Helen Keller Helen Keller ( )Author and lecturer. An illness at the age of 19 months left her deaf, blind and mute. Through the work of teacher Anne Sullivan, she learned to overcome these handicaps and became a powerful and effective national spokesperson on behalf of others with similar disabilities. Maria Curie( ) was born in Poland, moved to Paris and studied chemistry and physics there. She married Pierre Curie and together they studied radioactive materials and discovered radium. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Ann Bancroft Ann Bancroft ( ) First woman to travel across the ice to the North and South Poles. She was the first woman to travel across Greenland on skis, and in 1993, was leader of the American Women's Expedition, a group of four who skied more than 600 miles to the South Pole. Pearl S. Buck Pearl S. Buck ( ) Novelist whose writing evoked two different cultures, American and Asian. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth and was later the first American woman awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

3 Time Olympics Gold Medallist Wilma Rudolph (foreground) wins a relay race in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Wilma Rudolph Wilma Rudolph ( ) First American woman ever to win three gold medals in the Olympics. A track and field champion, Rudolph elevated women's track to a major presence in the United States. She created the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to help train young athletes.

Rosa Parks started the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat on this bus Rosa Parks Rosa Parks ( ) Known as "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement," when, in 1955, she refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. The event sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, the first major effort in the Civil Rights struggle. Rosa Parks 1955 Rosa Parks Now

What was her name?LilyRoseJaneSandra What was she like?serious smart friendly helpful loyal honest fat quiet warm kind pretty strong handwork -ing What was she good at?mathssingingpaint- ing nothing What has become of her? She’s now a teacher. She’s married & has a daughter. She works in a depar tment store. She has her own company. Listening:

1.It has often been said that life is difficult as it is. 人们常说现实生活已经够艰难的了。 1) “It is said that…” 是常见的句型。 “ 据说，人们说 ” It was said that the population of males is larger than that of females in China. 据说中国男性人口高于女性人口。 这种句型其实是 “People say that…” 的被动语态。类似 结构有： It is thought that…; It is reported that…; It is believed that… ； It is hoped that… 2) as it is 也是固定句型， “ 根据现在情况看；就以现在 的样子 ” ，常用于句首或句尾。 I thought things would get better, but as it is they are getting worse. 我原以为情况会好转，但照现在的样子看， 只会更遭。

2. For women it sometimes seems twice as difficult. (= For women life sometimes seems twice as difficult as it is.) 对妇女来说，有时生活是难上加难。 倍数的表达法有以下几种： The room is twice bigger than mine. The room is twice as big as mine. The room is twice the size of mine. 3. What else, but a journey at the opposite end of the world, Antarctica. 除了去世界另一头南极洲旅行，还会干什么呢？ (= What else would do I do but a journey at the opposite end of the world, Antarctica.) 句中的 but 是介词，相当于 except 常与不定代词、疑问代词等连用。 In winter, bears can do nothing but lie down and sleep.

4. But changes were just around the corner. 天气即将要变化。 = likely to happen soon ( 即将来临 ) Victory was just around the corner. 胜利即将在眼前。 A big storm was just around the corner. 5. I had travelled only two hours one day when the winds increased so much that I had to put my tent up before the winds became too strong. 一天，我刚走了两个小时， 突然 狂风大作，我只好趁风力还不算太大之前，支起帐篷。 when 表示过早发生某事。（还没 / 刚刚 …… 就） I had hardly opened the door when the dog barked. 我还没打开门，狗就叫了起来。 The students hadn’t played football long when the bell rang. when 表示突然发生某事。 We were having an English class when it began to rain.

6. I had fallen into a hole and was hanging on the ropes tied to the sled. (= the ropes which were tied to the sled.) 我掉进了洞，挂在绑着雪橇的绳子上。 7. Wait to get better or give up? 我该等身体好起来还是放弃？ (= Should I wait to get better or should I give up?) 8. It is an experience I shall never forget and shall value for the rest of my life. 这段经历令我毕生难忘，要一辈子珍惜。 value (to think that sth. Is important to you) 诊视，重视 He valued my advice. 他看重我的忠告。 I’ll value the friendship with Jim. value (to decide how much money sth. Is worth) 估价 We valued the house at $3,500 我们估价房子值 $3,500 。 How much do you value the painting at? value 名词， “ 价值，币值 ” This work has no value. 这项工作毫无价值。

Some other useful expressions: 1. What has become of her? become of 发生 …… 情况； I don’t know what has become of my tape recorder. 2. … I found myself spending a whole day in my tent. 我只得整天躲在帐篷里。 find oneself… 发现自己（处于某种状态）； 不知不觉地 …… Suddenly I found myself at the water’s edge. 我忽然发现自 己站在水边了 。 Then I found myself surrounded by half a dozen boys. 3. … sang “happy birthday to me” at the top of my voice. at the top of one’s voice 高声地； 大声地 4. I couldn’t stand on my left leg. 我的左腿不能站立。 stand on 用 …… 站立 stand on one’s head 倒立 stand on one leg like a cock 金鸡独立

5. … hard work and discipline could lead to self-improvement. lead sb./sth. to （介词）引起（某人 / 物）产生 …… Junk food will lead you to disease. 6. … she became the host of a talk show called “AM Chicago” talk show 脱口秀