00015自学考试英语二第一课

Unit 1

The power of language

A famous quote

Language is the dress of thought.——Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson (1709-1784), British man of letters, one of the

most outstanding figures of the 18th century in England. He

made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet,

essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and

lexicographer. Johnson has been described as “arguably the

most distinguished man of letters in English history”.

Speaking Activity

Making Suggestions

Sample dialogue

Read the following conversation. Pay attention to how the

speakers make suggestions.

Steve: Hi, Jenny, would you like to do something with me this

weekend?

Jenny: Sure. What shall we do?

Steve: I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?

Jenny: Why don’t we see a film?

Steve: That sounds good to me. Which film shall we see?Jenny: Let’s see Action Man 4.

Steve: I’d rather not. I don’t like violent films. How about

going to Mad Doctor Brown? I hear it’s quite a funny

film.

Jenny: OK. Let’s go see that. When is it on?

Steve: It’s at 8 o’clock at the Rex. Shall we have a bite to eat

before the film?

Jenny: Sure, that sounds great. What about going to that new

Italian restaurant Michetti’s?

Steve: Great idea! Let’s meet there at six.

Jenny: OK. I’ll see you at Michetti’s at six. Bye.

Steve: Bye.

Guided practice

Directions: Give your friends some suggestions on a place

where you can spend your vacation. Use your own information.

You may use the following tips to help you.

Would you like to …?

Shall we go…?

Let’s go…?

Why don’t we (you) go…?

How (What) about going…?That’s a good idea.

Good suggestion.

Thanks for the advice.Test A

Pre-reading Questions

1.Do you usually challenge the idea an author represents? What

do you think is active reading?

2.what suggestions do you expect the author will give on

reading critically?

Critical ReadingCritical reading applies to non-fiction writing in which the

author puts forth a position or seeks to make a statement.

Critical reading is active reading. It involves more than just

understanding what an author is saying. Critical reading

involves questioning and evaluating what the author is saying,

and forming your own opinions about what the author is saying.

Here are the things you should do to be a critical reader.

Consider the context of what is written. You may be

reading something that was written by an author from a different cultural context than yours. Or, you may be reading something

written some time ago in a different time context than yours. In

either case, you must recognize and take into account any

differences between your values and attitudes and those represented by the author.Question assertions made by the author. Don’t accept what is written at face value. Before accepting what is written,

be certain that the author provides sufficient support for any

assertions made. Look for facts, examples, and statistics that

provide support. Also, look to see if the author has integrated the work of authorities.

Compare what is written with other written work on

the subject. Look to see that what is written is consistent with

what others have written about the subject. If there are

inconsistencies, carefully evaluate the support the author

provides for the inconsistencies.

Analyze assumptions made by the author. Assumptions

are whatever the author must believe is true in order to make

assertion. In many cases, the author’s assumptions are not directly stated. This means you must read carefully in order to identify any assumptions. Once you identify an assumption, you must decide whether or not the assumption is valid..

Evaluate the sources the author uses. In doing this, be certain that the sources are credible. For example, Einstein is a

credible source if the author is writing about landmark

achievements in physics. Also be certain that the sources are

relevant. Einstein is not a relevant source when the subject is poetry. Finally, if the author is writing about a subject in its current state, be sure that the sources are current. For example,

studies done by Einstein in the early 20th century may not be

appropriate if the writer is discussing the current state of

knowledge in physics.

Identify any possible author bias. A written discussion of

American politics will likely look considerably different depending on whether the writer is a Democrat or a Republican. What is written may very well reflect in a biased position. You

need to take this possible bias into account when reading what the author has written. That is, take what is written with “a grain of salt.”By being a critical reader, you will become better informed

and may change your views as appropriate.