Meet a film director, find the evidence, and think about first impressions.
Warm-up
From Entertainment to Superheroes
我们先想一想：你觉得 superhero 通常有什么特点？可以多选。
What can a superhero be like?
Exercise 4
Look at the Title and Pictures
Look at the pictures and the title of the article on the next page. What do you think the article is about?
A · a director
Our guess 我们为什么这样猜？
Exercise 5 · Track 3.01
Read and Listen
Read and listen to the article and check your ideas.
Track 3.01
Who’s Who? 谁是谁？
读之前，先认识文章里的人物、电影和角色。
Word Keys 先拿到 4 把阅读钥匙
先看英文词。需要时再点击卡片，打开词义和发音。
一部电影背后有很多岗位。下面是几个常见的。
director 导演decides how the film looks and feels
producer 制片人plans the money and the schedule
screenwriter 编剧writes the story and the lines
actor 演员plays a character in the film
animator 动画师makes the drawings move
editor 剪辑师joins the best parts together
Words we need today 今天读文章时真正用到的词
Paragraph 1
Tim Burton is one of the most famous American film directors. His most popular films include: Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992) and Dumbo (2019). In 1990, he got a Daytime Emmy Award for his cartoon series Beetlejuice and in 1991 he got a Hugo Award for Edward Scissorhands.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Tim Burton
What happens? The paragraph introduces his popular films and awards.
one of the most famousdirectorpopular filmsget an award for
本段先介绍 Tim Burton，以及他的知名电影和奖项。
Reading Board
Paragraph 2
Tim grew up watchinghorror films and cartoons. He read Edgar Allan Poe’s horror stories and he loved drawing. He also made short films in his back garden. After leaving school, Burton studied animation. Then, he got a job at Walt Disney studios. He was a very good animator, but he didn’t draw in the Disney style. So he left Disney and started to make his own films.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Tim Burton’s early life
What happens? He watched films and cartoons, read stories, loved drawing, studied animation and started to make his own films.
grew up watchinghorror films and cartoonsloved drawinganimationstudio
他从小喜欢恐怖电影、动画、故事和画画，后来开始制作自己的电影。
Reading Board
Paragraph 3
One of his most successful films is Batman. At first, people were upset when Tim Burton chose the comedy actor Michael Keaton to play Batman. Batman is a superhero who is taller and stronger than ordinary men, and Michael Keaton was too short. At 1.75 m, he was in fact the shortest actor ever to play Batman. However, the film was very successful and everybody loved Michael Keaton as Batman.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Michael Keaton as Batman
What happens? People were upset at first, but the film was successful.
upsetchose Michael Keatonplay Batmanordinary mentoo short
大家一开始觉得 Michael Keaton 太矮，不适合演 Batman，但电影后来非常成功。
Reading Board
Paragraph 4
One of Tim Burton’s most interesting characters is Edward Scissorhands. The idea for the character came from a drawing that Burton made in high school. Edward isn’t human and he has got scissors instead of hands. In the film, Johnny Depp plays Edward. However, his character in the film is not as scary as Tim Burton’s original drawing.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Edward Scissorhands
What happens? The character came from a school drawing and has scissors instead of hands.
Edward Scissorhandscame from a drawinginstead of handsnot as scary asoriginal drawing
Edward Scissorhands 的想法来自 Tim Burton 高中时的一幅画。
Reading Board
Paragraph 5
In one of his latest films, Dumbo, Dumbo the elephant has got bigger ears than the other elephants and they laugh at him. However, his big ears are an advantage. He can fly. This new film is more exciting than the old Disney film, but the CGI elephant is not as cute as the cartoon elephant in the 1941 film. There are some changes in the plot, but the new film is still as sad as the old one.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Dumbo
What happens? His big ears become an advantage because he can fly.
latest filmsbigger earsan advantagemore exciting thannot as cute as
Dumbo 的大耳朵原本被嘲笑，后来却成为他的优势。
Reading Board
Paragraph 6
Tim Burton has directed many other films, including some of the best-loved children’s stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. He still produces films today, and sometimes he shows some of his drawings and cartoons at exhibitions around the world.
Read this paragraph 带步骤读这一段
Who / What? Tim Burton’s creative work today
What happens? He still produces films and shows drawings and cartoons at exhibitions.
directed many other filmschildren’s storiesproduces filmsdrawings and cartoonsexhibitions around the world
他现在仍然制作电影，有时还在世界各地展出自己的画和动画作品。
Reading Board
Exercise 6
Evidence Hunt
再读一遍文章，找出下面的信息。
Paragraph 1
Tim Burton is one of the most famous American film directors. His most popular films include: Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992) and Dumbo (2019). In 1990, he got a Daytime Emmy Award for his cartoon series Beetlejuice and in 1991 he got a Hugo Award for Edward Scissorhands.
Paragraph 2
Tim grew up watching horror films and cartoons. He read Edgar Allan Poe’s horror stories and he loved drawing. He also made short films in his back garden. After leaving school, Burton studied animation. Then, he got a job at Walt Disney studios. He was a very good animator, but he didn’t draw in the Disney style. So he left Disney and started to make his own films.
Paragraph 3
One of his most successful films is Batman. At first, people were upset when Tim Burton chose the comedy actor Michael Keaton to play Batman. Batman is a superhero who is taller and stronger than ordinary men, and Michael Keaton was too short. At 1.75 m, he was in fact the shortest actor ever to play Batman. However, the film was very successful and everybody loved Michael Keaton as Batman.
Paragraph 4
One of Tim Burton’s most interesting characters is Edward Scissorhands. The idea for the character came from a drawing that Burton made in high school. Edward isn’t human and he has got scissors instead of hands. In the film, Johnny Depp plays Edward. However, his character in the film is not as scary as Tim Burton’s original drawing.
Paragraph 5
In one of his latest films, Dumbo, Dumbo the elephant has got bigger ears than the other elephants and they laugh at him. However, his big ears are an advantage. He can fly. This new film is more exciting than the old Disney film, but the CGI elephant is not as cute as the cartoon elephant in the 1941 film. There are some changes in the plot, but the new film is still as sad as the old one.
Paragraph 6
Tim Burton has directed many other films, including some of the best-loved children’s stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. He still produces films today, and sometimes he shows some of his drawings and cartoons at exhibitions around the world.
1. two examples of things that influenced Tim Burton
找“影响 Tim Burton 创作的东西”。
Our answer 我们的答案
Look at Paragraph 2.
Evidence shownHe read Edgar Allan Poe’s horror stories and he loved drawing.
horror stories and drawing
2. the reason people were upset when Burton chose Michael Keaton for Batman
找人们为什么觉得 Michael Keaton 不适合演 Batman。
Our answer 我们的答案
Look at Paragraph 3.
Evidence shownMichael Keaton was too short. At 1.75 m, he was in fact the shortest actor ever to play Batman.
Because Michael Keaton was too short.
3. two examples of types of film that Burton has made
找他拍过的电影类型或故事类型。
Our answer 我们的答案
Look at Paragraphs 1, 2, 5 and 6.
Evidence shownBatman, Edward Scissorhands, Dumbo, horror films and cartoons, children’s stories.
Possible answers include superhero films, horror films, cartoons and children’s stories.
4. an example of creative work that Burton does apart from directing films
找他除了导演电影之外还做了什么创作。
Our answer 我们的答案
Look at Paragraph 6.
Evidence shownhe shows some of his drawings and cartoons at exhibitions around the world.
He exhibits his drawings and cartoons.
Reading Skill
Long Sentence Steps
长句拆解四步
长句不用一次全吃完
读长句时，不要从第一个词一路翻译到最后。先找主干，再看补充信息，最后变成一句简单意思。
1. Who / What? 先找这个句子主要在说谁 / 什么。
2. What happened? 再找发生了什么。
3. Extra information 再看补充信息：when / who / what kind / why。
4. Simple meaning 最后变成一句简单意思。
Sentence 1
At first, people were upset when Tim Burton chose the comedy actor Michael Keaton to play Batman.
Main idea: people were upset
Extra information: when Tim Burton chose Michael Keaton to play Batman
Simple meaning: People did not like this choice at first.
Choose the best simple meaning.
Yes. The long sentence means that people were not happy about the choice at first.
Simple sentence 用一句简单英文说出这句话的意思
Sentence 2
Batman is a superhero who is taller and stronger than ordinary men, and Michael Keaton was too short.
Main idea: Batman is tall and strong, but Michael Keaton was too short.
Extra information: who is taller and stronger than ordinary men
Simple meaning: Batman is usually tall and strong, but Keaton was short.
Choose the best simple meaning.
Yes. Batman is usually tall and strong, but Michael Keaton was short.
Simple sentence 用一句简单英文说出这句话的意思
Sentence 3
However, his character in the film is not as scary as Tim Burton’s original drawing.
Main idea: The film character is not as scary.
Comparison: as Tim Burton’s original drawing
Simple meaning: The film Edward is less scary than Burton’s first drawing.
Choose the best simple meaning.
Yes. The film Edward is less scary than Burton’s first drawing.
Simple sentence 用一句简单英文说出这句话的意思
Borrow Language
Borrow from the Article
从文章里借表达
从文章里借一个表达，换成自己的内容，说一句你自己的句子。
Meaning: 最著名的……之一
Borrow it: One of the most famous films I know is ______.
Our sentence 说一句你自己的句子
Meaning: 从小看……长大
Borrow it: I grew up watching ______.
Our sentence 说一句你自己的句子
Meaning: 用……代替……
Borrow it: I sometimes watch videos instead of ______.
Our sentence 说一句你自己的句子
Meaning: 没有……那么……
Borrow it: ______ is not as exciting as ______.
Our sentence 说一句你自己的句子
Think Values
First Impressions
preconceived idea = 先入为主的想法
有时候我们还没有足够信息，就先觉得一个人或一件事一定是怎样的。这可能会不公平。
Exercise 7 + 8 · Speaking
这部分没有唯一正确答案。重点是：选一个你能解释的观点，并说出理由。
Step 1 · Choose one idea.
Choose an idea to see the full statement.
Step 2 · Choose your opinion.
Step 3 · Choose a reason.
Step 4 · Say one complete sentence.
I agree / I’m not sure / I don’t agree.
Our opinion sentence
I choose idea 1. I’m not sure. Because an actor does not have to look exactly the same, but the film should still feel believable.
Exit Ticket · 出门票
What can you say now?
离开这页前，留下 3 句你现在能说的话。
Tim Burton is a film director. At first, some people thought Michael Keaton was not a good choice for Batman. One preconceived idea can be unfair because people may be wrong before they know the truth.
