Unit 2 The Universal Language Reading 课件-2025-2026学年译林版（2020）高中英语选择性必修第一册

选择性必修一Unit 2 The universal language Reading 祁阳市第二中学 尹燮 Lead-in Do these songs come from the same country? Can you speak all the languages in the video? Can you use some simple words to describe the songs or your feeling? But what’s your feeling when you heard these songs? Music is indeed a universal language. What information do you think the emails contain according to the subjects? Send From Alice Duncan To Lucy Becker Subject Butterfly Lovers Pre-reading Send To Stephen Lin From Harry Yu Subject Country Music Email 1: Understand _ culture through _ Email 2: Understand _ culture through _ Chinese Butterfly Lovers Western country music Reading While reading Hi Lucy, So glad to get your email. I hope everything is fine with you. Last night, I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers, a beautiful violin concerto composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. It’s a piece that really deserves to be heard. I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers last night. Global reading (Email 1): write down the main idea of the paragraph Reading While reading The music took me through the twists and turns of a classic story about a young couple torn apart by their families. When the two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, first meet, the music is light and pleasant, as if whispering to the audience. It is followed by a fast and cheerful section which represents their three happy years of school. Then the music gets dramatic with heavier notes and that is when the lovers are separated because Zhu’s father forces her to marry another man. Angry and sad, Liang falls sick and dies. Zhu weeps bitterly over the loss of her love. Overcome with sorrow, she jumps into his grave. Finally, during the most exciting part, the music takes a softer turn and ends on a bittersweet note, telling us how the couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever. It is an amazing journey! Global reading (Email 1): write down the main idea of the paragraph The story and music of Butterfly Lovers work well together. Reading While reading Butterfly Lovers combines Chinese and Western musical elements: it is played on Western instruments such as the violin, but more significantly, much of the music has its roots in Chinese Yue Opera. This unique combination has made me realize that music is indeed a universal language. You should definitely listen to Butterfly Lovers-I bet you’ll like it! All the best, Alice Butterfly Lovers illustrates how wonderfully Chinese and Western musical elements can mix. Global reading (Email 1): write down the main idea of the paragraph A1 Read and write down the main idea of each paragraph. Alice’s email Para. 1 Para. 2 Para. 3 I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers last night. The story and music of Butterfly Lovers work well together. Butterfly Lovers illustrates how wonderfully Chinese and Western musical elements can mix. Reading While reading Dear Stephen, Life here in Nashville is as interesting as I thought it would be. My host family are big fans of country music, so I can always rely on them to introduce me to some great songs. I love learning about country music and I keep asking them questions about it all the time! My host family introduces me to country music. Global reading (Email 2): write down the main idea of the paragraph Reading While reading It turns out that country music became popular right here in the south of America in the 1940s and then spread across the nation. It grew out of such music types as the blues and folk music, so the musicians use many similar instruments, such as the guitar. The tunes are easy to sing, and the lyrics often leave you deep in thought. Most of the songs are about hardship and heartbreak, but also about hope-with plenty of humour thrown in for good measure. You can feel an emotional connection between you and the musicians. Country music has a long history and it often features certain specific instruments and lyrics that leave you deep in thought. Global reading (Email 2): write down the main idea of the paragraph Reading While reading Country music shows the peaceful green fields and simple life of the countryside. Obviously I don’t know what it’s truly like to grow up in rural America, but the masters of country music, like John Denver, can make you feel like you’re there. The simple tunes and beautiful natural images are often very suggestive of countryside surroundings: Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze (From “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver) Country music suggests a peaceful and simple life in rural America. Global reading (Email 2): write down the main idea of the paragraph Reading While reading Why don’t you try to listen to some great country music? I guarantee you’ll enjoy it! Best wishes, Harry You should listen to some country music. Global reading (Email 2): write down the main idea of the paragraph Harry’s email Para. 1 Para. 2 Para. 3 Para. 4 My host family introduces me to country music. Country music has a long history and it often features certain specific instruments and lyrics that leave you deep in thought. Country music suggests a peaceful and simple life in rural America. You should listen to some country music. A1 Read and write down the main idea of each paragraph. Basic information of the story Plot Beginning Development Climax Ending The two lovers first meet. The couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever. The lovers are separated by Zhu’s father. Liang falls sick and dies. Zhu weeps bitterly and jumps into his grave. The two lovers spend three years at school together. (email 1) Detailed reading Characteristics of the music Beginning Development Climax Ending light and pleasant taking a softer turn and ending on a bittersweet note dramatic with heavier notes fast and cheerful Atmosphere created by the music Beginning Development Climax Ending as if whispering to the audience exciting angry and sad happy Country music History grew out of blues and folk music became popular time: _ place: _ The typical instrument(s) _ Examples the musician: _ the song: _ Characteristics tunes: _ lyrics: _ themes: hardship, heartbreak and hope in the 1940s in the south of America the guitar easy to sing deep in thought John Denver “Take me home, country roads” Read the second email and fill in the mind map. Detailed reading “Take Me Home, Country Roads” Butterfly Lovers Comparison Music Type violin concerto country music Instruments violin Theme guitar a loving story (Chinese) peaceful green fields and simple life Critical reading 18 How does the language—music prove universal in the two emails? From the first email, we see by composing Chinese music using Western instruments, the composers show that music has no boundaries. From the second email, we see the masters of country music like John Denver can make you feel the same without understanding the lyrics. It shows music is a form of communication that doesn’t require words. Detailed reading The 1st mail Similarity It’s a piece that really deserves to be heard. Why don’t you try to listen to some great country music? I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. recommendation The 2nd mail You should definitely listen to ...—I bet you’ll like it. Detailed reading 20 first meet ... spend three years ... are separated ... falls sick ... weeps ... finally the couple transforms ... Liang shanbo Zhu Yingtai Zhu’s father Story-retelling Listen to the whole piece of Butterfly Lovers. Choose a section that impresses you most. Discuss it with your partners. Present a detailed description. Post-reading What impresses me the most is the part when Liang and Zhu reunite after a long time of being apart. This part of music is so _. At first, the melody sounds a bit _ with the violin showing the short happiness of their reunion. Then the tone becomes very _, symbolizing their deep love. Gradually, the melody becomes lower, slower and very _. The melancholic tone causes me to visualize a scene where the two of them are hugging and weeping, with their hearts bleeding. Example touching light-hearted soft sad Read the emails again carefully and complete the notes. torn apart by their families fast and cheerful Western instruments the blues and folk music hardship, heartbreak and hope simple life of the countryside Summary Group Work – Make a profile of your favorite singer or band Use the following questions an expressions to help you. Who is your favorite singer or band? What do you like about the singer or band/Why do you like him/her/them? What are your favorite songs by the singer or band? How do you feel when you listen to them? Finish B1 on P19. Listen to the whole piece of Butterfly Lovers. Choose a section that impresses you most. Discuss it with your partners. Present a detailed description. Homework $