第一章Your College Years 大学时代

Chapter 1 is mainly about what students will experience in their “college years”. College life is both an 
exciting and frustrating experience. In short, college students have to face many “developmental changes” 
and make many important adjustments and decisions that will concern their education and career, and valuesand social responsibilities.

●1.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, 3 warming up questions of college life and college education are being discussed. There   are four academic years in college, just like there are four seasons in a year. We will talk about “seasons in  college” together.

●1.2Background Information I

In this section, a brief introduction to Erik H. Erickson is covered and the first four stages of his theory about “developmental stages” are being discussed. We should know the virtue of each stage.

●1.3Background Information II

In this section, the last four stages of Etickson's theory about “developmental stages” are being discussed. We should know the virtue of each stage.

●1.4Theme and Structure

In this section, the theme and the structural analysis of the text is being discussed and summarized.  We should understand the importance of unity, coherence and transition.

●1.5Phonetic Study: Stress

This lecture focuses on stress in the English language on three levels, word stress, sentence stress and weak forms. In a word, there is a clear contrast of pronunciation between the stressed syllable and the unstressed syllable. In a sentence, four types of stress are worth specific attention. Forty-plus function words and their ways of weakening are also being illustrated.

第二章How Reading Changed My Life 读书如何改变我的一生

Chapter 2 is concerned with the importance and vital role of reading. It narrates the author’s delightful and  fruitful experiences of reading, and discusses the crisis faced by reading. It calls for lifelong reading for sheer pleasure.

●2.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, the topic of reading is being discussed, including World Book Day, importance, declining   reading population and its way out.

●2.2Background Information

This section is a brief introduction to the author of the essay, Anna Marie Quindlen ranging from her literary  achievements to the importance of reading to her life and writing career. The author’s suggested reading listis also being covered.

●2.3Theme and Structure

In this section, the theme of the essay is summarized. A structural analysis of the essay is being discussed.

●2.4Text Analysis

This section focuses on the two key points discussed in the essay. One is the merits of reading mentioned   by the author, and the other is the crisis faced by reading.

●2.5Culture Corner: Valentine's Day

This section mainly introduces the origin, relating stories and folk traditions of Valentine's Day.

第三章A Dill Pickle 一块莳萝泡菜

In this Chapter, we will appreciate a story written by  Katherine Mansfield, a famous woman writer who is oftencompared to Chekhov, the great Russian storyteller. In  the story, the author artfully points up Vera’s sensitivity and the man’s insensitivity to others.
This story is written in the style of stream of consciousness with emphasis on the expression of thoughts and  feelings. Therefore we have to read carefully between  lines for the hidden thoughts and feelings.

●3.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, the literal meaning of “A Dill Pickle” and the implication of the title are being discussed.

●3.2Background Information

In this section, a general introduction to Katherine Mansfield is being covered, including her major works, her adventurous spirit, her style, the themes of Mansfield's novels and her influence on the short story.

●3.3Writing Techniques

In this section, 2 genres, such as modernism and feminism and three writing devices, such as symbolism,   metaphor and irony are being shown by detailed explanation and examples.

●3.4Phonetic Study: Rhythm

This lecture is concerned with rhythm in the English language. The definition of rhythm is being discussed. A contrastive study of stress-timed rhythm and syllable-timed rhythm is thoroughly made with the classical pictures. And four major and minor features of English rhythm are finally being covered.

●3.5Culture Corner: April Fool's Day

In this section, some information about April Fool's Day is   introduced, including its origin, the way people fool others indifferent countries, the customs on this day and even how to prank others.

第四章Diogenes and Alexander 第欧根尼与亚历山大

Chapter 4 is a vivid description of two legendary figures,  Diogenes the beggar and Alexander the Conqueror, and  their dramatic encounter. It displays a life free from the  dependencies introduced by extravagances and old  conventions.

●4.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, the comparison and contrast between philosophers and monarchs is being discussed. The  stories of Confucius are also dealt with.

●4.2Background Information

This section is mainly about the background information of the two legendary figures. Some key principles of Diogenes’ philosophy are being explained. A brief introduction to Alexander the Great is also being dealt with.

●4.3Theme and Structure

In this section, the theme of the essay is summarized. A structural analysis of the essay is being discussed.

●4.4Writing Skills

This section focuses on the writing skills of comparison and contrast, including the three patterns and  relevant examples. The use of comparison and contrast in the essay is also being discussed.

●4.5Culture Corner: Easter

This section mainly introduces the origin, traditions and celebrations of Easter.

第五章Silent Spring 寂静的春天

Chapter 5 is mainly about the protection of the environment. It deals with the problems and threats made  by the use of chemicals, especially the use of pesticides and calls on people’s awareness of caring more  about the environment.

●5.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, the environmental problems people have nowadays are being discussed, including the causes and effects. The using of chemicals, especially pesticides, is also being covered.

●5.2Background Information

This section is mainly about the writing background information of the book Silent Spring.  A brief introduction to the author of the book, Rachel Carson, is also being made. 

●5.3Text Analysis I

In this section, the theme and the structural analysis of the text is being discussed and summarized.  A general understanding of the first part of the text is made to the students.

●5.4Text Analysis II

In this section, the theme and the structural analysis of the text is being discussed and summarized.  A general understanding of the second part of the text is made to the students.

●5.5Phonetic Study: Sound Changes

This lecture presents a brief introduction to the common phenomenon of sound changes in connected speech of  English. Weakening, linking, elision, assimilation,  incomplete plosion, nasal plosion and lateral plosion are being covered. Much emphasis is finally placed on the  importance of sound changes and a caution of word in  the actual application. 

●5.6Culture Corner: Halloween

In this section, some information about Halloween is introduced, including its origin, the symbols, the food and the game.

第六章In My Day 我年轻的时候

Chapter 6 is mainly about the problems of ageing and the issues of generation gap. These questions are  being discussed from both the perspectives of the old and the one of the young. It calls on the mutual  understanding between the two.

●6.1Lead-in Activities

In this section, the meaning of the title “In My Day” is being discussed. The problems the old encounter and the issue of generation gap are also dealt with.

●6.2Background Information

This section is mainly about the writing background information of the text. A brief introduction to the  author Russell Baker is also being made. The Gun Powder Plot is being introduced to the students. 

●6.3Theme and Structure

In this section, the theme and the structural analysis of the text is being discussed and summarized.  A general understanding of the whole text is made to the students.

●6.4Writing Techniques

In this section, two genres, namely, narration and discussion are being illustrated in details. Some figures of  speech are also being covered.

●6.5Culture Corner: Thanksgiving Day

This section mainly introduces the origin, traditions and customs of American Thanksgiving Day.

第七章 Why Historians Disagree 历史学家们为何意见有分歧

This chapter discusses the definition of history, the role of the historian and the reasons why historians  disagree.

●7.1Lead-in Activities

This section mainly deals with three questions: how history is defined, the reason why we study history, and what a historian is. 

●7.2Background Information

This section gives a brief introduction to World War I, Woodrow Wilson, Zimmerman Note and American Civil War.

●7.3Text Analysis

In this section, a structural analysis of the text is made and the theme of the text is summarized.  A general understanding of the whole text is made to the students.

●7.4Writing Skills

This section deals with the writing skill exposition, including what exposition means, the four conventions of exposition and the three ways of developing paragraphs.

●7.5Phonetic Study: Intonation

This lecture covers the English intonation with the focus on  the three Ts, tonality, tonicity and tone. The importance of  intonation in communication is being discussed. Examples  are also used to illustrate how to mark the intonation  phrase, determine the nucleus and select the nuclear tone. 

第八章The Needs That Drive Us All 推动人类前进的需求

This chapter tells the readers that human beings are driven by five basic needs, some of which are shared by other  animals, but others are uniquely human.

●8.1Lead-in Activities

This section discusses three questions: if humans actions are driven by human needs, what basic human  needs are and if these needs are exclusively human.

●8.2Background Information

This section introduces the author William Glasser and his theories: Choice Theory & Reality Therapy; gives a brief introduction to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and explains the story of Tom Sawyer painting the fence.

●8.3Text Analysis

In this section, a structural analysis of the text is made and the theme of the text is summarized.  A general understanding of the whole text is made to the students.

●8.4Writing Skills

This section explains what Unity and Coherence are respectively and lists four basic methods in achieving  Coherence.

●8.5Culture Corner: Christmas Day

In this section, some information about Christmas is introduced, including the origin of the word Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, the stories of Christmas tree and Santa Claus, and the Christmas food people eat.