Para. 1

introduction

Para.2-3

what morris dancing is like as a form of folk dancing 

Para. 4-5

the crisis of unpopularity among youngsters

Para.6

The call for protecting morris dancing 

Careful reading

Part 1

Read Para.1 carefully, and fill in the blanks:

If you ever visit an English village, make sure to _____ ___ ___morris dancing. _______(doubt) one of the strangest _______(tradition) of English culture, morris dancing is a form of ____ _____that ____ ___ __the 15th century. If you ever get the opportunity, you really have to see it.

Part 2

Read Para2-3 carefully, and answer the following questions:

1.What do men and women wear when they do morris dancing?

Men and women wear old-fashioned, tattered (褴褛的) clothing. Women wear long, frilly (有褶皱边的) skirts and men wear short trousers with bells attached to (系着) them.

2.What do they dance to?

They dance to traditional folk music which is often played on traditional musical instruments.

3.What are the two kinds of morris dancing mentioned in the passage?

Some groups carry heavy black sticks which they bash (击打) against each other while they dance. Other groups wave handkerchiefs in the air whilst they perform.

4.Why are the dances usually performed near a pub?

The dances are usually performed near a pub so that when it’s over, the dancers and spectators (观众) can sing some traditional folk songs over a pint of beer. 

5. How long do the festivities usually last?

The festivities (欢庆) will often continue long into the night, by which point most people are too drunk to think about performing again.

Part 3

Read Para4-5 carefully, and answer the following questions:

1.What’s the big crisis that morris dancing is facing?

As the years go by, fewer and fewer young people are joining morris dancing groups. The dancers are getting older and older and eventually, if nothing is done to change this trend, the tradition will die out within the next few decades.

2.Why aren’t teenagers rushing to sign up for it?

It’s not exactly the coolest thing for an 18-year-old to be doing, like going clubbing (逛夜店) or playing sport.

Part 4

Read the last paragraph carefully again and explain the phrases in English using your own words.

Vibrant/harmless/toast to/would-be morris dancers

Discussion

What can we do to stop morris dancing from dying out?

Writing:

Write an article to introduce morris dancing and make some suggestions on how to save it.

 

Keep attitude in check (P6)

山东烟台二中 李欣桐

I. Lead-in 

Brainstorming:

What would you do if you came across an unfamiliar issue?

If an unfamiliar problem occurred, I would...

Mellody Hobson

President of Ariel Investments

•Board(董事会) member of

Estee Lauder(雅诗兰黛) 、Starbucks(星巴克)、Dreamworks Animation SKG ...

•Public speaker Good Morning America (早安美国)

“What is the worst thing that could happen?”

II. While-reading 

What was the author's reason for writing this article? 

To tell us that throughout our entire career, if inexperience is holding us back, taking a leap of faith is worth the risk. 

Activity 1: Words and phrases 

•实习生 n.  实习n.

•对...知之甚少

•视角n.

•创始人和之后的总裁 

•头衔n.

•interns; internship

•have little knowledge of

•perspective

•founder and then-president

•title

•指引的力量

•开始

•不成熟 n.

•阻止，阻挡

•孤注一掷

•约束；控制

•坚定的adj.

•guiding force

•start out

•inexperience

•hold back 

•take a leap of faith

•keep sth in check

•firm

•一线之隔 

•不受威胁的 adj.

•不吓人的 adj.

•导师n. 教导v.

•a fine line between

•non-threatened 

•non-threatening

•mentor

Activity 2: Sentences

Compare and analyse the two sentences.

•He told me that being inexperienced means that you have a fresh point of view.

• Staying in the background was never a choice. 

Activity 3 Analysis & Understanding

This early advice became the guiding force that has helped me throughout my entire career. When I was starting out, I thought my inexperience was holding me back, but John said that it was a good thing. He told me that being inexperienced means that you have a fresh point of view.

As the President of Ariel Investments, I work hard to mentor and encourage our youngest teammates.

While there are many stories to share from my years at the company, I often repeat the advice of my mentor, “What is the worst thing that could happen?”

III. After-reading 

What activity does this passage inspire you to do? 

• studying

• planning

• organizing

• leading

• ...

IV. Extra reading:

Racial Discrimination   

by Mellody Hobson

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzk4NDgyNDEy.html 

Color blind or color brave?

 

The subject of race can be very touchy. As she says, it's a "conversational third rail." But, that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race - and particularly about diversity in hiring - makes for better businesses and a better society.

 

What kind of information does she want to spread?

You see, I want them to look at a CEO on television and say, "I can be like her," or, "He looks like me." And I want them to know that anything is possible, that they can achieve the highest level that they ever imagined, that they will be welcomed in any corporate boardroom, or they can lead any company. 

•being the land of the free and the home of the brave

•woven into the fabric of America

•show courage

•to be bold 

•As business leaders, not to leave anything on the table. 

•As citizens, not to leave any child behind. 

 

Not to be color blind, but to be color brave .

Every child knows that their future matters and their dreams are possible.

V. Homework

Writing:

Write an article based on what you learned today.