CONTENTSUnit1Social Customs.10Unit 2 Weather.Unit 3 Social Issues18Unit4Literature.30Unit5Education.40Unit6Work.56.70Unit7People.85Unit8 Science and Technology..100Unit 9 Language...115Unit 10 History..128Unit11Nature.Unit12Geography.139Unit 13 Money..151.164Unit 14 News
CONTENTS Unit 1 Social Customs.1 Unit 2 Weather. 10 Unit 3 Social Issues. 18 Unit 4 Literature. 30 Unit 5 Education. 40 Unit 6 Work. 56 Unit 7 People. 70 Unit 8 Science and Technology. 85 Unit 9 Language.100 Unit 10 History.115 Unit 11 Nature.128 Unit 12 Geography.139 Unit 13 Money.151 Unit 14 News.164
Unit1SocialCustomsTask1AtypicalEnglishgentlemanScriptYesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul'sCathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike.They were allwearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When shereturned home she asked Mr. Clark about these strange creatures. They must be typical Englishgentlemen,"she said."I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all lookas if they are wearing a uniform.Does the typical English gentleman still exist?Mr. Clark laughed. "I've never thought about it," he answered. "It's true that many of themen who work inthe Cityof London ststill wearbowlerhats andIsupposetheyaretypicalEnglishmen.Butlookat this."Mr.Clark picked upamagazine and pointed at aphotoofayoungman.“He's just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a‘typical'Englishman.Do you know the English saying, “It takes all kinds to make a world'? That's true of allcountries-including England.""Oh, just like the poem‘If All the Seas Were One Sea'," Gretel began to hum happily.Ifall the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, whata great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree,and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!"Key1I)Key: She wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral.2)Key:Shewas so surprised because she saw so manyEnglishmen who looked alike.Theywereall wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers.3)Key: Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked asif they were wearing a uniform.4) Key: No, he didn't.5) Key: It takes all kinds to make a world.2. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one treewhat a great treethat would be!And if thegreat man took the great axe, and cut down thegreattree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!TipsExercise 1 in this task tests whether students can understand and recall detailed information.As this is a usual form of question in listening comprehension, in order to give students somevariety, the teacher can ask students to glance over Exercise 1 and make predictions of thecontent of the piece before playing the recording. While doing Exercise 2, the teacher shoulddraw students' attention to the rhythm of the poem and ask them to recite the poem aloud.Task2Britain and JapanScript
Unit 1 Social Customs Task 1 A typical English gentleman Script Yesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When she returned home she asked Mr. Clark about these strange creatures. “They must be typical English gentlemen,” she said. “I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all look as if they are wearing a uniform. Does the typical English gentleman still exist?” Mr. Clark laughed. “I’ve never thought about it,” he answered. “It’s true that many of the men who work in the City of London still wear bowler hats and I suppose they are typical Englishmen. But look at this.” Mr. Clark picked up a magazine and pointed at a photo of a young man. “He’s just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Englishman. Do you know the English saying, ‘It takes all kinds to make a world’? That’s true of all countries—including England.” “Oh, just like the poem ‘If All the Seas Were One Sea’,” Gretel began to hum happily. “If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be!” Key 1. 1) Key: She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. 2) Key: She was so surprised because she saw so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers. 3) Key: Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked as if they were wearing a uniform. 4) Key: No, he didn’t. 5) Key: It takes all kinds to make a world. 2. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, and cut down the great tree, and let it fall into the great sea, what a splish splash that would be! Tips Exercise 1 in this task tests whether students can understand and recall detailed information. As this is a usual form of question in listening comprehension, in order to give students some variety, the teacher can ask students to glance over Exercise 1 and make predictions of the content of the piece before playing the recording. While doing Exercise 2, the teacher should draw students’ attention to the rhythm of the poem and ask them to recite the poem aloud. Task 2 Britain and Japan Script 1
John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is a Japanese student from Osaka, and sheis studying in Britain.Now they are comparing life in the two countries.John:I found that living in Japan, people were much busier.They seem to work the wholeday.Etsuko: Yes, that's right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. Youknow, summer in Japan is just horrible. It's very, very humid and hot, and you need to showerthree times a day.John: So you find it cooler in England?Etsuko: Yes, that's right.John:WhereI was living in Japan, in the north,it was much colderthan England,especially in winter,minus thirty degrees centigrade.Does the winter in Osaka last longer thanthe winter in England?Etsuko: No,I don't think so.December, January,February,March...John:Yes.It's a littlebit shorter if anythingEtsuko:Ever sinceI came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is reallybeautifulJohn:It'smuchflatterthan inJapanEtsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lotsof people in a limited area.John: Yes. I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. Themountainsaremuchhigher andmuchmorerocky.Ifound itmorebeautiful thanBritain.Etsuko:Yes,ifyoulikemountains!John:And therefore thetowns and villages tend tobemore crowded.Etsuko: Yes, that's right.John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don'tthey?Etsuko:Yes, they are very compact, and we don't have a lot of space.In big cities we havea lot of taller buildings now.John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan?Etsuko: Yes, that's right, an..Key1.1)peopleweremuchbusier2)colderthanEngland,minusthirtydegrees,lastlonger3) much more mountainous, much higher and much more rocky,more beautiful4)tendtobemorecrowded5)thehouses2. 1)T2)T 3)F 4)F 5)FTipsInthistask,students willheartwopeople,JapaneseandBritish,comparing JapanandBritain, with respect to the climate, geography, cities, buildings, and so on. Show students howtomakecomparisonsa
John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is a Japanese student from Osaka, and she is studying in Britain. Now they are comparing life in the two countries. John: I found that living in Japan, people were much busier. They seem to work the whole day. Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. You know, summer in Japan is just horrible. It’s very, very humid and hot, and you need to shower three times a day. John: So you find it cooler in England? Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. John: Where I was living in Japan, in the north, it was much colder than England, especially in winter, minus thirty degrees centigrade. Does the winter in Osaka last longer than the winter in England? Etsuko: No, I don’t think so. December, January, February, March. John: Yes. It’s a little bit shorter if anything. Etsuko: Ever since I came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is really beautiful. John: It’s much flatter than in Japan. Etsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lots of people in a limited area. John: Yes. I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. The mountains are much higher and much more rocky. I found it more beautiful than Britain. Etsuko: Yes, if you like mountains! John: And therefore the towns and villages tend to be more crowded. Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don’t they? Etsuko: Yes, they are very compact, and we don’t have a lot of space. In big cities we have a lot of taller buildings now. John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan? Etsuko: Yes, that’s right, and. Key 1. 1) people were much busier 2) colder than England, minus thirty degrees, last longer 3) much more mountainous, much higher and much more rocky, more beautiful 4) tend to be more crowded 5) the houses 2. 1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) F Tips In this task, students will hear two people, Japanese and British, comparing Japan and Britain, with respect to the climate, geography, cities, buildings, and so on. Show students how to make comparisons. 2
Exercise 1 is designed to draw students' attention to some of the aspects compared in thisconversation. Exercise 2 is to check their understanding of details.Task3FolkdancesintheUSScriptRosa: Why don't you have folk dances in the United States? Many countries have their owntraditional dances. The dancers wear special clothes and people like to watch them dance.Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But whenthey dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don't invite other people to watchthem.Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here?Steve: I think so. There's one in almost every city, and some big cities have several.Rosa: What are the dances like?Steve: Well, square dancing is done by eight people who dance together,four men and fourwomen. When they start, they form a square, with men and women on each side of the square.That's why it's called square dance. Then there's a caller who tells the dancers what they shoulddo. He usually makes it into a song, and sings it while they dance.Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy!Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don't have much time to think. I like to watch them,though. The dancers wear traditional clothes. That makes the dances pretty to watch.Rosa: I'd like to watch a folk dance.Steve: I'll take you to it sometime.Key1.1)Key:Usuallyeight people dance together.2)Key:Becausepeopleform a square when dancing with men and women on each side of thesquare3)Key:Heusually makes it into a song and sings it while the dancers dance.4)Key:They wear traditional clothes.2.1)F2)T3)F4)F5)T3.1)eight peopleforma square,oneach side of the square2)what they should do, makes it into a song, sings it3)don'thavemuchtimetothink4)traditionalclothesTipsIn this task, students will hear two people talking about folk dancing in the United States:the square dancing.Exercise 1 is designed for students to get the general idea whereas Exercise 2 is for thedetails. Exercise 3 aims to help students summarize a description of square dancing. After3
Exercise 1 is designed to draw students’ attention to some of the aspects compared in this conversation. Exercise 2 is to check their understanding of details. Task 3 Folk dances in the US Script Rosa: Why don’t you have folk dances in the United States? Many countries have their own traditional dances. The dancers wear special clothes and people like to watch them dance. Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But when they dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don’t invite other people to watch them. Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here? Steve: I think so. There’s one in almost every city, and some big cities have several. Rosa: What are the dances like? Steve: Well, square dancing is done by eight people who dance together, four men and four women. When they start, they form a square, with men and women on each side of the square. That’s why it’s called square dance. Then there’s a caller who tells the dancers what they should do. He usually makes it into a song, and sings it while they dance. Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy! Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don’t have much time to think. I like to watch them, though. The dancers wear traditional clothes. That makes the dances pretty to watch. Rosa: I’d like to watch a folk dance. Steve: I’ll take you to it sometime. Key 1. 1) Key: Usually eight people dance together. 2) Key: Because people form a square when dancing with men and women on each side of the square. 3) Key: He usually makes it into a song and sings it while the dancers dance. 4) Key: They wear traditional clothes. 2. 1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 3. 1) eight people form a square, on each side of the square 2) what they should do, makes it into a song, sings it 3) don’t have much time to think 4) traditional clothes Tips In this task, students will hear two people talking about folk dancing in the United States: the square dancing. Exercise 1 is designed for students to get the general idea whereas Exercise 2 is for the details. Exercise 3 aims to help students summarize a description of square dancing. After 3
completingtheexercises,studentsareencouragedtodescribesquaredancingintheUnited Statesin their own words.Task 4 Various customsScript1)Usuallyon theeveningof February3rd,peopleinJapanesefamilies takeone dried beanfor each year of their age and throw the beans on the floor, shouting, “Good luck in! Evil spiritsout!" This is known as “"Setsubun," a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning ofspring2)Before the Chinese Lunar New Year, in the old days many Chinese families burned thepicture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. On Lunar New Year's Day, they put a newpictureofthekitchen god on the wall.3)When American women getmarried, they sometimes followan old custom in choosingwhat to wear on their wedding day. The custom says the bride must wear “something old,something new, something borrowed, and something blue." This is to bring good luck.4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy, eat an omeletmade with 1,o00 eggs. They don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to useup thesethings before Lent begins.5) When winter ends in the Czech Republic, the children make a straw man called Smrt,"which is a figure of death.They burn it or throw it into the river.After they have destroyed it,theycarryflowershometoshowthearrival ofspring6) January 17th is St. Anthony's Day in Mexico. It is a day when people take their animalsto church. But before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers andribbons. This ceremony is to protect people's animals.Key1) Key: It is a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring in Japan.2) Key: They burn the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck.3)Key:The custom is that brides must wear“something old, something new, somethingborrowed, and something blue"to bring good luck.4) Key: Because they don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use upthesethingsbefore Lentbegins5)Key:It is a straw man made by children in the Czech Republic, it is a figure of death6)Key:People take their animals to church.And before the animals go into the church, they aredressedupwithflowersandribbonsTipsIn this task,students will hear six traditional customs in different countries,namely,Japan,China,theUs,Italy,the CzechRepublic and Mexico.Before playing the recording, spend three to five minutes talking about some of theinteresting customs in China (e.g. customs associated with marriage, birthdays, New Year,change of seasons). Try to generate a short discussion about these customs. The exercise isdesignedforstudentstocatchtheimportantdetailsofeachcustom
completing the exercises, students are encouraged to describe square dancing in the United States in their own words. Task 4 Various customs Script 1) Usually on the evening of February 3rd, people in Japanese families take one dried bean for each year of their age and throw the beans on the floor, shouting, “Good luck in! Evil spirits out!” This is known as “Setsubun,” a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring. 2) Before the Chinese Lunar New Year, in the old days many Chinese families burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. On Lunar New Year’s Day, they put a new picture of the kitchen god on the wall. 3) When American women get married, they sometimes follow an old custom in choosing what to wear on their wedding day. The custom says the bride must wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” This is to bring good luck. 4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy, eat an omelet made with 1,000 eggs. They don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use up these things before Lent begins. 5) When winter ends in the Czech Republic, the children make a straw man called “Smrt,” which is a figure of death. They burn it or throw it into the river. After they have destroyed it, they carry flowers home to show the arrival of spring. 6) January 17th is St. Anthony’s Day in Mexico. It is a day when people take their animals to church. But before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers and ribbons. This ceremony is to protect people’s animals. Key 1) Key: It is a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring in Japan. 2) Key: They burn the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. 3) Key: The custom is that brides must wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” to bring good luck. 4) Key: Because they don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they try to use up these things before Lent begins. 5) Key: It is a straw man made by children in the Czech Republic; it is a figure of death. 6) Key: People take their animals to church. And before the animals go into the church, they are dressed up with flowers and ribbons. Tips In this task, students will hear six traditional customs in different countries, namely, Japan, China, the US, Italy, the Czech Republic and Mexico. Before playing the recording, spend three to five minutes talking about some of the interesting customs in China (e.g. customs associated with marriage, birthdays, New Year, change of seasons). Try to generate a short discussion about these customs. The exercise is designed for students to catch the important details of each custom. 4