Unit Three Leisure Activities
Learning Objectives
1. Listen and Talk about leisure activities
2. Grasp the main idea of the two passages
3. Master the key language points
4. Practice reading skills: improving your concentration
5. Practice writing skill: the use of verb tenses
6. Learn to write a poster for a music concert and an invitation card to a party
Passage A Clubs and Societies
I. Pre-reading Tasks
A. Introductory Questions
1. What do you usually do in your leisure time on campus?
2. How do the students at Oxford spend their spare time?
3. Can you name some clubs and societies at Oxford?
B. Introductory Remarks
Colleges have clubs and societies for many purposes. There’s a group for almost any interest or spare time activity a student may have. These groups typically recruit the freshmen to join, and most freshmen decide to join some of them. It’s a good way to learn, relax, and make new friends. Joining groups can also help build a student’s resume for future employment. But the majority of students are quite right to be suspicious of ambitious classmates who try to be leaders of every group they join.
II. While-reading Activities
A. Language Points
1. put one’s finger on: find the cause of trouble exactly
eg. 1) Something is wrong with this room, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.
2) I could not quite put my finger on what was different about Simone.
2. throw oneself into sth.: take part in sth. actively and energetically
eg. 1) Since her husband died, she has throw herself into her work.
2) The National Day is coming; they have thrown themselves into the organization of
Celebration Activities.
3) Many women throw all of their energies into a career.
3. browse through: look through, skim
eg.1) I was browsing through the newspaper when I spotted your name.
2) I’ve spent one whole week browsing through Hemingway’s works, trying to
understand his unique style of writing.
3) There was no time to read the whole magazine so I just browsed through the pages.
4. immerse sth in a place: to put deep into a body of liquid
immerse oneself in: be absorbed in, be put into a situation
eg.1) He lay immersed in a hot bath.
2) The shells should be immersed in boiling water for two minutes.
3) I immersed myself in work so as to stop thinking about her.
4) I think it is important to immerse oneself in a language learning environment, if you
want to learn English well.
5. ignore: v. take no notice of, turn out, pass by, brush aside
eg.1) The children ignored their mother’s commands.
2) She ignored after I said no extra money was involved.
3) Jefferson ignored all criticism with a big smile.
6. hang out: spend time on sth.
eg.1) Why do you just hang out in bars? Do you want to hang out with me instead?
2) You should give your children more opportunities to have personal time and space to
hang out with friends or do whatever they want.
3) Don’t make friends with him for he often hung out with the bad boys.
7. apply: v.
(1) apply sth. to sb: give sth. to sb; put into use
eg.1) Apply some medicine to the wound.
2) He applied pressure on the other committee members to make them vote against the proposal.
3) It is necessary to apply theory to practice.
(2) apply for: ask for
eg.1) She’d like to apply for the job, for she is short of money.
2) He has applied to the American Consul for a visa.
(3) apply to: have an effect
eg.1) This rule applies to freshmen only.
2) What I have said applies to everyone here.
3) The principle of diligence and simplicity applies to all undertaking.
(4) cause to work hard, devote
eg.1) It’s difficult to apply oneself to an uninteresting task.
8. tend to do sth.: have a tendency to do sth.
eg.1)She tends to give a few slow stirs of the coffee while having it.
2) Teenager boys tend to go about in groups.
3) People tend to feel seasick in the heavy swell.
9. secure:
v. (1) ensure, hold tightly get sth. as a result of effort
eg.1) The secured the windows when the storm began.
2) Before you leave for the weekend please secure the door.
3) Keep the jewelry in the bank to secure it against theft.
(2) get sth. as a result of effort
eg.1) We have at last secured a house.
2) He secured himself a good job.
3) I was lucky enough to secure a seat on the over-crowded bus.
adj. (1) adj. safe, tight, carefree
eg. 1) You are secure from danger here.
2) Make sure the doors and windows are secure before you leave.
3) Are you sure the shelf is secure?
4) Every citizen has the right to live a peaceful and secure life.
10. apart from: besides, in addition to
eg.1) Apart from some English novels, Mary mailed me an English Dictionary.
2) Apart from teaching in the school, Janet gives piano lessons to some children at home.
3) Tom is very rich. He has a motorboat apart from two cars.
B. Sentence Explanation
1. Parties, drinking, eating — oh, and working — all help pass the time, but deep down there’s something you’re really eager to find, but you can’t quite put your finger on. Parties, drinking, eating, and working can all help spend the time. Nevertheless, you really want to find some good ways to fill your spare time, but you can’t quite do it.
2. Many people, perhaps foolishly, completely ignore University societies and just hang out with mates in college.
It may not be very wise, but many students join no groups on campus and just spend time together casually.
3. “Hack” is a negative term applied to those seeking advancement (usually to President) in whatever Club or Society, and ... tend to attract those with the spark of ambition more than others.
When students are said to “hack” they join various groups and try to become leaders, hoping to improve their resumes.
III. After-reading Tasks:
1. Do some exercises after the text.
2. Dictation.
3. Practice making sentences with the important words or expressions.
Passage B A Well-balanced Life
I. Pre-reading Tasks
A. Introductory Questions
1. In your opinion, what is more important, study and work, or leisure-time activities?
2. What is a well-balanced life according to the author?
B. Introductory Remarks
A well-balanced life is likely to be a happier and healthier life. People with a variety of interests and activities are less likely to be depressed, and even if they’re busy they often have less stress. One activity can provide relief from another. For example, music or conversation can provide relief from work or study. However, when we’re too stressed out we must also know when
to relax. Friends can help us recognize the problems of stress and depression, and restore the balance in our lives.
II. While-reading Activities
A. Language Points
1. develop into: grow into
eg. 1) If you go on like this, you’ll never develop into anything.
2) With her intelligence and wisdom, she should develop into something when she grows up.
3) You’ll develop into nothing if you idle away your time.
2. well-rounded: adj.
(1)complete and varied
eg.1) She has a well-rounded background in management.
2) Distance learning helps to provide a well-rounded education for all the people.
(2) (of a person) having a full, pleasantly curved shaped, shapely
eg. 1) Even after the birth of her three children, she still keeps a well-rounded figure.
2) She is well-rounded and attractive.
3. adjust to: change a little to make the right or suitable for a particular situation or purpose
change a little to adapt to sth.
eg.1) He adjusted himself quickly to the heat of the country.
2) I hope all of you soon adjust to college life here.
3) My eyes haven’t adjusted to the dark in the room yet.
4. handle: v. deal with, cope with, do with sth.
eg.1) It was a difficult thing to do, but he handle it remarkably.
2) Three staff simple can’t handle such a heavy work load.
3) She is not a competent driver and can’t handle driving in heavy traffic.
5. while: conj.
(1) whereas
eg.1) I like black coffee while he prefers it with cream.
2) They want a house, where we would rather live in a flat.
3) Sometimes a teacher will be listened to, where a parent might not.
(2) although
eg. 1) While he is quite young, he does a good job.
2) While he is respected in public, he is not popular with all of us in private.
3) While I know he’s not perfect, I do like him.
6. universal: adj.
(1) common, ordinary
eg.1) Food is a universal need.
2) Television provides universal entertainment.
3) There was universal agreement as to who should become chairman.
(2) widespread; general
eg.1) This is a subject of universal interest.
2) Hilter was the object of universal contempt.
3) The law of gravity is universal.
7. relate: v.
(1) say or tell
eg. 1) He had related the whole thing about the accident.
2)The witness related the facts that day.
3)The traveler related his adventures with joy.
(2) connect with
eg. 1) It is very difficult to relate these results with/to any known cause.
2) I can’t relate what he does to what he says.
3)All things were related to all other things.
4)In many countries, one’s social status is related to one’s wealth.
(3) relate to: is about, is concerned with, get well along with
eg. 1)This letter relates to the sale of the house.
2)His remarks related to the topic under discussion.
8. figure out:
(1) work out, calculate
eg.1) The chief engineer spent hours figuring out how much the new building might cost.
2) Tom immediately figured out the Math problem.
3) He couldn’t figure out how it had happened.
(2) understand by thinking
eg.1) I can’t figure out what he means.
2) Can you figure out the meaning of this phrasal verb from its context?
9. add to:
(1) increase
eg.1) She was not content with my answer, so I added a few more remarks.
2) Her answers to his questions have only added to his confusion.
3) My income for that year amounted to $ 30,000.
(2) contribute to
eg.1) Many skills add to being a good athlete.
2) Smoking will contribute to lung cancer.
3) Good study habits add to academic success.
10. lead to: result in, cause
eg. 1) The strike led to confusion.
2) Our efforts led to failure.
3) Their negotiations led to a new treaty.
11. other than:
(1) instead of; except for
eg.1) She never discussed it with anyone other than Dick.
2) Is anyone other than yourself coming?
3) you can’t get there other than by swimming.
(2) not; anything but
eg.1) The truth was quite other than what he thought.
2)I cannot be other than I am.
12. maintain: v. keep
eg.1) Teachers must maintain good classroom discipline in order to teach effectively.
2) An old house badly maintained would not be worth spending money on.
13. get by: to have enough money for one’s needs or way of life
eg.1) I don’t know how to get by if I lose this job.
2) It has been quite difficult for her to get by since her husband dies last year.
B. Sentence Explanation
1. Without a well-balanced life a person can neither function properly nor develop into a well-rounded individual.
A well-balanced life is needed for a person to develop and function properly
2. Music is the universal language and it can express different feelings.
Almost everyone understands music, especially to express their feelings.
3. It can relate to the soul, or in fact I think it is the soul of feelings.
It (music) can deeply affect the human spirit, even becoming identical with it.
4. The good friends that I have are always there for me in every situation I am in. My good friends are always available whenever I need help.
5. Not so long ago I went through a short time of depression.
Recently I experienced a brief depression.
6. I do not know what would have happened if she had not been there.
I couldn’t have handled the situation without her help.
7. But when it happens, you can do something other than wait, like talking to your friends or listening to music.
But when it happens you don’t have to wait, there are some other choices, such as talking to your friends or listening to music.
III. After-reading Tasks:
1. Do some exercises after the text.
2. Dictation.