Catchwords catch on (P4)

山东省烟台第二中学  李欣桐

 

I. Lead-in

How do you understand “catchwords”?

The examples are probably familiar to you. You might use them in everyday life.

Catchwords/buzzwords, as a kind of language phenomenon, reflect widespread concerns and ideas of a community or region in a period of time.

Language is ever changing, and English is no exception. 

 

II. Skimming-be a fast reader

•What is the passage mainly about?

Dictionary.com, the world’s leading online dictionary announced (宣布) they were adding new words in August: “plogging”; “hamster angle”; and “hot girl summer”.

 

•Divide the passage into parts and give your reason.

Part 1 (Para.1) Introduction

Part 2 (Para.2-6) Exemplification

Part 3 (Para.7) Conclusion

 

III. Scanning-be a careful reader

 (Para.1) How do you understand the title “catch on” according to the first paragraph?

English is ever changing, and new words expand the language (使语言丰富) almost every day. A leading online dictionary, proves (证明) as much when announcing (宣布) it has added some new words. 

catch on=become popular = go viral

 

(Para.2-6) What aspects are covered when introducing “plogging”? 

• “Plogging” is a buzzword combining (combine) the Swedish phrase “plocka upp” (pick up) and the English word “jogging”. 

• Described (describe) by the online dictionary as “a Swedish exercise trend that combines jogging with picking up litter”, the running trend unites environmentalism with fitness.

The fad has attracted many nature lovers concerned about (关心)the Earth’s health. “People often hike and surf as a means (方式) of reconnecting with nature – but I’ve not seen anything quite as official feeling as plogging,” US eco-life expert Ashlee Piper told NBC news.

•Plogging shows how new lifestyle trends can drive (推动) new language trends (潮流). 

Dictionary.com has added a range of terms (一系列术语) based on social media and pop culture searches.

 

(Para.2-6) According to the passage, what new words being collected in the online dictionary are used to describe selfies?

A new one is “hamster angle  (角度)”. It’s the camera angle that makes you look chubby, like a hamster. 

Selfies have become an indispensable part of our lives. 

What could be a source of new words?

Memes(表情包) are another source of new words.    

 “Hot girl summer” was also added to the popular online dictionary, which is about having fun and feeling confident in who you are.

 

(Para.7) Judge whether the statement is T or F. (Give your evidence)

•The language is and will be settled for quite a long time. F

The language continues to do what it’s been doing for as long as it’s existed: grow and adapt to meet the needs of the people who use it.

自语言出现以来，它一直都在不断发展，满足语言使用者的需求。 

 

IV. Language focus

Translate into Chinese:

 

 

 

V. Free talk

What other catchwords do you think will catch on? Why?

•Example:  

I  suppose the word _____ will go viral, because it ________________.

Furthermore, _______________. Last but not least, _____________. All in all, the word will be collected into the leading dictionary.

 

VI. Mini composition

Write a short passage to introduce the word “plogging” by using the expression we’ve just learned. (10 sentences.)

 

VII. Homework

•Find more catchwords on the internet 

•Share and compare the words with your peers.

•Choose a representative word and present it to the rest of the class next lesson.

 

 

Our future: fantastic or fantasy? (P6)

山东省烟台第二中学 赵霞

 

Lead in 

Have you ever imagined what life will be like in 50 years?

Look at these pictures to get some hints!

People might travel in pods (舱)

on underwater highways. 

People might be encouraged to exercise

on skywalks in skyscrapers. 

We might watch our favourite teams fly

around stadiums on hoverboards (悬滑板),

just like Quidditch in the Harry Potter books! 

We might spend our holidays in a space hotel. 

 

Are they just our wild and unrealistic imagination?

According to The Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus report, all those dreams can be realized in the future!

 

Reading for the main idea

What is the main idea of the article?

The Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus report predicts the advancements in technology that will affect our lives in 50 years. It looks at three different areas of daily life: transportation, personal health and entertainment.

 

Reading for details 

Read the passage again and answer the following questions.

1.What areas of life will be affected by advancements in technology in 50 years?

It looks at three different areas of daily life: transportation, personal health and entertainment.

 

2.What advantages does future transportation have according the report?

Using travel pods on underwater highways could prove useful for traveling between places connected by waterways.

Flying buses and taxis would greatly decrease commute times and road traffic.

 

3.According the author, in what ways will we entertain ourselves in the future?

We’ll be cheering on our favourite teams as they fly around stadiums on hoverboards. When it comes to vacations, we’ll pack our bags and head to luxury space hotels that orbit the moon or other planets.

 

Read for language and grammar

 

It is no surprise that researchers increasingly focus on how technology will grow and affect us

in our future daily life. 

it形式主语，that从句真正主语

其他it做形式主语的句型有：

It+be+obvious/true/natural/surprising/good

possible/likely/certain) +that从句

It+be+no wonder/an honor/a good thing/a pity

+that从句

It+be+said/reported/thought/expected/decided

announced/arranged +that从句

 

People will commute using travel pods on underwater highways. 

using现在分词做状语

While English was the official  language, these ethnic groups soon began reinventing the language, ____(use) their own words and grammar in some places. (Teens3)

Like ancient sailors, birds can find their way _____(use) the sun and the stars.(2015重庆)

 

Read for thinking

Apart from what has been said in the report, how do you think we will be living in 50 years?