New coins show UK’s symbols (P4)

I. Warm-up

1. We often use coins in our daily lives. Can you describe the coins we usually use? What colors are they? What shapes are they? What pictures do they have on them?

2. Let’s look at a new coin that the UK will use. 

1) How much money is it worth? 

1 pound.

2) Can you find anything unique about it?

Yes, it has 12 sides.

3) What pictures does it have on it?

A rose, a leek, a thistle, and a shamrock.

II. Reading

1. According to the author, what is the new coin’s most popular feature?

The picture on it.

2. When will the new coin be used?

From 2017 on.

3. Please link the symbol to the country it stands for. 

the rose England

the leek Northern Ireland

the thistle Scotland

the shamrock Wales

4. T or F

1) The rose stands for England and was first grown in England.      F

2) People in Wales believe that a leek can cure colds and tell the future.     T

3) Scottish soldiers once used a thistle as a weapon.                F

4) The shamrock has been a symbol of Ireland for over four centuries.     F

III. Discussion

What would you put on China’s coins if you had the chance?

Looking at Earth’s core (P5)

I. Warm-up

1. Have you ever read French novelist Jules Verne’s masterpiece Journey to the Center of the Earth? Do you know what happens in the story?

Explorers go down to Earth’s center and discover amazing wonders.

2. Do you know where the deepest hole in the world is? How far does it go down?

According to the BBC, it is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, which only goes 12.3 km down.

3. Please read the first paragraph and guess what the article will be about.

II. Fast reading

1. How far down is the Earth’s core?

It is over 6,000 km down.

2. What is the core mainly made of?

Iron.

3. How did we find out the size of the core?

By using seismology.

4. What are the advantages of Earth’s molten iron core?

It protects us from radiation (辐射) from the sun and is needed for compasses (指南针) and GPS systems to work.

III. Careful reading

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about current research into Earth’s core?

A. Earth’s center is completely made up of iron. 

B. Scientists have found samples of Earth’s core from the Kola Superdeep Borehole.

C. Scientists have no idea when and how iron made its way down to Earth’s core.

D. Earth has a higher density at its core than on its surface. 

2. We can learn from the article that “S-waves” ____.

A. are often used to predict earthquakes

B. cannot travel through liquid material

C. are the most noticeable shockwaves produced by earthquakes

D. can travel most rapidly at 3,000 kilometers below Earth’s surface

3. We can infer from the last three paragraphs that ____. 

A. research into Earth’s core has hardly made any progress in recent years

B. improvements in GPS systems could help people find out more about Earth

C. Earth’s core helps to protect humans from harm

D. scientists are likely to reach Earth’s center within dozens of years

IV. Language study

beneath // 

prep. 在……之下

Shall we rest in the shade beneath those trees?

average // 

adj. 平均的

The average age of my classmates is 16.

iron // 

n. 铁 

引申词义：坚强，勇敢

She will never give up because she has a will of iron.

make one’s way（克服困难）前进

He made his way home in heavy rain yesterday.

liquid // 

n./adj. 液体（的）

Water and milk are both liquids.

长难句分析

 The idea is that when Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, a lot of iron made its way down to the core, taking up about 80% of it.

句中that引导的是表语从句，该从句的主干是a lot of iron made its way down to the core，动词v-ing短语taking up …作伴随状语。句意为：科学家们认为：45亿年前当地球形成的时候，许多铁到达了地球的核心，并占其组成部分的80%。

考点看台

S-waves can only travel through solid material, but not through liquid, so they must have found something molten in Earth’s center.

句中must have done sth的意思是“一定做了某事”，是对过去所发生的事情的肯定推测。例如：Since the road is wet, it must have rained last night.

Learn from birds (P6)

I. Warm-up

How many birds can you name in English?

Geese, swans, eagles, owls, sparrows, penguins …

II. Fast reading

Read the article quickly and think: How many parts can the article be divided into? What is the main idea of each part?

Part 1 (Paragraph 1): Where the story is set

Part 2 (Paragraph 2-7): How some swans saved a Canadian goose

Part 3 (Paragraph 8): Humans should learn from swans

III. Careful reading

1. What did the author’s friend see out of the window? 

A goose whose feet were stuck in the ice.

2. What did the author’s friend think the swans would do when they saw it?

She thought they would attack the goose.

3. What did the swans do to the goose?

They removed the ice surrounding its feet and wings.

4. What is the main purpose of the article?

To urge people to help those in need.

IV. Retell the story

Please retell the story using the following words:

Goose, feet, ice, swans, fly downward, work on the ice, rise again, come down around it, the goose’s wings, take off, join.