Key words: Life in the past, life now, family, work, health, education

tiny adj. 微小的；极小的 electric adj. 用电的；电动的 n. 电灯 candle n. 蜡烛 postman n. 邮递员 cold n. 寒冷；冷空气 heat n. 高温；热度

full-time adj. 专职的；全日制的 education n. ( 个人的 ) 教育；学业 transport n. 运输业；交通 role n. 作用；职责；角色

Look at the woman in the photo. How do you think she feels? Think about what she will talk about: family work health education

Listen to the passage and take notes on what Mrs Li says about the points in Activity 1.

Families have got smaller than they were in the past. Today most people only have one child. There were five children in my family.

My father was a postman, and he often worked twelve hours a day outside in the winter cold or in the summer heat.

My mum was a farm girl. She didn’t go out to work. My daughter goes to work even after getting married.

I wasn’t sent to school because my family couldn’t afford it, and what’s more, because I was a girl. My daughter is really lucky. She has a good education.

Life in the past Life now 1. Family: bigger; 1. Family: smaller; five children one child 2. Food: 2. Read the passage and complete the notes and add more points of your own. simple, eat meat once or twice a year. Eat better.

Life in the past Life now 3. Work: Education: 4. My mother didn’t go out to work. Looking after us was more than a full-time job. My daughter goes to work even after getting married. And she is busy working every day. I wasn’t sent to school because my family couldn’t afford it, and what’s more, because I was a girl. My daughter has a good education.

Complete the passage with the words and expression in the box. candles cold generally speaking postman tiny traffic Mrs Li’s father was a (1) __________. He often worked outside for twelve hours a day in the summer heat or in the winter (2) __________. postman cold

They lived in a (3) ________ house and used (4) _________ for light. Mrs Li says that (5) __________________, life is better today. But not everything is satisfying. There are some things that she is not happy with, for example, the (6) __________. tiny candles generally speaking traffic

1. …looking after us was more than a full-time job. …… 照料我们比做一份 全职工作还要辛苦。 这句话的主语是动名词短语 looking after us 。句中 more than 表示 “ 不只是， 多于 ” 。例如： He is more than a coach. He is a friend. 他不只是教练，更是朋友。

full-time adj. 专职的；全日制的 e.g. students in full-time education 全日制学生 Looking after a child is a full-time job. 照管小孩是一天忙到晚的活儿。

2. Generally speaking, I think life is better today. 总的说来，我认为今天的 生活更好了。 generally speaking 表示 “ 一般而言，总 的说来 ” 。 in general 也可以表达同样 的意思。例如： Generally speaking, we enjoyed the trip. 总的说来，我们这次旅行很愉快。

In general, women live longer than men. 总的说来，女性比男性更长寿。

Write a passage about the advantages and disadvantages of life today. Choose two or three points from the notes in Activity 2 to write about. Families are smaller…

Give examples or reasons to support those points. Most people only have one child today. For each of the points you choose, write about an advantage and /or a disadvantage. Use the words however, but, although or used to where appropriate.

Families are smaller because most people only have one child today. As a result, families have more money to spend on their child. However, only a child may feel lonely… Finish the passage with your conclusion. Generally speaking, I think… Present your passage to the class.