She said helping others changed her life.

Unit 4 Reading

Section 1 Before You ReadThink of people who need help. Write some

ideas and discuss them with your partner.

old people

We can clean their home.

Section 1 Before You ReadThink of people who need help. Write someideas and discuss them with your partner.

poor children

We can help them to study.

Section 1 Before You ReadThink of people who need help. Write someideas and discuss them with your partner.

blind people

We can help them cross thestreet.

Section 1 Before You Read

阅读目标：阅读理解首先是要掌握文章的大意，可以先不必理解每个词的意思。根据上下文来推测词的意思，同样可以把一篇文章看懂。

Teaching high school students in a poor mountain village in Gansu Province may not sound like fun to you. However, it the life of Yang Lei from Beijing. The Peking University graduate first went there as a volunteer on a one-year program. The program was started by the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Young Pioneers. Every year they send 100 volunteers to teach in China’s rural areas.

Section 2 While You Read

changes

Life in the was a new experience for YangLei. Her village was 2,000 meters above sea level,and at first the thin air made her feel sick. The foodwas very simple – teachers ate porridge three timesa day. Fortunately, Yang Lei’s mother withher. She said that both she and her husband thoughtthis was a good idea. “Young people today need toexperience things,” she said.

Section 2 While You Readmountains

agreed

different

Most of the pupils live in school dormitories.They work very hard. They get up at 5am and read books until 11 pm. They love having the volunteerteachers there. “There is no difference between you and them,” says Yang Lei. “They say that we are like big or sisters to them, and they feel lucky.”

Section 2 While You Read

brothers

Some of the students may not be able to go tosenior high school or college. Families are poor and there often isn’t money for education. “I can’t doanything about that,” says Yang Lei, “but I can open up my students’ eyes to the outside and give them a good start in life.” She said shelikes being a good influence in the children’s lives.

Section 2 While You Read

world

Yang Lei enjoyed her time as a volunteer verymuch. When her years was over, she said that shewould return to the area after finishing her studies.She now works as a math teacher at a high school in the city of Pingliang, Gansu Province.

Section 2 While You Read

What is life like for you and Yang Lei’s students?

Section 3 After You Read

Yang Lei’s students

You

hometown mountain villagein Gansu Province

foodteacherstime to get uptime to finish studying

1. What did Yang Lei’s mother say about her daughter’s volunteer work?

Section 3 After You Read

2. What did the children say about volunteer teachers?

She said that young people today need toexperience different things.

They said that they were like big brothers or sisters to them, and they felt lucky.

3. How did Yang Lei say she could help?

4. What did Yang Lei say about her time as a

volunteer?

Section 3 After You Read

She said she could open up her students’eyes to the outside world and give them a good start in life.

She said she likes being a good influencein the children’s lives.

Section 4 Go For it!

Care for “Mother Earth”

Greenpeace保护地球母亲

Section 4 Go For it!

Help sick people in poor countries

Doctors Without Borders

无国界医生

Section 4 Go For it!

Helps children in poor countries

UNICEF联合国儿童基金会

Section 4 Go For it!

Cares for wild animals in danger

WWF World Wide Fund For Nature

世界自然基金会

Section 4 Go For it!

Imagine you are starting a new volunteer group. Which one would you like to work for?Write a passage to explain what would you do ? And how would it help?