XB3Unit3 reading1
Learning objectives:
1.Grasp basic information of the two explorers and their achievements;
2.Make a comparison between the two explorers;
3.Identify typical features of the historical article;
4.Understand the spirit of exploration and demonstrate this spirit in their daily lives.
Learning procedures:
Step1 Lead in
Do you know any famous voyagers(航海家)
______________________________________________________________
Step2 Pre-reading
Prediction: According to the title and subtitles, what might be covered in the two historical articles
______________________________________________________________
Step3 Fast-reading
Skim the passage and summarize the structure of each passage.
①Zheng He
Para(s)_____: Introduction of his fisrt voyage
Para(s)_____: More details about his voyages
Para(s)_____: Significance of his voyages
②Christopher Columbus
Para(s)_____: Introduction of_________________
Para(s)_____: Details about his _______________
Para(s)_____: _____________of his voyages
Step4 Detailed-reading
Read the text again and finish the following tasks:
1.The timeline focusing on what happened to Zheng He.
1405 1433
(1)__________________________ (2) ______________________________
2.The timeline focusing on what happened to Christopher Columbus.
①1451 ②3 August ③12 October 1493 1502
1492 1492 ④1493-1502
①_________________________________
②He departed from_______.
③He reached________________________.
④He found ______________________________________.
3.Compare the two voyages.
Zheng He's exploration Christopher Columbus's exploration
The first voyage Departure time On 3 August 1492
Departure point
Fleet size Over 200 ships
Number of crew members Almost 28,000 people
Places of arrival The shores of the Caribbean
Total number of voyages Seven
Step5 Post-reading
Discuss in group and answer the following questions
1.What factors made the voyages of Zheng He and Columbus so successful?
_____________________________________________________________
2.2.What difficulties did explorers face in the past
_____________________________________________________________
3. What are the common qualities of these two explorers
_____________________________________________________________
Summary
_______(lead) a fleet of over 200 ships with almost 28,000 people on board, Zheng He set sail from Taicang on his 2.___ voyage. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He made seven voyages altogether. His ships were loaded 3.____ china, silk, tea and other treasures as gifts for foreign rulers, helping develop and 4._________(strength) harmonious relations with these countries and regions. His voyages exposed foreign people to Chinese culture, 5.______had a far-reaching impact on both China and the other countries.
Young Columbus’s love for sailing and interest in geography 6.___________(inspire) him to become a seaman. He insisted on 7.________(search) for a direct sea route to the East Indies by sailing westwards. It was through continuous attempts 8.____ he received financial support from the King and Queen of Spain. 9._________(depart) from Spain with 3 ships, he carried about 90 crewmen. Beyond 10. _________(expect), the journey was full of challenges. Regardless of all the challenges, he managed to “discovered” the New World with his knowledge and bravery, opening a new chapter of the Age of Exploration.