21世纪大学实用英语综合教程 第二册 Unit 1

教 案

1st period Text A (Global Reading)

1 Background Information

English Language

The English language is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many countries.

During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke English. All of them lived in what is now Great Britain. Through the centuries, as the result of various historical events, English spread throughout the world. Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native language. Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

Another 100 million people living chiefly in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and in many African countries speak English in addition to their own language. An additional 200 million people probably know at least some English. (From the 1998 World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)

Characteristics of English

Vocabulary. English has a larger vocabulary than any other language. There are more than 600,000 words in the largest dictionaries of the English language.

Some English words have been passed on from generation to generation as far back as scholars can trace. These words, such as woman, man, sun, hand, love, go, and eat, express basic ideas and feelings. Later, many words were borrowed from other languages, including Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. For example, algebra is from Arabic, fashion from French, piano from Italian, and canyon from Spanish.

A number of words, such as doghouse and splashdown, were formed by combining other words. New words were also created by blending words. For example, motor and hotel were blended into motel. Words can be shortened to form new words, as was done with history to form story. Words called acronyms are formed by using the first letter or letters of several words. The word radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging.

Pronunciation and spelling in English sometimes seem illogical or inconsistent. Many words are spelled similarly though pronounced differently. Examples include cough, though, and through. Other words, such as blue, crew, to, too, and shoe, have similar pronunciations but are spelled differently. Many of these variations show changes that occurred during the development of English. The spelling of some words remained the same through the centuries, though their pronunciation changed.

Grammar is the set of principles used to create sentences. These principles define the elements used to assemble sentences and the relationships between the elements. The elements include parts of speech and inflections.

Parts of speech are the word categories of the English language. Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the parts of speech. The traditional description lists eight classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The most important relationships of the parts of speech include subject and verb, verb and predicate, and modifier and the word modified.

English has fewer inflections than most other European languages. An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive. Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative or the superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest.

American English

American English is a variety of the English language spoken in the United States. Although all Americans do not speak the same way, their speech has enough in common that American English can be recognized as a variety of English distinct from British English, Australian English, and other national varieties. American English has grown up with the country. It began to diverge from British English during its colonial beginnings and acquired regional differences and ethnic flavor during the settlement of the continent.

Today it influences other languages and other varieties of English because it is the medium by which the attractions of American culture — its literature, motion pictures, and television programs — are transmitted to the world.

Characteristics of American English

A. Pronunciation

In broad terms, Canadian and American speakers tend to sound like one another. They also tend to sound different from a large group of English speakers who sound more British, such as those in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. For example, most Canadians and Americans pronounce an r sound after the vowel in words like barn, car, and farther, while speakers from the British English group do not. Also, some British English speakers drop h sounds at the beginning of words, so that he and his are pronounced as if they were spelled ee and is. The English spoken in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa sounds more like British English than American English does because these varieties have had less time to diverge from British English. The process of separate development began later in these countries than in North America.

In some cases there are differences between American English and British English in the rhythm of words. British speakers seem to leave out a syllable in words like secretary, as if it were spelled secretry, while Americans keep all the syllables. The opposite is true of other words, such as specialty, which Americans pronounce with three syllables (spe-cial-ty) while British speakers pronounce it with five syllables (spe-ci-al-i-ty). Vowels and consonants may also have different pronunciations. British speakers pronounce zebra to rhyme with Debra, while American speakers make zebra rhyme with Libra. Canadian and British speakers pronounce the word schedule as if it began with an sh sound, while Americans pronounce it as if it began with an sk sound.

B. Words

The most frequently used words are shared by speakers of different varieties of English. These words include the most common nouns, the most common verbs, and most function words (such as pronouns, articles, and prepositions). The different varieties of English do, however, use different words for many words that are slightly less common — for example, British crisps for American potato chips, Australian billabong for American pond, and Canadian chesterfield for American sofa. It is even more common for the same word to exist with different meanings in different varieties of English. Corn is a general term in Britain, for which Americans use grain, while corn in American English is a specific kind of grain. The word pond in British English usually refers to an artificial body of water, whereas ponds also occur naturally in North America. British English chemist is the same as American English drugstore, and in Canada people go to the druggist. Many of the words most easily recognized as American in origin are associated with aspects of American popular culture, such as gangster or cowboy.

C. Spelling

American English spelling differs from British English spelling largely because of one man, American lexicographer Noah Webster. In addition to his well-known An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), Webster published The American Spelling Book (1783, with many subsequent editions), which became one of the most widely used schoolbooks in American history. Webster’s books sought to standardize spelling in the United States by promoting the use of an American language that intentionally differed from British English. The development of a specifically American variety of English mirrored the newcountry’s separate political development. Webster’s most successful changes were spellings with or instead of our (honor, labor for the British honour, labour); with er instead of re (center, theater for the British centre, theatre); with an s instead of a c (defense, license for the British defence, licence); with a final ck instead of que (check, mask for the British cheque, masque); and without a final k (traffic, public, now also used in British English, for the older traffick, publick). Later spelling reform created a few other differences, such as program for British programme. Canadian spelling varies between the British and American forms, more British in eastern Canada and more American in western Canada.

2. Group Discussion

Have you ever had an experience in which you are misunderstood or have failed to understand others? Misunderstandings can result from the spoken form or written form of the language that you use.

2nd period Text A (Detailed Reading)

Words and Expressions & Difficult Sentences

1) misunderstanding: n. (an example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会

e.g. Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings when she visits France.

misunderstand: vt. understand wrongly 误解

e.g. I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.

It seems that you have misunderstood what I said at the meeting.

2) get on: board (a bus, a train, etc.)登上（公共汽车、火车等）

e.g. When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.

They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the wrong train.

3) head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进

e.g. The ship was heading for Britain.

He headed for the bus stop.

4) … he could ride to New York without paying.

介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。

e.g. Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.

He understood the meaning of the word without looking it up in a dictionary.

5) The message was passed from person to person.

这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。

注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。

e.g. She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child.

They work hard from morning to night.

6) by the time: 到…时候

e.g. The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors, it had stopped.

7) not… but…:

这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，表示“并非…而是…”的意思。

e.g. The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a wild cat.

These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for success, but by fear of failure.

8) pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside

把车开到路边

e.g. The policeman asked the driver to pull over.

9) get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、火车、飞机等）

e.g. Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.

When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could smell the sea.

Second Period

10) takeoff: n. the beginning of flight, when a plane, spacecraft, etc. rises from the ground（飞机的）起飞；（航空器的）升空

e.g. The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.

11) He thought he heard his flight announced.

他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。

句中announced是宾语补足语。

12) uncommon: a. rare or unusual罕见的；不平常的；异乎寻常的 e.g. 20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.

common/: a. found or happening often and in many places; usual常见的；普通的；通常的

Jones is a very common name in Britain.

13) wonder: v. express a wish to know sth., silently or in words对…感到疑惑；想知道

e.g. I was wondering if you are free for lunch.

I wondered what his words meant.

14) in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as who,

why, what, etc. (用于疑问词who, why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底 e.g. What in the world is he doing?

Where in the world were you when I was in need of your help?

15) be on time: be not late 准时

e.g. The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my Chinese friend.

Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.

16) You were 15 minutes late.

你迟到了15分钟。

英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词late, long等前面。

e.g. The bus was ten minutes early.

The bridge is 140 feet long.

During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 meters high off the coast.

17)instead of: in place of 代替；而不是

e.g. Can I have tea instead of coffee?

Let’s play cards instead of watching television.

If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of five o’clock, you can.

18) feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want有…的感觉；想要

e.g. When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like a hurt animal.

Do you feel like another drink?

19) all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in good health or spirits; well 令人满意的；不错的；健康良好的；健康的

e.g. “What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”

Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s all right.

Are you feeling all right now?

3rd period Grammar Review

动词的-ing形式

动词的-ing形式由动词原形+ -ing构成。它可以在句中作主语、表语、定语、宾语、宾语补足语和状语,但不能单独构成谓语。

4 th period Practical Writing

Letters of Invitation

Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation coming up? Is there a performance, school event, or meeting to which you want to invite people? Do you want to invite someone to speak at your meeting or conference? Whatever your event is, the following will help you write an effective invitation.

Guidelines for writing invitations:

● State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include addresses and a map if necessary. Mention if refreshments will be served. List any charges that may apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If there is a dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand corner of the card.

● If you need a response, include a self-addressed, stamped reply card or envelope with your invitation.

● Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.

● Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions (don’t; we’ll) except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.

● If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time people can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.

● If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired or needed. Explain that your guests presence is the only gift you need.

● Make sure you send out your invitations with ample advance notice.

● If you have guests coming from out of town or from other countries, you may want to send out your invitation several months in advance (especially if your event takes place around a holiday). This will allow your guests adequate time to make preparations, reservations, save money, etc.

● For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or guests from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a few weeks’ notice.

● If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your invitation should include the following information:

* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;

* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;

* Type of audience;

* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;

* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging, meals, and transportation;

* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers and addresses where that person can be contacted; and

* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person speak at the meeting or conference.

Useful Expressions:

1. How to start your letter:

● You are invited to attend our company’s annual open house.

● We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25 years of leadership.

● It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date) at/in the ____ (place).

● _______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of its latest computing and telecommunications products.

● Would you be interested in sharing your experience with the members of our association at their monthly dinner meeting?

2. How to offer details about your arrangements:

● We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time) on ______ (date) to introduce .

● The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s retirement at Legal Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

● Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.

● The presentation will take place at (place) at (time) on (date).

3. How to end your letter:

● We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.

● We hope you will be able to attend.

● We are all looking forward to hearing your views.

● We are looking forward to seeing you.

● Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to reserve a place for you.

● Please let me know as soon as possible.

You are going to hold a graduation party at your house on Sunday, June 27. The party will start after your graduation ceremony, at about 4:00 p.m. Write an invitation letter to your friends.

5th period Text B

Answer the following questions.

1. How many groups of interesting English words has the writer talked about in the text? 1. How many groups of interesting English words has the writer talked about in the text?

2. What kind of words are those that are talked about in the first group?

3. What is the main difference in the pronunciation of the words given in the second group?

4. Can you give some words that are spelled the same and pronounced the same but have different meanings? Give at least two pairs of such words.

5. How many ways are there to pronounce “ough” in English? What are they?

6. Why does the writer say that words such as “eggplant,” “grapefruit,” etc. make no sense at all?

7. What does the writer think of the difference between British English and American English?

8. Who is the next to last paragraph spoken to and where is it spoken?

9. What is the confusion that the foreign exchange student may have when he hears the words upon his arrival at his new home in New York City?

Language Points

1) mystery: n. sth. which cannot be explained or understood

神秘的事物，不可思议的事物，难以理解的事物，谜

e.g. She believes that life is full of mysteries.

His findings will help to reveal many mysteries of the sea.

2) take a look: 看一看

e.g. There is something wrong with my car. Can you take a look at it?

I have a special interest in old houses. Do you mind if I take a look around?

3) meaning : n. what sth. expresses or represents意义，意思；含义

e.g. This expression has two very different meanings in English.

4) stare: v. look steadily for a long time

e.g. Don't stare at other people---it is impolite.

She was staring into the fire thinking about her own future.

5) object:

1. v. be against sb. or sth.; feel or show opposition or disapproval反对，不赞成 e.g. Tom objected to the plan because he thought it would be too expensive.

I object to her going alone.

2.n. thing that can be seen or felt; aim 物体，实物；目的，目标

e.g. In their beautiful bedroom, the children are surrounded by familiar objects.

He made it his object in life to be a good doctor.

6) estimate

1. v. judge or calculate the nature, value, size, amount, etc. of (sth.), esp. roughly; form an opinion about估计；估价；判断

e.g. The tree is estimated to be at least 700 years old.

We estimate that over 75% of our customers are women.

2. n. calculation or judgment of the nature, value, size, amount, etc. of sth.估计

e.g. My estimate of his abilities was wrong.

7) dove:

1. n. 鸽子

2. dive 的过去式 dive: (dived or dove) v. jump head first into water; go under the surface of water; go down quickly （头朝下）跳水；潜水；俯冲

e.g. Mark dived off the bridge into the river.

The plane dived towards the ground and exploded immediately.

8) convict:

1. vt. declare that (sb.) is guilty of a crime after a trial in a court宣判（某人）有罪 e.g. The two men were convicted of murder.

The judge found that there was not enough evidence to convict him.

2. n. person who has been declared guilty of a crime and sent to prison 已决犯；囚犯

e.g. The search for the escaped convict went on for days.

9) get sth. right: do sth. correctly; understand sth. clearly, without error做对某事；正确理解某事；把某事弄得正确无误

e.g. I got most of the questions right.

Make sure you get people’s names right when you’re sending out the invitations.

10) board 1. n. a long thin flat piece of cut wood; plank

e.g. The walls of their room were made up of several boards only.

2. v. get onto (a ship) or into (a public vehicle) 上（船、火车、公共汽车）

e.g. At 7:30 I boarded the train for New York.

Before boarding the plane, Jenny tried once more to call home.

11) shoo vt. drive away (as if) by saying “shoo”用“嘘”声赶走

e.g. I shooed him out of the room.

12) bug

1. n. any small insect 虫子

2. vt. [sl] annoy; irritate [俚] 烦扰；使恼怒

e.g. I’ve had that disease many years, it really bugs me.

What’s bugging you, Kenny?

13) border1. vt. form a border to; have a common border with

形成…的边界，毗邻；与…接壤

e.g. Shanghai borders the East China Sea.

Ten years ago in this place there was a garden that bordered the river.

2. n. the dividing line between two countries edge; part near the edge of sth.

国界；边境; 边缘，边

14) How about…?

1. used to ask a question that directs attention to another person or thing

……怎么样？（用于讲另一个人或事物时）

e.g. I’m feeling hungry. How about you?

2. used to make a suggestion ……如何？（用于提出建议）

e.g. How about some noodles for lunch?

How about going to the beach this afternoon?

15) at least: not less than; if nothing else is true; at any rate

至少；反正；无论如何

e.g. At least seven students were injured in the accident.

16) beside oneself: having lost one’s self-control because of the intensity of the emotion one is feeling

（因过于激动）失去自制力；神志失常；发狂

e.g. When he heard the good news, he was beside himself with happiness.

When Tom lost his job, he was beside himself with anger.

17) That’s all there is to it: 就是这样，就是这么一回事

e.g. When a person dies, he loses everything. That’s all there is to it.

18) like a fish out of water: (feeling) awkward or uncomfortable, because one is in strange, unsuitable surroundings

如鱼离水；感到生疏（或不自在）

e.g. My little brother felt like a fish out of water in his new school.

I always feel like a fish out of water among these high society people.

19) on pins and needles: worried; nervous 如坐针毡的；坐立不安的； 急得要死的 e.g. I was on pins and needles until I found out I’d won.

We’re on pins and needles waiting to hear whether she got the job.

20) or something: or a thing like that 诸如此类的什么

e.g. Did she have an accident or something on her way back home yesterday? Maybe we can go to the movies or something.

21) have (got) ants in one’s pants: be very restless or excited

坐立不安，非常激动

e.g. She’s got ants in her pants because she’s going to a party tonight.

22) break the ice: do or say sth. to remove or reduce awkwardness or tension, esp. at a first meeting or at the start of a party, etc.

（为难办的事）开个头；打破沉默，使气氛活跃

e.g. Let’s break the ice by having everyone give their names.

Sam’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh.

23) clean as a whistle: very tidy or clean 干干净净；洁白无瑕

e.g. I want you to get those plates as clean as a whistle.

6th period Improve Your Reading Skills

Guessing the Meaning of Unknown Words in Context (1)

阅读中我们不可避免会遇到一些生词,如果我们能掌握一些根据上下文猜测词义的技能，无疑会有助于提高我们的阅读速度。例如，假定你不认识下面句子中knack这个词，也可以猜测它的含义：

Some people seem to have a knack for learning languages. They can pick up new vocabulary, master rules of grammar, and learn to write in the new language more quickly than others. (Text C, Unit 8, Book 1)

从这个词的上下文，即：有些人似乎具有一种学习语言的knack，他们能比别人（没有这种学习语言的knack的人）更快地学会新的词汇、掌握语法规则、学会用新学的语言写作，我们就可以猜到knack的大致意思：knack = natural skill or ability。

再如,假定你不认识下面句子中flight attendant：“Is this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.” (Text A, Unit 1, Book 2)

从这个词语的上下文，我们可以猜测到它的大致意义：someone who serves food and drinks to passengers on a plane, and looks after their comfort and safety。

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