Dads create empathy (P6)

辽宁大连开发区八中 程国良
I. Warming up
Ø What do your parents do?
Ø How much time do you usually spend with them?
Ø Who do you feel closer to – your mom or your dad? Why?

II. Read for structure
Para. 1-3 are used to present the topic of how 1. ________________.
Para. 4 introduces a new book by 2. ________________.
Para. 5-8 show us three scientists’ discoveries about 3. _____________.
Para. 9 draws the conclusion that 4. _______________.

Key:
1. a new science of fatherhood was born
2. the American journalist Paul Raeburn
3. what fathers contribute to their children besides their genes
4. a father’s company may make contributions to a child’s happiness but that doesn’t mean that children in families without fathers are going to become failures

III. Reading
1.What does "this belief" in paragraph 3 refer to?
   Mothers are generally thought to be closer and more important to their children.
2.Why do scientists believe fathers contribute more to their children than their genes?
   Because fathers didn't disappear from children’s lives during human evolution.
3.Why did Paul Raeburn publish his book?
   He hoped to make people better see the numerous ways that fathers influence their children.
4.What was Ronald Preston Rohner’s discovery?
   Being accepted or rejected by their parents affects a child’s personality.
5.What did  Richard Koestner’s study show us?
   How much time a father spends with his children influences their empathy.
6.Why is US President Barack Obama mentioned?
   To prove that children in families without fathers can be successful as well.

IV. Language practice
Find a word or phrase from the article to match the following.
1. be helpful to
2. deal with; be in charge of
3. to gain with effort
4. be shown or be found to be
5. filled with surprise or shock
6. refuse to accept

Key:
1. contribute to 2. handle  3. achieve 4. turn out  5. astounded  6. reject

V. Language practice
Translate the following.
1.我被它的美丽震撼了。(astound)
  I was astounded by its beauty.
2.你的成功应能有助于他人的成功。(contribute)
  Your success should contribute to the success of others.
3.你想达到什么目标？(achieve)
  What do you want to achieve?
4. 我当时就确信事情最终会好起来。(turn out)
  I was positive that things were going to turn out fine.
5.我们知道如何处理这种情况。(handle)
  We know how to handle situations like this.

VI. Further thinking
According to the article, fathers mean a lot to children.
Ø What should we do with this information?
Ø How could you get on better with your family, especially your father?

Languages show who we are (PIII)
江苏省南菁高级中学  浦怡宁
I. Warming up
As well as Mandarin, local dialects are spoken in China. Do you speak your local dialect?

II. Brainstorming
With an increasing number of people speaking Mandarin, some dialects are beginning to disappear. Do you think it is necessary to protect them? Why?
1.A sign of human wisdom
2.A symbol of the local culture
3.The repository of tradition
…

III. Reading task
 

IV. Debate
A TV presenter launched a project aiming to record the dialects spoken in 57 different parts of Hunan. He planned to set up a multimedia language database over the next five to 10 years. Is it necessary to encourage people to speak their local dialects? Why or why not?
 
Yes
•Our dialects help distinguish us. They are unique to us and an essential part of our local culture. It is very important that we have a record of them all.
•Although local dialects are not a common means of communication, they can be part of a precious cultural legacy. Many regional operas and folklores are performed using traditional speech. Dialect has become one of the essential characteristics of an area. If a place has no dialect, its citizens might lose their sense of identity.
•As an important part of regional life and culture, dialect has served as a key factor in the development of regional economies and cultures. It’s a pity that many dialects are disappearing. We should try to protect them.
•If a dialect is no longer popular, the local culture may die, because the most vivid words and expressions are all born from the dialect, which is the source of cultural creativity.

No
•In China, there are many dialects. Some are so complicated that even people from neighboring villages can’t understand each other. In modern society, promoting Mandarin can help cross language barriers and improve communication.
•In the past, people seldom traveled far, so using their own dialect was enough for daily communication. But now, people from different parts of China need to learn from each other. They have to communicate in Mandarin. It’s only natural that some dialects disappear.
•Speaking certain dialects can lead to discrimination. For example, people from Shanghai may look down on those who don’t speak like them. In school, students tend to laugh at those who speak with a strong accent.
•Speaking a dialect is simply a barrier to communication. Dialects also divide people. Speaking Mandarin unites the country and encourages peace. For these reasons, I’m against using local dialects in class.

V. Writing task
Write an article about dialects.
Outline:
Part 1: A summary of the article - about 30 words;
Part 2: At least two factors that are threatening the existence of dialects;
Part 3: Your opinion on whether it is necessary to protect dialects.

Part 1: A summary of the article - about 30 words
                                                                                              
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
Part 2: At least two factors that are threatening the existence of dialects
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
Part 3: Your opinion on whether it is necessary to protect dialects.
                                                                                               
                                                                                               
                                                                                               

A sample version
Thanks to globalization, the planet is becoming smaller and certain languages are disappearing. To raise people’s awareness of dying languages, International Mother Language Day is celebrated on Feb 21 every year.
China has seen a similar problem itself over the years. The country has numerous local dialects and they vary a lot from region to region. With the country promoting Mandarin for decades and many people leaving the countryside to work in cities, more and more people speak Mandarin, which has led to some dialects disappearing.
Some argue that speaking a dialect is simply a barrier to communication, and speaking certain dialects can lead to discrimination. As far as I’m concerned, however, although dialects are not a common means of communication, they can be part of our precious cultural legacy. They are unique to us and an essential part of our local culture. If a place has no dialect, its citizens might lose their sense of identity.
How should we protect dialects? I think schools should open related courses and encourage students to speak their dialect during breaks.

VII. Homework
Finish your writing and polish it.