1、Unit 1 Tales of the unexplained Part 1: Teaching Design Aims and requirements Read a news story about a missing boy and a magazine article about Yeti Listen to a dialogue between a boss and his employee Talk about aliens and conduct an interview Write a report Tell a mysterious story Procedures Peri
2、od one, Welcome to the Unit Step 1: Brainstorming 1. Boys and girls, have you ever heard something not only interesting and attractive but also unexplained at all even with the help of modern science and technology in the world? Here are some pictures on the screen. Can you tell me what they are? Th
3、e chances for seeing a UFO are greater for those people who live in small towns or in the country and are outside late at night. UFOs. Yes, they are called UFOs, meaning unidentified flying objects. UFOs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are only small spots of light that move in strange patterns a
4、cross the night sky. Some can be seen in the daytime are often disk- or saucer-shaped. UFOs were once seen in different parts of China. Look at some pictures on the screen, please. Do you think such kind of things mysterious ? Are you curious about them? Besides UFOs, can you list anything more unex
5、plained youve ever heard or seen in your daily life? They are Yetis, the Loch Ness Monster, Stonehenge and the Pyramids in Egypt. 2. Open your books and lets look at page one. Please read the instruction and focus on the five pictures and illustrations first. Then answer the following questions: Do
6、the five pictures have something in common? If so, what is it? (unexplained; no satisfactory answers; mysterious; no evidence.) Can scientists explain these phenomena? How do you feel about them? Are you a bit curious? 3. Think of as many expressions as possible to answer the questions above. Try to
7、 make up some sentences and read them to the class. I will also offer you some examples. They are mysterious because no satisfactory answers have been offered to explain them. Though these mysteries have puzzled people for a long time, they still show great interest in them. People feel puzzled by t
8、he mysteries. 4. Report the information you have collected to the class. Your answers are quite different. Now we will use some of your answers as a prompt for a class discussion. For example, Teacher: What information have you got about UFOs? Student A:. Teacher: Do you think Student As information
9、 interesting? What about the information youve got? Is there anything different? Student B:. 5. Please discuss the topics in pairs. Here are some questions. About UFOs: Have you ever read some reports about UFOs in China? Are you interested in UFOs? Are they really from another planet? What do the l
10、etters UFO stand for? Why do you think UFOs visit our planet? About Yetis: Where are the Himalayas? Whats the weather like there? Why do some people make great efforts to climb them? (hobby; dream; challenge themselves; make discoveries; overcome difficulty,) A Yeti is reported to be half-man and ha
11、lf-beast. Have you heard of it? Do you think some climbers disappearances are connected with Yetis? About Stonehenge, the pyramids and the Loch Ness Monster: Stonehenge and the pyramids in Egypt, the most famous of which is the Great Pyramid, are cultural relics. Where were the pyramids built, on th
12、e east coast of the Nile or on the west coast? What are the reasons? Do you think the Great Pyramid is a wonder in human history? How was the Great Pyramid built? I havent heard of Stonehenge or the Loch Ness Monster. They are a bit new to me. What about you? Would you be interested in discovering m
13、ore about them? Step 2: Sharing information 1. Lets deal with the questions in pairs. For the first question, you may discuss it this way: Do you believe in UFOs? What might be the most acceptable explanation for UFOs? You may give different answers such as: -Aliens from space. -Military test aircra
14、ft. -Some UFOs are alien, some are test aircraft. -UFOs are evidence of human space travel. -UFOs are neither alien nor test aircraft. -UFOs dont exist. You can express your agreements and disagreements with each other. 2. Summarize your answers and then report to the class. Sample answers 1. I have
15、 a firm belief in UFOs. In fact, I have seen a few myself. UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, that is, an object, apparently moving in the sky, which we cannot identify. However, if you ask me whether or not I believe in spacecraft carrying visitors from outer space, I would have to say no.
16、I do not believe in them. 2. The continent of Antarctica was discovered in 1818. It was once supposed to have been covered by ice for hundreds of thousands of years. However, in 1949 scientists took samples from sediment deep beneath Antarctica, which revealed that great rivers had once flowed into
17、Antarctica until about 6,000 years ago, Many more mysteries remain to be discovered. 3. Im always interested in the stories of UFOs and aliens. And I hope I will have the chance to meet one some day. If it really happens to me, I will ask questions such as Who or what are you?, Where are you from? a
18、nd How long does it take to travel from your place to our planet?. I will try my best to communicate with them, discovering what their life is like and why they have come to the earth. UFOs UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object. According to some witnesses, it is colorless and moves at a slow, s
19、teady speed with little noise. The Loch Ness Monster Loch Ness is a big lake in Scotland. Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, was sighted as far back as the 6th century AD. Yetis The Yeti has been called the missing link; half-man, half-beast. It is supposed to live in the highest mountain in the world-M
20、ount Qomolangma. Stone-henge Being one of Britains greatest national icons, it stands for mystery and power. Some people guess that it was a temple for worship. The reason why Stonehenge was built remains unknown even today. The Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of the seven wonders of
21、 the ancient Great world and the only one people can visit. It is the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, which served as burial places for the Pharaohs. Period two, Reading boy missing ,police puzzled Resources 1. Newspaper articles are often seen as a shortened form of a news report that gives full
22、er information. The lead, the first paragraph of a news story, plays the most important part in the understanding of the whole story. It is usually a one or two sentence summary of the particular event being reported. The headline and the first paragraph effectively summarize the storys content. The
23、re are several advantages in using a newspaper to improve English skills. A newspaper is inexpensive, easily obtained and the materials are authentic. Besides, understanding the news stories relies heavily on the students knowledge of social and cultural experiences. Newspapers mirror our national v
24、alues, habits and preferences. Newspaper reading improves the students overall abilities rather than simply informing them of new information. Students will find time and effort devoted to understanding social and cultural materials rewarding. 2. Some newspaper activities that can be used in the cla
25、ssroom. * Encourage students to read the newspaper daily. Ask them what articles they find interesting, and read and discuss those articles with them. *Read the newspaper coverage of a major news story and watch the same story presented on television. Talk about the differences between reading newsp
26、apers and watching television news. *Read the newspaper for issues that have some direct effects on students lives. Locate news stories and opinions in editorials, letters to the editor and editorial columns. Ask students which facts are most important and which opinions are closest to theirs. *Revi
27、ew TV and movie schedules, discussing which shows and movies are appealing and why. Compare reviews with those written by media critics. *Try to find persuasive letters to the editor. Identify and discuss the authors style and tone. Encourage students to respond with their own letters to the editor
28、when they encounter ideas with which they disagree. Step 1: Lead-in 1. Some questions about UFO Do you know what the three letters UFO stand for? Have you ever heard of the UFOs? Have you ever had the chance to see one? Do you believe the usual sayings about the UFOs? What do you think a UFO is? Do
29、you think there are any creatures on it? Where do you think the creatures come from? Will they become our friends or enemies? 2. Today, well come to Reading part. Now Id like you to look at the pictures on pages 2 and 3 and the title, Boy missing, police puzzled. Can you connect them with each other
30、? Picture 1: Is the first picture a UFO? Are there really UFOs from the outer space? Picture 2: Who was the missing boy? Does he like playing football or baseball? Picture 3: Whats the picture about? Does the bright light outside the window come from a UFO? Does the bright light have something to do
31、 with Justins missing? (If possible, the teacher may use the projector or macromedia to show the situations in the three pictures and ask the students the same questions as given above. Check answers in pairs. Check the answers with the whole class if you wish.) 3. Answer the following questions, fo
32、cusing on the title of the article, Boy missing, police puzzled. Does the title arouse your interest when you read it? Can you complete the title? What information can you get from the title? What else do you want to know? For example, boy missing (How/When/Where was the boy missing?) police puzzled
33、 (Why are they puzzled?/What are the police going to do about the boys disappearance and how?) Are you curious about why the writer uses an incomplete sentence as the title? Did you know that it is a feature of a news title? What are some other features of a news title? Can you guess what details ma
34、y be covered in the following news story? Step 2: Fast reading for general ideas 1. Before skimming the passage, please look at the news photographs first and describe what is happening in them. Then find the answers to the three questions above the text: 1) What is the article about? (The article i
35、s about a missing boy/UFOs and aliens.) 2) Who is missing? (Justin Foster is missing.) 3) Do the police know what happened to Justin? (No.) 2. Read the first paragraph carefully to get the main idea and the important facts such as: When and where was the boy missing? What caused the boys sudden disa
36、ppearance? How old was the boy? Why did people show interest in his disappearance? 3. Now scan the article again and locate specific information according to Parts C1 and C2. Questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 in Part C1 check background information about Justin while Questions 4, 6, 7 and 8 check your compreh
37、ension about witnesses, aliens and the case. Part C2 requires you to identify some details to support the main points of the story. Answers to C 1 (p4): 1. He lives in Dover, New Hampshire. 2. Justins mother went to bed early because of a headache. 3. He plays baseball. 4. At 10:45 p.m. 5. He has a
38、sister. 6. They were white. 7. Mavis Wood has been taken by the aliens. 8. Detective Sam Peterson was in charge of the case. Step 3: Detailed reading for important information 1. Please self-evaluate how well you understand and comprehend the article with the following exercise. At 8 p.m._ At 10.45
39、p.m._ Justin Foster At 11 p.m._ After 11p.m., he was seen_ The next morning, he was found_ shape_ its appearance colour_ Strange objects (UFO) size_ its inside _ 2. Answer the questions Where does Justin Foster live ? （He lives in Dover, New Hampshire.） Why did Justins mother go to bed early? (Justi
40、ns mother went to bed early because of a headache.) What sports does Justin play? (He plays basketball.) What time did the witness see Justin walking home? (At 10.45 p.m.) Does Justin have any brothers and sisters ? (He has a sister) What colour were the aliens? (They were white.) Who else has been
41、taken by the aliens? (Mavis Wood has been taken by the aliens.) Who is in charge of the case ? (Detective Sam Peterson was in charge of the case.) 3. Complete Parts D and E. The meanings of the words in Part D are not difficult for you to identify after you have read through the passage twice. Part
42、E is a diary written by Kelly. It requires you to understand the diary first, and then write down the missing words to make the meaning complete. Answers to D (p4): 1. puzzled (title) _ _6_ a say that something is not possible 2. due to (line 6) _8_ b making people believe something is true 3. show
43、up (line 23) 5 c frightening or unpleasant dreams 4. wirnesses (line 32) 2 d because of 5. nightmares (line 68) 3 e appear or arrive 6. rule out (line 73) 7 f invent (a story) 7. make up (line 76) 1 g unable to understand 8. convincing (line 81) 4 h people who saw an accident and can describe it to
44、others Answers to E (p5): Justin has been missing for two weeks now. I miss him a lot. Im worried that something bad has happened to him. Im sure he came home that night at around 11 p.m. I heard him out on his favourite CD. I wonder where the alliens with large black eyes have taken him. Mavis told
45、 me that creatures from outer space took her away a few years ago. They did some research on her. The whole experience was very frightening, just like a nightmare ,but at least they returned her home. I hope they will return Justin soon. The police are not making much progress. They are very puzzled
46、 . Now they are searching for other witnesses . They say Justin might have been murdered . Dad is very disappoitned with them. He thinks they are not doing their job properly. Mum is really worried too. She cant sleep well. I hope Justin will come home soon and tell us what happened to him. I want a
47、ll of us to be together again. 3. Having read the text, please pay attention to the different features of each paragraph. 1) First lets have a discussion about how we usually decide whether a news article is worth reading or not and what methods we use in our reading. As we all know, newspapers play
48、 an important part in our daily life. Wherever you are, you can be informed of the latest news by reading a newspaper. From your experience, how do you usually select the news youd like to read, by taking a look at its title or being attracted by its colorful pictures? Every one of you can express your own opinions and give the reasons. 2) Compared with the other paragraphs, is the first paragraph the most important one in the article? Please describe the differences between the first paragraph of the article and the paragrap
