Unit 1 Fighting with the Forces of Nature.doc

Unit 1 Fighting with the Forces of NatureI. Reading Practice:1. Note the following sentences and expressions in TEXT A. Try to recite them.Pride comes before a fall.Hitler expected a short campaign but, like Napoleon before him, was taught a painful lesson. The Russian winter again came to the aid of the Soviet Union. (2)The soldiers were well trained, efficient, and well equipped. Napoleon, confident of a quick victory, predicts the conquest of Russia in five weeks. (3)Napoleon soon realized he could not feed, clothe, and quarter his army in Moscow during the winter. (8)In the center of Russia, Hitlers goal was the capture of Moscow. Because the Germans had anticipated a quick victory, they had made no plans for winter supplies. October arrived with heavy rains. “General Mud” slowed the movement of Germans lightning attack. (15)In November 1942, the Russians launched a counterattack. With little or no shelter from the winter cold in and around Stalingrad, German troops were further weakened by a lack of food and supplies. Not until January 1943 did the Germans give up their siege. Of the three hundred thousand Germans attacking Stalingrad, only ninety thousand starving soldiers were left. The loss of the battle for Stalingrad finally turned the tide against Hitler. The German victories were over, thanks in part to the Russian winter. (18)The elements of nature must be reckoned with in any military campaign. Napoleon and Hitler both underestimated the severity of the Russian winter. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures took their toll on both invading armies. For the Russian people, the winter was an icy defender. (21)2. Look for the English of the following in TEXT A:顽强的抵抗长途行军、长征向发动进攻狠狠地教训某人速战速决交战、投入战斗孤注一掷激烈交战退到安全地带熊熊大火提出停火（休战）等待时机为军队提供粮草、衣服和宿营地重整旗鼓侥幸付出的代价控制宣战趁某人不备包围、围困食品缺乏饿死没有预备中止、使停下来发动反攻形势逆转（对某人不利）突然袭击3. Supplementary reading: How Russia Really Won (attached)II. Listening Practice: 1. Listen to a VOA Special English story about Napoleon. Complete the following sentences with the words you have heard in the story. (此听力练习答案3月12/13日需上交)1) Boats took _ from far up the Mississippi down the river for sale and transport.2) The Mississippi meant _.3) Napoleon needed money for a war with Britain. He offered to _ _.4) The sale increased the size of the United States by two times. Today, this area includes _.5) Saint Louis will hold an event called the Three Flags Ceremony on March fourteenth, two-thousand-four. The ceremony _ _.2. Tasks 1 & 3, “Listening in” of Unit 3, Speaking, Listening, Viewing Course (视听说教程): Is Tsunami Delicious? (Page 40), Natural Disasters (Page 42).3. Supplementary task: “Viewing and Speaking” of Unit 3, Speaking, Listening, Viewing Course (视听说教程): Floods Hit Southeast England (Page 55).III. Speaking Practice:1. What was Napoleons and Hitlers ambition toward Russia?2. Mock Debate in groups.Work with your partners and find support to both sides of the following topic Man or Nature, Which Is More Powerful?3. Retell the stories of Napoleons and Hitlers invasion to Russia, in your own words.IV. Writing Practice:Use the examples of current environmental problems to explain