Period 2 Reading

Teaching Aims:

1. Train the students’ reading ability.

2. Learn some useful words and expressions.

3. Learn more about art and architecture.

Teaching Important Points:

1. Help the students to understand the passage better

2. Learn and master the important words and phrases in this period.

Teaching Difficult Points:

How to Help the students to understand the passage better.

Teaching Methods:

1. Fast reading to get the gist of the text.

2. Careful reading to understand the passage better.

3. Explanation to help Ss master some language points.

Teaching Procedures:

Step 1 Warming up

Free talk: Ask the Ss to choose any one of the pictures (Page 19) and describe it in their own words: What does it look like?

Step 2 Pre-reading

Look at the pictures and the title of the text. Do you think the text will be about the following topics? Write “Y” in the brackets if you do or “N” if you don’t.

① The passage is about classical Chinese architecture. ( )

② Some modern architecture takes examples from nature. ( )

③ According to the text, modern buildings are ugly. ( )

④ The text is about parks and gardens. ( )

⑤ It is better to use traditional materials in architecture. ( )

Step 3 While-reading

1. Prediction

Look at the title and three pictures in the text:

① What kind of architecture are they?

② Could you find out their characteristics both in style and in materials?

2. Skimming

Go through the passage quickly to find out which of the following is right?

① Ancient and modern architecture were designed, planned and built in different styles.

② It tells us the development of modernism.

③ Different styles of architecture used different materials.

④ The impression that modern architecture gives us is friendly.

⑤ Ancient architecture is far from nature.

⑥ Gaudi designed his works from nature.

⑦ Some famous architecture such as Opera House and the new Olympic Stadium was a combination of ancient and modern styles.

3. Scanning

Analysis on the structure of the passage.

Part Paragraph Main idea

1 Paragraph 1 Modern and traditional architecture: general information

2 Paragraph 2-5 Modern and traditional architecture: material and shape

3 Paragraph6-8 Nature and architecture

4. Listen to the tape and deal with the language points in groups.

① Listen to the tape and follow it in a low voice.

② Group work: The students are divided into four groups. Each group is supposed to read through each part, and then discuss the important and difficult language points.

Part 1.

1. style n.

e.g. The architecture styles of ancient Greece are different from the modern ones.

This kind of cars is out of style in Japan.

Part 2.

1. go against

e.g. Until now we don’t understand if you go against nature, you will be punished by nature.

2. construct v. construction n. constructive adj.

e.g. They decided to construct a factory in the countryside.

3. unnatural adj.

e.g. It was unnatural for the room to be so tidy.

At last, he burst into an unnatural high-pitched laugh.

4. concrete n. & adj.

e.g. Nowadays you can also see many concrete buildings and roads in the countryside.

Coal is a concrete object, heat is not.

5. equal adj. & v.

e.g. He is equaled by one in kindness.

They are of equal heights.

6. impress v.

e.g. The sights of the city never fail to impress foreign tourists.

7. act as

e.g. I don’t understand their language; you’ll have to act as an interpreter.

Part 3.

1. fantastic adj.

e.g. He dreamed a fantastic dream last night.

2. despite prep. in spite of

e.g. They had a wonderful holiday, despite the bad weather.

3. create v. creation n. creative adj.

e.g. A novelist creates characters and a plot.

4. view v.

e.g. They viewed the battle through binoculars from the top of a hill.

5. fill up with

e.g. The room has filled up with people.

6. as if

e.g. It looks as if he were in a dream.

It looks as if they’ll have to cook more.

Step 4 Post-reading

1. Questions and answers ( Page 20)

2. Extension

Group work (Page 21 exercise 4)

Step 5 Reflective thinking

Group work:

Nowadays more and more modern buildings are built in the suburbs and people are keen on spending money buying them. Suppose you are a reporter of the newspaper, interview the mayor of such a city. Ask the mayor:

1. What does he think of the conditions like this?

2. Is this all good for the evelop0ment of the city?

3. What measures will be take?

Step 6 Homework

1. Retell the text in your own words.

2. Go over the new words and expressions in the text.

Step 7 Blackboard Design

Words and expressions:

style n. unnatural adj. concrete adj./n. view v.

equal v./adj. impress v. fantastic adj. despite prep Create v. act as go against as if fill up with