Listening and Speaking introduces the topic of “talking about how to become an astronaut”. This period is aimed to inform students some details about the requirements of being an astronaut. Students can be motivated and inspired by the astronauts. Teachers ought to encourage students to learn from them and let them aim high and dream big.

Listening and Talking introduces the theme of "talk about life in space". This part also informs students more details about life in space and can inspire students to be curious about this job.

1. Guide students to listen for numbers concerning dates, years and ages etc

2. Cultivate students' ability to talk about how to become an astronaut and life in space ;

3. Instruct students to use functional sentences of the dialogue such as “ first of all, I am not sure, so what might be .. I guess.. I wonder…I am curious…)appropriately.

1. Guide students to understand the content of listening texts in terms of the whole and key details;

2. Cultivate students' ability to guess the meaning of words in listening; discuss with their peers how to become a qualified astronaut and describe the life in space.

Part 1: Listening and Speaking

Step 1: Lead in

Prediction

The teacher can ask students to predict what the listening text is about by looking at the pictures.

About how to become an astronaut./the requirements of an astronaut

Step 2: Then, play the radio which is about an interview a. And after finishing listening for the first time, the students need to solve the following tasks.

Tick the correct statements.

Listen to the interview and tick the correct statements.

√口1 The audience is curious about how Yang Liwei became the first Chinese astronaut.

口2 Mr Yang always believed that he would become an astronaut one day.

√口3 Mr Yang was selected to attend pilot training with 13 other people.

口4 To become an astronaut in China, you have to have 1 ,350 hours of flying experience.

√口5 Astronauts not only had to learn how to use space equipment, but also had to do a lot

of mental and physical training.

Step3： After finishing the task above, the teacher play sthe same material again and after finishing listening, the students need to solve the following task.

Listen again and fill in the blanks with the correct numbers.

1. Yang Liwei graduated from college at the age of______________.

2. Before he joined China's space programme, Mr Yang was one of the pilots who were for__________years. .

3 .Mr Yang was one of the_______ pilots who were chosen to train for space flights.

4..At the time when Mr Yang entered the space programme, astronauts had to be shorter than__________cm in height and less than____________kg in weight.

5. Mr Yang became China's first astronaut when he was_______________years old.

1. 22 2. 10 3. 14 4. 172 70 5. 38

Listening tip: Listen for numbers

Number questions are typically related to: time, telephone numbers, addresses, prices, weights, distances, etc. When you listen for numbers, you need to pay special attention to big numbers as well as those that sound quite similar, such as thirteen and thirty, fourteen and forty, etc.

Step 4: Listen to the interview again and make a list of the requirements for becoming an astronaut.

Education background: College degree; trained to be a fighter pilot

Experience: More than 1000 hours of flight.

Health condition :must be perfect health and shape.

Courses: English, science , and astronomy

Special training: practice using space equipment , and do a lot of mental and physical training.

Part 2: Listening and Talking

Step1：Listen to the tape, which is about life in space for the first time, and then ask the students to solve the following tasks.

Max is interviewing Captain Brown about his life in space. Listen to the interview and answer the questions.

1.What did Captain Brown usually wear inside the station?

2.How did he prepare his food in space?

3. How did he keep himself clean in space?

4. How did he spend most of his time in space?

5 .What did he do during his free time?

6 .What did he look forward to most during his stay in space?

Step 2: Speaking Project

Work in groups.

1. Work in pairs. Discuss whether you would like to be an astronaut in the future and give your reasons. Use what you have learnt from the interview to help you.

EXAMPLE

A: You know, I think being an astronaut would be cool.

B: Do you want to work in space in the future?

A: I'm not sure, but I think it might be too difficult for me. There are so many requirements.

First of all, you must be intelligent enough to get a related college degree. Then you have to ...

B: So what might be the most difficult part for you?

A: I guess it might be the ...

• 2. 2. Work in groups. Imagine you are going to a space camp and Captain Brown has been invited to give a talk. Discuss the questions you would like to ask him and then make a list.

• EXAMPLE

• A: Hey, guys. We're going to meet a real astronaut. Isn't it exciting?

• B: Yeah. I can't wait to see Captain Brown! I'm really curious about his life in space. I have

• plenty of questions to ask him.

• C: Such as ?

• B: Oh, such as what facilities do they have in space to support their daily life?

• C: That sounds like a good question. But I'd also like to know about how astronauts sleep.

• What do they do so as not to float around while they sleep?

Expressing curiosity

●I'd love to know ..

●I wonder how/what/why/ ..

●Well, I'd really like to find out ..