Unit 5 Youth

Part A

Pre-listening Task

Questions for Discussion

1. When did you realize that you’d grown up? 2. How do you celebrate Youth Day?

3. Have you ever done any volunteer work? If yes, what was it? 4. What do you think of youth as a stage in one’s life?

5. What do you think you should do while you’re young? 6. What role should young people play in society?

7. What qualities do you value most in a young person?

Language Focus

Here are some sentences and structures that you may find useful in discussing the above questions.

? I realized I’d grown up when I became a teenager / knew I should make decisions for myself

/ knew I should be responsible for my own actions / attended my “Adult Oath” taking ceremony / began to take part-time jobs to earn my own living expenses.

? On Youth Day, we usually have a meeting to remember the heroic deeds of young people

back in 1919 / the Student Union organizes a great many activities, such as singing, dancing, games, and film shows / we often volunteer to do something for our community.

? I often thought about volunteering my time to a local charity or a community organization in

order to help those who are in need / for the welfare of society.

? I like to do volunteer work. In this way I can learn about myself, learn about others, learn

many new things that I cannot learn from books and meet a lot of interesting people.

? Our school offers a wide range of volunteer programs / opportunities, such as planting trees

for the community, helping others to learn to read, tutoring school children, assisting library staff in re-shelving books, visiting senior citizens at nursing homes.

? Youth is the golden age of a person’s life / the hope for the future / a time of freedom and

joy.

? Youth comes but once in a lifetime.

? While young, we must prepare ourselves for the future by studying hard and by involving

ourselves in meaningful causes.

? I think young people must also know how to enjoy life while young. I like to go out and

make new friends whenever I can. I like to visit websites where young people can discuss their experiences with others.

? I think modern youth should not bury themselves in their own day-to-day affairs, but be

concerned with important issues of the world.

? As the youth of the 21st century, we should work together to make the world a place where

people can live in peace, having decent shelter and clean water / be healthy and educated and protected from violence, abuse and exploitation.

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? I often think about current global / environmental issues, particularly in the light of how they

affect us young people. I want to find ways in which I myself can take action in my community.

? Compassion, commitment, bravery, creativity and being a team player are qualities I value

most in a young person.

Part B

Listening Tasks

Passage 1

Ashley

Word Bank

antibiotic n. a medical substance produced by living things, able to destroy or stop the

growth of germs 抗生素，抗菌素

resistant a. not damaged or affected by sth. 有抵抗力的

bacteria n. very small living organisms, some kinds of which can cause disease 细菌

(the plural of bacterium)

supergerm n. a very powerful germ that is resistant to known antibiotics 对现有抗菌素有

抵抗力的超级细菌

virtual a. having the effect of being sth., though not officially recognized as such 事实

上的（但并非正式的）

tap water running water 自来水

resistant bacteria bacteria that are unaffected by antibiotics 对抗菌素有抵抗力的细菌 Crown Princess a female heir to a throne 有王位继承权的公主，女王储

science fair a competition where grade school or high school students present their

science project results and in this way compete in science and technology activities （中小学生）科技作品竞赛展览

West Virginia a state in the eastern United States 西弗吉尼亚州（美国东部一州） Stockholm the capital of Sweden 斯德哥尔摩（瑞典首都） Ashley （人名）

Script:

While reading a magazine, Ashley, a sixteen-year-old girl, came across an article which said that antibiotics and other drugs were discovered in European rivers and tap water. This led her to think that such drugs might also be present in the waters near her home in West Virginia.

Ashley feared that antibiotics in the waters could lead to resistant bacteria, or supergerms. They can kill countless people.

She began testing her area’s river — the Ohio. With a simple device she herself had designed, she collected 350 water samples from the Ohio over ten weeks. She taught herself to analyze the samples by reading scientific journals. It was one of the most scientifically sound projects for someone her age.

Her experiment was one of the first of its kind in the United States. It showed that low levels of three antibiotics are indeed present in local waters. Ashley’s study won the International

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Stockholm Junior Water Prize, a virtual Nobel Prize for teenagers. She won a $5,000 scholarship and was received by Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria.

Her interest in science came from walks in the woods with her mother. But it was the day-to-day stuff — how water comes to the tap, how rain sticks to glass, that most fascinated her. “Science is not a dead thing,” she says. “It’s happening all around us.”

By the sixth grade, she was winning at science fairs. She has received $70,000 in prize money, which she has put aside for college. She plans to attend Harvard University. “I want to make my own discoveries, and not just read about what others have done,” she said. Her teachers predict that she will one day win a Nobel Prize.

Exercise 1

Listen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. 1. What is the story mainly about?

a. A science-oriented girl who succeeded in discovering supergerms in the local waters of her town.

b. A science-oriented girl who won a Nobel Prize for teenagers.

c. A winner of an international prize who has done painstaking work in antibiotics and water conservation.

d. A young girl whose scientific experiments on the local waters of her town won international recognition. 2. Which of the following best describes the way the speaker tells the story? a. Telling the story chronologically. b. Telling the story subjectively.

c. Selecting factual details which can forcefully show the girl’s merits. d. Using many words of positive meaning to show admiration for the girl.

Exercise 2

Read the table first. Then listen to the recording and supply the missing information. Ashley’s Experiment The experiment Purpose Procedure Testing the water of her area’s river — the Ohio. To find out if there were antibiotics in the waters, which she feared could lead to resistant bacteria or supergerms and thus endanger numerous people’s lives. 1. Collected 350 water samples from the Ohio over ten weeks by a simple device designed by herself. 2. Learned to analyze the samples herself by reading scientific journals. 1. Won the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize scholarship of $5,000. 2. Met by Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria. Findings Low levels of three antibiotics are present in the Ohio. Honor Passage 2

Young People Say No to Smoking

Word Bank

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expose v. to make known 揭露

statewide a. throughout the state 全州范围的

initiative n. the first movement or action which starts sth. 带头行动 target v. to aim at 以……为目标（对象） peer n. a person of the same age as you 同辈 recruit v. to get new members 吸收新成员

stand for to be an abbreviation of or symbol for 代表；是……的缩写 peer pressure influence from members of one’s peer group 来自同辈的压力 close to very near to 接近于，差不多

New Jersey a state in the eastern United States 新泽西州（美国东部一州） Jackie （女子名，Jacqueline的昵称）

Script:

On February 16, 2001, the teenagers from a youth group called REBEL launched their advertising campaign at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. They worked on various aspects of the campaign and even appeared in the “Not for Sale” commercial on television and the radio against tobacco companies.

REBEL stands for Reaching Everybody by Exposing Lies. It is a statewide youth initiative which fights against tobacco companies. The movement began in November last year. It carries the message that teenagers no longer want to be targeted by tobacco companies in their advertisements. The group realized that one of the biggest problems that teenagers face is peer pressure on them to smoke or do drugs. Therefore, the group is working hard to ensure that their message reaches all teenagers at New Jersey schools.

When the group was first formed, there were only five members, all eighth grade students. But by this summer the group had grown to close to 90 members. At a recent recruiting party, a pizza and pool party, at the West New York swimming pool, more than 50 new members were attracted to the group.

“We don’t think that too many people would be interested,” said Jackie, one of its founding members. “But everyone knows our message. They know who we are now.”

Exercise 1

Listen to the passage and fill in the blanks to complete the answers. 1. What does REBEL stand for? Reaching Everybody by Exposing Lies. 2. What is the major action performed by REBEL?

They launched an advertising campaign to call on youth to fight against tobacco companies. 3. What is the aim of the group? They intend to spread the message that teenagers no longer want to be targeted by tobacco companies in their advertisements.

Exercise 2

Listen again and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. 1. When did REBEL launch their advertising campaign? a. November last year.

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b. The summer of 2001. c. February 16, 2001. d. February 6, 2001.

2. How many members did REBEL have by this summer? a. Close to 90. b. 50.

c. Close to 140. d. Over 90.

3. Who were the first members of REBEL? a. Five teenagers from New York. b. Five students from West New York.

c. Five teenage volunteers from West New York. d. Five eighth grade students. 4. What did REBEL do for their campaign against tobacco companies? a. They appeared in all the advertisements for the campaign. b. They went from school to school to expose lies to students.

c. They were involved in many aspects of the campaign and appeared in the “Not for Sale” commercial. d. They put up “Not for Sale” posters outside tobacco companies. 5. What did REBEL do recently?

a. They held a pizza and pool party to attract teenagers to watch their commercial. b. They held a recruiting party to make it known that new members are needed. c. They held a pizza and pool party to welcome 50 new members. d. They began a training program for the 50 new members.

Speaking Tasks

Pair Work

Reflections on the texts

You have just heard two stories about present-day youth. Discuss the following questions with your partner and then give an oral presentation of your reflections on the stories. You may organize your presentation by linking up your answers to the questions.

Guiding Questions For “Ashley”

1. What do you think of Ashley? Do you admire her? (e.g., her sense of responsibility, her intelligence, her capability, her perseverance, etc.)

2. Why did Ashley take it upon herself to start the experiment? 3. How did Ashley carry out her experiment?

4. Did Ashley show determination and perseverance in her work?

5. What was the significance of her experiment? Do you think Ashley has the makings of a true scientist?

For “Young People Say No to Smoking”

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1. What are the similarities between the group REBEL and Ashley?

2. Why did the group REBEL launch a campaign to fight against tobacco companies? 3. How did the group members expose lies about smoking? 4. What were the results of their effort? 5. Is their work important? If yes, why?

6. Why is “no smoking” especially important to young people?

Part C

Test Your Listening

A Conversation

Listen to the conversation and choose the right answers to the questions you hear. 1. What’s Jenny most concerned about now? a. Linda’s study in school. b. Linda’s tuition for college. c. Linda’s scholarship for college. d. Linda’s interest in boys and clothes. 2. What does Roger suggest Jenny do? a. Let Linda get a job first.

b. Urge Linda to pay more attention to her study. c. Have a serious talk with Linda about college. d. Send Linda to a community college. 3. What do you know about Linda?

a. She shows no interest in her studies. b. She spends a lot of time making clothes. c. She hopes to see a bit of real life first. d. She doesn’t seem ready for college. 4. Which of the following is true?

a. Roger knows Linda better than Linda’s mother.

b. Linda wants to go to college but she can’t get a scholarship. c. Jenny will most likely take Roger’s advice. d. Linda is actually quite serious about college.

Script:

Roger: Hi, Jenny, you don’t look happy. What’s wrong? Jenny: Well, Roger, I’ve got a problem. Roger: What is it?

Jenny: You know my daughter Linda is 16 years old now. And we’ve begun talking about college.

She says she wants to go, but she’s let her grades slip and no matter how I urge her to study, all she seems interested in are clothes and boys. We’re not wealthy, you know. And it won’t be easy for us to afford the tuition if she can’t get a scholarship. That seems to be my biggest worry now. But, Roger, is going to college the best choice for her right now? Roger: Do you mean that she doesn’t seem ready for college? Jenny: You’re right.

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Roger: Then you’d better have a serious talk with Linda about college. Jenny: A serious talk with her?

Roger: Yes. I think it’s quite normal for girls her age to be wrapped up in fashion and dating, but

as a mother you have a right to expect her to pay attention to her studies too. Jenny: Yes, but how?

Roger: Ask her how serious she is about college and how hard she’s willing to work for it. Linda

may be more committed than you realize. But if not, tell her she should think about putting college off for a while. That could give her the push she needs to take her education seriously.

Jenny: Sounds like a good idea.

Roger: And if you decide she should wait, she can get a job, take classes at a community college

or do an internship to get experience. She may be just one of those who need to see a bit of real life before they settle down.

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