New Progressive College English Book III
UNIT 2 Conspicuous Consumption
课程名称 大学英语（三） 使用教材 全新版大学进阶英语 综合教程（3） 授课内容 教学 目的 教学 重点与 难点 教学 方法 与 手段 Text Who Are the Joneses and Why Are We Trying to keep Up with Them? (精读) 6 授课学时 Reading Stop Keeping Up with the Joneses-They’re Broke (泛读) 1. Have a thorough understanding of the text contextually and linguistically 2. Talk about the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods 3. Conduct group discussion centering on the “fuerdai” phenomenon in China 4. Become familiar with expository writing 1. Analyze the structure and grasp the main idea of Text 2. Master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text 3. Learn some techniques in writing 4. Critical thinking 1. Audio-visual method and audio-lingual method. 2. Task-based language teaching method 3. Communicative approach 4. Using CAI, PPT 5. Smart teaching (using online tools or materials) 1. Lead-in Activities Step 1. Warm-up activities Step 2. Discussion about the topic 2. Global Reading Step 1. Approaching the theme Step 2. Analyzing the text organization 3. Detailed Reading Step 1. Understanding the text in a deeper level Step 2. Learning useful expressions Step 3. Learning difficult sentences structures Step 4. Learning new words 4. Comprehending Reading 1 Step 1: Skimming the text Step 2: Explaining the difficult sentences of the text Step 3: Doing sentence translation 5. After reading Step 1. Viewing and Listening Step 2. Speaking Step 3. Assignments 教学 过程 Assignments: 作业 1. Read the text in Reading 2 and finish the exercises 2. Write an expository writing 3. Preview the next unit. 1
UNIT 2 Conspicuous Consumption
1. Teaching Objectives:
Students will be able to
A. Have a thorough understanding of the text contextually and linguistically B. Talk about the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods
C. Conduct group discussion centering on the “fuerdai” phenomenon in China D. Become familiar with expository writing
2. Time Allotment: 1stPeriod: Lead-in Activities (Warm-up activities; Discussion about the topic)
2nd Period: Global-reading (Text: Approaching the theme; analyzing the text organization) 3rd Period: Detailed reading (Understanding the Text A in a deeper level, analyzing difficult
sentence structures)
4th Period: Detailed reading Activities (Learning new words, summarizing good usage)
5th Period: Comprehending Reading 1 (Skimming the text, explaining the difficult sentences
of the Text, doing sentence translation))
th
6 Period: After-reading Activities (Viewing and Listening; Speaking; Assignments)
3. Teaching Procedures:
3.1 Lead-in Activities
Step 1. Warm-up activities
Ask Ss to listen to a song and fill in the missing words in the lyrics.
Have Ss work in pairs. One student asks the other the questions in Opener, the other answers. Then switch roles.
Method: PPT, communicative approach.
Step 2: Discussion about the topic
Introduce the topic of the unit to Ss either in English or Chinese: Sometimes people buy things just for the purpose of showing that they are richer, or have better taste than others. Expensive brand-name goods can serve this purpose, and are often wanted precisely because they are expensive. Whether spending money in this way is good, bad or simply silly is something we are going to explore.
Method: Using task-based language teaching method, communicative approach.
3.2 Global reading
Step 1. Approaching the theme
Ask Ss to take a look at the Culture Notes, or ask them to do some further reading before class about the idiom “keep up with the Joneses”, its origins and its social impact, etc.
Guide Ss to explore the text to fide the meaning and origin of the expression “keep up with the Joneses”, how this phenomenon came into being, and what we should do to rid ourselves of the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses.
Method: PPT; communicative approach.
Step.2 Analyzing the text organization
The teacher tells students that the text can be divided into three parts which have been given in the Text Organization. Then students should summarize the main idea of each part and compare notes with each other.
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Parts Paragraphs Functions Main Ideas Bringing up the social phenomenon The meaning and origin of the Part One Para. 1-2 of conspicuous consumption Explaining how it occurs and why Part Two Paras. 3-6 Exploring ways of dealing with it Part Three Paras. 7-10 expression “keep up with the Joneses” How the phenomenon of keeping up with the Joneses came into being and why people buy into it. What we should do to free ourselves from the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses. Method: skimming and scanning, communicative approach
3.3 Detailed Reading 3.3.1 Procedure
1) Students are asked to read the passage carefully again and for each paragraph (sometimes two-three paragraphs), invite students to answer questions related difficult sentences and understanding of each paragraph.
2) Help Ss find out the good usage in the text and underlined them. 3) Learn new words in details.
Purpose: Further understand the text and train scanning ability to learn difficult sentence structures as well as new words and expressions.
Method: Reading the text together; Using task-based language teaching method, reading approach, communicative approach, grammar-translation approach.
Step 1. Questions related difficult sentences and understanding of each paragraph. Paras.2
Q. Where does the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” come from?
A: It comes from a cartoon strip of the same title launched by Pop Momand in 1913. Para.3&4
Q: Why were we not aware of what the Joneses were doing prior to the late 1880s?
A: Prior to the late 1880s, mass media was not born. We were only concerned about making our own living. Para.4
Q: What was the ready solution provided by magazines in order for us to catch up with the Joneses?
A: The ready solution was to buy products that were advertised. Para.9
Q: Where do true happiness and joy come from, if they are not anything money can buy? A: True happiness and joy come from within. Paras.10
Q: What are we supposed to do to stop keeping up with the Joneses?
A: Instead of buying into the message that we’re not good enough, we should have positive self-regard. We should realize we don’t have to buy things to impress others.
3.3.2 Language Focus 3.3.2.1 Difficult sentences:
1) I’d love to say that need vanished when the last episode of that comic strip ran, but alas, it seems to have only gotten worse. (Para. 2)
I would like to say that need disappeared when the comic strip came to an end, but it seems that things have turned from bad to worse instead.
我多么想说，随着最后一集连环漫画的结束，这一心态也不复存在了。可是，唉，情况似乎
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变得更糟。
2) Prior to the late 1880s, most of us were so busy trying to make a living that we didn’t care what the Joneses were doing, nor did we know, for that matter. (Para. 4)
Before the late 1880s, most of us were busy trying to make a living. We didn’t care what the Joneses were doing, and we didn’t know either.
19世纪80年代末以前，我们多数人都在忙于生计，既不关心、也不知道邻居们在做些什么。 3) And much of that assessment was, and still is, based on a perceived lack of things we’re told we should want or have. (Para. 4)
And much of that evaluation was, and still is, based on a feeling that we are short of things we ought to have because of the messages from the mass media.
从过去直至现今，很大程度上这种认识源自一种缺失感，即感觉上与别人相比，缺少了一些该要或该有的东西。
4) Because ultimately, you decide if you’re going to buy into this idea that you’re not good enough. (Para. 7)
Because in the end, you determine whether you’re going to accept the notion that you’re not good enough.
因为最终是否接受你还不够好这一想法，由你自己说了算。
5) So it’s time to take some pressure off yourself and stop trying to keep up with the Joneses — or anyone else for that matter. (Para. 8)
So it’s time to rid yourself of the pressure/free yourself from the pressure and stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. Nor should you try to keep up with anyone else.
所以，现在你该卸去你身上的压力了，不要再跟邻居攀比，也不要跟其他任何人攀比。 6) If you can’t put a cap on it, you’re chasing the wind. (Para. 9)
If you can’t put a limit on what you desire, you are undertaking a meaningless task that will lead you nowhere.
如果你不能设定一个上限，你便是在追风。
7) Think of the moments you look back on as your fondest memories. Would you trade those for a pile of cash? (Para. 9)
Think of the moments you look back on as your warmest memories. Would you exchange them for a pile of cash?
想一想回顾起来是最美好的记忆。你愿意拿它们去换一堆钱吗？
3.3.2.2 Usage
Inverted Word Order(倒装语序)
Inverted word order is often used in the following cases:
1) when a sentence begins with a negative word, such as “not”, “never”, “hardly”, “seldom”, etc. 2) when a sentence begins with an “only” expression, such as “only before”, “only after”, “only
when”, “only if” ect.
3) when an adverbial of place such as “up the hill”, “down the valley”, etc. is put at the
beginning of a sentence.
3.3.2.3 Difficult words and phrases
1) strive for: make great efforts to achieve or obtain (sth.) 努力，力求
e.g. We strive for perfection but sometimes have to accept something less than perfect. 我们力求完美，但有时不得不接受不那么完美的事。
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