Warming up

1.    Lead-in

Teacher   asks students questions to arouse their interest:

1)       In your spare time, what activities do   you like to take part in?                  

²  For boys: go camping, physical   exercise (play soccer, biking, rock-climbing), etc.

²  For girls: go shopping, karaoke,   dancing, do make-up, etc.

2)       Can you think of any activities that   are popular among Chinese young people?

²  For boys: play video games, watch   movies, teamwork activities (playing basketball), going to gym, etc.

²  For girls: chatting online or in an   Internet cafe, selfie, going clubbing, travelling, listening to music, etc.

3)       Can you find any differences between   boys’ and girls’ favorite activities?                

²   Boys are more likely to choose   energetic activities, which usually take place in the outside places.   However, girls tend to prefer inside activities like chatting, listening to   music, etc.

5   min

2.     Warm-up

Step 1

Students   familiarize themselves with the meaning of the word or phrase below each   picture.

Teacher   gives the possible answer

²  Picture   1: Parkour. (The activity of running through an area by using acrobatic   techniques to negotiate obstacles.) 跑酷

I love   parkour because I saw it in a famous movie named B13 and the leading   character in this movie is really cool.

²  Picture   2: Rock climbing. (The sport of climbing rock faces, esp. with the aid of   ropes and special equipment.)  攀岩

I really   fancy rock climbing, because it’s a physically and also mentally   demanding activity.

²   Picture   3: Camping 野外露营

I really   like camping because I can enjoy the stars at night in the open air.

²  Pictures   4: Orienteering. (A competitive sport in which participants find their way to   various checkpoints across through country with the aid of a map and compass)   越野识途比赛（靠地图和罗盘徒步寻找目的地）

I am in   favor of orienteering, because it’s quite exciting to use map to find the   right direction and win the competition.

²   Picture   5: Whitewater rafting. (The sport of        travelling down a river on a raft) 漂流

I am keen   on whitewater rafting, because it sounds quite challenging and I can   enjoy the beautiful natural scenery.

²   Picture   6: Paragliding. (The sport of jumping in a parasail) 空中滑翔跳伞

I am   interested in paragliding because I enjoy the feeling of flying like a   bird in the air.

Tip: Play some   clips of the 6 activities to catch students’ attention and give them a better   idea of these activities.

Step 2

Pair   work: ask students to talk about their favourite activity from the six   pictures and discuss the reasons.

Tip: Count the   number of students who enjoy a certain activity. Find out the most popular   activity among your students.

5 min

Listening 1

1.     Pre-listening

Step 1

Introduce   the background information by asking the question:

What   outdoor activities do college students usually take part in on weekends? (play basketball, play football, jogging,   go to a picnic, barbecue, go sightseeing in the town…)

Step 2

Pronounce   the new vocabulary and key sentences for the class to repeat and explain them   one by one.

Step 3

Ask   students to pay attention to what Mike and Lynn did on weekends.

5   min

2.     While-listening

Step 1

Listen   to the dialogue for the general idea and write down some key words. (General   idea: weekend activities. Key words: weekend, cycling club, 50 kilometers,   camping, pictures)

Step 2

Listen   to the first half of the conversation and complete Lynn’s cycling route map   with the places given.

Key: BCDA. school gate—Dongfeng Bridge—Big   Forest Park—City Stadium

Step   3

Listen   to the second half of the conversation. Find out where Mike went camping,   what he did and with whom. (Southern   lake; caught fish, had barbecue, took pictures; with friends he met online)

10   min

3.     After-listening

1)   Pair work: check the answers with partners

Teacher   gives the answers to while-listening tasks.

2)   Teacher explains the listening materials in details, focusing on new words   and expressions and some difficult sentences.

5   min

Speaking 1

Discussion in   pairs: Which   activity do you prefer, Mike’s or Lynn’s? Why?

Step 1 – provide   prompts for how to describe the preference (I prefer; I like…better; I go for; I favor); brainstorm the   possible reasons for preference (cycling:   good for health, work out, keep fit, sightseeing, endurance, make me more   energetic; camping: fresh air, escape from urban life, get close to the   nature, pitch a tent, barbecue, watch stars)

Step 2 – ask   students to speak in turn talking about their preference and reasons. (e.g. I like camping better because I can   feel closer to the nature and take a break from the busy urban life; I favor   cycling because it’s good for my health and makes me more energetic.)

Step 3 – invite   2 or 3 students to present their preference to the whole class. Teacher gives   feedback on their talk. (Feedback on   pronunciation, fluency and word choice)

10   min