Unit 4 Section A Studying Abroad
Teaching Plan
Students will be able to:
1. grasp the main idea of the text (The purposes of going abroad and the various challenges of studying in a different country. )
2. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;
3. conduct a serious of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.
Warm-up exercises:
1. What do you expect your study life would be if you had the opportunity to go abroad?
---- I have made so many new friends and contacts from all over the world. I especially love the social club and learning more about computers.” — Byoung-Chul Ahn, South Korea
---- I could hardly speak English before I spent ten months at Canadian College. Now people ask me if I was born and raised in Canada. It's unbelievable!” — Tai Hung Chen, Taiwan
2. What can we prepare for such an opportunity?
Cultural Notes
U.S. Military Academy: United States Military Academy is a public, coeducational military college at West Point, New York, maintained by the United States Department of the Army to train and educate students to be officers in the United States Army. Women were first allowed into the academy in 1976.
Host family is the family that provides ‘board and room’, food, etc. for overseas visitors or students.
Christians are followers of Jesus with whom they have a personal relationship and whom they accept/receive into their lives as God’s son and the way to heaven. They believe that there is one God. Most Christians are members of one of three major groups -- Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox.
Christianity has had an enormous influence on Western civilization, especially on art, business, government, and social relations.
Income tax one of the taxations on individuals and companies. In many countries or regions such as the US and Western Europe income tax is one of the major financial resources of the government. It first appeared in France in 1793.
Health insurance is a system for the advance financing of medical expenses by means of fees or taxes paid into a common fund to pay for all or part of health services specified in an insurance policy or law. Health insurance may apply to a limited or broad range of medical services and may provide for full or partial costs of specific services. Benefits may consist of the right to certain medical services or repaying the insured for specified medical costs and may sometimes include income benefits for working time lost owing to sickness or maternity leave.
New words:
1)1. fluent
(of a person) speaking, writing, etc. in an easy smooth manner
(说话、写作等)熟练的，流畅的
He is fluent in five languages.
他能流利地讲5种语言。
2. grant
vt. agree to give or allow (what is asked for)
准许，允许，答应给予
She granted their request.
她答应了他们的请求。
The US agreed to grant the new state diplomatic recognition.
美国同意给予这个新建立的国家以外交承认。
n. [C] thing given for a special reason, esp. money from the government
授予之物(尤指政府拨款、补助金、助学金)
You can get a grant to repair your house.
你可以得到一笔修房补助金。
They gave her a grant to study abroad for one year.
他们给予她一份助学金资助她出国学习一年。
y
vt. state or name clearly (details, materials, etc.)
明确说明，具体指定
It is specified that you may use a dictionary in the examination.
规定考试时可使用辞典。
She specified blue for the bedroom windows.
她指定卧室的窗户用蓝色。
vt. take away (an amount or part)
扣除，减去
Tax is deducted from your pay.
税款从你薪金中扣除。
My employer deducted a pound from my wages this week.
我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了1英镑。
deduction
n. [U, C] deducting
扣除
The pay I receive is paid after the deduction of tax.
我得到的工资是扣过税的。
Deductions of points will be made if competitors do not follow the rules.
如果选手不遵守规则将被扣分。
3. nourish vt.
(a person, an animal or a plant) alive and well with food
滋养，给予营养，养育
Most plants are nourished by water drawn up through their roots.
大部分植物依赖其根所吸水分来获得营养。
Children need plenty of good fresh food to nourish them.
孩子们需要好的、新鲜的食物来滋养他们。
b. have or increase (a feeling, etc.)
持有或怀有(情绪);增进(情感)
Lisa has long nourished the hope of becoming a famous writer.
利萨长期以来一直希望能成为一位名作家。
The young man nourished a deep attraction for her.
这位年轻人深深地爱着她。
2). Phrases and expressions
through:
experience
经历，经受住
My aunt has lived through three wars.
我的婶婶经历了三次战争。
She has lived through some terrible experiences.
她经历过一些可怕的事情。
on:
aim for; prepare
为……做准备
We hadn't planned on twins!
我们没有生双胞胎的思想准备。
We were planning on just having a snack and catching the early train.
我们打算吃份快餐然后去赶早班火车。
the target:
succeed; manage
达到目的，中肯
You certainly hit the target when you said that he was lazy.
你说他懒，可说中要害了。
He hit the target when he became president of the class.
他达到了目的，当上了班长。
the event of:
if sth. happens
如果……发生
In the event of his death, Mary will take the money.
如果他死了，玛丽将得到这笔钱。
In the event of a strike, the army will take over responsibility for fighting fires.
如果发生罢工，军队将接过救火的任务。
on
little or not enough of sth. that is needed
缺乏，缺少，不足
The plan had to be cancelled for lack of money.
由于缺乏资金, 那个计划不得不取消。
Her only problem is lack of confidence.
她唯一的问题是缺乏信心。
of
carry; take away
带着 (某人或某物), 带走 (某人或某物)
I took my music along, but no one asked me to sing.
我随身带着乐谱, 可没人邀我唱歌。
Why don't you take your mother along to the concert? I'm sure she would enjoy it.
你为什么不带你母亲来听音乐会，我肯定她一定会喜欢的。
along
carry; take away
带着 (某人或某物), 带走 (某人或某物)
I took my music along, but no one asked me to sing.
我随身带着乐谱, 可没人邀我唱歌。
Why don't you take your mother along to the concert? I'm sure she would enjoy it.
你为什么不带你母亲来听音乐会，我肯定她一定会喜欢的。
behind
go away with (sb. or sth. )remaining behind
留下 (某物或某人)
The wounded had to be left behind when the defeated army left.
败军撤离时，只好把伤员丢了下来。
turn
one after another
依次，逐个地
The boys called out their names in turn.
孩子们依次说出自己的名字。
Each of us collects the mail in turn.
大家轮流取信。
Summary of the Text
Summarize the passage using the tips below.
1. leaving for the U.S.A.
2. including a better command of English
3. a better understanding of the American culture
4. be faced with all kinds of difficulties
5. cover various expenses
6. learn to take care of themselves
7. rely on themselves
8. adjusting to the schedule of their new family
Summary of the Text:
Leaving for the U.S.A. is no ordinary flight experience for some foreign students planning to stay there for some time. Their purposes for going abroad vary, including a better command of English, the completion of high school and a better understanding of the American culture. These students may be faced with all kinds of difficulties. Finding a host family is the first challenge. But Gloria is an exception because she has made adequate preparation for that. Another big challenge is to cover various expenses. Students also have to learn to take care of themselves because they will no longer under the protection of their parents Saying good-bye to their parents and friends may be an unusual experience for them because from the moment on they have really to rely on themselves. And they are not sure whether they can adapt themselves to the new culture. Two new problems facing them upon their arrival in America would involve getting used to the local food and getting over their homesickness. Some students find trouble adjusting to the schedule of their new family. Some students who are not fluent in English have to go to private lessons, with the result that their total costs might be increased.
After reading
Further discussion:
1. Work in groups to discuss the following topic.
1) Some parents in China sent their children to foreign countries at a very early age, even when they are still in primary school. What do you think of this phenomenon?
2) Why do you think the Chinese government encourage young people to study abroad?
2. Discuss the following problem with your partner and see if you can reach an agreement with each other on these topics.
If you were offered a job in a joint venture enterprise and at the same time you received a letter from an American university informing you that you were admitted. What decision would you make and why?
Home work:
2.Write to your parents and discuss with them your future plan: finding a job immediately upon graduation; pursuing your graduate study here at home; furthering your education in a foreign country. For each decision list as many reasons as you can.
Section B Experiences in Exile
Objectives
Students will be able to:
the main idea of the text
2. master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text
the reading skill ---- Reading for the Key Idea in a Sentence
Reading skill---- Reading for the Key Idea in a sentence
Although a sentence may give a great deal of information, it usually offers one key idea. Readers should learn to find the key idea in order to understand the meaning of a sentence clearly.
The key idea of a sentence usually tells:
a) what a person or an object is
b) what a person or an object is doing
Look at the following examples taken from Reading Passage A:
At the end of each semester, as long as the students pass final exams, American authorities grant a certificate, which is recognized in Brazil. (Para. 3, Reading Passage A, Unit 4)
This sentence tells about American authorities. We know that American authorities grant a certificate. All the information about when and under what conditions they grant a certificate, or how the certificate is viewed in Brazil, adds details. The details are helpful in completing the scene for the reader, and we need to rely on these details to make the key idea clearer. But the key idea, or the main thought, in this sentence is simply “American authorities grant a certificate”.
American families, which host foreign students, are not paid, though they are allowed a small income tax deduction.
(Para. 5, Reading Passage A, Unit 4)
This sentence tells about American families. We know that American families are not paid. All the information about what kind of American families and under what condition they are not paid adds details. The details are helpful in completing the scene for the reader, and we need to rely on these details to make the key idea clearer. But the key idea, or the main thought, in this sentence is simply American families are not paid.
In order to find the key idea of a sentence we have to:
a) ask who or what the sentence is about;
b) ask what the person or object is doing, or what is happening to the person or object;
c) learn to separate details from the key idea.
Many words in a sentence describe things about the subject of the sentence and only add details around it. If we ask when, what kind, where, or why, we will find details. As a result it will be easier for us to see the key idea. Now look at the following example taken from Reading Passage A.
Yet for 38 young passengers between fifteen and eighteen years of age, it is the start of a new experience: they will spend 10 months of their lives studying abroad, far from their families. (Para. 2, Reading Passage A, Unit 4)
The key idea of this sentence is that it is a start of a new experience. The information as to for whom and why it is a start of a new experience simply adds details.
Detailed reading (Language Study)
1.) New words
a. [U] being sent away from one's native country or home, esp. for political reasons or as a punishment
放逐，流放，流亡
The President went into exile abroad in 1959 because of the political situation in his own country.
总统由于其本国的政治情况而于1959年流亡国外。
After many years of exile thousands of families will now be able to return to their homeland.
流亡多年之后，数千个家庭现在已经能够返回祖国了。
b. [C] person who lives away from his own country by choice or because he is forced to
自己选择或被迫居留国外的人
There were many French exiles in England after the war.
战后有许多法国人被迫移居英国。
The island is full of tax exiles.
这座小岛上全是逃避纳税而流亡国外的人。
sb. into exile
放逐, 充军
She was exiled from her country because of her part in the plot against the government.
她因参与反政府阴谋而被放逐国外。
The President was exiled for life.
总统被终身放逐。
without limits; endless
无限的，无穷的
The universe is potentially infinite.
从理论上讲宇宙是无限的。
This is a discovery of infinite importance.
这是一项极其重大的发现。
s
tiring, because of being too long, slow or dull; boring
冗长的，沉闷的，乏味的
The work is tedious.
这个工作真乏味。
We had to sit through several tedious speeches.
我们不得不坐在那里听完那几个冗长而乏味的发言。
move back because of fear or not liking
退却，退缩，畏缩
She recoiled at the idea of paying $70 for a theater ticket.
想到买一张戏票要70元钱，她退缩了。
She turned round to greet him and then seemed to recoil in horror when she saw the state he was in.
她转过身去迎接他，可当看到他的样子，她吓得往后退缩。
so much longer
更长
We'll have to stay all the longer with the heavy rain.
因为大雨我们不得不再呆一些时间.
2. make a fortune
make a large amount of money
发财
He made a considerable fortune selling waste materials.
他卖废品赚了相当可观的一笔钱。
He made a fortune on games of chance.
他在赌博中赚了一大笔钱。
sb. In
put clothes on sb.
给……穿衣服
The mother dressed the children in green skirts.
母亲给孩子们穿上绿色的裙子。
The bride dressed herself in white.
新娘穿着一身白色衣服。
4. with a heavy heart
unhappy
心情沉重，不开心
With a heavy heart, she turned to wave goodbye.
她心情沉重地转过身向人们挥手告别。
5. make sure
find out whether sth. is so
查明，证实，了解清楚
I think the door's locked, but I'd better go and make sure.
我想门已上锁了，但我最好还是去确定一下。
Make sure that the film is on tonight.
务必弄清楚电影确是今晚放映。
Exercises(P108-P110)
Discussion:
Discuss the following problem with your partner and see if you can reach an agreement with each other on the topic.
What do you think is the biggest challenge studying in a foreign country?