Unit 5
Text I
The Light at the End of the
Chunnel
Objectives:
• 1. The building of English Chunnel
• 2. Narration in Informal Tone
• 3. Vocabulary and structures
Teaching Tasks and Process
Background information
• The National Geographic Magazine is the
official journal of the National Geographic
Society. It published its first issue in 1888,
just nine months after the Society itself was
founded.
Some information for a better
understanding of the text
• The English Channel
• The long-lasting Anglo-French Conflict
• The Channel Tunnel Project
The English Channel
The Channel Tunnel
Pre-reading Questions
• How did the English and the French
people look at the Chunnel, joyously or
resentfully? Why do you think so?
• How do you visualize the breakthrough
ceremony? Exercise your imagination.
Main idea
• In spite of the adverse sentiments
expressed by the English and the
French people, the Chunnel that joins
Britain and France was finally
completed and, looking back, the
breakthrough that took place several
years ago was a moving scene.
Language points
• soon-to-be-opened English Channel
Tunnel: Please note the word formation.
• an easy-to-perform trick
• a difficult-to-use camera
…, stiff upper lips trembled.
• stiff upper lips: the ability to accept bad
luck or unpleasant events without
appearing upset.
• British men are taught to keep a stiff
upper lip and show no emotion.
…, his pale blue eyes filled with
foreboding.
• He stood there, his hands in his pockets.
• She ran, her long hair flowing in the
wind.
• The last bus having gone, we had to
walk home.
• foreboding: a feeling of coming trouble
…, as the gull-wing eyebrows
shot upward.
• a baby-food store
• a mountain-top hut
• a city-construction discussion
Well, by grace of one of the
engineering feats of the century, …
• by grace of: due to; thanks to
• By the grace of God the children were
rescued by the firemen.
…,for richer or poorer, better or worse,
England and France are getting hitched.
• “To have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
till death do us apart.”
Queen Elizabeth of Britain and …
are scheduled to inaugurated …
• inaugurate: to start some important
event
• inaugurate a conference
• inaugurate a new era
• The Queen inaugurated the exhibition.
Inauguration
Music blares, and lights glare.
• near and dear
• hustle and bustle
• out of sight, out of mind
Questions
• 1. What did an English couple say about
the French people, and what did a
Frenchman say about the English
people? Why do you think they showed
a mutual feeling of dislike?
• 2. With the help of the information
given in the Notes, explain the following:
• 1). 200 years of failed cross-Channellink schemes, and
• 2). 1,000 years of historical rift.
•
•
3. How will the Chunnel facilitate the
transport between Great Britain and
France, or rather, between Great
Britain and other European countries?
4. Did the mutual feeling of dislike still
exist when the tunnel was completed?
• 5. How do you understand the sentence
“The Chunnel rewrites geography, at
least in the English psyche”?
• 6. Why did one of the visitors say
“Makes you appreciate British Rail”?
7. Describe the breakthrough
scene in your own words.
•
There were many people present, the
Eurotunnel officials, construction workers,
and journalists. When the cutterhead of the
tunnel boring machine bit into the last piece
of rock separating England from France,
there was loud music as well as dazzling
lights. A number of Frenchmen were seen
coming from the other side, and thunderous
applause was heard. The French and British
people drank champagne and hugged each
other. It was truly a moving sight.
Text II Travelling
Questions
• What kept Aunt Augusta from traveling
as constantly as before?
• What were the advantages of going to
Istanbul by plane?
• Why did Aunt Augusta not take the
plane?
• What do you think their surname was?
• Compare Aunt Augusta and Henry.
Discussion/Exercises
• ORAL WORK
• Role-play—A Trip to China
ORAL WORK
• Role-play
• A Trip to China
Assignments
• Exercises on the Work Book