Unit 7

Objectives  In this unit students are required to :  1.master the Main language structures  2.practice listening comprehension  3.learn dialogues  4.do some preparation activities such as discussion,group work, pair work to practice their spoken skill and communicative skills  5grasp some new words and try to use these words which help them to enrich their vocabulary  6.read the in-class reading passages in a limited time and grasp some expressions and grammatical points in the in- class reading passages to improve their reading comprehension  7.do some post-reading exercises in the Workbook to practice what they have got to know in class to improve their four basic skills

Teaching Tasks and Process  Language Structures  Dialogue I  1.Background Information  2. Warm-up Questions  3. Main Idea  4. Language Points  Reading I  1. Warm-up Questions  2. Main Idea  3. Language Points  Reading II  1. Warm-up questions  2. Structure Analysis  3. Note-Writing  Exercises / Discussion  Assignments

Language Structures  The – ing particular used as the object of remember, forget and stop  The infinitive used as the object of remember, forget and stop  The infinitive used as a noun modifier preceded by for and its logical subject  The infinitive used as the postponed object in the introductory it construction  the- ing participle used as the object of a preposition

Dialogue I The Western Frontier in the United States

Background Information

Warm-up Questions  Why did so many people rush westward in American in the 19th century?  Was the life of the frontiersmen hard and risky? Why?  What kind of houses did the frontiersmen live in?  How do Americans today think of the early pioneers?  What’s your opinion about American’s westward rush in the 19th century?

Main Idea  B, an American student, tells A about the westward movement of the U.S. frontiersmen. He describes their long and risky journey to the west and hard life in the west. Up to now, frontiersmen’s pioneering spirit is still respected and admired by Americans.

Language Points  I used to be enthralled by what my grandmother told me about her grandfather.  enthrall: v. to hold spellbound; captivate, charm  be enthralled by:  e.g.  The little girl waas enthralled by the beautiful fairy tales.

 Her accounts must be authentic.  authentic: adj. conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief; reliable 真实的，可信 的  e.g.  Is this an authentic Italian food?  Compare: authentic, genuine, real, true

 … he felt an urge to go west and seek his fortune.  feel an urge to do sth.: 非常想做  e.g.  He felt an urge to open a company of his own.

 What made the frontiersmen so strong-willed as to endure all these hardships?  endure: vt. to carry on through, despite hardships, undergo; to bear with tolerance  e.g.  Astronauts have to endure many discomforts in spacecraft.  We can’t endure much longer in this desert without water.

Reading I Intelligence in Animals

Warm-up Questions  What is the commonest way used to learn about the stages of intelligence in animals?  Do animals learn from their mistakes?  Why is the maze an inadequate test for measuring intelligence in mammals?  Can animals think about something not around them?  Describe a subtle test on an animal’s mental ability.  How can you tell that certain abilities that animals possess are instincts and certain other abilities are instances of intelligence?  What evidence is there in support of the argument that monkeys can reason?  Do you believe that certain species of highly evolved animals can cope with abstract ideas? Justify your position with examples.

Main Idea  This scientific article introduces the animals’ intelligence. The author begins with the ant experiment in going through a maze of passage. The subtler test is to see how an animal can think about something when it is not there. Monkeys and chimpanzees have an unusual degree of cleverness because they can reason. However, human being can cope with abstract ideas, which makes man evolve to a clearly superior level.

Language Points  … it is interesting to review briefly the evolution of the mind …  evolution: n. a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form, development  e.g.  It should be remembered that even in the biological world, evolution is not always in the direction of progress.  In the course of evolution, some birds have lost the power of flight.

 … many of which are dead ends … / … without going into any of the blind alleys.  dead end: the end (of the passage) with no way out  e.g.  We are in the wrong direction; it is a dead end.  blind alley: a little narrow passage with no way out  e.g.  The thief was trapped in a blind alley.

 … after it has to worry its way through …  worry its way through: succeed in finding the way by constant effort, despite difficulty  e.g.  The mother worried her way through the crowd to look for her children.

 … they can catch insects on the wing …  on the wing: while flying  e.g.  My task this time is to photograph eagles on the wing.  Other collocations:  take wing: fly away  under sb’s wings: under the protection of

Reading II How Animals Keep Warm

Warm-up Questions  What does the word “hibernation” mean? Give examples.  How do the non-hibernating animals keep warm in winter?

Structure Analysis  Nature provides the animals with special instincts to protect them from the severe cold. One of these is hibernation. Animals sleep soundly until the warm spring arrives. Many kinds of birds and some animals in the Arctic regions avoid intense cold by means of migration. They move southwards when winter approaches and return when spring begins.

Note-Writing  In a note cancelling an appointment, the following is usually included:  What appointment is,  The reason to cancel it,  Suggestion to make up for it (optional)  Expressing regrets

Exercises / Discussion  Interaction activities: How to look at westernization (in small groups)

Assignments  Doing all the exercises in and out of class including the Workbook.