Reading and Writing

Warming up

Braille Blinded by an accident in his early childhood, 15 year old Louis Braille (1809-1852) invented a system of reading and writing by touch. A Braille cell consists of six raised dots. By arranging the dots in various combinations, 64 different patterns cam be formed. Braille, a true alphabet, is read by moving the hand from left to right along each line. Readers average about 104-125 words per minute. Some can read 250 words by using both hands.

Listening task Listen to Paul’s talk about Louis Braille. Then answer the questions. 1. What country did Louis Braille come from? He came from France. 2. What disability did he have? He was completely blind.

3. What did books for the blind look like when Louie was a boy? They were ordinary books with letters raised up off the page. 4. What were the two problems with the books for the blind? The letters were huge and difficult to read, and the books were very expensive.

5. What invention gave Louie the idea for his system? A system for soldiers to send and receive messages in the dark.

6. What advantages do you think Louis’s system has? I think Braille system has the advantage of being easy to learn, and so it is easy to produce books of normal size. It helps make blind people independent because they can read as much as sighted people do.

Became completely blind Sent to school in Pairs Year Age Event 1809 ______________ 1813 4 _____________________ 1819 10 _____________________ 1821 12 ______________________ _______________________________________ 1824 15 _____________________ _____________________ 1827 18 ________________ 1852 43 _______________ Born Became completely blind Sent to school in Pairs Heard a soldier talk about a system consisting of a raised system of dots Completed the Braille system of touch reading First Braille book published died

Listening text MY HERO: LOUIS BRAILLE

Good afternoon, everyone Good afternoon, everyone. Today I’d like to tell you about Louis Braille. He made it possible for blind people to read and write. Louis was born in France in 1809. Sadly when he was a little boy, he had an accident. By the time he was four years old, he was completely blind.

However, at the age of ten Louis was lucky enough to go to Paris to one of the first schools for blind children in Pairs. At this particular school they had special books. They were written in ordinary French but the letters were raised up off the page, so that the students could feel the shape of the words and read them.

But there were two problems with this system But there were two problems with this system. First, the letters were huge and difficult to read. Second, the books were very expensive so the school library only had fourteen altogether. Louis, who was very clever and creative, thought of a better way to improve books for blind people to read.

In 1982, when Louis was twelve years old, a soldier came to his school In 1982, when Louis was twelve years old, a soldier came to his school. This man had invented a system for soldiers to send and receive messages in the dark. Although this idea had not worked very well, Louis became very excited and began experimenting with it. By the time he was fifteen, he had invented a system which used only six dots. And by 1827 the first book using his system was published.

It still took a long time before people realized what a wonderful invention Braille’s system was. In fact Louis died in 1852 and did not live to see the success of his system, which has been adapted to almost every language in the world. Thanks to him, blind or weak-sighted people are able to read or write as well as any sighted person.

Reading and writing task 《假如我能行走三天》 从懂事那天起，我就面临只 能活28岁的无情命运。 10岁，我只能举起一个枕头； 12岁，我只能拄着棍儿走路。 14岁，我走不出院子； 16岁，完全不能走了，只能 直直地站着。

18岁，不能下地； 20岁，胳膊举不过头顶。如今, 我拿不起一杯水……生活完全不能自理。行走对于一个正常人来说是最为容易的事，而对于我来说比登天还难，所以，假如我能行走三天，我将万分珍惜三天中的每分每秒。 他因病从小到大只上 过一天学。

23年只能天天在炕上坐着，眼中惟一的风景是自家院子。 肌肉萎缩到不能自己穿 衣和洗脸，拿不起一本书，一杯水。 他叫张云成，家住黑龙江省五大连池风景区青泉村。 他写就了一部十余万字的书稿。 这是第一部由肌无力患者写就的、真实再现肌无力患者生活以及坚强的励志之作。 他说：我终于证明了一点，在这个世界存在过、奋争过……

Sex: Health: Zhang Yuncheng Male Scan the text and write a mini bio for Zhang Yuncheng. A Mini Bio Name: Sex: Health: Zhang Yuncheng Male disabilities caused by a muscle disease; very weak, can hardly pick up a pen

School education: Interests and hobbies: Ambition: Dream: one day reading and writing to write and publish a book to live a better life

Write a new draft of your article.

Sample writing Although Zhang Yuncheng is unable to walk or even get out of bed without help, he has achieved his ambition to write a book. Because of his disability, Yuncheng went to school for only one day. However, when he was 12 years old, he taught himself to write.

When he was 17, Yuncheng wrote to a newspaper about his life and his ambition to write a book. Zhang Danuo, an editor at the newspaper helped him by setting him writing assignments every week. These assignments have now been turned into a book, which many people have bought.

Yuncheng says that because his life will not be a long one, he must do as much as he can within the time he has left.

Homework 1. Speaking task on P52. 2. Answer the questions on checking yourself on P53.