Something bigger than yourself 初中进阶 (2334期20160415) 1版

Pre-reading 1. Have you watched these Korean TV dramas? Which one do you like best?

Pre-reading 2. Who are they?

While reading Answer the questions. 1. According to the article, what is Descendants of the Sun about? It is a story of romance and danger, but also of duty, responsibility and selflessness. 2. What do the boy and the girl do in the drama? The boy is a brave army officer and the girl is a dedicated doctor.

While reading 3. Why is the story of Descendants of the Sun different from a typical “boy meets girl” romance? Although the boy and the girl are attracted to each other, they are part of a UN peacekeeping mission. They are both determined to do their jobs well, so romance takes a back seat to duty and responsibility. 4. What does the author think people in modern society too often pursue? Selfish goals. 5. What can we learn from Descendants of the Sun? We should start thinking less about “me” and more about “we,” because there is “something bigger than ourselves.”

Grammar focus By being selfless and trying to do good for others, they have given their lives a sense of purpose and a sense of satisfaction even though it causes frustration in their romance. 他们的无私和乐于助人使他们的生活变得有意义且充满了满足感，即便这会使他们的爱情之路受挫。 “even though”是从属连词，引导让步状语从句，意为：“即使……”。可置句首，或从句句首。 e.g. Even though we all tried our best, we lost the game. (=We lost the game even though we tried our best.) 即使我们都尽了最大努力，但还是输了比赛。

Grammar focus 1. 即使晚饭已经放在桌子上，她也不愿意离开电视机。 Translate each sentence. 1. 即使晚饭已经放在桌子上，她也不愿意离开电视机。 She won’t leave the TV set even though dinner’s on the table. 2. 即使下雨她也是走着去工作的。 Even though it was raining, she walked to work. 3. 尽管这次聚会上我谁也不认识，我也玩得挺痛快。 Even though I didn’t know anybody at the party, I had a nice time.

Language point A. determined B. dedicated C. typical Match the words or phrases with the description. 1. in the middle of an event, situation or activity 2. wanting to do something very much and not allowing anyone or any difficulties to stop you 3. happening in the usual way 4. to have a secondary position or status 5. believing that something is very important and giving a lot of time and energy to it E. take a back seat A. determined B. dedicated C. typical D. in the midst of

Language point Use the words in the box to complete the sentences. A. in the midst of B. determined C. dedicated D. typical E. take a back seat E 1. I’m going to ______ this year and let you decide where we go on holiday. 2. I must look like the ______ tourist with my shorts and my camera. 3. I’m ______ to get this piece of work finished today. 4. I’m afraid I’m too busy—I’m ______ writing a report. 5. She is a ______ teacher. D B A C

After reading Apart from Korean dramas, which TV programs do you like? (British TV series, American TV series, domestic dramas, etc. )