Language and Culture
Talk
David Robert Jones (1947 –2016), known professionally as David Bowie [大卫·鲍伊], was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music.
Ziggy Stardust: "ZiggyStardust" is a song written by David Bowie in 1972 for the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The name Stardust was inspired by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy.
“Queen Elizabeth” here refers to Queen Elizabeth II. She was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London, to Prince Albert, Duke of York (later known as King George VI), and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, became queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned on June 2, 1953.
Passage 1
Queen Elizabeth I, bynames the Virgin Queen and Good Queen Bess, (1533-1603), queen of England (1558–1603) during a period, often called the Elizabethan Age, when England asserted itselfvigorously as a major European power in politics, commerce, and the arts.
Henry VIll was desperate to have a son. He divorced his first wife after many years during which the only living child they had was a daughter.
His second wife produced Elizabeth, but no son. The third died giving birth to a son, but the son was weak and often ill. The fourth marriage never really happened, as when the foreign princess he had legally married arrived, he disliked her so much that he sent her home. The fifth did not supply children. The sixth survived by nursing the then old and sick king.
Henry was followed by his son Edward VI, but he died in his teens. There was no choice but a queen. The daughter of the first wife was Mary I and married Philip of Spain. She failed to bear children and on her death, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne.
At the time Europe was torn by religious wars. To escape his first marriage, Henry Vlll had sided with the Protestants. Mary l, in defence of her mother, remained Roman Catholic. Spain was the leading Catholic power. Edward VI and Elizabeth I were Protestant. This in part explains the wars between England and Spain. Philip II was also fighting for control of the present Holland and Belgium, an area the English have always worried about as it is so close. Philip hoped his Armada would stop the English giving help to his enemies and bring England back to Catholicism.
Anne Boleyn [安妮·博林] (/ˈbʊlɪn, bʊˈlɪn/; 1501 –1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their marriage, and her execution by beheading, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation [英國宗教改革].
Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, reigned over Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. Her unwise marital and political actions provoked rebellion among the Scottish nobles, forcing her to flee to England, where she was eventually beheaded as a Roman Catholic threat to the English throne.
Philip II was a member of the Habsburg dynasty. He served as king of the Spaniards from 1556 to 1598 and as king of the Portuguese (as Philip I) from 1580 to 1598. The Spanish empire under Philip prospered: it attained its greatest power, extent, and influence.
The Spanish Armada [西班牙的无敌舰队] was a fleet of ships that was assembled by King Philip Il of Spain. ("Armada”means"navy" in Spanish.) The Armada sailed for England with the intention of invading it.
Passage 2
Pompeii [pɔmˈpei] [庞贝, 意大利古城] n. ancient city southeast of Naples that was buried by a volcanic eruption from Vesuvius.
Vesuvius [vi'su:vjəs] n. a volcano in southwestern Italy on the Mediterranean coast; a Plinian eruption in 79 AD buried Pompeii and killed Pliny the Elder; last erupted in 1944. 维苏威(火山名)
Public bath [公共浴场] There are three main public baths in Pompeii: the Forum Baths, the Central Baths and the Stabian Baths. All three baths were initially supplied water from the River Sarno and local wells, but later they were supplied by the aqueduct [高架渠] which brought water from the nearby hills.
Pre-listening activities
Passage 1
【Book 2】P79. 2. Work in pairs and discuss the questions.
1. Have there been any women rulers in Chinese history?
2. Would you expect there to be many female English monarchs?
3. What kind of problems might a female monarch face?
Passage 2
【Book 2】P80. 7. Work in pairs. Look at the photo and answer the questions.
1. What do you think happened to this town?
2. How has the town been preserved?
3. Where do you think it is?
Extra credit
Watch the following 3 video clips and answer the questions.
1. What event do these video clips reflect?
2. What do you know about the event from the video?
3. Which of the three videos do you think the best and why?
