Communities open (P2)
山东省滕州市第一中学  李平
I. Lead-in
Recently, newly released guidelines on urban planning have caused heated public discussion in China. The government wants to see roads within gated residential communities opened up and added to the public road system.
Ø Would you prefer to live in a closed community or an open one? Why?

II. Fast Reading
Read the article quickly and find out its main idea.
What is the article mainly about?
It’s mainly about the background and purpose of opening up closed communities, a new policy in China, and residents’ response to it.

III. Careful reading
Read the article again and answer the following questions.
1. Why have gated communities become the most common housing development pattern in the majority of cities in China?
Because it is believed that a closed settlement can build a sense of security and belonging since residents and visitors have to be checked before entering.

2. What are the benefits of opening communities up according to the article?
It would help to improve traffic congestion caused by closed communities that have blocked some public roads. In addition, roadside cafés, restaurants, teahouses and bookstores in residential areas would benefit from the opening up of communities.

3. What are the main concerns of many residents about the opening up of communities?
They fear that living in a neighborhood without boundary walls would bring personal and property safety concerns. They also worry about disputes over how to share public space.

4. How have the housing authorities responded to the public’s concerns?
They have said that the policy will not be immediately carried out and cities have to make detailed plans based on facts about communities being opened up.

5. What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?
They talk about open communities being common in some countries.

IV. Language study
Translate the following sentences with the given words.
1. 他担心大家会知道这次事故是他的责任。(concern)
His concern was that people would know that he was responsible for the accident.

2. 他将发行一张情歌专辑。(release)
He is releasing an album of love songs.

3. 有各种各样解决这个问题的方法。(various)
There are various ways of solving the problem.

4. 你能详细介绍一下购买这一设备的过程吗？(detailed)
Can you give a detailed account of the process of buying the equipment?

5. 很多学生将从这一新的教学方法中得益。(benefit)
A large number of students will benefit from this new teaching method.

Study the following sentence.
1. Cities have to make detailed plans based on facts when opening up the communities, according to the authorities.
句中based on facts作方式状语，表示该详细计划是如何制定出来的，base vt. 以……作基础；when opening up the communities是省略结构，相当于时间状语从句when we open up the communities。

2. So it’s not unusual for students to be able to walk out of a building and take a bus in a minute.
句中it为形式主语，真正的主语为后面的不定式to be able to walk out of ….可归纳为句型：It is + adj./n./v.-ed + to do/ that, it作形式主语，真正的主语为后面的不定式或者that从句。

3. Roads on the blocks that people live on allow people who don’t live there to drive through them, but there’s often a speed limit to ensure safety.
本句的主干是：Roads allow people ..., but there’s a speed limit。句中的that与who都引导定语从句，分别修饰先行词blocks和people。

V. Post-reading
Further thinking:
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
Ø What are the advantages and disadvantages of opening up communities to the public?
Ø What measures do you think should be taken when opening up the communities to the public?

Why Britons apologize (P4)
I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
Ø In which cases do you usually apologize?
Ø Why do you think people sometimes find it hard to say sorry?
Ø What do you think are the benefits of saying sorry?

II. Reading
Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. How often does the average Briton apologize a day according to BBC?
A. About five times a day.
B. About eight times a day.
C. About 15 times a day.
D. About 20 times a day.
2. What can we conclude from the text?
A. In Britain, working-class people say sorry more frequently than upper-class people.
B. Britons are well-known for their willingness to apologize when they’re at fault.
C. Americans have been found to use the word “sorry” more casually than British people.
D. Nowadays, Britons might say sorry more often, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more regretful.
3. According to the text, Britons’ love of saying sorry ____.
a. can be traced back to the history of the British class system
b. has largely developed because they want to express empathy
c. is likely to confuse foreigners who are not used to their ways
d. is connected with their respect for other people’s personal space
e. has something to do with their desire to draw attention to themselves
A. a, b, c       B. a, c, d  C. b, d, e         D. c, d, e
4. The underlined word “obsession” in the last paragraph most likely refers to ____.
A. a social trend  B. a historical concept
C. an emotional state  D. an unavoidable fact

Key:
1. B。由第三段的“The average Briton says sorry around eight times per day – and one in eight people apologize up to 20 times a day”可知B为正确答案。
2. D。由第五段的“Yes, traditionally “sorry” was used to express regret and grief (悲伤) for having done something wrong. But now Britons use the expression as a way of showing good manners.”可推知D为正确答案。
3. B。由倒数第二段的“Mark Tyrell, a famous psychology writer in the UK, thinks that their apologies come from the British class system.”可知a正确；由该段的“Another theory is that British society values its members showing respect without getting into someone else’s personal space, and without drawing attention to oneself.”可知d正确，e不对；由最后一段的“British people’s use of “sorry” may make things very confusing and difficult for foreigners who are unaccustomed to their ways.”可知c正确，所以B为正确答案。文中提到了“Britons also “use sorry to express empathy (同感)”，但选项里的表述与文意不符，所以b不对。
4. C。由第二段的“It seems that Britain is developing a reputation as a nation of sorry-sayers.”以及第五短的“Britons’ love of saying sorry …”可知本文主要讲的是英国人热衷于道歉，obsession在这里的意思应该与“fascination”相近，即“痴迷”，这属于一种情绪状态，所以答案为C。

III. Language study
Fill in the blanks with the proper prepositions.
1. If you bump ____ a Briton in the street, chances are that he or she will apologize regardless ____ whether or not he or she was responsible.
2. It seems that Britain is developing a reputation ____ a nation of sorry-sayers.
3. Traditionally “sorry” was used to express regret and grief ____ having done something wrong. But now Britons use the expression ____ a way of showing good manners.
4. Another theory is that British society values its members showing respect without getting ____ someone else’s personal space, and without drawing attention ____ oneself.
5. British people’s use of “sorry” may make things very confusing and difficult ____ foreigners who are unaccustomed ____ their ways.

Key:
1. into; of   2. as   3. for, as   4. into; to  5. for; to

Excited to make coffee (P6)
I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
Ø What kind of career do you want to have in the future? Why?

II. Reading
Read the article and choose the best answers for each of the following questions.
1. Why did the author eventually decide to be an expert barista after graduation?
A. She already had some experience.
B. She had great enthusiasm for the job.
C. She had failed to land a different type of job.
D. Her family and friends persuaded her to take the job.
2. The author chose to work full time at the coffee shop instead of the yogurt shop mainly because ____.
A. it offered her the security of a salaried position
B. focusing on coffee there was beneficial to her professional development
C. she was promoted to senior manager of the coffee shop
D. she got a one-year extension on her contract at the coffee shop
3. What can be concluded from the article?
A. The author had no work experience when she was in college.
B. The author once had no option but to work two jobs to help her decide on a career.
C.  The author doubted whether she should stick with her interest.
D. The author attached more importance to her love and career growth than money.
4. Which of the following adjectives best describe the author?
A. Conservative and hesitant.            
B. Humorous and confident.
C. Ambitious and responsible.  
D. Generous and fun-loving.

Key:
1. B。根据第一段的“I searched for months and interviewed for many different positions, but I realized that I was truly passionate about becoming an expert barista.”可知B为正确答案。
2. B。根据第三段中“coffee wouldn’t have been my main focus if I’d taken the promotion”可知作者坚定自己的兴趣爱好，并想为自己的职业发展提供更好的机会，所以答案为B。
3. D。本题考查推断能力，从文中第四段的“I am a firm believer in doing what you love”以及最后一段的“I feel so lucky for being able to do what I love and experience early on that money can’t replace happiness.”可知作者更看重的是对事业的热爱和发展而不是金钱；所以D为正确答案。
4. C。由全文作者的经历可以推断出作者是一个积极向上、有抱负并且有责任感的人，所以答案为C。

III. Language study
Translate the following sentences with the given words.
1. 他对那个项目非常热心。(passionate)
He is very passionate about the project.

2. 她几乎挣不到足够的钱以维持开支。（make ends meet）
She could hardly earn enough money to make ends meet.

3. 他涨工资了。(wage)
His wages have gone up.

4. 我认为他是这部影片中最有吸引力的角色。(appealing)
I think he is the most appealing character in the movie.

5. 他们说将会把他们取得的任何进步都告诉他。(inform)
They said they would inform him of any progress they had made.

6. 只要大家齐心协力，我想我们就能实现目标。(accomplish)
If we all work together, I think we can accomplish that goal.

Study the following sentence.
1. As my college career came to a close, there was a lot of pressure from family and friends to find a job in line with my degree.
释义：随着我的大学生涯临近结束，家人和朋友给了我很大的压力，要找到和学位相符的工作。
分析：句中的“in line with”意思是“符合，和……一致”。例如：His ideas on politics are exactly in line with mine. 他的政治见解跟我的完全一致。

2. However, I was not passionate about the yogurt and coffee wouldn’t have been my main focus if I’d taken the promotion.
释义：然而，我对酸奶店没有热情，我如果当时接受那个晋升机会的话，做咖啡就不会是我的重点了。
分析：句中使用了虚拟语气，用来表示与过去事实相反的情况。

IV. Post-reading
Further thinking:
What do you learn from the author’s success?