1. Unit 2 We weren’t very rich, but we were happy.

2. Try to Remember 年龄最大的 eldest 已婚的 married (从…)跌落 fall off 结婚夫妻
eldest
married
fall off
get married
couple

3. Activity 1
Look at the woman in the photo. How do you think life has changed for her? Think about:
family health life in Beijing
marriage the role of women work

4. Read the passage and write notes about Mrs
Read the passage and write notes about Mrs. Li’s answers to the ideas in Activity 1.
Family: bigger family,
less money
Health: …

5. Sample answers:
health: healthier, live longer, eat better
life in Beijing: much better, more
buildings, so much more
traffic, walk less and take
the bus more.
marriage: in the past, parents choose
partners for their children;
now, children choose partners
for themselves.

6. Sample answers:
health: healthier, live longer, eat better
life in Beijing: much better, more
buildings, so much more
traffic, walk less and take
the bus more.
marriage: in the past, parents choose
partners for their children;
now, children choose partners
for themselves.

7. Read the first paragraph and answer the following questions.
Where did Mrs. Li’s family live?
2. What did she think of her family?
3. When did her eldest sister leave
school?
In a small house beside a restaurant.
They weren’t very rich but they were happy.
At the age of 12.

8. 4. What does she think of the family in
the past and today?
In the past, families were much bigger. Most people had lots of children. Today most people only have one child and the families are small.

9. Language points of 1st paragraph
the eldest child老大
old 有两种比较级和最高级: older, oldest; elder, eldest
说明： elder, eldest虽然是old的一种比较级和最高级形式，但一般只用作定语，表示兄弟姐妹的长幼关系，elder不能与than连用表示比较。
(Use PPT to make a flash)

10. Read paragraph 2 and fill in the blanks. 12
Mrs. Li’s father ________ to work for ____ hours a day. He never _______ his job in his life. But now people change their jobs _______________. Mrs. Li’s mum was a ________ before she met Mrs. Li’s father. After marrying, she had to _____ at home to _________ the children. Today it is ________ for many married women _________ to work. But in the past, it was _____________.
went out
changed
much more often
teacher
stay
look after
normal
to go out
less common

11. Language points of 2nd paragraph
1. a full-time job 全职工作 反义词：
a part-time job 兼职工作
2. normal 正常的
3. less common 不常见
说明：这也是一种比较级，如果表达A方
不如B方可用三种句式：
A+谓语的否定式+形容词（或副词）
比较级+than + B

12. This room isn’t bigger than mine.
He doesn’t run faster than his brother.
2) A+谓语+less+形容词（或副词）的原
形+than+B
I am less tall than he.
He does his homework less carefully
than his brother.
3) A+谓语的否定句+so(as)+形容词（或
副词）的原级+as+B

13. Mrs. Brown is not so / as old as she looks.
It doesn’t rain so/ as often in Xi’an as in Wuhan.

14. Read paragraph3 and complete the table:
Food at home
Things to do at home
In the past
today
Three times a day Eat enough
Freshly cooked
Much better
Played games
Read a lot
Helped the younger brother with his homework in the evenings
Buy ready-made food
Have television
Watch TV in the evenings

15. Language points of 3rd paragraph
enough adj. 足够的 通常放在名词前修
饰名词。如：
He has enough money to buy this book.
adv. 足够地
通常放在被修饰词的后面。如：
The room is big enough to hold 100 people.
2. freshly cooked 新做的,现做的
3. ready-made food 现成的食物，预先制
成的食物

16. Paragraph 4 Mrs. Li first met her husband ___ years ago. (50, 60)
2. Mrs. Li’s husband helped her carry the ____when she fell off the bike. (books, bags )
3. Mrs. Li’s parents thought her husband came from a ___ family. (good, rich )
4. Mrs. Li married her husband at the age
of ____. (19. 20)
5. Now most couples meet ___ (at work, in the street).

17. Language points of the 4th paragraph
fall off 从…摔下来 He fell off
the bike and hurt his leg yesterday.
2. get married 结婚
3. couple 夫妻

18. Read Paragraph 5 and judge the statement is true or false.
Mrs. Li often walks and takes the bus less to keep healthy. ( ) F
Language point:
lots more / much more 形容词（或
副词）的比较级可用much, lots, a
little, even, still等词修饰。

19. Read the last paragraph and choose the best answer.
Mrs. Li thinks life is better today because ____________________.
A. She is not poor any longer.
B. She has more free time.
C. She is healthier and lives longer.
D. She walks less and takes the bus more.

20. Language point
One day I’ll be talking to your own grandchildren.
有一天我会正与你的儿孙交谈呢！
说明：这句话不用详细讲解，只要能翻译大意就行。这是将来进行时。

21. Work in pairs and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of life of Mrs Li.

22. The advantages of life for Mrs. Li
Disadvantages of life for Mrs. Li
family: bigger family, less money, less room at home

23. Main point
Example: My parents, my sister and three brothers lived in a small house beside a restaurant.
Main point: Families were bigger in the past.

24. 1. My sister … left school when she was only 12…
a) The school leaving age was lower in the past.
b) My sister no longer wanted to go to school.

25. Pair work
2. Looking after us was a full-time job, so she stayed at home.
a )It wasn’t necessary for the mother to work.
b )Married women were too busy at home to continue working.

26. 3. …my mother never bought
ready-made food as people do today.
a) The food we eat today isn’t as
healthy as it was.
b) There wasn’t any fast food in the past.

27. 4. My parents liked him, and thought he came from a good family…
a) Parents usually decide who their children married.
b) People from good families were always kind.

28. Writing Is life today better or worse than it was 50 years ago?
Main point: People are healthier and live longer…
Example: Mrs. Li says we live longer today.

29. Opposite point: Pollution makes people less healthy.
Example: Mrs. Li walks less and takes the the bus more.
Join the main point and the examples with for example.
People are healthier and live longer. For example, Mrs. Li says we live longer today.

30. Join the main points and their opposite points with However or On the other hand.
People are healthier and live longer. For example, Mrs. Li says we live longer today. However, pollution makes people less healthy…For example …

31. Begin your composition with the title:
Is life today better or worse than it was 50 years ago?
Add your main points, examples and
opposite points.
Finish the composition with your
conclusion or opinion.
In conclusion, I think…

32. 速食食品 搬重箱子 掉下 捡起; 接 结婚 …的数量 我想 ready-made food carry heavy box fall off
pick up
get married
the number of
I suppose

33. Let’s have a try! 1. 自从我离开,我的家乡已经改变了很多。
My hometown has ____________ since I left.
2. 过去我妈妈从不买现在人们经常买的速食食品。
In the past, my mother never bought
_______________ as people do today.
changed a lot
ready-made food

34. Homework
1. Finish writing the composition.
2. Preview Unit 3 “Language in use”.