Unit 8 Antarctica

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Unit 8 Antarctica
Unit 8 Antarctica
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I. Lead-in Activities

• 1. Do you know Antarctica? How did you know it?
  What kind of news about it are you often informed
  through the media?
• Key words continent, southernmost,
• expedition a journey taken by a group of people
  with a definite objective

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2. How much do you know about Antarctica?

• Features of Antarctica antarctica.map.doc

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(No Transcript)
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II. While-Reading Activities

• 1. Main Ideas
• The subject under discussion Antarctica
  opposite to the Arctic
• The writers purpose to present a striking
  description of Antarctica to inform and explain
  ___

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Why Antarctica has not been conquered by man so
far and how our tenure of it is

• questionable even today.
• Reasons Great isolation from other
  land(ll.13-14)
• Not inhabited by humans(ll.18-19)
• Hardly any plant or animal life(ll.20-21)

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Very little rain( para.5,ll.25-29)

• intense cold(ll.15-16,ll.30-36) Howling wind
  (para.6)
• No human child ever born there (l.21)
• The most tempestuous seas around it (l.14, last
  para)

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II. Details

• 1. What dose the writer intend to tell the reader
  about Antarctica by presenting a striking
  description of it? Use a few words to describe
  its most distinctive appearace.

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He intends to enfold the most spectacular
natural phenomenon on earth. Seen from space,
it is a huge ice sheet which radiates light like
a great white lantern across the bottom of the
world.
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2. Why do you think people used to regard the
Arctic and the Antarctic as much alike?

• What is the fact about their similarities and
  differences?
• Since both are the ends of the earth axis
  respectively in the north and in the south,
  covered with a vast and thick layer of ice and
  snow,

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Both are extremely cold all year round. However,
the fact is that their differences

• outweigh their similarities. (para.3)
• A survey of their differences
• 1) geographical position
• The Arctic is closely ____( by) the ___
  continents of Europe, America and Asia while the
  Antarctica is __ , separated

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from the nearest land by vast __ of the most __
seas on earth.

• ( hemmed in/ surrounded , populated, isolated,
  reaches, tempestuous)
• 2) climate refer to the text and summarize their
  climatic difference
• 3) rainfall (precipitation) (ll.25-29)

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4) vegetation the only plants are ____ on the
rock faces.

• (a handful of mosses and lichens)
• Animals the only landlife___(ll.20-21)
• Population there is no permanent ___ , though
  there are research stations in Antarctica.

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3. Why has not no human child ever been born in
Antarctica?

• There is a lack of the basic essentials to life
  rainfall, warmth and a degree of stillness.
• Apart from extreme cold, wind is as injurious to
  human health as cold. (ll.43-45)

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4. What was the main drawback to the unveiling of
Antarctica?

• Besides the climate, an even greater drawback
  which had prevented people from setting eye and
  set foot on was the nature of the Southern Ocean
  which surrounds it.

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iii. Comprehension Exercises

• 1. True or False Textbook P.137-138
• 2. Difficult Sentences Workbook P.128-129

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Language Points

• 1. be inclined to do sth. be likely to, tend to
• E.g. Tom is inclined to be lazy. No one seemed
  inclined to help.
• 2. as regards regarding, concerning, about, as
  far asis concerned

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e.g. As regards his ability, we all feel he has
great potential.

• You can rest assured as regards his character.
• 3. by far a large amount or degree. Generally
  used with a comparative or superlative adj. E.g.
  The new mode of cellphone is by far the best of
  its kind.

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4. Have an effect on affect

• E.g. Each living thing in an ecosystem has a
  great effect on many others in many ways.
• Pollution will have a direct effect on the
  unexpected change in climate all over the world.

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5. Small wonder (that) no wonder, not
surprisingly

• E.g. Most young people are inclined to follow the
  fashion. Small wonder (that) my teen-age niece is
  so fashion-conscious.

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6. unveil vt. show it or it make known for the
first time

• A new government policy on forests is due to be
  unveiled in April.
• 7. outweigh   verb T to be greater or more
  important than something else

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The benefits of this treatment far outweigh any
risks.

• 8. hem sb in phrasal verb Mto surround someone
  and prevent them from moving or doing what they
  want to do
• When they reached Oxford Circus, the
  demonstrators were hemmed in by the police.

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Words and phrases for self-study

• a handful of
• At speed
• Be described as
• Be injurious to
• In isolation

• Remain inviolate
• Think of as
• At times
• In contrast
• In length
• Let alone
• Set eyes/ foot on

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After-reading task

• 1. What are the factors that contribute to the
  unimaginably violent wind in Antarctica?
• 2. Do you think mans tenure of Antarctica
  possible or sure in the near future? Present your
  reasons.