周末英语竞技场
---- 初三精品班讲义(一)
一、 Learning approach(学习方法)
磨刀不误砍柴功，学外语十法
现将外语学习中十种方法归纳、评述如下：
1、 向往着美好的目标，切忌怀疑自己，畏缩不前。染上信心不足这种精神萎缩症的人是很难成功的。学外语要坚信自己一定能达到目的，坚信自己的毅力和语言才干。
2、 切忌三天打鱼两天晒网。学习外语一天也不能中断，哪怕每天能挤出十分钟来看一看、背一背也好。一日之计在于晨，早晨是学外语的好时光，若实在没时间，起码能在洗脸刷牙时听听外语录音或广播也行。
3、 学习感到厌倦了，不必过于勉强继续，但也不能扔下不学，最好是变换一下学习方法和形式，如听有趣的外语故事、看外语电影，或改学别的科目以做调节。
4、 外语好比一个堡垒，必须从四面八方向其包围进攻。除了学习课本外，读外文报纸、听外语广播、看外语电影、听外语歌曲、听外语讲座，甚至可阅读外语的商品说明书等等，都是好办法，要多管齐下。
5、 应随时记下并背出常用的句型，并更换成分进行练习，以达熟练运用。
6、 抄录和记忆句型及习惯用语时要用单数第一人称。这主要是让人有一种切身的感受，在心理上构成一种语言环境，从而提高学习的效果。
7、 不要脱离上下文孤立地死记硬背，要将单词和成语置于具体的上下文语言环境中，联系起来理解记忆。
8、 在旅行或干手工活时，不要放弃学习的机会，应尽可能“心译”你接触到的东西，如一闪而过的广告，听到别人聊天的话语。这样既是休息，也是学习。但做得不好甚至做得很糟时，切勿失去信心。
9、 不要反复去看那些未经老师修改的练习，因为只有那些被证明是正确无误的东西 ，才具有思考和牢记的价值。
10.要敢于用外语说话，尤其不要放弃能接触外国人并与其进行交谈的机会。但不要怕出错，当别人指责你的错误时同，也不要难为情，更不要泄气。
二.Intensive Reading(精读)
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 (总计,总共), 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(国际组织), 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(泛读)
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(独立) 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 (时态专练)
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(课外知识)
The difference between British English and American English
(1) words differences
Chinese Br. English Am. English
出租车 taxi cab
罐头 tin can
糖果 sweets candy
汽油 petrol gasoline
地铁 underground subway
人行道 pavement sidewalk
卡车 lorry truck
停车场 car park Parking lot
大学 university college
假期 holiday vacation
秋天 autumn fall
垃圾 rubbish garbage
公寓 flat apartment
一楼 ground floor first floor
电梯 lift elevator
学期 term semester
高中 Sec. school High school
饼干 biscuit cookie
商店 shop store
(2) Spelling differences
中心 centre center
米 metre meter
剧院 theatre theater
劳动 labour labor
颜色 colour color
喜爱 favour favor
领居 neighbour neighbor
荣誉 honour honor
港口 harbour harbor
对话 dialogue dialog
旅行者 traveller traveler
灰色 grey cray
飞机 aeroplane airplane
支票 cheque check