Lead-in

Which language is most widely used in the world?

What do you think is the most difficult part of studying English— pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary? Why?

Do you think English has always stayed the same?

The sonnets ( 十四行诗 ) by Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,

Thou art more lovely and more temperate,

... ...

And summer’s lease hath too short a date,

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines

What are the underlined words used as today?

thee: you ( 宾格 ) thou: you ( 主格 ) art: arehath: has sometime: sometimes

Reading English and its history

Skill check

What is the type of this text?

A. a story B. a report C. a history article

What is the topic of this text?

the history of English

C

Skimming

1. What are the three kinds of English discussed in the article?

2. Why is English a language with so many confusing rules?

3. Is English still changing?

Old English, middle English and modern English.

Yes.

Because people from many different countries and cultures have lived together in Britain.

Scanning

Read the text again more carefully and finish C1 and C2 on Page 24.

Reading strategy

What should you pay attention when you read a history article?

What is an good idea to do when reading a history article?

Dates and years.

Make a time chart.

Time Events

Before the middle of 5th centuryAt the end of 9th century

By the 10th century

In 1066

By the latter half of 14th century

In 1399

During the Renaissance in 16th century

The Vikings invaded Britain

Old English was the official language of England.

Norman conquest

English was adopted by all classes in England.

Henry IV became King of England and used English for all official occasions.

Modern English began.

People in Britain all spoke Celtic

Sentence patterns

1. The English language is made up of the rules and vocabulary each group of people brought to Britain with them. (Page 22, line 3-4)

each group of people brought to Britain with them是定语从句，修饰 the rules and vocabulary 。

bring ... with sb 随身携带 ... ...

Jack 随身带了本小说，以便在等公车时可以阅读。

Jack brought a novel with him so that he could read when waiting for the bus.

2. They each had their own language and Anglo-

Saxon developed from mixing these languages with Celtic. (Page 22, line9)

develop from... 从 ... ... 中发展而来

mix A with B 将 A 和 B 混合在一起

_____ with some sugar, the drink will taste better.A. To mix B. Mixing C. Mix D. Mixed

If it is mixed with some sugar, ...

D

3. The language they created is what we now call old English. (Page 22, line 12-13)

仿写句子：他们所到达的地方就是我们今天所称的美洲。

The place they arrived is what we now call America.

4. In fact, it is certain that we wouldn’t be able to understand it if we heard it today. (Line 15)

it is certain that ... 可以肯定的是what is certain is that ...

句中 if 从句使用了虚拟语气，表示所陈述的情况与现在事实相反。仿写句子 : 可以肯定的是，如果他今天来这儿的 话，他会接受我的建议的。It is certain that he would accept my advice If he came here today.

create vt 创造，创新，创作

Shakes created many characters.

Her behavior created a lot of problems.

All men are created equal.

Painters are ___________ artists.

In modern times, _________ is an importantability one should have.

Job ________ has become necessary for the government.

creative

creativity

creation

5. The language consisted of an Anglo-Saxon base plus words from the language of Denmark and Norway. (Line 16-17)

consist of = be made up of...

plus = and; in addition to; as well as

仿写句子：医疗队由三名医生和五名护士组成。

The medical team consists of three doctors plusfive nurses.

6. This is because many pairs of words and

phrases have similar meanings in English. (Line 19)this is because ... the reason is that ...

The reason _____ he came late was _____ hegot stuck in a traffic jam.

He came late, which is ________ he got stuck in a traffic jam.

why that

because

7. However, the Norman Conquest did not have the same result that the Germanic invasion had had about 600 years earlier.

仿写句子：在我小时候，父母的话没有产生和老师 们的话相同的影响。

When I was young, my parents’ words didn’t havethe same impact that the teachers’ had had on me.

8. Despite this fact, French still had an impact on

the English language. (Page23, line 58)

Despite this fact that French didn’t replace Englishas the first language, French still ....

尽管很多人反对，但老板还是采纳我的计划。

Despite the fact that many people were against my plan, my boss accepted it.

9. The question of whether English will continue

changing in the future is easy to answer. (Line 55)

只用 whether 的情况： 介词后；后接不定式；引导主语从句，在句首；whether or not

I don’t know _______ to go there or not.________ he will come is not certain.I wonder ________ or not we will succeed.

whetherWhether

whether

10. If a person from the south of England goes to

the north, he or she may find it difficult to understand

what people are saying. (Line 58)

仿写句子：如果你加入我们，你就可能发现学习 我们在做的事情很容易。

If you join us, you may find it easy to learn whatwe are doing.

Discussion

Do you think it is possible for Chinese to become the most widely used international language some day? Give your reason.

Homework

Read the text again and memorize ( 记住 ) the key words and expressions in the text.