Unit 7

1. Unit 7

2. Contents • Pre-reading questions • Background information • Structure analysis • Comprehension questions • Language points of Text I • Grammatical items • Exercises • Comprehension questions of Text II • Oral activities • Writing practice

3. Text I The Fun They Had • Pre-reading questions • Have you ever read any science fiction about the future world? Please name a few. • Who do you think future world’s teachers would be?

4. Background information (1) • Isaac Asimov(1920–92) • 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 PhD. in the same university in 1947.

5. Background information (2) • He taught biochemistry at Boston University, but he is most widely known for his science fiction. Some of his best-known works are I, Robot, published in 1950 and The Foundation Trilogy, published in 1951-1953.

6. Background information (3) • I, Robot • the title of Asimov's first collection of short stories. It consists of nine stories about positronic robots, united by a consistent narrative in which a reporter interviews the character Susan Calvin about her life working with robots. Oddly enough, Asimov did not come up with the title, but rather his publisher "appropriated" the title from a short story by Eando Binder that was published in 1939.

7. Background information (4) • Isaac Asimov's “Three Laws of Robotics” • A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. • A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. • A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

8. Structure analysis of the text(1) • 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. The first part, Paragraph 1, serves as the background of the story. The second part, from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 30, is the major portion of the story, with a conversation between leading characters running through most of it. We can learn a lot from this part.

9. Structure analysis of the text(2) • The last part, covering the last five paragraphs, tells us something about the schoolroom and the mechanical teacher. This part also reveals indirectly how children in the future may dislike school with a mechanical teacher only and how they wish to have human teachers teaching them.

10. Comprehension questions (1) • Paragraph 1 • This paragraph serves as the background of the story. It tells us the exact date on which the story occurs, the name of the leading character, and the real book around which the story evolves. Time is very important in this part.

11. Comprehension questions (2) • Questions may be raised: • When did the story happen?----May 17, 2157 • What did Margie write in her diary on that night?----“ Today Tommy found a real book!” • Can you guess what she meant by a real book? What’s your opinion of a real book?---open questions

12. Comprehension questions (3) • Paragraphs 2~30 • These paragraphs may be considered to constitute the second part or the main part of the narrative text. It is the longest and most important portion of the story, with a somewhat long conversation between the two leading characters running through most of it.

13. Comprehension questions (4) • Questions may be raised: • What is the conversation concerned with?----a very old book about the old kind of school with human teachers that existed centuries ago. • Why does Margie hate school? • What about your school life? • If your were Margie, what would you feel?

14. Comprehension questions (5) • Paragraphs 31-35 • These paragraphs, covering the last part of the text, tells us something about the schoolroom and mechanical teacher. Besides, Margie’s psychological activities are also described. She was thinking about how nice the old school was and how the school kids must have loved it in the old days; she was meditating on how children in the Distant future dislike school with a mechanical teacher only and how they wish to have human teachers teaching them.

15. Comprehension questions (6) • Questions may be raised: • What do you know about the schoolroom and the mechanical teacher? • What was Margie thinking about? • How do you comment the future school according to the text? • How do you understand the title of the text?

16. Language points of Text I (1) • head: lead; be at the front of; be at the top of • The president’s car headed the procession. • She will head the cast. • This canyon heads the list of natural attractions. • The page was headed “Expenses”.

17. Language points of Text I (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. • A delegation headed by President Hujintao arrived in Africa last week.

18. Language points of Text I (3) • go towards [+for/ towards / across etc.] • The ship is heading across the Pacific Ocean. • It’s time we were heading home. • Where are you heading for?

19. Language points of Text I (4) • head off: • 1) to prevent sth. from happening • They’ve headed off several crises since they took charge.. • 2) to stop someone moving in a particular direction by moving in front of them • The police headed them off at the border. • 3) to leave to go to another place • I’m heading off now.

20. Language points of Text I (5) • diary: a daily record of the events in a person’s life; journal. • keep a ~ ; read one’s ~ ; in one’s ~ • cf. dairy: a place on a farm where milk is kept and butter and cheese are made. dairy farm / ~ maid/ ~ products

21. Language points of Text I (6) • crinkly: adj. having many thin folds; ( of hair) curly • My shirts were all crinkly when I got them out of the suitcase. • He stared at the old man’s crinkly face. • Her hair is a bit crinkly, which makes her look much prettier.

22. Language points of Text I (7) • crinkle: n. a thin fold, esp. in your skin or on cloth, paper, etc. • cf: wrinkle: n. • 1. a line on your face or skin that you get when you are old: ~s around the eyes • 2. a small untidy fold in a piece of clothing or paper

23. Language points of Text I (8) • wrinkled: adj. skin, cloth or paper that is wrinkled has lines or small untidy folds in it • wrinkly: n. an impolite expression meaning someone who is old

24. Language points of Text I (9) • be supposed to • 1) have a duty or responsibility to do sth.; ought to • You are not supposed to smoke in here. • Everyone is supposed to attend the meeting on time. • 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.

25. Language points of Text I (10) • …it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving… ( para. 3) • …it was very amusing to read words that were motionless instead of moving … • still: adj. not moving; staying in the same place

26. Language points of Text I (11) • gee: • 1) interjection. Am. used to show that you are surprised or annoyed: • Gee, Mum, do we have to go? • 2) v. gee up: infml. To encourage someone to try harder • The team needs a captain who can gee them up a bit.

27. Language points of Text I (12) • When you’re through with the book, you justthrow it away. • be through (with sb. or sth).: • infml. 1) to have finished doing sth, using sth. • I’m not through with my work yet.

28. Language points of Text I (13) • 2) to no longer having a relationship with someone. • That’s it. Simon and I are through. • 3) to have stopped doing sth. or using sth. that is bad • He says he’s through with drugs but it’s just not that easy. • throw away: to cast away: get rid of ( sth. not wanted or needed); discard

29. Language points of Text I (14) • plenty: • 1) pron. a large quantity or number; enough or more than enough • If you want some more chairs, there are plenty more here. • 2) adv. quite; very; to quite a large degree • I’m plenty hungry. I need to have a big meal at once.

30. Language points of Text I (15) • attic: n. a space or room under the roof of a house often used for storing things • [cf. cellar: a room under a house or other building, often used for storing things]

31. Language points of Text I (16) • scornful: adj. showing contempt for; showing strong and sometimes angry disrespect towards sb. or sth. that is regarded as worthless • His scornful laugh greatly embarrassed me. • They remained scornful of all our attempts to find a solution.

32. Language points of Text I (17) • scorn: • 1) n.[u] the feeling that someone or something is stupid or not as good as other people or things; contempt • They had nothing but scorn for their working-class parents. • 2) v. to refuse to accept ideas, suggestions etc because you think they are stupid, old-fashioned or unreasonable scornfully: adv.

33. Language points of Text I (18) • mechanical: adj. • 1) of or moved, worked, or produced by machinery • The factory manufactures a variety of mechanical products.

34. Language points of Text I (19) • 2) done without feeling or thought; (done) from habit rather than will • He was asked the same question so many times that his answer became mechanical. • He greeted me in a mechanical way by using mechanical compliments. • [cf. mechanic: n. someone who is skilled at repairing motor vehicles and machinery]

35. Language points of Text I (20) • sorrowfully: adv. sadly; in a sad manner; feeling or showing sadness, grief or unhappiness over loss or wrong-doing • The woman cried sorrowfully for her misfortune. • The little girl said sorrowfully that she had been deceived. • sorrow( n/ v)—sorrowful—sorrowfully

36. Language points of Text I (21) • inspector: n. an official who inspects sth. • A ticket inspector got on the train. • As a taxi inspector, he is highly responsible for his work.

37. Language points of Text I (22) • dial: n. the face of an instrument, such as a clock/ watch, showing measurements by means of pointer and figures; the wheel on an old-fashioned telephone with numbered holes for the fingers, which is moved round when one makes a telephone call. It can be used as a verb.

38. Language points of Text I (23) • slot: n. a long straight narrow opening or hollow place, esp. in a machine or tool • Put a coin into the slot of the vending machine, and you can get a cup of coffee. • There is a mail-slot in the door and you can put a note or letter in it.

39. Language points of Text I (24) • a punch code: a computer system of words, letters, numbers, etc. • punch: 1) n the action of pressing a key or button in order to activate a device or perform an operation • 2) v. to hit sb. or sth. hard with your fist. ~ sb. in / on sth. • to push a button or key on a machine

40. Language points of Text I (25) • disappointed: adj. ( about, at, in, with) unhappy at not seeing hopes come true • He was deeply disappointed at losing the race. • My parents will be disappointed if I fail the exam. • I was disappointed to hear that they were not coming.

41. Language points of Text I (26) • superior: adj ( ~ to) • 1) of a higher rank or class; better in quality or value • She often feels superior to others in her class. • This book is superior to that one.

42. Language points of Text I (27) • 2) of high quality • This is a very superior make of car. • Superior goods are very popular among the customers. • [n. superiority; ant. inferior; ]

43. Language points of Text I (28) • loftily: adv. haughtily; in a manner that shows one is better than other people • That man behaves loftily and turns down any request for help. • lofty: adj. 1) seeming to think you are better than other people: a lofty manner • 2) lofty ideas, beliefs, attitudes etc. are of unusually high moral quality • 3) very high ( mountains, buildings)

44. Language points of Text I (29) • pronounce: v. • 1) make the sound of a letter, a word. Etc. • 2) declare, esp. officially or after consideration • The doctor pronounced the man dead. • The priest said, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”

45. Language points of Text I (30) • regular: adj. 1) happening or appearing with the same amount of time or space between each one and the next • His pulse is not regular. • Plant the seeds at regular intervals.

46. Language points of Text I (31) • 2) happening, coming or doing sth. again and again at the same time each day, week, month, etc. • We keep regular working hours. • Mr. Smith is a regular customer of the small store. • regular—regularly—regularity -- irregular

47. Language points of Text I (32) • dispute: 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.

48. Language points of Text I (33) • 2) disagree about or question the truth or correctness of • Few would dispute that travel broadens the mind. • n. be beyond dispute: everyone agrees that it is true or that it really happened • be in / under dispute: people don’t agree about facts that are in / under dispute. • be in dispute with sb. to disagree publicly with another person or group.

49. Language points of Text I (34) • scream: v. cry out loudly on a high note, esp. in fear, pain, great excitement, or anger, or sometimes laughter • Tommy screamed with laughter. ( para. 22) • She was screaming hysterically for help.

50. Language points of Text I (35) • adjust: v. change slightly, esp. in order to make right or suitable for a particular purpose or situation • Check and adjust the brakes regularly. • You can adjust the color on the TV by turning this knob. • It takes time for them to adjust themselves to the tropical heat. • adj. adjustable; n. adjustment