1、Unit 4 Never too old to learnWelcome to the unit&Reading()In this unit,you are going to:read a magazine article about lifelong learning;write an article calling for people to read more;read a journal entry about a students university life;make a booklet about lifelong learning.Intellectual growth sh
2、ould commence at birth and cease only at death.Albert Einstein智力发展应始于出生，终智力发展应始于出生，终于死亡。于死亡。阿尔伯特阿尔伯特爱因斯坦爱因斯坦这句话出自世界著名物理学家阿尔伯特这句话出自世界著名物理学家阿尔伯特爱因斯坦，意在说明学爱因斯坦，意在说明学习应该贯穿人的一生。习应该贯穿人的一生。1.What does the quote from Albert Einstein mean?This quote indicates that learning is very important,and one should co
3、ntinue learning throughout his or her life.Learning styles are the methods people prefer to use when they are learning something.When people learn,they may depend on one or a few learning styles.2.What are learning styles?Different people learn in different ways.Read the leaflet below on learning st
4、yles and discuss the following questions in pairs.Fill in the table.Learning styleMeaningBehaviourAuditoryVisualPhysicalLearners do best when having verbally presented information.Learners do best when having visually presented information.Learners do best when h a v i n g p h y s i c a l l y presen
5、ted information.Using listening and speaking skills to sort informationBeing able to easily visualize objectsDoing experiments and making things What is your learning style?I am a visual learner.I learn best from videos,pictures,charts and other visual cues.I understand the information better and re
6、member it more clearly when it is presented to me this way.Do you think your learning style will change as you continue your education?Why or why not?I think that my learning style will change because as a person and a learner I am always changing.My current learning style is visual,and I like readi
7、ng my study materials and writing summary notes that I can study later.However,I dont mind trying other learning styles if they help.I find that I also enjoy listening to podcasts and I am able to learn and remember a lot from them,so perhaps in the future I will also use the auditory style more oft
8、en.I dont believe that my visual learning style will change into the auditory or physical style.Visual learning presents subject knowledge in a better way for me to learn,helps me improve my powers of concentration and encourages me to be creative.I have been using this learning style for a long tim
9、e,so it is the one that I am most comfortable with and the one I find benefits me most.For these reasons,I believe my main learning style will not change.What kind of learning style do you prefer when learning English?I prefer visual learning.I think it is an effective style to use when learning Eng
10、lish,because we use a large number of visual tools such as pictures,diagrams,videos and mind maps.How do you understand the title of this unit?The title of this unit comes from a well-known English proverb.With the rapid development of human society,we are required to practise lifelong learning in o
11、rder to keep pace with new concepts and new technologies.There is no end to learning.Through lifelong learning,we constantly understand the changes in the world,broaden our horizons and improve our skills.One of the best things about life is that we never have to stop learning.There is always new kn
12、owledge to acquire and new skills to develop.The magazine article below is about lifelong learning.Before you read the article,think about the following questions:Why do you think learning is important?Learning is important to our survival and development.We are born with basic survival instincts,bu
13、t to continue surviving in our world we must learn a variety of things such as social behaviour and intellectual knowledge.We must also learn to adapt to the ever-changing world and what we learn throughout our lives influences our physical,mental,intellectual and social development.Besides,acquirin
14、g new knowledge and skills can be fun because it opens up opportunities to different experiences.What would you do when learning is tough and frustrating?Faced with this situation,I would try to be patient with myself first.The more patient I am,the more confident I would be to achieve certain objec
15、tives.If being patient does not help,I would change my method of learning.For example,instead of reading about a topic,I could look for a video on the topic to watch Finally,I would make sure I am maintaining a good balance between my studies and my free time activities.By applying various strategie
16、s,I will ensure that I improve my learning efficiency and face any challenges positively.The more I learn,the better I know how much there is still left to learn.As I journey through my life,I have become aware that acquiring knowledge is not only a means by which you can better understand the world
17、,but also a way of appreciating how much,as an individual,you do not know.The ability to admit this should not be perceived as a weakness,but as a strength.I once had an art teacher,pointing out that it is not only what you can see that is important,but also what you cannot see.When I drew a still l
18、ife,it was impressed upon me that the blank spaces between the objects were just as vital to the success of the composition as the actual objects themselves.Also,as the great educator Confucius stated,“When you know a thing,to recognize that you know it;and when you do not know a thing,to recognize
19、that you do not know itthat is wisdom.”It is vital to remain lifelong learners in a rapidly changing world.As you progress through life,you may study and work in new environments.Consequently,you will be exposed to many new ideas,beliefs,practices and learning experiences.Furthermore,the production
20、of knowledge is bound to grow rapidly.New knowledge is constantly being generated and what you already know is being revised all the time,to the extent that it can be difficult to keep pace with the latest developments.Indeed,you may one day do jobs that do not yet exist,use technologies that are no
21、t yet developed and resolve problems that are not yet problems!This is not to suggest that there is no need for you to study in school but to acknowledge that refreshing your knowledge through lifelong learning is both essential and beneficial.So,how can you proceed?Firstly,lifelong learning is an a
22、ttitude.Lifelong learners are those who have an open mind.Be objective and make yourself open to new knowledge and ideas.Do not criticize them or reject them simply because they differ from what you know or believe.At the same time,you need to develop critical thinking skills so that you do not blin
23、dly accept new ideas.Instead,you should inquire further to assess the truth of what you are being told.Secondly,take advantage of opportunities for lifelong learningfor example,you could register online and subscribe to e-learning courses,which have become increasingly popular in recent years.You co
24、uld also visit the local library,where resources are rich and diverse.Finally,understand that it is not sufficient to simply know something or to understand what you know,because for knowledge to have concrete value,it must be applied.Importantly,after its application,there must then follow a review
25、 process of analysis,evaluation and improvement so that your comprehension of the world becomes a continuous process.In summary,in a world of constant change,one should never cease to learn.Lifelong learning will help you develop your skills and further your career,and will boost your sense of self-
26、worth and keep your mind active.Therefore,know what you know and use it;know what you do not know and embrace it;know that you will never know all there is to know and wonder at it.Read the magazine article and complete the chart below.Para.1:It is important to acquire knowledge throughout life and
27、understand how much you do not know.Para.2:(1)_Changes in study and work environments(2)_Para.3:(3)_(4)_Ta k i n g a d v a n t a g e o f opportunities for lifelong learning(5)_Why remain lifelong learners in a rapidly changingworldRapidly growing production of knowledgeHow to proceed with lifelong l
28、earningHaving an open mindApplying knowledge and having a review process of analysis,evaluation and improvementPara.4:One should never cease to learn.1.What does“this”in line 5 refer to?It means appreciating how much,as an individual,you dont know.2.How do you understand the sentence“The ability to
29、admit this should not be perceived as a weakness,but as a strength.”in lines 4 and 5?I think this sentence indicates that acknowledging there are things you do not know can be seen as an opportunity to increase your knowledge.By doing this,you will be able to improve yourself.Read paragraph 1 and an
30、swer the following questions.Read paragraph 2 and answer the following question.What will you be exposed to as you progress through life?You will be exposed to many new ideas,beliefs,practices and learning experiences.They prevent you from blindly accepting new ideas.1.Why are critical thinking skil
31、ls important according to the author?2.What attitudes should you have in order to be a lifelong learner?A lifelong learner should be objective and make himself or herself open to new knowledge and ideas.At the same time,he or she should also develop critical thinking skills.Read paragraph 3 and answ
32、er the following questions.3.How can we take advantage of opportunities for lifelong learning?We must follow it up with a review process of analysis,evaluation and improvement.Read paragraph 4 and fill in the following mind map.Benefits of lifelong learningHelping you develop your skillsFurthering y
33、our careerBoosting your sense of self-worthKeeping your mind active The author mentions an example of drawing a still life and a quote from Confucius in the opening paragraph of the magazine article.Why do you think the author uses the example and the quote?How do you understand them?The author uses
34、 the example and the quote to prove that it is important to recognize what we do not know and that by doing this,we can learn more.The author uses the example to illustrate that when we are learning,we should not only pay attention to what we already know,but also to what we do not know.Following th
35、at example,the quote seems to define“wisdom”differently.We usually consider wisdom as what we already know,but recognizing what we do not know is actually true wisdom.How does the author explain why and how to practise lifelong learning?When the author explains why lifelong learning is important,he
36、first states his opinion as the topic sentence of paragraph 2,and then gives two reasons,which are“As you progress through life,you may study and work in new environments.”and“Furthermore,the production of knowledge is bound to grow rapidly.”He also attaches a further explanation to each reason so t
37、hat readers can understand the situation clearly.When the author explains how to practise lifelong learning,he uses the words“firstly”,“secondly”and“finally”to help readers easily follow the steps.The author clearly explains why and how readers should proceed with lifelong learning in a logical way
38、with practical examples,making his ideas convincing and useful.It is said that people usually experience four stages of learning:not knowing that they do not know,knowing that they do not know,knowing that they know,and not knowing that they know.How do you understand this?It describes the logical o
39、rder of how most of our learning occurs.At stage one,people do not know they lack some knowledge,for they have never encountered it,for example,when experiencing another culture for the first time.Stage two is when people are aware that certain knowledge exists,but have not yet learnt it,probably be
40、cause they dont need to learn it,or they may be learning it for future use.Next is stage three when people know they have acquired the knowledge and it is familiar to them because they use it regularly.At the final stage,people have gathered a wide variety of knowledge from previous encounters,and e
41、ven if they do not know they have the knowledge,they will be wise enough to use it when they need to use it.What else can we do to become a lifelong learner?To be a lifelong learner in this technological age,embracing new technologies is important.New technologies make accessing information quicker
42、and learning more convenient.For example,a traditional newspaper reader could switch to a tablet to read news.Why does the author write this article?The author intends to promote lifelong learning by writing this article.Lifelong learning is beneficial in many ways.The author wants to introduce the importance and benefits of lifelong learning,as well as the ways to achieve it.Write a plan about how you intend to achieve you lifelong learning goals.
