Unit2 Reading
Teaching objectives
1．To help Ss get a general idea about the text.
2．To make Ss become familiar with the detailed information about the text.
3．To help Ss master Reading Strategy.
Teaching important points and difficult points
1．How to make the students understand the passage better.
2．How to help the students finish all the exercises.
3．How to help the students develop their creative, comprehensive and consolidating abilities.
Teaching procedures and ways
Step 1 Fast reading for general ideas
Go through the passage quickly to find answers to the three questions in Part A.
Answers
1．Turandot is an opera that tells the story of a cold-hearted Chinese princess, named Turandot,
who lives in the Forbidden City. To avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must
answer three riddles correctly or die.
2．Giacomo Puccini wrote the opera．The final scene was completed by Franco Alfano, one of
his students, based on Puccini’s notes after he died.
3．It was performed outdoors.
Step 2 Careful-reading for detailed information
1．Read the passage again and complete Part C1.
2．Listen to the tape and complete C2.
Answers
53721846
Step 3 Practice
1．Complete Part D
Find these words and expressions in the interview. Guess their meanings from the context. Then
match them with the correct definitions.
Answers
1 e 2 b 3 d 4 f 5 a 6 h 7 c 8 g
2．Complete Part E
Read this newspaper article about Sang Lan. Complete it with the words below.
Answers
1performance 2 talents 3 China 4 gold 5 princess
6 riddles 7 potential 8 marry 9 setting 10 witnessed
Step 4 Homework
1．Read the text and underline the key words and phrases in the text.
2．Unit Revision.
Teaching aims
To enable the students to master the new language points in the text.
Teaching important and difficult points
How to understand the new language points.
Teaching procedures and ways
Step 1 Check up
Check up the homework.
Step 2 Language points
1 ． Last night, I witnessed the first of only eight performances of Giacomo Puccini’s
world-famous opera, Turandot, being performed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
昨天晚上，我去看了贾科莫·普契尼闻名世界的歌剧《图兰朵》，那是在中国北京紫禁城
八场演出的首场。
(1) 本句中 witness 为及物动词，意为“证明；目击”；它有时也可用作不及物动词，意为
“作证”等。如：
The two servants witnessed the old man’s will. 两个佣人见证了老人的遗嘱。
The worker witnessed to having seen the accused near the scene of the crime.
这个工人作证说曾看见被告在犯罪现场附近。
此外，witness 可用作名词，意思是“证明，证人”。如：
I am a witness to the debate. 我是那场争论的见证人。
(2) Being performed 是-ing 分词做定语，相当于 which was being performed。如：
There are also records of gymnastics being performed in some other Asian countries.
=There are also records of gymnastics which were performed in some other Asian countries.
2．In order to avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must answer three riddles
correctly or die.
为了不出嫁，她说任何想要成为她丈夫的人必须猜中三道谜语，否则就要被处死。
句子 avoid 是及物动词，意为“避免，躲开，逃避”，后面接名词或者-ing 分词。如：
To avoid the city center, please turn right here. 如果要避开市中心，请从这里向右转。
You should avoid being late for your class if you want to learn English well.
避免上课迟到，如果你想把英语学好的话。
类似的词汇和短语有，escape 意为“逃避”；keep away from 意为“逃离；避开”。如：
The boy was lucky to escape being punished after he had failed in the exam.
考试失败后，男孩很幸运没有受罚。
Keep away from the old building because it was too dangerous.
远离那幢旧建筑物，因为太危险了。
3．Just imagine performing such an opera in the Forbidden City-there could not be a better
setting.
想想在紫禁城上演这出歌剧吧—不可能有比这更好的场景了！
(1) 动词 imagine 意为“想象，幻想，猜测”，其后跟名词、-ing 分词或从句等。如：
Imagine a house with such a big garden. That’s wonderful!
设想有一所带如此大花园的房子，那就太棒了!
Would you ever have imagined him/his becoming a great politician?
你怎能料想到他竟成大政治家了？
He imagines that people don’t like him, but they do.
他以为人们不喜欢他，但人们是喜欢他的。
You can imagine how surprised I was when the police accused him of murder.
当他被警察指控谋杀时，你可以想象我是多么惊讶。
(2) Could not be a better setting 的 意 思 是“ 不 可 能 有 比 这 更 好 的 场 景 了”， 否 定词
not/no/nothing 等与比较级连用，往往表达最高级含义。如：
Nothing in the world is more valuable than those books.
=Those books are the most valuable in the world.
4 ． Instead of a stage curtain, there were decorated panels covered with red and gold, and
traditional Chinese drums were used to announce the start of the opera.
覆盖着红色和金色的装饰镶板代替了舞台帷幕，传统的中国鼓敲响，宣告了歌剧的开场。
(1) Be decorated with 的意思是“装饰，修饰”。如：
Linda wanted to buy the ring which seemed to be decorated with sparkling diamonds.
琳达想买那个装饰了闪闪发光钻石的戒指。
(2) Covered with red and gold 是-ed 分词短语，作后置定语，修饰名词 panels。如：
The glass broken by the naughty boy is not expensive.
被这个淘气的小男孩打破的玻璃杯并不贵。
(3) 句中 announce 为及物动词，意思是“宣告，宣布，预示”。如：
The government announces that more new parks will be built for its citizens.
政府宣布将为市民建更多新的公园。
The invention of the new chip announces a new generation of computers.
这种新芯片的发明预示了新一代计算机（的到来）。
5．The story then takes on a classic love triangle featuring Calaf, Turandot, and Liu, whose love
for Calaf is unconditional.
故事随后演绎成了发生在卡拉夫、图兰朵和柳儿三人之间的经典三角恋情，其中，柳儿对
卡拉夫的爱是无条件的。
短语 take on 在句中的含义是“承担，接受，开始执行”。如：
We young men should take on heavy responsibilities. 我们年轻人应当勇挑重担。
I think you’ve taken on as much as you can do, please don’t start any other activity.
我看你揽下的活够多了，请别再接其它活了。
6．She even dares to try and exercise control over her father, the emperor of China, who has
promised to allow her to choose her own husband.
她甚至敢于尝试并且真的控制自己的父亲，即中国皇帝。他曾经允诺女儿由她自己选择丈
夫。
句中 promise 是动词，意思是“向……保证，允诺，答应”。如：
You must promise to hand in your homework on time from now on.
你必须保证从现在起准时交家庭作业。
My uncle promised me a mobile phone as my birthday present.
叔叔允诺给我一个手机作为生日礼物。
7．Turandot is desperate to learn his name and threatens and terrifies Liu because she knows his
name.
图兰朵不顾一切地想知道卡拉夫的名字，她威胁恐吓柳儿，因为柳儿知道卡拉夫的名字。
在句中 desperate 是形容词，意为“不顾一切的；绝望的；十分……”。如：
The couple are desperate for money because they want to buy a car next month.
这对夫妇十分需要钱，因为他们下个月想买辆车。
The prisoners grew more desperate when in despair.囚徒们在绝望中更加不顾死活。
8．The opera finishes with a beautifully-sung final duet, which was so moving that the audience
fell silent.
歌剧在一段美妙的终曲二重唱中结束。这段二重唱非常感人，观众都陷入了沉默。
短语 finish (up) with something 的意思是“以……结束”。如：
The English evening party finished (up) with the classic song—Auld Lang Syne.
英语晚会最后以经典歌曲--《友谊地久天长》结束。
9．At the end of the story, the prince and princess marry and the whole city celebrates their
happiness.
在故事的结尾，王子和公主结婚了，整个紫禁城都在欢庆他们的幸福。
The whole city 在并列句中作主语，指“整体”概念，谓语动词用单数。英语中如 army，
audience，class，club，company，committee，crew，crowd，staff，family，public，government，
group，party，union，population，team 等，表示“整体中的成员”时，则作复数使用。
Step 3 Homework
1．A1& A2 in workbook.
2．Unit Revision.
Teaching Aims
1．Learn and master the following words and expressions:
Cast; fall in love; feature; unconditional; be drunk with; exercise control over; break one’s
promise; terrify; conduct.
2．Train the students’ reading ability.
Teaching Important and Difficult Points
Get the students to learn about the Turandot.
Teaching Methods
1．Fast reading to get a general idea of the text.
2．Careful reading to get the detailed information.
3．Pair or group work to make every student work in class.
Teaching Aids
The multimedia.
Teaching Procedure
Step 1 Greetings
Step 2 Lead-in
To start the lesson by asking the students some questions.
Ask the students to talk freely in order to create an easy atmosphere to encourage the students to
practise their spoken language. Ask the students to prepare some information in advance. Get the
student to have a general idea of the opera.
Step 3 Reading Strategy
Explain the definition of a review to the students since different types of article have various
ways of reading.
1．What’s the definition of a review?
A review is a report or an essay giving some information as well as some opinion or ideas about
a book, performance, a painting or something similar.
2．What should we pay attention to while reading a review of an opera?
a．A review of opera usually starts with some background information.
b．The review can five some important such as the actor’s names and finally an evaluation.
c．The review may include lots of very descriptive words that reflect feelings.
Step 4 Fast reading
Ask the student to scan the text to finish the exercises in Part A.
Step 5 Listening and comprehension
Listen to the recording and ask the students to finish the exercises Part C1.
Answers:
1．Because she felt that she could almost feel the history.
2．She is cold-hearted.
3．He was killed.
4．She does not have to marry him.
5．He promised to allow Turandot to choose her own husband.
6．Eight.
7．Turandot was played by Sharon Sweet from the USA, Liu was played by Barbara Hendricks
from the USA and Calaf was sung by Kristian Johansson form Iceland.
8．The bringing together of the group of people from many countries, the music and the setting.
Step 6 Post-reading
In order to have an accurate understanding of the text, ask the students to finish Part D on P20.
And explain some more language points to the students.
1．witness n.
e.g. According to (eye) witnesses, the robbery was carried out by two teenage boys.
witness vt
witness doing sth.
e.g. He arrived home just in time to witness his brother being taken away by the police.
2．star vt (e.g. The studio would like to star her in a sequel to last year’s hit.)
cast vt (e.g. The doctor decided not to cast his new film with big-name actors.)
3．setting n.
e.g. The play has its setting in a wartime prison.
be set in… (e.g. The story was set in Britain of the nineteenth century.)
4．take on
a．to accept a particular job or responsibility:
e.g. She took too much on and made herself ill.
b．to employ someone:
e.g. She was taken on as a laboratory assistant.
c．to compete against or fight someone:
e.g. The Government took on the unions and won.
d．to begin to have a particular quality:
e.g. Her voice took on a troubled tone.
5．exercise vt. (to use one’s right, power or influence)
e.g. The young employer simply does not know how to exercise his power over his employees.
Since you’re a citizen of our country, you should exercise your right to vote.
6．be desperate to do sth./be desperate for sth.
( to be eager or in great need to do/for sth.)
e.g. The old man was desperate to see his son, Who had left home to study abroad．
The boy is desperate for a new pair of football shoes.
7．leave vt 常用“leave＋宾语＋宾补”结构
(to let sb. do sth. or be in a state/to let sth. be in a state )
e.g. My grandma is over 80 years old, so do not want to leave her alone at home.
The poor farmer died, leaving his wife and three children in poor conditions.
When the couple went on holiday, they left their pet dog in the care of a friend．
8．transform vt. (to make a complete change of the appearance or character of)
e.g. Plenty of rain might transform the area from a desert into a place full of plants.
It is said that the old railway station built about 100 years ago will soon be transformed into a
railway museum.
Answers:
dedicated; mistake; walk; neck; visitors; positive; journalism; programe
Step 7 Homework
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