高级英语口语训练教程
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Pre-class Work

1 Read the article on How to Study and Live and Make the Most of Your Time in College and then answer the following questions orally.

1) List some differences between life in high school, civilian university and military academy and then finish the following chart.

2) What are your expectations of the college life? What kind of difficulties have you encountered and may you encounter in college life? And how do you think can you get the most out of college life?

3) Read the text in Part Ⅳ, and summarize some of the tips helpful in your high school life, and figure out some more with regard to college life, especially military academy life.

2 Conduct the following activities after reading the article.

1) What is the most fascinating thing in college for you so far?

2) Interview your classmates (≥5) on their experiences and feelings of the first week in college.

3) Share your tips in adjusting to college life with your groupmates and then summarize and report the tips of your group to the whole class.

Ⅰ. Starting Point

1 Look at the cartoons and comment on the phenomenon they describe.

2 Is the phenomenon common in today's colleges in China? What do you think of this phenomenon?

3 What kind of college life have you expected before? And what kind of campus life are you enjoying now? Is there any gap between them? If yes, share with your classmates about this gap.

Ⅱ. What Do You Say

Activity 1 Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Watch the video clip(1) and finish the following tasks.

1 What is body language? Please specify the meanings of some certain body gestures including those mentioned in the video clip.

2 In what ways do you think body language is important? And in what kind of activities will we rely on body language especially in campus activities?

3 Record a speech entitled The Importance of Body Language and hand them in the groups.

4 Comment on each group's speech videos in class and analyze the body language in the speech. After that, revise and record them again, and finally hand them in the groups.

Activity 2 The Third Dabate Between Hillary and Trump

Watch the video clip(2) and finish the following tasks.

1 What is the focus of the third debate between Hillary and Trump?

2 How would you comment on their usage of words respectively?

3 What is your impression on Hillary and Trump as far as the debate is concerned?

4 Make the preparation for the debate on“College Students Should Have Part-Time Jobs.”

Cultural notes

BP Debate

British Parliamentary Debate is very widespread, and has gained major support in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Africa, Philippines and United States. It has also been adopted as the official style of the World Universities Debating Championship and the European Universities Debating Championship (at which the speakers are given only fifteen minutes' notice of the motion). Speeches are usually between five and seven minutes in duration. The debate consists of four teams of two speakers, sometimes called factions, with two teams on either side of the case.

Because of the style's origins in British parliamentary procedure, the two sides are called the Government and Opposition, while the speakers take their titles from those of their parliamentary equivalents (such as the opening Government speaker, called the Prime Minister). Furthermore, since this style is based on parliamentary debate, each faction is considered to be one of two parties in a coalition. They must therefore differentiate themselves from the other team on their side of the case in order to succeed in their own right.

All speakers are expected to offer Points of Information (POIs) to their opponents. POIs are particularly important in British Parliamentary style, as it allows the first two teams to maintain their relevance during the course of the debate, and the last two teams to introduce their arguments early in the debate. The first and last minute of each speech is considered“protected time”, during which no POI may be offered.

Depending on the country, there are variations in speaking time, speaking order, and the number of speakers. For example, in New Zealand, both the leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister offer a short summary as the last two speakers.

Ⅲ. What Do You Think

Activity 1 Bill Gates' Speech in His Graduation from Harvard(3)

Read the following excerpts from Bill Gates' speech in his graduation ceremony from Harvard University, and discuss the following questions in groups.

President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, parents, and especially, the graduates:

I've been waiting more than 30 years to say this:“Dad, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree.”

I want to thank Harvard for this timely honor. I'll be changing my job next year...and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.

I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees. For my part, I'm just happy that the Crimson has called me“Harvard's most successful dropout.”I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class... I did the best of everyone who failed.

But I also want to be recognized as the guy who got Steve Ballmer to drop out of business school. I'm a bad influence. That's why I was invited to speak at your graduation. If I had spoken at your orientation, fewer of you might be here today.

Harvard was just a phenomenal experience for me. Academic life was fascinating. I used to sit in on lots of classes I hadn't even signed up for. And dorm life was terrific. I lived up at Radcliffe, in Currier House. There were always lots of people in my dorm room late at night discussing things, because everyone knew I didn't worry about getting up in the morning. That's how I came to be the leader of the anti-social group. We clung to each other as a way of validating our rejection of all those social people.

Radcliffe was a great place to live. There were more women up there, and most of the guys were science-math types. That combination offered me the best odds, if you know what I mean. This is where I learned the sad lesson that improving your odds doesn't guarantee success.

What I remember above all about Harvard was being in the midst of so much energy and intelligence. It could be exhilarating, intimidating, sometimes even discouraging, but always challenging. It was an amazing privilege...and though I left early, I was transformed by my years at Harvard, the friendships I made, and the ideas I worked on.

But taking a serious look back...I do have one big regret.

I left Harvard with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world—the appalling disparities of health, and wealth, and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair.

I left campus knowing little about the millions of young people cheated out of educational opportunities here in this country. And I knew nothing about the millions of people living in unspeakable poverty and disease in developing countries.

It took me decades to find out.

You graduates came to Harvard at a different time. You know more about the world's inequities than the classes that came before. In your years here, I hope you've had a chance to think about how—in this age of accelerating technology—we can finally take on these inequities, and we can solve them.

We can make market forces work better for the poor if we can develop a more creative capitalism. If we can stretch the reach of market forces so that more people can make a profit, or at least make a living, serving people who are suffering from the worst inequities. We also can press governments around the world to spend taxpayer money in ways that better reflect the values of the people who pay the taxes.

If we can find approaches that meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profits for business and votes for politicians, we will have found a sustainable way to reduce inequity in the world. This task is open-ended. It can never be finished. But a conscious effort to answer this challenge will change the world.

1 Bill Gates was called as“Harvard's most successful dropout”. How do you think of his behavior of dropping out of Harvard? Do you think that a person with a special talent can drop out of college as he likes?

2 How do you interpret“improving your odds doesn't guarantee success”in Bill Gate's speech?

3 What do you think of your college as well as college life? Do you share the same feeling as Bill Gates's towards Harvard?

4 What do you think of education equality in China as well as around the world? And what are your proposals to solve education inequality? Do a research about it and hand in your reports in groups.

Cultural notes

Bill Gates

William Henry“Bill”Gates Ⅲ (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist. In 1975, Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft, which became the world's largest PC software company. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of chairman, CEO and chief software architect, and was the largest individual shareholder until May 2014. Gates has authored and co-authored several books.

Since 1987, Gates has been included in the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest people and was the wealthiest from 1995 to 2007, again in 2009, and has been since 2014. Between 2009 and 2014, his wealth doubled from US$40 billion to more than US$82 billion. Between 2013 and 2014, his wealth increased by US$15 billion. Gates is currently the richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$85.6 billion as of February 2017. In 2009, Gates and Warren Buffett founded The Giving Pledge, whereby they, and other billionaires, pledge to give at least half of their wealth to philanthropy.

Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. He has been criticized for his business tactics, which have been considered anti-competitive, an opinion that has in some cases been upheld by numerous court rulings. Later in his career, Gates pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.

Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000. He remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect for himself. In June 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work, and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie. He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014, taking on a new post as technology adviser to support the then newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella.

Activity 2 A Young Chinese Singer's Speech in UN's ECOSOC

Watch the video of Wangyuan's speech in United Nation's ECOSOC and answer the following questions.

1 How much do you know about ECOSOC?

2 What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

3 Have you ever dreamed of the world in 2030? And what is it like?

Ⅳ. Read, Think and Speak

How to Study, Live and Make the Most of Your Time in College(4)

To help you improve your learning and understanding, and ultimately your grades, it is important to know how to study and live and make the most of your time in college.

The value of a schedule

Before you even begin to think about the process of studying, you must develop a schedule. If you don't have a schedule or plan for studying, then you will not have any way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected comes up. A good, well-thought out schedule can be a lifesaver. It's up to you to learn how to develop a schedule that meets your needs, revise it if necessary and most important, follow it.

All schedules should be made with the idea that they can be revised. A good schedule keeps you from wandering off course. A good schedule, if properly managed, assigns time where time is needed, but you've got to want to do it!

Time is the most valuable resource a student has. It is also one of the most wasted of resources. The schedule you develop should guide you in how to allocate the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough. Don't dribble away valuable time. A good deal of your success in college depends on this simple truth.

Thinking critically or creatively

Think critically or creatively. Everybody has thinking skills, but few use them effectively. Effective thinking skills cannot be studied, but must be built up over a period of time. If you're not a good thinker, start now by developing habits that make you ask yourself questions as you read. Talk to other students who you feel are good thinkers.

The SQ3R method has been a proven way to sharpen study skills. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. Take a moment now and write SQ3R down. It is a good slogan to commit to memory to carry out an effective study strategy.

Survey—get the best overall picture of what you're going to study BEFORE you study it about any detail. It's like looking at a road map before going on a trip. If you don't know the territory, studying a map is the best way to begin.

Question—ask questions for learning. The important things to learn are usually answers to questions. Questions should lead to emphasis on the what, why, how, when, who and where of study content. Ask yourself questions as you read or study. As you answer them, you will help to make sense of the material and remember it more easily because the process will make an impression on you. Those things that make impressions are more meaningful, and therefore more easily remembered. Don't be afraid to write your questions in the margins of textbooks, on lecture notes, or wherever it makes sense.

Read—Reading is NOT running your eyes over a textbook. When you read, read actively. Read to answer questions you have asked yourself or questions the instructor or author has asked. Always be alert to bold or italicized print. The authors intend that this material receive special emphasis. Also, when you read, be sure to read everything, including tables, graphs and illustrations. Often time tables, graphs and illustrations can convey an idea more powerfully than written text.

Recite—When you recite, you stop reading periodically to recall what you have read. Try to recall main headings, important ideas of concepts presented in bold or italicized type, and what graphs charts or illustrations indicate. Try to develop an overall concept of what you have read in your own words and thoughts. Try to connect things you have just read to things you already know. When you do this periodically, the chances are you will remember much more and be able to recall material for papers, essays and objective tests.

Review—A review is a survey of what you have covered. It is a review of what you are supposed to accomplish, not what you are going to do. Rereading is an important part of the review process. Reread with the idea that you are measuring what you have gained from the process. During review, it's a good time to go over notes you have taken to help clarify points you may have missed or don't understand. The best time to review is when you have just finished studying something. Before an examination, do a final review. If you manage your time, the final review can be thought of as a“fine-tuning”of your knowledge of the material. Thousands of high school and college students have followed the SQ3R steps to achieve higher grades with less stress.

Taking Notes

Like reading, note-taking is a skill which must be learned and refined. Almost invariably, note taking, or the lack of it, is a constant deficiency in the study methods of many high school and college students. Learning the ingredients of good note-taking is rather easy; applying them to your own situation depends on how serious you are in becoming a successful student. You must learn to keep notes logically and legibly. Remember, if you can't read your own writing a few days after taking notes, they are of little use. Taking accurate and concise lecture notes is essential. Develop the habit of taking notes using appropriate methods described earlier in the SQ3R technique.

Campus Life in University(5)

Peking University

The students of Peking University enjoy a rich and vibrant campus life. Peking University has been famous for its student activities ever since the time of its foundation. Enjoying the full support from the university, students are encouraged to experience colorful campus lives. There are more than two hundred student-organized associations, and a range of student activities running year-round, which satisfy the different demands of local as well as international students. Through these activities, students cultivate their interpersonal friendship, creativity and leadership.

Every year, there are several carefully designed festivals and activities, which are regarded as main campus events. Some of them are annual, such as New Year's Eve Celebration, or the International Cultural Festival. Others may be the result of the university encouraging students to follow current trends or explore new activities; the Singing Competition for Foreign Students is one such new event.

In this way, students at Peking University not only receive a comprehensive and prestigious academic education, but also experience a balanced life, consisting of a vibrant array of student organizations and activities, leadership development opportunities, international programs and athletic competitions. Being a student at Peking University, you have the privilege of making good use of her resources to work towards realizing your dreams. The university seeks to fulfill its commitment to free speech and inquiry with the importance of an education that encompasses the whole person in mind. We expect all students to be open to the numerous challenges and opportunities our institution provides and offers.

Activities

“Being involved in activities allows you to take control of your experience at college and make it your own. You get out of college what you put into it, and that's true outside of the classroom as well,”one student said. He also recognized that being a part of extracurricular activities has made him a more well-rounded person, and has helped him to develop the skills to become a leader.

Each year, hundreds of academic seminars and lectures are offered to students. Representative student activities include International Culture Festivals, PKU Top Ten Singers, New Year Eve Celebration, Chorus Competition, Freshman Art Performance, and Challenge Cup Academic Competition,among others.

Student Associations

Having the ability to engage in multiple interests and find friends who are not only similarly engaged, but also exceptionally talented in those areas, is one of the values of Peking's diversity. Peking University recognizes that student organizations enrich the social, cultural and educational experiences of students and the larger University community. About 200 organized student groups cover a range of interests:

Academic
Career-related/Pre-professional
Community Service
Health/Counseling
Media/Publications
Music/Dance/Creative Arts
Athletic/Recreational

Princeton University(6)

A vast range of cultural, educational, athletic and social activities are available to Princeton students, faculty and staff. Getting involved in campus life is the quickest way to become a part of the University community, and to create one's own Princeton experience. Campus life activities are built around the concepts of encouraging each community member to express his or her talents and to respect all members of our pluralistic community.One of the University's most distinctive characteristics is its closely knit and integrated residential community. Housing is guaranteed for undergraduates, and nearly all students live on campus. The residential experience is central to Princeton's educational program, and the residential colleges offer students a supportive and enriching environment full of opportunities for personal growth.