Reading :

Turandot in Beijing

Teaching aims ：

1.To help students appreciate an opera review.

2.To improve students’ skills in reading a review of an opera.

the famous director,

Zhang Yimou

1.Have you seen any of Zhang Yimou’s films?

2.What else has Zhang Yimou directed besides films?

Lead-in

Curse of the golden

flower

Raise the Red Lantern

Films directed by Zhang Yimou

The opening ceremony of the 29th Beijing Olympics

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Turandot in Beijing

an opera named Turandot directed by Zhang Yimou, set/performed in the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City

A review is a report or an essay giving some information as well as some opinion or ideas about a book, performance, a painting or something similar.

Today we will read a review of the opera Turandot.

What’s a review?

Reading strategy: Reading a review of an opera

What should we pay attention to while reading a review of an opera?

1. A review of opera usually starts with some ___________________________.

2. Talk about _____________---the characters and the plot.

3.The review can give some ________________________________about the opera such

as the actor’s names. 4. Finally _____________--- lots of words

that _________________.

brief background informationthe story

otherimportant information

a commentdescribe feelings

structure

The passage can be divided into four parts.

Part 1(Para _____)

Part 2(Para _____)

Part 3(Para __)

Part 4(Para __)

Background information

The story

Other information about the opera

Comment

1-2

3-7

8

9

Part 1. Background information: (Para1-2)

Turandot is a world-famous __________ written by _______________, an ________.

It was performed in ___________________

___________.

opera

Giacomo Puccini

the Forbidden Cityin Beijing

Detailed Reading

Italian

['dʒa:kɔ:mɔ: pu'tʃ:ni] ( 意大利歌剧作曲家 )

Brainstorming

Why does the writer think that the Forbidden City is a good setting for Turandot?

Because you could almost feel the history---Turandot is a story which happened in the Forbidden. L9, L14

Part 2. The story: (Para3-7)

1.Main characters:

Turandot:

Calaf [‘ka:la:f] 卡拉夫 :

Liu 柳儿 :

2.The plot

a ___________ and _____ Chinese __________ (L13)

a _________ who falls in love with Turandot (L22)

a young _________of Calaf’s father who lovesCalaf (L24)

stubborn cruelprincess

prince

slave

Read the plot of the story(Para3-7)and answer the following questions.

1. What has Turandot’s father promised her?

2. What happens to the prince who cannot

answer the princess’s riddles?

3. What does Calaf say will happen if

Turandot can guess his name by sunrise?

4. What does Liu do to protect Calaf and his father?

1. What has Turandot’s father promised her?

He has promised to allow Turandot to

choose her own husband. L15

2. What happens to the prince who cannot

answer the princess’s riddles?

He is killed. L19

3. What does Calaf say will happen

if Turandot can guess his name by sunrise?

She will not have to marry him,

but can have him killed. L304. What does Liu do to protect Calaf and his father?

Liu claims that she alone knows Calaf’s name, but resists telling Tuandot. L32-33

Let’s try to describe the plot! The story _______ ____ the ________ love___________ of the three main ___________Turandot, Calaf and Liu. Liu _______ Calaf,but Calaf has _______ ___ ______ _______Turandot. Because Turandot does not want to _____ _________, she says that anyone whowants to ________ her must ________ three________. If the one cannot _______ it, he will be ________. But Calaf ________ to answer the three questions.

takes ontriangle

classiccharacters

loves/adores

fallen in love with

get marriedmarry solve

riddles makekilled

manages

At last, Calaf wins Turandot’s _______________.The prince and princess ________ inmarriage.

affection/loveunite

Exercise C2: How familiar are you with

the story of Turandot? Put the events of

Part C2 on page 20 in the correct order.

Answers:

Director

Conductor

Zhang Yimou

Zubin Mehta [' zu:bin' meitə]

(born in ______)

Part 3. Other important information (Para8)

Actors and actresses:India

Turandot

Liuthe USA

Calaf

--Barbara Hendricks[‘ba:brə ' hendriks] (from ________)

--Sharon Sweet [‘ʃærən ' swi:t] (from _________)

--Kristjan Johannsson(from__________)' jəʊhænsn][‘krisdʒn

Iceland

the USA

* The performance was_____________. (L3)

* The could not be a more________ setting. (L9)

* The weather was also __________ for a performance outdoors. (L10)

* The production combined the very ______ of Western and Chinese talents. (L45)

Part 4. A general comment (Para9)

splendid

awesome

perfect

* The music was conducted by Zubin Mehta, a _______conductor. (L46)

best

superb

* L50: They were________excellent

wonderful L52amazing L55

What makes the production amazing? The bringing together of a group of people from many countries, the music and the grand setting. L53-55

Post-reading:

Task-based reading (English Weekly)

Suggested answers:

1.unable2.angry3.kills4.married5.death

6.conductor7.Director8.Cast9.comment10.combined

1. Recite the new words in the text.

2. Find the important words and

expressions in Reading.