新编大学英语 文化阅读教程1教师用书Unit_7

新编大学英语文化阅读教程1教师用书

Unit 7

Warm-up

Step 1 Talking about the pictures

1) Football (soccer), table tennis, badminton, video games, watching TV, drinking tea, eating out, shopping, hiking, Karaoke, bowling, chess, Tai Chi, calligraphy, flying kites, mahjong, etc.

2) My favorite leisure activity is playing table tennis. For me, this is the perfect combination of moderate exercise and social activity. It is the best way for me to relax, and I can completely switch off by chatting with my friends during the sport activity.

Step 2 Brainstorming USA:

Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, shopping, exercise, watching movies / TV, bowling, yoga, arts and crafts, etc. Japan:

Eating out, road trips, jogging / fitness, reading books and manga, football (soccer), baseball, video games, watching TV, etc. Russia:

Hockey, visiting amusement parks, swimming, fishing, chess, BBQ, wrestling, boxing, etc.

UK:

Football (soccer), cricket, rugby, shopping, darts, BBQ, watching TV, eating out, travel, etc.

Reading 1

Language focus 1. idle 2. temptation 3. aesthetic 4. signify / signified 5. receptive 6. Calligraphy 7. morality 8. relaxation

9. adheres to / adhered to 10. longing for

Global understanding 1) cultured man 2) adhere to 3) moral values 4) aesthetic

5) principle or law of nature 6) unoccupied spirit 7) free and leisurely 8) harmonious 9) governance

Detailed understanding 1. B 2. C 3. A 4. D 5. D

Cultural thinking

1) Yes, I think the phenomenon still exists, although rare. Doing an activity for moral or personal development is important in traditional Chinese culture. That’s why some people take classes for calligraphy, painting or poetry. But my day-to-day leisure activities are for relaxation and enjoyment, rather than personal or moral cultivation.

2) Exercise and sports are my main leisure activities. During my spare time, I am usually involved in leisure activities, such as playing Chinese chess or doing jogging with my friends. One of the reasons why I like these activities is that they help take some weight off my mind when I felt burned out from school. These activities allow me to have some fun with my friends, without feeling the pressure to “perform” or “be the best.”

Reading 2

Language focus 1. affordable 2. revolution

3. illuminate 4. demonstration 5. narrating 6. subscription 7. canvas 8. literacy 9. gathering 10. fares

Global understanding 1) community-based 2) fairs 3) social class 4) members-only 5) occupations 6) affordable

7) mass production and schemes 8) literacy and income 9) subscription

Detailed understanding 1. B 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. D

Cultural thinking

It’s good to manage your time, making a good balance between leisure activity and study. I try to say “no” sometimes because I know I cannot do everything. I also try to plan some fun activities for my leisure time. This helps me to finish my tasks and work more efficiently.

I make a “to do” list for my study each day and stick to it. But if I can’t do everything on the list, I will do it the day after. I know it’s important to spend time taking care of my health, so I try to get regular exercises, such as running and swimming. If I can do some of these sports activities every day, I will feel proud of myself.

My counselor gives me helpful suggestions on study and leisure activities balance. She tells me to start with small changes which can make a big difference, for example, going to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual, or avoiding playing video games after 10 p.m. This kind of small changes can help me rest and make me feel more energetic the next day.

Integrated thinking

1

There are many examples of this. The Book of Change, Laozi, The Analects of Confucius, Zhuangzi, The Book of Odes and The Songs of Chu are all underpinned by an appreciation of leisure. In many cases the authors celebrated the leisure time directly.

The Eastern Jin Period poet Tao Yuanming celebrated nature and leisure in his wonderful poems. Song Dynasty Poet Zhu Xi wrote poem Tea Stove (Cha Zao) ,

recording his relaxing experience of drinking tea with friends on a big rock in the middle of Nine-bend River (Jiu Qu Xi) in Fujian. Su Shi, a poet of the Song Dynasty, wrote about the importance of learning how to appreciate leisure time. Furthermore, in the 20th century, Lin Yutang wrote about the feeling of contentment from being close to nature. 2

A factor that may impact the development of leisure activities is the accessibility to educational resources, such as libraries and schools of all kinds.

Another important factor is the accessibility to public amenities, such as parks, swimming pools, ice skating rinks and music halls. In general, availability is key, because it encourages people to start an activity.

Government support, at any level, can be important, especially if it is difficult for private enterprises to earn profits from the supply of these resources and amenities. 3

Science and technology are influencing how we spend our “down time.” In the future technologies will influence how we spend leisure time in two ways. First, new technologies allow us to engage in online leisure activities that would normally require a short trip in the past. Shopping is an example. We can buy anything online, whether it’s food or flat-pack furniture. We can stream entertainment at home, whether it’s our favorite show or a concert and don’t need to go out and share a public space with other people.

Second, technology will make leisure activities more like a profession. In professional sports, for example, the data of our movements is recorded and used

to analyze and improve performance, but non-professionals (“prosumers”) are buying wearable electronic goods for the same purpose. For these reasons, leisure might look and feel very different in the future.

Culture mosaic

1 Learning, connecting and eating

1) Table tennis, badminton, basketball, football, Karaoke, mahjong, a stroll in the park, dancing, reading, movie watching.

2) Due to globalization, there are quite a lot of similarities. Playing basketball is extremely popular in both the US and China. Then there are activities such as reading, watching movies and eating out, which are universally appealing. There are of course some differences. Public dancing and mahjong are examples of popular activities in China that are not mainstream in the US. Likewise, baking for fun and barbecuing would not be considered traditionally popular leisure activities in China.

2 Hollywood looks to Chinese culture

1) China produces a lot of high-quality films and TV series. The biggest overseas market for Chinese films and TV is Southeast Asia, mainly due to that region’s identification with Chinese culture. However, there are plenty of examples of films and TV shows gaining fans in other parts of the world, for example South Korea, Japan and the United States. Examples of popular series and films

include The Legend of Zhen Huan and Hero, which provide a window onto Chinese culture and history.

These films and TV dramas appeal to overseas audience for two reasons. First, they have complex narrations and scripts that are based on the real lives of ancient Chinese people. Second, they offer perspectives that help curious foreign viewers to know Chinese history and culture.

2) In order to draw a larger overseas audience, the Chinese film industry and the government might take following measures. Firstly, one way to ensure this is through collaboration with overseas producers. A growing number of blockbuster films are co-produced by Chinese companies and foreign producers. These films exemplify how talents from different cultural backgrounds could bring out impressive artwork. The early 2000s martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was an example of a highly successful collaborative effort between China and the United States. The score of this film earned its reputation for its combination of Chinese instruments and western music.

Secondly, to gain popularity around the world, Chinese films and TV shows should identify what themes and stories hold appeal overseas. Themes of love, justice and survival are always the filmgoers’ favorites, but they need to reflect the characters that Chinese value, such as loyalty and bravery. Take Peter Chan’s movie Leap as an example, it depicts the spirit of the women’s volleyball team and their perseverance to win the Olympic gold medal. To sum up, well-selected themes and co-production mode of making films will help Chinese films attract more audiences outside China.

3 The colorful history of kites

Tea drinking:

Tea has been cultivated, drunk, written about and appreciated in China for millennia. It reached Europe in the 15th century through European traders and explorers. The upper class in Europe soon adopted the fashion of Tea drinking which became very popular in 18th century Britain. Meanwhile, tea cultivation also spread to other places via British traders, for example, people started planting tea in India and Sri Lanka in the 19th century. Firecrackers on festive occasions:

Although firecrackers are banned in some countries and regions, they remain a popular way to celebrate. The tradition started in China around 2000 years ago. Today, they are used to usher in Chinese New Year wherever Chinese communities are found. Firecrackers are also used at festivals such as Diwali in India and among the Indian community, and even during Halloween in Ireland.