1、A craftsman who wishes to practice his craft well must first sharpen his tools.-Confucius 工欲善其事，必先利其器。工欲善其事，必先利其器。Word GuessingThen what is“器器”for a foreign language student?Dictionary Dictionary You can guess a word meaning from C-context,S-structure,and D-dictionary.Now we will deal with“D”how to
2、make use of dictionary.How to use a dictionary?The essential method:scanningNow guess the meaning of the pictures and the words first with the skill of prediction,then with the help of dictionary.Bird Flu This year a new strain of winter flu is being billed as a potential killer.Eight years after fi
3、rst jumping to humans in Hong Kong,the bird flu has landed in Europe.If it mutates,experts fear a pandemic.strain noun C1 a particular type or quality:A strain of Puritanism runs through all her work.2 an animal or plant from a particular group whose characteristics are different in some way from ot
4、hers of the same group:Scientists have discovered a new strain of the virus which is much more dangerous.This year a new strain of winter flu is being billed as a potential killer.Eight years after first jumping to humans in Hong Kong,the bird flu has landed in Europe.If it mutates,experts fear a pa
5、ndemic.bill sb as sth phrasal verb usually passiveto describe someone in a particular way in order to advertise them:The young author was billed as the new Beckett.This year a new strain of winter flu is being billed as a potential killer.Eight years after first jumping to humans in Hong Kong,the bi
6、rd flu has landed in Europe.If it mutates,experts fear a pandemic.mutate verb I 1 to develop new physical characteristics because of a permanent change in the genes.These changes can happen naturally or can be produced by the use of chemicals or radiation:These bacteria have mutated into forms that
7、are resistant to certain drugs.2 to change from one thing or type of thing into another:Jon has mutated from an awkward teenager into a sophisticated young man.This year a new strain of winter flu is being billed as a potential killer.Eight years after first jumping to humans in Hong Kong,the bird f
8、lu has landed in Europe.If it mutates,experts fear a pandemic.pandemic adjective SPECIALIZED(of a disease)existing in almost all of an area or in almost all of a group of people,animals or plants:In some parts of the world malaria is still pandemic.pandemic noun C SPECIALIZEDa pandemic of influenzaa
9、n influenza pandemicThis year a new strain of winter flu is being billed as a potential killer.Eight years after first jumping to humans in Hong Kong,the bird flu has landed in Europe.If it mutates,experts fear a pandemic.Language Tips 1Epidemic:a regional,relatively short outbreak of a diseasePande
10、mic:a highly fatal,global,often years-long,outbreakLanguage Tips 2If a friend in your maths class is coughing on Monday and by Wednesday you have the same cold,you can joke with him and say:“I have caught your cough.”“Ive got your cold.”“Youve given me your cold.”Language Tips 3Youre tired and youve
11、 had a headache since Tuesday.You think youve coming down with the flu short for influenza.The phrase“coming down with XXX”is often used with minor illnesses that are easily caught and recovered from.You wouldnt say youre“coming down with cancer”as people assume you might not recover or“come up”agai
12、n.Language Tips 4These are casual,colloquial expressions to say youre“stuffed up”(for instance,your nose is blocked).“I feel all fluey.”“Im all blocked up.”“Im a bit under the weather.”“Under the weather”is an idiom meaning youre not well.Language Tips 5A“runny nose”is another flu symptom.It means t
13、hat you need to keep blowing your nose.A“head cold”describes the combination of blocked/runny nose,tired eyes and a minor headache.Language Tips 6If youve recovered,you can say:“I feel a hundred times better.My flu is gone.”“Im much better now,my head cold has disappeared.”“Ive bounced back.”Efficie
14、nt Use of a DictionaryDictionary is the best language teacher.Therefore,a good language learner ought to be good at using a dictionary.A good dictionary provides lots of information.Lets look at an example on page 6 in Readers Choice.Efficient Use of a DictionaryExample:Lets hang up some paintings o
15、n these _ walls.A.bareB.emptyC.blank D.vacantEfficient Use of a Dictionarybare:empty,not covered by anything,or not having any decorationsempty:an empty room,building etc.does not have any people in itblank:showing no expression,understanding or interest;without any writing,print,or recorded soundva
16、cant:a vacant seat,room etc.is empty and available for someone to use;a vacant job or position in an organization is available for someone to start doingEfficient Use of a DictionaryExample sentences:This room looks very bare-you need some pictures on the walls.The house had been empty for six months before we moved in.Leave the last page blank.Only a few apartments were still vacant.
