1、News is any new information or information on current events which is relayed by print,broadcast,Internet,or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.The reporting and investigation of news falls within the profession of journalism.News is often reported by a variety of sources,such as newspa
2、pers,television,and radio programs,wire services,and web sites.News reporting is a type of journalism,typically written or broadcast in news style.Most news is investigated and presented by journalists and can be distributed to various outlets via news agencies.(Source:Wikipedia)How do we define new
3、s?Why do we use English news in our classrooms?For teachers:MotivationalCost-efficientReadily availableFor students:providing information that is:RelevantInterestingUp to dateFor students:improving theirLanguage skillsVocabularyStylesAuthentic expressionsCritical thinkingCritical thinking vs.Rote me
4、morizationGeneral knowledgeKnow the community as well as the worldFind ideas of how to actively get involvedWhat are the main news categories?local newsnational newsworld newseditorialsletters to the editoropinion Columnsbusinesssportstravelentertainmentlifestyles weathercomicscartoonsclassified ads
5、display adsphotographsIllustrationslists and chartsmaps etc.Unit 1 The Future of NewsIn this information age,more traditional media agencies are exploring new ways to cater to consumers personal needs.From this age,innovative technology has been bred allowing for new ways to“read”news.In this unit,T
6、om Curley,the head of AP(Associated Press)will tell you why the future of news is online and what current news giants should do to meet new challenges.The second story introduces some software programs that enable you to read online news in much the same way you browse your local magazine rack.Read
7、the stories and answer the following questions:Why did Tom Curley say that the“future of news is online”?What are the advantages of the Internet in providing news comparing to traditional newspapers and TV news?What are the characteristics of“personalized news”,according to Mr.Curley?What has AP alr
8、eady accomplished to tailor its products for its audiences?What are your available sources and tools for reading news online?What does RSS stand for?What are the three distinct advantages of RSS over e-mail and web browsing?Is blogging journalism?Why or why not?Unit 2“Taikonaut”On October 15,2003,Sh
9、enzhou 5,the first manned spacecraft developed by China was launched into the sky.After 21 hours in orbit,it safely returned to earth.The successful launch of Shenzhou 5 has aroused the national pride of the Chinese.This is illustrated by the fact that the first astronaut(also called“Taikonaut”by we
10、stern media)Yang Liwei was revered in China as a space hero.Issued respectively by the AP and the Chinese official news agency Xinhua,the following two stories captured the process of the launch.Read the stories and answer the following questions:Try to find the 5Ws(Who,What,When,Where,Why)and 1H(Ho
11、w)in the news leads.What three countries have sent manned missions into orbit?List them in order.Who were the respective pioneering astronauts in each country?Describe briefly the process of the launch of Shenzhou 5.What does Shenzhou mean in English?Make a comparison between the two stories and try
12、 to find their similarities and differences.Why do you think there exist such differences?Whats next in Chinas space exploration?Search the Web for answers.Unit 3 U.N.ReformOn March 20,2005,Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed sweeping reforms to revitalize the United Nations.The proposal called fo
13、r the expansion of the Security Council and the restructuring of the Human Rights Commission.However,his proposal stirred up controversial debates.Different countries voiced their various concerns about the expansion of the Security Council.Germany,Japan,Brazil and India circulated a draft of their
14、resolution on May 16,2005;it proposed to grant these four countries permanent seats on the Security Council,along with two African countries.Meanwhile,China strongly opposed this“immature plan,”claiming that this proposal has seriously undermined the overall development of the UN reform process.Read
15、 the articles and answer the following questions:What elements comprise Mr.Annans proposal of reform to the United Nations?Why did Mr.Annan say that“confidence in the UN has been seriously lapsed”?How does Mr.Annan plan to restructure the Human Rights Commission?Do you think it feasible to add more
16、permanent members to the Security Council and grant them vetoing rights?Why do you think that China considers the vote on the Security Council Reform“too rushed”?Unit 4 Eyes on China(1)The Cover Story in the May 9th,2005 issue of Newsweek suggests that China has emerged as a new power in the East.Vi
17、ewing Chinas rise as both challenging and opportunistic,the writer attempts to carry out an analysis by way of historical,political,economic and cultural terms and to offer a solution for the United States to handle the issues aroused from the possible rise of a powerful China.Suggestions are also m
18、ade in the second article that the U.S.government readjust its foreign policy toward Chinas“Peaceful Rise”in Asia.Read the two articles and discuss the following questions:How did Chinas approach to policy-making change during the beginning of the 1980s?What became the overall goal of the government
19、s policies?What changed within the country as a result of these new policies?On a global scale,how has Chinas status changed since the 1980s?What are the various elements involved with this change?What,according to the author,are the“two great shifts”in global power over the past 400 years?What is l
20、ikely to be the third shift?What does Chinas new foreign policy involve as compared with its old one?What does“Chinas Peaceful Rise”suggest?What suggestions do the authors of the two stories make for America to deal with the rise of China?Unit 5 Eyes on China(2)The protagonists in the Cover Story of
21、 Time Asia Magazine on February 2nd,2005 are a group of Chinese youths pursuing an alternative life style.Adopting the Chinese name of“Linglei,”the author compares them with their western counterparts.While the author believes he has found the reason behind the“Linglei”phenomenon,others claim that h
22、is judgment is rather biased,especially when culture is taken into consideration.Read the Time story along with the article from China Daily and discuss the following questions:Who is Han Han?What is his novel The Third Way concerned about?Retell Hans story using your own words.Who is Chun Shu?What
23、do you think mainly troubles her?Who is Li Yang,and who is Man Zhou?Search the web and research more about punk rock and computer hacking.According to the writer,what are the differences between the Chinese Linglei and their western counterparts?Do you agree or disagree?Why?In the China Daily articl
24、e,the author claims“long-established prejudice also affects peoples perception of other cultures,and that prejudice often pushes them into making poor judgments.China has long been a victim of such practices”.Do you agree?Justify your answer.In the same article,the author points out that“many experi
25、enced Western journalists have gone more than halfway around the world,but until they give up their bias they will never come full circle.”What does the author mean by saying that?Unit 6 Big Blue Goes RedIn December 2004,the largest Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo announced its intent to acquire the
26、PC division of IBM,the U.S.-based multinational corporation which once boasted a virtual monopoly on personal computers.Lenovo hopes to expand into Western markets to become the third largest international PC producer;on May 1,2005,Lenovo and IBM completed their deal.Read the following two reports a
27、nd answer these questions:Why did IBM decide to put its PC business up for sale?What is the significance of the IBM-Lenovo transaction both globally and domestically?Describe in detail the IBM-Lenovo transaction.Do you think that the transaction will make profits for Lenovo?What strategic mistake di
28、d IBM make in the early 1980s?How has it affected the corporation?Visit the IBM website and do some research on the corporations products and services.The second story concludes with“All those products with a Made in China sticker on the bottom could someday bear another label:Researched,designed,an
29、d financed there,too.”What do you think this statement suggests?Unit 7 Remembering JFKNovember 22,2003 marked the 40th Anniversary of President John Fitzgerald Kennedys assassination.He is remembered not only for his personal charisma and political talents,but also for his eloquence in public speech
30、es,which are captured in the two stories of this unit.Read them and identify answers to the following questions:Who was John F.Kennedy?When was he President of the United States?Why did many people visit the John F.Kennedy Library and Museum in the days after the September 11 terrorist attack?Why do
31、 you think that the death of President Kennedy generated“vast outpouring of emotion and enduring sense of a lost legacy”?Do you think JFKs assassination was a turning point in American history?Why or why not?Why does the writer of the second article think that there have been no superior inaugural a
32、ddresses since JFKs?Refer to the“Further Reading”section of this unit and study the style of JFKs inaugural address.Try to mimic a short passage.Unit 8 Soccer ManiaEuro 2004 would be the last chance for some of Europes most talented footballers to perform for the national teams.Will these stars shin
33、e through the tournament,or will they retire with regrets?While the European fans are lamenting about the bowing out of some of their favorite players,people of South Africa are celebrating their victory in winning the bid for hosting the 2010 World Cup,a significant event for both South Africa and
34、the world.Read the relevant reports and try to answer the following questions:Why does the writer of the first report compare some aging footballers with“exploding supernovas”and“dwarfs”?Give examples.Are you a football fan?If so,do some names of footballers mentioned in the first report sound famil
35、iar to you?Which footballer(s)do you like best?Why?What is the significance of South Africas success in winning the bid for hosting the 2010 soccer World Cup?What similarities did South Africa and Morocco share in the bid to be the future host?Why is the FIFA president Blatter said to have“loopy”pro
36、posals for soccer?What role did Nelson Mandela play in the process of winning the bid?Unit 9 Does IT Matter?In a Harvard Business Review article entitled“IT Doesnt Matter,”Nicholas G.Carr argues that information technology is becoming standardized and commoditized and thus no longer provides compani
37、es with a predictable,reliable or consistent competitive advantage.He suggests that it may be wiser to buy technology after it has matured,letting others pay the higher initial prices;in his view,most companies should adopt a much more conservative or even defensive position in IT business.This arti
38、cle immediately aroused controversy in the IT world and met with strong rebuttals from ITs most influential personalities.Read the following Newsweek story and an excerpt from Carrs article and answer the following questions:Why does the writer say that Nicolas Carr is branded a wide-eyed heretic an
39、d a threat to the underpinnings of the entire economy?What is his article IT Doesnt Matter mainly about?What is the downside of high-tech?Why did the writer say that productivity isnt actually increased with high-technology?What,according to Carr,makes a resource truly strategic?Do you agree with Ca
40、rrs claim that information technologys“strategic importance has diminished”?What are Carrs suggestions on IT management?What do you think could be the next IT revolution?Unit 10A Rock LegendRock Legend Bob Dylan hasnt been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature yet,but his repeated nominations alone
41、 prove that he is a competent candidate.His literary talent is not accidental,for he constantly seeks inspiration from great works he spends countless hours pouring over.It has all been noted in his new book Chronicles.Read the two stories and answer the following questions:Consult some dictionaries
42、 for the definitions of“literature”and form your opinion as to whether the art of songwriting can be categorized as literature.How is the Nobel Prize for Literature elected?Who can nominate the candidates?Why does the writer use“troubadour”,“bard”and“minstrel”to describe Dylan?Study Dylans life and try to find the answer.Why did Dylan think that writing Chronicles was more challenging than songwriting?What are Dylans own opinions on the publication of his book?
