Great loser’s return (P1)
北京市陈经纶中学 蔡芸
I. Warming up
From October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000 (the day after Schulz’s death), 17,897 different Peanuts strips were published in total.

II. Brief reading
How many parts can the passage be divided into?
Part 1 (para1)   Introduction to Peanut
Part 2 (para2-3)  Explanation of the character of Charlie
Part 3 (para4)    Explanation of the character of Snoopy
Part 4 (para5)    Identification with both of them

III. Careful reading
1.Why does the author say “the appeal (吸引力) of Peanuts is quite odd (奇怪的)”?
He makes us laugh but he must be the saddest cartoon character ever.

2. What is Charlie’s life like?
Sad, miserable, and frustrating.

3. In the expression, “Ah! Isn’t life just like that?” what does “that” refer to?
Lacking confidence to do sth or aiming too high to do sth.

IV. Words learning
1.While few of us are down in the dumps all the time like Charlie Brown, we all know what it’s like to feel miserable.
尽管我们中很少人会像查理那样情绪一直处于低落状态，但我们都知道痛苦是什么样的感觉。

2. Released on Nov 6 in China, the film sees Snoopy go up against his enemy while his best pal Charlie Brown tries…
国内11月6日上映，我们将会看到snoopy 怎么对付他的敌人而他最好的朋友Charlie 却……

3. Snoopy’s plans in life don’t come off either, …
Snoopy的计划在现实生活中也没有成功过，

V. Further thinking: Why are Charlie and Snoopy so popular?

Elephants fight cancer
南昌市外国语学校  朱庆鹏
I. Word bank

•sociable  adj.好交际的；友善的
•cancer  n.癌症
•tumor   n.肿瘤
•evolution  n. 进化
•phenomenon  n.现象
•paradox   n. 矛盾；悖论
•treatment  n. 治疗；对待
•tackle   v. 解决；着手处理
•strategy   n. 策略

II. Lead in
•Do you like elephants? Do you think elephants develop cancer like human beings?

III. Skimming
•1. How long do elephants normally live?
•Normally, they live for around 50 to 70 years.
•2. What is the key to elephants fighting cancer?
•Elephants carry a large number of genes, namely TP53, that stop tumors from developing.

IV. Detailed reading
•1. How do the genes work to protect elephants against cancer?
• The genes improve cells’ sensitivity to DNA damage, and the cells quickly kill themselves when damaged before developing into deadly tumors.

•2. What led Richard Peto to discover “Peto’s Paradox”?
• The phenomenon that large creatures with long lifespans like whales and elephants don’t have a greater risk of developing cancer than humans and mice, though they have a larger body mass.

•3. What is the significance of bringing the TP53 genes to life in mice?
• This means researchers could use the discovery to treat cancer or prevent cancer in the first place.

V. Usage tip
•1. Elephants have impressed us for centuries.
•impress 给某人留下深刻印象，用于句型impress sb. with sth 如：
    He impressed us with his great sense of humor.
    impression 是名词形式，常用于句型  leave/make/give a deep impression on sb.如：
    His speech left a deep impression on each of us.
    impressive是形容词，意为“令人印象深刻的”如：
    The beauty of the West Lake is impressive.

•2. But what if someone told you that they may also hold the key to fighting cancer?
•What if指“假使……将会怎么样”。句意为：要是有人告诉你，大象可能也知道对抗癌症的关键呢？What if经常和虚拟语气连用，句中的动词用了过去时told，表示对现在情况的虚拟。例如：What if he didn’t agree?

•3. People have been wondering why elephants do not develop cancer, even though they have lifespans that are similar to humans, living for around 50 to 70 years.
•Have been doing是现在完成进行时，表示过去开始且一直持续到现在的动作。句中even though引导的是让步状语从句，其中包含有that引导的定语从句，修饰的是先行词lifespans；v-ing短语living for …作伴随状语。句意为：人们一直在思考为什么大象不会得癌症，他们的寿命和人类差不多，能活到50至70岁。

4. To be precise, they found 20 copies of an anti-tumor gene called TP53 in elephants.
    to be precise, 意为“准确地说”, 意思同：
    precisely speaking, 或者 to be exact. 如：
   He did really well in the final examination. To be precise, he finished in first place in his class.

5. “An increased risk of developing cancer has stood in the way of the evolution of large body sized in many animals.”
     in the way 意思是“挡道”，如：
    Although he thought he was helping me, he was just getting in the way.
   拓展：on one’s way 在…的路上
               by the way 顺便问一下
       in no way 绝不(位于句首句子用倒装)
lose one’s way 迷路

Taught to question (P6)
北京市陈经纶中学 蔡芸
I. Warming up
What do you think the title means?
“question” v. 质疑

II. Brief reading - True or False
1. Everyone in the class failed the quiz.
2. They failed because they forgot their notes.
3. The lesson is that teachers and textbooks are not to be trusted blindly.
4. The class didn’t question the teacher when he told them his car was a organism.
5. According to the article, you will be more successful if you tell people when they are wrong.
TFTFT

III. Careful reading
1. At what point should students have noticed that the cattywampus was made up?
He told them that no trace of the animal remained, but passed around its remains.

2. What lesson did he want the class to learn?
No one is to be trusted blindly. Speak up if you think there’s something wrong.

3. What was the reaction of the class when they heard the teacher say his car was a living thing?
They tried to prove he was wrong.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward the teacher?
Admiring, thankful/grateful …

IV. Words study
1. Die out
2. Make up
3. therefore
4. Speak up
5. Figure out
6. Stand up for

A. support
B. from that fact or reason or as a result;
C. give one's opinion without fear or hesitation
D. become extinct
E. form or compose
F. find the solution to

DEBCFA

V. Discussion:
Do you like Mr Whitson? Why or why not?