Unit 2 English around the world Extensive Reading （泛读） I. THE OXFORD ENGTLISH DICTORARY II. STANDARD ENGLIISH AND DIALECTS

Task 1 Retell the text of “the road to modern English” according to the words given.

At first,only people, in England, speak… Later…move to…so English, begin to …speak, in many countries, today, more people…as…first, second or foreign language. Native English… can …but not everything. All …change when cultures…So there are American English…and so on. They all have their own identity. English…also, speak…a foreign or second …in many other …Maybe Chinese English …

At first, only people in England spoke English.Later, people from English moved to other parts, so English began to be spoken in many countries.Today,more people speak English as their first,second or foreign language. Native speakers can understand each other but not everything.

All languages change when cultures communicate with each other. So there are British English,American English,Australian English and so on.They all have their own identity. English is also spoken as a foreign or second language in many other countries.Maybe one day Chinese English will become one of the world Englishes.

Task 2 listening comprehension We know, Oxford English dictionary is the largest dictionary.Now please Listen to the tape carefully and answer the following two questions: 1. Who is the editor? 2. How many years did it take to complete the dictionary?

Check your answers: 1. James Murray and some others. 2. Forty-four years.

Task 3. Note-making about Murray’s life Country Education Job Most important task Who worked on it Date of completion Other information Its difficulties: Qualities needed:

Check your answers: Country: Scotland Education: Village school, then taught himself. Job : Work in a bank, teacher.

Most important task: Its difficulties: the biggest dictionary, work in a place where it is too hot or too cold,work alone at first, no electric light and worked at night with candles. Qualities needed: hard work, interest in the job, patience.

Who worked on it : at first just James Murray; later his two daughters; finished by other editors after his death. Date of completion : 1928.

Other information: Ideas for this dictionary from a meeting in Britain in1857. Began to do it in Hoped to finish it in ten years

Task 4. Standard English and dialects (page13). Dialect means a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country. There are many dialects in American English. Do you know why? Please turn to page13 and find the answer in the text.

Q: Why are there so many dialects in American English? A: That is because people from all over the world. And geography also plays a part in making dialects.

Task 5 New word study Please look at the screen and try to Guess the meaning of these words. Southeast, northeast, southwest, northwest, east, south, west, north Southeastern, northeastern, southwestern, northwestern, eastern, southern, western, northern

Task 6 Discussion : Why do we learn Putonghua? One possible answer : Dialects are so different that people from different places cannot under- stand each other, while Putonghua is the very to solve the problem.