Changed by new media (P3)

I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
For many teenagers around the world, social media has now become a big part of their lives.
  * Which social media websites or apps do you use most often?
  * What do you usually do over social media?
  * How has the use of social media changed your life?

II. Reading
Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. What is the article mainly about?
A. The major problems with social media.
B. The impact (影响) of social media on teenagers.
C. How teenagers benefit (受益) from social media.
D. Why social media appeals (吸引) so much to teenagers.

2. How does social media change relationships, according to the article?
A. It pushes people to meet their friends more often offline.
B. It encourages people to pay more attention to those around them.
C. It enables users to understand correctly what others are talking about online.
D. It allows people to keep in touch with their friends who live far away more easily.

3. Essena O’Neill decided to disconnect herself from social media because ____.
A. she couldn’t put up with (忍受) cyberbullying on social media
B. she wanted to spend more time with her friends in reality
C. she was troubled by her desire (渴望) to look faultless on social media
D. she had got tired of using social media apps like Yik Yak

4. Which statement about the use of social media would Armin Korsos probably agree with?
A. The use of social media taught him to turn negative comments into motivations (动力).
B. Social media can easily become an addiction (嗜好), despite its benefits.
C. Social media is mostly a distraction to teenagers, so it is unnecessary for it to exist (存在).
D. If used well, social media can create opportunities for teenagers to develop themselves.

Key:
1. B。本文的中心句为“The wide spread of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ life.”下文从三个方面展开阐述社交媒体对青少年生活的影响，所以答案为B。
2. D。从关于“Changing relationships”这一部分的内容可知，社交媒体的使用使得人们面对面交流减少，同时人们在网上交流时，因为不能亲眼看到对方的所做出的反应，所表达的话语涵义可能会有些丢失，所以A、B、C都不对。由文中的“Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere.”可推知D为正确答案。
3. C。由文中的“The 19-year-old girl thought she had got lost in appearing perfect online.”可知C为正确答案。
4. D。有最后四段可知，Armin Korsos认为社交媒体是一个很好的平台，可以让青少年更好地向世人展示他们的才华，让人们之间更好地建立联系，但是它也容易让人分心，同时他认为虽然社交媒体也不是一个必不可少的事物，所以选项中只有D为正确答案。A错在是对社交媒体的使用让他学会了把负面评论变成动力。

III. Language study
Translate the following sentences.
1. 社交媒体的广泛使用几乎改变了青少年生活的方方面面。
The wide use of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ lives.
2. 有些人认为社交媒体使得我们可以更容易地与任何地方的任何人建立起联系。
Some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere.
3. 社交媒体的兴起改变了青少年看待自己的方式。
The rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see themselves.
4. 负面评价也会损害青少年的自尊。
Negative comments can also do damage to a teenager’s self-esteem.
5. 在这些网站上收到负面评价的青少年不能不感到受伤。
Teenagers who get negative comments on these sites can’t help but feel hurt.

Celebrating writers (P4-5)
北京二中  付春雨
I. Pre-reading
l Plays by Shakespeare:
The plays written by English poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare (1564–1616) have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and Western literature. Traditionally, the plays are divided into the genres of tragedy, history, and comedy; they have been translated into every major living language, in addition to being continually performed all around the world.

l Can you name the four best comedies and four best tragedies by Shakespeare?
Possible answers:
Four best tragedies: Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, King Lear
Four best comedies: A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice

l What do you know about Tang Xianzu?
Tang Xianzu (1550-1616) is a celebrated playwright who fans call "China's William Shakespeare".
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright from Fuzhou composed more than 2,000 poems and essays, most of which were written during his later years. He is particularly remembered for his four plays - The Peony Pavilion, The Purple Hairpin, Record of the Southern Bough and Record of Handan - collectively known as The Four Dreams of Linchuan.

II. Skimming
Read the article and summarize the main idea of the article.
The article mainly compares the plays written by Shakespeare and those written by Tang Xianzu by looking at their themes and writing styles.

III. Scanning
True or false?
1.Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare were both born in the same year, about 400 years ago. F
2.Tang’s work represents people of all backgrounds and classes, while Shakespeare’s dramas come from a more aristocratic background. F
3.Tang’s lines were sung mostly in family theaters, while the English dramatist sold tickets to whoever would buy them. T
4. Shakespeare wrote about a wider range of subjects than Tang. T
5. Shakespeare did better than Tang when it came to using dreams to tell stories and explore ideas.  F

IV. Discussion
1. Comparing the writing styles of the two playwrights, which one do you prefer? Why?
2.  If you were going to write a play, which problem from your daily life would you show in the play?

V. Post-reading
Working in groups, choose one scene from Shakespeare’s plays and act it out in class.

Father’s promise (P6)
I. Pre-reading
Have you ever been in an earthquake? If not, describe what you think it would be like to be in one.

II. Scanning
Read the article and answer the following questions.
1.  What did the father promise his son?
He promised that no matter what happened, he would always be there for him.

2. Why did the father go on digging?
Because he needed to know whether his boy was alive or dead.

3. How many students were missing in the boy’s class?
19.

4. What did the father ask the other parents and the police?
"Are you going to help me?"

5. How long did it take the father to find his son?
38 hours.

III. Vocabulary
Match the phrases with their definitions
endanger            to make sth flat; destroy
promise              something that you will do or something that will definitely happen
recall                 to say, write or do sth as an answer
flatten               put someone or something in danger of being hurt
be supposed to      remember
respond               be believed to; be expected to
 
IV. Language study
A father rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
释义：一位父亲跑到他儿子学校，按理他应该在那，结果却发现那栋楼已被夷为平地。
分析：句中where引导定语从句修饰先行词the school; only to do sth作结果状语，表示“没想到，结果却”，常表示意料之外的结果；as flat as a pancake意为“像煎饼一样扁平”，此处用比喻的手法形容房子被夷为平地。

V. Free talk
Name some disasters, and make suggestions about what should be done if they happen.