2020-2021学年度第35期总第828期
Textbooks to set record straight (P2)
山东省烟台第二中学 赵娜娜
Lead-in
Can you introduce some facts about the first Opium War (1840-42)?

The war was started by Britain against China in the mid-19th century when China was ruled by the Qing Dynasty. With China’s refusal to allow the trade in opium, Britain launched the war and forced China to sign a series of unequal treaties, including ceding Hong Kong Island to Britain.

However, this is not exactly what the secondary school students in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region learn, as there is incorrect information in their history textbooks.
Title prediction
Textbooks to set record straight

Read the title and predict what the passage is about.
What is wrongly recorded in the textbook?
How will the record be set straight?
While-reading
Read the text carefully and answer the following questions.
1. How do the textbooks mislead students in Hong Kong?
2. What’s wrong with national education in Hong Kong schools?
3. How will the problem be fixed?
4. What’s the significance of the revision?
Reading for details
1. How do the textbooks mislead students in Hong Kong?
The textbooks included incorrect information about the first Opium War (1840-42), which tended to “blame” the outbreak of the unjust war on the Qing government.

2. What’s wrong with national education in Hong Kong schools?
National education has long been absent in Hong Kong. The subject of Chinese history was once abolished as a compulsory course.
So-called “liberal studies” misled many students and left schools unguarded against toxic and extreme ideas.
For young people immersed in such misinformation, it can be difficult to develop a correct understanding of history, not to mention national consciousness.

3. How will the problem be fixed?
Hong Kong is now revising the textbooks, and students are expected to use new textbooks in September.

4. What’s the significance of the revision?
The revision will help students better understand the colonial history of Hong Kong, making them realize what humiliation a weak country would suffer.
The changes in the history textbooks are necessary for students to distinguish between right and wrong on key issues about core national interests.
Post-reading
What can we do about the following issue?

The Japanese government‘s adoption of the new right-wing history textbooks, which “tampered with (篡改) history and beautified aggression", has misled many young people in Japan.

We should take a firm stand against statements that are not based on facts.
We should have an accurate outlook on history and learn to distinguish between right and wrong.
We should give students the national education they need.
Language study
1.假定                        it is assumed that
2.···情况并非如此            this is not the case for
3.有望做···                    be expected to do
4.把···怪到···头上            blame sth on sb
5.闭关锁国政策              the closed-door policy
6.拒绝英国卖鸦片的要求    reject Britain’s demand to sell opium
7.发动战争                    launch the war
8. 签订不平等条约            sign unequal treaties
9. 被关注                    be in the spotlight
10.日本对中国的侵略        Japan’s invasion of China
11.必修课                    a compulsory course
Homework
Write a speech to call on everyone to have an accurate outlook on history.