Seeing the Structure

Teaching Freshman English Reading

Yeh Ching-er 6/10/2009

The Exam

Sentence making (2% x 10) Q&A Vocabulary Sentence Structure (2% x 15)= 30% Reading comprehension

They did poorly on Sentence Structure.

The Class

The Students:

58, mostly science majors

The Textbook:

Active Skills for Reading Book 3 (mid-level)

The Teacher:

First-timer for this course

How to help my students

Sentence Structure

->grammatically correct

Focus on Grammar

->Test-writing by students

->My lecture handouts

These intriguing statues, which were carved by

ancient people to resemble human heads, range in height from 3 and a half to 12 meters.

 

(These statues were carved by ancient people.)

(They were made to look like human heads.)

(They are very intriguing.)

心

Escalating classroom violence has also motivated some parents to remove their children from school.

Research suggests that it may have been

A B

designed and built by an ancient religious

B

group who used it for one or two purposes;

C

either as a sacred temple or an observatory to study

D E

the sky.

A concern that is often heard with regard to o

nly children is whether one child is necessarily a lonely child.

你希望學生能跨過子句找到動詞

The circumstances affecting each set of parent

s are unique, and what is appropriate for one family may not be for another.

你希望學生能跨過分詞找到動詞

Despite these arguments, the number of parent

s choosing to have only one child is increasing in many parts of the world.

你希望學生在長長的等待後找得到動詞

*Please underline the verb of the clause in the f

ollowing sentences:

Many people believe that a single child will not have learned to negotiate with others, and respect the give-and-take involved in many relationships.

同時也希望他們找得到子句中的動詞

Research suggests that it may have been designed and built by an ancient religious group.

你希望學生看到有些動詞是成群結隊的。

In fact, compulsory public education has only

been in place for the past 2 centuries.

Before that, while the affluent were able to hire tutors for their children, most education or children took place within the family and the community.

動詞片語更絕對是呼朋引伴。

長主詞 目的地：動詞 Exactly how and why Stonehenge was constru

cted remains a mystery.

The incredible sensation of witnessing first-hand these prehistoric marvels defies description.

Although that isn’t yet feasible, with training, the potential of the human memory can be unlocked.

One way that many teachers suggest accelerating the vocabulary-building process is by using mnemonics.

 

While many parents will not completely put their

confidence back into the system , many of them have reached a compromise that allows their children the extra benefits of peer interaction and access to a wider choice of activities.

While he was, in the end, given permission , he was lucky.

Expert opinions differ on the specific number of words a second-language learner needs to know to achieve fluency,

but they generally agree that it is several thousand.

Grammar > Text

(A look at my Word files.)

“’”

fresh print full of notes

’

Simply put, mnemonics are

methods used to help one remember information that is otherwise difficult to recall.

Though once the last resort for

troubled children, homeschooling today

is becoming an accepted alternative to the public educational system.

They point out the homeschooled reportedly do well as well as those who have been in the classroom, and many walk the campuses of top universities alongside the conventionally educated.

the homeschooled

VS.

those who have been in the classroom

= the conventionally educated.

Many do well.

= They walk the campuses of top

universities alongside

the conventionally educated.

Reorganizing the text

Put opening & ending together

Move sentences around and allow them to see the contrast, parallel, similarities, etc.

Above all, keep them awake.

Opening   1.        As little as 30 years ago, few people questioned the gender role that had prevailed for centuries.   2.        The conventional wisdom was that a woman’s place was in the home, and that a man’s main responsibility to his family was to put food on the table.   3.        In the 1970s and ‘80s, however, greater numbers of working women meant that men were no longer the sole breadwinners.   4.        A father’s involvement with his family also became more important.   5.        Forty years ago, almost no husbands were “stay-at-home dads.”   6.        Today, with more career opportunities than ever available to women, the stay-at-home dad trend is on the rise. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ending   1. It’s probably safe to say that stay-at-home dad is here to stay.   2.     As more and more pioneers fight for concessions from their employers, they contribute immensely to the flexibility of the father’s role in the modern family.   3.     There is still a stigma attached to stay-at-home dads in the working world.   4.     Some employers see “stay-at-home dad” as meaning “couldn’t find work”.   5.     Others might view them as out of touch or lacking dedication to their career.   6. However, many stay-at-home dads see children as a priority that is worth sacrificing for.

Opening 

6. Today, with more career opportunities

than ever available to women, the stay-at-

home dad trend is on the rise.

_______________________________________ Ending

1. It’s probably safe to say that stay-at-

home dad is here to stay.

1. As little as 30 years ago, few people questioned the gender role that had prevailed for centuries.  2.  The conventional wisdom was that a woman’s place was in the home, and that a

man’s main responsibility to his family was to put food on the table.  3. In the 1970s and ‘80s, however, greater numbers of working women meant that men were no longer the sole breadwinners.  4.  A father’s involvement with his family also became more important.  5.  Forty years ago, almost no husbands were “stay-at-home dads.”  6. Today, with more career opportunities than ever available to women, the stay- at-home dad trend is on the rise.

1.     A family with a stay-at-home dad can reap many benefits.

  2.     If the wife is a career-woman, her husband can take some family responsibilities off

her shoulders, thereby allowing her to compete more successfully with career-minded men.

  3.     Being the main caregiver to the children allows men the joy of participating in their

children’s day-to-day experiences.  4.     Studies have also found that the presence of the father in the home can contribute to

lower juvenile crime rates, a decrease in child poverty, and lower rates of teenage pregnancy.

  5.     Differences in parenting styles between men and women are also believed to

contribute to children’s ability to understand and communicate emotions in different ways.

  6.     The research supports claims by some groups that the absence of a father in the

family is the single biggest social problem in modern society.

Case 1: Masato Yamada 1.        Many men have found opposition from the corporate world to their decision to become stay-at-home dads.   2.        Masato Yamada and his wife, Atsuko, worked at Japan’s buy trade ministry.  3.        Atsuko had twins, and took maternity leave to take care of them.  4.        When Atsuko later had a third child, Masato decided to request paternity leave to be the children’s primary caregiver.   5.        His boss’s initial reaction was, “Are you serious?”   6.        While he was, in the end, given permission, he was lucky.  7. A recent Japanese government survey showed that only 6.5 percent of father who have young children were able to reduce their working hours as opposed to 29 percent who wished they could do so.

At one time, there was a stigma associated

with homeschooling; it was traditionally used for students who could not attend school because of behavioral or learning difficulties.

  Today, however, more parents are taking on

the responsibility of educating their children at home due to dissatisfaction with the educational system.

What these 3 methods of enhancing memory have in common is the idea of active learning.

While it is certainly possible to absorb a great deal of

information by passively listening or reading, there is no guarantee that the information will enter your memory and be retained.

There is still a stigma attached to stay-at-home dads

in the working world. 

Some employers see “stay-at-home dad” as meaning “couldn’t find work”.

  Others might view them as out of touch or lacking

dedication to their career.  However, many stay-at-home dads see children as a

priority that is worth sacrificing for.

1.  Homeschooling is still considered to be a radical choice in

most countries. 

2.  The laws that apply to it can be complex and vary widely from country to country.

 3.  In some countries, such as France, England, Taiwan, and the United

States, homeschooling is permitted by law. 4.  In other countries, laws are not so clear, so homeschooling goes on

but isn’t formally permitted by existing laws.  5.  A third group of countries including Germany and Brazil prohibit

homeschooling.

With an increasing number of disgruntled parents

taking their children out of class, many school officials are looking for ways to restore parents’ confidence in the public education system.

Today, however, more parents are taking on the responsibility of educating their children at home due to dissatisfaction with the educational system.

  Many parents are unhappy about class size, as well

as problems inside the classroom.

At one time, there was a stigma associated

with homeschooling; it was traditionally used for students who could not attend school because of behavioral or learning difficulties.

Though once the last resort for troubled children, homeschooling today is becoming an accepted alternative to the public educational system.

The ruling is believed to be the first of its kind, and demonstrated just how much views on paternal roles have changed over the years.

As more and more pioneers fight for concessions from their employers, they contribute immensely to the flexibility of the father’s role in the modern family.

  

Many men have found opposition from the corporate world to their decision to become stay-at-home dads.

 

There is still a stigma attached to stay-at-home dads in the working world.

Studies have found that the presence of the

father in the home can contribute to lower juvenile crime rates, a decrease in child poverty, and lower rates of teenage pregnancy.

  The research supports claims by some groups

that the absence of a father in the family is the single biggest social problem in modern society.

Translation Chinese -> English Unit 4-2 Lottery Winners – Rich, but Happy?

1.  許多樂透彩的頭獎金額高達一億美元。 2.  但三分之二的頭獎得主在五年內就把獎金花光光。 3.  一名英國清潔隊員買英國國家彩券，中了一千萬英鎊。 4.  他把後院闢為賽馬場，二十四小時無休，製造的噪音和揚起來的灰塵，讓 鄰居很火大。 5.  他買了好幾輛名牌轎車，但有一輛全新的 BMW ，沒有牌照，也沒保車險。 6.  後來他因為嗑藥和暴力行為，入獄服刑九個月。 7.  出獄之後，借貸度日，繼續他的奢華生活。 8. 另一名美國婦女在得獎後每日一擲千金，她回憶道感覺上錢好像永遠不夠。 9.  理財專家表示，得獎之後，要保住財富，有下列三點必須遵守： 甲、向理財專家討教。 乙、把債務還清。 丙、先算一下這後半輩子每年的基本開銷是多少，剩下的錢才是可以

花 用的閒錢。 10. 如此估算之後，才可以遞出你的辭呈。

Translation Chinese -> English Unit 5-1 Cultural Events -- Wedding Customs  1.     雖然世界各地結婚的理由大同小異，結婚的習俗卻是不盡相同。 2.     新娘禮服的樣式和布料種類繁多，有些人更是特別訂做。 3.     在亞洲一些國家和中東地區，紅和橙這兩色代表喜慶歡樂。 4.     新娘頭紗已有兩千多年歷史，原本象徵隱密謙遜，如今只做為頭飾之用。 5.     巴西的習俗是在婚戒上刻上新郎新娘彼此的名字。 6.     古人相信戴婚戒的手指有一根血管直通心臟。 7.     花在婚禮上扮演重要的角色。玫瑰被公認為最能代表愛意，因為花開在 六月，六月也成為舉行婚禮最熱門的月份。 8.     據說接到新娘捧花的單身女子會是下一個結婚的人。 9.     華人的習俗是給禮金，放在紅包袋中祝福新人。 10. 如今，隨著世界全球化的腳步，婚禮習俗已超越國界，融合在各地文化 中，新人常常合併採用各地禮俗，讓自己的婚禮成為永難忘懷的回憶。

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