Chance to start over (P1)
中国人民大学附属中学  宋玖青

I. Warming up  
What do you usually do to celebrate the New Year?

II. Pre-reading
What’s the real meaning of celebrating New Year’s Day?
Family getting together
Getting pocket money
Welcoming the future
Keeping traditions
…

III. While-reading
Scanning
Read the article and answer the following questions.
1. What fact does New Year’s Day celebrate?
The fact that we’ve lived another 365 days.

2. According to the author, what is the task for anyone facing a new year?
To prepare for anything.

Close Reading
Decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1.For most Chinese people, January 1 is the real start of the new year.
2.We celebrate the start of every new year mostly because of what we have experienced in the past year. 
3.For privileged people, getting through an entire year is easier.
4.Destiny is totally determined by ourselves.
Key: FTFF

Multiple choice questions.
1.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the article?
     A. We cannot go back to the past or visit the future.
     B. The most fortunate will meet fewer obstacles in life.
     C. We never know what life has in store for us.
     D. New Year’s Day is more like an ending than a beginning.
2. What might be the author’s attitude towards destiny?
     A. worried  B. helpless
     C. indifferent  D. hopeful

Close Reading
In the article, the author uses many similes(明喻) and metaphors(暗喻). Try to find 2 examples and explain them.
Possible Answer:
Example: Nobody gets a pass, because life, like a teacher, takes attendance.
Explanation: Here, the author compares “life” to “a teacher”. The author wants to express the idea that every day we live is like taking attendance, and we can never be absent from life even for one day.

IV. Post-reading
Discussion and Debate
Think about your answer to the following question, and discuss it in groups of four. Then share your thoughts with the class.
    Can you explain the difference between “destiny as something that can be summoned …” and “destiny as a chef”? Which one are you in favor of? What’s your opinion on destiny?

V. Homework
Year-End Summary
Look back to the year 2017. Think about the memorable moments:
--What achievements you made;
--What difficulties you met;
--What lessons you learned;
--…
Also, write down your expectations and visions for 2018.

Greece keeps tradition of kindness to strangers alive (P4)
邯郸市第一中学  韩雪
Lead-in
What do you know about Greece?
Greece is a beautiful coastal country  filled with friendly and welcoming people.
Greece is located in the southwest of Europe.
Greece is one of the Four Ancient Civilizations.
It has a long history and diverse culture like China, which means it also has various traditions.

Fast reading
Read the article quickly, and answer the question:
What’s the article mainly about?
Greece’s culture of friendship toward strangers.

Close reading
Read the article carefully and answer the following questions.
1. What does philoxenia mean?
It means “friend to a stranger” in Greek.
People of the Greek world regarded it as a duty to hold out a hand of friendship to strangers when they came to visit their land.

2. Why do we say Athens has a reputation for philoxenia?
Because visitors from abroad can find many cheap places to stay in Athens, such as the many “Filoxenia” hotels, and the many private homes that form a network of places where strangers can spend a night or two.

3. How are refugees treated in Greece?
People who run away from war zones are not always treated kindly by their host countries, but Greece has made refugees more welcome than most.

4. What is the political influence of philoxenia?
City-states would make friendship pacts (契约) with each other in Greece in ancient times while the modern practice of alliances (结盟) between nations shows the long-lasting influence (影响) of philoxenia.

Sentence analyzing
Find all the attributive clauses in the article.
1.There is an ancient Greek word, “philoxenia”, which means “friend to a stranger”.
2.It stands for a practice that was widespread (广为流传的) in Greece thousands of years ago.
3.Visitors from abroad can find … and the many private homes that form a network of places where strangers can spend a night or two.
4.One of the most moving examples of this idea is the friendship that this poor country has shown to refugees from war-torn Syria and other places.
5.People who run away from war zones are not always treated kindly by their host countries.
6.Guests are expected to behave well, and a person who has received friendship must offer friendship in return.

Phrase analyzing
 

Post-reading
Debate
Please debate the following issue:
Should we regard strangers as friends?