Unit 2 Myths and Legends

Part I

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Teaching aimsIn this unit students are required to :• 1) get to know some useful information

concerning the topic of the reading passages in this unit and to know more about English culture;

• 2) do some preparation activities such as discussion, group work, etc. to practice their spoken skill and communicative skills;

• 3) grasp some new words and try to use these words which help them to enrich their vocabulary;

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• 4)read the in-class reading passage in a limited time and grasp some expressions and grammatical points in the in-class reading passage to improve their reading comprehension;

• 5) do some post-reading exercises and some after-class reading to practice what they have got to know in class to improve their English comprehensive skills.;

• 6) translate some typical sentences into Chinese or English by using some expressions learned in the reading passages to acquire some translating skills and better their translating abilities.

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myths and legends• Although the line between myth and legend is

often blurred(模糊 ).

• myths tend to focus on superhuman animals and gods,

• whereas legends glorify a hero or a great event and usually contain an element of truth.

• Like myths, legends became popular stories handed down from generation to generation.

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Translation

• Work in groups and try to translate the passage “An Argument About the Sun”

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Chinese version 1• 孔子到东方游学，在途中看见两个小孩在争辩，就上前问缘故。  一个小孩说：“我认为太阳刚升出来的时候距离人近，而正午时远。”另一个小孩认为，太阳刚出来时距离人远，而正午时距离人近。  前一个小孩说：“太阳刚出来时大的就像车上的篷盖，而正午时，却只有一个盘盂那么大。这不是近的时候大而远的时候小吗？”  后一个小孩说：“太阳刚出来时天气阴冷，而正午时却像把手伸进热水里。这不是近的时候热而远的时候凉吗？”  孔子也不能做出判断。     两个小孩笑着说：“谁说你知道得多？” 

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    孔子东游，见两小儿辩斗，问其故。 一儿曰，我以日始初时去人近，而日中时远也。一儿以日初出远，而日中时近也。 一儿曰：“日初出大如车盖，及日中则如盘盂。此不为远者小而近者大乎？” 一儿曰：“日初出沧沧凉凉，及其日中如探汤。此不为近者热而远者凉乎？” 孔子不能决也。    两小儿笑曰：“孰为汝多知乎？” 

Chinese version 2

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Role play

• Work in groups• A student happens to go back at the scene • The arguing children now ask him the

same question • …

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How to play

• There are 6 members in a group. • Ss 1 will be the director, who will decide

what everything is going on in the play. • Ss 2 acts as Confucius, Ss 3 as child A,

Ss 4 as child B and Ss 5 the college student from the future .

• Ss 6 will be the Narrator, whose task is to introduce the play when it begins and to explain the situation when necessary.

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We have a bench of judges…

• All the directors will be the judges;• Judges have to decide which group is the

best and who is the best actor/actress as well as the best narrator;

• Comments or reasons needed

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Judges: Attention

• Good pronunciation and intonation• Good arrangement• Good team work• Good feeling expressions• Effective sound effects• Brief creative introduction

Now I will ask all the Best Individuals to show the play for

one more time

Pictures Matching

Greek Mythology

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Immortals in Greek Mythology• Zeus • Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian

gods. Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus. He then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera but, is famous for his many affairs. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. He is represented as the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the punisher of the wicked.

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Apollo• Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is

Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre. The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. The god of light. The god of truth, who can not speak a lie.

• One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses an drive the Sun across the sky.

• He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future.

• His tree was the laurel. The crow his bird. The dolphin his animal.

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Aphrodite

• Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that compels anyone she wishes to desire her. There are two accounts of her birth.

• One says she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. • The other goes back to when Cronus castrated Uranus

and tossed his severed gentiles into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus.

• She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow her birds. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares. She represented sex, affection, and the attraction that binds people together.

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Hera• Hera is Zeus wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans

Ocean and Tethys. She is the supreme goddess, goddess of marriage and childbirth and takes special care of married women.

• Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her breast to warm it. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.

• Most stories concerning Hera have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus's infidelities. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. Her favorite city is Argos.

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Hephaestus

• Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is the patron god of both smiths and weavers. He is kind and peace loving. His wife is Aphrodite. Sometimes his wife is identified as Aglaia.

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Demeter

• Demeter is the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. It is Demeter that makes the crops grow each year. The first loaf of bread from the harvest is sacrificed to her. Demeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.

• Demeter is intimately associated with the seasons. Demeter is also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge festivals held every five years. They were important events for many centuries. Yet, little is known of them as those attending were sworn to secrecy. The central tenant seems to have been that just as grain returns every spring after its harvest and wintery death, so too the human soul could be reborn after the death of the body.

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Hermes• He was the cleverest of the Olympian gods, and

messenger to all the other gods. • Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus

messenger. He is the fastest of the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy , weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees.

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Athena

• Athena is the Greek virgin goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but, only wars to defined the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus's favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her favorite city is Athens. Her tree is the olive. The owl is her bird. She is a virgin goddess.

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Poseidon

• God of the sea, protector of all waters. Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the overthow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus.

• At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsucessful and created a varity of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled.

• His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.

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Dionysus

• He was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes. He has a dual nature. On the one hand bringing joy and devine ecstasy. On the other brutal, unthinking, rage. Thus, reflecting both sides of wines nature. If he chooses Dionysus can drive a man mad. No normal fetters can hold him or his followers.

• Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. He is the only god to have a mortal parent. Zeus came to Semele in the night, invisible, felt only as a divine presence. Semele was pleased to be a lover of a god, even though she did not know which one. Dionysus became one of the most important gods in everyday life. He became associated with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death. The other is the idea that under the influence of wine, one could feel possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods Dionysus was not only outside his believers but, also within them. At these times a man might be greater then himself and do works he otherwise could not.

• The festival for Dionysus is in the spring when the leaves begin to reaper on the vine. It became one of the most important events of the year. It's focus became the theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed at the feast of Dionysus. All who took part writers, actors, spectators were regarded as scared servants of Dionysus during the festival.

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Aris• Ares is the son of Zeus

and Hera. He was disliked by both parents. He is the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite her husband Hephaestus is able publicly to ridicule him. His bird is the vulture. His animal is the dog.

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Discover the Myth Maker in You  • Write your own original Greek myth using your

modern hero as the main character. It will be your challenge to focus on the qualities of your modern hero that make him or her a good person while they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. 

• Your myth will send them on a fantastical adventure where they will face angry gods, wicked monsters, and unbelievable odds?  The only question is, "will your hero meet the challenge and overcome the great odds stacked against them?“

• Use the Online Resources that are available to find more about your modern hero.  Focus your investigation on the qualities that make your hero such a good person.

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• Use a Venn Diagram to compare the qualities that make your hero a good person and those qualities that the Ancient Greeks felt made their heroes such good people.  Are there similarities?  Are there differences?

• Write a Greek myth with your modern hero as the main character.  Your myth should exaggerate the qualities that make your hero a good person.  Your hero should face the Greek gods.  Make sure that your myth includes all the parts of a myth.

• Choose the best story in your group to act out.

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A suggested example

• Situation: Zeus is tired of his present job as the king of the gods. So all the gods and goddess on the Olympus are applying for Zeus’ position, including the hero you have created.

• They decide to have a debate to find the best candidate…

Unit 2 Myths and Legends

Part II

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revision

• What is a fable? • a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with

animals or inanimate objects as characters;• e.g. the fable of the tortoise and the hare;

• allegory n.寓言• apologue n.寓言 , 道德故事• myth n.神话 , • legend n.传说 

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their common purpose?

• characters are presented as symbols (符号 , 记号 , 象征 )

• usually told to present a moral lesson,

• thus passing down a value, a tradition, a system of belief.

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can you find

• 1. a fable that illustrates the moral that we should not pity the wicked (坏的 , 邪恶的 ) because their evilness dies hard?

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• In a wintery day, a farmer came across (遇到 ) a frozen snake on his way. Feeling sorry for the snake, he unfastened (解开 ) his clothes and let the snake in his bosom(胸部 ).

• Warmed by his body, the snake quickly revived (苏醒 ). Once it came to, it gave the farmer a mortal(致命的 ) wound. The dying farmer regretted: “Snakes are our enemies and I shouldn't have shown pity to it.”

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The Farmer and the Snake• One winter a farmer found a

snake ____ and frozen with cold. He had _____ on it, and taking it up, placed it in his ____. The snake was quickly _____ by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor (恩人 ), inflicting on him a _____ wound. "Oh," cried the farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly ____ for pitying a scoundrel (无赖 , 恶棍 )"

• stiff• compassion• bosom• mortal • served

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The moral of the fable

• The greatest kindness will not bind ( 约束 ) the ungrateful (忘恩负义的 ).

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The Bear and the Two Travelers• TWO MEN were traveling together, when

a Bear suddenly met them on their _____. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and _____ himself in the branches(树枝 ). The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout (突出的嘴 ), and smelt him all over, he held his _____, and feigned (伪装 ) the appearance of death as much as he could.

• path • concealed • breath

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• The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler ____ from the tree, and jocularly(开玩笑地 ) inquired of(询问 ) his friend what it was the Bear had ____ in his ear. "He gave me this advice," his companion replied. "Never travel with a friend who ____ you at the approach of danger."

• descended 爬下• whispered• deserts

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The moral of the fable

• Misfortune(不幸、灾难 ) tests the sincerity of friends.

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The Shepherd's Boy• There was once a young Shepherd Boy

who ____ his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little _____ and some excitement. He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a ____ time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he tried the same _____, and again the villagers came to his help.

• tended 看管• company 陪伴• considerable • trick 把戏

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• But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the forest, and began to —____ the sheep, and the boy of course cried out “Wolf, Wolf,” still louder than before. But this time the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was again ____ them, and nobody stirred(走动 ) to come to his help. So the Wolf made a good meal off the boy‘s ____ and when the boy complained, the wise man of the village said:

• worry • deceiving • flock(羊

群 ),

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The moral of the fable

• "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."

• Once a liar, always a liar.

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Activity Create your own fable.

• 1. In groups of 8, please create your fable (story with a moral lesson), using animal characters. You can use spoken language, hand gestures, props (小道具 ) or even desks and chairs as the setting, just make just make sure the audience understandssure the audience understands.

• Each group will need to perform the fable before the whole class.(10-15 mins of preparation)

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• 2. Before the performance, one member of each group will come to the computer and type their desired moral for the fable without letting the others see it (teacher should switch the projector signal to video and NOT computer).

• 3. The class will need to guess the moral of the fable at the end of each performance. Rating of the performance depends on the match between the two.

Part III passage

words and phrases

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broken• He said in broken English. • 蹩脚的• He said in a broken voice. • 断断续续• He said he had broken up with her. • 分手• He said he had almost broken down. • 崩溃• 电话信号不好，断断续续怎么说？• Sorry but you (your voice) are/is breaking up.

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• He said his house has been broken in. • 入屋盗窃• He said the a flu had broken out. • 爆发• He said he will not tolerate the country to be

broken apart. • 分裂• He said broken clothes need mending. • 破烂的

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mat

• mattress的简写• doormat • n.(放于门前的 )擦鞋垫• coaster • 杯垫：放在瓶子、水罐或酒杯下的圆盘、盘子或小衬垫，用以保护桌面或下面的其它平面• duvet • n.< 法 > 用羽毛 , 绒毛等制成的棉被

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feast• feast • n.节日 , 盛宴 , 筵席 , 宴会 , 酒席• vt.盛宴 , 款待 , 享乐 , 请客• vi.参加宴会 , 享受• festival • n.节日 , 喜庆日 , 音乐节 , 戏剧节 , 喜庆 , 欢宴 , 欢乐• feasible • adj.可行的 , 切实可行的

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dye

• shade n. 颜色深浅 , 遮光物 ,

• hue n.色调• color n.< 美 >(=colour)颜色 , 色彩

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cunning • 同义词 sly adj.狡猾的 • treacherous adj. 奸诈的 , 叛逆的• coy a.腼腆的 , 怕羞的 , 卖弄风情的• naughty a. 淘气的• double-crosser 脚踏两船，两面派• ploy n.伎俩• trick n.小把戏，捉弄

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famine

• famine 饥荒 / feminine 女性化的• famine food = • roast locust 蝗虫 • steamed worm 蠕虫  with eggs • roast bugs 香烤水甴曱 • feminine man = sissy

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rattle

• rattle v. • 发出卡嗒卡嗒声 , 喋喋不休 ,

使…受到惊吓• = shock • rattle snake • 响尾蛇

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ungrateful

• grateful adj.感激的 , 感谢的• gratitude n.感谢的心情• gratify vt.使满足• gratuitous adj.免费的

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mischief

• do sb. a mischief = play a prank on sb.

• mis --- badly, wrongly

• mistake 错误，误拿• misuse v.误用 , 错用• misunderstand vt.误解 , 误会

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feather

• 请区分 further/ farther• fur n.毛皮 , 毛 , 软毛• peel n. 果皮 , 蔬菜水果的外皮• skin n. 皮 , 皮肤 ,, 外皮 , 外壳• leather n.皮革• Birds of a feather flock together. • 物以类聚

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flew

• flew是那个动词的过去式？• 答案 ---fly

• fled是那个动词的过去式？• 答案 ---flee

• flea n.跳蚤 ,

• fleet n.舰队 , adj.快速的 , 敏捷的

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honor the tradition• honor = observe the tradition • I feel honored. • 我深感荣幸。• the honorable professor• 尊敬的教授• time-honored• 历史悠久的• 同义词• prestigious 声望很高的 / renowned adj.有名的 , 有声誉的 / celebrated adj.著名的

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party

• party = a group of people • crowd n. 人群• team n. 团队• troupe n.剧团• assembly n. 集合，大会• gathering n. 聚会• congress n. 议会• congregate v.聚集

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plumage

• plumage • n.鸟类羽毛 , 翅膀• plump • adj.圆胖的 , 丰满的 , 鼓起的• pump • n. 泵 , 抽水机• plum • n.李子

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approval

• prove vt.证明 , 证实 , 检验 , 考验• reprove v.责备• approval n.赞成 , 承认 , 正式批准• disapproval n.不赞成• disprove v.反驳 , 驳斥 , 证明 ...为误

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set

• set = put • 放置• on your marks…set…go! • 各就各位…预备…跑！• set menu • 套餐 

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jump to his feet

• jump to one’s feet 跳起来• fall head over feet 完全拜倒• get cold feet 怯场• to think with your feet 很快地去想• to be six feet under 死了• knock someone off their feet 使某人极度惊讶• put your feet up 休闲，放松

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grumble

• grumble vi.抱怨 , 发牢骚 , 咕哝 , 嘟囔• stumble v.绊倒 , 蹒跚 , 结结巴巴地说• tumble vi.翻倒 , 摔倒 , 倒塌 , 滚动 , 翻筋斗

• rumble v.隆隆声 , 辘辘行驶 , 低沉地说 

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fill out

• fill in / fill out a form 填表• fill (sth.) up 装满• refill 重新装满 • fill the gap 填充差距• fill the void 填补空虚

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peck• peck vt.啄食 , 扔• a peck on the cheek 在脸颊上的轻吻• peek n.一瞥 , 匆忙看过  v.偷看• peep n.窥看 , vi.窥视 , 偷看• beak n.鸟嘴 , 喙 

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dutifully

• duty n.义务 , 责任 , 职责 , 职务 , 税• obligation n.义务 , 职责 , 债务• demure adj.端庄的， 态度或行为上谦恭并且沉默寡言的• tame adj (指人 )顺从的

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let himself go

• let go 放手不管• free fall 自由落体• abandon n.放任• indulge v.纵容• excessive a.过度的

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Activity Writing exercise

• You are the tortoise filled with guilt and regret. Now you are going to write a letter to the birds to express your regret over what happened.

• No less than 150 words.

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Please include

• 1. what you have done wrong• 2. how you feel about your mistake • 3. what changes you are going to make

and what you are going to do to make up for the loss.

• 4. again, ask for forgiveness.

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tips• ACTIONS. Rather than focusing on the damage you

have caused, write about things you will do to rectify the situation.

• BRIEF. Keep your apology letter short and to the point.• SINCERITY. No one wants to read overly dramatic

language. Choose your words carefully and express yourself clearly and simply.

• TONE. Your apology letter should be considerate and respectful. Remember, you are trying to rebuild a damaged relationship.

• BLAME. Take full responsibility for what you have done.• FOLLOW UP. Try to set up a time when you can

apologize in person, then back up your apology with considerate behavior in the future.