Period 10 Project: Writing an advice letter
教学设计一
整体设计
教材分析
The project in this unit is designed to help the students improve English through doing a project. The two letters in Part A are for students to read and find out what has happened between the father and his son.
The purpose of this section is to let students use what they have learnt to finish a project by working together. In the course of doing the project, the students will discuss what has happened between the father and his son, what they can do to help the two and write letters to give them some advice to solve their problems. They will search and find some information and do some writing and drawing. In order to make an attractive poster, they are expected to know how to cooperate and how to fulfil each part of the task.
三维目标
1. To learn two letters about the problems that happened between the father and his son.
2. To learn about some expressions: insist, suggest, forbid, as though, insist on, at the moment.
3. To help the students learn how to write an advice letter and enable students to present an advice letter in groups.
4. To help students learn how to work together and write an advice letter to solve problems.
重点难点
1. How to write an advice letter.
2. Enable students to assign roles to each group member and work together to solve problems.
教学方法
1. Discussion in pairs or in groups.
2. Task-based in-class activities.
3. Explanation of some language points.
教具准备
A tape recorder and the multimedia.
课前准备
Teachers can ask students to read two letters on page 38. Ask the students to read it fast and to find out the answers to the following questions:
1. Why does the father write the letter?
2. What does the father think about his son?
3. What is the father worrying about?
4. Why does the son write the letter?
5. What are his problems?
6. How does he feel about his father?
Besides those, ask the students to find out the main idea for each paragraph.
教学过程
→Step 1 Greeting and check the homework.
Activity 1 Acting out a dialogue
At the beginning of this period, teachers can ask some students to act out the dialogues between Christina and her mum and the host of the “Talk Time” show. Present their dialogues that they wrote yesterday to the class.
→Step 2 Lead-in
Teachers give the students enough time to discuss the questions below with their partners. Several minutes later, let the students exchange their different ideas.
Questions:
1. Who do you think loves you more, your mother or your father?
2. When you experience some problems with your parents, how will you solve the problem?
Sample answers:
1. My mother loves me more. She is very caring and considerate. She takes care of almost everything for me. I really can’t imagine life without her. But my father looks so serious. I am afraid of him. /I think my father loves me more. He can understand my problems and my feelings. I always talk to him when I feel bad or have some difficulties.
2. Generally, mother’s love is different from that of father’s. They all love you, although in different ways. Sometimes you may misunderstand them for what they have done to you. As we all know, there are many hotlines on the radio or advice columns on newspaper which deal with family or other interpersonal problems. They are very helpful because they help people solve small problems before they become big ones. So when you feel upset or unhappy about some problems, you may turn to them for help. I think they always work well. Have you ever thought of being an advice columnist, helping others solve their problems? What should they do?
→Step 3 Discussion
Ask the students to discuss the following questions—Have you ever thought of being an advice columnist, helping others solve their problems? What should they do?
Sample answer: I like to be an advice columnist. That will be a great job. I like helping others solve their problems.
What an advice columnist should give:
—Get a rough idea about the trouble
—Analyze the trouble
—Find out the roots of the trouble
—Give proper suggestions
—Keep in regular contact with the sender
—Feedback information
T: In almost every family there are problems that may upset teenagers and their parents. A father has some problems with his son. They have both written letters to a magazine, asking for advice. Today we’re going to help them solve their problems.
→Step 4 Reading
Have the students answer some questions about the letters:
1. Read the first letter and answer the following questions:
1)Why does the father write the letter?
2)What does the father think about his son?
3)What is the father worrying about?
Answers:
1)to ask for some help so as to help his son.
2)problems the father thinks about his son:
—disobeys everything his parents ask him to do
—is rude to them
—refuses to spend time with them
—refuses to do his homework
—spends too much time watching DVDs, listening to foreign music, chatting in Internet cafes, playing games and surfing the Internet
3)His son may fail at school or worse.
2. Read the second letter and answer the following questions:
1)Why does the son write the letter?
2)What are his problems?
3)How does he feel about his father?
Answers:
1)To be helped with some problems he has at home.
2)problems the son thinks about his father:
—doesn’t listen to him when he wants to do something or
—shouts at him when he tries to talk to him
—fights like crazy when he refuses to his father
—makes him do things he doesn’t like
—calls him selfish and unloving when he wants to be alone
—gets very angry when he plays foreign music
—sends him to bed or tell him to study when he watches a DVD
—forbids him from meeting his friends at the Internet
3)He loves his father a lot.
He hopes his father can understand him better and respect the things he wants to do.
→Step 5 Discussion
T: Will you have the same list if you are given a chance to complain about your parents? What advice will you give to the father or the boy if you are an advice columnist?
1. Ask the students to work in groups of four and find suggestions to the son:
Sample answers:
—Try to be a docile kid at home no matter whether you are an outstanding student at school.
—Never attempt to change your father’s character and to be an ideal father.
—Communicate with your father through letters if he happens to be short-tempered.
—Come up to your dad and tell him how much you care about him.
—Remember that it’s correct for a father to urge his son to study hard.
—Make your father believe you’ll be successful in life by doing what you like.
2. Ask the students to work in groups of 4 and find suggestions to the father:
Sample answers:
—Try to look at things from your son’s angle. If you trade your role with your son, I believe you will realize some of the problems you mentioned in your letter are easy to solve.
—Prepare to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Music is part of a young people’s life. You can’t stop him just because good communication will smooth the problems. Your son wants you to treat him as your equal while you act as a commander. That’s where all the problems come from.
—Remember what your son needs is more than material comfort.
—You’d better not put too much pressure on your son. Be a good motivator.
—Try to encourage him to find himself, to build up self-confidence.
—Cut out harsh remarks when your son falls short of your expectation. Unconditional love is very important, because he is your son.
→Step 6 Self-reading
Give the students some time to read and understand the two letters by themselves. If they have some problems, ask them to discuss these problems with their partners or put them forward later to discuss with the whole class. Learning to ask questions while reading is very important for students to develop their reading ability. If necessary, teachers can offer them some help.
→Step 7 Language points
1. At the moment, he refuses to do almost everything his mother and I ask him to do.
目前, 我和他母亲让他做的事情他几乎什么都不做。
1)at the moment 用于现在时, 意为“此刻”“目前”, 相当于at this moment, right now, at present; 用于过去时, 意为“那时”“当时”, 相当于at that moment, then。如:
I’m busy at the moment.
我现在很忙。
I should have been willing to lend him the book he asked for, but I hadn’t it with me at the moment.
他要借的那本书, 我本有意借给他, 可是当时书不在我身边。
At the moment, he was busy preparing his lessons.
那时, 他正忙于准备功课。
The number is engaged at the moment. Try again in five minutes.
这个号码现在占线, 请五分钟后再拨。
He’s unemployed at the moment. 他目前失业了。
2)for the moment 意为“暂时, 目前, 这时”。如:
I want to leave this for the moment and talk about something else.
我希望把这事暂时搁一下, 谈谈其他的事。
We’re happy living in a flat for the moment but we may want to move to a house soon.
目前我们住单元房很满意, 但不久我们也许想住个独门独户的房子。
Stop discussion for the moment. 请暂停讨论。
3)for a moment 意为“片刻，一会儿”。如:
Let me think for a moment what is the best method to solve the problem.
让我想一会儿什么是解决这个问题的最佳方法。
He paused for a moment and then went forward.
他停顿了一会儿然后继续向前。
I had to think for a moment before I remembered his name.
我想了一会儿才想起他的名字。
4)in a moment 意为“一会儿，立刻，马上”。如:
I’ll come in a moment. 我一会儿就来。
Could you make a decision in a moment? 你能马上作出决定吗?
Tell him to call me up in a moment. 叫他过一会儿打电话给我。
5)at any moment 意为“在任何时候……, 随时”。如:
We can ask him for help at any moment.
我们随时可以请他帮忙。
We shouldn’t lose heart at any moment.
我们在任何时候都不能失去信心。
2. His grandparents buy him many things, and yet he is still rude to us.
他爷爷和奶奶给他买东西。可就是这样他还是对我们很无礼。
1)be rude to sb. 意为“对某人粗鲁、没礼貌”。如:
Don’t be rude to the taxi driver. It’s not his fault that the traffic is heavy.
不要对那个出租车司机粗声粗气的。交通拥挤不是他的过错。
He’s very rude to the old people. 他对老人很没礼貌。
【注】 介词to和for经常跟在一些形容词或名词后表示“对于”, 那么, 什么情况下用to, 什么情况下用for呢? 这个问题比较复杂, 原因在于, 后边可以跟to或for的形容词很多, 这些形容词与to或for搭配, 各有其原因。
▲当主语是表示人的名词或代词, 且形容词表示主语对某人或某事的主观态度或感情常用to，这样的形容词有good, bad, blind, faithful, kind, cruel, deaf, generous, grateful, open, polite, rude, thankful等。如:
His stepmother is good to him. 他的继母对他很好。
We should be faithful to our country. 我们应该对国家忠诚。
The woman was unkind to her mother-in-law. 这女人对她婆婆不好。
Don’t be cruel to animals. 不要虐待动物。
The merchant is very generous to the villagers. 那商人对村民们很慷慨。
I’m grateful to you for your help. 我感谢你的帮助。
You should be polite to your parents. 你应该对你的父母有礼貌。
2)与这些形容词相对应的名词后一般也跟to而不跟for。如:
I admire him because of his kindness to everyone.
他对大家都很友好, 我很敬佩他。
This showed their loyalty to the party.
这表明了他们对党的忠诚。
3)当主语是表示事物的名词或代词时, 一些表示给人某种感觉的形容词后常用to。如:
The scene was astonishing to everyone standing by.
这场面令旁观者大为吃惊。
English is interesting to me. 我觉得英语有趣。
The business is new to him. 他不熟悉这种事。
4)表示“有害”“有益”“适合”等意义的形容词后常用for。如:
Don’t read in the sun. It’s bad for your eyes.
不要在阳光下看书。那样对眼睛有害。
Fresh air is good for you. 新鲜的空气对你有好处。
I don’t think he is fit for the job. 我认为他不适合做这工作。
This is a place suitable for a picnic.
这是一个适合野餐的地方。
She’s extremely well qualified for the job.
她极胜任这一工作。
3. Recently he has been refusing to do his homework, and instead insists on wasting his time watching DVDs and listening to foreign music.
最近, 他就是不做家庭作业, 而总是把时间浪费在看DVD和听外国音乐上。
1)has been refusing为现在完成进行时形式，该时态强调动作从过去开始, 一直进行到现在该动作可能仍在进行, 也可能刚刚停止。它常用于表示延续至今的连续性或重复性动作。
You’re out of breath. Have you been running?
你上气不接下气, 是不是跑步来着?
He has been writing letters to the hospital.
他一直在给那家医院写信。
现在完成时主要用于表示已完成的动作及其对现在的影响或与现在的关系。
I have taught the class. 我教过那个班。
I have been teaching that class. 我教着那个班。
2)insist on／upon后接名词或动名词, 意为“一定要”“坚决主张”“坚持说”。如:
We insist upon a definite answer.
我们一定要得到一个肯定的答复。
They always insist on a high standard.
他们一贯坚持高标准。
He insisted on his correctness. 他坚称他是对的。
She insisted on going there. 她坚持要去那里。
He insisted on seeing us home. 他一定要送我们回家。
We insist on your giving us a straightforward answer.
我们一定要你们给我们一个直截了当的回答。
We ought to have insisted on your taking a thorough rest before going back to work.
我们本来应该坚持让你彻底休息好后再回去工作的。
We insisted on his coming to the party.
我们坚持要求他来参加聚会。
3)insist用作及物动词, 意为“坚持说”“坚决认为”, 后可接that宾语从句, 从句中不用虚拟语气。如:
He insisted that he had done right. 他坚持认为他做得对。
I insisted that he was mistaken. 我坚持说他搞错了。
He insisted that he could get back in time.
他坚持说他能及时赶回来。
He insisted that Xiao Yang was not to blame.
他坚持说不怪小杨。
She insisted that she needed no help. 她坚持说她不需要帮助。
4)insist用作及物动词, 意为“定要”“坚决要求”“坚决主张”, 后接that宾语从句, 从句中要用“should+动词原形”, should可以省略。如:
They all insisted that they (should) not rest until the work was done.
他们坚决要求不完工就不休息。
I insisted that he should come with us. 我定要他与我们同行。
I insisted that he should go. 我一定要他去。
I insist that you take immediate action to put this right.
我坚决要求你立刻采取行动把事情处理好。
辨析: insist on与stick to
insist on指“坚持(自己的意见和想法)”。
stick to意为“坚持做”, 后接名词, 表示始终如一坚持某人的观点、目的、决定、计划等。如:
Each side stuck to its own position on this question.
在这问题上, 双方都各自坚持自己的立场。
Don’t stick to your own opinions. 不要坚持己见。
If you stick to main roads, you won’t get lost.
如果你一直走在大路上, 你就不会迷失方向。
We will stick to our decision. 我们将坚持我们的决定。
Whatever you say, I will stick to my plan.
不管你说什么, 我都将坚持我的计划。
4. He and my mother always make me do things I don’t like such as playing the piano and learning Japanese.
我爸爸和我妈妈总是强迫我做我不喜欢做的事情, 比如弹钢琴或者学习日语等。
1）make是使役动词, 可接不带to的动词不定式。make sb. do意为“使某人做”, 用在被动语态中要加to。如:
Another famous building that makes people think of seashells is the Opera House in Sydney.
另一个使人们想到海贝壳的著名建筑是悉尼的歌剧院。
What he said made us all laugh. 他所说的话使我们大笑起来。
He made me repeat the story. 他逼我把故事重复一遍。
She must be made to keep her promise. 必须逼她遵守诺言。
2）make是使役动词, 后面可以接形容词作宾语补足语。如:
It is our duty to make our country more beautiful.
使我们的国家更美丽是我们的职责。
What he did made me very happy.
他所做的事使我非常高兴。
The exciting news made us very excited.
那个令人兴奋的消息使我们很激动。
I made it clear that I didn’t agree with your idea.
我明确表示不同意你的观点。
3）“make+宾语+过去分词(作宾补)”的结构, 常见的有make oneself seen／heard／believed／known, 意为“使自己被看见、听见、相信、知道”。如:
When introduced, you should stand up to make yourself seen.
当介绍你的时候, 你应该站起来让人看到。
She couldn’t make herself heard because of the noise of the traffic.
由于交通嘈杂声。她无法让别人听到她的声音。
A person who often lies can’t make himself believed.
常说谎的人是难以让别人相信他的。
The man made himself known by writing short stories.
那个人通过写短篇故事使自己出名。
She read English in a high voice so as to make herself noticed.
她高声朗读英语, 以使自己被注意。
辨析: be made of, be made from, be made into, be made up of
（1）be made of指物理变化, 能够看到其组成原料。如:
This table is made of glass.
这个桌子是由玻璃制成的。
I want to buy a ring made of pure gold.
我想买一个由纯金制成的戒指。
（2）be made from意为“由……制成的”, 指化学变化, 不能够看到其组成原料。如:
Paper is often made from wood. 纸一般是由木头制成的。
Wine is made from grapes. 葡萄酒是用葡萄酿制的。
I enjoy this kind of drink made from apples.
我喜欢喝这种用苹果制成的饮料。
（3）be made into意为“某物被制成……”, 其主语为原物, into后接新物。如:
Bamboo can be made into tables. 竹子可以被制成桌子。
Grapes can be made into wine. 葡萄可以制成酒。
（4）be made up of意为“由……组成”，是整体与独立个体的关系。如:
Our class is made up of fifty students.
我们班是由五十个学生组成。
The UK is made up of four countries.
联合王国由四个国家组成。
The committee is made up of representatives from every state.
该委员会是由来自各州的代表组成的。
4）make for意为“朝……方向移动，……有助于做某事物”。如:
The ship made for the open sea. 轮船朝着公海行驶。
When the bell rang, everyone made for the dining room.
当铃声响的时候, 大家都涌向食堂。
Cultural exchange makes for better understanding.
文化交流有助于更好的交流。
5）make out意为 “了解(某人性格)”“辨认出”“理解某事物”。如:
What a strange person she is! I can’t make her out at all.
她这个人真奇怪! 我根本无法了解她。
With the light out, I couldn’t make out anything.
灯熄灭了, 我辨认不出任何东西。
I can’t make out what he wants. 我不明白他想要什么东西。
I couldn’t make out whether she likes reading or not.
我不知道她是否喜欢阅读。
6）make up 意为“化妆……”“组成”“编造”“弥补”“配(药)”等。如:
Every girl likes making up. 每一位女孩子都喜欢打扮。
China has a population of 1. 2 billion, making up 20％ of the world population.
中国有12亿人口, 占全世界人口总数的20%。
Our English teacher asked us to make up a dialogue.
我们的英语老师要我们编一个对话。
Hard work can make up for a lack of intelligence. 勤能补拙。
Nothing can make up for the loss of a child.
孩子的死亡是什么都无法弥补的。
5. Also, every time I watch a DVD, he sends me to bed or tells me to spend more time studying.
还有，每次我看DVD时，他让我去睡觉或告诉我多花些时间学习。
句中every time为从属连词, 引导时间状语从句。注意从句中不可使用表示将来的will, 可用一般将来时, 用现在完成时代替将来完成时。
each time, the first/last/next time, the moment/minute等名词性短语皆可用作从属连词, 引导时间状语从句。
Every time he comes, he asks me for money.
他每次来总向我要钱。
Every time I was in trouble, he would come to help me out.
每次我处于困境中, 他总来帮我脱离困境。
Don’t forget to call on me next time you come to our city.
下次来我们市, 别忘了来找我。
The first time I saw her, I fell in love with her.
我对她一见钟情。
The last time I saw her, she was lying in bed.
我最后一次看到她时, 她躺在床上。
The moment/the minute/the second I saw her, I recognized her.
我一见到她, 我就认出了她。
→Step 8 Writing an advice letter
Activity 1 Planning
Ask students to work in groups of four.
First let them discuss and choose which letter to focus on.
Then decide which of the answers suggested by your partners should be included in the letter the group will write.
Discuss the tasks listed below and decide which group members will be responsible for what tasks. (Remember, two or three people can work on the same task! )
Research the style an advice letter should be written in_____________ .
Write an outline for the letter_____________.
Write the letter_____________.
Activity 2 Preparing
In this step, students will prepare for writing the letter. They will discuss and write an outline for the letter first.
Members responsible for doing research need to find examples of advice letters. The group should discuss the information found, and decide how the letter should be written. They may look at the following resources for information:
Magazines
Newspapers
Internet sites
TV shows for teenagers
Those responsible for writing the outline need to make a draft and have it approved by the other group members.
Activity 3 Producing
In this step, students will write the letter by following the style and the outline they just completed. All members need to proofread the draft before the writers can make a final version. The final version has to be approved by the whole group.
Sample letters:
Dear Liu Wei,
Thanks for your attention to our magazine. After reading your letter, I know you are in trouble with your family. Don’t worry. I’d like to tell you something about myself when I was at the same age as you.
Nowadays you meet the problems which are still common in the modern society. Here I want to give you some advice. First, you must honor your parents, not shout at them. Second, maybe you can often talk to your parents to let them understand you.
I hope it’s helpful to you. I’m looking forward to receiving your good news.
Yours,
Mr Zhu
Activity 4 Presenting
Ask several groups to present what they have written to the whole class. Answer any questions the classmates have about the letter. Display the letter where it can be seen.
→Step 9 Summary
In this class, we have talked about how to write an advice letter. We have learned two letters written by a father and his son. After that, we spent some minutes in discussing how to solve the problems mentioned by the father and his son. Finally, we get down to writing an advice letter to the father or his son. Now I give you your homework—write an advice letter to your parents in order to get them to know how to get along well with you—their sons or daughters.
→Step 10 Homework
1. Write an advice letter to your parents.
2. Translate the following sentences.
1)他坚持要求被派到前方去。(insist)
2)他坚持认为有必要帮助她。(insist)
3)他每次都给我带来一本好书。(every/each time)
板书设计
problems the father thinks about his son:
—disobeys everything his parents ask him to do
—is rude to them
—refuses to spend time with them
—refuses to do his homework
—spends too much time watching DVDs, listening to foreign music, chatting in Internet cafes, playing games and surfing the Internet
problems the son thinks about his father:
—doesn’t listen to him when he wants to do something or suggests an idea
—shouts at him when he tries to talk to him
—fights like crazy when he refuses to his father
—makes him do things he doesn’t like
—calls him selfish and unloving when he wants to be alone
—gets very angry when he plays foreign music
—sends him to bed or tell him to study when he watches a DVD
—forbids him from meeting his friends at the Internet
suggestions to the son:
—Try to be a docile kid at home no matter whether you are an outstanding student at school.
—Never attempt to change your father’s character and to be an ideal father.
—Communicate with your father through letters if he happens to be short-tempered.
—Come up to your dad and tell him how much you care about him.
—Remember that it’s correct for a father to urge his son to study hard.
—Make your father believe you’ll be successful in life by doing what you like.
suggestions to the father:
—Try to look at things from your son’s angle. If you trade your role with your son, I believe you will realize some of the problems you mentioned in your letter are easy to solve.
—Prepare to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Music are part of a young people’s life. You can’t stop him just because good communication will smooth the problems. Your son wants you to treat him as your equal while you act as a commander. That’s where all the problems come from.
—Remember what your son needs is more than material comfort.
—You’d better not put too much pressure on your son. Be a good motivator.
—Try to encourage him to find himself, to build up self-confidence.
—Cut out harsh remarks when your son falls short of your expectation. Unconditional love is very important, because he is your son.
精彩片断
A. Writing an advice letter
Activity 1 Planning
Ask students to work in groups of four.
First let them discuss and choose which letter to focus on.
Then decide which of the answers suggested by your partners should be included in the letter the group will write.
Discuss the tasks listed below and decide which group members will be responsible for what tasks. (Remember, two or three people can work on the same task! )
Research the style an advice letter should be written in_____________ .
Write an outline for the letter_____________.
Write the letter_____________.
Activity 2 Preparing
In this step, students will prepare for writing the letter. They will discuss and write an outline for the letter first.
Members responsible for doing research need to find examples of advice letters. The group should discuss the information found, and decide how the letter should be written. They may look at the following resources for information:
Magazines
Newspapers
Internet sites
TV shows for teenagers
Those responsible for writing the outline need to make a draft and have it approved by the other group members.
Activity 3 Producing
In this step, students will write the letter by following the style and the outline they just completed. All members need to proofread the draft before the writers can make a final version. The final version has to be approved by the whole group.
Activity 4 Presenting
Ask several groups to present what they have written to the whole class. Answer any questions the classmates have about the letter. Display the letter where it can be seen.
教学设计二
整体设计
教材分析
This period first offers two letters written by a father and his son. Both of them want to ask for help because they have problems with each other. Teachers can ask some questions according to the text to help students catch the main idea after fast reading. After that, teachers ask students to discuss and find out the root cause of this family problem. Then, students are required to work in groups to solve the problems Liu Wei and his father have and then write an advice letter to them explaining what they both can do to bridge the generation gap and get along better. And more exercises are given in different forms to help the students to learn how to use some of the new words and phrases.
This period can help to improve students’ ability to analyze and solve problems. Besides, it is good for students to know how to get on well with their parents. And in some way, it will lead to more thoughts, so students can learn to solve a lot of problems in their real life.
三维目标
1. Train the students’ reading ability by reading these two letters.
2. Help students learn how to work together and write an advice letter to solve problems.
3. Learn some useful words and expressions
advise, insist, prevent, forbid, suggest
as though, insist on, like crazy, deal with, every time
4. Learn some important sentence structures
He refuses to spend time with us or do as we tell him.
Recently he has been refusing to do his homework.
Whenever I want to do something or suggest an idea. . . he doesn’t listen to me.
重点难点
1. How to write an advice letter.
2. Enable students to assign roles to each group member and work together to solve problems.
教学方法
1. Discussion in pairs or in groups.
2. Task-based in-class activities.
3. Explanations of some language points.
教具准备
A tape recorder and a blackboard
教学过程
→Step 1 Lead in
Teachers can begin the class like this:
There are many problems in some families, especially problems between parents and their children. If they have problems with each other, who do you think they can turn to for advice?
Students will say “teachers” “friends” “grandparents” and so on. Few students know about advice columnists. So teacher can go on like this:
I will introduce another kind of people to you. They are advice columnists. They are always ready to help people deal with small problems before they become big ones. Now, suppose you are an advice columnist. A father and his son write two letters to ask for help. Let’s see how you can help them to solve their problems.
Or you can begin this class with brainstorming like this:
Before the students come to the details of this period, ask them to have a brainstorming.
Question:
When we come to the title “Writing an advice letter”, what do you expect to read in this part?
In this step, teacher can divide the class into groups and organize a competition between groups. Teacher gives one star for each group. The group with the most stars will be the winner. This can not only help the students learn to predict what to read in this part but also arose their interest in reading this passage, let other students to share their creative ideas, encourage more students to take part in in-class activities and give every student a chance to express their ideas.
Suggested answers:
What is an advice letter?
What kind of people needs advice letters?
How to write an advice letter?
. . .
Then teacher can lead students to these two letters:
Here are two letters from a father and his son. They have some problems with each other. So they write letters to ask for advice. Let’s read these two letters and write an advice letter to help them solve their problems.
→Step 2 Reading
Skimming
In this step, teacher asks students to skim the text and answer the following questions:
1. What is the name of the column?
2. Why does the father write the letter?
3. Who do they both write the letters to?
Suggested answers:
1. Teenagers Now.
2. He wants to ask for some help with his 16-year-old son.
3. Mr. Zhu.
Scanning
Now it’s time for the students to scan the passage to get certain information quickly. Ask students to read the letters again. This time students read it carefully and answer two questions:
1. What does the father complain about his son?
2. What problems does the son have?
As for these two questions, teacher can design a chart for later use.
Problems
Possible answers
Root cause
Father’s
1. Refuse to do everything his parents ask him to do.
2. He is rude to them though they treat him well.
3. He refuses to spend time with them.
4. He wastes time watching DVDs and listening to foreign music instead of doing homework.
5. He spends too much time in Internet cafes.
Son’s
1. His father doesn’t listen to his ideas.
2. His father shouts at him whenever he tries to talk to him and they fight like crazy.
3. His parents always make him do things that he doesn’t like.
4. They call him selfish and unloving.
5. When he plays foreign music or watch DVDs, his father gets angry and sends him to bed.
6. His father forbids him from meeting his friends online.
Discussion:
The students are sure to know the main problems the father and the son have. It’s their turn to think out possible answers to these problems and the root cause. Teachers can divide the whole class into two groups. The first group discusses the answers to father’s problems and the other group discusses the answers to son’s problems. And then find out the root cause together. Teachers will collect their answers later.
Suggested answers:
Problems
Possible answers
Root cause
Father’s
1. Refuse to do everything his parents ask him to do.
Don’t force him to do anything he doesn’t like.
Lack of communication and understanding.
2. He is rude to them though they treat him well.
Talk to him not as a father but as a friend.
3. He refuses to spend time with them.
Show him that you love him and are proud of him.
4. He wastes time watching DVDs and listening to foreign music instead of doing homework.
Show interest in his hobbies such as foreign music.
5. He spends too much time in Internet cafes.
Allow him to arrange his spare time freely on condition that he can do well at school.
Son’s
1. His father doesn’t listen to his ideas.
Tell him that you are a big boy and you can make your own decisions.
2. His father shouts at him whenever he tries to talk to him and they fight like crazy.
Don’t get angry when he shouts at you but talk to him later.
3. His parents always make him do things that he doesn’t like.
Don’t refuse their suggestions but tell them you want to do things in a different way.
4. They call him selfish and unloving.
Always tell them that you love them.
5. When he plays foreign music or watch DVDs, his father gets angry and sends him to bed.
That is because he loves you.
6. His father forbids him from meeting his friends online.
Understand he loves you.
Next, the students are required to decide in groups which of the answers suggested by their partners should be included in the letter their group will write.
→Step 3 Writing
In this step, teacher should introduce how to write an advice letter first:
Before writing an advice letter, we need to write an outline first. It will help you organize your ideas and present your information in a logical form. You will know what to write first and what should be included in it. Now please discuss and write an outline for the letter.
Teacher may also show some writing tips to students:
1. You should think about your answers carefully and send your letter as soon as possible.
2. You should write your letter in a comfortable tone and you can feel relaxed after reading it.
3. You should avoid strong language that might discourage your reader.
4. Give advice only on the subject you have been asked about.
5. If you can not give advice, express your regret and suggest that someone else would be in a better position to do so.
Then, by following the tips and the outline they have just finished, students are asked to write the advice letter in about 8 minutes. Each group can choose one member to read the letter in the front of the class and answer any questions your classmates have about your letter.
A Sample advice letter to the father:
Dear Mr. Liu,
Parent-teenager conflict is very common nowadays. We always believe there is a generation gap and teenagers are hard to deal with. That is because parents can not understand them and don’t know how they feel and what kind of life they want to have.
As you said, your son refuses to do everything you ask him to do. My advice is that you’d better not force him to do anything that he doesn’t like. If you really want him to do something, you can tell him the importance and necessity of doing that at a proper time. He himself will decide whether to do it or not since he is a big boy now and he has his own idea. He insists on watching DVDs and listening to foreign music. In my opinion, if it is good for him, you can show interest in his hobbies although you don’t like it at all. Internet café is a very popular place now. I think online chatting, especially with his friends or classmates in his spare time is not a big problem so long as he can learn the subjects well at school.
I’m sure it will work out fine if you can try understanding him. You should trust him and always communicate with him whenever you have the chance. I hope everything will be OK soon.
Good luck!
Mr. Zhu
A Sample advice letter to the son:
Dear Liu Wei,
I know your feeling and I can understand you. I was once such a boy as you and I had this kind of problems. At that time, I couldn’t understand my parents though they love me. You should believe your parents love you very much. You’d better always talk to your father that you love him too. Don’t get angry when your father doesn’t listen to you or even shouts at you. You can explain to him what you think later. Show that you are a big by now and you can make your own decisions. Surprise your father with a day spent together. Invite him to join you doing the thing you like. That way both of you can have fun.
Have a talk with your father whenever you are free. After all, communication is the best way to improve your relationship. Only in this way can you understand each other’s ideas and thoughts.
Best wishes,
Mr. Zhu
Practice
If time permits, teachers can give students more practice. The following is designed for the students to practise their spoken English, to consolidate what they have learnt, to enlarge their knowledge and to improve other abilities in learning English.
Suppose you are Liu Wei. You have received your advice letter and you want to take the advice and improve your relationship with your father. You know your father’s birthday is coming, so you want to give him a surprise. Think over what you should do and then tell your classmates.
Give them three minutes to prepare and then invite one or two students to come to the front and share his or her idea with the classmates.
Sample answer:
In order to improve our relationship, I will give my father a birthday surprise first.
The first thing I want to do is to call Ben, my father’s best friend. He will tell me the name of Dad’s favourite restaurant and he will make sure that all of my Dad’s friends from work will come. Then I will call the restaurant and book some tables. I will phone all my relatives and invite them to come too.
The day before the party, I will go to the watch shop to pick up Dad’s present. His father gave him a watch when he was young. But it stopped working last year. He often complained that he never had time to get it fixed. I also asked him to polish it. I know Dad will love it.
On his birthday, I will go to the restaurant early to make sure everything is ready. When Mum brings Dad there, everyone will shout “Happy birthday”! After dinner, I will give him a present. I’m sure he will be very happy that day.
→Step 4 Teaching and learning design of some new words and expressions
Teacher will explain some of the important words and phrases to the students. We can start with some exercises and then explain them word by word or phrase by phrase or ask the students to work in pairs and then give their explanations by themselves.
Exercises:
Complete the following sentences with the books closed.
1. Small problems can become big ones, however, if they are not discussed and_____________ _____________ (处理)early.
2. Think about how you can____________ ____________ _____________ ______________ ______________ _____________ (建议他们解决他们的问题).
3. He refuses to spend time with us or___________ _____________ _____________ ___________ _________ ________ (按我们告诉他的去做).
4. Sometimes he acts______________ ____________ (似乎) he doesn’t love us at all.
5. Recently he___________ ______________ ____________ ______________ ______________ his homework(一直拒绝做功课)and instead______________ ____________ (坚持) wasting his time watching DVDs and listening to foreign music.
6. Whenever I want to do something or_____________ (建议)an idea, he doesn’t listen to me.
7.____________ ______________ (每当)I watch a DVD he sends me to bed or tells me to spend more time studying.
Keys:
1. dealt with
2. advise them to solve their problems
3. do as we tell him
4. as though
5. has been refusing to do, insists on
6. suggest
7. Every time
Explanations:
1. deal with
This phrase can both mean “to treat” “take action about” and “to be about”.
Translate the following sentences:
1)这个问题你怎样处理?
2)孩子们很难对付。
3)这本新书是关于爱尔兰动乱的。
Keys:
1)How do you deal with the problem? =What do you do with the problem?
2)Children are hard to deal with.
3)This new book deals with troubles in Ireland.
2. advise
This word means “to tell someone what you think they should do”, We use the word as follows:
advise sb. to do sth. ;
advise sb. against doing sth. ;
advise that sb. (should)do sth.
Passengers are advised not to leaved their bags unattended.
建议乘客看管好自己的提包。
I’d advise you against saying anything to the press.
我劝你什么都不要对新闻界讲。
The doctor advises that he should stop smoking.
医生建议他戒烟。
Its noun form is “advice”. Remember the following phrases:
a piece of advice;
give sb. some advice on sth.
3. do as we tell him
Here as means “in the particular way or manner mentioned”. Translate the following sentences:
1)按我说的去做。
2)在警察到来以前, 我们最好保持现场原样。
3)入乡随俗。
Keys:
1)Do as I say.
2)We’d better leave things as they are until the police arrive.
3)When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
More uses about “as” when it is used as a conj. :
1)It is used in comparison. (像……一样)
I can’t run as fast as I used to.
我跑得不如过去那样快。
2)It means “正如”。
As I mentioned in my last letter, I will be back in June.
正如我上封信提到的, 我将在六月回来。
David, as you know, has not been well lately.
正如你所知, 戴维近来身体不好。
3)It can mean “while” or “when”.
As time passed, things seemed to get worse.
随着时间的推移, 情况似乎变得更加糟糕了。
4)It is used to state why a particular situation exists or why someone does something.
As we are both tired, let’s just have a rest.
我们俩都累了, 休息一会吧。
5)though 尽管, 虽然
Child as he is, he knows a lot.
尽管他是一个小孩子, 他懂得很多。
Hard as he tried, he did not pass the exam.
他虽然很努力, 但这次考试没及格。
More phrases:
as soon as possible 尽快
such as 比如
as a teacher 作为一个老师
as a result 因此
as usual 和往常一样
so as to do 为了做某事
as it is 事实上
4. as if/though 似乎, 好像
It looks as if it is going to rain this afternoon. 看起来今天下午要下雨了。
He speaks English as if he were an Englishman.
他英语说得很好就像是个英国人一样。(此处要注意虚拟语气)
5. has been refusing to do 一直都拒绝做……
has been refusing to do为现在完成进行时。该时态强调动作从过去开始, 一直进行到现在。该动作可能仍然在进行, 也可能刚刚停止。它常用于表示延续至今的连续性或重复性动作。(现在完成时主要用于表示已完成的动作及其与现在的关系。)如:
I have typed your letter.
我把你的信打印出来了。
I have been typing your letter.
我在打你的信。(可能还没完成)
I have taught that class.
我教过那个班。
I have been teaching that class.
我教着那个班。
Now that she is out of job, Lucy_____________ going back to school, but she hasn’t decided yet.
A. had considered
B. has been considering
C. considered
D. is going to consider
根据时态一致的原则, A、C两项应该排除, 该题目后文she hasn’t decided yet暗示此处应该使用现在完成进行时。所以答案为B项。
6. insist on
This phrase means “to order sth. to happen. ”坚持要求做, 坚决主张, 其后多跟名词, 动名词形式。
He insisted on being sent to the front.
他坚持要求被派到前方去。
辨析: insist on 与stick to
insist on意思为“坚持要求做, 坚决主张”, 其后多跟名词、动名词形式。
stick to意思为“坚持某个原则、计划、诺言、决定等”。
He always sticks to his promise.
他总是坚持自己的诺言。
insist that坚持认为
insist that sb. (should) do 坚决主张
I insist that he leave at once.
我坚持让他马上离开。
He insisted that it was necessary to help her.
他坚持认为有必要帮助她。
7. suggest 建议；暗示
suggest sth. to sb.
suggest doing sth.
suggest that暗示
suggest that sb. /sth. should do 建议
He suggested a visit to Beijing.
他建议到北京去旅游。
Our teacher suggested doing this in another way.
老师建议我们用另外一种方法做。
His pale face suggested that he was badly ill.
他苍白的脸色暗示他病得很严重。
The doctor suggested that he should stop smoking and do more exercise.
医生建议他戒烟并多做运动。
The doctor came up with the suggestion that he should stop smoking and do more exercise.
医生想到一个建议他应该戒烟并多做运动。
8. every time 每当
every time在此为从属连词, 引导时间状语从句, 注意句中不可使用表示将来的will, 可用一般现在时代替一般将来时, 用现在完成时代替将来完成时。each time, the first time, the moment, the minute 等名词性短语都可用作从属连词, 引导时间状语从句。
Every time he comes, he asks me for money.
每次他来总向我要钱。
Each time he came, he brought me a nice book.
他每次来都给我带来一本书。
—Did you remember to give Mary the money you owed her?
—Yes. I give it to her_____________ I saw her.
A. while B. the moment C. suddenly D. once
the moment引出一个时间状语从句, 相当于as soon as I saw her。A项while要求从句动词是延续性的, 而saw是瞬间动词。D项once引导含有条件意味的时间状语从句, 表示“一旦”, 而副词suddenly不能引导状语从句。所以答案是B项。
→Step 5 Homework
1. Ask students to have a talk with their parents to understand each other’s ideas and thoughts after school.
2. Finish B1 and B2 in workbook.
板书设计
problems the father thinks about his son:
suggestions to the son:
problems the son thinks about his father:
suggestions to the father:
精彩片断
Begin this class with brainstorming like this:
Before the students come to the details of this period, ask them to have a brainstorming.
Question:
When we come to the title “Writing an advice letter”, what do you expect to read in this part?
In this step, teachers can divide the class into groups and organize a competition between groups. Teachers give one star for each group. The group with the most stars will be the winner. This can not only help the students learn to predict what to read in this part but also arose their interest in reading this passage, let other students share their creative ideas, encourage more students to take part in in-class activities and give every student a chance to express their ideas.
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