Unit 7 Learning about English
Text A The Glorious Messiness of English
Before Reading
I. A quiz about English：
★Ship by truck/send goods by ship？
★No “egg” in eggplant?
★No “pine” and“apple”in pineapple?
★No “ham” in a hamburger?
★Sweetmeats are_____________________.
★Sweetbreads are_____________________.
★People drive on a ___________________.
★People park on a ____________________.
II. Discussion:
1. How many years have you been learning English?
2. What do you feel about English?
III. Cultural background
Watch the following video clip to get to know the history of English.
Global Reading
Specific Division
Further understanding: Task for Part II
The main idea of the text:
The text gives us such an idea as English has become a great language because of its tolerance for outside influences .
After Reading
1. Critical Thinking:
What does the title of Text A mean "The Glorious Messiness of English" after you have finished reading?
2. Useful Expressions
1. 排行榜 a hit parade
2. 严格地说 strictly speaking
3. 对我们真正至关重要的事 the things that really matter to us
4. 发表演说 make aspeech
5. 为了加强效果 for effect
6. 系统的研究 a systematic study
7. 起源于 descend from
8. 提出 come up with
9. 向西漂泊 drift west
10. 留传给我们 pass on to us
11. 日子过得开心 enjoy oneself
12. 抚养孩子 rear/raise achild
13. 诺曼人征服英国 the Normans conquered England
14. 平民百姓 common people
15. 印刷机 a printing press
16. 大量新思想 a wealth of new thinking
17. 欧洲文艺复兴 the European Renaissance
18. 失控 be out of control
19. 付诸实施 put into practice
20. 个人自由的崇尚者 a respecter of the liberties of each individual
21. 开拓新路 strike out new path
22. 培育了…的准则 nourish the principles of …
23. 人权 the rights of man
24. 知识精英 an intellectual elite
