新视野大学英语读写教程第三册Unit4SectionA教案

Unit 4 Section A Five Famous Symbols of American Culture

Part One: Objectives

1. To learn and talk about five symbols of the United States;

2. To develop a story by time sequence;

3. To hold a press conference on the Statue of liberty;

4. To explore the famous symbols in Chinese culture

Part Two: Warming up

1. These symbols stand for …

The Eiffel Towel France

The Pyramids Egypt

The Opera House Australia

Pantheon Greece

Big Ben England

Red Square Russia

The Leaning Tower Italy

Beijing Opera China

2. Other American Symbols

The White House

Hollywood Movie

The statue of Liberty

McDonalds, KFC

Barbie

Country Music

Uncle Sam

Coca-cola

NBA

…

3. Chinese Symbols

Chinese Musical Instruments

Kongfu

Confucius

Dragon

Pottery

Qi-pao

Chinese Silk

Chinese Medicine

The Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑)

Calligraphy

The Imperial Palace

4. Which can be a tribute to an event of historical significance?

1)The Statue of Liberty was designed to celebrate US victory in the war of independence, as a tribute to the desire of US people for liberty and freedom.

2) The Monument of the People’s Heroes was dedicated to the lives given for the founding of New China, as a token of the Chinese people’s resolve to abolish the exploiting system.

3) Peking Opera, though characteristic of Chinese people’s quest for excellence in music and art, it does not meet our given criterion for cultural symbols.

4) NBA (short for the National Basketball Association) is not in line with our criterion here despite the fact that it has already been descriptive of the American culture and popular all over the world.

5. Which can be descriptive of people’s inspiration?

American Gothic, Compass, and Barbie Doll all shine with people’s inspiration. American Gothic is a painting of inspiration from the Gothic window of an old farmhouse, but the faces in it make it peculiar to American spirits. The compass is an instrument of inspiration from earth induction, which in turn glows with the Chinese wisdom. And Barbie Doll is the outcome of inspiration from a German doll, but now the refashioned doll has become the queen of all dolls. The White House and the Imperial Palace in Beijing may be descriptive of architectural styles peculiar to American and Chinese cultures respectively, but it is their special residents that make them typical of both cultures. The White House is a building where every American president in office lives, naturally it stands for the American government, similarly The Forbidden City was once a place where every emperor of Qing Dynasty lived.

6. What can serve as a typical witness to tragedies in history of one culture?

Some cultural symbols serve to remind a nation of her tragedies in history. When it comes to Yuanming Yuan, for instance, we tend to think of Eight-Power Allied Forces and the scars they made on China. Buffalo Nickel bears witness to two tragedies in US history—the destruction of the buffalo herds and the destruction of the American Indians. As for the Great Wall, most of us believe it reflects the inspiration and industriousness of our ancestors, but in view of its purpose, some also regard it as a witness to our nation’s self-seclusion and vulnerability.

7. Which of the following can be seen as a product of times?

It is said that times produce their heroes. If so, the greatness of Abraham Lincoln lies in his epoch that gave full play to his talents in abolishing slavery and bringing states into a unity, which in turn proved him to be a symbol of justice and democracy. Uncle Sam was born into the era of American Revolution to liberate America from Britain, thus turning him into a figure of trust, strength, and patriotism.

Lei Feng is a hero of times in our culture. In effect, Lei Feng was a mirror of the age when the Chinese people were full of enthusiasm for socialist construction as well as gratitude for their liberty. But the concept of times and heroes has no bearing on the birth of Confucius. Instead, he was such a great philosopher that his school of thought has had great effect on our pattern of seeing things.

8. Why does the guide in the video see the Statue of Liberty as the most enduring symbol of the American culture?

“It’s as American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie”is commonly used to express that something owes its invention to the United States. But, while very few would dispute baseball’s origin, the claim to hot dogs and apple pie can be argued at length. Here are five more inventions and symbols that are definitely American: the Statue of Liberty, which, though given as a gift from the French, has always symbolized the concept of freedom; the Barbie doll, which has become the queen of all toys; American Gothic, a portrait showing a farmer and his wife; the Buffalo nickel, a