Lesson 1 A private conversation
Listening comprehension
1 Introduce the story
T：Today we'll listen to a story about some people in the
theatre.
2 Understand the situation
T：What do you think is happening in the picture?
3 Listening objective
T：Listen to the story and see if you can answer this question:
Why did the writer complain to the people behind him?
4 Play the tape or read the dialogue
5 Answer the question
After the reading, ask the question again: Why did the writer
complain to the people behind him?
Train students not to shout out the answer. Instead, ask one
student, then ask the others to agree or disagree with a show of
hands.
Answer: Because they were talking so that he could not hear
the actors.
6 Intensive reading
Play the tape or read the story again, pausing after every
sentence to check the students understand.
Obtain brief explanations to difficulties in the text from the
students themselves. Only use Chinese if a confirmatory
translation is necessary.
7 Play the tape or read the story again
The students listen only.
8 Repetition
Play the tape or read the story again, pausing after every
sentence, and ask the students to repeat (a) in chorus, (b) in small
groups, and (c) individually. Note this activity is optional.
9 Reading aloud
Ask one or two students to read the story aloud.
Comprehension questions
1 Where did you go last week? (To the theatre.)
2 Did you have a good seat? (Yes, I did.)
3 Was it an interesting play? (Yes, it was.)
4 You enjoyed the play, didn't you? (No, I didn't.)
5 Who was sitting behind you? (A young man and a young woman.)
6 Could you hear what the actors were saying? (No, I
couldn't.)
7 Why couldn't you hear? (They were talking loudly.)
8 What were they doing? (Talking loudly.)
9 Did you get angry with them or not? (Yes, I did.)
10 You turned round, didn't you? (Yes, I did.)
11 How did you look at them? (Angrily.)
12 They didn't pay any attention, did they? (No, they didn't.)
13 Could you bear it? (No, I couldn't.)
14 What did you do then? (I turned round again and said angrily,
‘I can't hear a word!’)
15 What did the young man say? ( ‘It's none of your business.
This is a private conversation!’)
Asking questions: Ask me if ⋯
T：Ask me if I went to the theatre last week.
S：Did you go to the theatre last week?
T：When ⋯ ?
S：When did you go to the theatre?
1 I went to the theatre last week. (When)
2 I had a good seat. (What kind)
3 I saw an interesting play. (What)
4 a young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. (Who)
(Where)
5 they were talking loudly. (How)
6 I couldn't hear the actors. (Who)
7 I turned round. (What ⋯ do)
8 I looked at the man and the woman angrily. (How)
Pattern drill
1
T：walk across the stage - slow
S1：How did she walk across the stage?
S2：She walked very slowly across the stage.
behave at the theatre - rude/bad
drive through the park - quick/slow
sleep on the train - sound/quiet
listen to his story - patient/careful
2
T：hear the radio
S1：I can hear the radio now. Can you?
S2：Of course I can. I can hear it perfectly well.
hear the actors see those men
see the theatre see the policeman
see her house hear the rain hear
his voice hear some music
3
T：last night - a good talk on the radio (saw or heard)
S：I heard a good talk on the radio last night.
just now - a voice/knock at the door Lesson 1 A private conversation
Listening comprehension
1 Introduce the story
T：Today we'll listen to a story about some people in the
theatre.
2 Understand the situation
T：What do you think is happening in the picture?
3 Listening objective
T：Listen to the story and see if you can answer this question:
Why did the writer complain to the people behind him?
4 Play the tape or read the dialogue
5 Answer the question
After the reading, ask the question again: Why did the writer
complain to the people behind him?
Train students not to shout out the answer. Instead, ask one
student, then ask the others to agree or disagree with a show of
hands.
Answer: Because they were talking so that he could not hear
the actors.
6 Intensive reading
Play the tape or read the story again, pausing after every
sentence to check the students understand.
Obtain brief explanations to difficulties in the text from the
students themselves. Only use Chinese if a confirmatory
translation is necessary.
7 Play the tape or read the story again
The students listen only.
8 Repetition
Play the tape or read the story again, pausing after every
sentence, and ask the students to repeat (a) in chorus, (b) in small
groups, and (c) individually. Note this activity is optional.
9 Reading aloud
Ask one or two students to read the story aloud.
Comprehension questions
1 Where did you go last week? (To the theatre.)
2 Did you have a good seat? (Yes, I did.)
3 Was it an interesting play? (Yes, it was.)
4 You enjoyed the play, didn't you? (No, I didn't.)
5 Who was sitting behind you? (A young man and a young woman.)
6 Could you hear what the actors were saying? (No, I
couldn't.)
7 Why couldn't you hear? (They were talking loudly.)
8 What were they doing? (Talking loudly.)
9 Did you get angry with them or not? (Yes, I did.)
10 You turned round, didn't you? (Yes, I did.)
11 How did you look at them? (Angrily.)
12 They didn't pay any attention, did they? (No, they didn't.)
13 Could you bear it? (No, I couldn't.)
14 What did you do then? (I turned round again and said angrily,
‘I can't hear a word!’)
15 What did the young man say? ( ‘It's none of your business.
This is a private conversation!’)
Asking questions: Ask me if ⋯
T：Ask me if I went to the theatre last week.
S：Did you go to the theatre last week?
T：When ⋯ ?
S：When did you go to the theatre?
1 I went to the theatre last week. (When)
2 I had a good seat. (What kind)
3 I saw an interesting play. (What)
4 a young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. (Who)
(Where)
5 they were talking loudly. (How)
6 I couldn't hear the actors. (Who)
7 I turned round. (What ⋯ do)
8 I looked at the man and the woman angrily. (How)
Pattern drill
1
T：walk across the stage - slow
S1：How did she walk across the stage?
S2：She walked very slowly across the stage.
behave at the theatre - rude/bad
drive through the park - quick/slow
sleep on the train - sound/quiet
listen to his story - patient/careful
2
T：hear the radio
S1：I can hear the radio now. Can you?
S2：Of course I can. I can hear it perfectly well.
hear the actors see those men
see the theatre see the policeman
see her house hear the rain hear
his voice hear some music
3
T：last night - a good talk on the radio (saw or heard)
S：I heard a good talk on the radio last night.
just now - a voice/knock at the door