Study abroad boom (P1)

宁波诺丁汉大学附属中学 贺晓云

Task 1: Warming up 

1. Have you ever been abroad before? Which country/countries have you visited? Which do you prefer? Why?

2. Why do people go abroad?

3. Is it easy or difficult to study abroad nowadays? Why?

① Financial support: It becomes comparatively easier to go abroad because an increasing number of people in China are able to afford to study abroad.

② Inner motivation: With intense competition in society, people realize a degree from prestigious universities abroad might give them an edge in job markets.

③ ...

Task 2: Making a prediction

1. Study abroad boom

A. challenge  B. advice    

C. decrease   D. increase

Task 3: Skimming

1.Part 1: Past and present trends in studying abroad.  Para _________

2. Part 2: Reasons for an increasing number of students going abroad.   Para _________

3. Part 3: The boomerang trend.  Para _________

Key: 1-6; 7-9; 10-13

Task 4: Scanning

Read the text again and find the figures related to students studying abroad in the following periods.

The figures in the text are used to _________.

A. show the writer's concerns about overseas study              

B. present the changing trends of studying abroad

C. persuade those studying abroad to return to China     

D. demonstrate the benefits of studying abroad

Key: B

Task 4: Scanning

True or false

1. In 1980s, studying abroad was considered a novel experience in China.

2. Wang Huiyao gave lectures to his peers in Canada to earn some extra money.

3. Last year, 662,100 Chinese people went abroad to study, and 90% of them were self-supporting.

4. As a PhD student of political science, Tao Wang enjoys experiencing diverse cultures when studying abroad.

5. Students choose to go overseas for many reasons including improving employment prospects.

6. Unable to complete their studies abroad, many Chinese students are returning home to complete their degrees.

7. 3.65 million people returned to make contributions to China last year.

8. Thanks to the returnees, China got powerful economic and industrial support.

Key: TFTT TFFT

Task 5: Discussion

If you choose to study abroad, you must be clear about its advantages and its disadvantages. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad?

Task 6: Writing

Nowadays many students choose to study overseas. While studying abroad brings benefits to individual students, it also has some disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree?

Version 1: 

    Nowadays, an increasing number of people choose to study abroad, which is believed to lead to a bright future. Not only can they learn different cultures and knowledge from foreign countries, but studying abroad can also enrich their lives.

    However, a coin has two sides. There are some negative concerns about studying abroad. Students may experience culture shock while living abroad. Some may find it hard to adapt to a new environment and, as a result, feel unhappy about their lives there. Studying abroad can also cost a lot of money. While some students are so academically successful that they receive scholarships, most of those studying overseas don't. They have to depend on their parents to cover tuition fees and living expenses.

    In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to studying abroad. Those who study abroad should build strong characters in the face of unexpected difficulties in their lives.

Version 2:  

     In recent years, studying abroad has appealed to many people. There has been a big increase in the number of students studying abroad. This is partly because people are now able to afford it and partly due to the variety of grants and scholarships available to students.

Studying overseas has a number of advantages. First, it may give students access to knowledge and facilities, such as laboratories and libraries, which are not available in their home countries. Second, by studying abroad students may have a wider range of choices in courses than those offered in their home countries.

Despite these, studying abroad has a number of drawbacks. First, students have to leave friends and family for a long period, which may make them homesick. In addition, studying abroad tends to be more expensive than studying locally. Some students may also find it hard to get used to life in other countries because of the language barrier.

      In my opinion, studying abroad can benefit one’s future life in many ways and make them highly desirable to prospective employers. It is worth the effort to overcome the difficulties and study aboard if one can afford it.

Cloned monkeys signal progress in biotech (P7)

山东省烟台第二中学 赵霞

1. Lead in

What do you think is the most important factor that can influence a country’s development?

Population?

Geographical location?

Army?

Science and technology?

2. Skimming: Read for the main idea

What is the main idea of the article?

Innovation is the driving force of scientific development. We have achieved considerable success in certain fields. Despite these achievements, we are still lacking in key technological fields. So we need to attract and build a team of young, high-quality talented people and to increase in