English-speaking.ppt

Unit 7 Learning about English Unit 7 Part Ⅰ Pre-reading activities Part Ⅱ Text A Part Ⅲ Text B Part Ⅳ Post-reading activities Pre-reading Activities: Listen to the passage carefully and then think over the following questions: 1. What is the passage about? 2. What’s your impression of the English language? 3. Can you give one or two examples to illustrate the messiness of the English language? 4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to be about? Pre-reading Activities: Look at these following pairs and try to master the usages of them: a wise guy / a wise man overlook / oversee burn up / burn down go off / go on when stars are out / when lights are out wind up a watch / wind up a speech a slim chance / a fat chance fill in a form / fill out a form back The Glorious Messiness of English Text A Robert MacNeil Cultural Notes: Winston Churchill Churchill became Britain’s Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in 1940, and was reelected as Prime Minister in 1951. His radio speeches during World WarⅡgave the British people a strong determination to win the war. (1874-1965) “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Cultural Notes: Julius Caesar (100-44BC) He is the best-known of all the ancient Roman leaders, and the first to land in Britain with an army in 55 and 54 BC respectively, although Britain did not become part of the Roman empire until nearly a hundred years later. Cultural Notes: William Caxton (c.1422-1491) He set up the first printing firm in Britain. He printed his first book in 1474. By printing books in English, Caxton had a strong influence on the spelling and development of the language. Many of the books he published were French stories which he translated himself. Cultural Notes: Otto Jesperson (1860-1943) Danish ph