全新版大学英语第三册教案Unit 1 Changes in the Way We Live

Unit 1 Changes in the Way We Live

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. grasp the main idea (tolerance for solitude and energy made it possible for the writer's family

to enjoy their pleasant but sometimes harsh country life);

2. appreciate the various techniques employed by the writer (comparison and contrast, topic

sentences followed by detail sentences, use of transitional devices, etc.); 3. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;

4. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of

the unit.

Time Allotment

1st period Pre-reading tasks Cultural notes 2nd period Text organization Language study 3rd period Language study Text analysis 4th period Post-reading tasks Pre-reading Tasks

1. T asks Ss the following questions on the song Out in the Country:

— What is the song about? (taking a break from city life, escaping from the crowd)

— How is the song related to the theme of this unit? (The singer needs a break because the pace of life has quickened, the environment has been changed, and the old life style is gone.)

2. 1) Ss divide into three large groups, under each group smaller sub-groups may form. Each

large group is assigned one of the following discussion topics:

— Why do so many migrant workers (民工) move from the country to the city?

— Why do city people buy apartments or houses in the suburbs, even in the countryside? 2) After the discussion, speakers of some sub-groups report to class.

3) T may sum up like this: People change their places of living because they look for things that their previous life is unable to provide. However, once life has been changed, they miss the good old days.

3. Ss do Cloze B in after-text exercises to learn about Americans' ideal of a country life. Then T

leads in to the study of Text A.

Text Organization and Analysis Parts Part One Part Two Part Three Paragraphs Paras 1-3 Paras 4-7 Paras 8-11 Main Ideas The writer views his life in the country as a self-reliant and satisfying one. Life in the country is good yet sometimes very hard. After quitting his job, the writer’s income was reduced, but he and his family can manage to get by. Part Four Para 12-15 A tolerance for solitude and a lot of energy have made it possible for the family to enjoy their life in the country. The author writes his piece in a clear and logical way. In many instances he employs the pattern of “one topic sentence + several detail sentences” structure. It’s easy for readers to grasp the main idea, and it is also proven effective for learner writers like our students.

Sometimes the detail sentences run parallel to each other, like those in Para 2. In some other paragraphs the detail sentences have their own hierarchy. Take Para 5 for example. The first sentence tells how busy “I” am. The second sentence states that Sandy, the wife, is also busy. The final sentence is a kind of summary—nobody can relax. Yet following the second sentence there are a few more detail sentences showing exactly how tight a schedule Sandy has. Take Paras 12-13 for another example. The topic sentence therein is “I suspect not everyone who loves the country would be happy living the way we do. It takes a couple of special qualities.” Then there are two sub-topic sentences: “One is a tolerance for solitude”; “The other requirement is energy—a lot of it.” Each sub-topic sentence has its own supporting details.

Sometimes there is no transitional devices between detail sentences, sometimes there are, the most frequently used one of which is time words or phrases. For example, the detail sentences in Para 4 begin with “three months ago”, “three months from now”, “recently”, and “later this month”, respectively. To be sure, other conjunctions scatter the text, like “first”, “then”, “then”, “eventually” in Para 7.

Cultural Notes

1. the countryside: The countryside of Britain is well known for its beauty and many contrasts:

its bare mountains and moorland, its lakes, rivers and woods, and its long, often wild coastline. Many of the most beautiful areas are national parks and are protected from development. When British people think of farmland, as well as open spaces, they imagine cows or sheep in green fields enclosed by hedges or stone walls, and fields of wheat and barley.

Many people associate the countryside with peace and relaxation. They spend their free time walking or cycling there, or go to the country for a picnic or a pub lunch. Only a few people who live in the country work on farms. Many commute to work in towns. Many others dream of living in the country, where they believe they would have a better and healthier lifestyle.

America has many areas of wild and beautiful scenery, and there are many areas, especially in the West in states like Montana and Wyoming, where few people live. In the New England states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, it is common to see small farms surrounded by hills and green areas. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other Midwestern states, fields of corn or wheat reach to the horizon and there are many miles between towns.

Only about 20% of Americans live outside cities and towns. Life may be difficult for people who live in the country. Services like hospitals and schools may be further away, and going shopping can mean driving long distances. Some people even have to drive from their homes to the main road where their mail is left in a box. In spite of the disadvantages, many people who live in the country say that they like the safe, clean, attractive environment. But their children often move to a town or city as soon as they can.

As in Britain, Americans like to go out to the country at weekends. Some people go on camping or fishing trips, others go hiking in national parks.

2. Fahrenheit scale: a scale of temperature, first established by the German physicist Gabriel

Fahrenheit in 1715. The unit of temperature is the degree Fahrenheit (°F), and 0°F was originally the coldest temperature Fahrenheit could achieve using a freezing mixture of salt and ice. On his scale, water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F (under set atmospheric conditions). No longer used in scientific work, Fahrenheit temperatures still feature in everyday language; hot days \the eighties\for example. To convert a Fahrenheit temperature to Celsius (centigrade), subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9.

3. Celsius scale: a scale of hotness, or temperature, first established by the Swedish scientist

Anders Celsius (1701-1744) in 1742. On this scale, the unit of temperature is the degree

4.

5. 6. 7.

Celsius (°C); water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100° C (under agreed standard atmospheric conditions), although when Celsius originally devised the scale he made 100°the boiling-point and 0° the freezing-point. The Celsius scale was formerly commonly known as the centigrade scale because of the 100 divisions between the freezing- and boiling-points of water. To convert from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit multiply by 9/5 and add 32.

Ivy League: eight long-established colleges and universities in the United States with prestigious academic and social reputations. Members of the Ivy League are Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; Columbia University in New York City; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey; and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The members of the Ivy League compete in intercollegiate athletics.

Sports Illustrated: a popular US sports magazine published each week by Time Inc. part of Time Warner. It first appeared in 1954, and is read mainly by men. The magazine also publishes the Sports Illustrated Sports Almanac every year.

Individual Retirement Account (IRA): a US government plan that allows people to put part of their income into special bank accounts. No tax has to be paid on this money until they retire.

Buying Insurance: People face many choices when buying insurance policies. They commonly choose an insurance provider based on several criteria. Some of the most important of these include: 1) the financial stability of the insurance company, 2) the price of policies, and 3) details of coverage and service.

Only a financially sound company can fulfill its promise to pay in all circumstances. Companies with proven records of stability can provide insurance security. Choice of a provider based solely on price, on the other hand, may result in poor service and coverage, even if the provider advertises comprehensive coverage and high quality service.

Policy prices vary significantly among companies, but competition usually forces most companies’ prices into a narrow range. The greater cost of some policies may pay off in the long run through better protection. Thus, a detailed examination of coverage in policies provided by different, well-regarded companies can help consumers make the best choice based on the risks they face, their needs, and their finances.

People seeking to buy insurance often use the services of an insurance agent or broker to assist in their purchase. Most insurance falls into four main categories, according to what it covers: 1) property and casualty, 2) life, 3) health and disability, and 4) old-age and unemployment. Insurers commonly refer to insurance purchased by individuals as personal lines coverage and to insurance purchased by businesses as commercial coverage.

Language Study

1. get by: be good enough but not very good; manage to live or do things in a satisfactory way

Examples: My parents managed to get by on a small amount of money.

It is a little bit difficult for the old couple to get by on such a small pension.

We can get by with four computers at the moment, but we'll need a couple more when the new staff members arrive.

2. ... when it was 30 below: Here the Celsius scale is used instead of the Fahrenheit scale, (see

Cultural Notes)

3. indoor: situated or used inside a building

Examples: Indoor pollution has been found to be as much as five to ten times higher inside

some skyscrapers than outside.

Tobacco smoke is considered as an indoor pollutant.

The Mall of America, the biggest mall in USA includes the world's largest indoor amusement park.

4. pursue: follow

Examples: After graduation Martin chose to pursue the same career as his father as a minister.

College students are advised to pursue a wide range of subjects.

Public evening classes allow people to earn a living during the day and pursue

vocational and intellectual interests in their spare time.

5. get through: come successfully to the end

Examples: The local government has taken some measures to ensure that all the people will

get through the winter.

She got through the entrance examination and was accepted by the college.

6. at that point: at that very moment, right then

Examples: The train was now only a couple of yards from the kids on the track. At that very

point, Anthony threw himself forward and pulled them clear .

The man suddenly held up a poster. At that point, all TV cameras were pointed at him.

7. on balance: with all things considered

Examples: I think, on balance, I didn't treat you unfairly.

On balance, it's probably not advisable to change the company's name.

8. illustrate; provide with visual features; clarify by use of examples, etc.

Examples: Let me use another example to illustrate this difficult point.

The editor has illustrated the book with black-and-white photographs.

9. I'm not making anywhere near as much money as I did ...: I am not earning as much money as

I did ...

10. generate: bring into existence, produce

Examples: The widespread use of Spanish in some American cities has generated a public

debate over language use in the country.

Space technology has generated thousands of products for everyday use such as lightweight materials used in running shoes.

11. insurance: a guarantee that you will receive money if something is lost or damaged, or have

repairs paid for, by a financial company in return for regular payments you make to them Examples: Many nations have some form of compulsory unemployment insurance.

People regularly buy insurance to reduce uncertainty and to protect themselves from future disasters.

12. pick up: be ready to pay

Examples: If he loses the case, Michael will have to pick up the bill for legal costs.

Taxpayers will be picking up the tab for the improved public transport network.

13. aside from: except for; in addition to (more usual in American English; same as apart from)

Examples: Aside from an occasional game of tennis, he doesn't take any exercise.

This essay is good aside from a couple of spelling mistakes.

They were going to have other expenses, aside from the school fees.

14. cut back: reduce in size or amount (used in the patterns: cut back sth.; cut back on sth.)

Examples: There is a growing movement to cut back the government's role in agriculture and

to reduce subsidies paid to farmers.

The government has cut back on defense spending.

15. lower: make or become smaller in amount, degree, etc.

Examples: Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of getting some

types of cancer.

Governments may raise or lower taxes to achieve social and economic objectives.

16. dine out: eat a meal away from home (usu. in a restaurant)

Examples: With the improvement of living standards, more people dine out at weekends.

It's my daughter's birthday today, so we're dining out tonight.

17. Extravagant Christmases are a memory, and we combine vacations with story assignments.:

We no longer have extravagant Christmases, and when a magazine sends me somewhere to write an article, I will take my family along. By doing so, we can save some money.

18. suspect: believe to be true, likely or probable; feel doubt about (used in the patterns: suspect

sb./ sth. of sth.; suspect that)

Examples: China banned cosmetics suspected of containing substances that cause mad cow

disease.

It was perfectly all right. Henry said, because the police had not suspected him of anything.

Scientists realized that Mars' evolution had been more complex and fascinating than they had suspected.

19. resist: keep from giving in to or enjoying (used in the patterns: resist sth.; resist doing sth.)

Examples: We couldn't resist laughing at him in those funny clothes.

Keep me away from the duty-free shop. You know I can't resist expensive perfumes.

20. temptation: the feeling of being tempted to do sth. that you know might be wrong or harmful;

the thing you want to have (uncount or count)

Examples: The kids can't resist the temptation of McDonald's.

In my view students should resist the temptation to take part-time jobs in their first two years at college.

21. primarily: mainly

Examples: We are primarily concerned with improving our working conditions.

Men can usually run faster than women, primarily because they have greater muscular strength.

Post-reading Tasks

1. Group discussion:

a) Which is better, living in the country or living in the city? Please give reasons. b) What do you think are possible ways to improve the quality of our lives? 2. T guides Ss through some after-text exercises and checks on Ss’ home reading. 3. Essay-writing

T asks Ss to write an essay entitled My Family Life.