资源简介

(共18张PPT)
Unit 4 The Wonders of Nature
Reading Plus
Learning Objectives
In this lesson you will:
1.learn some geographical facts about the Sahara Desert.
2.think about what you can do for deserts.
hot and dry
lifeless
dangerous
lonely
camel
When it comes to deserts, we may think of:
vast
cactus
(仙人掌)
sandy
...
beautiful landscape
Here’s a video to help us know more about deserts!
Free Talk
Have you ever been to a desert
What do you think a desert is like
What’s the largest desert in the world
Some basic facts of the Sahara Desert:
Location:_____________________________
Size:_________________________________
Age:_________________________________
Climate:______________________________
Animals:______________________________
in Africa
9,000,000 square kilometers
at least 4.6 million years old
hot and dry
camels and Fennec foxes
The Sahara Desert
Located in Africa, the Sahara Desert spreads across 30 per cent of the continent. This vast desert, also known as “the great desert” in Arabic, is about 9 million square kilometres in size. It is also at least 4.6 million years old. This means that it is one of the oldest places in the world.
All deserts are dry, and the Sahara is both dry and hot. It is the largest hot desert in the world. We may think that all deserts are hot, but in fact some deserts are very cold! Many scientists believe that Antarctica, for example, is a type of cold desert.
Most of the Sahara is rocky ground. But there are also places with grass, lakes, mountains, and even sand seas. A sand sea is just what it sounds like—it looks like a sea of sand! When the wind blows, the sand looks like waves.
Life in the Sahara is difficult. About two million people live in the Sahara. They usually move from place to place. There is water in a few parts of the Sahara, and some people live in these places all year round.
Not many animals can live in a place with such a dry and hot climate. They must adapt to survive. Camels, for example, go for a long time
without drinking water. When they do find water, they can drink more than 100 litres of it in 13 minutes! Fennec foxes live in the desert too. They have large ears to help their bodies stay cool.
Today, the world's largest hot desert is getting even bigger. It is now about 10 per cent larger than what it was about a century ago. But why is it growing Some scientists believe that part of the reason is climate change. As temperatures rise, summers in Africa grow hotter and less rain falls. Water bodies get smaller and the ground gets drier and drier. If we do not take effective measures to stop climate change, the desert will keep growing!
Read the text and complete the mind map.
Sahara Desert
Location
Size
in Africa
about 9 million square kilometers
Sahara Desert
Growth
Age
Life
Geography
at least 4.6 million years old
Most of the Sahara is rocky ground. But there are also places with grass, lakes, mountains, and even sand seas.
difficult; two million people live here and they usually move around.
It keeps growing and gets bigger because of climate change.
1. How is life in the desert different from other places where
people live
Discuss the questions.
Life in the desert is harder. There's less water, and people often move around, while in many other places, people have stable homes and enough water.
2.Would you like to visit the Sahara Desert or even live there for
a while
I would like to visit the Sahara Desert because it looks very beautiful and special with its sand seas and rocks. However, I would not like to live there because life is too difficult, and there is not enough water.
3.What do you think will happen if the Sahara keeps getting
bigger What should we do about it
If the Sahara keeps getting bigger, more land will become desert, and it will be harder for plants, animals and people there. We should stop climate change by saving energy and planting more trees.
Language Points
1. Located in Africa, the Sahara Desert spreads across 30 per cent
of the continent.
spread across 意为 “横跨；遍及；覆盖”，常指某物（如土地、区域、人群等）广泛地分布在某个大范围的空间里。
e.g. The forest spreads across the northern part of the country.（这片森林横跨该国北部。）
2. They must adapt to survive.
adapt 是动词，意思是 “适应；调整”
常见搭配：
adapt to + 名词 / 代词 适应……
adapt oneself to 强调 “使自己适应……”，oneself 可根据主语省略。
e.g. New students need time to adapt to the school life.
（新生需要时间适应学校生活。）
Some animals adapt quickly to changes in the environment.
（有些动物能快速适应环境变化。）
3. When they do find water, they can drink more than 100 litres of
it in 13 minutes!
这里的 “do” 是助动词，没有实际含义，主要作用是强调，用来突出 “当它们确实找到水的时候” 这个情况。
e.g. She does like reading books.（她确实喜欢读书。）
We do want to visit the park this weekend.（我们确实想这周末去公园。）
litre 是计量单位名词，指 “升”，用于衡量液体的体积，是国际通用的容量单位，缩写为 “L”。
常见搭配：
数词 + litres of + 液体名词 …… 升的……
e.g. I need to buy 2 litres of milk for breakfast.
（我需要买 2 升牛奶当早餐。）

展开更多......

收起↑