新编大学英语 3 Unit 2

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Menu of Reading Comprehension
Related Information
Pre-Reading Questions Passage Study
Post-Reading Questions
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often blurred, myths tend to focus on superhuman animals and gods, whereas legends glorify a hero or a great event and usually contain an element of truth. Like myths, legends, fables and folktales became popular stories handed down from generation to generation.
why its back is not smooth.
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Pre-Reading Questions
2) Usually a tortoise doesn‟t have a good reputation. A
tortoise is very slow, very foolish. It is ugly but it has a long life. It is often the symbol of longevity.
New College English III Unit 1
14Biblioteka Paragraph 2 “Once upon a time,” she began, “all the birds
were invited to a feast in the sky. They were very happy and began to prepare themselves for the great day. They painted their bodies deep red and drew beautiful patterns on them with dye. 3
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In ancient China, for example, the phoenix, the
dragon, the unicorn and the tortoise were regarded as sacred creatures that symbolized various characteristics including wisdom, longevity, indestructibility and power.
Useful Words and Phrases
cut sth. into pieces (砍/切成碎片) slip on the ice (摔倒在冰上) inherit fall into pieces
look beautiful
protect himself
New College English III Unit 1
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Related Information-3
The ancient Greeks developed a complex system
of myths related to hundreds of gods and goddesses that were said to control the fate of all men and women.
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Pre-Reading Questions
3) I think he fell from the sky and his shell was broken
into pieces. One day some birds invited him to visit their summer home in the sky. Since he couldn‟t fly, he was asked to bite the middle of a stick, with two birds holding the stick in their mouths while flying. During the flight, he mustn’t speak no matter what happened. At first, everything went well. But later on, some villagers saw them, and said,“What an odd sight!” He couldn‟t refrain from talking, and said, “It’s none of your business.” With that, he fell to the ground.
In order to understand the world around them,
virtually all early cultures developed myths that explained various aspects of life and the mysteries of nature. Animals, plants and people—both imaginary and real—were often attributed with special powers that gave them a spiritual significance.
New College English III Unit 1 Unit 1
Paragraph 1
The distant sound of low voices, broken now
and again by singing, reached Okonkwo from his wives‟ huts as each woman and her children told folk stories. 1 Ekwefi and her daughter, Ezinma, sat on a mat on the floor. It was Ekwefi‟s turn to tell a story. Suddenly the murmuring stopped and all eyes turned to their favorite and most skillful storyteller. 2
3) But we have a story about “Tortoise and Hare”, which
depicts the tortoise as clever and determined. In the story, the tortoise has a race with the hare. Even though the hare runs much faster than the tortoise, the tortoise doesn‟t give up and finally wins the race because the hare is too proud and takes a nap while the tortoise is crawling.
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Pre-Reading Questions
1) What characteristics come to your mind when you think of a tortoise? SAMPLE:
1) We can see the tortoise in the zoo but never think of
Click to see the video clip of the tortoise in fighting
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Talking About Tortoise
Directions: Discuss the following questions in groups.
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Menu of Pre-Reading Questions:
Talking About Tortoise What characteristics come to your mind when you think of a tortoise? Can you guess why the shell of the tortoise is not smooth? Give a brief explanation.
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Passage Study Active Text
Notes to the Text
Difficult Sentences
Summary of the Text
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Why the Tortoise’s Shell is Not Smooth
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Pre-Reading Questions
2) Can you guess why the shell of the tortoise is not smooth? Give a brief explanation.
SAMPLE:

1) Maybe it inherited from its mother or father; maybe it once made people annoyed so people cut it; maybe it looks more beautiful, so on and so forth. 2) I think his shell was smashed by something very hard. One day he was so hungry that he wanted to go to a castle to get some food. The place was very dangerous and it was at night, he didn‟t see that there were some traps. When he was approaching a pig’s liver, which he liked very much, a big iron bar fell off and hit him. His shell was broken into pieces. Some kind-hearted mice brought him to a witch, who mended his shell.
Robin hood
King Arthur Legend
Saint George and the Dragon
Zeus
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Although the line between myth and legend is