2021学年Unit 4 Everyday economics优质教学设计及反思

Unit 4   Everyday economics

Period 3   Developing ideas

Teaching material analysis

In the reading part, as an introduction to the text, Leo’s travel notes firstly presented to students covers his different travelling experiences in China. The theme text focuses on the concept of sharing economy, current situation, advantages and potential risks. The students are expected to understand the text and deeply think about new economic trends from different angles so that students’ critical thinking ability could be enhanced.

Through reading and discourse analysis, the students will have a comprehensive look into economic activities and grasp the structure of a two-sided argumentative essay.

Teaching objectives & Core Competencies and Values for students

1. Guide the students to better understand the text and lead the students to master the features and frame of a two-sided argumentative essay and effective ways of reading the kind of materials.

2. Analyze typically long and difficult sentences to help with students’ comprehension of the text.

3. Help the students to have a comprehensive look into daily economic activities and cultivate their habit of observing daily life from different angles.

Teaching focuses

1. The features and organization of a two-sided argumentative essay.

2. Analyzing and paraphrasing long and difficult sentences

3. To help the students learn how to think about daily economic activities from different perspectives. 

Teaching procedure

Step 1  Before reading

Activity 1 

Read Leo’s travel notes and answer: which trip do you think Leo enjoyed better? Why?

Activity 2

Talk about your understanding of the title of the passage.

In everyday life, people share common items, joy or sorrows. With the rapid development of economy, goods, service and technologies etc. can be shared at competitive prices at the click of a button, which brings people more benefits.

Step 2  Fast reading ： Match the paragraphs to their functions.

Step 3  Further reading：

1. Complete the diagram with key information from the text.

2. What’s the author’s attitude towards the sharing economy?

The author acknowledges the benefits of the sharing economy, but he takes concern about the problems as well as is curious about the future of the sharing economy.

Step 4 After reading:

1. What will happen in the next 20 years as the world’s economy becomes ever more global and digital? Consider the following:

◎  What will people be sharing next?

◎  How will they be sharing these things?

◎  Why: What benefits will people get from sharing these things?

Suggested answer:

2. Language appreciation:

1. This wealth of ways of sharing is a response to our increasing demand for quality goods and services at competitive prices, all delivered at the click of a button. 

[句式分析]

“all delivered at the click of a button” 是独立主格结构，在句子中作状语；其中动词deliver 与其逻辑主语构成 被动 语态关系，故使用 过去 分词。

[paraphrase]

This large supply of ways of sharing is a reaction to our increasing need for goods and services at lower prices but still of good quality. We also want all these goods and services to be delivered at the click of a button.

2. Whether it’s an online shop where we can hire designer clothes at rock-bottom prices, or a platform from which we can rent out our flats for a couple of days, it’s out there.

[句式分析]

句子简化之后是whether it’s an online shop or a platform, it’s out there.

省略的部分where we can hire designer clothes at rock-bottom prices和from which we can rent out our flats for a couple of days都是定语从句，修饰前面的名词。

[paraphrase]

Whether we want to hire or design clothes at extremely low prices or rent out our flats for a couple of days, there are ways of sharing available for us to do so.

3. What’s more, sharing encourages us to reuse items, thereby cutting down on waste. And setups such as bike and car sharing do a further favor for the environment by reducing the number of polluting vehicles on the road.

[句式分析]

“thereby cutting down on waste. ”为现在分词短语作结果状语，其中thereby 是副词，意为“因此”，所给动词短语cut down与前面句子整体意义构成 主动 关系，故使用 现在 分词。

do a further favor: do something to improve or help someone or something, in addition to what you have already done

[paraphrase]

By reusing items, sharing helps with cutting down on waste. And by sharing bikes or cars, the number of vehicles on the road is reduced, which is also good for the environment.

4. As is often the case all over the world with new areas of economic activity, the sharing economy is developing faster than existing regulations or ongoing supervision.

[句式分析]

本句是一个复合句。主句是the sharing economy is developing faster than…，其中than引导的是比较状语从句；As is often the case意为“这是常有的事”，是定语从句。

[paraphrase]

All over the world, it is common for new areas of economic activity, for example the sharing economy, to develop faster than existing official rules or the means to manage and control them.

5. Some companies are taking unfair advantage of this situation to expand their share of the market, often at the expense of more traditional and established companies. In addition, the sharing economy is subject to abuse of trust.

[句式分析]

take advantage of: 利用…；at the expense of : at the sacrifice of，以牺牲…为代价；be subject to: be affected or can be affected by something unpleasant

[paraphrase]

In order to grow and make more profit, some companies make use of this situation in an unfair way, which harms more traditional companies and companies with longer histories. In addition, the sharing economy can suffer from dishonest dealings.

Step 5 Review and self-assessment

1. Language review:

•          1. 一直提醒我们要…

•          2. 对…有益；

•          3. 呈现出；

•          4. 喜欢分享；

•          5. 应…而生; 对…的回应；

•          6. 情况常常是这样；

•          7. 不合理地利用；

•          8. 以…为代价；

•          9. 日益与…相关；

•          10. 帮某人一个忙；

•          11. 无论是A还是B；

12. 腾飞，开始成功；

2. Review and self assessment

•          Structure and attitude:

•          1. What is the structure of the text?

•          2. What is the author’s attitude to the sharing economy?

•          Thinking pattern and organizational patterns:

•          1. When we talk about something that we are not extremely familiar with, the three aspects to remind us are: _____, ______, ________;

•          2. When our argument includes more than one point, it’s a good idea to arrange them in an ______________________, e.g. categorial/topical

•          “personal social environmental, …”

Step 6  Assignments

1. Review new words, phrases and useful expressions learned in this period.

2. Think back about the what a two-sided argumentative essay is.