Unit 2 Morals and Virtues

Listening and Speaking & Listening and Talking

 

Teaching Aims

1. Students can understand the definition of moral dilemmas and carry on good morals and virtues.

2. Students can judge the speakers’ attitudes and emotions by listening to what the speakers say, the tone and intonation of the speakers.

3. Students can talk about their opinions about a certain moral dilemma and the importance of good morals and virtues.

4. Students can learn and understand the rising intonation.

Important Points and Difficult Points

1. Students can judge the speakers’ attitudes and emotions by listening to what the speakers say, the tone and intonation of the speakers.

2. Students can talk about their opinions about a certain moral dilemma and the importance of good morals and virtues.

Teaching Procedures

Part A Listening and Speaking—Talk about moral dilemmas

Step 1 Lead in—Small talk

Can you list some Chinese good traditional morals and virtues?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers: giving, friendliness, hope, kindness, generosity, help, honesty, responsibility, courage ...

Step 2 Before-listening

Before you listen, look at the definition and the picture below. Then tell your partner what happened to the boy. T asks several Ss to share their ideas.

                                   

Step 3 While-listening—Task 1

Activity 2

Listen to the conversation and complete the table to describe the moral dilemma that Jane is talking about. Then check the answers.

Step 4 While-listening—Task 2

Listen again and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) in Activity 3. Then check the answers.

Step 5 While-listening—Task 3

Listen to the conversation carefully and answer the questions.

1. What did the girl do to help the student?

2. What was the girl’s name? What was she famous for?

3. What did Jane say about the girl’s life?

Step 6 Post listening—Speaking

Talk about what you would do if you were ever faced with the same situation as the girl. Then share your thoughts with your group, and explain the reasons for your choice.

A: If I were ever in a situation like the one the girl faced, I think I would choose to help her and send her to the nearest hospital.

B: Why? Are you sure?

A: Because I think that life is the most important for us. What about you?

B: I think I would do the same as you.

Step 7 Pronunciation—Rising intonation

升调和降调是英语中最基本，也是最重要的两种语调。

降调的基本意义是表示肯定、完整、结束等意义，主要用于陈述。

升调的基本意义是表示不肯定、不完整、未结束等意义，主要用于提问。

例如：

1. A: Jean, can you bring me the newspaper?

B: ↗Sorry?

Jean用升调说Sorry，其意思是I didn’t hear you. Could you say that again, please?

2. A: Jean, can you bring me the newspaper?

B: ↙Sorry.

Jean用降调说Sorry，显然其意思是拒绝帮助或无能为力。

3. A: Mr. Smith thinks we ought to get the money in hand first.

B: ↗Who?

A: Mr. Smith.

B用升调说Who，表示听不清对方谈话中的某一部分，要求对方再重复那一部分。

4. A: We’d like to have someone to say a word at the beginning to welcome the group.

B: ↙Who?

A: We thought that you or Dr. Johnson might do it.

B用降调说Who，其意思是问，对方想让谁在开场时致欢迎词。

Step 8 Pronunciation—Exercise

1.  Listen to the conversations and match each rising intonation with its meaning.

（1）A: You know Angela?

B: ↗Yes.

（2）A: You volunteer at the local shelter, ↗don’t you?

B: Yes. It’s a great experience.

（3）A: Did you hear that James helped an old woman who fell down while crossing the street?

B: Yes. It was a bit ↗dangerous, but he got all the cars to stop.

Answers: B  C  A

2. Read the conversation and mark ↗in the correct places. Then listen to the recording to check. Notice the meaning of each rising intonation.

Peter: It’s a nice day, isn’t it?

Nick: Yes, but it looks gloomy to me.

Peter: Why? What happened?

Nick: You know ↗Tony?

Peter: ↗Yes.

Nick: He asked me to write an essay for him. But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. ↗Do you?

Peter: No, it’s not.

Nick: But I’m afraid to lose him as a friend．

Peter: Well, good friends should help each other. But it doesn’t mean you should help him cheat!

Why not help him with his ↗schoolwork?

Nick: Good idea!

 

Part B Listening and Talking—Talk about the importance of kindness

Step 1 Before-listening—Small talk

Kindness is very important for the harmony of a society. Besides, it is also a good traditional virtue in our culture. We should cherish it and carry it on. But do you know what kindness includes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have Ss write down some kindness that they know.

Step 2 While-listening—Task 1

Listen to a radio show and answer these questions. Then check the answers.

1. What is the name of the radio show?

2. What does “Paying it forward” mean?

3. What does the guest want the listeners to do?

Step 3 While-listening—Task 2

Listen to the radio show again and fill in the blanks to complete the story in Activity 2．

Step 4 Post-listening—Talking 

Think of a story of showing or receiving kindness, either your own story or one that you have heard of. Then share it with your group. In Activity 3, there are some words and expressions that may help you. Go through “Tell a story”, and then try to tell a story by yourself.

Tell a story

When telling a story, you can start by saying what the story is about. Give the background to the listeners, including when and where it took place. Say what happened step by step and be sure to use correct tenses. Do not forget to use sequencing words or linking words. Finally, finish your story by saying why it is important to you or why you remember it.