Listening and viewing

Predicting the content

Before listening, it is always helpful to use your prior knowledge and experience about a given topic to develop expectations of what you are going to hear.

This strategy will make you better prepared for the listening and then enhance comprehension while listening. The title, visuals, or listed vocabulary may help you predict.

ü Listen to the short video, and answer the questions on P21

ü Discuss the following questions.

1. What do you know about genetically modified foods?

2. Study the listening skill above. What do you predict to hear about genetically modified bananas in this audio clip?

l Skill — Understanding main ideas: key words

   Listening for key words or phrases can facilitate our understanding of a speaker’s main points. Paying attention to the following clues in a speech or lecture may help us identify a key word:

1. The speaker tends to pause before introducing an important point.

2. The speaker always repeats the key word.

3. The speaker may define the key word after saying it.

ü Watch the short audio, and answer the questions on P23

ü Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you prefer eating meat or vegetables more?

2. Do you think eating less meat will help you lose weight?

3. How long can you go without eating any meat?

l Critical thinking

1. Do you agree with the argument that being vegetarian is better for the environment and for the animals? Why or why not?

2. In a carnivorous (食肉的) culture, do you think it is possible to change people’s eating habits?

3. In your viewpoint, is “weekday vegetarian” the best solution to the dilemma of whether to eat meat or to be vegetarian? Do you want to give it a shot?

Preparation for Students Before Class

1. Preview the listening skill— predicting the content

1.1 学习听力词汇

1.2 Listening Comprehension

Speaking

Opening a discussion

In a group discussion, there should be someone who takes the lead to start the discussion. It is usually the task of a group leader, if there is one. Once the discussion is opened, each person in the group may begin to make their contributions. These are the useful language patterns to open a discussion:

    Well, let’s start by looking at ...

    Let’s begin, shall we?

    So what’s your opinion of this?

If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak first.

Agreeing and disagreeing

Once a discussion is opened, there are many ways to gain access to it. A common one is to express agreement or disagreement. By building on what someone else has said, you can agree or disagree with him / her.

Translation

1. 学习视频学习本课的翻译技巧。