Lesson 2

News and Media 新闻与媒体话题

本课重点：Part 1 谈新闻和媒体，Part 2 描述新闻事件；训练感受形容词、语调、同义替换和被动语态。

学习重点

Speaking Skills

Part 1: news, newspapers, computers, media sources
Adjectives: describe positive / negative feelings
Intonation: use rise and fall to sound natural
Part 2: paraphrase and passive voice for news stories

查看课后作业

Lead-in

新闻类 Part 1 高频问题

News Source

Do you often read newspapers?
Where do you usually get your news?
Where do most people in your country get their news?
Do you think the Internet is a good way to get news?

Answer Frame

To be honest, I usually get news from ...

It is convenient because ...

Compared with ..., I think ... is much faster / more reliable.

Talking About The Media

媒体优缺点表达

回答媒体类问题时，不要只说 good / bad，可以从 speed, convenience, reliability, depth, entertainment, cost 几个角度展开。

The Internet

fast and convenient
easy to access on a phone
may contain fake news
can be distracting

Television

clear pictures and videos
more suitable for major events
less flexible than online news
sometimes time-consuming

Newspapers

more detailed and reliable
good for serious topics
not as immediate as online news
less popular among young people

Radio

useful while driving
simple and accessible
no visual information
not attractive to many young people

Advantages

Are there any benefits to ...?

What are the positive aspects of ...?

One obvious benefit is that ...

Disadvantages

Are there any drawbacks to ...?

What are the negative aspects of ...?

One possible drawback is that ...

Feelings About A News Story

描述新闻感受的形容词

Positive News

delightful 令人愉快的
extraordinary 非凡的
impressive 令人印象深刻的
magnificent 壮观的
brilliant / marvellous 很棒的
outstanding / tremendous 杰出的 / 极好的
stunning 惊艳的

Negative News

absurd / bizarre 荒谬的 / 怪异的
upsetting 令人难过的
distressing 令人痛苦的
harmful 有害的
terrible / dreadful 糟糕的
uncomfortable 令人不舒服的
disgusting 令人反感的

Using Adjectives

It was one of the most adj. news stories I’ve ever seen.
It was really a/an adj. thing to happen.
..., which, you know, was pretty adj.
And I found it adj.
To me, it was really something adj.

Intonation

语调：让答案听起来有情绪

Intonation Tips

Use emotions to talk: sound happy or sad when necessary.
Use body language and gestures to open up.
Stress the key words instead of reading everything flatly.

Guidelines

Statement 陈述句: rise - fall
Parallel structure 平行结构: rise - fall
Yes / No question 一般疑问句: rise
Wh-question 特殊疑问句: fall
A or B question 选择疑问句: rise - fall
Tag question 反义疑问句: fall - rise

Practice Text

I got really excited about my cousin’s wedding. I couldn’t wait to be the best man / maid of honor. When asked whether she would marry him, she hesitated. I was like, “what’s the matter? Is she getting cold feet?” Can you believe what happened next? He kissed her on the lips! So why am I sharing this with you? It’s because I thought it was so funny!

Part 2 News Story

描述一条新闻

Describe a piece of good news you received

You should say:

when it was
where you were
who you were with
what happened
and why it was good news

Describe a piece of exciting news you heard on the Internet or on TV

You should say:

when it was
where you were
who you watched it with
what happened in the news
and why it was exciting news

Paraphrasing

新闻复述的同义替换技巧

Change Structure

adj. + n = n who / that ...

a homeless boy = a boy whose home was displaced

Change Details

at age 7 = when he was seven

Indonesia = an Asian country

Change Words

survival = survive

find = spot

she = this girl / lady

Passive Voice

被动语态：新闻事件更客观

Active

The earthquake destroyed a number of monuments.
Volunteers removed large numbers of rocks and stones.
Rescuers pulled survivors from the collapsed buildings.
Falling buildings injured many people.

Passive

A number of monuments were destroyed.
Large numbers of rocks and stones were removed to rescue people.
Survivors were pulled from the collapsed buildings.
Many people were injured by falling buildings.

Checklist

Which adjectives did you use to describe feelings?
Was your intonation varied or flat?
How did you paraphrase certain words?
What passive voice did you use?

Exam Skills

可练习题库

Part 1: Computer

How often do you use computer?
What kinds of computers are popular in China?
What do you usually use your computer for?
Who taught you how to use a computer?
Do you think computers have changed your life?

Part 1: News / Newspapers

Are you very interested in the news?
Why do you want to know the latest news?
What sort of news are you most interested in?
Do you think it’s important to read newspapers?
Do you care about the news?

Homework

Lesson 2 作业：News and Media

完成下面 1 个 Part 2 录音，并任选 4 道 Part 1 题口头练习。

Part 2 Task

Describe a time you felt happy that you used your cellphone

You should say:

when it happened
where it happened
who you were with
why you felt happy by using your cellphone

提交要求

Part 2 录音 1 分 40 秒到 2 分钟。
必须使用至少 3 个感受形容词，例如 impressive, delightful, upsetting, extraordinary。
复述事件时至少使用 1 处同义替换或被动语态。
注意语调，不要平读。
备注格式：姓名 + Lesson 2 News and Media 作业。