Reading & Speaking

Unit 16 L3 Life Stories Reading & Speaking

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched but are felt in the heart.” Helen Keller

A Brief Introduction Helen Keller was one of the most famous American writers in the twentieth century. When she was 19 months old, she survived a fever but she found she could no longer see or hear. And she also found it very difficult to speak. However, she grew up and become a world-famous public speaker . While she was still at college she wrote the famous book ---- “The Story of My Life” . What success did she achieve in her life? famous American writers world-famous public speaker “The Story of My Life”

Learning Objectives • In this period, you will be able to 1. Learn to use some useful reading strategies: • to predict the general idea • to guess unknown words from the context. 2. Find out detailed information in the text.

Pre-reading What were her problems? couldn’t see couldn’t hear • blind • deaf =(severe)restrictions couldn’t speak; read couldn’t communicate

Reading strategy: prediction • Before reading, look at the title, pictures. • Read the first two or three lines of the text. • Try to guess what the text is going to be about.

Prediction Helen Keller a. Look at the title---- b. look at the pictures c. Read the first couple of lines: Helen Keller was a very special girl who needed a superb teacher. By the time she was seven years old, she still couldn’t speak, read or write.

Can you guess what the passage is about? The passage may talk about how Helen Keller learned something with the help of her teacher.

While-reading Helen Keller Read fast to find out which of the following is mentioned in the text. A. how Helen Keller learned to play games. B. how Helen Keller communicated with her teacher. C. how Helen Keller learned the words.

While-reading Read and find out the examples of words Helen learned. water; doll; think; love

While-reading • What’s the difference among the four words “water; doll; think; love” think; love doll; water Group 2: Group 1: (complex words) (object words) sth. you cantouch hard toshow;

While-reading Table (doll; water): At home Ann spelt … into … … play with … a game; could spell the word in ________ _____ monkey-likeimitation

While-reading Table (doll; water) by the well by feeling the flowing of the water hopeful and joyful a burst of had _________ understanding;the world of words was _________ to her. opening up

While-reading “ ” or “ ” T F T 1.The word “love” was a complex word for Helen. 2.Helen didn’t find it difficult to understand the word “love”. 3.The understanding of “think” helped her understand “love”. 4.Helen got to know the meaning of “love” through touching. F T F

Summary --- “love” experience meaning For Helen Keller, trying to learn the word “love” was an 1.__________ for her. When she asked the2. ________ of it for the first time, she didn’t know many words and she did not understand anything3. ________she touched it. She wondered whether it meant the 4. _________of flowers or the 5. ______ of the sun shining. Luckily, the understanding of the word “think” gave her a 6. __________ in learning words. After she understood the 7. ______ word “think”, her mind 8. ________ “love”. In a 9. ______ moment, Helen finally understood the beautiful truth of the word: It is something that one cannot 10. ______, but without it, one would not be happy or want to play. unless sweetness warmth breakthrough complex returned to vivid touch

What problems did Helen have as a child? Who helped her learn language? And how? (one example ) What helped her learn the word “love”? (detailed information) What can you learn from her? Post-reading

Never give up! Never be discouraged by difficulties! You are what you want to be!

Task 1:Helen Keller once wrote an article hoping to have three days to see. Suppose youwereHelen, whatwouldyou do if youwere giventhree days….. and give reasons. • Task 2:Xiao Ming, 15 years old, recently had an accident and lost his left arm. He was in low spirit. Talk with him and try to encourage him to cheer up using Helen as an example.

1. Underline some useful expressions in the text. 2. Read the article “Three Days to see” and write about your feelings using at least 200 words.

Good bye!

Reading & Speaking