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 ter …… 此处隐藏：9907字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……