An end to suffering (P2)

I. Pre-reading

Discussion:

Euthanasia: For or Against?

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of euthanasia and whether or not it should be le-gal. Personally are you for or against euthanasia? Why?

      

 

II. Reading

1. Read the article and answer the following questions:

1) What is the Belgium’s Belgian parliament’s new bill on euthanasia about?

  According to the new bill, children can be helped to die under certain conditions.

2) In which cases will young children be allowed to end their lives with the help of a doctor in Belgium according to the new bill?

They must be terminally ill, close to death and in great pain that cannot be alleviated. They must also be able to request euthanasia themselves and demonstrate that they fully understand their choice. The re-quests then have to be approved by parents and medical teams.

 

2. Fill in the blanks with proper words according tofrom the article.

Controversy concerning the issue of euthanasia

Arguments in favor of EuthanasiaArguments 4. _____ EuthanasiaEuthanasia in the world

Human beings have the 1. _____ to decide when and how to die.

It is an 2. _____ for those who are terminally ill, saving them from the 3. _____.

…The procedure is considered 5. _____ and inhu-mane. 

Legalizing euthanasia places at risk the most 6. _____ among us: the elderly, the handi-capped [and] those unable to 7. _____ for them-selves.

…Euthanasia is 8. _____ in most countries. 

Only several countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands, allow doctors to end a patient’s life with an 9. _____. 

Switzerland, like five US states where euthanasia is illegal, allows 10. _____ suicide.

 

Key:

1. right2. escape3. suffering4. against5. im-moral

6. vulnerable7. speak8. illegal9. injection10. assisted

 

III. Language study

1. Vocabulary

Complete each of the sentences that follow with the most appropriate word or phrase from the box.Use the proper forms of the words given in the box to complete each of the sentences that follow. 

restriction       approved         furthermore      requested

bring to life      makes sense      at risk           nothing but

1. To keep people safe and make peace for all, police put their lives _____.

2. The _____ against smoking in schools is good for students’ health.

3. Large, colorful illustrations _____ the classic story of Snow White.

4. The state has _____ the building plans, so work on the new school can begin immediately.

5. It _____ to find out first how many will attend the conference.

6. A few years back you could see _____ barren land there. 

7. She always arrives on time. _____, her work has always been excellent.

8. All members of the club are _____ to attend the annual meeting.

 

Key:

1. at risk        2. restriction       3. bring to life          4. approved  

5. makes sense   6. nothing but      7. Furthermore        8. requested

 

2. Sentences:

1) This question was brought to life again ...

Bring… to life表示“给……活力，使……变得生动、有趣”，即make something interesting or exciting。这里表示安乐死这一话题重新引起人们热议。

2) “Legalizing euthanasia places at risk the most vulnerable among us: the elderly, the handicapped [and] those unable to speak for themselves,”…

短语place/put…at risk表示“使……处于危险之中”，the elderly, the handicapped...用作同位语，进一步说明Balfour Mount认为安乐死合法化后受影响的弱势群体具体有哪些。

 

Dogs, cats and people (P4)

I. Warming up 

Which animal do you prefer, dogs or cats? Why?

 

II. Reading

1. Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions. 

1) What does the article mainly talk about?

A. Differences between dogs and cats in their personality traits. 

B. Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats. 

C. How raising a pet helps shape your personality.

D. What your preference for dogs or cats reveals about you. 

2) The underlined phrase “engage in” in the fourth paragraph probably means ____.

A. get involved inB. benefit fromC. take little interest inD. perform well in

3) According to the study done by Sam Gosling, dog owners tend to ____ than cat owners.

A. be more imaginative and creative 

B. live a more organized life

C. love to get close to nature more

D. be more easygoing and adventurous 

4) According to the article, both dog people and cat people ____.

A. are generally self-disciplined 

B. are usually positive and care about nature

C. are likely to hold unconventional beliefs

D. like to wear animal-print clothing

 

Key:

1) D。本文主要讲的是喜欢猫和狗的人性格上的差异，故答案选D。

2) A。由下文的“but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game” 可知猫偶尔会_____社交活动，但是没几分钟后就会放弃这一游戏。下文接着描述狗玩这一活动一次能玩几小时，故engage in在这里应该表示“参加，参与”，故选A。 

3) B。由第四至七段可知通常来说，狗比猫要外向，易相处，做事认真，有计划性一些，但是猫通常比狗更容易忧虑，更有好奇心，想象力， 等，因而更容易挑战传统，所以可以推知B为正确答案。

4) B。由最后一段的“Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and are generally optimists”可知B为正确答案。

 

III. After reading

List the differences in the personalities of dog people and cat people based on the article. 

 

 

Leader in fashion (P6)

I. Brain storming

What do you know about the fashion industry?

Possible answers: famous fashion models or designers, fashion brands, what it takes for a fashion model or a fashion designer to stand out in the fashion business …

 

II. Reading

Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions. 

1. What can we conclude from the first two paragraphs?

A. Vera Wang was eager to go into the fashion business because she admired stars a lot.

B. Due to her talent, Vera Wang has had a smooth journey in the fashion business.

C. Vera Wang wasn’t very clear about what she expected when she first went into the fashion business. 

D. Vera Wang felt a sense of achievement when her work was appreciated by even one person.

2. By mentioning Sharon Stone and Chelsea Clinton in the fifth paragraph, the author intends to _____.

A. show Wang’s influence in the fashion business

B. introduce designs that shot Wang to fame 

C. show the typical characteristics of Wang’s work

D. explain why Wang is popular at a Hollywood event or an A-list wedding

3. What other businesses does Wang invest in besides the fashion business?

a. the film industry       b. home goods collections c. the dining business     d. a fragrance business e. a flower bouquet business

A. a, b, c       B. a, d, e     C. b, c, d       D. b, d, e

4. What is the second-to-last paragraph mainly about?

A. How Wang developed an interest in fashion. 

B. How Wang established herself in the fashion business.

C. What inspired Wang to get into the fashion business. 

D. How Wang’s family’s attitude toward her career changed.

5. Which of the following best describes Wang according to the article?

A. Talented, devoted and determined.

B. Passionate, humorous and diligent.  

C. Frank, ambitious and particular. 

D. Smart, traditional and obedient. 

 

Key:

1. D。由第二段的首句可知D为正确答案。故答案选D。由第一段可知，王薇薇不是抱着不切实际的幻想进入时尚界的，她知道进入时尚界自己要面临一些什么问题，所以A、C不对；由倒数第二段可知王薇薇虽然才华横溢，但是进入时尚界的道路上并不是一路顺畅的，故B不对。

2. A。第五段提到Sharon Stone和Chelsea Clinton是为了王薇薇的影响力——很少有哪个好莱坞盛会或盛大婚礼上没有她的设计，所以答案选A。 

3. D。由第六段的“She’s developed a fragrance business and a home goods collection. And she even has a flower bouquet (花束) busi-ness.”可知D为正确答案。

4. B。倒数第二段主要讲的是王薇薇如何在时尚界立足并建立自己的声望的，所以B为正确答案。

5. A。综观全文可知王薇薇是一个有才华的，工作投入并且有毅力的人，所以A为正确答案。B的humorous文中看不出来。CD项中只能看出ambitious和smart，所以不对。

 

III. After reading

Vocabulary:

What do you think the following words mean? Match each word with a definition on the right. 

Column AColumn B

a. payoff           A. support or give help to (someone)

b. pairB. a strong desire for success

c. backC. a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for sth or about doing sth 

d. passion D. put (two people or things) together

e. driveE. the advantage or benefit that is gained from doing something

 

Key: a – E, b – D; c – A; d – C; e – B

 

Sentences: 

1. VERA Wang, the queen of red-carpet dressing, didn’t go into the fashion business with stars in her eyes.

释义：王薇薇是“婚纱女王”，但她并不是盲目地一头钻进时尚界的。

分析：with stars in her eyes: with unrealistic hope and excitement about sth 充满不切实际的幻想

He went to Hollywood with stars in his eyes 10 years ago.

 

2. There’s rarely a Hollywood event or an A-list (重要的) wedding where Wang’s name doesn’t come up.

释义：很少有哪个好莱坞盛会或盛大婚礼上没有王薇薇的名字。

分析：此处用的是双重否定，意思是基本上每个好莱坞盛会或盛大婚礼上都有王薇薇的名字。

 

3. “In all the years since, I have watched her drive, dedication (奉献) and talent shape an entire world inspired by her own life – first as a bride, then as a wife and mother, but always as a strong and beautiful woman,” Lauren said.

释义：劳伦说：“这些年来，我看着她的干劲、奉献和才能改变了全世界，这个世界也被她所鼓舞——从作为新娘的她，到后来作为一个妻子和母亲的她。她始终是一位坚强美丽的女性。” 

分析：句中的过去分词短语inspired by…作宾语，修饰名词world。