Reading: You Are Gorgeous!

---- Read by understanding the logical relation in the context

Ruan Huijian from Wenling High School

Are they beautiful?

enormous

• In my opinion, they are all beautiful in their times or in their countries.

Para 1For many in the 1990s, supermodel Cindy Crawford was the perfect American dream girl: slim, tanned and natural-looking, with long, shiny hair. People have described her as “The Face of the Decade”. She was able to

turn lots of heads.She was able to

turn lots of heads.The title of “The Person of the Year” 年度人物

Logical relationslimslim tannedtanned natural-

lookingnatural-looking

with long shiny hairwith long shiny hair

But people have not always had the same ideas about beauty. (para. 2)Ideas of beauty can be very different according to where you live in the world. (para. 4)

But people have not always had the same ideas about beauty. (para. 2)Ideas of beauty can be very different according to where you live in the world. (para. 4)

Paragraphs 2-4

• Read paragraphs 2-4 carefully and find out the different ideas of beauty in different times and places.

slimslim tannedtanned natural-lookingnatural-looking

with long shiny hairwith long shiny hair

Paragraphs 2-4

slimslim

As for the “perfect beauties” painted by Rubens in the seventeenth century, if they wanted to be supermodels today, they would need to spend months on a diet! (para. 3)

As for the “perfect beauties” painted by Rubens in the seventeenth century, if they wanted to be supermodels today, they would need to spend months on a diet! (para. 3)

三美神 by Rubens

Being fat was beautiful.Being fat was beautiful.

an examplean example

Paragraphs 2-4tannedtanned

Until the 1920s, suntans were for poor people. “Ladies” stayed out of the sun to keep their faces as pale as possible. In the times of Queen Elizabeth of England, fashionable ladies even Ⅰpainted their faces with lead ( 铅 )to make them whiter – a very dangerous habit, since lead is poisonous! (para. 2)

Until the 1920s, suntans were for poor people. “Ladies” stayed out of the sun to keep their faces as pale as possible. In the times of Queen Elizabeth of England, fashionable ladies even Ⅰpainted their faces with lead ( 铅 )to make them whiter – a very dangerous habit, since lead is poisonous! (para. 2)

Being white was beautiful, even if it would cost their lives.

Being white was beautiful, even if it would cost their lives.

an examplean example

darker than usual especially when

someone has been in the sun for a long time.

darker than usual especially when

someone has been in the sun for a long time.

Paragraphs 2-4Natural-lookingNatural-looking

…painted their faces with lead to make them whiter. (para. 2)For the Paduang tribe in South East Asia, traditionally, the most important sign of female beauty was a long neck. So at the age of five or six, girls received their first neck ring, and each year they added new rings. By the time they were old enough to marry, their necks were about twenty-five centimetres long! (para. 4)

…painted their faces with lead to make them whiter. (para. 2)For the Paduang tribe in South East Asia, traditionally, the most important sign of female beauty was a long neck. So at the age of five or six, girls received their first neck ring, and each year they added new rings. By the time they were old enough to marry, their necks were about twenty-five centimetres long! (para. 4)

make-up

unnatural, abnormal, cruel

an examplean example

Paragraphs 2-4with long shiny hairwith long shiny hairAnd people in the eighteenth century would not have thought much of Cindy Crawford’s hair! Ladies in those days never went out without their wigs, which were so enormous and dirty that it was quite common to find mice living in them. (para. 3)

And people in the eighteenth century would not have thought much of Cindy Crawford’s hair! Ladies in those days never went out without their wigs, which were so enormous and dirty that it was quite common to find mice living in them. (para. 3)

It was really a heavy burden to be beautiful.

false hairfalse hair

general

specific

Logical relationslimslim tannedtanned natural-

lookingnatural-looking

with long shiny hairwith long shiny hair

In the 17th century, spend months on a diet.

In the 17th century, spend months on a diet.

as pale as possible, make them whiter

as pale as possible, make them whiter

painted… with lead, rings, a long neck

painted… with lead, rings, a long neck

Never went out without their wigs. enormous and dirty

Never went out without their wigs. enormous and dirty

Ideas of beauty vary with times and cultures.Ideas of beauty vary from time to time, from culture to culture, and from person to person.

Ideas of beauty vary with times and cultures.Ideas of beauty vary from time to time, from culture to culture, and from person to person.

comparison &giving examplescomparison &

giving examples

the ideal man• ideal= attractive, perfect

tall and athletictall and athletic brave and manlybrave and manly

Big is beautiful. The fattest man is sure to find a wife quickly: if a man is fat, it is also a sign that he is rich and powerful! (para. 7)

Big is beautiful. The fattest man is sure to find a wife quickly: if a man is fat, it is also a sign that he is rich and powerful! (para. 7)

… wearing wigs, perfume and lots of make-up, a true gentleman … crying frequently in public. (para. 6)

… wearing wigs, perfume and lots of make-up, a true gentleman … crying frequently in public. (para. 6)

Something similar to wigs and make-up. It is used to

make someone smell more pleasant.

Something similar to wigs and make-up. It is used to

make someone smell more pleasant.

Thinking activity 1• Read paragraphs 4 and 7.• Ideas of beauty can be very different according to

where you live in the world, too. For the Paduang tribe in South East Asia, traditionally, the most important sign of female beauty was a long neck.

• And even now, James Bond might not find it so easy to attract women if he visited the Dinka tribe of Sudan. They have always believed in the saying that “big is beautiful”. Traditionally, each year, men compete to win the title of “the fattest man”.

Tribe is sometimes used to refer to a group of people of the same race,

language and customs, especially in a developing country.

Tribe is sometimes used to refer to a group of people of the same race,

language and customs, especially in a developing country.

Thinking activity 1• Why haven’t the traditions of ideas about beauty

changed?• The reasons are as follows. One of the reasons might be

that … It is because … The reason why they … is that …

• The most obvious reason for this phenomenon is that.. • The causes of … are varied. They include … Perhaps the

main cause is ...• The explanation for this problem involves many factors. For

one thing, ... For another, ... Still , …• There are many reasons responsible for this instance, and

the following are the typical ones. For one thing, … In addition, ... Last but not least ...

Thinking activity 1• One of the reasons might be that they are less

developed.• It’s because they are cut off from the outside

world.• And even when they know the development of

modern ideas of beauty, they don’t want to make changes because the traditional customs can be made use of to develop tourism, attracting people from other parts of the world.

Structure of the text

slim, tanned, natural-looking, with long, shiny hair

slim, tanned, natural-looking, with long, shiny hair

being white, wearing wigs and make-up, being fat, unnatural beauty

being white, wearing wigs and make-up, being fat, unnatural beauty

women’s beauty

tall and athletic, brave and manlytall and athletic, brave and manly

wearing wigs, perfume and lots of make-up, crying frequently. Big is beautiful.

wearing wigs, perfume and lots of make-up, crying frequently. Big is beautiful.

men’s beauty

Thinking activity 2: Giving a title

• If you are asked to give the passage a title, what will it be?

You Are Gorgeous!• Why does the author use this title? What does

the author try to convey in this passage?• People in different times and from different

cultures have different opinions on beauty. As we can see, no one is ugly. Everyone can be beautiful in some way, including you. That is to say, everyone who reads this passage is beautiful! Everyone is gorgeous!

On beauty

• Beauty is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear, but rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.

• Beauty is not only skin deep, but soul deep.

Thinking activity 3: In what way are you gorgeous?

1. Groups of four. Tell each of your partners how you appreciate them.

2. Write down your partners’ comments on you.3. Prepare a report to the whole class.

From now on, never say I can’t do this, I can’t do that. You are beautiful just the way you are. You are awesome just the way you are. So …

Always be confident about everything you may come across in your life.

Always smile whenever you meet with difficulties.Always love yourselves just the way you are.BECAUSE…

What do we learn today?We get the information that ideas of beauty vary with times and cultures.Useful reading skills: use the logical relation in the text to help you understand the passage. And also, guess the meanings of new words according to the context.We are ready to appreciate everyone around us because we know everyone is gorgeous.

Homework• Beauty is not only skin deep, but soul deep.• Do you agree with this sentence? Write a passage to

express your opinion and give reasons, using an example to support your opinion.

Ruan Huijian from Wenling High SchoolQQ: 1055897068