Unit 6 Housing By Quan Lihong June 10

Unit 6 Housing By Quan Lihong June, 10, 2008

Learning objectives • SectionⅠ Buying a Home or Renting a Home • To build up vocabulary on housing and housing problems • Section Ⅱ Housing Bubble • Get to know the current situation of the real estate industry • Section Ⅲ Living in Cities, or in the Countryside • Learn to probe into the different lifestyles of modern society

Ⅰ Lead-in • • • Warm-up 1. Pair Work in pairs and discuss the questions below. 1. What do you think of the housing of Chinese people on the whole? 2. Where are you living now, on campus or off campus? What are the major advantages and disadvantages of living on or off campus? 3. Do you or your friends have experience in looking for housing? When you are looking for housing, what factors do you take into consideration? Location? Rent? Or whatever?

• 2. Enjoy the song-Far away from home and tell each other the meaning behind it.

• • • • Song Far Away From Home ---by Groove Coverage I am loving living every single day but sometimes I feel so. I hope to find a little peace of mind and I just want to know. And who can heal those tiny broken hearts, and what are we to be. Where is home on the Milky way of stars, I dry my eyes again. In my dreams I am not so far away from home. What am I in a world so far away from home. All my life all the time so far away from home. Without you I will be so far away from home. If we could make it through the darkest night we have a brighter day. The world I see beyond your pretty eyes, makes me want to stay. And who can heal those tiny broken hearts, and what are we to be. Where is home on the Milky way of stars, I dry my eyes again. In my dreams I am not so far away from home. What am I in a world so far away from home. All my life all the time so far away from home. Without you I will be so far away from home. I count on you, no matter what they say, cause love can find it time. I hope to be a part of you again, baby let us shine. And who can heal those tiny broken hearts, and what are we to be. Where is home on the Milky way of stars, I dry my eyes again. In my dreams I am not so far away from home. What am I in a world so far away from home. All my life all the time so far away from home. Without you I will be so far away from home.

Ⅱ Listen and Speak SectionⅠ Buying a Home or Renting a Home • • Task 1 Listen to dialogue 1 and do the exercise on p. 70. Language points: Subsidized housing: government supported accommodation for people with low to moderate incomes. (In China, financial housing and economy housing all belong to subsidized housing category, and families enjoying it may not be low or moderate income families. ) • Residential quarters administration: 物业管理 • Commercial housing: 商品房 •

• Dialogue 3 • language points: • Sublet: ( of a person who rents property from its owner) to rent( part of a property ) to someone else 转租 • (One month’s rent in advance) as deposit 押金; 保证金 • Your home away from home: 第二个家

• Tip for teachers: • 对话 1 是中国的房改制度和住房情况的一个大体介绍, • 对话 1 是关于中国留学生在国外如何找房子, • 对话 3 是找到房子后看房和讨论房子的基本设备, 租金等. • 课堂有时间建议听对话 1和3, 并做role-play的 situation 1, 让学生练习如何准确地表达租房时涉及到的一些问题.

Section Ⅱ Housing Bubble Task 1 Listening – news report 1 -- housing bubble in the US

Word tips • Bubble: n. something empty or not lasting; a plan or idea which is unreliable and fails suddenly 泡沫；幻想的计划 • Mortgage n. a loan of money which you get from a bank or a building society in order to buy a house 买房时向银行所借的贷款 • Defy: vt. to challenge openly somebody’s or something’s authority or power by refusing to obey a command or regulation 不服从, 公然反抗；藐视 • Frenzy：n. a state of uncontrolled activity, agitation, or emotion such as excitement or rage 无法控制的狂怒，暴躁；兴奋的状态和行为 • Seep：v. (of a liquid ) to flow slowly through small openings in a material渗出 • Pop： vi. to (cause to) make a short sharp explosive sound （突然地）爆破

• Language points: • 1. double-digit increases: 两位数的增长 • 2. add fuel to: to do something to make a bad situation worse 火上加油

• Tip for teachers: • 让学生注意表示房价上涨的不同表达: • Double digit increases; run-up on housing prices; Housing prices do seem to be defying gravity; drive prices to record levels; soaring prices; a record pace;

• Task 2 • Speaking out • A. Work in pairs and discuss the questions below. • 1. According to the news, why do home prices fall when interest rates go up? • 2. Recently, housing prices in big cities have been going up to record highs in China. What do you think are the factors that drive them up?

• Task 2 • B. Work in a group of four and tell each other briefly about your family’s housing conditions based on the questions below. • 1. Does your family live in a city or in the countryside? • 2. Does your family live in an apartment or a detached house（独立式住宅）? Or some other kinds of housing? Is it excellent or poor? • 3. Are you satisfied with the furnishing and decorations of your home? • 4. Do you have your own living room? Is it spacious and comfortable? • 5. If your family is not satisfied with the housing conditions, are you going to buy a home? Why or Why not?

Section Ⅲ Living in Cities, or in the Countryside • Task 1 • Listening in (News Report 2 --Wild Commuter)

word tips • Commute: n. regular travel between one’s place of work (usu. in a city) and one’s home (usu. at a long distance) 通勤 • Trek: n. a journey or leg of a journey, especially when slow or difficult 长途跋涉 • Bleary: adj. (of eyes) blurred, esp. because of tiredness, seeing dimly 模糊的，（疲倦/困倦所致）朦朦胧胧的 • Oasis: n. a place with trees and water in a desert (沙漠中)绿洲, 舒适的地方

• Language points: • “$225 (thousand), $239, it would be in the low twos. ” • 这里指房价最低的两套房子.

• Task 2 Speaking out • A. Jigsaw Game: Buying a house vs. Buying a car • The family now has enough money to buy either a car or a house, but not both. The family cannot reach an agreement on which to buy. So the family members discuss the dilemma. • Step 1. The class is divided into four discussion groups, and each group lists all • the evidence to support its view. • A: Mother B: Father • C: Daughter D: Son • ( A&C in favor of buying a house / B&D prefer to buy a car ) • Step 2. The class is divided into four-member groups (A+B+C+D should be included in each group equally. ). The group members will try to convince others of their view. ) • Step 3. Each family reports their decision to the

Task 2 Speaking Out • B. Debate • Work in two groups and debate on the proposition “Country life or city life: which is better for human beings? ” • The pro side: We believe that city life is better for human beings. • The con side: We believe country life is better for human beings. • (Tip: Please refer to enrichment reading)

• Tips for teachers: • Enrichment reading的文章是新概念第 3 册上的, 语言较为优美, 难度也不大. 可以让学生课前先阅读, 然后再讨论居住在城市或乡下的利弊.

Part III

Reference for your discussion • Life in the country • better healthcare system • advanced communication means and up-to-date information • more chances to get to know friends • colorful life and entertainment • a variety of commodities available • …… Part III • Life in cities • close to nature, pastoral life, fresh air, unpolluted water, tranquility • uncomplicated and honest human relationship • lower living expenses • suffer less from pressure • lower crime rate and better social order • …

• • See you in Unit 7!