BOOK 3
Unit 11
Heroes
Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to :
1) get to know some useful information concerning the topic of the reading passages
in this unit and to know more about English culture;
2) do some preparation activities such as discussion, group work, etc. to practice their
spoken skill and communicative skills;
3) grasp some new words and try to use these words which help them to enrich their
vocabulary;
4)read the in-class reading passage in a limited time and grasp some expressions and
grammatical points in the in-class reading passage to improve their reading
comprehension;
5) do some post-reading exercises and some after-class reading to practice what they
have got to know in class to improve their English comprehensive skills.;
6) translate some typical sentences into Chinese or English by using some expressions
learned in the reading passages to acquire some translating skills and better their
translating abilities.
I. Useful Information
Whether they appear in folktales, literature, or history books, all cultures have
heroes. Over the centuries, their deeds and their accomplishments have inspired
ordinary people. Thanks to heroes(and heroines) we can truly believe in the greatness
of humankind. Their exploits give us courage and offer examples of behavior worth
imitating. Whether these model human beings are real or imaginary, they have often
come to symbolize outstanding qualities such as bravery, generosity and leadership.
We all need people to spur on us, to look up to, and to follow.
Heroes come from all walks of life. They can be soldiers like George
Washington , Huang Jiguang, Napoleon Bonaparte; political leaders like Mao Zedong,
Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi; scientists like Marie Curie and Albert
Einstein; inventors and businessmen like Bill Gates and Y.K. Pao; and sports stars
like Deng Yaping and Michael Jordan.
Heroic status sometimes acquired by adversity or even by death. Well-known
individuals who die unexpectedly or who are killed in the line of duty tend to become
even greater. The same is true of lesser-knoen people who are innocent victims of
violence. Such is the case, for example, of the two Chinese journalists Shao Yunhuan
and Xu Xinghu whose tragic deaths in Belgrade united the entire population of China.
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Heroes do not have to be famous. Ordinary citizens can be heroes to those who
admire and respect them. Parents, teachers, coaches, and many other noble or
courageous individuals provide daily examples of the best humanity has to offer, and
inspire others to do their best in a variety of ways.
II. Preparation
Read the following story and work in groups to discuss whether Tim was a hero or a
fool. State your reason.
Tim was a freshman. One Friday afternoon last years, when he was on his way
home, he heard somebody crying for help from a nearby pond. He rushed to the pond
and saw two little boys struggling in the dirty water. The bank of the pond was quite
high, so Tim dove into the water. Unfortunately, the water was too shallow and there
were huge stones under the surface of the water. Tim dove so hard that he severely
injured his neck and was paralyzed. Some of Tim’s classmates said he was a hero, but
others said was a fool.
1. A Hero or a Fool
Samples:
-----I think he was a fool. He should have tested the depth of the water. Second, he
should have made sure that the boys were not kidding. Third, he shouldn’t have dove
into the water; he should have gone into the water carefully.
-----I think he was a hero. Even though he was paralyzed, his intention to save the
children was good and heroic. He had a good heart. But unfortunately, the water was
too shallow and he himself was hurt. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so impulsive.
He should have been more careful.
III. Reading-Centered Activities
1. You may have read, heard of, even witnessed some heroic deeds and you may also
have chosen some people as your heroes. Now work in groups to discuss the
following questions.
1) What qualities should a hero have?
Qualities of a hero: knowledge, intelligence, bravery, quick-mindedness,
far-sightedness, sense of justice, unselfishness, and sacrifice.
2) Do you think it is important for a nation or a person to have a hero?
I think it is important for a nation or a person to have heroes. Heroes can unite a
nation. Their heroic deeds can inspire us to make great progress. They can pull
the whole nation together. For a person it is also important to have heroes. They
can follow their heroes when they need guidance and inspiration.
2. Words, Phrases, and Grammatical Points
1. risk one’s life for something
“risk” 的用法:
1) n.
e.g. the fuel tank could blow up, but that’s a risk we’ll have to take.
We must stop these rumors; the firm’s reputation is at risk.
At the risk of sounding stupid, can I ask a simple question.
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2) v.
e.g. You’d be crazy to risk your money on an investment like that.
Are you prepared to risk traveling without an armed guard in that country?
The soldier risked his life to save the drowning child.
2. believe in 与 believe 的区别
e.g. We both believe in
3. …is something sorely lacking
Here “lacking” is an adjective.
4. …this new lack of heroes
The word “lack” can be used as a noun or a verb.
5. Many of the favorite stars are shown waving their guns around…
Here “waving their guns around…” is the subject complement.
6. …lead us to believe
Here “lead” means “be a reason or motive for (someone to do something)”.
7. alike
The word "alike" can be used as an adjective or an adverb.
1) adj.
e. g. My mother and I are alike in many ways.
2) adv.
A . in a similar way :
e. g. The twins were dressed alike.
B . equally :
e. g. I enjoyed being on this course. I learned a lot from teachers and students
alike
IV. Post-reading
1. Who are heroes in China? What makes them heroes in China?
Sample answer:
Out long history has produced numerous heroes for our nation, from Emperor
Qinshihuang to the devoted cadre Kong Fansen, from the world-famous scholar
and philosopher Confucius to the great writer Lu Xun, from our national hero
Yue Fei to the respectable soldier Lei Feng. Besides, the names of Mao Zedong,
Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping ring loudly both in China and abroad. We also
have a few heroes who are still alive, such as the famous scientists Qsan Xunesen,
Zhu Guangya and Lu Yongxiang.
2. Who were cited as heroes by your parents? What made them their heroes?
Sample answer:
Mao Zedong was obviously the hero of my parents. It was his intelligence,
personality and great contribution to New China that made him a hero. Just think
about the days in the 60s when hundreds and thousands of students and other
young people went to Beijing and their hearts swelled with joy to have seen Mao
Zendong from distance at Tiananmen Square. We can see how Mao Zendong was
admired and worshiped in China at that time.
3.What kind of person do you admire most? Why?
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Sample answer:
—people I admire most are those who have traditional virtues like honesty,
courage and patriotism. I also admire those who have a faith in their own ideas,
are willing to face challenges in life and will devote their lives to the
modernization and civilization of the whole world.
—The person I admire most isn’t necessarily a hero, a millionaire or a great man.
But he should have made some important contribution to our society, grown in
stature, and of course should have enough money. He should be a career man as
well as a family man. For example, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Yang Zhiyuan of
Yahoo both capture my heart with their creativity, diligence and contribution to
the information age.
V. Further Development
1. Questions for discussion
1) Are you curious about the dark side of heroes? Why or why not?
I am not curious about the dark side of heroes, because I know
everybody has his or her weaknesses. I have no time or patience to read
about these trifles. I’m simply not interested. I’d rather read about their
heroic deeds so that they can inspire me, a lot of the stories in the
newspapers are not true; some are even pure fabrications. But some people
enjoy reading them and that’s why newspapers and ,magazines carry them.
2) Should the mass media reveal everything about famous people, including
their family secrets, human weaknesses and private lives?
I am not curious about famous people. Everybody has their privacy. It
is inappropriate or unfair to expose their privacy. It is inappropriate or unfair
to expose their weaknesses or flaws to the public. No one is a saint, and we
cannot expect famous people or our heroes to be perfect, Journalists never
tire of revealing their flaws because they want to attract readers, sell their
newspapers and make money. Therefore, in my opinion there should be a
law to restrict the freedom of the mass media to invade people’s privacy.
2. Write a composition on either of the following topics. Use at least 6 words
or phrases prom the box. Your composition should be no less than 150 words.
Remember to neatly.
A. A Hero I Know
B. Do We Need Heroes?
Samples
A Hero I Know
The novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms unfolds in front of us
part of our history along with a series of heroes. Cao Cao is generally
believed to be a person who teaches the high position through unscrupulous
scheming. Liu Bei is depicted as gentle but ambitious while Sun Quan,
intelligent but emotional. But in my opinion, Zhao Yun is the real hero.
Zhao Yun is a powerful, wise and benevolent general. Being tall and
sturdy, he has an impressive bearing and a commanding appearance. He has
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immense skill in martial arts and at the same time was
wise-and-somber-minded, unlike Zhang Fei. He is always a winner, but
very modest. As we all know, Zhao Yun is famous for the battle of Chang
Ban Po. This is the most heroic part in this novel. In order to save Liu Bei’s
son, Zhao Yun fights against many enemies at all costs. He kills more than
50 generals on Cao Cao’s side. His bravery intimidates his enemies. So his
reputation spreads fat and wide.
Now Zhao Yun is not only a hero in the novel, but also in the computer
games. Both his appearance and ability impress us deeply. More and more
players prefer Zhao Yun to Gyan Yu or anyone else. Zhao Yun will always
be my idol.
Do We Need Heroes?
To discuss the question, we should first admit that China lacks heroes.
Many people complain that more and more human weaknesses are now
revealed in newspapers, and few people can be regarded as heroes.
By contrast, in the past, there were many heroes, such as Lu Xun and
Mao Zedong. Even now when we mention these names, we can still feel the
immense impact of these heroic individuals. At that time the great majority
of people regarded them as heroes because they were guided and inspired
by them. These people were idols and belonged to the whole nation. It was
these heroes who led and unified the nation.
But now, many people feel lost for lack of heroes, For they can hardly
find a hero or heroine in the country. As a result, a number of people look
elsewhere and choose pop singers or millionaires as their heroes no matter
whether they have virtues or not. Few people care about the way they earn
their money. So for the whole nation, we need heroes, we need them to
guide the nation and pull the nation together. Heroes should have such good
qualities as bravery, intelligence, honesty and kindness. Heroes serve as
eternal reminders of the important values our culture reflects.
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