北师大高中英语必修模块1

北师大高中英语必修模块1 英语必修模块1 Unit 1 Lifestyles Lesson1. A Perfect Day? A Couch Potato Forty-three-year-old Brian Blakey from Birmingham is sitting on his sofa and telling me about his perfect day. When I wake up I don?t get up immediately. I turn on the television and watch the children?s programmes and old movies until about half-past ten. Then I get up, go downstairs and switch on the TV in the living room. For lunch, I have biscuits and a glass of milk, and I watch the news. In the afternoon, I often watch another old film – they?re showing some good ones at the moment. In the evenings, I often watch TV series or sport and the news again. I like the main news at six o?clock. At nine thirty, if there is a good play on BBC 2, I switch over and watch it. Then at night, I watch more films and I usually switch off the TV at about two o?clock. I never watch TV all night. I watch TV for sixteen or seventeen hours a day. I also do some exercise every day. I take Tina, the dog, for a walk every afternoon. I don?t go far, of course. I walk to the wall outside my house. I always take my portable TV and I sit on the stone wall while the dog walks round in a circle. Of course, I couldn?t live this lifestyle without a good wife. She?s not here now because she?s working, but she always makes my meals. We haven?t got much money, you know, but we?re happy. Sit down and watch TV. Here?s the remote control. You?ve got the world at your feet. And in your hand. Great! „ A workaholic Thirty-six-year-old Bob Black is sitting at his desk and working his way through his paperwork. I normally wake up about five minutes before my alarm clock goes off. As soon as I hear my alarm clock, I jump out of my bed. It takes me less than fifteen minutes to wash, get changed, have breakfast, leave home and get on a bus. I am always the first person to get to the office. The mornings are always very busy and the afternoons are even busier! Meetings and phone calls take up a large part of the day. Every minute of the day is filled with urgent matters. By around eight o?clock, I usually find some time to do my own paperwork and answer some personal e-mails. 1 When I get home at about ten, I look at some documents that I bring back from the office so that I can be ready for the next day?s work. I get to bed around midnight when my wife and children are already asleep. I seldom have time for fun and other activities with my family. My family complains about it. But I try to work hard so that I can make more money for them. Besides, I get bored if there?s nothing to do. I like being busy. „ Lesson4. City and Country Debbie is an accountant in a large company in the centre of London. I need to be in my office by nine o?clock so I usually get up at seven o?clock. I travel to work on “the tube”. That?s what people call the underground in London. It takes about fifty minutes. Usually, it?s so crowded that I can?t find anywhere to sit. I just stand. I?m always tired before I arrive at work. I don?t like the underground! I spend all morning checking numbers. Lunch is always simple. I often get a sandwich in a nearby sandwich shop or I just have some biscuits and a cup of coffee. Then in the afternoon, I return to the paperwork in the office. On Monday nights, I have dance classes, and on Wednesday nights, I go to the gym. I need to do that because I don?t get enough exercise otherwise. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, I have French classes. I work for a French company so I think studying French will help me in my job. I go to the cinema almost every weekend. Sometimes, if the weather forecast is good, my friends and I drive to the countryside for a weekend break. We like to visit nice, quiet places far away from the city and go walking where there are no shops, crowds or the tube. That fresh air is so good for my lungs. I love it. Paul lives in a small village in the north of England. I usually get up at four o?clock every morning when it?s still dark. I live and work on the farm so I don?t need to travel. After a big breakfast in my house, I walk out of the front door and I?m already at work. There are many things to do on the farm all day. We don?t have the same work hours that office workers in the city have. We do jobs when they need to be done and that could be early in the morning or late at night. I have cows, sheep, pigs and chickens on my farm. I have to make sure they are free of sickness. I also grow wheat and vegetables so there are many things to look after. 2 In the evening, I like to play with my children. I have two children, a boy and a girl. They are six and eight years old. I also like to study. Right now I am studying Chinese by distance learning. I am very interested in China and it?s my dream to see the Great Wall one day. I love movies. My wife calls me a “movie fan”. But there isn?t a cinema in my village so I don?t get the chance to go very often. I go about twice a year, usually when I go to London with my family. We take a weekend break there when I am not too busy on the farm. My wife loves looking in the clothes shops and I like all the crowds and the noise. I also like to buy a few cigars. Unfortunately, my wife isn?t as fond of them as I am. My son and daughter love to ride on London?s red buses and they especially love to go on the tube! Culture Corner English Tea And Coffee Culture One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups Afternoon Tea People believe that an English duchess, Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the English ate only two main meals each day - breakfast and heavy supper that would last several hours in the evening. As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these two meals. To solve this problem, the Duchess came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o'clock. This meal included cakes and sandwiches, and tea was served to wash down the food. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates, and silver teapots, knives, forks and spoons were used. Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions. Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life of wealthy people in modern Britain. Will you come for coffee? Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People often use the words "Will you come for coffee?" to mean "Would you like to come to my home for a chat?" Normally, several different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drinks like orange juice will be served as well as coffee, and you will 3 be asked what you would like. However, you will not normally be offered wine at a "coffee" party. Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy, noisy places. Merchants and bankers went to coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London Stock Exchange is believed to have started from these coffeehouses unit 2 Heroes Lesson1. Modern Heroes National Hero China?s first manned spaceship lifted off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15th, 2003 in Jiuquan, Gansu Province. The spaceship, called Shenzhou V, was carrying China?s first astronaut, Yang Liwei. Yang, who was a pilot in the army, was chosen from 1,500 other army pilots and started training for his space flight in 1998. The launch was very successful. “When the spaceship was lifting off, I could really feel the high gravity”, said Yang Liwei. “When the spaceship separated from the rocket, I suddenly got a feeling of soaring into the sky because of the zero gravity.” During the 21-hour space flight, the Shenzhou V circled the earth 14 times. While the spaceship was circling the earth for the sixth time, Yang Liwei spoke with ground control in Gansu. He was also able to speak with his wife and 8-year-old son. Yang Liwei had several tasks to complete during the flight and only slept in the spaceship for about 3 hours. While he was sleeping, the spaceship circled the earth twice. When the spaceship was doing its seventh circle, Yang Liwei showed the flags of China and the United Nations, expressing the wishes of the Chinese people to explore and use space peacefully. At 6: 23 a.m. on October 16th, Yang Liwei landed in Inner Mongolia safely. He told reporters later, “The surface of the spaceship was glowing red when it came back into the earth?s atmosphere. When Shenzhou V let out its parachute, I felt the ship was shaking.” As Yang Liwei returned into the earth?s atmosphere, helicopters were flying to where he would land, ready to collect him. 4 Millions of people all over China were watching TV when the spaceship landed safely. When Yang Liwei climbed out of the spaceship, he smiled and waved to the crowds waiting for him. Yang Liwei was happy to be home but he said, “I thought 21 hours was too short to stay in space.” Lesson3. Sports Stars VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS are sisters. They are also both tennis champions who often have to play each other! Venus is now eleventh in the world, and her younger sister Serena has moved up to third. The two sisters were born in a poor and dangerous area of California. It was full of drugs and violence. In a recent interview, Venus spoke about the time when she and Serena were practising tennis and they had to run and hide as bullets started flying through the air. Finally, in 1991, the sisters and their family moved to a safer area and since then they have never looked back. The sisters? father, Richard, started to train Venus and Serena when they were young children. He has always been very strict with his daughters, training them hard to compete against each other. Brandi, the sisters? mother, taught her daughters at home so that they completed their high school while developing their tennis careers. Today, both sisters are studying design at college. They have already expressed a keen interest in working in design after their tennis careers come to an end. The sisters? road to success has been amazing. The first time Venus played in a big event was in 1996. Since then, she has won Wimbledon and the US Open twice. Serena has continued to improve and make fantastic progress. In 1999 and 2002, she won the US Open, and in 2002 and 2003, she was the women?s singles champion at Wimbledon. Has tennis ever caused problems between the sisters? Fortunately, no. “We?ve played each other before and it hasn?t worried us yet!” says Venus. “If she wins,” Serena jokes, “Mama says she has to do the dishes!” Lesson4. Superhero Christopher Reeve Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He was in his first school play when he was eight and he started to act in TV shows and films while he was still in college. He made many successful films and TV shows but he is most famous for his Superman films. Unfortunately, disaster came in 1995 when he fell from his horse and broke his back. The doctors did not expect him to live. However, he made 5 amazing progress. At first, he couldn?t breathe without a machine, but he learnt to breathe on his own. He would never walk again but he started a new life with great courage. The second year after his accident, Christopher returned to film making. He also raised a lot of money to promote medical research into back injuries. He made speeches all over the USA about his experiences. This not only drew public attention to research into back injuries but also encouraged a lot of people living with all kinds of problems. From their home, Christopher and his wife Dana spoke about their life after the accident. Have you thought of giving up after the accident? “No. Four days after the injury, I came to understand my situation. My wife Dana and I were in the hospital. The doctor said I was not going to pull through. Dana said: „But you?re still you, and I love you.? And that saved my life. Since that moment I have never thought of giving up. Of course, I?ve had moments of feeling sorry for myself, but I?ve never had any thoughts of committing suicide.” Did you think that your marriage was so strong? “Yes, because Dana?s so wonderful. We have always got on really well. Our relationship has always been fantastic.” How did your parents react to the accident? “They divorced when I was four. They?ve got closer since the accident.” How did you get involved with charity work? “I know a lot of disabled people need my help. This is how I got involved with my charity work to improve the quality of life for all disabled people.” “With the progress of new medical research, I?m confident that people like me would be able to walk again one day. So you can see, I?m far too busy with living to think of giving up!” Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2004. But people all over the world will always remember him as a superhero. unit 3 celebration Lesson1. Festivals Autumn 6 Every year in September or October, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by the Chinese people all over the world. On this day, the moon is said to be its biggest and brightest. People like to meet in the evening and watch the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is important because it is a special occasion for family. It is also a day for special foods like moon cakes. There are all kinds of moon cakes. Traditional moon cakes are usually made with bean paste, but nowadays, there are many different kinds of moon cakes including fruit, coffee, chocolate and even ice-cream moon cakes. Winter The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth dayof the first lunar month. It marks the end ofthe Chinese New Year celebrations. There are many stories about how the Lantern Festival started. In one story, lanterns were lit to celebrate the power of light over darkness. In another story, a townwas almost destroyed but the light from many lanterns saved it. The story was about a god who wanted to burn down the town. He was fooled when he saw thousands of lanterns. He thought the town was already burning. In the past, lanterns were usually lit by candles and decorated with pictures of birds, animals and flowers, etc.. Nowadays, most lanterns are made with light bulbs and batteries, and they come in many shapes and sizes. In the north-eastern part of China, there are even ice-lanterns. The special food for the Lantern Festival is the sweet dumpling. Sweet dumplings are boiled and served in hot water. Summer The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year. As it is in early summer, it marks the beginning of the hottest season of the year. The tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival started more than 2,000 years ago. In the old days, dragon boat races were organised only by Chinese people. However, in recent years, people from other cultures have also taken part in the races and enjoyed the fun. There is a special food for the festival. It is called zongzi, which is sticky rice in fresh bamboo leaves. Lesson3. Weddings 7 Weddings in Indonesia ?If a friend gets an invitation to a wedding, you can go with him/her, even if you don?t receive an invitation yourself. • The times of the wedding ceremony and the reception are both on the invitation. However, you ought not to go to the ceremony because it is only for close family. If you really want to see it, you ought to ask first. Everyone can attend the reception afterwards. • Nowadays, Indonesian women don?t have to cover their heads, but they usually wear traditional clothes. • There is a box at the entrance to the reception and you ought to put money into it! But don?t worry, you don?t have to contribute a lot of money. • And remember – at most wedding receptions you can?t drink alcohol. Greek Weddings On the day of a Greek wedding ceremony, the bridegroom has to ask the bride?s father for his daughter?s hand in marriage. The bridegroom?s best man then goes with the couple to the church, to be married. During the church ceremony, the best man should help put crowns made of flowers on the heads of the bride and bridegroom. A long silk ribbon that links the crowns is a symbol of a long and happy life for the couple. After the ceremony, the guests can attend a wedding reception, which is usually a huge party and can last through the night. There is a lot of eating, drinking and dancing, including the famous Greek circle dance, where everyone joins in. During the reception, guests can throw dishes on the floor and put money on the bride?s wedding dress for good luck. Lesson4. Christmas Memories of Christmas For me, Christmas always began in the middle of the cold, windy month of November. My sister, Alison, and I sat down in front of the fire and wrote a letter to Father Christmas telling him about all the presents we wanted. We seriously wrote “Father Christmas, the North Pole” on the envelope, before giving them to our mother to post. With December our excitement grew each day – as we opened the new year calendar, Christmas cards arrived in the post, Christmas lights appeared in the streets, and we attended the town carol service. And of course, there was snow everywhere. Enough snow to make snowmen, and to have exciting snowball fights in the school playground. 8 On Christmas Eve, the whole family helped to decorate the house, put up the Christmas tree, the decorations and the balloons. Then, in the afternoon, when Auntie Kathleen and my two cousins arrived, everything was ready. Before we went to bed, we left some wine and biscuits for Father Christmas and then put our stockings at the end of our beds. We tried to stay awake as long as possible to see Father Christmas but the next thing we knew it was morning. Christmas morning! At the bottom of the bed was the stocking, now full of all kinds of small presents and sweets. Christmas morning was bright and sunny and, after church, my cousin David and I went out into the garden to play with our new presents. Lunch was always late, but what a lunch! A big turkey with all the vegetables followed by Christmas pudding. I like turkey breast the best. I put so much food in my mouth sometimes that it was hard to swallow. We sang Christmas carols happily, laughed at jokes, put on silly paper hats and laughed again. After lunch, the adults slept on the sofas in front of the Queen?s speech on television while we all played cards. Then we had tea, with a huge Christmas cake covered with snowmen. It didn?t seem possible, but we carried on eating. By bedtime all of the children were very tired. As soon as we turned off the light, we all fell into a deep, happy sleep. 9