Unit one
ways of learning
Text A
Learning,
Chinese-style
Pre-reading tasks
A.
Listen to the recording two or
three times then think over the
following questions,
1,Who should teach whom? Is learning a
one-way street?
2.Should we share our dreams for a better
life with our parents or keep them to
ourselves?
3.Can children ever understand their
parents completely?
4.From the song can you guess what the
theme of the unit,ways of learning,
chiefly refers to?
B
Listen to the following quotation,take
some notes,and then some of you will
be invited to summarize in English
how Chen Yuhua’s parents handle her
education
Tapescript
一本由中国经济出版社推出得,千万别管孩子－－自主教育哈佛启示录,的书近来极为畅销，问世才一个月，在全国销售量已达到 20
余万册。其所倡导的“自主教育”理念在教育界引发争议。
不少读者反应，这本书最初吸引他们的是出挑的书名－－“千万别管孩子”，难道真的应该对孩子的教育放任自流？看了书后才明白，
该书所强调的，其实并非让家长“别管”孩子，恰恰是“怎么去管”
这个老问题。但它鲜明的提出了“自主教育”理念，切中了社会热点。
该书主人公陈宇华的父母在讲述教育经验时说，虽然他们常说“从来没管过她。”其实，他们一直在管她，而管的内容，就是反复提醒孩子的自我意识，让她认识到自己才是教育的主体，一切要依靠自己的努力，才会成功，老师家长则仅仅起辅导作用。这正是自主教育的精髓所在。。。。。。
While-reading tasks
1.read the paragraph1-5 with
the following questions:
A,Where and when did the incident
take place? (Jinling Hotel in Nanjing,
spring 1987)
B,Who are the main characters in this
incident? (author,his wife Ellen,their
son Benjamin,hotel staff)
C,What is the attitude of the author
and his wife toward Benjamin's efforts
in inserting the key into the slot?
(They let him explore and enjoy
himself.)
D,What is the attitude of the hotel
staff toward Benjamin's efforts? (They
held his hand and taught him how to
insert the key correctly.)
2.Language points and
practice
Language study
attach:
fasten or join (one thing to
another) (used in the pattern,
attach sth,to sth.)
Examples:
Scientists discovered they could
measure wind speed by attaching a wind
meter to a kite and sending it up.
Attached to this letter you will find a copy
of the document you asked for.
,.,to position the key just so,
to position the key carefully to fit
into the narrow key slot
not in the least:
not at all
Examples:
I am not in the least touched by the
Marilyn Monroe kind of beauty
Ann didn't seem in the least concerned
about her study.
find one's way:
reach a destination naturally;
arrive at
Examples:
Shanghai is not an easy city to find your
way around.
Drunk as he was,Peter still found his
way home.
phenomenon,(pl,phenomena)
sth,that happens or exists and
that can be seen or
experienced
Examples,
Hurricanes are a relatively common
phenomenon in the Caribbean.
Stress-related illness is a common
phenomenon in big cities.
Thunder and lightening are natural
phenomena.
initial,
of or at the beginning,first (adj:,
used only before n.)
Examples,
If a car suddenly pulls out in front of you,
your initial reaction may include fear and
anger.
Their initial burst of enthusiasm died
down when they realized how much work
the job involved.
assist:
help (used in the pattern,assist
sb,to do sth.,assist sb,with sth.)
Examples:
The professor was assisting his students
to prepare their project.
The college student decided to assist the
boy with his studyl
insert:
put,fit,place (in,into,between)
Examples:
Wait for a couple of minutes with
your mouth closed before inserting
the thermometer.
The doctor carefully inserted the
needle into my left arm.
somewhat:
to some degree,a little
Examples:
It is reported that conditions in the village
have improved somewhat since
November.
----,Are you concerned about your exam
results?”
----,Somewhat”
await,(fml)
wait for
Await is a fairly common word in
formal writing,but you do not
usually use it in conversation,
Instead you use "wait for."
Examples:
We must await the results of field
studies yet to come.
After I sent the letter asking for a
job,I had nothing to do but await
the answer.
on occasion:
now and then
Examples:
I was usually the only foreign
participant,although on occasion I
brought other
Americans in as guests.
Steve spent almost all his time doing
his research,but,on occasion,he
would take his son to see a film.
neglect:
give too little attention or care to
Examples:
He gave too much attention to his career,
working long hours and neglecting his
wife.
Their investment turned out to be a
failure and the manager was accused of
neglecting his duties.
ignore:
pay no attention to sb./sth,on
purpose,or as if sth,has not
happened
Example:
I said "Good morning" to her,
but she just ignored me and
walked on.
relevant:
directly connected with the
subject (followed by to,
opposite irrelevant)
Examples:
Only a few people feel the debate about
the cloning of human beings is relevant
to their daily lives.
While writing my term paper I was able to
borrow all the relevant books from the
school library.
investigate:
try to find out information about
(used in the pattern,investigate
sth.,investigate + wh clause)
Examples:
Police are still investigating
how the car accident
happened.
exception:
sb./sth,that a comment or
statement does not apply to
Examples:
Normally,parents aren't allowed to sit
in on the classes,but in your case we
can make an exception.
We feel that all the students in this
class,with one or two exceptions,
support the educational reforms.
Without exception all our youngsters
wanted to leave school and start work.
When you are mentioning an exception,
you often use the expression,with the
exception of”
Example:
We all went to see the film,with the
exception of Otto,who complained of
feeling unwell.
on one's own:
1) without anyone's help
Examples:
You needn't give me any help,I am
able to manage on my own.
2) alone
Example
The child was left on her own for hours
as her mom had to deal with the
emergency
accomplish：
manage to do (sth.)
Examples:
Unless you practice you'll accomplish
nothing.
Considering their capacity,the possibility
of accomplishing the task is not high.
If I work hard,I think I can accomplish my
goal of getting 6 A's at the end of the
semester.
in due course:
at the proper time; eventually
Examples:
Your book will be published in due
course.
Be patient,You'll get your promotion
in due course
critical:
1) very important
Examples:
Environmentalists say a critical factor
in the city's pollution is its population.
How well you accomplish this task will
be critical to the success of your
career
2) very serious or dangerous
Examples:
In yesterday's car accident,ten people
were killed and five people are still in
a critical condition.
As the situation in Afghanistan
became critical,the UN Secretary-
General appointed a special
representative to tackle it.
principle:
(rather fml) main,chief
Examples:
The couple's principal concern is to
earn enough money to send their
children to
Her principal interest in life was to be
a world-renowned pianist.
n.
The principal of a school or college is the
person in charge of it.
Example:
Complaints from the students began
arriving at the principal's office.
make up for:
repay with sth,good,
compensate for
apply:
1) be relevant (to sb./sth.); have an
effect (used in the pattern apply to
sb./sth.)
Examples:
The new pension arrangements won't apply
to people born before 1960.
The advice given by the professor only
applies to some of the college students.
2) write a letter or fill in a form in order
to ask formally for sth,(used in the
pattern,apply for sth.,apply to do sth.)
Examples:
How many jobs had you applied for
before you were offered this one?
We went to the sports club so often
that we decided that we might as well
apply to join.
work on/at:
try hard to achieve or improve
(sth.)
Examples:
Sophia needs to work at/on her typing
speed.
John came back ahead of time to
continue working on his thesis.
priority:
1) sth,that one must do before
anything else
Examples:
Being a qualified teacher is her fLrst
priority.
Earning enough money to maintain
his family is a high priority.
2) sth,that holds a high place among
competing claims
Examples:
The school will give priority to English
and computer studies.
The proposals deserve support as
they give priority to the needs of
children
evolve:
(cause to) develop gradually
(followed by into/from)
Examples:
The story evolves into a violent
tragedy.
Popular music evolved from folk
songs.
As knowledge of genetic engineering
evolves,beliefs change.
If you want to be a poet,you must
evolve your own style of writing.
summarize:
make a short account of the main
points of (sth.)
Examples:
Basically,the article can be
summarized in three sentences.
The workers' demands can be
summarized as follows,shorter hours
and more pay
contrast:
compare (two people or things)
so that differences are made clear
(used in the pattern:contrast A
and/with B)
Examples:
Carrie contrasted the situation then
with the present crisis.
Students were asked to contrast
Ernest Hemingway with Mark Twain.
n,action of contrasting
Examples:
I was always reading when I was a kid,
but my daughter,in contrast,just
watche TV all day.
In contrast to the hot days,the nights
are bitterly cold.
on the one hand,.,on the
other hand:
to introduce two contrasting
circumstances
Examples:
On the one hand her temper was
likely to cause trouble,but on the
other hand we needed her expertise.
On the one hand,we have good
reason to feel pleased with our
progress,On the other hand,we
mustn't get complacent.
promote,
help to grow or develop
Examples:
You don't have to sacrifice
environmental protection to promote
economic growth.
Regular exercise will help promote
physical and mental health.
emerge:
come out (followed by from)
Examples:
The postman emerged from his van
soaked to the skin.
The magician emerged from behind
the curtain.
pick up:
gain,learn
Examples:
He picked up quite a lot of English
during his one-year stay in America,
I had picked up a bit of data-
processing from my son.
enormous:
extremely large (same as huge,
immense)
Examples:
Catherine inherited an enormous
fortune from her parents.
The New Year's concert was an
enormous success.
exaggerate:
make (sth.) seem larger,better,etc,
than it really is
Examples:
In her resume,she has clearly
exaggerated her talents a little.
-- "I am bleeding to death!"
-- "Don't exaggerate -- it's only a little
cut."
Peter says he's seen "Titanic" at least
20 times but I think he's exaggerating.
assuming (that):
You use assuming that when you
are considering a possible
situation or event,so that you can
think about the consequences.
Examples:
Assuming that we all work at the
same rate,we should be finished by
January.
Assuming that this painting really is a
Van Gogh,how much do you think it's
worth?
valid:
based on truth or sound
reasoning
Examples:
They put forward many valid reasons
for not building the skyscraper
It is valid to consider memory the
oldest mental skill.
Scientific theories must be backed up
with valid evidence.
worthwhile:
worth doing,worth the trouble
taken
Examples:
It might be worthwhile to consider
buying an insurance policy.
A trip to the museum is always
worthwhile,
Teaching is considered a
worthwhile job.
superior:
better than average or than
others of the same type
(followed by to )
Examples:
Long-term stock market investments
have produced superior returns
compared
3.
Sum up the contrast
between Chinese and
Western ways
How to fulfil a task
Chinese Westerners
the Chinese
show a child how to do
something,
or teach by holding his hand;
the Westerners
teach a child to
rely on himself for
solutions to problems
4.
Ss scan from Para 11 to
Para 13,then answer the
following questions:
1.Can you find words like "Chinese"
and "Westerner" or "American" or
"the West,paragraph? (yes)
2,What method of comparison and
contrast is used here? (point-by-point
method)
5.
sum up the contrast
between the Chinese and
the Western attitudes
toward creativity and
basic skills.
attitudes toward
creativity and
basic skills
Chinese Westerners
The Chinese
give priority to developing skills at an early age,
believing that creativ-
ity can be promoted over time
the Westerners
put more emphasis on fostering creativity in
young children,
thinking that skills can be picked up later
Post-reading tasks
1,Debate
Rule:
1) Ss divide into two groups,one taking the
side of creativity first,another taking the
side of basic skills first.
2) In each group,Ss further divide into
smaller groups of three to four,
brainstorming
arguments\examples\statistics\quotes\etc,
in support of their viewpoint,as well as
those that could be used to refute the
other side.
3) Debate begins,with T acting as
moderator.
2.
Finish the afer-text
exercises
The end
ways of learning
Text A
Learning,
Chinese-style
Pre-reading tasks
A.
Listen to the recording two or
three times then think over the
following questions,
1,Who should teach whom? Is learning a
one-way street?
2.Should we share our dreams for a better
life with our parents or keep them to
ourselves?
3.Can children ever understand their
parents completely?
4.From the song can you guess what the
theme of the unit,ways of learning,
chiefly refers to?
B
Listen to the following quotation,take
some notes,and then some of you will
be invited to summarize in English
how Chen Yuhua’s parents handle her
education
Tapescript
一本由中国经济出版社推出得,千万别管孩子－－自主教育哈佛启示录,的书近来极为畅销，问世才一个月，在全国销售量已达到 20
余万册。其所倡导的“自主教育”理念在教育界引发争议。
不少读者反应，这本书最初吸引他们的是出挑的书名－－“千万别管孩子”，难道真的应该对孩子的教育放任自流？看了书后才明白，
该书所强调的，其实并非让家长“别管”孩子，恰恰是“怎么去管”
这个老问题。但它鲜明的提出了“自主教育”理念，切中了社会热点。
该书主人公陈宇华的父母在讲述教育经验时说，虽然他们常说“从来没管过她。”其实，他们一直在管她，而管的内容，就是反复提醒孩子的自我意识，让她认识到自己才是教育的主体，一切要依靠自己的努力，才会成功，老师家长则仅仅起辅导作用。这正是自主教育的精髓所在。。。。。。
While-reading tasks
1.read the paragraph1-5 with
the following questions:
A,Where and when did the incident
take place? (Jinling Hotel in Nanjing,
spring 1987)
B,Who are the main characters in this
incident? (author,his wife Ellen,their
son Benjamin,hotel staff)
C,What is the attitude of the author
and his wife toward Benjamin's efforts
in inserting the key into the slot?
(They let him explore and enjoy
himself.)
D,What is the attitude of the hotel
staff toward Benjamin's efforts? (They
held his hand and taught him how to
insert the key correctly.)
2.Language points and
practice
Language study
attach:
fasten or join (one thing to
another) (used in the pattern,
attach sth,to sth.)
Examples:
Scientists discovered they could
measure wind speed by attaching a wind
meter to a kite and sending it up.
Attached to this letter you will find a copy
of the document you asked for.
,.,to position the key just so,
to position the key carefully to fit
into the narrow key slot
not in the least:
not at all
Examples:
I am not in the least touched by the
Marilyn Monroe kind of beauty
Ann didn't seem in the least concerned
about her study.
find one's way:
reach a destination naturally;
arrive at
Examples:
Shanghai is not an easy city to find your
way around.
Drunk as he was,Peter still found his
way home.
phenomenon,(pl,phenomena)
sth,that happens or exists and
that can be seen or
experienced
Examples,
Hurricanes are a relatively common
phenomenon in the Caribbean.
Stress-related illness is a common
phenomenon in big cities.
Thunder and lightening are natural
phenomena.
initial,
of or at the beginning,first (adj:,
used only before n.)
Examples,
If a car suddenly pulls out in front of you,
your initial reaction may include fear and
anger.
Their initial burst of enthusiasm died
down when they realized how much work
the job involved.
assist:
help (used in the pattern,assist
sb,to do sth.,assist sb,with sth.)
Examples:
The professor was assisting his students
to prepare their project.
The college student decided to assist the
boy with his studyl
insert:
put,fit,place (in,into,between)
Examples:
Wait for a couple of minutes with
your mouth closed before inserting
the thermometer.
The doctor carefully inserted the
needle into my left arm.
somewhat:
to some degree,a little
Examples:
It is reported that conditions in the village
have improved somewhat since
November.
----,Are you concerned about your exam
results?”
----,Somewhat”
await,(fml)
wait for
Await is a fairly common word in
formal writing,but you do not
usually use it in conversation,
Instead you use "wait for."
Examples:
We must await the results of field
studies yet to come.
After I sent the letter asking for a
job,I had nothing to do but await
the answer.
on occasion:
now and then
Examples:
I was usually the only foreign
participant,although on occasion I
brought other
Americans in as guests.
Steve spent almost all his time doing
his research,but,on occasion,he
would take his son to see a film.
neglect:
give too little attention or care to
Examples:
He gave too much attention to his career,
working long hours and neglecting his
wife.
Their investment turned out to be a
failure and the manager was accused of
neglecting his duties.
ignore:
pay no attention to sb./sth,on
purpose,or as if sth,has not
happened
Example:
I said "Good morning" to her,
but she just ignored me and
walked on.
relevant:
directly connected with the
subject (followed by to,
opposite irrelevant)
Examples:
Only a few people feel the debate about
the cloning of human beings is relevant
to their daily lives.
While writing my term paper I was able to
borrow all the relevant books from the
school library.
investigate:
try to find out information about
(used in the pattern,investigate
sth.,investigate + wh clause)
Examples:
Police are still investigating
how the car accident
happened.
exception:
sb./sth,that a comment or
statement does not apply to
Examples:
Normally,parents aren't allowed to sit
in on the classes,but in your case we
can make an exception.
We feel that all the students in this
class,with one or two exceptions,
support the educational reforms.
Without exception all our youngsters
wanted to leave school and start work.
When you are mentioning an exception,
you often use the expression,with the
exception of”
Example:
We all went to see the film,with the
exception of Otto,who complained of
feeling unwell.
on one's own:
1) without anyone's help
Examples:
You needn't give me any help,I am
able to manage on my own.
2) alone
Example
The child was left on her own for hours
as her mom had to deal with the
emergency
accomplish：
manage to do (sth.)
Examples:
Unless you practice you'll accomplish
nothing.
Considering their capacity,the possibility
of accomplishing the task is not high.
If I work hard,I think I can accomplish my
goal of getting 6 A's at the end of the
semester.
in due course:
at the proper time; eventually
Examples:
Your book will be published in due
course.
Be patient,You'll get your promotion
in due course
critical:
1) very important
Examples:
Environmentalists say a critical factor
in the city's pollution is its population.
How well you accomplish this task will
be critical to the success of your
career
2) very serious or dangerous
Examples:
In yesterday's car accident,ten people
were killed and five people are still in
a critical condition.
As the situation in Afghanistan
became critical,the UN Secretary-
General appointed a special
representative to tackle it.
principle:
(rather fml) main,chief
Examples:
The couple's principal concern is to
earn enough money to send their
children to
Her principal interest in life was to be
a world-renowned pianist.
n.
The principal of a school or college is the
person in charge of it.
Example:
Complaints from the students began
arriving at the principal's office.
make up for:
repay with sth,good,
compensate for
apply:
1) be relevant (to sb./sth.); have an
effect (used in the pattern apply to
sb./sth.)
Examples:
The new pension arrangements won't apply
to people born before 1960.
The advice given by the professor only
applies to some of the college students.
2) write a letter or fill in a form in order
to ask formally for sth,(used in the
pattern,apply for sth.,apply to do sth.)
Examples:
How many jobs had you applied for
before you were offered this one?
We went to the sports club so often
that we decided that we might as well
apply to join.
work on/at:
try hard to achieve or improve
(sth.)
Examples:
Sophia needs to work at/on her typing
speed.
John came back ahead of time to
continue working on his thesis.
priority:
1) sth,that one must do before
anything else
Examples:
Being a qualified teacher is her fLrst
priority.
Earning enough money to maintain
his family is a high priority.
2) sth,that holds a high place among
competing claims
Examples:
The school will give priority to English
and computer studies.
The proposals deserve support as
they give priority to the needs of
children
evolve:
(cause to) develop gradually
(followed by into/from)
Examples:
The story evolves into a violent
tragedy.
Popular music evolved from folk
songs.
As knowledge of genetic engineering
evolves,beliefs change.
If you want to be a poet,you must
evolve your own style of writing.
summarize:
make a short account of the main
points of (sth.)
Examples:
Basically,the article can be
summarized in three sentences.
The workers' demands can be
summarized as follows,shorter hours
and more pay
contrast:
compare (two people or things)
so that differences are made clear
(used in the pattern:contrast A
and/with B)
Examples:
Carrie contrasted the situation then
with the present crisis.
Students were asked to contrast
Ernest Hemingway with Mark Twain.
n,action of contrasting
Examples:
I was always reading when I was a kid,
but my daughter,in contrast,just
watche TV all day.
In contrast to the hot days,the nights
are bitterly cold.
on the one hand,.,on the
other hand:
to introduce two contrasting
circumstances
Examples:
On the one hand her temper was
likely to cause trouble,but on the
other hand we needed her expertise.
On the one hand,we have good
reason to feel pleased with our
progress,On the other hand,we
mustn't get complacent.
promote,
help to grow or develop
Examples:
You don't have to sacrifice
environmental protection to promote
economic growth.
Regular exercise will help promote
physical and mental health.
emerge:
come out (followed by from)
Examples:
The postman emerged from his van
soaked to the skin.
The magician emerged from behind
the curtain.
pick up:
gain,learn
Examples:
He picked up quite a lot of English
during his one-year stay in America,
I had picked up a bit of data-
processing from my son.
enormous:
extremely large (same as huge,
immense)
Examples:
Catherine inherited an enormous
fortune from her parents.
The New Year's concert was an
enormous success.
exaggerate:
make (sth.) seem larger,better,etc,
than it really is
Examples:
In her resume,she has clearly
exaggerated her talents a little.
-- "I am bleeding to death!"
-- "Don't exaggerate -- it's only a little
cut."
Peter says he's seen "Titanic" at least
20 times but I think he's exaggerating.
assuming (that):
You use assuming that when you
are considering a possible
situation or event,so that you can
think about the consequences.
Examples:
Assuming that we all work at the
same rate,we should be finished by
January.
Assuming that this painting really is a
Van Gogh,how much do you think it's
worth?
valid:
based on truth or sound
reasoning
Examples:
They put forward many valid reasons
for not building the skyscraper
It is valid to consider memory the
oldest mental skill.
Scientific theories must be backed up
with valid evidence.
worthwhile:
worth doing,worth the trouble
taken
Examples:
It might be worthwhile to consider
buying an insurance policy.
A trip to the museum is always
worthwhile,
Teaching is considered a
worthwhile job.
superior:
better than average or than
others of the same type
(followed by to )
Examples:
Long-term stock market investments
have produced superior returns
compared
3.
Sum up the contrast
between Chinese and
Western ways
How to fulfil a task
Chinese Westerners
the Chinese
show a child how to do
something,
or teach by holding his hand;
the Westerners
teach a child to
rely on himself for
solutions to problems
4.
Ss scan from Para 11 to
Para 13,then answer the
following questions:
1.Can you find words like "Chinese"
and "Westerner" or "American" or
"the West,paragraph? (yes)
2,What method of comparison and
contrast is used here? (point-by-point
method)
5.
sum up the contrast
between the Chinese and
the Western attitudes
toward creativity and
basic skills.
attitudes toward
creativity and
basic skills
Chinese Westerners
The Chinese
give priority to developing skills at an early age,
believing that creativ-
ity can be promoted over time
the Westerners
put more emphasis on fostering creativity in
young children,
thinking that skills can be picked up later
Post-reading tasks
1,Debate
Rule:
1) Ss divide into two groups,one taking the
side of creativity first,another taking the
side of basic skills first.
2) In each group,Ss further divide into
smaller groups of three to four,
brainstorming
arguments\examples\statistics\quotes\etc,
in support of their viewpoint,as well as
those that could be used to refute the
other side.
3) Debate begins,with T acting as
moderator.
2.
Finish the afer-text
exercises
The end
