周末英語競技場
---- 初三精品班講義(一)
一、 Learning approach(學習方法)
磨刀不誤砍柴功，學外語十法
現將外語學習中十種方法歸納、評述如下：
1、 向往著美好的目標，切忌懷疑自己，畏縮不前。染上信心不足這種精神萎縮癥的人是很難成功的。學外語要堅信自己一定能達到目的，堅信自己的毅力和語言才干。
2、 切忌三天打魚兩天曬網。學習外語一天也不能中斷，哪怕每天能擠出十分鐘來看一看、背一背也好。一日之計在于晨，早晨是學外語的好時光，若實在沒時間，起碼能在洗臉刷牙時聽聽外語錄音或廣播也行。
3、 學習感到厭倦了，不必過于勉強繼續，但也不能扔下不學，最好是變換一下學習方法和形式，如聽有趣的外語故事、看外語電影，或改學別的科目以做調節。
4、 外語好比一個堡壘，必須從四面八方向其包圍進攻。除了學習課本外，讀外文報紙、聽外語廣播、看外語電影、聽外語歌曲、聽外語講座，甚至可閱讀外語的商品說明書等等，都是好辦法，要多管齊下。
5、 應隨時記下并背出常用的句型，并更換成分進行練習，以達熟練運用。
6、 抄錄和記憶句型及習慣用語時要用單數第一人稱。這主要是讓人有一種切身的感受，在心理上構成一種語言環境，從而提高學習的效果。
7、 不要脫離上下文孤立地死記硬背，要將單詞和成語置于具體的上下文語言環境中，聯系起來理解記憶。
8、 在旅行或干手工活時，不要放棄學習的機會，應盡可能“心譯”你接觸到的東西，如一閃而過的廣告，聽到別人聊天的話語。這樣既是休息，也是學習。但做得不好甚至做得很糟時，切勿失去信心。
9、 不要反復去看那些未經老師修改的練習，因為只有那些被證明是正確無誤的東西 ，才具有思考和牢記的價值。
10.要敢于用外語說話，尤其不要放棄能接觸外國人并與其進行交談的機會。但不要怕出錯，當別人指責你的錯誤時同，也不要難為情，更不要泄氣。
二.Intensive Reading(精讀)
ENGLISH AROUND THE WORLD
English is a language all around the world. There are more than 42 countries where the most of the people speak English. Most native speakers of English are found in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand . In total (總計,總共), for more than 375 million people English is their mother tongue. An equal number of people learn English as a second language. These people will perhaps speak the language of their own country at home with their family, but the language of the government(政府) ,schools newspapers and TV is English. This situation is found in countries such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines.
However the number of people who learn English as a foreign language is more than 750 million. Every where in the world children go to school to learn English. Most people learn English for five or six years at high school. In China students learn English at school as a foreign language, except for those in Hong Kong, where many people speak English as a first or a second language.
In only fifty years, English has developed into the language most widely spoken and used in the world. English is the working language of most international organizations(國際組織), international trade and tourism. Businessmen and tourists often come to China without being able to speak Chinese. Chinese businessmen, taxi drivers and students talk with them using English. English is also the language of global culture(全球文化), such as popular music and the Internet. You can listen to English songs on the radio or use English to communicate with people around the world through the Internet. With so many people communicating in English every day, it will become more and more important to have a good knowledge of English.
1) Word study
( ) mother tongue A .the same
( ) communicate B. information and understanding about a subject
( ) knowledge C. travel
( ) trade D. the activity of buying, selling or exchanging goods
( ) tourism E. native language/ first language
2) Fast Reading
Q: What are the different roles(角色) that English plays in communication in different countries?
a.________________________ b. ________________________
c.________________________ d. ________________________
e. ________________________
3) Further Reading:
Para.1-2: Read the two paragraphs carefully and fill in the blanks
English Country People
native language
second language
foreign language over 375 million
Para 3: Answer the questions:
Q1 Where is English used as the working language?
_______________________________________________________________
Q2 Who use it as the working language?
_______________________________________________________________
4) Do “T” or “F”
( ) 1. Most English speakers of English are found in the UK, the USA, Canada, North Africa, Austria, Ireland and New Zealand.
( ) 2. Less people learn English as second language than the people whose native language is English.
( ) 3. Hong Kong people do not learn English as a foreign language.
( )4.English is the working language of most international organizations, international trade and tourism.
( ) 5.The total number of speakers of English is a billion.
5) Fill in the blanks
English is a ___________ _________ all around the world. For more than 375 million people in countries such as __________ and _________, English is their ________ ________. Another 375 million people _______ ________ as a second language. However , most people learn English at school as a _________
__________. The English language ______ also _______ by most international organizations as their working language, as well as in international _______ and _________.Most foreigners visiting China are either _____________ or _________. If they can’t _________ Chinese, they use __________ to communicate with Chinese people. In global culture, for example the Internet or pop music, English is widely used. In the future we will be speaking Chinese with our _________, but we will be _________ English with people around the world for our work.
三.Extensive Reading(泛讀)
AMERICAN ENGLISH AND BRITISH ENGLISH
Many students want to know about the differences between American English and British English. How did these differences come about? There is no quick answer to this question. At first the language in Britain and America was the same. In 1776 America became an independent(獨立) country. After that, the language slowly began to change. For a long time the language in America stayed the same, while the language in English changed. For example, 300 years ago the English talked about “fall”. In the same way, most British people talk about “autumn”, but Americans still talk about “fall”. In the same way Americans still use the way: “I guess” (meaning “I think”), just as the British did 300 years ago.
After the same time, British English and American English started borrowing words from other languages. For example, the British took “typhoon” from Chinese, while the Americans took “tornado” from Spanish.
In 1828 Noah Webster published the first American dictionary. He wanted to make American English different from British English, so he changed the spelling of many words. That’s why the words colour, center and traveler are spelt color, center and traveler in American English. Except for these differences in spelling, written English is more or less the same in both British and American English.
The differences are greater in the spoken language . For example, Americans say dance/ /, and in southern England they say / /. In American they pronounce not / /; in southern England they say / /. However, most of the time people from the two people fro the two countries do not have any difficulty in understanding each other.
Answer the following questions by choosing the best answer
( ) 1. America stopped being of England in _____.
A. 1707 B. 1828 C. 1776 D. 1911
( ) 2. Which of the following statement is true?
A. After 1828 America English and British English stayed the same.
B. After 1828 America English changed but British English stayed the same.
C. After 1828 British English changed but America English stayed the same.
D. After 1828 both British English and America English changed.
( ) 3. British English is different from American English because ______
A. British decided to change the spelling of many American words
B. American English changed but British English stayed the same
C. The American and British English took different words from other language
D. America is a bigger country
( ) 4. Noah Webster was ________.
A. an American president B. a Spanish farmer
C. a British teacher D. an American writer
四.Exercises (時態專練)
1. Mr.Smith wanted ______(have) his holiday in Washington.
2. The new students are _________(interest) in _________(read) English.
3. There _________(be) a beautiful house here since 1987.
4. The boy ___________(make) _________(copy) the words many times yesterday.
5. Wei Fang isn’t here. She _________(go) to the library.
6. I want to know whether you __________(come) to my party tomorrow or not.
7. Will you please ___________(not make) so much noise?
8. She said she _________(fly) to France the next week.
9. She _______(buy) a newspaper a moment ago, but she _________(not read) it yet.
10. The windows of our house _________(clean) once a week.
11. Could you tell me if it _________(rain) tomorrow?
12. I want you to know that _______(take) medicine on time is necessary.
13. There is a shop _________(sell) all kinds of things there.
14. It took him half an hour _________(finish)________(do) his homework.
15. What ________you _________(do) this time yesterday?
16. My mother told me that the earth __________(go) around the sun..
17. Jim always practises ________ (swim) in the river nearby.
18. _________(watch) their sick dogs _______(die) is very painful.
19. What do you think ________(happen) to her?.
20. It’s said that the world’s population _________(slow) down in a few yeas.
五.Beyond-curriculum Knowledge(課外知識)
The difference between British English and American English
(1) words differences
Chinese Br. English Am. English
出租車 taxi cab
罐頭 tin can
糖果 sweets candy
汽油 petrol gasoline
地鐵 underground subway
人行道 pavement sidewalk
卡車 lorry truck
停車場 car park Parking lot
大學 university college
假期 holiday vacation
秋天 autumn fall
垃圾 rubbish garbage
公寓 flat apartment
一樓 ground floor first floor
電梯 lift elevator
學期 term semester
高中 Sec. school High school
餅干 biscuit cookie
商店 shop store
(2) Spelling differences
中心 centre center
米 metre meter
劇院 theatre theater
勞動 labour labor
顏色 colour color
喜愛 favour favor
領居 neighbour neighbor
榮譽 honour honor
港口 harbour harbor
對話 dialogue dialog
旅行者 traveller traveler
灰色 grey cray
飛機 aeroplane airplane
支票 cheque check