2018-2019学年度第32期总第746期
More than just a doll (P4)
北京大学附属中学  郑灿

I. Pre-reading
1. What is your impression of Barbie dolls?
2. What do you know about Barbie?
   Barbie is a best-selling fashion doll launched in March 1959 by Mattel, Inc. Since then, it has become the universally recognized Queen of dolls. The American business woman Ruth Handler (1916-2002) is regarded as its creator.
   Over the years, Barbie has undergone many changes to keep up with current trends. At the same time, different racial Barbies are created to satisfy the needs of people in different countries.

1. [Prediction] Look at the title. What does it tell you about the article?
2. [Check your prediction] Now Read Paragraph 1. Do you want to change your answer above?

II. While-reading
1. Main idea
The text mainly talks about the symbol of Barbie.  Although she isn’t perfect, she reflects society’s changing attitudes toward women.

2. Text structure
 

3. Understanding details
Answer the following questions:
1. Why is “she” more than just a toy?
Because Barbie is a “barometer” of society’s changing attitudes toward women.
2. What are the good intentions and the problem of the earliest versions of Barbie？
Barbie has always represented the fact that a woman has choices.
Barbie offered only two choices: either a sexy swimsuit or a housewife’s outfit.
3. How did Barbie dolls make some positive progress?
Barbie dolls were introduced with different skin colors and clothing for various careers and hobbies.
4. Why was the new line of Barbie dolls criticized?
Because unlike the real Nicola, for example, the doll representing her has no muscles. Instead, it’s designed with a slim body, just like every other Barbie.

5. How do you understand Biba Kang’s words below? Do you agree with what the reporter said? Why?
We’re allowed to be fit, but we’re not supposed to be too muscular. We’re allowed to be clever, but smart women are meant to look like models with glasses on. We’re allowed to be creative and artistic, but quickly become “crazy” if we start to look too individualistic or unkempt.

4. Language Focus
 

1.be short for  
2.either…or…
3.be safe from …
4. be allowed to do
5.be supposed to do
6.be meant to do
7.relate to

5. Sentence Analysis
1. When Barbie was introduced by Ruth Handler (1916 – 2002), co-founder of US toy company Mattel, she had good intentions.
分析：本句中co-founder of US toy company Mattel为Ruth Handler的同位语。
一个名词（或其它形式）对另一个名词进行修饰，限定或说明，这个名词（或其它形式）就是同位语。
e.g. Mr Wang, my child’s uncle, will visit us this Tuesday.
　　
2. Barbie has always represented the fact that a woman has choices.
分析：本句中that a woman has choices 为the fact的同位语从句。
可以跟同位语从句的名词通常有news, idea，fact，promise，question，doubt，thought，hope，message，suggestion，words（消息）等。
e.g. I’ve come from Mr Wang with a message that he won’t be able to see you this afternoon．　

3. A new high point came on International Women’s Day of 2018, when the company launched a line of “Inspiring Women”.
分析：本句中when the company launched a line of “Inspiring Women”为International Women’s Day of 2018 的定语从句。
e.g. There are occasions when you need help from your friends．

4. Unlike the real Nicola Adams, for example, the doll representing her has no muscles.
分析：本句中representing her为the doll 的定语,相当于定语从句which/that represents her。
e.g. Do you know the boy playing basketball.
       We live in a house facing south.

III. Post-reading
Discussion
1. Do you agree with the author’s opinion that Barbie is more than a doll？
2. Please list at least 2 changes in attitudes toward women in China？
3. What can be a barometer of changing attitudes toward women in China ?
4. What does gender (性别) really mean to you?

2018-2019学年度第32期总第746期
Why do massages work wonders? (P6)
江苏省南菁高级中学  范克强

I. Brain-storming  
What treatment do you get when you have a backache?
Would you try a massage to reduce pain?

About massage
The powerful health benefits of massage include relief from anxiety, diabetes (糖尿病), heart diseases, pain, and nervous problems. Furthermore, it improves the health of the skin, blood circulation (血液循环), and the functioning of digestive systems (消化系统). Massage also helps improve sleep and immunity (免疫力).
Apart from offering good physical health, massages are also admired for supporting sound mental health.
https://www.organicfacts.net/massage.html

II. Reading 
Fast- reading
Main idea: The article is about the reasons why massages work and have amazing effects. 
Massage may strengthen the activity of a protein called NF-kB.

Detailed-reading
1. Why does a massage relieve pain and bring comfort?
The massage reduces muscle inflammation and may change the way some proteins act.

2. How did  Professor Mark Tarnopolsky conduct the experiment?
He chose several healthy young men to do very tiring exercise and then looked at how the cells in their legs had changed.
After finishing very tiring exercise, each of them was massaged on one of their legs and then the cells in those legs were examined for changes.

3. What did they find from the experiment? And why did massaging have this effect?
They found that massaging reduced the inflammation caused by exercise because it weakened the activity of a protein called NF-kB.

4. What future usage could a massage have?
It could be used to treat injuries, muscle disease and take place of medicines for fighting against inflammation.

Deep-thinking

How do you understand the title “Why do massages work wonders”?
The text mainly discusses the reasons why massages can have special and amazing effects. By changing the way some proteins act, massages may reduce inflammation and comfort our bodies.

III. Post-reading 
What physical and mental benefits can massages have?

IV. Understanding-sentences
Analyze the following sentence. Pay attention to the words in bold.
1. Scientists now say that they have figured out the reason why a massage brings comfort.
figure out: 弄清楚，弄明白
why : 引导定语从句，修饰先行词the reason，在定语从句中作状语

2. This kind of protein can stimulate the growth of a tiny part of a cell called the mitochondria.
called: 过去分词作后置定语，相当于定语从句 which/that is called

3. He said that it was the first research that he had seen to study massage in such depth. 
that引导定于从句，修饰先行词the first research。

V. Language points
figure out
weaken
ease
clear away
build up
replace
  
     
Some words with a similar structure to “weaken” : shorten, darken, deepen, broaden, sharpen, sweeten, soften, widen, worsen