新编大学英语4 Topics

1 Unit 1 Talk about the power of humor and share the humorous story or typical joke with your classmates. What is your favorite film and why do you like it so much? Unit 2 Is Letter Writing Better than Calling? Does criticism does more harm than good? Why? Unit 3 What are the characteristics of the ideal wife and the ideal husband? Who are teachers’ pets, boys or girls? How to avoid gender bias in the classroom? Unit 4 Which should be emphasized in education, knowledge or creativity? What do you think parents can do at home to encourage a child’s creativity?

Unit6 Why would people like to take risks? What are the links between health risks and environmental pollution?

Unit 7 Talk about the similarities and differences between your expectations of college life and the reality

1.Talk about the power of humor. Share the humorous story or typical joke with your classmates. A: I think humor is a very important quality for a person or for getting along with others. I like to be with humorous people. They are like sunshine and therefore very popular with others. B: Yes, together with humorous people, life becomes more interesting and enjoyable. But it doesn’t mean everybody can understand the humor in a particular situation. C: I agree. It’s well-known that laughter is the best medicine. I enjoy jokes because jokes can always make people laugh. They can help me when I am in a bad mood. D: Cross-talk is very popular in China. Its popularity lies in its humorous language, the performers’ quick wits, their funny gestures and their presentation skills. And it is close to real life so that it is popular with the audience. E: I can’t agree more. I like slap-stick best. It is cross-talk too. Slap-stick is the most obvious humor. Its language is simple and direct. It is full of fun. It appeals to all ages and all cultures. A: Humorous people can make me laugh when I am unhappy. They can change an awkward situation and help people get rid of embarrassment by making everybody laugh. B: But humorous people require understanding from their listeners. When they laugh, communication is successful. However, sometimes humor can cause misunderstandings. 2

C: When I have time I usually read some jokes in the newspaper or in books. There are many jokes which meet the needs of people of different age groups. I also like reading cartoons and comic strips. D: Take a joke for example, one man asks another, “ Who was that lady I saw you with last night?” The other replies, “That was no lady, that was my wife”. The humor lies in the fact that the second man is saying that his wife is not a lady. E: Cross talk uses bitter irony or funny teasing to amuse people. It can not only make people laugh but also make people think. It makes people compare our ideal life with our real life. A: Our life can’t lack humor, otherwise our life will be very dull and boring. B: Humor can make us forget our worries and concerns. C: Humor can make us young and happy. D: Humor can make us feel at ease. E: Humor can make us live in harmony with other people.

2. What is your favorite film and why do you like it so much? A: My favorite film is “Gone with the wind”. I love the film because the story is very touching and the topic thought-provoking. Vivian and Clark acted as Scarlet and Rhett Butler. Both are very famous and both acted very well. B: I like it（Gone with the wind） too. The story happened during the American Civil war. It was about love and war. I was deeply touched by Scarlet’s love for Ashley and Rhett’s love for Scarlet. In both cases the love was so pure and hopeless. C: Yes, it is the most attractive part of the movie. When I watched the movie I hoped that Scarlet could realize how deeply Rhett loved her and repay his love. I cried when at the end of the movie their daughter, Bonnie, died and Rhett left Scarlet D: Forrest Gump is my favorite. Forrest Gump who is unfortunately to be born with a lower IQ and the muscle problem, usually, people always think this kind of person can't be successful in doing anything. But, instead, this unlucky man has achieved incredible a series of success, he is a football star, a war hero, table tennis star, and later a millionaire! E: I’ m also deeply impressed by the film Forrest Gump. After having seen the film, I know everybody can succeed if they work hard and never give up. A: The love in “Gone with the wind” is a tragedy. The most tragic thing is that no one can really understand what love is. That is also the case with Scarlett. She loved Rhett, but she didn’t know that. She thought she still loved Ashley, so did Rhett. B: Ashley stood in the way of their marriage, like a shadow that couldn’t be waved away. I admire Scarlet because she is a brave, independent, courageous, and intelligent woman, though she is selfish and willful. C: I agree. Love is blind. Just as the saying goes, “A woman will be unwise when she is falling in love.” And that is one of the reasons for high divorce rate in the society. D: After having seen the film, I know people may encounter many unexpected unpleasant incidents, but if only we are brave enough to face them, we will overcome them E: I can’t agree more. Differences exist in IO, but people’s IO dose not matter much.