The emphasis of this period is laid on developing the students’ speaking and writing ability. First show the students the pictures of the Aswan Sam, the Hoover Dam and the Three Gorges Dam. Discuss and talk about the question:What do you think a dam does to a river and the people who live on it? Then go through the part Writing on Page 23 and let the students know what to do. Later on, get them to begin to write a short email to Wang Kun as a friend of his asking about Laos. This email is a type of writing that students will be very familiar with. Tell the students they can follow the steps:1. In pairs choose the details about Laos that are most interesting. Think of what else you would like to know about Laos. Write these ideas down as questions. 2. Now choose two or three of the best questions for your email. Each question should have another sentence explaining why you want to know