2021-2022学年度高一第39期总第869期 (6版)
Losing yourself in flow (Page 6)
安徽省宁国中学  秦迎

I. Lead-in
What is “flow”?
Ÿ    All your attention is dedicated to a task.
Ÿ    You lose the notion of “self”.
Have you ever entered a flow state?

II. Before reading
1. Losing yourself in flow
Ÿ    What does the title mean?
Ÿ    How can we achieve a state of flow?
Ÿ    Why should we lose ourselves in flow?

2. What kind of text structure is it?
Ÿ    Cause and effect
Ÿ    * Problem and solution
Ÿ    Compare and contrast
Ÿ    Sequence writing

3. How is a problem-solution passage organized?
Introduction
Problem paragraph(s)
Solution paragraph(s)
Conclusion

III. While reading
1. Text structure
Introduction and the problem: Paras 1-2
Solution: Paras 3-8
Conclusion: Paras 9-10

2. Introduction and the problem: Paras 1-2
Identify the problem in a nutshell: many people in lockdown felt lonely and bored — a loneliness epidemic.

3. Solution (Paras 3-8)
Paras 3: What is reduced loneliness related to?
A: Doing enjoyable activities that require both concentration and skill.

Paras 4-5: What is a state of flow?
A: When people are absorbed in what they are doing, they enter a state called “flow”.

How do we achieve a state of flow? 
A: ① (Para 4) Flow can be achieved by doing activities 
Ÿ    that we value
Ÿ    that require us to concentrate fully to use our skills
② (Para 5) There must be a balance between the challenge of the task and your skill level.
Flow state can only be achieved when an activity
Ÿ    is challenging enough to keep your brain interested
Ÿ    you are skilled enough to tackle it without it being too difficult

Para 6: What activities can lead to flow?
Artistic skills like playing the piano or painting. Things like skiing, writing and storytelling.

Para 8: What activities cannot lead to flow?
Things that are not challenging like watching TV.

Para 7: How do we feel when we enter and leave a state of flow?  
When we enter a state of flow, we become absorbed and focused, and we experience momentary enjoyment.
When we leave a state of flow, we are often surprised by how much time has passed.

4. Conclusion: Paras 9-10
Reemphasize the importance of the problem and the value of the solution:
Loneliness is associated with depression and other mental health challenges. People tend to thrive on healthy activities and challenge.

IV. After reading
Can you provide signs of being in a flow state?
Ÿ    You lose awareness of time.
Ÿ    You aren’t thinking about yourself.
Ÿ    You aren’t interrupted by extraneous thoughts.
Ÿ    You are active.
Ÿ    You work effortlessly.
……

“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”        
—    Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

V. Language study.
Find the following words and expressions in the article.
1. be absorbed in sth                全神贯注于…
2. a state of flow/flow state        心流状态
3. on the contrary                相反
4. be connected to sth                与……相关联
5. be associated with sth            与……相关联
6. tend to do sth                    往往会……

VI. Assignment.
Ÿ    Have you ever entered a state of flow? What were you doing? How did it feel?
Ÿ    What do you think of its significance in current situation?
Write a short passage to share your ideas.