Teaching goals 教学目标
1. Target language 目标语言
a. 重点词汇和短语
downtown, Transrapid Maglev, rail, track, souvenir, reach a speed of ..., at a speed
b. 重点句式
Traveling at a speed over 400 kilometers per hour, the train can complete the 30-kilometer journey in eight minutes. P29
2. Ability goals 能力目标
Enable the Ss to learn about the Transrapid Maglev train in the world.
Enable the Ss to learn about an unusual journey made by Chris Jones.
3. Learning ability goals 学能目标
Enable the Ss to tell the differences between a magnetically levitated train and an ordinary train.
Teaching important && difficult points 教学重点和难点
The advantages of traveling on a Maglev train.
Teaching methods 教学方法
Task-based reading.
Teaching aids 教具准备
A recorder, a projector and a computer.
Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式
Step I Revision
Check the homework.
A sample version:
The first time I went away from home without my parents was when I was fifteen, when I graduated from my Junior Middle school. I went on a holiday to Sichuan with my friends.
On the first day we got up at five o’clock. First, we went to Leshan, where we climbed all the way up to the mountain to see the Buddha. The Buddha was really very big: taller than the highest building in our village. Looking up at the large head and down at the large feet made us feel so small. Wei Bin took photos of us standing in front of the Buddha.
The next morning, we climbed Mount Emei. There were many old temples and the forest on the mountain that was very beautiful. The wild monkeys were the most exciting things on Mount Emei. They were not afraid of people at all. In a second they would come to you and touch you. The monkeys really liked to touch my hair. Xiao Hua took a photo of a monkey which was sitting on my head. The monkeys looked gentle, but they could be very naughty. A small monkey suddenly put its hand in Xiao Hua’s pocket. Wei Bin took out some peanuts and it was fun to see the monkey eat from his hand.
Finally, towards evening we were on the way back to Chengdu. We were all tired and slept on the bus, but our trip to Sichuan was really unforgettable.
Step II Lead-in
T: In this module, we have talked a lot about one’s first train ride or journey. How to travel has become a hot topic nowadays. Some people like to travel by train, because it is safe and cheap. Some people like to travel by plane, because it is fast and comfortable, and still some like to travel by bus because it is convenient. Today I’ll introduce a new train to you. This train has no wheels and no engine. It’s fast and clean and it doesn’t make any noise. Maybe one day you will travel by it.
Do you know what I am talking about? Now please turn to P29, you will get the answer after you read the passage.
Step III Cultural Corner
T: Now read the passage and answer the questions above it. You may discuss with your partners.
Several minutes later, the Ss report their answers to the class.
Sample answers:
1. First of all, the Maglev train is faster than an ordinary train. It is a high-speed train. Second, it has no wheels and no engine, it travels between two magnets, but an ordinary train has wheels in a vacuum and it must use engine to start. Third, the Maglev train causes less pollution than an ordinary train.
2. A Maglev train travels very quickly and quietly. No rails and no noise.
T: Next time when you visit Shanghai, don’t forget to have a try on a Maglev train.
Step IV Reading
T: We know many different means of transport. Usually we travel by train, by plane, by bus, and someone travels by bike. Can you imagine a travel on an elephant? What will it be like?
S: That must be fantastic! I would like to have a try if possible.
T: Someone already did it. He is Chris Jones. Now let’s share his experiences. Please turn to P82. First look at the picture and the title, predict what it is about. Work in groups and discuss it.
S: I think it is about Chris’ first ride on an elephant.
T: Where do you think this story takes place?
S: In India, I guess, because there are many elephants in India. Local people always ride on them.
T: You are right. It is an unusual journey that happened in India. Now read the passage and finish Exercises 8 and 9.
After the Ss finish them, check the answers with the whole class.
Step V Homework
T: Finish TASK on P30 according to the instructions and summarize what you have learnt in this module.
附 件
I. 课文注释与疑难解析
1. Recently I had my first ride on a long-distance train.
The Transrapid Maglev is the world’s first high-speed train using magnetic
levitation technology.
注意long-distance 和 high-speed 的表达法，这是由adjective + noun 构成的复合形容词。类似的有：full-time 全日制的，second-hand 二手的，first-rate 一流的，high-class 高级的，large-scale 大规模的。
2. They tried riding horses, but the horses didn’t like the hot weather and sand.
注意try 的不同用法：
try doing sth ... 试着干某事
try to do sth ... 设法干某事
eg. They tried to catch the bus, but they didn’t.
We should try to make everything ready before the teacher comes.
The students tried doing the experiment the other way.
Try teaching these words in a meaningful context, and I guess it would be better.
3. The Afghans and their camels did this until the 1920s.
1） until的不同用法：
They stayed in Beijing until the end of August.
She stood there until her son walked out of sight.
They didn’t leave Beijing until the end of August.
The student didn’t know the meaning until her classmate told her.
2） the 1920s 20世纪20年代
the 1840s 19世纪40年代
the 50s 50年代
in her 80s 在她八十多岁的时候
4. Traveling at a speed over 400 kilometers per hour, the train can complete the 30-kilometer journey in eight minutes.
注意速度speed和介词at的连用：
at full speed, at a speed of, at the top of one’s speed
II. 文化背景知识
Means of transportation for traveling
People who travel long distances will have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Maybe nobody would say they enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. The train will soon get crowded and dirty. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading may help you kill time but soon the clicking on the rails will bring you to sleep. During the day, sleep never lasts long. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you find you can hardly manage to do so. If you are lucky to get a sleeping seat, you spend half the night looking at the small blue light over your head, and when you finally arrive at the station, you are so tired that you don’t want to leave.
Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is impossible even to read. On motorways, you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speed, but more often, the great part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy (不平的) roads which are crowded with traffic.
When traveling by sea, you have a different experience. You can have a walk on the board, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food, and of course, only when the sea is calm. If it is not, you are likely to get seasick, and you will find no journey can be worse than that. Even if you travel in good weather, sea journey takes a long time. Few people would like to spend a third of their holidays for the pleasure of traveling on a ship.
Traveling by plane seems to be dangerous to some people, and, it is also the most expensive of all traveling forms, though nothing can match with planes for speed and comfort. Flying at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at 500 miles an hour is a very exciting experience. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will arrive at your destination freshly and easily. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering (恢复) from a long and tiring journey.
Travel: benefit or problem
People usually travel for many reasons. Some are looking for culture, and some simply want to have their pictures taken in front of famous places. However, most European travelers prefer to have a sunny beach to lie on.
Northern Europeans are willing to pay a lot of money for the sun because they have so little of it. People of cities like London and Amsterdam spend much of their winters in the dark because the days are so short and much of the years is in the rain. This is the reason why the Mediterranean has always attracted them. Every summer many people travel to the Mediterranean for their holidays. They all come for the same reason: sun!
The huge crowds mean lots of money for Mediterranean countries. Italy’s 30,000 hotels are booked without a break every summer. And 13 million people camp out on French beaches, parks and roadsides.
Spain’s long coastline attracts more people than anywhere else. 37 million travelers visit there every year.
On the other hand, sometimes tourism can also cause problems. For example, too many travelers can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the natives. If travelers create too much traffic, the natives become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike travelers and treat them impolitely. It is important to think about the people of the destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should also advance the health and happiness of local people.
Too much tourism also can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourist industry. This means that other industries of the country will suffer from this.
Maglevs (Magnetically levitated trains)
Introduction
The principle of a Magnet train is that it floats on a magnetic field and is propelled by a linear induction motor. They follow guidance tracks with magnets. These trains are often referred to Magnetically Levitated trains which are abbreviated to MagLev. Although maglevs don’t use steel wheel on steel rail usually associated with trains, the dictionary definition of a train is a long line of vehicles traveling in the same direction — it is a train.
How it works?
Maglev train floats about 10mm above the guide way on a magnetic field. It is propelled by the guide way itself rather than an onboard engine by changing magnetic fields (see right). Once the train is pulled into the next section of the magnetism switches, the train is pulled on again. The electro-magnets run the length of the guide way.
What are the advantages of Maglev?
The primary advantage is maintenance. Because the train floats where are no contact with the ground and therefore no need for any moving parts. As a result, there are no components that would wear out. This means in theory trains and track would need no maintenance at all. The second advantage is that because maglev trains float, there is no friction. Note that there will still be air resistance. The third advantage is less noise, because there are no wheels running along, there is no wheel noise. However, noises due to air disturbance still occur. The final advantage is speed, as a result of the three previous listed it is more viable for maglev trains to travel extremely fast, i.e. 500km/h or 300mph. Although this is possible with conventional rails, it is not economically viable. Another advantage is that the guide way can be made a lot thicker in places, e.g. after stations and going uphill, which would mean a maglev could get up to 300km/h (186mph) in only 5km where currently takes 18km. Also greater gradients would be applicable.
What are the disadvantages of Maglev?
There are several disadvantages of maglev trains. Maglev guide paths are bound to be more costly than conventional steel railways. The other main disadvantage is lacking in existing infrastructure. For example, if a high-speed line between two cities is built, then high-speed trains can serve both cities but more importantly they can serve other nearby cities by running on normal railways that branch off the high-speed line. The high-speed trains could go for a fast run on the high-speed line, and then come off it for the rest of the journey. Maglev trains wouldn’t be able to do that; they would be limited where maglev lines run. This would mean it would be very difficult to make construction of maglev lines commercially viable unless there were two very large destinations being connected. Of the 5,000km that TGV trains serve in France, only about 1,200km is high-speed line, meaning 75% of TGV services run on existing track. The fact that a maglev train will not be able to continue beyond its track may seriously hinder its usefulness.
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