Unit 9 The Blue Whale Deborah Soong

Teaching Activities Index

Teaching Activities 1st period 1. Warm-upWarm-up 2. The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs 1-4The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs Reading - Paragraphs 1-4Reading - Paragraphs 1-4 2nd period 1. The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs 5-6The Vocabulary, and Idioms & Phrases within Paragraphs Reading - Paragraphs 5-6Reading - Paragraphs Post-readingPost-reading 3rd period 1. Word FileWord File 2. Sentence PatternsSentence Patterns 3. ExpansionExpansion 4. Writing PracticeWriting Practice 4th period Part II Oral & Listening - Unit 7

Warm-up Vocabulary Idioms & Phrases Paragraphs 1-4

Listen to paragraphs 1-4 Skip

Now, answer the following questions.

How big is the blue whale’s eye? Its eye might be the size of a small child.

In what way are whales different from fish? One way in which whales are different from fish is that whales must hold their breath underwater.

Why are whales mammals? Give your reasons. They have hair and warm blood. Besides, baby whales are born alive and are fed on their mothers’ milk.

Reading

The ice-cold water near the South Pole is the summer home of the largest animals that have ever lived—whales. That’s right. ice-cold = as cold as ice 類似的複合形容詞如： snow-white, pitch-dark, skin-deep 。 the largest animals that have ever lived— whales →of all the animals that have ever lived on earth, whales are the largest

The blue whale, the giant of the whale family, can grow to be bigger than two dinosaurs. It can be heavier than twelve elephants. Its eye might be the size of a small child. the giant of the whale family →the largest member in the whale family can 表示「可能性」。 You can/may get hurt if you are not careful. Next

The blue whale, the giant of the whale family, can grow to be bigger than two dinosaurs. It can be heavier than twelve elephants. Its eye might be the size of a small child. Its eyes might be the size of a small child. →Its eyes might be as big as a small child. might 也是表示「可能性」，但語氣不如 may 強烈。

Though whales look much like fish, they are not fish. They breathe through their lungs. Though whales look much like fish, they are not fish. →Though whalesand fish look (very) much alike, they are not fish. through = bymeans of 經由，藉著 Blind people know what things are like through touch.

They must hold their breath underwater. hold their breath → stop breathing 屏息 其他含 breath 的片語： catch one's breath 喘不過氣來 She caught her breath when she saw the car coming toward her. out of breath 上氣不接下氣 We were out of breath after running to catch the bus. save one's breath 不必白費口舌 Youmay as well save your breath—you’ll never be able to persuade him. waste one‘s breath 浪費力氣 You’re just wasting your breath talking to him; he won’t listen.

If they stay under water too long, they will drown. That makes them very different from fish. →That’s how they are verydifferent from fish.

If the whale is not a fish, then what is it? It is a mammal just as you are. It has hair, though very little of it. justas 正如，就像 … 一樣 I’m a senior high school student just as you are. It has hair, though very little of it. →Though it has hair, there is only very little of it.

It is warm-blooded. Baby whales are not hatched from an egg but are born alive. Adj +N-ed 乃複合形容詞，例如： warm-blooded black-haired smooth-skinned long-legged warm-hearted open-minded be born 常與補語連用 He was born rich/to be a musician.

And the baby whale is fed on its mother’s milk like other little mammals....is fed on its mother’s milk →...gets milk from its mother 指「以 … 維生」，介系詞用 on 。 We mainly live on rice.

Whales are too big to keep in zoos. Most people never see one. too ….to V 太 … 而 … Whales are too big to keep in zoos. →Whales are so big that we cannot keep them in zoos. keep vt. 飼養；扶養  Do you like to keep pets? (=raise)  He has a large family to keep. (= support) one 代替前面出現過的非特定名詞。

If only you could watch them at sea! “if only + 子句 ” 與 “S + wish + 子句 ” 的用法 相同。  If only I were rich! →I wish that I were rich!  If only I had taken your advice at that time.  If only he would learn to eat quietly!

Whales usually rise to breathe every five or ten minutes, but they may stay under water for about forty-five minutes. rise: come up to the surface of the water every + 基數 + 複數名詞 ( 每 …….) = every + 序數 + 單數名詞  The Olympic Games are held every four years/every fourth year.  Every tenth family has a computer today. breathe: get air

When they come up for air, they make quite a noise, which can be heard for some distance. quite + a(n) + N 很，極為  That’s quite a job!  She’s quite a beauty! which 關係代名詞引導形容詞子句修飾先行詞 a noise 。 which can be heard for some distance →and it can be heard from a long distance away

They blow out the air they have held in their lungs. →They send out the air which they have kept in their lungs.

It is warm air. When it hits cooler air, it turns to steam. The steam pours out of a hole on the top of the whale’s head. This is called the whale’s spout. hit: contact turn: change Back