1、Unit 5 Into the unknownUnderstanding ideas目录页contentsPre-readingILanguage pointsFast readingIIHomeworkIntensive readingIIIVIPost-readingPre-reading Pre-readingLook at the pictures and answer the questions.Do further research if necessary.1.What do you know about these ancient civilisations?2.What mi
2、ght be the reasons behind their collapse?3.What other ancient civilisations do you know of?Share what you know with the class.Pre-reading1.What do you know about these ancient civilisations?Ancient Greece has a long history which was made up of many Greek city-states.The ancient Greeks believed in g
3、ods,goddesses,and magical creatures.The Greeks built temples to honor their gods.They told wonderful myths about their gods.Pre-reading Ancient Babylon was a massive walled city,and everyone lived inside the walled city.Laws of Babylon were famous.To ensure that the laws were followed by everyone,on
4、e of the kings of Babylon had the laws written down on stone so that everyone would be treated equally under the law.1.What do you know about these ancient civilisations?Pre-reading Ancient Egypt had advanced science and technology for the time.Ancient Egyptians built a lot of grand Pyramids,which w
5、ere the tombs of their kings.Ancient Egyptians left many works of art,which reflected the collective effort.The colors of the paintings in the rock tombs looked fresh and vivid.1.What do you know about these ancient civilisations?Pre-reading2.What might be the reasons behind their collapse?It might
6、be the wars that led to their collapse.They were conquered by other empires.Pre-reading3.What other ancient civilisations do you know of?Share what you know with the class.The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years.Ancient MayaThe Maya believed in many gods.They built large temples to
7、honor them.Fast reading Fast readingRead the passage and find out the possible reasons for the disappearance of Maya civilisation.The way that the Maya people changed the landscape around them may have been one of the reasons behind the disappearance of their civilisation.Turning wetlands into field
8、s for growing grains,digging huge canal systems and cutting down more trees for Fast readingRead the passage and find out the possible reasons for the disappearance of Maya civilisation.construction reduced their ability to cope with natural disasters.When those natural disasters,such as droughts,st
9、ruck,the Maya would have faced food shortages,conflicts and,eventually,the downfall of their cities.Fast readingChoose the topic sentences and write them on the lines to complete the passage.a.Maya civilisation has been surrounded by mystery since its rediscovery in the 19th century.b.But the greate
10、st mystery of all is what caused the Maya to abandon most of their great cities.c.Although his theory has been dismissed by scholars,it shows how powerful the secrets of Ancient Maya civilisation are among people.Fast readingd.Research also suggests that those natural disasters may have led to the d
11、ecline of the Maya.e.Meanwhile,the rise and fall of this civilisation must also leave us thinking about our own past,present and future.f.Some research seems to indicate that the Maya people themselves may have played a part in their downfall.Choose the topic sentences and write them on the lines to
12、 complete the passage.IIIIntensive reading Intensive readingTry to figure out the structure of the passage.The mysteries of MayaPart 1:_Part 2:_Part 3:_Part 4:_ _Part 5:_ _(para.1)Introduce the topic(para.2)The achievements of Maya civilization(para.3)The decline of Maya civilization(para.4-5)The re
13、asons for the collapse of Maya civilization(para.6)The mysteries of Maya civilization remain to be solved Intensive readingTime:around 1800 BC to 1100 ADLocation:from 1 _ to 2_Possible reasons for collapse1.human causes-reduced the ability to deal with 3_ u4 _ u5 _ uhuge expansion of the 6 _ 2.natur
14、al causes-a series of 7_between 700 AD and 1000 AD,each _ Organise information from the passage and complete the file of Maya civilisation.Intensive readingMAYA CIVILISATIONTime:around 1800 BC to 1100 ADLocation:from 1 _ to 2_Possible reasons for collapse1.human causes reduced the ability to deal wi
15、th 3_ MexicoCentral Americanatural disasters Intensive readingu4 _ u5 _ uhuge expansion of the 6 _ 2.natural causes a series of 7_ between 700 AD and 1000 AD,each _ turning wetlands into fieldsdigging huge canal systems population droughts lasting for a couple of years Intensive readingComparing the
16、 highly-sophisticated civilisations of the Maya and Ancient China reveals some surprising similarities.They both possessed a detailed understanding of 1 _ and astronomy,which helped them maintain an accurate 2 _,and a complex 3_ that used signs to represent sounds and meanings.mathematics calendarwr
17、iting systemComplete the cultural comparison with information from the passage.Intensive readingIt can therefore be difficult to explain why,despite their excellent construction skills,the Maya never learnt to use 4_,while the ancient Chinese did.Facts such as these add to the mystery surrounding Ma
18、ya civilisation,driving people to find out why it 5 _while others,such as Ancient China,survived and thrived.wheels,metal tools or even animal powerdisappearedComplete the cultural comparison with information from the passage.Post-reading 1.What is the authors purpose in starting the passage with th
19、e story about William Gadoury?2.What other things do you think could destroy a civilisation?Share an example with the class.3.What lessons can you learn from the collapse of Maya civilisation?How can this information help the development of todays society?4.Which of the arguments in the passage did
20、you find the most convincing?Give your reasons.Post-reading 1.What is the authors purpose in starting the passage with the story about William Gadoury?Post-readingThe story about William Gadoury shows how the secrets of Ancient Maya civilisation have captured peoples imaginations.2.What other things
21、 do you think could destroy a civilisation?Share an example with the class?Post-reading Maybe the wars.Ancient Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire.3.What lessons can you learn from the collapse of Maya civilisation?How can this information help the development of todays society?Post-reading We
22、cant destroy the balance of the ecosystem.Humans should live in harmony with nature.Only if we care for nature can we better protect our living environment.4.Which of the arguments in the passage did you find the most convincing?Give your reasons.Post-readingVIHomework HomeworkWrite a short passage to describe the reasons for the collapse of Maya civilisation with your own words.VIthank you
