(1)First ask them to do the activity individually then check the answers.

(2)Call back the answers from the class.

Suggested answers: 

①desert　②diamonds　③passengers④sand　⑤clouds　⑥soil　(field)/farms

(3)Go through the "learning to learn box" with the students.

 Step 6　Fast-reading

T: Open your books at Page 23 and listen to the tape carefully.

1. Play the tape for the students to listen for the first time, and tell the students to catch the main idea of the passage "My First Ride on a Train".

2. Read through the topics as the students follow.

3. Ask students to do the activity individually, then check with the other students.

Suggested answers: 

The passage is about traveling to the central part of Australia.

 Step 7 Careful-reading

Get the students to read by themselves carefully then give some questions to answer.

(Show the question on the screen.)

Q1: Did Alice travel on the train a long time ago?

Q2: Was her destination on the coast of Australia?

Q3: Was the scenery the same during the whole journey?

Q4: Did she study while she was on the train?

Q5: Did the Australians use horses to travel to the central part of the country?

Q6: Do they still use camels to deliver goods? 1. Read through the questions and make sure that the students understand them.

2. Ask students to do the activity individually, then check the answers with the students.

Suggested answers: 

1. No, she traveled on the train recently.

2. No, Alice travelled in the centre of Australia.

3. No, at first there were fields, then it was desert.

4. Yes, she studied Chinese.

5. Yes, at first, but the horses didn't like the hot weather.

6. No, they use the train now.

 Step 8 Discussion

1. Put the students into groups of four to discuss the question.

Q1: What sort of people do you think travel on the Ghan train?

Fill in the form (If the train can hold 40 people).

What sort of people Number of people Why do you think they will be on the Ghan train? Young students 5 They are having a holiday.

They like traveling on the train. Chinese 10 They want to see Australia.

They are in a group. Q2: What kind of towns and villages do you think the train passed?

(Show some pictures of the cities, rural villages in Australia.)

First find out cities, such as Sydney, Alice Springs, then let Ss describe the route of the train movements.(to the west, turn north, to the east)