Unit 2

Zhongshan Middle School

• play basketball play ping-pong go to the park• read story-books hang out chat with friends• do the reading in the library listen to the radio• have a walk do sports sleep watch CDs• listen to music go to the movies draw pictures• go swimming do some shopping take photos• go to the mountains talk with others• do the homework see animals do chores at home• play computer games watch TV play chess• learn English have dancing classes• ride bikes go to the beach listen to MP4

Talk about these activities

• 1.I often ….• I feel relaxed/ busy/ happy/ tired/ excited.• 2. I don’t often ….• I feel ….• 3. I want to … more. E.G. I want to do

more sports. I want to be healthier.• 4. I want to … less. E.G. I want to do

less homework. I want to be more relaxed.

Are many American and British kids relaxed or under great pressure?

1.Where does Cathy Taylor’s takeher sons and daughter to?

2. What does Dr. Alice Green say about the children under the pressure?

She takes her sons to from football to basketball.

She says that they may find it hard to think for themselves when they are older.

Skim reading: Answer two questions

Listen and write (T) for true or (F) for wrong.1.The Taylors don’t want their children to do anything

after class.

2. The Taylors’ Children often get home at 5:00 pm.

3. Many kids are under too much pressure.

4. Parents don’t think their own children should do a lot of things.

5.Competition between families starts at a old age.

6. Dr Alice Green says that children only need organized activities.

F

F

T

F

F

F

Answer the following questions after reading the text.

• 1.What do you think of the life of Cathy Taylor’s three children’s?

• Descript their life using the words given.

• busy enough, from football to basketball, piano lessons, don’t get home, until, have a quick supper, homework.

Their life is very busy.

Their school days are busy enough. After school, Taylor takes the two boys from football to basketball and takes the daughter to piano lessons. The tired children don’t get home until 7 pm. After they have a quick supper, it’s time for them to do their homework.

Doctor think children are under too much pressure

• 2.What do doctors think children’s problems are?

• 3. What do teachers complain about?

Teachers complain about teaching tired kids in the classroom.

• 4. What starts in families when the children are very young?

Competition starts between children from a very young age in some families.

• 5. What is the result of taking the children from activities to activities?

Dr. Alice thinks that these children may find it hard to think for themselves when they are older.

• 6. What should parents do in this situation? Why? Parents should learn to give their kids a bit more

time to themselves. On the one hand, children need organized activities. On the other hand, they also need time and

freedom to relax, and they need time to do things by themselves.

Life for Cathy Taylor’s three children is very busy. Their school days are busy enough. After school, though, Cathy takes the two boys from football to basketball. Then she has to take her daughter to piano lessons. The tired children don’t get home until 7 pm. They have a quick supper, and it’s time for homework.

not…until

The Taylors are like many Americanand British parents. They take their childrenfrom activity to activity, and try to fit as much as possible into their kids’ lives. Doctorssay many children are under too much pressure. Teachers complain about teachingtired kids in the classroom.

他们把孩子从一个活动送到另一个活动 . 竭尽全力把孩子的生活填满 .

在繁重的压力下 .

Most children take part in after-schoolclubs. Activities include sports, languagelearning, music, and math classes. Pushyparents are nothing new, but now parentsseem to push their children a lot more. Parents see other children doing a lot ofthings and they feel their own children should do the same.

固执的家长们并不少见 , 而现在家长们似乎把孩子们逼迫得更加厉害了 .

Linda Miller, a mother of three in London, knows all about such pressure.“In some families, competition starts froma very young age,” she says. “Mothers sendtheir kids to all kinds of classes when they are very young. And they are always comparingthem with other children. It’s crazy. People shouldn’t push their kids so hard.”

父母不应该把孩子们逼得这样厉害 .

Dr Alice Green agrees. She also says that these children may find it hard to thinkfor themselves when they are older. “Parentsare trying to plan their kids’ lives for them.When these kids are adults, they might findit difficult to plan things for themselves.”

这些孩子们就会发现当他们长大后要自己思考问题是多么困难的事 .

家长们总是尽力为他们的孩子们计划事情 .但是当孩子们成年后就回发现自己计划事情是多么困难 .

Parents should learn to give their kids a bitmore time to themselves. On the one hand,children need organized activities. On theother hand, they also need time and freedomto relax, and they need time to do things bythemselves.

学会做某事

一方面…另一方面…通过某人自己

( )American and British children do many after-school activities.( ) Many children are under pressure.( ) Parents these days push their children much harder than before.( ) Competition between families starts at a young age.( ) Children should have free time to relax.

Read these statements. Is the situation the same in China?Write down “s “ for the same and “d” for different.

1. How is the life for Cathy Taylor’s three kids ?

2. How do the children feel?

3. Why do the parents push their children so hard?

4. Is it good for the kids , if the parents try to plan their kids’ lives for them? Why?

5. What should the parents do?

Life for them is very busy.

They are under too much pressure.

Because they are always comparing them with other children.

No, it isn’t. Because they may find it hard to think for themselves when they are older.

They should learn to give their kids a bit more time. （ = a little more time)

Fill in the blanks to complete the passage without reading the books.

• Life for Cathy Taylor’s three children_____ verybusy.Afterschool,though,Cathy______the two boys _____ footbal____basketball.

Then she has to take her daughter to piano _______. The _____ children ______ get home _______ 7pm. They have ___ quick supper,and _____ time ____ homework.

• ____ Taylors are like many American and __________ parents. They take their children from ____________ to activities, and try to ______ as _________ as _________ into their kid’s lives. Doctors say many children are _______ ________ ________ ________ . Teachers __________ _______ ________ tired kids in the classroom.

• Most children _________________ after-class clubs. Activities ________ sports, language ___________, music,and math classes. ________ parents are ________ new, _______ now parents _______ to _____ their children _________________. Parents see other children _______ a lot of things, and they _______ their ______ children should do the _______.

• Linda, a mother _____ three in London, ______ all ______ such ________. “In some families _____________ ________ from a very young age,” she says. “Mothers _____ their kids to ________________ classes ______ they are very young. And they are always _________ them with other children. It’s _______. People _______ push their kids so _______.

• Dr. Alice ______. She also says _______ these children may ______ ______ hard ___________ for their _________ when they are _______. “Parents are trying to ______ their _______ lives for them. When these kids are ________, they might find ____ difficult _____ plan things ______ themselves.” Parents should _______ to give their kids ___ __________ time to themselves. On the one ______, children need ____________ activities. ______ ______ _____ _______, they also _______ time and _________ to _________, and they need time to do things ________ ____.

Discuss the following expressions.在字典中查找…… look up…in a dictionary 1.after-class activities 课外活动2.busy enough 足够忙碌把……从……带到…… take sb from … to …3. not…until… 直到……才……4. have a quick supper=have supper quickly 匆匆吃过晚饭5. It’s time (for sb.) to do sth. =It’s time (for sb. ) for sth. （某人）该……了。6.as + 形容词 / 副词（原级） + possible 尽可能……地7.fit…into… 找到（时间）做某事8. be/ feel under pressure （感到）有压力9. complain about sth./ doing sth. 抱怨（做）某事向…抱怨某事 complain to sb about sth

• 10.. take part in 参加（活动）• 11.after-class clubs 课外俱乐部• 12. push sb. hard 给某人（大的）压力• 13. see sb. doing sth. 看见某人正在做某事• 14. a mother of three children • 一个三个孩子的妈妈• 15. know （ much/ little) about… ( 非常 / 不）了解• 16.compare …with… 比较……和……• 17.find it + adj. to do sth. 觉得做某事……• 18. on the one hand…, on the other hand…. 一方面…… , 另一方面……。• 19.organized activities 有组织的活动

在字典中查找…… look up…in a dictionary与…打架 have a fight with sb与…比较 compare with向…抱怨某事 complain to sb about sth处于 ( 太多的 ) 压力之下 be under (too much) pressure买不同的衣服 get different clothes把……从……带到…… take sb from … to …直到……才…… not…until…尽可能多地充实到孩子们的生活中来 fit as much as possible into their kids lives屡见不鲜 nothing new厉害地强迫某人 push sb hard总是在做某事 be always doing计划做某事 plan to do一方面……另一方面…… on the one hand …on the other hand…从很小的年龄开始 start from a very young age独自 by oneself

Useful expressions

重难点句型讲解• 1.as …as possible 结构中的 possible 可以换为 sb. can 。

• 2.find it + adj. + to do sth.= sb. find (that) it’s + adj. to do sth 此结构中的 find 可换为 think,feel 。

• e.g. • =.• 3.be always doing sth. 总是做某事。 表示说话人的一种

情绪，或赞扬或批评。• e.g.

• .

Exercises Translate the sentences into English by filing the blanks.

• 1. 我们该上课了。 ______ _______ _______ our class. It’s time ______ us ______ begin our class.• 2. 他足够大，可以自己穿衣服了。• He’s ____ _______ to _______ himself.• He’s ______ old _______ he ______ get dressed by _______.• 3. 它们老是抱怨有太多的作业。• They are always ________ _______ _______ too much homework.• 4. 别把自己的孩子与别人的孩子比较。• Don’t ___________ your _________ kids with ____________.

• 5. 我们发现学好英语不容易。 We ________ _______ not easy _______ _______ Englis

h well. We find that ______ hard _______ _________ English well.• 6. 你应该尽可能经常地读英语。 You should try to read English _______ _________ ______

___ __________. You should read English as often as ______ _________.• 7. 现在的父母给孩子的压力比以前大得多。 Parents these days _________ their children __________ __

_______ than before.• 8. 它们的压力太大了。 They __________ _____________ ___________ much ___

___________.

1. busy(adj.) enough / enough time(n.)2. take sb. to do / take sb. to sw She has to take her daughter to piano lessons.3. It’s time for sth. = It’s time to do sth. It’s time for class. = It’s time to have a class. It’s time for homework. = It’s time to do homew

ork.4. as …as possible 尽某人可能地… = as … as sb. can/could You should run as fast as possible (you can). She asked questions as many as possible.(she coul

d)5. fit into sth. 抽空安排

6. complain about sth. / doing sth. / sb. Don’t always complain about others. She complained about paying so much for

the meal.7. take part in ( 活动 , 比赛 ) / join ( 团体，组织 )8. seem + adj. ( It seems possible.) seem to do (Parents seem to push …) The boy seems very shy. He seems to learn English well. 9. a lot more / a bit more time much/ a little = a bit / a lot + 比较级

10. know all about sth./sb. know a lot/ a little / little/ much / nothing abo

ut…11. send sb. to sw 送某人到某地 Not all the families are able to send their chil

dren to college.12. all kinds of / many kinds of / a kind of13. compare A with B 把 A 和 B 进行比较 compare A to B 把 A 比做 B14. find it hard to think for themselves find it difficult to plan things for themselves

find it + adj. to do sth. 发现做某事…

No matter how much pressure we have, we should learn to relax !

What we learn from the passage?

Questions •1. When do you feel under pressure?

•When we are going to have a test.•When the teachers tell us the

results.•When we have too much homework.•Before I take part in the

competitions.•When I did something wrong.•The teacher is going to talk to me.•My parents always argue.• I have bad grades.

2.What should you do to relax?

• listen to music.• talk with my friends.•cry my heart out.• tell some jokes for fun.•hang out with my friends.•stay in my room alone.•surf the Internet.

1.Please write a letter to Cathy Taylor. Give her advice about what she should do with her children.(P17 3c)

2.Read the reading text more carefully, try to understand all the important ponits