Unit 1 That must be a record !

Reading

Summarize the general idea of each paragraph.

Para. 1 The first edition of Guinness Book of World Record

Para. 2 Records of different categories

Para. 3 Chinese record

Para. 4 Records from the world of sports

Para. 5 Why are people so interested in records?

Para. 6 How to set a record?

Fast reading

T or F.

1.The Guinness company began to the Guinness Book of World Records in the 1950s.

2.More than 60,000 new records are printed in the book each year.

3.An Englishman balanced a small car weighing 159.6 kilogrammes on his head for 33 seconds.

4.The Lance Armstrong' s speed record is more impressive than his struggle against his disease.

5.The records that are dangerous to the person who is attempting it or to others are not allowed in the book.

6. The The records in the Guinness Book of World Records are including different areas of people' s life.

careful reading

1. How did Sir Hugh Beaver come up with the idea for Guinness Book of World Records?

He first wanted to settle an argument about the fastest bird in Europe.After talking to his friends, he concluded that a book which answered such questions might popular.

2 .What Guinness record were set in Urumqi and Hong Kong?

Urumqi is the most remote city from the sea ; The A special and delicious record was set in 1997 to celebrate Hong Kong' s return to China.

3. How long is the longest moustache in the world? 1.6 meters

4. What are the categories in Guinness Book of World Records?

The human body, the amazing feats, the the natural world, the science and technology, the arts and the media, the model society, the travel and transport, and sports and games.

5. The Why are Lance Armstrong' s records special?

The It fades next to the story of Armstrong' s struggle against disease.

6. What types of record attempts are not allowed?

Records that are dangerous to the person who is attempting it or to others

7. Why do you think many people are interested in world records?

The Because we want to know what is possible and find out just how far we can push ourselves and are also entertained by accounts of strange and unusual deeds and facts.

Have a competition!

8. Who got the idea to write the Guinness Book of World Records? Sir. Hugh Beaver.

9. When was the first edition of the Guinness Book of World Records published? In 1955.

10. How are records collected in the book? Please give 3 examples.

The Guinness Book of World Records has chapters on the human body, amazing feats, the natural world, science and technology , arts and the media, modern society, travel and transport, and sports and games.

Examples: Tian' anmen Square is the largest square in the world.

the longest moustache reached a length of 1.6 metres.

the longest poisonous snake is 5.71 metres long.

11. Why are people so interested in world records?

Because we are curious about the records and also entertained by accounts of strange and unusual deeds and facts.

12. How can you try to set a record?

First contact the Guinness Book of World Records.

Then the editors will send you rules and the form you need to apply the record after their discussion. Afterwards a Guinness official will come to inspect your attempt.

If you are successful, the official will confirm the record and give you a certificate.

13.How much do you know about Guinness and the world record?

1955 1999 60,000 480 2500 40 5.71 33 1.6

Discussion:

If you want to set a record, what kind of record would you like to?

Phrases:

當時啤酒廠的老板 the then director of the brewery

處理一個爭議 settle an argument

一本暢銷書 a best-seller

被選入該書 be sent in to the book

記下，寫下 set down

聯(lián)系 keep track of

被分成不同的類別 be put into different categories

驚異的技藝 amazing feats

長達 reach a length of

毒蛇 a poisonous snake

離海最遠的城市 the most remote city from the sea

慶祝香港回歸 celebrate Hong Kong’s return to China

在輝煌的體育成績中among the brilliant athletic achievements

矚目 stand out

背后感人的故事 the moving life stories behind them

次于，在……之后 next to

同疾病斗爭 struggle against disease

被診斷出癌癥 be diagnosed with cancer

繼續(xù)創(chuàng)造紀錄 go on to set the record

實現(xiàn)目標 achieve the goal of

連續(xù)不斷 in a row

致使……做…… lead sb. to do sth.

首先 in the first place

高興 be entertained

可成為，可造成，有好處make for

申請 apply for

一切進行順利 all goes well

檢查紀錄 inspect the attempt

確認紀錄 confirm the record

取得證書 get a certificate

1.in a soccer career 在足球生涯中

2.settle an argument about 確定關于…的論點

3.be sent into 被收入

4.set down 登記；記載；寫下

5.keep track 與…保持接觸；跟…的進程或發(fā)展

6.be put into 被放入…；翻譯成…

7.stand out 顯著；杰出

8.be diagnosed with cancer 被診斷出患了癌癥

9.in the first place （用與列舉理由等時）首先；第一；原先

10.make for 可造成；可譯成；有好處；走向

11.apply for 申請；請求

12.head down to 開往；前往；朝向

13.have been around 遍布全球（各地）；深入人心

14.burst into something 突然而猛烈地發(fā)出或產(chǎn)生某事物

15.centre on /upon 將某人或某事物當作中心或重點

16.concentrate on 專心致力于

Integrating skills

Revision: Retell the text we learned yesterday according to the information in the following chart.

How and when the first edition was put out? Sir Hugh Beaver, an argument, the first, in 1955,

How are the records printed? different categories

Why people are so interested in world records? curiosity, be entertained by accounts of

How the Guinness Book of World Records accepts a world record? contact, decide, send, inspect, confirm, get

Scanning：

1.On weekends what do Lin Yong and his friends usually do after finishing their homework?

They will go to the park to do skateboarding.

2.When and how did they come up with the idea to build the ramp?

Three years ago after watching a skateboarding competition on TV.

3.What is their skateboarding club called ?

Fun On Wheels.

4.What is the goal of skateboarding competition ?

The goal is to have fun and enjoy the excitement of trying something new.

5.Is the sport too dangerous in their opinion?

No, they don’t think so. Because they all wear helmets and other equipment to protect themselves. They don’t let anyone try a dangerous trick unless they are sure that they are skilled enough to perform it safely.

Detailed Reading

Read the text again and answer the following questions:

1.360’ and ‘hang ten’ are two skateboarding terms. Can you guess what they mean?

‘360’ means to make a circle in the air. ‘Hang ten ‘means to fly in the air with one’s feet on the board.

2.How are ‘extreme sports’ different from traditional sports?

Extreme sports are about beauty, harmony and thrills. They do not have rules about winning and losing. The goal is to have fun and the excitement of trying something new.

3.What is the ‘X-factor’ ?

The ‘X-factor’ means the pure joy of doing something that you did not think you could do and overcoming your fears.

4.What kind of safety equipment do skateboarders use?

All the riders wear helmets and other equipment to protect themselves.

5.Why do you think some people like extreme sports?

They like the feeling, the excitement and the thrill that extreme sports bring.

Use the following words to describe the people in the chat:

enthusiastic, brave, friendly, responsible, curious, delighted, energetic, kind, experienced, interested, wise, athletic, cautious, outgoing, skillful, powerful

Li Yong and his friends enthusiastic, brave,, experienced, cautious, delighted, energetic, skillful, friendly, interested, athletic, outgoing, powerful, responsible

People who visited the grand opening curious

The park manager kind

People who like extreme sports brave

Unit 2 Crossing limits

Reading:

What do you know about the Silk Road?

The “Silk road” began from Chang’an, the city of Xi’an now, along the Gansu Corridor（通道）, then to West Asia and Europe.

Scanning:

1.What could have been possible reasons to search for sea routes from China while routes over land were shorter and already existed?

Marco Polo’s stories, Columbus and other European explorers influenced people.They all thought Asian lands were very wealthy.

2. What do you know about Gan Ying?

In 97 AD Gan Ying, a Chinese ambassador, went to the East Roman Empire over land and returned to Luoyang with a present from an African king ----rhinoceros horn.

3. What do you know about Zheng He?

In the years between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He set sail from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea, and then travelled further south, discovering the eastern coast of Africa.

Summarize main idea of the text and main idea of each para.

Title Reaching Out Across the Ocean

Thesis sentence Many great explorers made expeditions across the Indian Ocean long before Columbus, among whom Zheng He was the most prominent.

Main idea(beforeZheng He) P2 China had contacts with countries along the Indian Ocean from the early time, and during ancient time explorers had begun to contact with each other.

Main idea(before Zheng He) P3 Between the Han and the early Tang Dynasty, Swahili kingdoms and the islands off the African coast developed into the world trade centre and attracted merchants from the world.

Main idea(before Zheng He) P4 During the Tang Dynasty, Du Huan, who traveled to many lands, wrote the book Record of My Travels.

P5 In the eleventh century, the Africans made several voyages to the court of the Song Dynasty.

Mainidea(afterZheng He) P6 By the beginning of the fifteenth century the time was ripe for a grand meeting.

P7 In the years between 1405 and 1433, under the command of Zheng He, seven large treasure fleets sailed westwards on voyages of trade and exploration.

Main idea(after Zheng He) P8 Zheng He renewed relations with the kingdoms of the East African coast.

P9 The fleet made several expeditions before the exploration was stopped.

Careful reading: Fill in the charts.

Period Name Way of travel Goods

In 97 AD Gan Ying Over land Rhinoceros horns

In 751-762 Du Huan On land and by boat

In the 11th century The Africans By sea Bronze statueof a lion

In 1405-1433 Zheng He By sea Giraffes,zebras, shells, elephant ivory,gold,spices,silk,rhinoceros-horn, medicine, etc.

Judge the following sentences True or False

1.The Europeans were the first Explorers to travel to other countries.

2. Accurate maps of the countries around the Indian Ocean were made before the fifteenth century.

3. In the years between 1405 and 1433,Zheng He sailed westwards only on voyages of exploration.

4. Zheng He invited African countries to send ambassadors to China. T

Put the sentences in good order.

1.In the eleventh century, the Africans made several voyages to the court of the song dynasty.

2.Merchants from the Arabic countries began to travel to the Swahili kingdom and the islands off the African coast to trade with them.

3.People of the Han Dynasty exchanged silk for spices and glass with Indians and Romans by way of the Silk Road.

4. The Chinese traveller, Du Huan, wanderedThrough Arabic countries for about 10 years.

5.Christopher Columbus and other European explorers searched for routes to Asia.

6. Zheng He made seven voyages and discovered the eastern coast of Africa.

3 2 4 1 6 5

Integrating skills

Lead-in:

What is the third pole? Why? 珠穆朗瑪峰Mount Qomolangma

Reading:

Fast reading :

1.What do you think “the third pole” in the text mean?

“The third pole” in the text means the highest mountain on earth.

2.Who were the first to climb to the top of Mount Qomolangma?

They were the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay

Careful reading:

Please judge the main ideas to the proper paragraph

Para1.; By the middle of 1920s, Mount Qomolangma remained to be greatest challenge for human beings.

Para2. Climbing Mount Qomolangma was dangerous and it seemed almost impossible because of its extreme conditions.

Para3: Sherpas prove to be the ideal guide since the first attempt though several attempt failed

in 1920s,

Para4: .Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their first successful attempt to the summit in 1953.

para5: Who was the first to reach to the summit of Mount Qomolangma still remains to be a question.

para6: Over the past 40 years, other 29 Chinese reached the summit for scientific research or sport.

Explain the following phrases and sentences from the text in English.

1.Going to Mount Qomolangma was like going to the moon.

It was quite difficult and almost impossible to climb up Mount Qomolangma and to the summit of it.

2. The death zone

In this area, it is quite impossible for humans to survive for a couple of days , even though you

can breathe extra oxygen.

3. They had no idea what they were up against.

They didn’t know what difficulties would be in front of them and what the result would be.

4 English air. The bottle full of oxygen.

Answer the following questions:

1 Why is it difficult to climb it?

Because it is too high and the air is thin , oxygen is too low people can’t adjust to these

Extreme conditions. Strength And skill are also needed.

2 Who was the first to reach the Mount Qomolangma? Why was it called a challenge?

Edmund Hillary and Sherpa reach the summit on May 29,1953. it is a honor like winning in OLympics

3.How many chinese reach the summit from 1960 to 1975? Thirty-two (1975年5月27日，我國九名登山運動員從北坡登上珠峰 2003年5月21日，中韓聯(lián)合登山隊的中方隊員在珠峰頂上舉起國旗)

Phrases:

1 除了…… 還有 apart from/in addition to/besides

2 調(diào)節(jié)/適應 adjust to

3 充當 act as

4 依靠 rely on/depend on

5把……當做 refer to…as/think of…as/regard…as/treat…as

6用盡 run out of sth

7因某贊揚事某人 praise sb for sth

1.make (good ) use of (充分)利用

2.deal with 處理

3.meet with (偶然)遭遇;碰到;嘗到

4.evluate… from… 從什么方面(觀點)評價……

5.take possession of 獲得;占有;作為……的代表

6. in the name of 以……的名義;作為……的代表;借……為名;

以……為借口;憑……權威

7.search for 尋找……;搜索;探求

8.long before 很久以前。但before long是不久以后之意

9.contact with 與……聯(lián)系;與……接觸

10.in exchange for 與……交換

11.develop into 發(fā)展成為

12.lead to 導致;通向

13.be taken prisoner 作為囚犯被關押

14.date from 從……就開始有;追溯到

15.by the beginning of 到……(之)初

16.under the command of 在……的統(tǒng)帥下

17.in turn (for) 作為……的報酬;作為交換(回報;回答)

18.adjust to 附屬于某人的;調(diào)整;調(diào)節(jié);校準;(使)適應

19.be up against 對抗;對付;面臨

20.fail to 力所不能;失敗

21.succeed in 在……取得成功

22.apart from 別無;除……外(尚有)

23.run out 耗盡;用光

24.have something (nothing) to do with 與……有(無)關

Unit 3 The land down under

Reading:

Pre-reading

(1) What do you know about Australia?

Australia was discovered about 53 000 years ago. It is possible that the first people crossed into Australia from Asia on great land bridge when the water above of the oceans was lower.

(2) Look at the map of Australia. Australia is surrounded by many oceans: the Indian ocean in the west, the Southern Ocean in the south and the Pacific Ocean in the northeast.

(3) Show more pictures about Australia to the students.

Which questions will be answered in the passage and tick them.

1. How large is Australia?

2. When was Australia founded?

3. Who lives in Australia?

4. What is the capital of Australia?

5. What animals are native to Australia?

6. What is Australia famous for?

7. What does the Australia flag look like?

8. How many people live in Australia?

9. How is Australian English different from British and American English?

Fast reading

How many parts can the passage be divided into? Five

What’s the main idea of each paragraph?

Para1: The portrait of a nation

Para2: The first Australians

Para3: A nation of prisoners

Para4: Another new world: The birth of a nation

Para5: Speak Australian? No worries!

Careful reading

1.The Australian flag shows________. D

A. the UK flag and seven stars

B. the USA flag and a large star with seven points

C. the UK flag and six large stars with seven points

D. the UK flag, a large star and a group of small stars

2. Who were the first people to arrive in Australia? C

A. Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch.

B. Prisoners and criminals from England.

C. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

D. Asian explorers.

3.According to the text, Asian countries have _________ on Australia culture. A

A. great influence B. little influence C. no influence D. no effect

4.In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed the east coast of the continent for the_______ Crown. A

A. British B. Spanish C. Portuguese D. American

5.What does the word ‘‘claim’’ mean in Paragraph 3 of ‘‘A nation of prisoners? ’’ B

Australia A. need B. demand C. believe D. buy

6 It was ________ that made the original Australians suffer. A

A. the American War of Independence B. Captain James Cook

C. the English prisoners D. the first fleet of 11 ships

7.After the Second World War, Australia began to_______ B

A. form the commonwealth B. transform itself into the modern country as it is today

C. change its attitude towards immigration D. suffer from the Depression of the 1930s

8. The last part of the text tells us __________. B

A. Australian English is the same as British English

B. there are no differences between Australia English and British English

C. all the words in Australian English have a different meaning from British words

D. "down under" means the country of Australia to Australians

9. From the national flag of Australia, we can know________. C

A. there are 5 states altogether in Australia

B. people of Australia like American society

C. people of Australia think they have something to do with the English people

D. Australia suffered from immigration

10 From the text we can infer Australia came into being ________ the continent began to exist. B

A. long before B. long after C. at .the same time when D. shortly after

Post-reading

Answer the following questions.

1) What do the symbols on the Australian flag represent?

Six of the points represent the original states (Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania) and the seventh stands for all the territories. The other stars on the flag represent the Southern Cross.

2) Who were the first people to arrive in Australia?

The Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

3) Why were prisoners sent to Australia after 1788? Where were they from?

The American War of Independence made it possible for England to send prisoners to North America. They were from America.

4) What happened to the original Australians when the European newcomers arrived?

The newcomers changed the way land was managed and introduced new plants and animals that were harmful to the Australian ecosystems. As a consequence, the original Australians suffered.

5) What was the problem with Australia's Constitution?

The Constitution governing six states stated that men were free and equal, explained their base civil rights and described the new government.

6) How did the two World Wars change Australia?

After the First World War, the country experienced social and economic unrest and suffered from the Depression of the 1930s. After the Second World War, Australia began to transform itself into the modern country as it is today.

7) How does Australian English differ from British English?

Australian English differs from British English in pronunciation and some of the vocabulary.

Integrating skills

Get information about Australia

Animals： kangaroo, koala bear, parrot, snake, digo, sheep, cattle

Distance: 3220 km from north to south 4000 km from east to west

Size: the same as the USA( without Alaska)

Population: 20 million

Agriculture: wheat, fruit, vegetables, meat, wines

Natural resources: metals, precious stones, coal, iron

Climate: cool and wet winters, warm and dry summers in the south; warm and dry winters, hot and wet summers in the north dry or desert in two thirds of the country

Sports: tennis, sailing, swimming

Careful-reading: answer the questions.

1. Why does Australia have so many plants and animals that can not be found anywhere else in the world?

Because Australia has been separated from other Continents for millions of years.

2.Why do kangaroos carry their young in a pocket of skin on their stomach?

Kangaroos give birth to very small and weak young. They are carried in a pocket of skin for several months while they feed on the Mother's Milk and grow stronger.

3. In what way is Australia different from all the other countries in the world?

Australia is the only country in the world which covers an entire continent.

4. Compare the Climate in different areas of Australia with that found in different parts of China.

The climate in Australia is different depending on the area. The south has cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The north has warm, dry winters and hot wet summers.

Discussion:

1.Why does Australia have so many plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world?

2. Why do so kangaroos carry their young in a pocket of skin on their stomach?

3. In what way is Australia different from all the countries in the world?

4. Compare the climate in different areas of Australia with that found in different parts of China. Does the climate in your area affect the way you live?

Phrases:

1.go on + n. 繼續(xù)……

2.a tour guide 導游

3.gobushwalking/walkabout/cycling/surfing

去灌木叢中散步/閑逛/去騎自行車/去沖浪

4.as a consequence (of) 作為(……的)結果

5.break out (指激烈事件)突然發(fā)生

6.feed…on 給(人或物)食物

7.round up 集合在一起

8.be made up of 由……組成(構成)

9.be surrounded by 由……包圍;圍繞著

10.be used to 被用來

11.form strong ties with 與……保持良好的關系

12.groups of 成群的……

13.be chosen as 被選為……

14.be harmful to 對……有害

15.have a strong influence on 對……有強大的影響

16.suffer from 遭受;受……之苦

17.transform… into 把……改變成

18.attitude toward(s) 對……態(tài)度

19.differ from/differ…from… 與……的區(qū)別

20.be fond of 愛好;喜好

21.give birth 出生

22.more than fourteen times as many people 人口比……多達14倍以上

23.keep out 遮擋

24.depend on 依賴;相信

25.all the year round 終年

26.be delighted to 高興;喜歡