Unit 5 Theme parks
Part One: Teaching Design (第一部分：教学设计)
1． A sample lesson plan for reading
(THEME PARKS --FUN AND MORE THAN FUN)
Aims
To help students develop their reading ability.
To help students learn about Theme parks.
Procedures
I. Warming up
Warming up by discussing
Good morning, class. Today we are going to visit theme parks. But first what do you think a theme park is? With a classmate discuss what you might do in a theme park.
(For reference: A large Christmas party is being prepared at our Theme park. Visitors will find a dancing carnival, a European wedding, military band performances, classical Christmas plays and Christmas parades in the theme park. The 108-meter-tall Eiffel Tower will be lit up during the holidays with four types of lights.)
Warming up by watching and listening
Hi, every one. Today we are going to visit Theme parks. Look at the screen and listen to me telling you about them.
This is the Universal's Islands of Adventure which was opened in 1999, making Universal Orlando the nation's second multi-gate theme park resort (after Walt Disney World). IoA was Universal's first non-studio theme park, and was intended to pay tribute to characters from books, comics, cartoons and legend, rather than movies.
Of course, that hasn't stopped Universal and other studios from making films about almost every character represented in IoA over the past few years, rendering the park thematically indistinguishable from its sister, Universal Studios Florida.
Warming up telling experiences
Nice to see you again, boys and girls. As you have all travelled somewhere before I shall ask two of you at random to tell the class about their travel experiences.
(For reference: Visiting Disney World was a childhood dream of mine, and I was able to realise it last year. I plan to keep going back, even given the overt commercialism. It is not a place I could live in, but it definitely has magic.
One of the best parts was that I was able to interact with most of the Disney characters, even though their appearance and mannerisms varied from the Disney comic books I read. A few select pictures are included here, but my recommendation if you're taking a kid is to make sure they get some time with the characters. I can't think of anything cooler. )
II. Pre-reading
1. Looking and saying
Work in pairs. Look at the photos and theme parks and predict the contents of the text. When you are ready, join another pair and compare your predictions and the clues that helped you to make the predictions.
(For reference: From the photos and title I guess that the text tells about Theme parks where you can joy yourselves and have fun with various activities…
2. Talking and sharing
Work in groups of four. Tell your group mates what you know about theme parks. Then the group leader is to stand up and share your group idea with the class.
Boating Lake
Pedaloe boats on our boating lake with views of Megafobia. Suitable for up to five people.
(For reference: As you wander down Mainstreet USA in the Magic Kingdom Park of Walt Disney World, you might stop and take a peek in the Mainstreet Theatre. Here, Steamboat Willie shows how it all began depicting the first appearance of Mickey Mouse. At this point people usually stop for a bit, perhaps to rest from the hot Florida summer, laugh at Mickey's antics as he uses various animals as musical instruments (long before Beavis and Butthead were throwing cats in drying machines), and walk away amused and entertained.
That was Walt Disney's primary goal. Today, people might consider the first cartoon featuring Mickey as art, along with a host of other creative works produced by people who work at Disney. Notable among them are Carl Barks and Don Rosa, whose works sell in the thousands. However, Walt Disney himself never thought that what he, and his employees, did was art: "I don't pretend to know anything about art. I make pictures for entertainment, and then the professors tell me what they mean." )
III. Reading
1. Reading aloud to the recording
Now please listen and read aloud to the recording of the text THEME PARKS --FUN AND MORE THAN FUN. Pay attention to the pronunciation of each word and the pauses within each sentence. I will play the tape twice and you shall read aloud twice, too.
2. Reading and underlining
Next you are to read and underline all the useful expressions or collocations in the passage. Copy them to your notebook after class as homework.
Collocations from THEME PARKS --FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
provide sb. With sth., amuse oneself, escape one’s busy life for a while, share a purpose, find ways to do sth., meet one’s need, sit chatting, play games, listen to birds’ singing, relax a bit, have picnics, have fun, it costs some money to do sth., in recent decades, provide entertainment, use shuttles to get around, have a variety of things to see and do,
charge money for doing sth., make a profit, sell souvenirs, advertisie sth. on television, have a certain idea, base sth. on sth., a sports theme park, involve sb. inphysical exercise, buy a brand of sports equipment, come to life, go for rides on animals, cook cultural foods, have pictures taken, chare admission, name sb. after sb./sth., a place of fantasy, get close to sth. /sb., take an active park in experiments, go on trips to space, use computer techniques to do sth.
3. Reading to identify the topic sentence of each paragraph
Skim the text and identify the topic sentence of each paragraph. You may find it either at the beginning, the middle or the end of the paragraph.
Waterfall
A steep shoot sends you skipping across a shallow pool of water on a single sledge. Beware, you might get wet on this ride.
(For reference: 1st paragraph: Parks provide people with a place to amuse themselves and to escape their busy lives for a while. 2nd paragraph: Many parks have been designed to provide entertainment. 3rd paragraph: Theme parks have a certain idea- a certain theme-that the whole park is based on. 4th paragraph: Some are history or culture theme parks. 5th paragraph: The oldest theme park in the world is Disneyland, built near Los Angeles, California in 1955. 6th paragraph: There are also science theme parks. )
4. Reading and transferring information
Read the text again to complete the table.
THEME PARKS --FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
What is a park?
What is a theme park?
What is a sports theme park?
What are history or cultural theme parks?
Facts about Disneyland
Facts about marine, ocean, and science theme parks
5. Reading and understanding difficult sentences
As you have read the text times, you can surely tell which sentences are difficult to understand. Now put your questions concerning the difficult points to me the teacher.
IV. Closing down
Closing down by doing exercises
To end the lesson you are to do the comprehending exercises No. 1, 2 and 3 on page 34.
Closing down by having a discussion
Do you lake a theme park? Why or why not?
(For reference: All over the world people seek stimulating experiences to take their mind away from everyday troubles, and the United States is definitely no exception to this rule. Most of its residents have the money and time to entertain themselves as it pleases them -- and visiting amusement parks certainly does please them. )
Closing down by defining a theme park
What is a theme park? Define it in your own words.
(For reference: How do theme parks differ from ordinary amusement parks? National Amusement Park History Association defines a theme park as "an amusement park in which the rides, attractions, shows and buildings revolve around a central theme or group of themes. Examples include the Disney parks, the Six Flags Parks and the Paramount parks." An amusement park, according to NAPHA, is "an entertainment facility featuring rides, games, food and sometimes shows." The World of Coasters’ glossary defines a theme park as "an amusement park which has one or more "themed" areas, with rides and attractions keyed to the theme of their location within the park. Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg are examples of theme parks." )
2．A sample lesson plan for Learning about Language
(Word formation)
Aims
To help students learn about word formation.
To help students discover and learn to use some useful words and expressions.
To help students discover and learn to use some useful structures.
Procedures
I. Warming up
Warming up by discovering useful words and expressions
Turn to page 35 and do exercises No. 1, 2 ,3 and 4 first. Check your answers against your classmates’.
II. Learning about Word formation
The basic part of any word is the root; to it, you can add a prefix at the beginning and/or a suffix at the end to change the meaning. For example, in the word "unflattering," the root is simply "flatter," while the prefix "un-" makes the word negative, and the suffix "-ing" changes it from a verb into an adjective (specifically, a participle).
English itself does not use prefixes as heavily as it once did, but many English words come from Latin, which uses prefixes and suffixes (you can use the word affix to refer either to a prefix or a suffix) quite extensively. For example, the words "prefix," "suffix," and "affix" themselves are all formed from "fix" by the used of prefixes:
"ad" (to) + "fix" (attached) = "affix"
"pre" (before) + "fix" = "prefix"
"sub" (under) + "fix" = "suffix"
Note that both the "-d" of "ad" and the "-b" of "sub" change the last letter.
Here are some of the most common Latin prefixes (for the meanings of the Latin roots, look up the words in a good dictionary):
ab (away) abrupt, absent, absolve
ad (to) adverb, advertisment, afflict
in (not) incapable, indecisive, intolerable
inter (between, among) intercept, interdependent, interprovincial
intra (within) intramural, intrapersonal, intraprovincial
pre (before) prefabricate, preface prefer
post (after) postpone, postscript, postwar
sub (under) submarine, subscription, suspect
trans (across) transfer, transit, translate
III. Ready used materials for Word formation
了解了英语构词法是迅速扩大词汇量的有效途径之一。英语中有转化法、合成法、缀合法、派生法等构词方式，这里我们将向您陆续讲解比较常用的几种，希望对您的英语学习有所帮助。
首先，来介绍一下构词法中的几个基本概念：
词根（base,boot）：指同根词共有的可以辨认的部分。
例如：philanthropist(慈善家)、anthropoid（类人的）、misanthropist（厌世者）、anthropology（人类学）这几个词中的词根anthropo-(人)就很容易辨认出来。
词干（stem）：是未经词形变化的原词。
前缀（prefix）和后缀(suffix)：原是独立的词或词根，由于经常缀在别的词或词根的前后，辅助中心意义，渐渐就失去了独立的意义和形式，而成为附加的构词部分。
例如：co-(with)就是一个常见的前缀。通常把带有前后缀的新词叫做合成词，也有人把带有后缀的词叫做派生词。把一个词从一种词类转成另一种词类，可以用缀合法，如red adj. (红的)-to redden v.（变红）；可以用改变词根的元音或辅音的办法，即元级派生法，如food n.(食物)-to feed v.（喂饭）；也可以原封不动，转成其他词类，如pale adj.(苍白的)--to pale v.（脸变白），即转化法。
这里，我们先来看看“转化法”中名词转成动词的一些例子。
He filmed the story. / He reproduced the story on a film.他把这篇小说拍成电影。
人身器官名称，用作动词，表示使用这种器官的动作。
例如：He shouldered his way through the crowd. (他用肩膀从人群中挤过去) 此外，如to cheek (厚着脸说)、to finger (摸索)、to hand a person（用手领着）等。
盛具或衣物的名称，用作动词，表示“盛”或者“装入”。
例如：He pocketed his book and pen. (他把钢笔、本子装进衣袋子)以及to bottle(装瓶)、to can (装罐)、to sack (装在袋里)。
表示地点的名词用作动词也有类似用法：to corner( 逼在角落)、to island(隔离)、to nursery(放在温室里)等等。
除此之外，还有动词、副词、助动词等转化成名词的用法，我们来看一些例子：
On another run they failed to see the boat.他们第二次去的时候没有找到那只船。
ins and outs (来龙去脉) back and forth(问答) a must ( 必不可少的事) many ifs（许多条件）
动词加副词转化为名词的例子也很多：Break-down(垮)、get-together(聚会)、set-back(挫折)、wash-out(废物)等。
另外，形容词有时候也可以转成名词，如：the greens(青菜)、great sillies(大蠢人)
下面，我们来学习一下“合成法（composition）”。
凡是由两个或两个以上的构词成分，合成一个词，而其中每个成分又可以独立为词的，叫做合成词（compounds）,而这种构词法，叫做合成法。比如：coal-mine(煤矿)、man-made(人造的)。
合成词的特有含义，不受词中各个成分连结方式的影响，它的写法由习惯而定，可以写在一起，如blackbird(画眉);可以用连词符号连接，如turn-coat(叛徒)；也可以分开写，如black list(黑名单)。注意，分开写的合成词，不仅仅在意义上，即使在形式上，也和词组有区别。比如black sea 里的black，不是独立的形容词，不能说very black sea。合成词各个成分之间关系千变万化，分类也有很多种，这里就合成词的词性，分类举例说明：
1.合成名词
名词+名词：前面的名词说明后面的名词，中心意义由后面的名词表达，比如，同是book,可以有account book，hand-book，note-book等等。前面的名词可以表示人、物、性别、器具、地点、时间、比喻对象等等。如：eye-shot(视力范围)、buck-rabbit（公兔）、night-school(夜校)、baby-husband（小女婿）等等。
形容词+名词：这类词意义关系一目了然，有时候是实指，有时候是指物而拟人。如Blueprints(蓝图)，big hat（大人物）,double-face(两面派)等等。
动名词+名词：动名词表示行为或状态的改变，名词往往表示所用的器物，地名等等，如consulting-room（诊室），writing-desk（写字台）。
动词+名词：往往由短语动词变成，或者是转化与合成的结合，如pickpocket(扒手)，turn-coat(叛徒)等等。
名词+动名词：很普遍，有时甚至可以随意构造，如book-learning（书本知识），word-making(构词)等等。
前置词+名词：意义关系和“形容词+名词”类型相似：after-effects(后果)，by-product(副产品)等等。
另外，国名的组合，有时候用“拉丁语+英语”的方式，如Afro-Asian People's Conference( 亚非会议)、Sino-Japanese War(中日战争)
Snake River Falls
Snake River Falls is a white water rapid boat ride comprising two open and two covered chutes. Suitable for one or two riders. You may get wet on this ride.
2. 合成形容词
形容词+名词：形容词和名词连用，原是短语，用做定语。固定下来，成为形容词，有的还只是nonce-words,也有合成名词作定语或转成形容词的情形：如full-time worker（全职工）、long-range gun(远程炮)等。
形容词+形容词：这类词不算多，前面的形容词大都进一步说明后面的形容词，如：light-blue(浅蓝)、dead-alive(半死不活)。
名词+过去分词：有被动意味，名词相当于前置词宾语，表示工具，行为者等，如:man-made(人造的)，moth-eaten(虫蛀的)。
名词+现在分词：有主动意味，名词大都相当于行为的宾语，如：English-speaking people(说英语的人)，peace-loving（热爱和平的）
形容词+现在分词：有主动意味，形容词相当于表语或者定语，如eager-seeming(样子急切)，easy-going（随和的）
副词+分词：如half-baked(幼稚的)，far-seeing（有远见的）
副词+形容词：over-anxious(过急)，all-round athlete(全能选手)
名词+形容词：名词大都作比喻的对象，如cock-sure(自恃)，paper-thin（薄如纸）
3.合成动词
合成动词大都是由“副词＋动词”组成的，这里“副词”多半表示动作的方向、程度等等。如：out表示超过 to outnumber（超过数目）to out-talk（压过别人的声音）；under表示不足、在下 to underdevelop（发育不全）to underestimate（估计不足）to underline（行下划线）等等。
4.叠声合成词
由同一个词重复，或稍加声音变化重叠而成。这类词往往是加重语气因而常带有感情色彩，比方，嘲讽。例：goody-goody（假殷勤）so so（不怎么样）wish wash（乏味的饮料）等等。
5.句式合成词
整个句子当作一个词用，有的已经固定下来，例如pick-me-up（兴奋剂），what's-his-name（某某人）。整个句子用作形容词的现象比较普遍，把复杂的概念揉成单纯的限制语使行文紧凑。A let-bygones-be-bygones manner（一种“过去的就算了吧”的态度） an if-you-would-only-be-guided-by-me expression（一种“要是你肯听了我的话够多好”的神气）
我们接着来学习构词法中的第三类--“缀合法”，分前缀和后缀两部分来讲解。
前缀
有些词根或单词，由于经常放在别的词根或单词前面使用，经过长期的发展，失去了独立的作用，变成前缀。前缀具有一定含义，但不见得很明确。前缀缀在词上，可以改变、限制、或加强这个词的含义，而不改变其词类。一个词根或词，可以层层缀上好几个前缀，如in-com-pre-hen-si-ble-ness(不可理解)的词根是hen,pre-,com-都加强了其含义，而in-又把整个词义转为否定。凡由缀加前缀或后缀而成的词叫做派生词。
前缀的缀合，有时是连写，如extraordinary,有时用连词符号如extra-territorial,有时被词根吸收如ancestor(ante-cessor)。前缀既然有一定的意义，为了便于识别，下面就按照一样相近的前缀，分类说明。（前缀的来源一律以缩写字母注：[OE]古英语；[OF]古法语；[L]拉丁；[GK]希腊；[IT]意大利等）
表示否定的前缀，这类前缀可以分为四种：（1）纯粹表示否定的，如a-,dis-,in-；（2）表示“错误”的，有mis- ；（3）表示“反动作”，如de-,un- ； （4）表示“反对”的，有anti-,contra-
（1）纯粹表示否定的。 a-,an-[GK]能构成少数新词。加在名词、形容词上，表示没有“某种性质“。如:amoral[=unmoral]不道德的,asexual无性别的.a-在元音前变成an-如anonymous[onoma=name]匿名的
dis-[L]加在名词、形容词、动词上，表示否定。Disadvantage(劣势)、disagreement(不和)，disbelieve(不相信)
in-,il-(在字母l前)，im-(在字母m,b,p前)，ir(在字母r前) [L]常和音节较多的learned words(雅语)，尤其是拉丁，法语外来词结合，加在形容词或其派生词、副词上，表示否定。Inaccurate, illegible, impolite, irregular, inability, infinite, impious。
un-[OE]是最通用的前缀之一，可以用于大多数形容词及其派生副词、名词、表示否定，如unfailing,unfinished,undoubtedly,unheard-of等。
（2）表示“错误”的mis- 多作重读，表示“wrongly，badly”。可以适当构造新词：
大多用于动词：to misbehave（行为不当）misunderstand（误解）。
用于作形容词的分词：misbelieving（信仰不当），misleading（靠不住）。
用于动名词：misdealing（不正当手段）。
偶而，mis-也表示纯粹的否定词义：to mistrust。
（3）表示“反动作”。 de- 表示“反动作”（to undo the action）。能构造新词，多作重读。decontrol（取消控制）， decolour（漂白）
dis- 主要用于动词，表示“反动作”。disappear（不见） disarm（解除武装） disconnect（分离）un- 表示“反动作”unmask（揭露） unsay（收回意见）
（4）表示“反对”。 anti- 表示“反对，反面” anti-social（反社会的） antiseptic（防腐剂） anti-militarist（反军国主义者）
contra- 表示“反对，相反” contradiction（矛盾） contrast（对比） contrary（相反的）counter- 表示“against” counteract（还手） counterattack（反攻）
前缀大都表示空间，时间，逻辑上的关系，意思上有引申。
ab- apo- se- 这几个前缀或多或少都有“away ，off”的含义。
ab- a- abs- 在p， m， v之前作a-，在c， t之前作abs-，不能构造新词，表示“away ，apart， absence”，例如absent， avoid
se- 表示“separation”（分离），例如segregate（隔离），sedition（反叛）
ante-，fore- pre- post- pro- 这几个前缀都有“before”的意思。
ante- 表示在...前，例ante-humous（死前），ante-room（前厅）
fore- 表示时间，空间上的“在前面”，例forehead（前额），foregraound（前景），foretell（预言）
pre- 表示事先，在前，例prehistory（史前），prepayment（预支）
post- 表示时间空间上的在后。例posterity（后代），post-war（战后）
pro- 表示“代替，利于，亲于”，例pro-chancellor（代大学校长），pro-consul（代理领事）
circum- peri- 这两个前缀跟圆周有关。
circum- 表示圆周，如circumference， circumlocution， circumpolar
peri- 表示“round”，如perimeter（周长），perisphere（势力范围）
IV. Closing down by summarizing
To end the period let us summarize the making of compound words.
There are three forms of compound words:
1. the closed form, in which the words are melded together, such as firefly, secondhand, softball, childlike, crosstown, redhead, keyboard, makeup, notebook;
1. the hyphenated form, such as daughter-in-law, master-at-arms, over-the-counter, six-pack, six-year-old, mass-produced;
2. and the open form, such as post office, real estate, middle class, full moon, half sister, attorney general.
3． A sample lesson plan for Using Language
(FUTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING)
Aims
To help students read the passage UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING
To help students to use the language by reading, listening, speaking and writing.
Procedures
I. Warming up
Read aloud to warm up: Let’s warm up by reading aloud to the recording of the text UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING
Plane Crazy
Our newest family ride. A circular ride with suspended plane-like pods with rudders for a degree of rider control.
II. Guided reading
1. Reading and translating
Read the text UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING and translate it into Chinese paragraph by paragraph. Wen Hua, would you have a try?
2. Reading and underlining
Next you are to read the text and underline all the useful expressions or collocations in it. Copy them to your notebook after class as homework.
Collocations from UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING
Take a journey deep into space, pull…into …, survive an airplane crash, go to the bottom of the ocean, see the sunlight, for a break, take part in car racing, end one’s travel, meet with dinosaur, in one day, use the advanced technology, have experiences, a technology-based theme park, provide up-to-date information, provide hands-on learning,
go to the edges of the solar system, fly through the jungle, do things without danger, try science experiments, prepare for a flight into the space, live on the planet, in the solar system, a combination of fun and learning
3. Doing exercises
Now you are going to do exercises No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 on page 38 and 39 following the article.
III. Guided Writing
You are a guide in a theme park. Write an introduction to the park.
Welcome to Gatorland
Welcome to Gatorland, Orlando's Best Half Day Attraction located in sunny Central Florida! Known internationally as the Alligator Capital of the World, Gatorland is a 110-acre alligator theme park and wildlife preserve, located just minutes away from Sea World, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and the Orlando International Airport on US 441 near the Orlando - Kissimmee border. Providing affordable family entertainment since 1949, Gatorland has been a vacation destination for millions of visitors from all over the world with its incredible display of huge alligators and crocodiles, train ride, aviary, breeding marsh and bird sanctuary, petting zoo, nature walk, gift shop, and one-of-a-kind shows such as the world famous Gator Jumparoo. So come inside... your adventure awaits!
IV. Acting
Next we are going to put the text THEME PARKS -FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
A text play of THEME PARKS -FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
(Time: A Sunday morning; Place: A theme park in Beijing; People: a tourist guide, Zhao Yannan and I )
Guide: This morning we are going to visit a theme park in Beijing. Its name is Big World.
I: Where is it? Is it close to Beijing?
Guide: Yes, it is north of Beijing, 30 li away from where we are staying.
Zhao Yannan: Wonderful! I like to amuse myself and escape my busy school life for a while.
I: What can we do there? Can we sit chatting, play games and listen to birds’ singing?
Guide: Yow can do much more than that. You may relax a bit, have picnics and have fun there.
Zhao Yannan: How much does it cost to do visit the park?
Guide: 100 yuan each. It is not expensive at this time of the year.
I: I have never been to a theme park. But I think a theme park provides entertainment. In it visitors may use shuttles to get around, and have a variety of things to see and do.
Zhao Yannan: Does it charge any money for providing food and drink there?
Guide: Yes, of course. It makes a profit by selling souvenirs, too.
I: I have seen it advertised on television. The boss of the park does have some nice ideas. He learned that he built a sports theme park there. Visitors may be involved in physical exercise. They may also buy a brand of sports equipment, go for rides on animals, cook cultural foods, have pictures taken in the sports theme park there.
Zhao Yannan: I hope we shall not be chared for admission into the sports theme park.
Guide: No, you won’t. Everything is covered by the 100 yuan.
I: I guess it is a place of fantasy. Let’s take an active park in everything we do there.
Zhao Yannan: I agree with you. And I hope some day we shall go on trips to space, using computer techniques to guide us in our flying to the other planets.
V. Further applying
Finding information
Go to the library to read or get online to search in order to find more information about theme park in the world. Take notes of your finding and report to your group mates next Saturday morning.
Writing letters
Write a letter to your parents, telling them about your last visit to a park.
VI. Closing down by filling a form
Make use of the text and others to fill in the form.
UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING
Where is it:
How to get there:
What to do there:
Closing down by planning a theme park
To end this period, I am going to ask you to plan a theme park of your own. Write down your planning and share it with your partner.
Part Two: Teaching Resources (第二部分：教学资源)
1．A text structure analysis of THEME PARKS -FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
I. Type of writing and summary of the idea
Type of writing This is a piece of descriptive writing.
Main idea of the passage
Theme parks are amusing places. Visitors may have fun and more than fun there.
Topic sentence of 1st paragraph Parks provide people with a place to amuse themselves and to escape their busy life for a while.
Topic sentence of 2nd paragraph In recent decades, many parks have been designed to provide entertainment.
Topic sentence of 3rd paragraph Theme parks have a certain idea-a certain theme.
Topic sentence of 4th paragraph There are history and culture theme parks,too.
Topic sentence of 5th paragraph There are also marine and ocean parks.
II. A tree diagram of the text THEME PARKS -FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
III. A retold passage of the text
A possible version:
Theme parks provide visitors with lots of things to amuse themselves. People escape their busy life for a while by going to a theme park. They find interesting things to do in the park.
They may simply sit chatting, playing games, listening to birds’ singing, relaxing a bit, having picnics and having fun there. It costs some money to be there. In recent decades, theme parks are beginning to provide more entertainment. Visitors may use shuttles to get around and have a variety of things to see and do in the park. Theme parks charge money for every activity they provide. They make a big profit by selling souvenirs, too. Sometimes a theme park gets itself advertised on television. A theme park is indeed a place of fantasy.
2．Background information on theme parks
I. Definition of theme park
What is a theme park?
A term used to describe an amusement park that is designed to carry a theme in one or more areas of the park. The theme may carry over to the rides and attractions in that area as well. Examples of theme parks include Holiday World, Islands of Adventure, Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Knott's Berry Farm.
An amusement park, that has been divided into several sub-sections, each with a distinctive concept, such as the Old West, or the future.
A theme park is a park that uses themeing to take guests to a new world.
An amusement park which has one or more "themed" areas, with rides and attractions keyed to the theme of their location within the park. Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg are examples of theme parks.
an amusement park that is organized around some theme (as the world of tomorrow)
II. Old Aircraft Carrier Turned Into Military Theme Park in China
An old aircraft carrier from the former Soviet Union navy has been turned into a military theme park and will be stationed at Dapeng Bay in Shenzhen, south China' s Guangdong Province.
The 40,000-ton ship, known as the Minsk, first arrived at the Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, in November 1998 as scrap iron, the Shanghai-based Wenhuai Daily reported on May 8.
It is about triple the size of a standard football field, 18 stories high, and has more than 2,000 cabins, the paper said.
The carrier, which was poorly maintained by the Russian navy after the collapse of the Soviet Union, retired in 1993 and was initially sold to a South Korean businessman as scrap steel after key military components were removed, the paper said.
The Minsk was later resold to an undisclosed Chinese business. (From: People’s Daily)
III. 12 theme park strategies
Tips to make the most of your vacation
By Terry Riley Travel columnist
How can you get the most from your theme park visit? For an answer, I turned to Robert Obenour. He's spent his career in the theme park business and is currently vice president of operations for Baker Leisure Group, an international theme park consultancy. Here’s the advice he gave me to pass on to you.
1. Plan your visit.
Buy a guidebook. Read reviews. Check out the park’s Web site. Then plan what you want to see and do. Unless the park is small, you shouldn’t expect to see or do everything in one day, so set your priorities. The investment you make in planning will pay handsome dividends on “park day.”
2. Have a “Plan B.”
It is not uncommon that an attraction will be closed. In that case, just move on to the next on your list. Also, in the unlikely - but not unheard of - event that the entire park is closed, have a backup plan that includes another, nearby activity.
3. Arrive early.
An extra 15 minutes waiting in line at the park entrance could cut an hour off of your waiting time for the most popular attractions.
4. Divide and conquer.
Chances are that not everyone in your party wants to do or see the same things. Although it is nice to be able to share the experiences of a theme park as a family or with friends, time (and money) may limit the opportunity for each person to accomplish what he or she would like while traveling as a group.
5. Keep in touch.
Go your separate ways, but arrange to meet back at a specific location at a designated time to talk over your experiences, offer recommendations, revise your plan and set a time and place for your next meeting. Also have a site selected that can become a place to reestablish contact should your party become accidentally separated. It will save lots of time that might otherwise be spent looking for one another.
6. Go deep.
Once you enter the park, proceed to the farthest attractions first. Theme park designers place much of the merchandise near the park entrances - hoping to catch you coming and going. And it works - in this case to your advantage. By bypassing the shops on your way to the popular attractions, you will beat others who get waylaid by the shops.
7. Choose your position.
The front of the line may not always be the best for attractions where large numbers of guests are admitted all at once as, for instance, in an auditorium. The people who are at the very front of the line may find themselves up against a side wall, while middle-of-the-liners have the best view.
8. Leave mid-day.
Generally, theme parks are most crowded in the middle of the day. This is a good time to rest for a few hours - regaining your strength for another assault on the park later in the day. Be sure to get your hand stamped or get some other proof of admission that will allow you to be readmitted to the park at no charge.
9. Eat outside.
Food prices inside a theme park can be as horrifying as any of the park’s dark rides. While taking your mid-day break from the park, refuel yourself without spending a bundle on hot dogs.
10. Return late-day.
As the energy of other guests wanes, move back into the park. This time, visit the attractions closer to the entrance first where it is probably less crowded now.
11. Shop last.
Want to buy souvenirs? Do it on your way out. You won’t have to lug your purchases around with you all day.
12. Enjoy.
Finally, if you find yourself getting ticked off at slow lines, poor service or inconsiderate guests, stop and take a breather. A visit to a theme park is supposed to be an enjoyable event, not a stressful occasion.
3．Words and expressions from Unit 5 Theme Parks
I. Words for Reading (THEME PARKS -FUN AND MORE THAN FUN)
theme n. a favourite theme for poetry, a theme park
amuse v. amuse oneself by …, be amused at [by, with]…
amusement n. find much amusement in…, an amusement park
various a. too various to form a group, various opinions
variety n. for a variety of reasons, have a great variety to choose from, in a variety of
ways
ride n. give sb. a ride, go for a ride, take a long ride
shuttle n. the space shuttle Columbia broke up over Texas, carry shuttle audio during
space shuttle missions.
charge v. charge double for… 对……加倍收费，charge a fee for a service，He is charged
with heavy responsibility.
admission n. Admission by ticket only. Grant sb. admission, gain admission to/ into…
profit ① n. bring a handsome profit to…, divide profits 分红利，increase profits ② v.
make big profits (on sth.), sell sth. at a profit, do sth. for profit
souvenir n. This book ekes out souvenir of my life in the United States. 这本书帮助我追
忆在美国的生活。
involve v. You'd like to meaningfully involve students., the right of Congress to involve the
nation in war
athletic a. an athletic meeting, athletic sports
brand n. Do you like this brand of coffee? a famous brand, the most popular brand on the
market
equipment n. lab equipment, military equipments, the necessary equipments for a trip
sneaker n. wear a new pair of sneakers
minority n. The minority is subordinate to the majority. 少数服从多数
fantasy n. fantasy sports and gaming site, the work of fantasy artist Amy Brown
Fantasyland n. living in a fantasyland, the Guide to Fantasyland
settler n. the early settlers of America, the first white settlers, The settlers were soon acclimated.
marine a. develop a mercantile marine 发展商船
experiment n. attempt the experiment of…, carry out an experiment, make an experiment on sb., prove sth. by experiment
imaginary a. an imaginary enemy, imaginary number 虚数
advanced a. most advanced branches of science and technology, a man advanced in years 老年人
technique n. developed a technique for remotely fingerprinting, a Swimming Technique
Magazine, developing a practical technique for solving voice problems
II. Words for Learning about Language(Word formation)
imagination n. have a good/ poor imagination
test n. provides test preparation services for college admissions, Preparing for a test isn't
easy. do well on the test
vary v. Opinions vary on this point. vary with… 与……一起变化
cloth n. lay the cloth 铺桌布、准备开饭, cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth量布裁衣
，量入为出
III. Words for Using Language (UTUROSCOPE-EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING)
jungle n. Jungle refers usually to a forest. It originated from a Sanskrit word jangala, meaning wilderness. In many languages of the Indian subcontinent, including Indian English it is generally used to refer to any wild, untended or uncultivated land, including forest, scrub, or desert landscapes.
creature n. The term creature refers to an term can be used to dehumanize a person. For example, in the fictional novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, Dr. Frankenstein’s hideous construction is often referred to as a "creature." The term literally means "a created thing," and is sometimes used in theology to contrast a created object with a divine Creator under discussion.
volunteer n. a. v. A volunteer is a person who performs or offers to perform a service out of his or her own free will, often without payment. The year 2001 was the International Year of the Volunteer. 2005 is the UK Year of the Volunteer
People may volunteer to perform some work, e.g., of charitable character. Some volunteer for clinical trials or other medical research, and may even donate their bodies to science after their death.