新起点大学英语第一册Unit_4

Unit FourTeaching Objectives:1. Grasp the main idea of Text A —Using chopsticks can help to improve therelations between the two countries.2. Grasp the main idea of Text B — People from different places in the U.S.A.can act as bridges crossing huge oceans tojoin separate cultures.3. Master important language points and grammatical points.4. Learn how to write Congratulation Cards and how to use punctuations.Time Allotment:1~2 periods: Pre-reading tasks and Text A3~4 periods: Exercises of Text A and new words of Text B5~6 periods: Exercises of Text B and grammar parts.Text AUS Presidents and Chinese Chopsticks1. Pre-reading Tasks1.1. Background Information --- Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon is one of the most fascinating political figures of the 20th Century. Nixon's political career began in 1947 when he was elected to the House of Representatives, after campaigning strongly as an anti-communist. By 1952, he had moved to the Senate and was chosen by Dwight Eisenhower to be his running mate in the presidential election. By 1968 he was on his way back, winning the Republican Party nomination, defeating Democrat Hubert Humphrey and becoming the 37th President on January 20, 1969. Nixon was re-elected in a landslide in 1972, defeating Senator George McGovern, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 1973.A few days later, he announced an agreement to end the Vietnam War. However, by the beginning of 1973, the Watergate scandal was unfolding and the next eighteen months were dominated by damaging revelations and a legal fight between the Executive arm of government versus the Congress and the Supreme Court. Following his resignation, Nixon devoted himself to rehabilitating his public reputation. He wrote a number of books and travelled widely. Nixon died in 1994. His funeral was held on April 27 at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace, Yorba Linda, California.1.2. Pre-reading questions1) What is the most important tool in eating Chinese food?Chopsticks.2) Are there any other tools/ utensils which will be used in eating Chinese food? Fork and spoon.3) Do you think it is difficult for someone to learn to use chopsticks?Yes, esp. for westerners, because they are not accustomed to using such a tool in eating. In eating western food they use fork and knife.4) Do you think that chopsticks can play a role in China-US relations?1.3. Skim the text once and try to answer the following question.1) What is the main idea of Text A?Using chopsticks is not only a part of the Chinese culture but also a kind of political art. U.S. Presidents try to improve the relations between the two countries by showing off the skills of using chopsticks.2. While Reading Tasks2.1. Read the new words twice loudly and correctly.2.2. Scan the text once and try to answer the following questions.1) Who was the first president to visit China in the 1970s?Richard Nixon.2) What is an important lesson for all of the presidents when they visited China?Learning to use chopsticks.3) Why did they have to learn to use chopsticks?Because it is not only a part of the Chinese culture but also a political art.4）Why could Mr. and Mrs. Nixon use the chopsticks well?Because they had practiced been practicing using chopsticks in the White House for their visit to China.5) What kind of visit was Nixon’s first visit to China?It was an unofficial state visit.2.3. Read the text once again and finish Exercise A and B.2.4. Study the text in detail.1) …every successive US president has visited China.━every following USpresident has visited China.▲successive: adj. following each other closely 接连的，连续的，相继的e.g. It happened on two successive days.He was late for work on three successive days.●succession: n. the act of following one after the other 连续e.g. It happened four times in succession. 这种情况连续发生了四次。

●success: n. a degree of succeeding; a good result 成功，胜利，成就e.g. Did you have any success in persuading her to change her mind?●successful: adj. having done what one has tried to do. 成功的，如愿以偿的，2) … a “small trick” to show off and win the host’s pleasure.━a “small skill” to getthe host’s attention and admiration是一种表现自我、取悦主人的小技巧。

▲show off: ①[derog.] to behave as to try to get attention and admiration for oneself, one’s abilities. [贬] 炫耀，卖弄e.g. I wish you’d stop showing off ━we all know how clever you are!② to show proudly or to the best effect 夸耀；是引人注目，使夺目He couldn’t wait to show off his new car to his friends.他急不可待地把他的新车在朋友面前炫耀。