Unit 8 Romantic Stories新编大学英语第二版第一册教案.docx

1、Unit 8 Romantic Stories新编大学英语第二版第一册教案Unit 8 Romantic StoriesUseful InformationAlthough “romantic” stories can refer to narratives dealing with adventure, mystery, or the supernatural, more often they are about love. In this sense, romantic stories have been popular for many, many centuries; in fact,

2、 they are about as old as literature itself. In the West, romantic love was a key element in both of the ancient Greek epicsThe IliadandThe Odyssey, composed somewhere around the 8th or 9th Century B.C., as well as in many of the great plays and poems written by the 16th century British writer Willi

3、am Shakespeare. Romantic love has been a key element in countless poems throughout the world for many centuries. In Chinese literature, love has been important, too. It played an important role in Cao XueqinsDream of the Red Mansion(红楼梦). China has also had its traditional love dramas, such asThe Pe

4、ony Pavilion(牡丹亭) andThe Peach Blossom Fan(桃花扇). Thus romantic love is an eternal theme in literature of all types and love stories continue to make up a vast body of literature. Today many short stories are written with love as their focus; this is also true of movies and dramas watched on televisi

5、on. A typical romantic plot, whether in a novel, short story, play or movie, follows a rather simple plot line in which the following happens: boy meets girl; they fall in love; fate or other people cause obstacles in their romance; boy finally wins girl, often through virtuous acts.Although romanti

6、c stories sometimes are tragedies, as in ShakespearesRomeo and Julietor Chinas traditionalButterfly Lovers(梁山伯与祝英台), as readers, we most often enjoy reading about good people who find fulfillment in love. It is especially nice to be able to read about real people whose faithfulness in love is finall

7、y rewarded with happiness. Such was the case in the lives of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the subjects ofA True Love Story. Despite the obstacles of Elizabeths poor health and her fathers unnatural wish for his daughters never to marry, the young couple persevered in their love, married, a

8、nd lived a happy life together. This is just as “romantic” as any fictional story. InDetour to Romance, faithfulness and perseverance are also key factors. Harry has faith that his girlfriend May will meet him at the train station as she had agreed; thus he is willing to take a job there and look fo

9、r her for three years before seeing her and finding out the misunderstanding that had caused her not to be there in the first place. InAppointment with Love, a mutual love of literature leads to an exchange of friendly letters between a young lady living in New York City and a soldier serving overse

10、as during World War II. Her faithfulness in writing to him for thirteen months finally leads to feelings of love on his part. Yet, in order to meet her, he must pass a test of character; fortunately, he does.In all three of these short passages, the thoughtful reader can perceive the qualities of th

11、e characters that make them worthy of loving and being loved. Thus, the stories are well worth reading and discussing. Indeed, many of us can think of other stories from real life that have similarities. Therefore, these are stories that can be read and enjoyed by all.Part One Preparation1. How roma

12、ntic are you? Directions:Here is a questionnaire (问卷) about romance. Answer the questions to find out how romantic you are.1) What does Valentines Day (情人节) mean to you?A. Its a day to find out who really loves me.B. Its a good excuse for buying my lover flowers or chocolates.C. Its just a commercia

13、l (商业的) event.2) What do you do with your old Valentine cards and presents?A. I keep them forever.B. I just keep a couple of very special ones.C. I recycle（循环利用）them.3) Which of the following cases is probably true for you?A. I fall in love easily. I have had my heart broken many times. I feel lost

14、if Im not in a relationship.B. I love making friends with the opposite sex (异性). But I dont want a serious relationship. Love is important, but not the most important thing in my life.C. I have more friends of my own sex than the opposite sex. Love is a chemical process (化学过程) and thats all.4) Which

15、 is the most important element (要素) of a long-lasting relationship?A. Love.B. Friendship.C. Economic security.5) When you and your boy/girl friend are taking a walk, suddenly it starts raining. But you dont have an umbrella or anything of the kind. What will you do?A. Ill keep walking in spite of th

16、e rain.B. Ill go to buy an umbrella and continue the walk.C. Ill go home as soon as possible.Give yourself 2 points for every A, 1 point for every B and 0 for every C. The points you got may mean:9-10 You are very romantic. But be careful, love hurts, too.5-8 You are romantic and realistic (现实的) at

17、the same time. Youll never be hurt by a relationship.0-4 Love for you is a business. You are totally ruled by your head, never by your heart. Ironically (讽刺地), you are more likely to have a long-lasting relationship than people who score higher on the test.2. What does love mean? Directions:A group

18、of experts asked a group of 48 year-olds the question “What does love mean?” and the answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. Read some of the answers and tell each other what love means to you.“When my grandmother got arthritis (关节炎), she couldnt bend over (弯腰) and

19、paint her toenails (脚趾甲) anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands have arthritis, too. Thats love.”“Love is when a girl puts on perfume (香水) and a boy puts on shaving cologne (古龙水) and they go out and smell each other.”“Love is what makes you smile when youre tire

20、d.”“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip (小口) before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they

21、know each other so well.”“Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.”“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.”3. What contributes most to a long and happy marriage? Directions:Work in groups to put the following elem

22、ents in order according to their importance in making a long and happy marriage. Explain your answer to your group.1) physical attraction (吸引力)2) similar sense of humor (幽默感)3) abilities to go through bad times together4) similar interests5) being able to talk to each other6) similar social backgrou

23、nd (背景)7) having enough money8) being in lovePart Two Reading-Centered ActivitiesI.Pre-ReadingSample 1Yes, I have pen pals. I think having pen pals will do us good. In the first place, it gives us a chance to practice our Chinese or English. In the second place, you can write about almost anything t

24、o your pen pal. Because pen pals are usually far away from you, you feel at ease to let them know everything that happens to you. You can tell them the secrets that you dont want to share with your classmates or roommates.We usually write about our lives, especially about our studies. We also write

25、about our dreams, such as what we want to do in the future. We also let each other know what is troubling us and ask each other for advice.Sample 2No, I dont have any pen pals. I dont think its necessary to have any. For one thing, its a waste of time to write to them. If you have any trouble, you m

26、ay talk with your classmates. This saves more time than writing. For another, pen pals are far away from you, and they dont share the same experiences with you. What you write in your letter may mean nothing to them. They wont be as interested in the thing as you are. Also you have to wait for a lon

27、g time for their reply.I am not quite sure as to what they write about in letters. Perhaps they write about things that they dont want to or dont dare to tell people around them. For example, when they secretly like someone or when they have done something bad, they feel comfortable sharing their th

28、oughts with people who are far away. Writing about something may help make them feel better.II. Passage ReadingWords, Phrases and Grammatical Points1. poetry (l. 3 & l. 24) poem (l. 8)A poem is a piece of writing, arranged in patterns of lines and of sounds, expressing some thoughts, feelings, or hu

29、man experiences in imaginative language (诗，韵文).Poetry means poems collectively or in general (诗，诗歌). It also means a quality of beauty, grace, and deep feeling (诗意，诗一般的美).e.g.I) What he writes is not real poetry.II) This dance has poetry in its movements.III) He started to write poetry/poems at a ve

30、ry young age.2. common (l. 25)When used as an adjective, the word “common” has several meanings.1) found or happening often and in many places, usual 常见的，普遍的e.g.I) Foxes are common in Britain.II) Jackson is a common English name.2) of no special quality or rank, or the ordinary type 平凡的，一般的e.g.I) Ho

31、w will these changes affect the common man?II) In most peoples eyes, she was nothing more than a common criminal.3) belonging to or shared equally by two or more , united, joint 共同的，共有的e.g.I) We are working together for a common purpose.II) This useful feature is common to both these computers.The w

32、ord “common” can also be used as a noun. There is a useful phrase “in common,” which means “shared with someone else.”e.g.I) I have nothing in common with Jane.II) My brother and I have a lot in common.III.Post-ReadingReading Comprehension1. Understanding the Structure of the PassageParagraphs TopicsPara. 1 One of the most famous love stories in history.Para. 2 3 Their lives before they knew e