Fenghuang lives up to the legend (Page 4)
辽宁大连开发区八中 程国良
I. Warm-up
Do you like travelling?
Which places have you visited?
Have you ever been to any famous ancient towns in China?
What did you find out about them?
What did you think of them?
II. Skimming
What kind of article is this?
It‘s a travel story.
What does the author want to tell us?
Her impression of Fenghuang, an ancient town.
III. Reading
Read carefully and answer the following questions.
1.Where is the ancient town located?
2.Where does its name come from?
3.What was the author’s impression of the ancient town?
4.What sights does she mention to describe the ancient town?
5.What does she think people's lives in the town are like?
6.Why does she begin and end her story with the legend of the phoenix?
IV. Read carefully and answer the following questions.
1.Where is the ancient town located?
It is located alongside the Tuojiang River and surrounded by lush, green hills in Hunan province.
2.Where does its name come from?
Its name comes from the legend of two phoenix birds.
3.What was the author’s impression of the Ancient town?
She thought it was a snapshot of idyllic village
life in rural China.
4.What sights does she mention to describe the ancient town?
Winding alleys, city wall, old bridges, traditional buildings and a street vendor.
5.What does she think people’s lives in the town are like?
Quiet, peaceful, relaxed, and happy.
6.Why does she begin and end her story with
the legend of the phoenix?
To show the town deserves its good reputation.
V. Practice
Fill in the blank with a proper word or phrase from the article to complete the sentence.
1. If something provides you with a _____ of a place or situation, it gives you a brief idea of what that place or situation is like.
2.If something that someone says or does _____ you, it affects you emotionally, often because you see that they are suffering a lot or that they are being very kind.
3.A _____  is someone who sells things such as cigarettes,  newspapers, or food from a small stall or cart.
4. If a vehicle ____ people or goods, it transports them, usually by means of regular trips between the same two places.
5.A ________ refers to the normal or traditional travel route tourists follow.
6.If you are _____ to do something, you are unwilling to do it and hesitate before doing it, or do it slowly and without enthusiasm. 
Translate the following sentences.
1. 玛丽很要强，不愿意请求帮助。
Mary is very proud and reluctant to ask for help.
2.女孩停下自行车，从小贩那儿买了卷冰激凌。
The girl stopped her bicycle and bought an ice cream from the vendor.
3.我看到这些人如何生活而深受感动。
It has touched me deeply to see how these people live.
4.我们是在一家很偏僻的小店里买到这张古色古香的椅子的。
We bought that antique chair in a little shop that was far off the beaten track.
5.这个影展展现了那儿人们生活的点滴情况。
The photo exhibition presents a snapshot of people's lives there.
6.每天，一轮船到达来回运送进出蛇岛的客人。
Every day, a ship arrives to ferry guests to and from Snake Island.
VI. Exploration
Over thousands of years of history and culture in China, many historical and cultural towns have been well preserved. Many of them are listed as top historical sites to visit.
Find out about the ancient towns and share your findings with your classmates.
Fashion comes to space (Page 5)
辽宁大连开发区八中 程国良
I. Presentation
Where are the cosmonauts and astronauts in these pictures?
What are they doing?
What do you think is important for them in space?
II. Scanning
Look through the article and find out
1. Who was the first to test space suit technology?
The soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov.
2.Why new space suit technology needed?
SpaceX and Boeing are planning to put people in space in 2017.
3.What does the article try to tell us?
The walk into unknown space fashion is just beginning and new space suit technology is under development.
III. Reading
True or false statements
1. ___Alexei Leonov once needed to be rescued because he had lost too much oxygen.
2. ___There is no atmospheric pressure in space.
3. ___EVA suits are the same as IVA pressure suits.
4. ___The “Pumpkin suit” is a kind of IVA pressure suit.
5. ___ The first space suits in America were made by Playtex, an underwear maker.
6. ___ Final Frontier Design is a promising space suit manufacturing company.
IV. Practice
Complete the following with a word or phrase from the article.
1._____ consumers have very, very high expectations of new fashion.
2.Let me know what you plan to _______ your mouth.
3.The experiment has proved this method is very _____.
4.All the people on the ship were safe  _____ the storm.
5.Those people are not ______ for you to discuss the situation with. They've left.
6.Do it by yourself! Don‘t always ______ others to help you.
V. Further thinking
The author says in the article: "The walk into unknown space fashion is just beginning. How would you show off in space?"
How do you think you would show off in space?
Finding strength (Page 6)
辽宁大连开发区八中 程国良
I. Presentation
Who are they?
What happened to them?
What are they doing?
II. Reading
Read the article and answer the following questions.
1.Who was Joe?
Joe was the author's little brother.
2.What happened to Joe?
He was born blind.
3.What did he learn to do?
He learned to read Braille and type with Braille.
4. Why did he move out to live on his own?
He thought he should take care of himself.
5.How did he face the losses of his loved ones and his own troubles?
He became stronger and fought hard to keep going.
6. What kept him stronger?
Faith, hope, and love.
7.What did the author want to express in this article?
Pride in her brother, and her praise and respect
for him constantly striving to become stronger.
III. Further thinking
Many people dream of being great and wise. Have any of you ever dreamed of living a “normal life”?  I’m sure that all students would answer no, and would ask:
“Why did you ask such a silly question?”    
Many people who are disabled wish that they could do things that you do every day without thinking.
How should we treat disabled people?