Unit 1

1. Unit 1 Little House in the Big Woods

2. Cultural background: • Westward Movement in America • Results of Westward Movement

3. Cultural background • It’s only more than ____ years since the United States won its independence. • ____ is believed to be the discoverer of America. He was an I____. Christopher Columbus

4. Cultural background

5. Cultural background • Since it was the first time for the Europeans to set foot on this large continent, they called it ____ while Europe and other continents became known as ____. the New World; the Old World

6. about the author: Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) 劳拉·英格斯·怀尔德 Laura Elizabeth Ingallswas born on February 7, 1867, in a little log house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin(威斯康星州).

7. about the author: Indian Territory in Kansas(堪萨斯) Grasshopper Country in Minnesota(明尼苏达州) Dakota(达科他州) Territory

8. about the story: • Laura's daughter Rose grew up listening to her mother's stories of those pioneer days. • She urged her mother to write them down so that other children could enjoy them as well.

9. about the story: • So in the 1930s and 40s, Laura recorded her memories of those days of long ago in a children's series known as the "Little House" books.

10. 1932 - Little House in the Big Woods 1871-1872 (4-5) 1933 - Farmer Boy 1935 - Little House on the Prairie 1873-1874 (5-7) 1937 - On the Banks of Plum Creek 1874-1876 (7-9) “Little House” books:

11. “Little House” books: 1939 - By the Shores of Silver Lake 1879-1880 (12-13) 1940 - The Long Winter 1880-1881 (13-14) 1941 - Little Town on the Prairie 1881-1882 (14-15) 1943 - These Happy Golden Years 1883-1885 (15-18)

12. about the story: • Although Laura died on February 10, 1957, at her home in the Ozarks of Missouri(密苏里州), she and her family will live forever in the hearts of her readers.

13. about the story: Laura enjoyed autographing books for her fans.

14. Introduction and Questions: • What did they do when Ma and Laura saw the big bear? • Were they safe in the end?

15. Text: • One day Pa went to town to trade the furs of the wild animals he had caught all winter. • At night there came a big bear. How did mother and her daughter get home safely? • Pa did not return until the next morning.

16. Please use context clues to guess the meanings of the underlined words. • Then one day Pa said that spring was coming. In the big woods the snow was beginning to thaw.

17. Please use context clues to guess the meanings of the underlined words. • At noon all the big icicles along the eaves of the little house quivered and sparkled in the sunshine, and drops of water hung trembling at their tips.

18. Please use context clues to guess the meanings of the underlined words. • There were so many furs that when they were packed tightly and tied together they made a bundle almost as big as Pa.

19. Please use context clues to guess the meanings of the underlined words. • The woods were dark, but there was a gray light on the snowy path, and in the sky there were a few faint stars.

20. Language notes: • Pa said he must go to town to trade the furs of the wild animals he had been trapping all winter. • 爸爸说他必须去城里一趟,卖掉他一冬捕获的兽皮。 • trade: v. to buy and sell goods • There are many such conversions in English.

21. Language notes: • He watered the wine before drinking it. • The earth orbits the sun. • Point this pencil for me, please. • Oil the machine before you operate it. • She journeys to Europe once a year on business.

22. Language notes: Please find some examples in the text. • Pa said he must go to town to trade the furs of the wild animals he had been trapping all winter. • Very early one morning Pa strapped the bundle of furs in his shoulders, and started to walk to town.

23. Language notes: • Ma said that Laura might come with her while she milked the cow. • So Laura put on her coat and Ma buttoned it up.

24. Language notes: • Ma was worried, but Pa said that by starting before sun-up and walking very fast all day he could get home again before dark. • 妈妈很担心。但爸爸说，如果日出前就出发，并且快些走，他可以在天黑前赶回来。

25. Language notes: • Sun-up is an American expression for sunrise. Note that sometimes American English and British English have different words for the same thing. BrE. AmE. • 商店：shop store • 汽油：petrol gas

26. Language notes: BrE. AmE. • 电影院： cinema movie theatre • 铁路： railway railroad • 裤子： trousers pants • 公寓： flat apartment • 出租汽车：taxi cab • 出纳员： cashier teller • 分数： marks grades

27. Language notes: BrE. AmE. • 人行道：pavement sidewalk • 秋天： autumn fall • 电梯： elevator lift • 橡皮： rubber eraser • 药房： the chemist's the drug store • 理发店：hairdresser's beauty parlor • 糖果： sweets candies

28. Language notes: • The sun sank out of sight, the woods grew dark, and he did not come. Ma started supper and set the table, but he did not come. It was time to do the chores, and still he had not come. • 太阳已经不见了, 森林也渐渐暗了下来, 爸爸没有回来。妈妈准备好晚餐, 摆好了桌子, 爸爸还是没有回来。到了平时干杂活的时间, 他依然没有回来。

29. Language notes: • It’s sides were of tin, with places cut in them for the candle-light to shine through. • 灯笼壁是用锡皮做的, 上面有一些豁口，以便烛光透出来。 • The preposition of here means made from. • e.g. The dress is of silk. • The crown is of gold.

30. Language notes: • The woods were dark, but there was a gray light on the snowy path, and in the sky there were a few faint stars. • 森林里已经暗下来。铺满白雪的小路隐隐泛着灰色的光，夜空中悬挂着几颗暗淡的星星。

31. Language notes: • woods is different word from its singular form, wood. • Woods mean a place where trees grow thickly, smaller than a forest.

32. Language notes: • color：颜色 • colors：军旗 • custom：风俗，习惯 • customs：海关，关税 • damage：损害 • damages：赔偿金 • pain：疼痛 • pains：努力

33. Language notes: • regard：注意 • regards：问候，致意 • spectacle：场面 • spectacles：眼镜 • spirit：精神，情绪 • spirits：酒精

34. Language notes: • “But he could have hurt us, couldn’t he?” she asked. • “但刚才它本可能伤到我们的，是吗？”她问道。 • Note that the question is put in its subjunctive mood. • Without those protections, the bear will have hurt them.

35. Language notes: • She was sitting up late, waiting for Pa, and Laura and Mary meant to stay awake, too, till he came. • 劳拉和玛莉原也想等爸爸回来再睡，但最后还是睡着了。 • mean to do something: intend to do something, or plan to do something.

36. Try to retell the story. • spring snow thaw Pa town trade furs trap evening bundle morning strap Ma worried sun-up presents • chores milk button mitten lantern faint surprised barnyard barn slap snatch slam

37. Try to retell the story. • bear safe supper prayers bed mend frightened rocking-chair sit up • morning candy calico happy tracks barn safe

38. What did this story reflect in the end? • Pioneer women can be as strong and brave as men. It shows us that pioneer women were smart people who contributed as much to the families as did men.

39. Vocabulary: • The snow is ______. • Make sure the frozen chicken is properly ______ before you cook it. • I ______ with fear at the sound.

40. Vocabulary: • The police set a ______ to catch the thief. • She ______ the bag onto her back. • ______ up your coat—it’s cold outside. • The young soldier ______ in the hot sun.

41. Vocabulary: • She ______ his face. • He ______ the papers down on my desk and angrily walked out. • They went to the mosque to ______.

42. Vocabulary: • He says his ______ every night before he goes to bed. • The little girl was ______ by the big dog.

43. Reading skills: • What is “previewing”? • What steps will be taken to preview a textbook? • Please make clear those words and phrases: title, table of contents, preface, index, glossary, appendix, bibliography, supplement