高中英语 Module 6 The World’s Cultural Heritage-Section 1 Background Readings素材 外研版选修7VIP免费

Module6TheWorld’sCulturalHeritagePartTwoTeachingResourcesSection1BackgroundReadingsforModule6TheWorld’sCulturalHeritage1.Conkers:（英国的）康克戏（一种儿童游戏，双方各用绳子系住一个七叶树果，以击破对方的七叶树果为胜）PlayingconkersisaBritishgamewhichiscenturiesold.Intheautumn,boyscollectthefallennutsoftheHorseChestnuttree,whicharelarge,roundandbrownandcommonlyknownasconkers.Theymakeaholeinthemiddleofeachnutfromtoptobottomandthreadapieceofstringthroughit,knottingitunderneath.Theythenfindapartnerwhohasaconkerandplaythegamelikethis:BoyAtakeshisconkerstringatthetopandholdsitatarm’slength,sothattheconkerdanglesdownfreeattheotherendofthestring;BoyBthentriedtohitthisconkerwithhis,withthearmofbreakingit.WhenBhashadhisturn,heholdshisconkeroutandBoyAtriestohithisconker.Thiscontinuesuntiloneoftheconkersisbroken.Thefirsttimeanewconkerbreaksanotherconkeritbecomesa“oner”,andifitgoesontobreakothersitbecomesa“twoer”,a“threer”andsoon.Childrenareveryproudofconkersthatbreakmanyothers.Theconker“season”isfromtheendofSeptemberonintoOctober,whenthehorsechestnutsfallfromthetrees.Schoolplaygroundsareoftencoveredwithbrokenconkers,asmanypairsofboysplaythegame.PlayingconkersisanimportantpartofBritishintangibleculturalheritagewhichhasbeenpasseddownorallyfromgenerationtogeneration.2.ScottishGaelicScottishGaelic(盖尔语)isoneofthelanguagesintheCelticbranchofIndo-Europeanfamily.ItwasintroducedintoScotlandfromIrelandaround500AD.Bythe11thCentury,itwasthedominantlanguagethroughoutScotland,butsincethenhasbeendeclining,duetotheinfluenceofEnglandandtheEnglish.Inthe2001Census,thepopulationofScotlandwas5,062,011;ofthese4,968,729peoplesaidtheyhadnoknowledgeofGaelic,andonly31,235saidtheycouldspeak,readandwriteGaelic,whileafurther27,415saidtheycouldspeakbutnotreadorwriteit,and7.413otherpeoplesaidtheycoulddooneoftheotherskills.TherewasadeclineinGaelicspeakersfrom1991(65,978)to2001(58,652).ThisdeclinewasparticularlynoticeableinthetraditionalheartlandsoftheGaidhealtachd(Gaelic-speakingarea)inthenorthwesternpartsofScotland.Thiswasalsoconnectedwithlossofpopulationingeneralfromremoteislandareastothecities.TheScottishgovernmenthasbeentryingtodosomethingaboutthedeathofGaelic.InJuly2005,theybroughtinaGaelicLanguageAct,ratheralongthelinesofthatintroducedinWales20yearsbefore.Theyhavebeenparticularlyconcernedwitheducation,andhavebeenhavingsomesuccess.In1985therewereonly20childreninGaelicimmersionschoolsinGlasgowandInverness.In2005,therewere2008childrenbeingtaughtthroughGaelicin61primaryschools,307in18secondaryschoolsand638in60pre-schoolsinarangeofScottishcities.Scotland’sonlyall-Gaelicprimaryschoolwillhave200pupilsin2005-2006.ThemainTVchannelisreducingitsGaelicprogrammesfrom26hoursto6hoursayear.Thegovernment,however,saysitmustcontribute$1-1.5milliontowardsnewGaelicdigitalTVchannel.TheScottishgovernmentislookingatthesuccessofprogrammesinIreland(1926:500,000speakers-2005:1.5millionspeakersofIrishGaelic),Wales(an,80.000increaseinWelshspeakersinthepast10years)andCatalunyainSpain.3.ZhouKoudian–HomeofPekingManInDecember,aChinesepaleoanthropologistnamedPeiWenzhongdiscoveredacompleteskullof“PekingMan”onDragonBoneHillnorthwestofZhoukoudian,inthesouthwestsuburbsofBeijing.Later,archaeologistsunearthed40-oddindividuallyfossilizedskeletonsof“PekingMan”,male,female,oldandyoung,allatthesameplace.Zhoukoudian,therefore,becam...