Unit 4This story is set in the country of China. It takes place in the remote areas of Yunnan Province.For thousands of years, certain remote minority nationalities in China have existed in near isolation. Separated from the rest of world, these deeply cultural communities have maintained the old ways of life. Now, with the increased globalization of the world's cultures, they could disappear. What are these cultures? Can they be preserved for the world's future?I. China's Cultural Diversity. Read the paragraph. Then match each word with the correct definition.China's mainstream population is mainly Han Chinese, who comprise approximately 90 percent of the country's inhabitants. While the Han are the predominant group, there are also a number of minority nationalities, several of which have unique languages, customs, and mores. With the growing internationalism in China and the world, some fear smaller societies may vanish as cultural lines merge. Brian Schmeck, a documentary filmmaker, wants to record the existence of these charming cultures before they disappear.1. mainstream ___D___2. Han ___A___3. mores __E____4. vanish ___B___5. charming __C____A. the name of China's biggest ethnic groupB. disappear suddenlyC. pleasing, attractive, delightfulD. the main or most widely acceptedE. the traditional customs and behaviors of a particular cultural groupII. The Global Village. Read the paragraph. Then complete the sentences with the correct form of the underlined words or phrases.For thousands of years, isolation from the world has preserved the traditions of many ethnic and cultural minorities. But now, even the most rural areas of the world are joining the global village. Remote areas may soon have access to satellite TV, cell phones, and other modern technology and will thus no longer be as cut off as they once were. While there are advantages to this modernization, the transition to a more global society may also tempt people to discard their ancient traditions and abandon village life.1. _______Discard___________ means to throw something away.2. A ________transition__________ is a change from one condition to another.3. ______Satellites____________ transmit signals from space to provide information.4. A location that is ________cut off __________ is far away from cities and communication.5. A term for describing a planet without borders or boundaries is __________global village________.SUMMARYNearly one-tenth of the population of China is made up of 55 ethnic minority groups, each culturally distinct from mainstream Han Chinese. The cultures, arts, and way of life of these minorities are in danger of being left behind as China becomes more modernized and the young people of these villages move to urban areas. Filmmaker Bryan Schmeck has traveled to the outer edges of the country to meet and record the people of these minority groups.Warming upTeaching NOTES1. Ask students if they know how many ethnic minorities there are in China. List them on the board. Then ask students if they are familiar with the ethnic groups in Yunnan.2. Encourage students to share their knowledge or experience of ethnic groups’ lifestyles, customs, festivals, etc.3. Prepare some pictures of ethnic minority people in their traditional costumes and have students guess their names.The Naxi NationalityThe Naxi nationality mostly live in the Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, while the rest live in Sichuan and Tibet. This minority group has a population of 308,893, according to the 2000 census. The name Naxi (also spelled Nakhi) consists of Na which means senior and honored, and Xi which means people.The Naxi people have an interesting culture, and the most important feature of it is the Dongba language. The Naxi people believe in Mahayana Buddhism, Taism and Lamaism.The Mou Suo people, a branch of the Naxi nationality, still keep the unique Axia marital custom, and the trace of a matrilineal system can still be seen in this group. Therefore, they have been called the “Living Fossil” in a study of the development of human family and marriage.The main festivals of the Naxi people are the Bangbanghui festival on January 15th on the Lunar calendar, the Sanduo Festival in February 8th and the Live Stock Exchange Fair in March and June.The Bai NationalityThe population of the Bai nationality is about 1.39 million. They live mainly in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Others are scattered in Kunming, Yuanjiang, Lijiang and Lanping.The Bai people regard white as an honorable color and like to wear white clothes. Men often wear white coats with black vests. Women like to wear white or blue jackets with black or blue vests. Unmarried and married women have different hairstyles and headdresses.The major festivals of the Bai People are the Raosanlin, the Torch Festival, the Patron God Festival and the Shibaoshan Mountain Song Festival. The most important of all is the Third Month Fair in Dali. It falls on March 15th on the Lunar calendarand lasts seven days.Festivals of the Minorities of YunnanTwo festivals are the two important events for the minorities of Yunnan. They are the Water Splashing Festival and the Torch Festival. The Water Splashing Festival is the New Year according to the Dai calendar. At this time, the young girls and boys of Dai nationality will dress in colorful costumes and spray “auspicious” water on their guests to the lively beat of drums. The person who gets soaked through is believed to be the happiest and luckiest!The Torch Festival is on 24th, June in the Lunar calendar and it is the grandest festival of the Yi nationality. In this festival, there are bullfighting and tumbling during the day and dancing and singing around large bonfires at night.Video ScriptNarrator: Outside of China, Han Chinese are often considered to be the sole culture of the country. While China’s population is predominately Han, it is actually composed of a number of ethnic minorities. These smaller groups are culturally distinct from the Han and several have separate languages and customs. Due to the current high levels of expansion and development in China, some feel it’s important to document these ethnic minorities before they’re lost. One person committed to recording the life of these fascinating peoples is Bryan Schmeck, a documentary filmmaker.According to Schmeck, China’s nationalities, also known as “the fifty-six nationalities of China”, include the Han plus 55 other minority g roups. To find them, one must travel to the far edges of China. Here, inhabitants have maintained a way of life with minimal changes over the centuries.In appearance and language, some cultures are distinctly different from those of mainstream China. The groups vary not only in the way they look and the languages they speak, but also in the arts, such as the songs and dances of their culture. For thousands of years, isolation has preserved their traditions, but now, even the most rural areas are joining the global village.Brian Schmeck, Documentary Filmmaker: “I mean, they see the outside world that they’ve never seen before and they like what they see.”Narrator: For a year and a half, filmmaker Bryan Schmeck has been traveling across China, rushing to complete a video archive of its minority cultures before they vanish.Schmeck: “Ten to fifteen years from now, you’re not going to see what I’m seeing. People themselves will still exist, but their ideas, their culture, their way of life will not. It’ll be gone, and it’s disappearing really fast.”Narrator: The Mou Suo people of Yunnan Province are just one of the 55 minority nationalities. A matriarchal society in which women are at the center, they have no word for “marriage”. The cultural mores here d iffer significantly from the rest of the world. Less than a decade ago, this area was rarely visited by outsiders. Now, city residents like Mei Zhou come here as tourists. For urban Chinese, spending time in these charming villages gives them a chance to enjoy nature. As a result of people’s rising interest, local residents can now earn aliving in the tourist industry and they truly seem to enjoy their work.The Naxi people have lived in this mountain village of northwestern Yunnan Province for at least 1,500 years. For most of that time, they’ve been largely cut off from other people, mainly because no road came near the village. A village leader says that children are now able to walk two hours to get to a new road to catch a bus to school. But he worries that after they receive an education, the young people may see no reason to come back.People throughout rural China are flooding into large cities, searching for things they know exist but can’t get out in the country.Schmeck: “Modern conveniences, I mean nice housing. They like this and they want to go this way, so in a sense they’re getting a better life, but they’re forgetting where they came from.”Narrator: For many of the 55 minority nationalities of China, there seems to be a rush to conform t o the rest of the country, and that’s not necessarily good if you believe that diversity is important.Schmeck: “They’re going to be absorbed into mainstream China. You’re going to see it in a dinner theater or a floor show. Or you’re going to go up to a tourist park and a bunch of people will be putting on costumes to give you a little display of what was there.”Narrator: Increasingly, China and the rest of the world are facing change and globalization. To think minority peoples can be immune to that transition is unrealistic. As China charts its course through the 21st Century, it’s important that its 55 minority nationalities don’t give up their cultural heritage or discard their ancient traditions for a new way of life. The varied cultures of China must be encouraged to preserve their history because it’s this diversity that enriches our world.Teaching notesI. 1. Ask students to go through the questions in the left-hand column.2. Play the video.3. Explain that the terms "ethnic minorities , "ethnic groups , "minority nationalities and "minority groups can all be translated to "Shaoshuminzu (少数民族) in Chinese.II. 1. Give students time to list the differences between minority groups and mainstream China.2. Play the video.3. Elicit the answers from students.4. Have students summarize the main idea of this part.III. 1. Have students repeat each sentence after it is spoken twice and then write the sentences.2. Have students listen again, and mark the word stress on content words with a stress mark ( ? ).3. Have students listen to each sentence and draw an upward arrow ? for rising intonation, or a downward arrow ? for falling intonation.4. Have students listen again and draw a curved line to mark any words thatare linked or blended together.5. Have students practice reading the sentences till they can say them using appropriate intonation and stress pattern.Word bank1. be com posed of be formed from a number of substances, parts, or peoplee.g. Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.The legal system is composed of people, and people make mistakes.2. distinct adj. clearly differente.g. The learning needs of the two groups are quite distinct from each other.3. document vt. write about something, film it, or take photographs of it, in order to record information about ite.g. His research documents how the crisis occurred.4. preserve vt. save something or someone from being harmed or destroyede.g. We must encourage the planting of new trees and preserve our existing woodlands.Teaching notesI. 1. Have students guess which picture represents the Mou Suo people and which represents the Naxi people? before they watch the video.2. Play the video.3. Have students give more details about the two ethnic groups after they finish the exercise.4. Have students summarize the main idea of this part.II. 1. Give students some time to predict the answers.2. Play the video.3. Elicit the answers from students.III. 1. Ask students to decide which group they would like to join.2. Have the students in each group discuss the questions in Step 2.3. Let the two groups with opposite viewpoints have a debate.4. Make some constructive comments on the class debate.Word bank1. archive n. a place where a large number of historical records are stored, or the records that are storede.g. The writer's younger sister has been keeping an archive of the writer's unpublished work after his death.2. matriarchal adj. ruled or controlled by womene.g. Around a great lake in the mountains of Southwest China lives a matriarchal group called Mou Suo.3. mores n. customs, social behavior, and moral values of a particular groupe.g. Contemporary social and sexual mores have changed greatly.4. see no reason to there is no reason to do somethinge.g. I see no reason to invest heavily in a building firm.Collocationsee no reason why 没理由……for reasons of sth. 由于……的原因with (good) reason (完全)合乎情理have every reason to do sth. 完全有理由做某事5. flood into cover a place with somethinge.g. Applications flooded into the office.Collocationbe in (full) flood? (江河)泛滥；处于活动高潮be flooded with 充斥Useful expressionsDescribing pros and cons* The good/bad points are…* What can benefit us is …* It proved worthwhile to * The problem is …* We’re concerned/worried about…* We’ll suffer from…if…Teaching notesI. 1. Give students time to predict the answers.2. Play the video.3. Have students compare the answers in pairs.II. 1. Give students time to predict the answers.2. Play the video.3. Have students compare the answers in pairs.4. Have students translate the expressions into Chinese and make a new sentence with each one.III. 1. Explain to students that the three questions correspond to the three paragraphs in the video.2. Play the video.3. Have students answer the three questions with the help of the given expressions.4. Have students summarize the main idea of this part.Word bank1. conform to comply with rules, standards, or lawse.g. All companies are required to conform to these rules.Collocationconform with 符合2. that's not necessarily good not definitely or always goode.g. The more expensive articles are not necessarily better.3. absorb into take in liquid, gas, or another substance from the surface or space around somethinge.g. Water and salts are absorbed into our blood stream.Collocationbe absorbed by 被……吞并; 为……所吸收be absorbed in 全神贯注在……; 热衷于……absorb sb's attention 吸引某人注意4. be immune to not affected or influenced by somethinge.g. No one is immune to his immense charm.Many people are immune to this disease.5. transition n. when something changes from one form or state to anothere.g. Making the transition from youth to adulthood can be very painful.They all support a peaceful transition.6. chart its course to make a plan of what should be done to achieve a particular resulte.g. Each team was responsible for making its own decisions and charting its own course.Useful expressionsMaking a summary* To sum up, …* Generally speaking, …* In conclusion, …* As we can see from…, …* A recent survey shows that…* People h ave different ideas on…Teaching notesI. 1. Give students time to predict the answers. Explain that the answers may not be the exact words from the video.2. Play the video.3. Elicit the answers from students.II. 1. Put students into pairs and have them decide on the roles.2. Have students outline the interview according to the pictures.3. Have students practice their interview.4. Encourage students to role-play the interview in front of the class.III. 1. Put students into groups of three or four and introduce the task.2. Go through the information in the sample fact sheet. In addition to the items listed in the fact sheet, tell students they can also introduce food, clothes or beliefs of minority groups.3. Give students enough time to do research and complete the fact sheet.4. Invite a representative from each group to report their findings to the class.5. Ask other groups to take notes while a group is reporting their findings.6. Have students compare notes in group s and summarize other groups’ findings.Useful expressionsMaking an interview on professional topics* What an honor it is to have this opportunity to interview you.* Mr./Ms…, thanks for participating all the way from…* What do you suggest…can do to…?* What is your specific area of concern regarding…?* In closing, I thank all of the participants.* Thanks to all for offering your wisdom.I. Watch Part 1. Choose the answer(s) to each of the following questions in the table. Some of the questions may have more than one answer.The Varied Cultures of China1. Which nationality is the biggest one in China?2. Who is Brian Schmeck?3. How many nationalities are there in China?4. Where can people find those ethnic minorities?5. In which aspects are minority cultures different from those of mainstream China?A. The Han nationality.B. The Mou Suo people.A. A documentary editor.B. A documentary filmmaker.A. 56.B. The Han plus 55 other minority groups.A. On the far edges of China.B. In mountainous area.A. In appearance and language.B. Not only in the way they look and the languages they speak, but also in the arts.1.A2.B3.AB4.A5.ABII. Watch again. Complete the following sentences about minority groups in China.1. These smaller groups are culturally distinct from the Han and several have separate ____________________________.2. Here, inhabitants have maintained ___________________ with minimal changes over the centuries.3. In ________________________________, some cultures are distinctly different from those of mainstream China.4. The groups vary not only in the way they look and the languages they speak, but also in the arts, such as the ____________________________ of their culture.5. For thousands of years, isolation has preserved their traditions, but now, even the most rural areas are joining the ____________________________.1. languages and customs2.a way of life3.appearance and language4.songs and dances5.global villageIII. Listen and repeat. You are going to hear five sentences selected from the video. Repeat each sentence after it is spoken twice. Then write the sentences.1.Outside of china,Han Chinese are often considered to be the sole culture of the country.2.Which China’s population is pred onminately Han,it is actually composed of a number of ethnic minorities.3.Due to the current high levels of expansion and development in China some feel it’s important to document those ethnic minorities befre they are lost.4.The documentary filmmaker is commitiny to recording the life of those fascinating people.5.To find them,one must travel to the far edges of China.I. Watch Part 2. Match each description about the Mou Suo people and the Naxi people with the correct picture.Picture A: C A E Picture B: B DA. City residents like Mei Zhou come here as tourists.B. They have lived in the mountain village for at least 1,500 years.C. In a matriarchal society the concept of "marriage exists in a very different way.D. The village leader worries that young people are leaving the village.E. They can now earn a living in the tourist industry.II. Watch again. Underline the incorrect word and write the correct one.1. Ten to twenty years from now, you're not going to see what I'm seeing.______________2. For urban Chinese, spending time in these farming villages gives them a chance to enjoy nature. ______________3. The Naxi people have lived in this mountain village of northeastern Yunnan Province for at least 1,500 years. ______________4. But he worries that after they receive an education, the young people may find no reason to come back. ______________5. They are getting a bitter life, but they're forgetting where they came from.______________1.twenty----fifteen2.farming----charming3.northeastern----northweatern4.find----see5.bitter----betterIII. Oral work. Work in two groups. Have a debate on "whether young people from minority groups should leave their hometowns. Different generations in the village have different opinions on this issue. Young people are eager to go to big cities, while old people have concerns for the future of the village.Step 1: Join one group;Step 2: Have a discussion with people on your side based on the following questions: For the young people:Why do you want to go to big cities?How can you keep your identity in the modern society?Will you come back to your hometown?How can you preserve your traditions?For the old people:What are your worries and concerns?What will happen if young people rush to big cities?What problems will young people encounter in big cities?What kind of way of life should young people live?Step 3: Have a debate.Useful expressionsPros (Young people from minority groups should leave their hometowns.)1. enjoy modern conveniences and better life in big cities2. widen horizons and have rich experiences throughout their whole life3. receive better education and have more opportunities4. discard some superstitious and ignorant ideas and behaviors5. come back home to modernize the hometownCons (Young people from minority groups should not leave their hometowns.)1. many inconveniences and dangers in big cities2. losing their identity in big cities3. disappearance of some traditions and customs4. the village being frequently visited by outsiders5. don't know where they belongI. Watch Part 3. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).1. ______ It's not good for the 55 minority nationalities of China to rush to the rest of the country.2. ______ Schmeck thinks that in the future, people can only get to know minority groups by performances and displays.3. ______ It is realistic to think minority groups are immune to globalization.4. ______ According to the narrator, China should make efforts to preserve cultural heritage of varied cultures.5. ______ Preserving the traditions and history of minority peoples will make China more competitive in the world.1.F2.T3.F4.T5.FII. Watch again. Fill in the blanks with the missing expressions.1. For many of the 55 minority nationalities of China, there seems to be a rush to ________________________ the rest of the country.2. They're going to be ________________________ mainstream China.3. To think minority peoples can be ______________________ that transition is unrealistic.4. It's important that the 55 minority nationalities don't give up their ________________________ or discard their ancient traditions for a new way of life.1.conform to2.absorbed to3.immune to4.cultural heritageIII. Oral work. Work with a partner. Summarize the main idea of this part with the help of the following questions and useful expressions.Question 1 What is the concurrent trend for the 55 minority nationalities?Useful expressions a rush to conform to the rest of the world, not necessarily goodQuestion 2 Where can people get to know minority groups in the future according to Schmeck?Useful expressions in a dinner theater or a floor show, in a tourist parkQuestion 3 What is the opinion expressed in the end as to the future of ethnic minorities?Useful expressions don't give up cultural heritage or discard ancient traditions, preserve the historyI. Watch the entire video. Fill in the blanks with the missing words or expressions. Project Profile1. Name: Brian Schmeck.2.Occupation: Dolumentary filmmaker3.Goal:to document these ethnic minorities before they’re lost4.Location: To find them,one must travel to the far edges of China.5.Length of project: For a year and a half, Brain Schmeck has been travelling across China.6.Time Constraints: Some nationalities may disappear in ten to fifteen years.II. Oral work. Work with your partner and role-play a TV interview between Brian Schmeck and the TV host/hostess.Your interview should include all the information from the Project Profile in the above exercise, an introduction to each of the minority groups mentioned in the video and the reasons why they leave their villages.Useful expressionsthe culture of the Han Chinese not the sole culture of Chinabe composed of a number of ethnic minoritiesbe distinct from/be distinctly different from/differ significantly fromtravel to the far edges of Chinabe largely cut off from outside worlda matriarchal(母系氏族的)societyspending time/having holidays in charming villagesreceive an educationsee no reason to come backflood into big citiesbe absorbed into mainstream Chinapreserve cultural heritageIII. Project. Form groups of three or four. Do research online or at the library on an ethnic minority you're interested in. First, make a fact sheet about one minority, including information about the history, location, language, culture, etc. Secondly, report the findings to the class. Each member should be responsible for a part. Sample Fact SheetMinority The Zhuang Minority GroupHistory with a history of thousands of years dating from Zhou DynastyRegion mostly in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous RegionLanguage a language of its own that belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of Zhuang-Dong Austronesian(南太平洋群岛的)(an austronesian belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages). The language is divided into two dialects although they have few differences.Culture crafts, frescoes(壁画装饰)and bronze drumsFestivals In addition to sharing similar festivals with the Han, the Zhuang minority has its unique ones including the Devil Festival, the Ox Soul Festival, and the Singing Festival.READINGThe Varied Cultures of China1. Outside of China, the culture of the Han Chinese is often considered to be the sole culture of China. While it's true that the population is predominantly Han and over 90 percent of its people are classified as such, China is actually composed of a great number of ethnic minorities. These smaller groups are all quite culturally distinct from the Han Chinese and several have their own languages and customs.2. China is presently undergoing extremely high levels of economic development, progress, and rapid change throughout the country. Due to this high level of change and the growth of expansion and development, some feel that it's very important to document the ethnic minorities of the country in some way. Making films about them, for example, would ensure that future generations would be able to gain insights about these cultures, and learn about their languages, beliefs, and mores. One person is committed to recording the way of life of these fascinating people. Brian Schmeck, a documentary filmmaker, has made it his mission to document the vanishing cultures of the 55 minority nationalities of China.3 . Who are these cultural groups and where do they live? According to Schmeck, China's people, also known as "the fifty-six nationalities of China , are composed of the Han people and 55 other minority groups. To find some of these minority nationalities, one must travel to the far edges of China, beyond the great rivers with the deep gorges, and across mountains covered in mystery. It is there that one can find a China that has long remained undiscovered and relatively unknown to those who do not live there. Until recently, some foreigners weren't even aware that these aspects of China existed.4 . In the remoter provinces of the country, such as parts of Yunnan, inhabitants have maintained a way of life with minimal changes over the centuries. These people still use traditional ways of life; some of them still wash their clothes in the river as they have always done, others use oxen to plow their land, and work the earth by hand. It's a hard life, but a simpler one as well, with a close sense of family and a powerful work ethic. It is also a way of living that may be in danger of being discarded for the fast and easy way of progress.5. As one watches one of the ethnic groups wearing traditional dress and doing a cultural dance, it becomes apparent that they are quite dissimilar from the high fashion city residents on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai. In appearance and。