reading 1. it’s a review of an opera. turandot in beijing
TRANSCRIPT
It’s a review of an opera.
Lead-in
•What’s a review? A review is a report or an essay giving some information as well as some opinion or ideas about a book, performance, a painting or something similar.
PredictionWhat do you expect to read in a review of an opera?
background information
characters
plot
opinion…
Task1: Reading strategy: Reading a review of an opera
• What should we pay attention to while reading a review of an opera?
1. A review of opera usually starts with some background information.
2. Talk about the story---the characters and the plot.
3.The review can give some other important information about the opera such as the actor’s names.
4. A comment---- lots of words that describe feelings.
1. Background information: (Para1-2) Turandot is a world-famous ___________
_ written by __________.
It was performed in _______________.opera Giacomo Puccini
the Forbidden City
Task1: Reading strategy:
Turandot: ['tuərəndɔt] 图兰朵Giacomo Puccini['dʒa:kɔ:mɔ: pu'tʃ:ni] L1
贾科莫 . 普契尼 ( 意大利歌剧作曲家 )
2. The story: (Para3-7)
Task1: Reading strategy:
Main characters:Turandot: a stubborn and cruel Chinese princess (L13)Calaf [‘ka:la:f] 卡拉夫 : a prince who falls in love with Turandot (L22)Liu 柳儿 : a young slave of Calaf’s father who loves Calaf (L24)
The plot: Detailed reading
Director
Conductor Zhang Yimou L47
Zubin Mehta [' zu:bin' meitə] L46
祖宾 . 梅塔 ( 著名指挥家 , 出生于印度 )
Sharon Sweet [‘ʃærən ' swi:t] 莎伦 . 斯威 L48-Turandot
Barbara Hendricks [‘ba:brə ' hendriks] L49--Liu
Task1: Reading strategy:3. Other important information (Para8)
Actors and actresses:
芭芭拉 . 亨德里克斯(美国女高音歌唱家)Kristjan Johannsson [‘krisdʒn ' jəʊhænsn] L50 – Calaf 克里斯蒂安 . 约翰松 ( 冰岛男高音歌唱家 )
The structure of the passageThe passage can be divided into four parts.
Find out the main idea of each part.
Part 1(Para 1-2)
Part 2(Para 3-7)
Part 3(Para 8)
Part 4(Para 9)
Background information
The story
Other information about the opera
Comment
* The performance was_____________. (L3)
* The could not be a more________ setting. (L9)
* The weather was also __________ for a performance outdoors. (L10)
* The production combined the very ______ of Western and Chinese talents. (L45)
Task1: Reading strategy:4. A general comment (Para9) ---
splendid
awesome
perfect
* The music was conducted by Zubin Mehta, a _______conductor. (L46)
best
superb
* L50: They were________excellent
wonderful L52amazing L55
1. What is Turandot? It is a world-famous opera written by Giacomo Puccini between 1920 and 1924. L1, L52. What decision does Calaf make when he first sees Turandot? Calaf falls in love with Turandot at first sight and decides to solve the riddles so that he can marry her. L22-233. What happens at the end of the story? At the end of the story, Calaf and Turandot unite in marriage. L40
Task 2:Scanning--PartA
Read the review again and answer.
1. Who was the author of Turandot? Giacomo Puccini, an Italian. L52. Why does the writer think that the Forbi
dden City is a good setting for Turandot? Because you could almost feel the histor
y---Turandot is a story which happened in the Forbidden. L9, L14
Task 3:Detailed reading—Part C1,C2
3. What kind of person is Turandot?
She is stubborn and cruel. L13
4. What has Turandot’s father promised
her?
He has promised to allow Turandot to c
hoose her own husband. L15
5. What happens to the prince who cann
ot answer the princess’s riddles?
He is killed. L19
6. What does Calaf say will happen if T
urandot can guess his name by sunris
e?
She will not have to marry him, but c
an have him killed. L30
C2: How familiar are you with the story
of Turandot? Put the events of Part C2
on page 20 in the correct order.
Answers:
7. What does Liu do to protect Calaf and his father?
Liu claims that she alone knows Calaf’s name, but resists telling Tuandot. L32-33
8. What makes the production amazing? The bringing together of a group of people from many countries, the music and the grand setting. L53-55
Match the new word of Part D on page
21 with the meaning.
Answer:
1 f 2 c 3 g 4 a 5 b 6 d 7 e
Post-reading:
Complete the e-mail of Part E on
page 21.
Answers:
1. _____________ 2. _____________
3. _____________ 4. _____________
5. _____________ 6. _____________
7. _____________ 8. _____________
mercifulstubborn
dare
demand unwilling
fall in love
butterflies awesome
Talk about a Western or a Chinese Talk about a Western or a Chinese
opera that you are familiar with. You opera that you are familiar with. You
can introduce the main characters, the can introduce the main characters, the
setting and the plot. Or you can talk setting and the plot. Or you can talk
about the actors or actresses, the about the actors or actresses, the
director and the conductor.director and the conductor.
1. Do you agree that music is an 1. Do you agree that music is an
international language? Why or why not?international language? Why or why not?
2. How important do you think music is for 2. How important do you think music is for
people today?people today?
3. Have you been to any musical events or 3. Have you been to any musical events or
seen any on TV? If you have, what did seen any on TV? If you have, what did
you think of them? you think of them?