内容正文:
Unit8 The world of literature
Integration A-C
Do you know what opera it is?
Yu Opera, one of the most famous operas in Henan
Yu Opera is a traditional Chinese drama.
It has actors, lines, scenes and stage actions.
Today we will learn a different kind of drama — Western play. We will read an excerpt from Shakespeare’s play King Lear. Later we can compare Chinese opera and Western plays.
Mr Wu is showing an excerpt from a play. Read the excerpt and answer the questions below.
A play has several parts that are not found in other types of literature.
◆Words in brackets describe characters' actions 舞台提示(人物动作).
◆Usually a play contains several "acts 幕".
◆Each act is divided into several scenes 场.
◆The setting 场景 usually shows when and where each scene happens.
1.What does King Lear give to his two elder daughters?
2.Do you find plays more difficult to read than novels? Explain.
He gives them his lands.
Yes. Plays have many characters and we need to imagine scenes.
No. The dialogue is direct and easy to follow.
◆Differences:Chinese opera has singing, dancing and costumes; Western plays mainly depend on dialogue
Further study
Compare Western plays and Yu Opera/Peking Opera. What similarities and differences can you find?
◆Similarities:Have characters, scenes, stage directions, spoken lines
Mr Wu is giving a lecture on nature and literature.
Listen to the lecture and match each writer to the correct description.
1 Zhu Ziqing
2 Henry David Thoreau
3 William Wordsworth
a His writings show respect for the
power of nature.
b His writings are full of strong
feelings and images of nature.
c One of his books is about the
importance of nature in our lives.
Students look through the options and predict key words:nature, power of nature, images of nature, importance of nature
Listen to the lecture and match each writer to the correct description.
1 Zhu Ziqing
2 Henry David Thoreau
3 William Wordsworth
a His writings show respect for the
power of nature.
b His writings are full of strong
feelings and images of nature.
c One of his books is about the
importance of nature in our lives.
Whether Chinese or Western writers, they find beauty and truth in nature. Nature is forever an important theme in literature.
Zhu Ziqing is a famous Chinese prose writer. His most well-known work is Moonlight over the Lotus Pond.
In this essay, he describes the quiet beauty of lotus ponds under moonlight. He uses soft, lively words to paint natural scenery. Through nature, he expresses his inner feelings and thoughts. If you read this prose carefully, you will feel the peace brought by nature.
Thoreau is an American writer. His great book is Walden.
He once lived simply beside Walden Pond for two years. He recorded his life and deep thinking about nature, freedom and simple living. He believed people could learn a lot from nature. Unless we slow down and watch nature, we cannot understand its wisdom.
Wordsworth is a great British poet. He is widely known as the Poet of Nature.
He loved mountains, rivers, flowers and all wild things. Most of his poems are about nature. He thought nature could clean people’s minds and comfort our hearts. If you enjoy nature poetry, you will love his works.
Millie is talking to Mr Wu about literature. Listen to their conversation and complete the notes below.
Predict
n.
n.
a book`s name
Tang Dynasty
Millie is talking to Mr Wu about literature. Listen to their conversation and complete the notes below.
feelings
language
The Old Man and the Sea
Tang Dynasty
Millie is writing about what she has learnt about literature. Complete her notes below with the information in Parts B1 and B2.
Today I learnt that many writers talk about nature in their writing.Zhu Ziqing, a Chinese writer, often wrote about nature. He was such a ①__________ of language, and he could easily create beautiful images in nature in his unique style. Henry David Thoreau, a writer from ②__________, also wrote about nature. He once lived in a ③__________ and wrote his famous book Walden there. The book shows how important nature is for people. There is also William Wordsworth, a(n) ④__________ poet. His poems show the readers his respect for the power of the natural world. I also learnt about the qualities that good literature should have. Good literature is about ⑤__________ that everyone understands. In good literature, writers should use ⑥__________ as a tool to show their thoughts and feelings. Finally, good literature has lasting values. Li Bai's and Du Fu's poems are good examples.
master
the US
small house
British
feelings
language
Millie, Sandy and Daniel are talking about books that have impressed them.
Listen to their conversation and complete the table.
Name Names of books The writer
Sandy
Daniel
Millie
Which books impress them?
The Border Town
Shen Congwen
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë
Millie: Are there any books that have impressed you?
Sandy: Sure. The novel The Border Town by Shen Congwen has
impressed me a lot. It is about a beautiful town and the warm-
hearted people who live there. I like the local colour in the novel
most.
Millie: What about you, Daniel?
Daniel: I love Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations. It's a great
book. It teaches me that real happiness comes not from wealth
but from treating others with kindness.
Sandy: And you, Millie?
Millie: The book that has influenced me the most is Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Brontë. It tells a story about love, loss and personal
growth. It makes me want to write novels myself!
Read the conversation and answer the questions.
1.What does Sandy like most about The Border Town?
2.What lesson does Daniel learn from Great Expectations?
3.What themes can we find in the book Jane Eyre?
She likes the local colour in the novel most.
He learns that real happiness comes not from wealth but from treating others with kindness.
Love, loss and personal growth.
Work in pairs and act it out!
Role-play
Work in groups and discuss a book that has impressed you a lot. Use the conversation below as a model.
Pair work
A: Are there any books that have impressed you?
B: Sure. The novel ……by ……has impressed me a lot. It
is about …… I like …… in the novel most.
A: What about you, C?
C: I love ……'s novel ……. It's a great book. It teaches
me that …….
B: And you, Millie?
A: The book that has influenced me the most is……. It
tells a story about …… It makes me ……!
Homework
1.Write two sentences about the book that impresses you most and share it with your classmates.
2.Preview Integration D.
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