Module 3 Now and then
Unit 1 People are healthier today
Betty’s mum: It’s getting late, Betty.
Betty: Nearly finished! I’m doing a composition: Is life today better or worse than it was 50 years ago?
Betty’s mum: And what do you think?
Betty: I think it’s better. The most important difference is that people are healthier today, and they live longer than they did in the past.
Betty’s mum: That’s true. The advantage is that we know more about medicine today. We’re better at preventing illness. But people don’t eat as well as in the past, and don’t take as much exercise as they did.
Betty: I suppose that’s because public transport is much better today.
Betty’s mum: Yes, I agree. People walk or use their bikes less, and they’re lazier. Faster transport also makes more pollution. And that makes life more dangerous and less healthy.
Betty: What about work? People don’t have to work as hard as they worked 50 years ago.
Betty’s mum: Yes, but no one ever says they have too much free time! I also think schoolchildren today work harder than we ever did.
Betty: Yes, but I really want to do my best.
Betty’s mum: Why don’t you ask Mrs. Li downstairs? She’s seen how life has changed.
Betty: That’s a good idea. Talking of free time, don’t forget I’m going on the school trip next month, and the theatre visit.
Betty’s mum: Good! You’ll be more relaxed and less nervous before your exams.
Unit 2 We weren’t very rich, but we were happy.
Life in the past
Mrs. Li is over 70 years old, and has lived in Beijing all her life. I asked her about life today and in the past.
Tell me about your parents, brothers and sisters.
My parents, my sister and three brothers lived in a small house beside a restaurant. We weren’t very rich, but we were happy. My sister was the eldest child and she left school when she was only 12 to help my mother at home.
Families have changed a lot since I was young. They were much bigger in those days. Most of my friend has lots of brothers and sisters. Today most people only have one child!
Did your parents have jobs?
My father went out to work. He was a factory worker, and he often worked 12 hours a day. My mum wanted to work. She was a teacher before she met my father. Looking after us was a full-time job, so she stayed at home. Today it’s normal for married women to go out to work, but it was less common in the past. My father had the same job the whole of his working life. These days people change their jobs much more often.
What was life like at home?
Well, I remember the family meals, three times a day. My mother was always cooking for us. We weren’t rich but we ate enough. And the food was always freshly cooked – my ¬¬¬mother never bought ready-made food as people do today, so it was much better for us. And of course we didn’t have television, so we played games together and read a lot. I helped my younger brother with his homework in the evenings.
九年级英语Now and then教案