Warming

up

1.   Assignment check

Step   1

Invite some   students to introduce the outdoor activities they prepare.

Step   2

Ask the   students to role-play the invitation dialogues with their partners.

5   min

Reading 1

1.   Pre-reading

Step 1

Explore   the topic of gap year by asking questions:

1) Have you   ever thought about finding a job after graduating from high school?

2) Do you know   anyone who spent a whole year as a break before he or she went to the   university?

3)   What would you probably do if you had one year break between high school and   college? (gain work experience; travel;   learn a new skill like cooking, learn a second foreign language; do volunteer   work; develop an interest like painting or photography)

Step 2

Pronounce   the words and expressions for the class to repeat and explain them briefly.

5   min

2.   While-reading

Step 1

Read   the passage for the first time to get the general idea and answer the   questions:

1)   What does a gap year mean?

A gap year is a year between leaving high school and going to university, which some young people use as an   opportunity to travel, earn money or gain work experience.

2) How many parts can the   passage be divided into? What are they?

Para. 1: Hook   the reader by giving an example of a student’s gap year experience

Para. 2:   Introduce the definition of a gap year.

Para. 3-5:   Present various opinions of and attitudes towards taking a gap year.

Step 2

Read   for the second time and take notes about opinions from the four students   about the gap year.

KEY: Polly-2, Lisa-4, Andy-1, Wang Xiaoming-3

Step 3

Read   for the third time and take notes about the excitement and worries of a gap   year.

KEY:

Excitements: add   real value to your résumé, develop invaluable first-hand industry knowledge,   gain working experience, contact with different cultures, better prepared for   college and society.

Worries:   some students may find it hard to get used to an academic environment again   after travelling or working for a year.

10   min

3.   After-reading

Take   a close look at the passage sentence by sentence with some translation. Focus   on the new vocabulary and expressions, give detailed explanation of them and   ask the students to make sentences. Then analyze the difficult sentence   structures and ask students to translate them based on their understanding.

(Some new   expressions are:

• My experience during my gap year was   fantastic, and it exposed me to possibilities I never knew existed.

Focal point: exposed … to;

• Some students may find it hard to get used to an   academic environment again after travelling or working for a year.

Focal point: find it hard to…

Some difficult sentence structures are:

• A gap year is a year between leaving high school and going to university, which some young people use as an   opportunity to travel, earn money or gain work experience.

Difficulty: non-attributive clause

• Nobody knows exactly what he or she wants to   do when he or she is in high school. It’s smart to take a gap year to figure   out your ambitions.

Difficulty: cause-effect relationship

10   min

Speaking 3

Debate: Would   you like to take a gap year?

Step 1 – Provide   prompts for what to say (teacher helps   students review the activities and opinions about the gap year.)

Step 2 – Provide   prompts for how to debate (teacher   divides the class into three groups. One is in favor of the gap year, one is   against taking a gap year and the third group is the judge. The first and   second groups express their opinion and reasons in turns for 2 or 3 rounds   and the third group votes for the better group and the best debater. )

Step 3 – Organize   the debate

Step 4 – Vote   for the better group and the best debater.

Step 5 – Teacher gives   feedback on the content, organization and language use of the debate

15   min

1. Topic development 话题发展

是否观点明确，针锋相对，有理有据，思维连贯

2. Pronunciation／Voice 表达效果

是否发音清晰，表达流畅，声音洪亮，自信

3. Language use 语言运用

词汇和语法使用是否准确，能够理解