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Unit 4 Amazing Plants and Animals
In this unit, you will 1. talk about some amazing plants and animals. 2. use superlatives to compare more than two things. 3. discuss the connection between plants, animals, and our lives. 4. explore why plants and animals are important to us. Look and share 1. What do you see in the photo 2. What do you think of when you see the photo
Section A What can plants and animals do
1a Look at the plants and animals. Use the words in the box to talk about them.
moss: ______________________ blue whale:______________
redwood tree: _____________  cheetah: ______________
1b Listen to the conversations and number the plants and animals in 1a in the order you hear them.
1c Listen again. Match the words with the plants and animals in 1a. Some have two answers.
A. heaviest B. largest C. most beautiful
D. oldest E. fastest F. tallest
1d Ask and answer questions about the plants and animals in 1a.
What’s amazing about the blue whale
It’s the largest / biggest animal in the world.
Pronunciation
1 Listen and repeat. Add one more word to each group.
/e / /a / / / /bl/ /kl/ /ɡl/ /br/ /kr/ /ɡr/
a, ai, ay i, y, igh oy, oi bl cl gl br cr gr
whale rain stay _____ mice fly high _____ toy join choice _____ black blow blue _____ clean climb clock _____ glad glass globe _____ bread bring brown _____ cross cream cry _____ grass great grow _____
2 Listen and repeat. Notice the difference in stress and meaning of the same sentence.
I visited the redwood forests in California several times. (not other forests)
I visited the redwood forests in California several times. (not other places)
I visited the redwood forests in California several times. (not only once)
2a Listen to the conversation and fill in the blanks.
Ella: Oh, what’s that, Chen Jie It’s so beautiful!
Chen Jie: Thanks. It’s a folding fan. I bought it last year.
Ella: Oh! It has a painting of bamboo on it.
Chen Jie: Yeah, Bamboo is one of the most popular subjects in Chinese paintings. It’s a _____ of goodness in Chinese culture.
Ella: I didn’t know that before. So, where did you get that fan
Chen Jie: At the Bamboo Sea in Sichuan, the _____ and _____ bamboo forest in China. I learnt lots of interesting things when I was there.
Ella: Really Like what
Chen Jie: Well, bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants. Some bamboo can grow almost one metre in one day. Also, it’s one of the _____ plants in the world. People can use it to build houses and make tools and instruments.
Ella: Oh, that’s interesting. I remember pandas love to eat bamboo too, right
Chen Jie: Exactly! Actually we eat bamboo shoots too. They’re really delicious.
2b Read the conversation and answer the questions.
1. What does Ella see on the folding fan
2. Why does bamboo often appear in Chinese paintings
3. Where is the Bamboo Sea
4. What do people use bamboo for
5. Is Ella interested in bamboo How do you know
2c Complete the mind map with the information from 2a.
2d Listen to the conversation again. Then role-play it.
2e Imagine you are a tour guide at the Bamboo Sea and your partner is a foreign tourist. Make up a conversation about bamboo and its importance.
A: Welcome to the Bamboo Sea! I’m your tour guide today. I’d love to share all the interesting things about bamboo with you. Please feel free to ask me any questions you have.
B: Bamboo seems to be a very popular plant in China. Can you tell me why the Chinese people like bamboo so much
A: Well, ...
Grammar Focus
3a Read the sentences and notice the words in bold. What are the ways to form a superlative adjective or adverb
The blue whale is the largest and heaviest animal in the world.
The biggest land animal in the world is the African elephant.
The cheetah runs the fastest among all land animals.
I think the most useful plant in the world is bamboo.
It is perhaps the most interesting plant in the world.
3b Complete the sentences with the superlative forms of the words in brackets.
1. Among all animals, I love pandas the best. I think they are _____ (cute) animals in the world.
2. Which do you think is _____ (beautiful), the rose, the peony, or the lotus flower
3. Look at that butterfly! It has _____ (colourful) wings.
4. Which animal jumps _____ (high), the lion, the monkey, or the tree frog
5. The elephant birds were _____ (large) and _____ (heavy) birds ever on earth. Some could stand up to three metres tall and weigh up to 860 kg.
3c Complete the passage with the superlative forms of the words in the box.
The ginkgo tree is one of _____ living trees on earth. Ginkgo trees first appeared over 200 million years ago. Chinese people love the ginkgo, as it is a symbol of hope and long life. Many Chinese believe that the old ginkgo tree in the Zhongnan Mountains in Shaanxi Province is _____. Thousands of tourists come to see it each year, especially in mid-October, as it is _____ time to see it. The ginkgo tree is one of _____ trees in streets, parks, and gardens across China. When autumn comes, one of _____ activities is to take a walk under ginkgo trees. People believe the bright yellow leaves can bring joy to their heart.
Section B How are plants and animals connected with us
1a Look at the title and the pictures below. Guess what the text is about.
1b Read the text and underline the adjectives the writer uses to describe bees. 阅读指导
We Can’t Live Without Bees
Imagine you go to the supermarket in your area, but there are almost no fruits, vegetables, honey, milk, eggs, or chocolate. How would you feel Disappointed Angry Sad At this moment you realize people, plants, and animals are all connected. We need each other to live, and bees are one of the best examples of this connection.
Bees are very hard-working animals, and their greatest work is pollination. On one trip, they often visit 50 to 100 flowers. As they fly from one flower to another, they take pollen with them. This action helps plants grow. In fact, without their work, about 80 per cent of the plants in the world cannot grow. For this reason, many scientists believe that bees are the most important animals on this planet.
Bees are also one of the most interesting animals in the world. For example, they work hard together to make their homes. In order to store honey, they create honeycombs. Another interesting thing about bees is how they communicate. When a bee finds new food, it uses a dance to tell the others where and how far away the food is.
Bees play an important part in the ecosystem of our planet. However, the number of bees is dropping, and scientists are worried. Bees need our help, and there is a lot we can do. Think about what you can do to protect one of the most amazing animals on earth.
1c Read again and complete the mind map with the information from the text.
1d Discuss the questions.
1. Can you give another title for the text
2. What other interesting facts do you know about bees
3. What do you know about the connection between humans and other insects, such as ants and butterflies
1e Imagine you are the writer. Write one more paragraph about bees and add it to the text.
1f How do you understand the connection between plants, animals, and people Think of some examples and then share them with a partner.
A: We all know people and nature are connected. But can you give me an example of how they are connected
B: Sure. I visited a small town in Guangdong once. There are many large trees in the town. They are home to many birds. A lot of tourists come to see the trees and the birds ...
Vocabulary in Use
2a Circle the odd ones. Then give your reasons.
1. habit height size weight
2. joy happiness fun enjoy
3. angry disappointed smart sad
4. appear look seem watch
5. honey milk juice bread
2b Add the endings -ance, -(t)ion, -ness, and -ity to form nouns. Use your dictionary.
1. act ______ 2. good ______
3. kind ______ 4. appear ______
5. real ______ 6. imagine ______
7. connect ______ 8. popular ______
9. communicate ______ 10. important ______
2c Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in the box.
1. I felt ______ when my favourite flowers died.
2. After the rain, some mushrooms ______ in the garden.
3. In my hometown, people often use bamboo baskets to ______ food.
4. What did you put in your luggage It ______a ton.
5. I can’t ______ my life without my pets. They mean a lot to me.
2d Complete the passage with the correct forms of the words in the box.
You may not realize it, but frogs play an important role in our ______ ecosystem. The smallest frogs are about the size of a pea, while larger ones can grow as big as a human hand. Many people know that frogs help to ______ farms by eating insects. ______, not everyone understands their ______ in nature. Frogs can live on ______ and in water. Because of this, they are popular subjects in studies on climate change and the ecosystem.
3a Read the text and complete the table.
The Blue Whale
The blue whale is the largest and heaviest animal on earth. It can weigh as much as 200 tons. Many people like watching blue whales swim, and they think it is one of the most beautiful things to see. Blue whales live in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean. They eat a lot, but they eat some of the tiniest animals in the ocean. A blue whale can eat around four tons of these a day.
Blue whales can live up to 90 years. When a blue whale dies at sea, it becomes food for many kinds of animals living in and around the sea. This food lasts for over a year and it helps to create a lively and healthy ecosystem. Blue whales play an important role in our world, so we must protect them.
Blue whale facts
Weight
Where they live
Food
How long they live
Importance in nature
3b Imagine you are a blue whale. Use the first person to rewrite the first paragraph.
Hello everyone! My name is Billy the Blue Whale. I am __________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
I’m heavy, but I __________________________________________________________________
I live in _________________________________________________________________________
I can eat ________________________________________________________________________.
3c Complete your passage about the blue whale based on the text in 3a.
Project Make a poster about a plant or an animal
4a Work in groups. Choose or create the title of your poster.
The Strangest Animal The Cutest Animal The Most Amazing Plant
The Most Beautiful Animal The Oldest Tree The Most Popular House Plant
4b Collect pictures and find out information about the plant or animal that you chose.
1. What is its name
2. Where does it live / grow
3. Why did you choose it
4. What are some interesting facts about it
4c Make your poster.
4d Present your poster in class. Then vote for the best one.
Reflecting
1. What amazing plants and animals did you learn about in the unit
2. When do you use the superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs
3. Can you describe some amazing plants or animals in the world
4. How are we connected with plants and animals
Take care of animals and plants because we cannot live without them.

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