Unit Seven The Fun They Had by Issac Asimov

1. Unit Seven The Fun They Had by Issac Asimov Book 1

2. Objectives • Students will be able to: • 1. Grasp the main idea and structure of the text; • 2. Discuss the difference between the educational systems in the present and the distant future; • 3. Pay special attention to the sentences the author uses to describes in detail Margie’s psychological activities; • 4. Master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text—the use of articles in the development of the text; • 5. Conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit;

3. Pre-reading activities • 1.Do you enjoy studying under the present educational system? State your reasons. • 2. Will children go to school in the distant future? How will you they receive education? • 3. Describe your ideal future school. What fun may children have?

4. While-reading Activities Information about the author and text Isaac Asimov, the author of the text, is an American biochemist and author. He was born in the former USSR on January 2, 1920. He was taken to the United States at the age of 3 and brought up in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Columbia University in 1939, and got his Ph. D. in the same university in 1947. He taught biochemistry at Boston University, but he is most widely known for his science fiction. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited about 500 books and over 9,000 letters and postcard. His works have been published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (the sole exception being the 100s: philosophy and psychology). Some of his best-known works are I, Robot, published in 1950 and The Foundation Trilogy(基地在部曲), published in 1951 -1953.

5. Born:. January 2, 1920. Petrovichi, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic • Died: April 6, 1992 (aged 72) New York, New York, USA • Occupation: Novelist, short story writer, essayist,historian, biochemist, textbook writer,humorist. • Genres: Science fiction (hard SF), popplar science, mystery fiction, essays, literary criticism • Literary movement: Golden Age of Science Fiction • Notable work(s): the Foundation Series, the Robot Series, Nightfall, The Intelligent Man’s Guide to Science, I, Robot, Planets for Man

6. Organization of the text • This narrative story centers around a very old book about school and involves two main characters -- Margie and Tommy. The text can be divided into three main parts. • Part I (paragraph1) • This part serves as the background of the story. • Part II (Paragraphs 2 to 30) • Part Two is the major portion of the story, with a conversation between the two leading characters running through most of it. It tells us the different ways of education between the future and the past. • Part III (paragraphs31-35), • The last part tells us something about the schoolroom and the mechanical teacher. Besides, it describes Margie's psychological activities.

7. Part 1(Paragraph 1) Ss discuss the following questions: 1) When did the story happen? 2) What did Margie write in her diary on the night of May 17, 2157? 3) What does the expression “a real book” mean? What’s the function of and the interjection ?

8. Language work for Part 1 1. head : (1) lead; be at the front of; be at the top of The president's car headed the procession. The movie heads the list of Oscar nominations. (2) be in charge of; take charge of The Commission of inquiry headed by the president of the Board of Trustees is investigating the case. The sales director heads a team of 20 representatives.

9. Part II (Paragraphs 2-30) • Discuss the following questions: • 1 ) What is the conversation concerned with? • 2) What do you know about a County Inspector? • 3) Why does Margie hate school? • 4) What's the major differences between the schools of Margie’s days and those of old days?

10. Language work for Part 2 3. .... and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to -- on a screen…: ... and it was very amusing to read words that were motionless instead of moving the way they ought to -- on a screen. be supposed to : (1) have a duty or responsibility to do sth. You are supposed to know the law(= You should know the law.) (C.f: I suppose that you know the law) You are not supposed to smoke in here(=You are not allowed to). (2) be generally considered to be; have the reputation of being I haven't seen it myself, but it is supposed to be a very good film. (3) to be intended to The law is supposed to help the poor.

11. 6. What's there to write about school? : This is a rhetorical question, which calls for no answer. A positive rhetorical question is negative in meaning. The rhetorical question here means: There is nothing at all to write about school.

12. 9. take apart:（1）to separate (a small machine, clock, etc.) into pieces • Take watch apart and see if you see what’s wrong with it. • （2）to defeat very severely in a sport or game • England were really taken apart by Italy in last night’s match • Cf: take down: to separate ( a large machine or article) into pieces, esp. in order to repair it or move it • We’ll have to take the engine down to get to the gearbox.

13. 10. ... the mechanical teacher calculated the mark in no time. : • ... the computer which served as a teacher immediately worked out the mark. • in no time : very quickly; immediately; at once • We will have that leak fixed in no time. • I have a few dictionaries to hand. I can get the meaning of the phrase for you in no time. • We’re almost home; we’ll be there in no time(=very soon)

14. c.f:at no time: • This phrase is the apposite of “at any time” meaning “在任何时候都不，一直不” • [译] 中国在任何时候都有不会首先使用核武器。 • [误] In no time will China be the first to use nuclear weapons. • [正] At no time will china be the first to use nuclear weapons. • Note: when phrases containing “no” (e.g. by no means, in no way, at no time) are placed in the beginning of a sentence, inversion is used, but the phrase “in no time” is the exception, for it has the positive meaning.

15. 11. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. : • She had been hoping they would move or carry the mechanical teacher to another place once for all. • Here the teacher was a computer, which was large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons are shown and questions asked.

16. 12. superior : • ( 1 ) thinking oneself better than others • He smiled a superior smile as he drove past in his expensive new car. • (2) of high quality • This is a very superior make of car. • Superior goods are very popular among the customers. • (3) of a higher rank or class; better in quality or value • I’ll report you to your superior officer! • Of the two books, this one is superior to that one.

17. Compare: inferior：not good or less good in quality or value; lower in position His work is inferior to mine. The superior man knows what is righteous, but the inferior man knows only what is profitable. Their relationship is only the one between the superior and the inferior, and nothing else special. Usage: (1) superior, inferior, senior, junior can be used in comparisons, but they are followed by to notthan This restaurant is superior to the one we usually go to. She is senior to everyone in the company. (2) Neithermajor[较大(多)的] nor minor[较小( 少)的] is used in comparison with than. The car needs major repairs. The young actress was given a minor part in the new play

18. 16. dispute: n./v • (1) (about, over, with) argue about sth. esp. angrily and for a long time • The two governments disputed over the ownership of the territory. • The question was hotly disputed in the Senate. • (2) disagree about or question the truth or correctness of • I dispute the Minister's figures -- the true cost of the project is much higher. • The expert disputed the authenticity of the document.

19. 17. adjust : change slightly, esp. in order to make right or suitable for a particular purpose or situation You can adjust the color on the TV by turning this knob. He adjusted himself very quickly to the heat of the country. She soon adjusted to college life. adjust to doing sth. adjust oneself to sth. C.f: adapt You should adapt yourself to these new surroundings. I’m afraid he can’t adapt to the idea of having a woman as his boss.

20. 19. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm. • What’s the grammatical function of “whistling” and “the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm”? • The word “whistling” is a present participle serving as adverbial. • “the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.” is the absolute structure also as adverbial • More examples: • Spring coming, the trees turned green. • When she was fifty she retired, her health having been impaired by years of overwork. • The night enshrouding (covering) the earth, nobody could make out what the dark mass was from a distance.

21. Part 3(Paragraphs 31-35) Ss discuss the following questions: 1 ) What do you know about the schoolroom and the mechanical teacher? 2) What was Margie thinking about? 3) What message do you think the writer conveyed about school education in the story?

22. Language work for Part 3 • 20. light up : • (1) to make or become bright with light or colour; give light to • The candles on the Christmas tree lit up the room. • The room lights up when she walks in. • (2) cause to become bright with pleasure or excitement. • Suddenly, a smile lit up her face when she heard the news. • Her face lit up with joy when she saw him coming.

23. Usage:Lit is more common than lighted as the past and past participle of “light”, except when it means showing the way with a light or when it stands as an adjective before the noun. • I lighted him up the stairs to bed with a candle. • a lighted match. • He’s lit a match. • The match is lit.

24. After-reading activities • 1 ) What does the narrative text tell us? • 2 ) From the text what can we see about education in the distant future?

25. Discuss the stylistic features of the text 1) From what point of view and in what order is the story narrated? 2)What is the advantages of a third-person narrative? 3)Can you find where the flashback is used in the text? 4)Try to find some sentences describing Margie’s psychological activities.

26. From what point of view and in what orderis the story narrated? • The story is told in the third person from a future perspective, with a conversation running through most of the plot. • The story is mostly organized and developed in a chronological order, with the exception of the beginning, where the last event of that eventful day is recorded, and with a flashback unfolding in the near middle of the story.

27. 2)What is the advantages of a third-person narrative? A third-person narrative may seem more objective, and it is convenient to recount events that happen in different places at the same time, but it is not easy to put in good order things that happen to different people in different places.

28. About the exercises in the Students’ Book P101 IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences taken from the text. • Her mother asked the County Inspector to come over. 2. The mechanical teacher finished the calculation of the mark very quickly. • Tommy looked at Margie with an air which suggested he knew far better about school than others. 4. A teacher, a computerized teacher on net, has to be changed slightly so as to be suitable for each boy and girl to learn from.

29. P102 II. Fill in each blank with one of the two words from each pair and note the difference of meaning between them. 1.Funnyis a very informal word, focusing mainly on whatever results in laughter because of oddness, abnormality, or inappropriateness. Interesting refers to something that attracts people's attention, usually because it is exciting, unusual and deserves their observation and study.

30. 2. Stillsuggests an unruffled or tranquil state, and often refers to a moment of calm between periods of noise and movement, and during this moment there is no sign of activity. Silent simply means becoming speechless or being without noise; it does not necessarily suggest serenity or motionlessness.

31. 3.Dispute is often used as a transitive verb, meaning to say that something is incorrect or untrue, to fight passionately for control or ownership of something. Argueusually refers to a reasoned presentation of views or to a heated exchange of opinion; very often when used intransitively, it is followed by prepositions like "with ," "for/against," "about," etc. Debatecan be used transitively and intransitively, meaning to hold a meeting, esp. in public, in which a question is talked about by at least two people or groups, each expressing a different opinion, in an attempt to reach a decision.

32. 4. Usualis applied to whatever recurs frequently and steadily, referring to natural happenings as well as to occurrences based on the customs of the community or the habits of an individual, while regular emphasizes a conformity to the established or natural order of things, referring to events that happen often, or events that have equal amounts of time between them, so that they happen at the same time, for example, each day or each week

33. Translation Exercises at P105 • Yesterday a government delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in South Africa and began a three-day friendly visit to the country • 2. It is awfully funny and splits your sides with laughter to observe these caricatures which satirize social ills. • 3. Computers are one of the most useful teaching aids, for all your lessons as well as all the questions asked and all the answers provided can be shown on a screen.

34. 4. As soon as his mother fell ill suddenly the day before yesterday, Xiao Zhang sent for a doctor, who came and diagnosed and treated his mother. 5. He failed in the college entrance examination last year, but he did not feel disappointed. Instead, he continued to study hard, passed the examination successfully and became a student in a famous university this year. 6. There are many English words that this middle school student cannot pronounce correctly. Therefore, he has to make great effort to learn the phonetic symbols well and acquire standard English pronunciation.

35. 7. In this new era marked by knowledge explosion and information explosion, we have to pursue constant study and take particular care to renew our knowledge. Only thus, can we become adjusted to the requirements of our specialized work. 8. With his shirt tucked into the top of his trousers and a leather bag tucked under his arm, the boy looked just like a boss. 9. Although she is only eight years old, the little girl is already very good at calculating fractions. No wonder her parents feel very proud of her. 10. All the neighborhoods have heard about the news, but you haven't. Don't you think it is very strange?

36. Additional Exercises I. Fill in each blank with an appropriate word given in the box. Change the where necessary. scream yell shout roar 1. Get down and don’t move," the man at her. 2. The protesters marched through the streets, _____ slogans. 3. The music blaring in the bar was forcing us both to___ to be heard. 4. The man pulled a gun, and two of the women near me started

37. II. Translate the sentences taken from Text I and Text II into Chinese 1. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to- on a screen, you know. (Para. 3, Text I) 2. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn't know how to put it together again, but he knew how all fight ... (Para. 12, Text I) 3. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm. (Para. 30, Text I)

38. 4. When someone asks me what business I am in, I am seized with embarrassment: I blush and stammer, I who am otherwise known as a man of poise. (Para. 1, Text II) • 5. In my breast I harbor the laughter of America, the laughter of Africa, white, red, yellow laughter -- and for the fight fee I let it peal out in accordance with the director's requirements. (Para. 1, Text II) • 6. This has also made me indispensable to third- and fourth-rate comedians, who are scared -- and with good reason -- that their audiences will miss their punch lines, so I spend most evenings in night clubs as a kind of discreet claque, my job being to laugh infectiously during the weaker parts of the program. (Para. 3, Text II).