Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land Reading and Thinking导学案 -2026-2027学年高中英语人教版选择性必修第二册

PEP (2019) Selective Compulsory Book 2 · Unit 4 Journey Across a Vast Land

Reading and Thinking · Seeing the True North

Grade 11 English · Reading class · 1 period (45 min)     Class: ________   Name: ________   Group: ______

[Your Assignment] You are a travel journalist. Your next feature is about "rail journeys that change how you see a city — or a whole country." You are reading about two cousins who took the train across Canada. By the end you will write a short pitch about Wuhan’s own loop train.

Learning Goals (tick after class)

1. I can identify the main characters, route, and main idea of the travel journal.    □ done   □ need more work

2. I can match each place on the route with its key features and scenery.    □ done   □ need more work

3. I can connect the cousins’ cross-Canada train ride to Wuhan’s loop train and say what rail travel teaches us.    □ done   □ need more work

4. I can write an 80–100-word pitch about Wuhan’s loop train as a travel experience.    □ done   □ need more work

★ 本课重点：沿途每个地方的地理特色一一对应；作者怎么用时间顺序串起整篇旅行记。

☆ 本课难点：横穿加拿大的火车旅行上升到“火车旅行的意义”，并联系武汉自己的环城火车说出自己的理解。

Part 1   Before You Read

Task 1   Wuhan’s Own Loop Train

Did you know? In March 2026, Wuhan launched its own loop train — the "Wuhan East to Wuhan East" local rail line. For just 6 yuan, you can ride the green train around the city: it starts at Wuhan East Station, crosses the Yangtze River twice, stops at Hankou and Wuchang stations, and loops back. Along the way you see East Lake, the Yellow Crane Tower, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, and Guishan TV Tower.

1. Would you take this 6-yuan loop train? Why or why not? Circle ONE:

□ Yes — it’s cheap and I can see the city from a different angle   □ No — it’s just trains and stations, boring   □ Maybe — if I bring friends along   □ I don’t know what it is

 

2. Two cousins in Canada took a train across their whole country. You can ride a loop train around your city. What do you think train travel is really for?

My guess: ________________________________________________________________

Task 2   Predict the Story

Look at the title: "Seeing the True North — Vancouver and the Heart of Canada". Tick the topics you think the article will talk about:

□ Two people taking a train across Canada

□ Beautiful mountains and lakes

□ Canadian cities and industry

□ How to buy train tickets

□ Canadian food and culture

Part 2   While You Read

Task 3   The Big Picture

Skim the passage and answer:

1. Who are the main characters? Where are they going? How?

   ________________________________________________________________

2. What kind of text is this? (news story / travel journal / advertisement)

   ________________________________________________________________

Task 4   The Route Map  ｜本课重点

This is the heart of the story. The cousins travel from Vancouver across Canada to Toronto. Read carefully and fill in the chart with each place on the route, and what is special about it.

Place on the route	What kind of place is it?	Key features / scenery
Vancouver
the Canadian Rockies
Edmonton
the Canadian Prairie
Toronto

★ Key point: Notice how the writer moves from west to east, one place at a time. The time markers — "the next day", "later", "eventually" — tie everything together. Underline three time markers in the text.

Task 5   Discourse Markers

Match each discourse marker with its purpose:

1. however ( ) A. to add something

2. since ( ) B. to show contrast

3. in addition to ( ) C. to explain a reason

4. in fact ( ) D. to emphasise

Part 3   After You Read

Task 6   What Makes a Great Rail Journey?

The cousins took the train across Canada instead of flying. Why? Tick TWO reasons:

□ Trains are cheaper

□ You can see the landscape change as you travel

□ You can meet people from different places

□ Trains are faster

In your own words, what is the best thing about train travel? ________________________________

Task 7   Wuhan’s Loop Train  ｜本课难点

Group work (4 students). The cousins saw a whole country by train. Wuhan has its own 6-yuan loop train that circles the city. Based on this idea, write a short pitch for this loop train as a travel experience — who would you recommend it to, and why?

Who is it for?	Why would they love it?
1.
2.
3.

Teacher tip: If your group says "for tourists", push back: WHAT would tourists see? East Lake? Yellow Crane Tower? The Yangtze Bridge? Be specific — just like the writer was specific about every stop in Canada.

Summary

Two cousins took the train from Vancouver across Canada, through the Rocky Mountains, past the oil city of Edmonton, across the wheat fields of the prairie, and all the way to Toronto. They did not just travel — they saw a whole country unfold outside the window. In Wuhan, we have our own loop train that shows us our city in a new light.

Complete: The cousins’ journey shows us ____________, and Wuhan’s loop train means ____________.

Homework

Required: You work for a travel magazine. Write an 80–100-word documentary pitch titled "Wuhan’s 6-Yuan Loop Train" — why every student should ride it at least once.

Start: For just 6 yuan, you can ride a green train around Wuhan. It starts at Wuhan East, crosses the Yangtze twice, stops at Hankou and Wuchang. Along the way you see… This train is not just transport — it is…

Optional (choose one):