新进阶3综合unit2
New Progressive College English Book III UNIT 2 Conspicuous Consumption
UNIT 2 Conspicuous Consumption 1. Teaching Objectives:
Students will be able to
A. Have a thorough understanding of the text contextually and linguistically
B. Talk about the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods
C. Conduct group discussion centering on the “ fuerdai ” phenomenon in China
D. Become familiar with expository writing
2. Time Allotment:
st
1 Period: Lead-in Activities (Warm-up activities; Discussion about the topic)
2nd Period: Global-reading (Text: Approaching the theme; analyzing the text
organization)
rd
3 Period: Detailed reading (Understanding the Text A in a deeper level, analyzing difficult sentence
structures)
4th Period: Detailed reading Activities (Learning new words, summarizing good usage)
5th Period: Comprehending Reading 1 (Skimming the text, explaining the difficult sentences of the Text, doing sentence translation))
6 th Period: After-reading Activities (Viewing and Listening; Speaking; Assignments)
3. Teaching Procedures:
Lead-in Activities
Step 1. Warm-up activities
Ask Ss to listen to a song and fill in the missing words in the lyrics.
Have Ss work in pairs. One student asks the other the questions in Opener, the
other answers. Then switch roles.
Method: PPT, communicative approach.
Step 2: Discussion about the topic
Introduce the topic of the unit to Ss either in English or Chinese: Sometimes people buy things just for the purpose of showing that they are richer, or have better taste than others. Expensive brand-name goods can serve this purpose, and are often wanted precisely because they are expensive. Whether spending money in this way is good, bad or simply silly is something we are going to explore. Method: Using task-based language teaching method, communicative approach.
Global reading
Step 1. Approaching the theme
Ask Ss to take a look at the Culture Notes, or ask them to do some further reading before class about the idiom “keep up with the Joneses ”, its origins and its social impact, etc.
Guide Ss to explore the text to fide the meaning and origin of the expression
“keep up with the Joneses ” , how this phenomenon came into being, and what we should do to rid ourselves of the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses.
Method: PPT; communicative approach.
Analyzing the text organization
The teacher tells students that the text can be divided into three parts which
have been given in the Text Organization . Then students should summarize the main idea of each part and compare notes with each other.
Detailed Reading
Procedure
1) Students are asked to read the passage carefully again and for each paragraph
(sometimes two-three paragraphs), invite students to answer questions related
difficult sentences and understanding of each paragraph.
2) Help Ss find out the good usage in the text and underlined them.
3) Learn new words in details.
Purpose : Further understand the text and train scanning ability to learn difficult sentence structures as well as new words and expressions.
Method: Reading the text together; Using task-based language teaching method, reading approach, communicative approach, grammar-translation approach.
Step 1. Questions related difficult sentences and understanding of each paragraph.
Q. Where does the phrase “ Keeping up with the Joneses ” come from
A: It comes from a cartoon strip of the same title launched by Pop Momand in 1913.
&4
Q: Why were we not aware of what the Joneses were doing prior to the late 1880s
A: Prior to the late 1880s, mass media was not born. We were only concerned about making our own living.
Q: What was the ready solution provided by magazines in order for us to catch up with the Joneses
A: The ready solution was to buy products that were advertised.
Q: Where do true happiness and joy come from, if they are not anything money can buy
A: True happiness and joy come from within.
Q: What are we supposed to do to stop keeping up with the Joneses
A: Instead of buying into the message that we positive self-regard. We should realize we don others. Language Focus Difficult sentences:
1) I ' d love to say that need vanished when the last episode of that comic strip ran, but alas, it seems to have only gotten worse. (Para. 2)
I would like to say that need disappeared when the comic strip came to an end, but it seems that things have turned from bad to worse instead.
我多么想说，随着最后一集连环漫画的结束，这一心态也不复存在了。可是，唉，情况似乎 变得更糟。
2) Prior to the late 1880s, most of us were so busy trying to make a living that
we didn ' t care what the Joneses were doing, nor did we know, for that matter. (Para. 4)
Before the late 1880s, most of us were busy trying to make a living. We didn ' t care what the Joneses were doing, and we didn ' t know either.
19世纪 80年代末以前，我们多数人都在忙于生计，既不关心、也不知道邻居们在做些什么。
3) And much of that assessment was, and still is, based on a perceived lack of things we ' re told we should want or have.
(Para. 4)
And much of that evaluation was, and still is, based on a feeling that we are short of things we ought to have because of the messages from the mass media.
从过去直至现今， 很大程度上这种认识源自一种缺失感， 即感觉上与别人相比， 缺少了一些该要 或该有的东西。
4) Because ultimately, you decide if you ' re going to buy into this idea that you ' re not good enough. (Para. 7)
Because in the end, you determine whether you you ' re not good enough. 因为最终是否接受你还不够好这一想法，由你自己说了算。
5) So it 's time to take some pressure off yourself and stop trying to keep up with the Joneses — or
re not good enough, we should have t have to buy things to impress
re going to accept the notion that
anyone else for that matter. (Para. 8)
So it ' s time to rid yourself of the pressure/free yourself from the pressure and stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. Nor should you try to keep up with anyone else. 所以，现在你该卸去你身上的压力了，不要再跟邻居攀比，也不要跟其他任何人攀比。 6) If you can ' t put a cap on it, you
're chasing the wind.
(Para. 9)
If you can ' t put a limit on what you desire, you are undertaking a meaningless task that will lead you nowhere.
如果你不能设定一个上限，你便是在追风。
7) Think of the moments you look back on as your fondest memories. Would you trade those for a pile of cash (Para. 9)
Think of the moments you look back on as your warmest memories. Would you exchange them for a pile of cash 想一想回顾起来是最美好的记忆。你愿意拿它们去换一堆钱吗
3.3.2.2 Usage
Inverted Word Order( 倒装语序 )
Inverted word order is often used in the following cases:
1)
when a sentence begins with a
“hardly ”, “ seldom ” , etc.
negative word, such as “not ”, “ never ”
2) when a sentence begins with an
“ only
”
expression, such as “ only before ”
“only after ” , “only when ” , “ only if ” ect.
3) when an adverbial of place such as
“ up the hill
” , “ down the valley ” , etc.
is put at the beginning of a sentence.
Difficult words and phrases
1) strive for: make great efforts to achieve or obtain (sth.)
努力，力求
. We strive for perfection but sometimes have to accept something less than perfect.
我们力求完美，但有时不得不接受不那么完美的事。
2) be content with: be satisfied with (sth.), not wishing for more 对?满意；对?
感到满足
. Brexit shows that many British are no longer content with the EU as it is. 脱欧公投表明不少英国人对欧盟现状颇为不满。
I ' d be content with a modest income. 有所收入我就满足了。
3) keep up with: move or progress at the same rate (as sb./sth.) 跟上
. Wages are failing to keep up with inflation. 工资赶不上通货膨胀啊。
4) derive from: have (sth.) as a starting-point, source or origin; come from
自；源于
. Thousands of English words derive from Latin. 有几千个英文单词来自拉丁文。
Our ideas of various colors and materials derive from experience. 我们有关不同色彩、不同材料的想法来自经验。
5) poke fun at: make fun of 嘲弄，开玩笑
. Many late night comedy shows poke fun at politicians. 不少深夜脱口秀节目都拿政客开涮。
6) vanish: vi. pass out of sight, especially quickly; disappear 消失；突然不见
. We ran out after the thief, but he had vanished without a trace. 我们紧追着小偷，可他突然就没了影踪。
7) episode: n. one of a series of scenes or stories constituting a literary work 片段，插曲
. What do you think of the final episode of the TV series that was aired last night 你觉得昨晚播放的那个连续剧的最后一集怎么样
那是他宁可忘却的人生插曲。
8) core: n. the central and most important part of sth. 核心
. A desire for justice is at the core of his arguments. 对正义的渴望是他的核心论点。
9) come into being: 形成；产生
. A booking contract between a hotel and a guest may come into being in several different ways.
It was an episode in his life that he d like to forget.
酒店与客人的订房协议有几种不同的达成方式。
We do not know exactly when the universe came into being. 我们并不确定宇宙是什么时候形成的。
10) open up: cause (sth.) to open 展开，打开
. The sales manager wants to open up new markets in the Far East. 销售经理想在远东开辟新的市场。11) for that matter: as far as that is concerned 就此而言，在这一问题上
. Do not talk like that to your mother, or to anyone else for that matter. 别这么跟你妈说话，跟谁也别这么说话。
12) uncertain: a. not completely certain; not known or definite 不确定的；不确
知的
. She' s uncertain whether to go to New Zealand or not. 她拿不定主意要不要去新西兰。
Torn apart by war, the country now faces a very uncertain future. 因战争而分裂的这个国家前景不定。13) perceive: vt. become aware of (sth. or sb.) 感知到，意识到
. New technology is perceived by some people to be a threat to employment. 有人把新技术视为就业的威胁。
14) out of date: no longer fashionable 过时的；不再流行的
That radio looks so out of date.
这台收音机真是老古董了。
15) vicious: a. acting or done with evil intentions 恶意的
. The police said that this was one of the most vicious attacks they ' d ever seen
on a helpless victim.
警察表示，这是他们所见过的对无助受害者最恶毒的攻击。
16) guilt: n. a feeling of having done sth. wrong or failed in an obligation 内疚，不安
. He suffered deep feelings of guilt about/at/for/over exposing his children to danger.
他令孩子们陷入危险，因而深感内疚。
Her husband 's death left her with an overwhelming sense of guilt. 丈夫之死令她深感内疚，难以解脱。
17) most of all: to a greater degree than anyone or anything else 尤其是
. What I want most of all is to spend more time with my little daughter. 我最希望多陪陪年幼的女儿。18) put it best/well/cleverly...: express (a thought or comment) in a good/clever
way 极好地/ 很好地/ 巧妙地表述
. The professor put it best when he said, “ How you look tells the world how you
feel. ”
教授说得好：你的外表反映了你的内心感受。
19) attribute sth. to sb./sth.: regard sth. as being caused by 把?归因于；把?
归咎于
. He liked to attribute his success to a “ lucky break ”.
他喜欢把自己的成功归因于机遇。
Her teachers attributed her learning difficulties to emotional problems.
她的老师把她的学习困难症归咎于情感问题。
20) ultimately: ad. in the end; finally 最后；最终
. Technological advances could ultimately lead to even more job losses. 技术的发展最终将导致更多的失业。
The way you arrange plants in your garden is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
花园里种些什么终究只是个人喜好。
4. Comprehending Reading 1
Teacher calls students attention to the title of the text, asks them to make
a guess as to what this article is about.
List some items and ask Ss to divide them into necessities and luxuries,
according to their understanding. The list may include items such as satellite TV, high-speed internet access, sport utility vehicles, cosmetic surgery, professional quality home gym
equipment, hourly paid domestic cleaning and cooking services, second homes, trips abroad, etc. Ask Ss to briefly explain the reasons for their division.
Ask Ss to list some factors that drive conspicuous consumption in China. Ss may refer to the Why We Do It section in the text.
Teacher guides students to skim the text before doing the task in Comprehending Check for Reading 1
Teacher asks students to go trough the text. For each paragraph, teacher asks one student to pick sentences he/she has difficulty understanding. Encourage other students to offer their interpretations. Teacher may provide help when need arises. Then do the task in Translation.
5. After Reading
Viewing and Listening
Teacher introduces Viewing & Listening to the class : Buffett & Gates Go Back
to School is an interview program in which multi-billionaires Warren Buffett and
Bill Gates answer questions from business students on a variety of issues. One
student asks them how they ensure that in such a materialistic society as America,
their children value things that aren ' t material and things that will truly make
them happy in the end. Now let ' s see what Buffett & Gates have to say.
Teacher briefly explains the new words before playing the video and asks students to fill in the blanks. Teacher may play the video for two or three times for students to do the exercise and check their answers.
Speaking
Divide Ss into groups ensuring that there is a mix of views within each group. Ss are supposed
to exchange their opinions on the topic.
5. 3 Assignments:
1. Read the text in Reading 2 and finish the exercises
2. Write an expository writing
3. Preview the next unit.