Reading

Lead-in

Dr Bethune was a Canadian, but he volunteered to come to China to help the Chinese people during the Anti-Japanese War. At last he lost his life in order to save others.

Some volunteers teach in remote areas to help children there receive good education, and their work is making a big difference to the children’s future. Some volunteers also help the people who live alone. They help the elders living alone do shopping, do housework

and sometimes read newspapers to them. The elders enjoy their company and they may feel more energetic and optimistic. Some volunteers help protect our environment. They plant trees, help people realize the importance of protecting rivers and animals.

Skimming Lu Hao _______________________________ _______________________________ Lin Ying ______________________________ ______________________________ is helping an elderly gentleman who lives alone with shopping, doing jobs in house, reading the newspaper to him and chatting. has gone west and now works as a teacher in a village school.

Meng Yu ________________________ ________________________ _________________________ took part in an event and is collecting money to help starving children in some of the least developed countries.

Scanning 1. According to the passage, why do young people choose to do voluntary work? They want to make some contributions to society.

2. What do people think of young volunteers? People think it is a good deed for youths to be volunteers. As Kofi Annan, Secretary of the United Nations said “... each contribution — no matter how small — can help make a difference.”

3. Do you think the “1 helps 1” scheme affects Lu Hao’s study? Why? No, I don’t think so. Because Lu Hao visits Mr. Zhao only twice a week after school, so he can arrange his study and the voluntary work properly. Besides he can learn some history from Mr. Zhao. The job is helpful to him too.

4. How does Lin Ying like the people in the remote village? Lin Ying thinks the people there are poor but they have big hearts and made her very welcome.

5. What’s Lin Ying hoping to do? She is hoping to improve the standard of education in the school by introducing the modern teaching methods they use in the east.

6. Why did Meng Yu and her classmates go without food for 30 hours? Because they wanted to promote awareness of hunger.

7. How did Meng Yu like his study in a foreign country? Meng Yu thinks that coming to another country to study requires a big adjustment and it takes a while to fit in.

8. Why did the three volunteers make different choices about the work and the time? Because their own studying and working conditions and abilities were different, so they had to choose different voluntary work at different time according to their own actual conditions.

Young Volunteers

Explanation 1. acknowledge vt. ① admit ② express thanks for e.g. He refused to acknowledge that he was defeated. We must not fail to acknowledge the professor’s help.

2. company n. being together with another or others e.g. I enjoy his company. I’m glad/grateful of your company. 3. apply v. ① make a formal request ② fit; be suitable/useful

e.g. They applied for an extension for their visas. He applied to return to his motherland. The rule doesn’t apply to middle school.

4. straight away/off: without hesitation/delay e.g. I can’t tell you straight away/off. 5. fit in: be in harmony with sb./sth. e.g. You can’t bring outsides into a place like this; they won’t fit in. You should fit in with other employees.

6. Mostly we just drink tea and chat. mostly: mainly and chiefly e.g. He wrote to his parents every week, mostly on weekends. 7. I really feel I ’ m doing something worthwhile and I ’ m having a great time doing it. worthwhile: adj. used as an attribute

1) worthwhile: worth spending time e.g. It is worthwhile visiting / to visit the museum. But we can’t say “The museum is worthwhile visiting.” 2) worth one’s while e.g. The work is worth our while.

8. Coming to another country to study requires a big adjustment and it takes a while to fit in. “require” is similar to “need, want” in meaning. We can say “need / want / require doing... / to be done”. e.g. The room requires cleaning. The room requires to be cleaned.

Further Understanding What activity Lu Hao Lin Ying “1 helps 1” scheme of the Youth Volunteer Community Development Project Go West Project organized by the Communist Youth League of China

What activity Meng Yu An event organized by Meng Yu and her classmates

When Lu Hao Lin Ying Meng Yu Every Tuesday and Friday After graduation During weekends

Where Lu Hao Lin Ying Meng Yu In the old man’s house In a remote village school of southwest China In Canada

Whom to help Lu Hao Lin Ying Meng Yu An lonely old man Some poor kids Starving children

Benefits to others Lu Hao Mr. Zhao doesn’t feel lonely any more; his health has been improved; he feels more energetic and optimistic.

Benefits to others Lin Ying The kids become eager to learn; the pass rate has greatly improved; the children will get rid of the poverty and has a bight future.

Benefits to others Meng Yu Make the children get rid of starvation and live a better life.

Benefits to him or her Lu Hao He learns more history from Mr. Zhao and his grades have improved a lot.

Benefits to him or her Lin Ying She gets a lot of satisfaction, acquires valuable skills and experience, and builds up confidence, self-awareness, good communication skills and leadership ability.

Benefits to him or her Meng Yu By making some different friends she doesn’t feel lonely and homesick but feels more positive; she begins to value the chance to get a good education; it has given her the motivation to succeed.

Post-reading Post-reading What volunteering projects do you know about in our area? And how do you think these benefit the young people who are involved in them?

Homework 1. Retell one of the students ’ experiences in your own words. Notes: 1) Use the first person. 2) Use proper prepositions, conjunctions and phrases.

3) Make use of the chart above while retelling. 2. Prepare for the reading task on Pages