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Lexical preparation for Passage A

Step 1 Pre- reading Tasks (15 mins) 1.Culture notes:

The Introduction of Harvard University Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the eastern coast of the United States. Harvard University, which was established in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United Sates. Most of Harvard University’s campuses are located in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, on the eastern coast of the United States of America.

It has about 2 100 faculty members and more than 10 000 academic appointments in affiliated teaching hospitals. Harvard University is made up of 11 principal academic units — ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The ten faculties oversee schools and divisions that offer courses and award academic degrees. There are about 21 000 students — about 6 700 undergraduates and 14 500 graduate and professional students.

Seven presidents of the United States — John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George W. Bush — were graduates of Harvard. It has produced more than 40 Nobel laureates. Shopping Week Shopping Week is a special time for freshmen at college to sample classes, which could help them decide which courses they are going to take in the beginning of a school year.

2. Lead-in questions:

①What do you expect to learn as a freshman?

Answer: (The answer may vary. )The most important thing is to learn how to learn. ② How do you guess the author of the passage would feel about her first week at Harvard, a world-famous university?

Answer: (The answer may vary. )The student thought that her first week at Harvard was very impressive, because the new college life would be a once-in-a-life journey for her, at a world-famous university in particular.

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Step 2 While- reading Tasks (75 mins)

Reading Task 1:Read the text as quickly as possible and try to find the answer to the following questions:

1).What did the author think of being a freshman at Harvard?

Answer: She thought it was very pleasant and lucky to be a freshman at Harvard. 2).How did the author get along with her roommates?

Answer: She got along with them very well and they had helped her a lot. 3).What difficult decisions did the girl have to make in the “Shopping Week”? Answer: She had to decide what classes to take. 4.)What did the author think of eating on campus for a freshman at Harvard? Answer: Eating is one of the highlights for freshmen at Harvard. 5).How did the author appreciate meeting the other students at Harvard?

Answer: Appreciating and being surrounded by so many gifted people was what had made her first week at Harvard a truly priceless experience. Reading Task 2: Chart on P 9 Reading Task 3 :Skim the text and try to find the main idea

Main idea: The first day is gorgeous for a freshman at Harvard. The author lived with four girls, who helped her through the difficult adjustment process. Freshmen at Harvard can sample classes during “Shopping Week”. Eating is one of the most important and enjoyable highlights for students at Harvard. The best assets for Harvard students according to the author is to have met so many gifted people.

Step 3 Exploring vocabulary

Students work in groups to pick out the sentences containing the key words or expressions displayed on PPT from Passage A and discuss how they are used in context. The teacher may assign each group two or three words or expressions.

Key words and expressions on PPT:

move into gorgeous historic diversity sample involve remarkable responsible highlight

in terms of think to oneself share with be filled with be proud of be blown away

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Step 4 Further study

Words for further study

1. The day a freshman moves into Harvard Yard is said to always be a gorgeous one and this was certainly true of my first day at Harvard.

It is always said that the day a freshman starts college life in Harvard is very exciting and pleasant and the author thought this was also true of her own first day at Harvard.

move into: to start living in Examples:

She decided not to move into the new apartment until she had finished decorating. We’re excited to move into a new home.

Harvard Yard: the main campus of Harvard University gorgeous: extremely pleasant or enjoyable Examples:

John said that he met a gorgeous girl at the party last night. Do you want to sample some of the jam? It is gorgeous.

2.historic: famous or important in history Examples:

Today is a historic occasion for our country.

It was difficult for the enterprise to expand during a time of historic change. cf. historical: connected with the past, or connected with the study of the past Examples:

Can you tell me something about the historical background to the Civil War? They went to Yuelu Academy to do some historical research.

Notes: Historic is usually used to describe something so important that is likely to be remembered, while historical usually describes something that is connected with the past or with the study of history, or something that really happened in the past.

3.I gazed out the window at this captivating scene and thought to myself “No freshman should be so lucky!”.

I looked out through the window of the car at this fascinating scene and had a

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thought in my mind: “I should be the luckiest freshman!”

think (sth) to oneself: to have a thought in one’s mind, but not tell it to anyone Examples:

After listening to the professor’s suggestion, Jane thought to herself,“I’m sure I will make it.”

He gazed out the window at this boundless grassland and thought to himself, “What a beautiful scenery it is!”

4. I’m sharing a suite with four other girls that has four single bedrooms and a large common room.

I am living in a suite with other four girls, and the suite consists of four single bedrooms and a large common room.

share with: to use, participate in, enjoy, receive, etc., jointly Examples:

The two chemists shared the Nobel prize

Kate is a very generous girl, for she always shares what she has with others 5. We’re all completely different in terms of background, ethnicity, religion, and interests — we reflect the diversity that Harvard is so proud of.

The other four girls and I am quite different in terms of background, ethnicity, religion, and interest, which is refl ection of the variety that Harvard is proud of. in terms of: with regard to the particular aspect or subject specified Examples:

He’s quite rich in terms of money, but not in terms of happiness. It is difficult to express it in terms of science. diversity: a range of different people or things; variety Examples:

Diversity is conducive to the learning environment

We should get a thorough understanding about the cultural diversity of the United States.

6. During this first week, it’s a relief to have four girls I can call friends and that