An Introduction to this Course and Online Learning 

   

                         Teacher’s message

 

Hello,everyone.

 

A new term, a new teacher, a new beginning and a new experience.

Welcome back to "school".

 

My name is Ella Young. I have been teaching English in this college for more than a decade. So you can imagine how old and senior I am. At the very beginning of each semester, I greet and say hi to new students. After a short four -month, we say goodbye to each other withreluctance. In this sense we are both new to each other. New means strange,challenging, refreshing and adapting. I hope this new month we will spend together will be a month of achievement, fulfillment and sweet memories.

 

As you know, we had an especially long holiday of rest, relaxation, confusion and panic. Because of the virus outbreak, we are locked indoors all the day. We have spent a holiday at home,right? So I am definitely sure you have got ready for school. Some of you are even missing school, arent' you?

 

I hope in this new semester you can still follow your dreams and pursue your passions. I hope you can focus on study and don’t let the annoying things control your mind. Just follow your heart. Don’t worry about, in the future, whether you have a fancy enough title or a fancy enough car. I hope you can set new goals, achieve a level of personal growth, make more friends and get more involved in volunteering work and be more physically and mentally healthy. In a sentence, doing what is meaningful to you and making a difference in this world.

 

My best wishes for all of you.

 

EllaYoung

2020/2/24

看新闻学英语

News  item 1

Kenya suffersworst locust swarms in 70 years

East Africa is plagued by its worst locustoutbreak in 70 years, with Kenya hit particularly hard. Billions of locusts areswarmingacross the continent, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organizationis appealingfor 76 million U.S. dollars to control the problem. Kenya's Ministry ofAgriculture has mobilized five planes to spray chemicals in one county innorthern Kenya, but more swarms are appearing every week. The outbreak is alsoaffecting parts of Ethiopia（埃塞俄比亚） and Somalia. There are fears it could get worse in thecoming weeks with forecasts of fresh rain.

 

重点词汇：

1.   plague

n. large numbers of an animal or insect that come into an area and cause great damage（老鼠或昆虫等肆虐造成的）灾害，祸患

a plague of locusts/rats, etc. 蝗灾、鼠害等

Locust plague  蝗灾

verb. If you are plagued by unpleasant things,they continually cause you a lot of trouble or suffering. 困扰；使烦恼；折磨

She was plagued by weakness,fatigue, and dizziness...她感觉体虚、疲倦、头昏眼花。

East Africa is plagued by itsworst locust outbreak in 70 years. 东非遭遇了70年以来最为严峻的蝗灾。

2. swarm

n. a large group of insects, animals or people

a swarm of bees/locusts/flies 一大群蜜蜂 / 蝗虫 / 苍蝇

locust swarm 蝗虫之灾; 蝗群; 蝗虫蜂拥

v. to move around together in a large group 成群结队地飞/涌入

People swarmed to the shops,buying up everything in sight.人们成群地涌向商店，见什么买什么

3.appeal for : make a serious request for 呼吁；恳求

4. mobilize vt. to worktogether to achieve a purpose 动员；组织

5.spray chemicals喷洒化学物品    hair spray 发胶    face spray喷雾

News item 2

As 400 billion locusts approach China from the India-Pakistan border, 100,000 "duck troops" are gathering to preparefor the potential emergency.