Unit 1The written wordReading makes a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man. ---Francis Bacon1. What is the definition of classic literature? Can you name some classic literature? Classics are the antiques of the literary world including novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written that people still read them today.Four famous Chinese classics1 三国演义 a A Dream of Red Mansions /The Story of the Stone 2 西游记 b Romance of Three Kingdoms3 红楼梦 c Water Margins4 水浒传 d Journey to the Westforeign classic literature2. Do you know Charles Dickens?3. What books did Charles Dickens write? Charles Dickens was England’s greatest writer. He was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He had a happy childhood after his family moved to Chatham. At the age of 12, Dickens had to leave school because his father was imprisoned for debt. The poverty and adversity Dickens experienced as a child greatly influenced his later views on social reform. Before his death on 9 June, 1870, he wrote about 15 major novels and many short stories, most of which are famous for their surprise endings.《雾都孤儿》《圣诞颂歌》《双城记》《艰难时世》《远大前程》《大卫 · 科波菲尔》 Great ExpectationsOliver TwistA Christmas CarolHard TimesA Tale of Two CitiesDavid CopperfieldRead and answer1. Why don’t many people like the classics?2. What does Liz think about classic novels?3. What is written on Charles Dickens’s tomb?Read and answer1. Why don’t many people like the classics?Because they think they are old and boring and have nothing to do with life today.2. What does Liz think about classic novels?3. What is written on Charles Dickens’s tomb?She doesn’t think that they are old and boring. She thinks they have something to do with contemporary life.“By his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.”4. What kind of person is Joe?5. Who gives Pip a lot of money?6. What kind of person does Pip become after he moves to London?A stranger.He becomes vain and ashamed of his background.Joe is a kind and simple man.8. What does Pip learn by the end of the novel? He learns that wealth does not buyhappiness and that friends are more important than a fancy education.7. Why is Pip embarrassed by Joe?Because Joe does not fit his rigid ideas of what it means to be civil and to be a gentleman.1.What does a persuasive essay try to do? 2. What’s the writer’s point of view in this essay?To convince the reader to adopt a certain point of view.To persuade us to appreciate classic literature.Firstly the writer asks us to change our minds about classic literature, then she gives us interesting facts about Charles Dickens and his book, Great Expectation, which makes us want to read the book at the end of the essay. 3. How does the author tries to convince the reader?
