Unit III Understanding Science

Teaching Objectives

Teaching Objectives

• Students will be able to:• Understand the main idea and structure of the text;• Appreciate the differences between narrative

writing and expository writing;• Master the key language points and grammatical

structures in the text;• Conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking

and writing activities related.

Teaching Set-up

• Text A

• Pre-reading:

• Warm-up activities

• Background information

• Text prediction

• While-reading:

• Text organization

• Writing strategies

• Language points

• Related exercises

• Post reading:

• Useful expressions

• Questions for discussion

• Text B

• Background information

• Language points

• Assignments

Warm-up activities

• Brainstorming

• Clone

Brainstorming

Brainstorm some of the scientific and technological inventions.

Scientific and

technological inventions

E-mail

Computer

Laptop

Mobile phone

cloningNuclear power

Genetic engineering

nanotechnology

Television Electricity

In what way have science and technology changed the world we live in?

In what way does science change our life for the worse?

Do all these inventions always change our life for the better? Give examples to explain your opinion.

How do you keep informed of the changes in science and technology?

What else can be done to educate the public about science?

Questions

changes for the better? changes for the worse?

Television

Quick and easy access to information, education, entertainment, etc.

Expose children to violence

Deprive families of quality time

Deprive people of the will to communicate with each other

cloning

changes for the better? changes for the worse?

Endangered animals

Produce stronger ones

farmers

Clone their cows and sheep who can produce more milk

Man

Clone replacement organs for transplant patients

Clone human beings ?

Hitler or other war criminals or evil people?

In February 1997 a group of geneticists( 遗传学家 ) led by Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, announced that they had cloned a sheep from the mammary gland tissue( 乳腺组织 ) of a six-year-old ewe( 母羊 ), the first time scientists have been able to clone an adult mammal( 哺乳动物 ).

Dolly, the first-ever mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, with her first lamb, named Bonnie, is seen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland in this image on April 23, 1998. Dolly, who was naturally mated at the end of last year with a Welsh Mountain ram （公羊） , gave birth to Bonnie on April 13, proving that despite her unusual origins, she is able to breed normally and produce healthy offspring.

People must understand that science is iPeople must understand that science is inherently neither a potential for good nor nherently neither a potential for good nor for evil. It is a potential to be harnessed bfor evil. It is a potential to be harnessed by man to do his bidding.y man to do his bidding.

------- Glenn T. Seaborq

What role should scientists play in science and technology development?

Background information:

• ☆Stephen Hawking

• ☆Albert Einstein

• ☆Frankenstein

☆Stephen Hawking

• ☆1. Brief Introduction to Stephen Hawking ☆2. Chronology of Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking (1942~ ): British theoretical physicist and mathematician

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

☆1. Brief Introduction to Stephen Hawking

☆2.Chronology of Stephen Hawking

--1942 Born in

--1958 Entered and became especially interested in thermodynamics （热力学） , relativity theory, and quantum mechanics （量子力学） .

--1962 Received a bachelor’s degree in physics and then enrolled as a research student in general relativity at the .

University of Cambridge

Oxford, England.

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

Oxford University

2.Chronology of Stephen Hawking

Oxford University

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

2.Chronology of Stephen Hawking

University of Cambridge

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

2.Chronology of Stephen Hawking

--1966 Earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Cambridge. Stayed at the University of Cambridge to do post-doctoral research. Diagnosed as having Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化 ). “I am quite often asked: How do you

feel about having ALS? The answer is, not a lot. I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many.”

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

2.Chronology of Stephen Hawking

-- 1977 Became a professor of physics.-- 1979 Appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, a post once held by Isaac Newton. This is a picture of

Stephen, Isaac New-ton and Albert Einstein.

Before Reading Global Reading Detailed Reading

After Reading

singularity

(A point in space-time at which the space-time curvature （曲率） becomes infinite.)

(A region of space-time from which nothing, not even light, can escape. Nothing can escape because gravity is so strong.)

black hole

A Brief History of Time

3. Main Achievements

(One of his books to make his work accessible to the public.)

☆Albert Einstein

• ☆The Monologue of Albert Einstein (1879~1955) • I was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879. • As you may know, 1905 was a big year for me. That’s w

hen I turned the world upside down, at least for scientists, with several new ideas. I proposed that space and time had to be looked at in a whole new way -- that Newton’s view of space and time was inaccurate. These ideas became known as the special theory of relativity and introduced the equation E=mc2.

• Ten years later I presented the general theory of relativity. The general theory showed that gravity is not a force, as Newton had thought. It is instead a curvature （曲率） of the space-time continuum.

☆Do You Know?

☆Einstein could not find a job in physics upon graduating from college, and became a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. He worked on theoretical physics in his spare time.

☆Einstein did not receive a Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity

☆Einstein immediately left Germany for the United States following Hitler’s rise to power.

☆Do You Know?

• ☆Einstein spent much of his later career searching for a unified field theory, but was unsuccessful.

• ☆Einstein declined the presidency of the state of Israel when it was offered to him in 1952 by state leaders.

• ☆The element einsteinium （锿） , discovered in 1952, was named in honor of Albert Einstein.

Frankenstein

• This is a horror film about a doctor who builds a monster out of dead body parts and brings it to life using electricity, based on the novel by Mary Shelley.

•

Text prediction:

• With the activities we’ve done, can you predict what the text is mainly about?

While-reading:

• I. Text organization:• An essay is usually divided into 3 parts, and how

many parts are there in this text?Structure of the text:☆Teacher may explain that this text would be the first pie

ce of expository writing Ss encounter in Book One.☆Teacher explains that in expository writing, the structur

e of a paragraph is usually similar to that of the text, i.e., the topic sentences are presented in the first or second sentences of a paragraph, followed by supporting details.

Part Division of the Text

Parts Lines Main Ideas

1 1-32 The public needs education in science so as to make informed decisions on their own fate.

2 33-62The ways to educate the public are detailed.

3 63-69 Human civilization will survive if the public understands science well.

Chart Completion

• Fill in the chart by comparing the first 10 lines of both All the Cabbie Had

• Was a Letter and Public Attitudes toward Science to see the style differences

• between narration and exposition.

Texts Paragraph length

Sentence length

Simple or compound sentence

s?

Any passive voice?

Any dialogue?

Any 3rd-person narrator?

Unit 2 shorter shorter simple noyes no

Unit 3 longer longer longer yes no yes

Text Analysis:

• This text is the first piece of expository writing in our textbook series, therefore it is important to note the style difference between narration and exposition. By the former comparison between unit two and unit three, we can see clearly the differences between narration and expository.

• ☆expository writings usually employ longer paragraphs in which there are longer and more involved sentences;

• ☆expository writings are more closely packed than the narration;

• ☆third-person narration is often adopted in exposition for the purpose of objectivity;

• ☆sentences in the passive voice appear regularly in exposition;

Question for part I:

• 1.What is the attitude of some people towards the changes brought about by science and technology?

• Some people would like to stop these changes and go back to what they see as a purer and simpler age.

• 2.What was life like before science and technology began to change our way of life?

• For the vast majority of the population, life was nasty, brutish, and short.

• 3.What would happen if all government money for research were cut off?● The force of competition would still bring about advances in technology if all

government money for research were cut off.

• 4.Is it possible to prevent science and technology from further development? Why or why not?

• No. The only way to prevent further developments would be a global state that suppressed anything new, and human initiative and inventiveness are such that even this would not succeed.

Part Two: Skimming

• Skim part 2 to find out a mini-exposition.

• Topic sentence: How to educate the public in science?

• Supporting point 1:_______________________________;

• Supporting point 2:_______________________________;

• Supporting point 1:_______________________________;

Part 3:True or False

1.Our civilization is more advanced than other alien civilizations according to the joke. ( T )

2.We have not been contacted by an alien civilization because of the insufficient development of the science and technology. ( F )

We have not been contacted by an alien civilization because any alien civilization tends to destroy themselves when they reach our stage.

3.The author has had sufficient evidence to prove that the joke is wrong. ( F )

The author has not had sufficient evidence, but he believes that the good sense of the public might prove the joke is wrong.

II. Language points:

• Difficult sentences:• The only way to prevent further developments would be a global state that suppressed

anything new, and human initiative and inventiveness are such that even this wouldn’t succeed. All it would do is slow down the of change.

• 1. What is the grammatical function of the first “that”?

Here “that” brings about an attributive clause. 2. What does the structure “such that” here mean?

The structure is used to give an explanation for something. His manner was such that he would offend everyone he met.

3. What can we infer from this sentence?

No way can suppress anything new, as human initiative and inventiveness do exist.

• At the moment, the public is in two minds about science.1. What does “in two minds about” mean?

Unable to decide whether or not you want sth. or want to do sth.

2. What can we learn from the sentence?

The public finds itself holding two contradictory viewpoints about science. On the one hand, it expects the improvement in the standard of living that has been brought by science; on the other hand, it also distrusts science because it does not understand it.

Words and phrases:

• Likely• Do without• Put/turn the clock back• Cut off• Initiative• Slow down• Ensure• Inform• In terms of • Put across• hence

Likely:1)adj. probable

• The word is often used in the following patterns: It is likely that…/be likely to do sth.

• Eg. It is likely that my roommate will win the first-class scholarship.

• An earthquake is likely to strike the area in a year or two.

• I’m likely to be very busy tomorrow.

2)adv. probably

• When used as an adv, the word is often preceded by “most”, “more than”, or “very”. You don’t use it as an adv in its own.

• Eg: It is reported that another sandstorm will very likely come in the next 24 hours.

• We will most likely stay home during the Spring Festival.

Do without: manage to survive, continue, or succeed although you do not have sth. y

ou need,want, or usu. have.

• Eg: There’s no bread left, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to do without.

• She simply can’t do without at least four weeks holiday a year.

put/turn the clock back : return to the past or to a previous way of doing things

• Eg:As is manifested by history, nobody can put the clock back and prevent the advancement of society.

• Since you cannot turn back the clock, you may as well forget the past and look to the future

.

cut off: 1)stop providing sth.

• Eg: Water and electricity supplies in the city have been cut off because of the American air attacks.

• Their phone has been cut off because they haven’t paid the bill.

Cut off 2) to become separate or cause someone to be or feel alone

• Eg: When his wife died, he cut himself off from other people.

• Many villages have been cut off by the heavy snow.

Initiative:1)the ability to make decisions and take action without waiting for sb. to tell yo

u what to do

• If you show that you have initiative, you will sooner or later be promoted.

The workers are able to solve the problem on their own initiative.

2)used in the phrase “take the initiative”: be the first person to take action to improve a situation or relationship, esp. when other people are

waiting for sb.else to do sth.

He took the initiative in organizing a party after his brother’s wedding.

• They have attempted to take the initiative in dealing with the problem.

Ensure: make sure (followed by a N. or that clause)

• The client must ensure that accurate records are kept.

● Hard work combined with luck will ensure you a place in society.

Informed: having or showing knowledge

• Science is now enabling us to make more informed choices about how we use common drugs.

• I don’t know the answer but I can make an informed guess.

Inform: tell(used in the pattern:inform sb. of /about sth., inform sb. +that clause, inform sb.)

• Walters was not properly informed of the reasons for her arrest.

• I informed my boss that I was going to be away next week.

• The terrorists said that anyone caught informing on them would be killed.

in terms of :as regards; expressed as sth.

• A 200-year-old building is very old in terms of American history.

● A computer is powerful in terms of capacity and speed.

● In terms of natural resources China is superior to Japan.

put across: cause to be understood

● A teacher should have the ability to put his ideas across quickly and clearly to his students.

● The government needs to put across the message that the economy is starting to recover.

hence:1) as a result, therefore (a formal use,followed by a clause/noun group/a./ad./prepositional phrase)

• His mother was an Italian, hence his name—Luca.

• It was a steep and difficult route and hence not too popular with walkers.

• The computer has become smaller and cheaper and hence more available to a greater number of people.

2)from this time

• The project will be completed at the end of the decade, two years hence.

• The annual conference of APEC will be held in Shanghai seven months hence.

Post Reading

• useful expressions:• 1. 在过去的一百年间 in the last hundred years • 2. 回到 go back to • 3. 享有特权的少数人 a privileged minority • 4. 当今政府 the present government• 5. 基础科学 basic science• 6. 全球政府 a global state• 7. 民主社会 a democratic society• 8. 作出明达的决定 make informed decisions• 9. 生活水准 the standard of living• 10. 卡通人物 cartoon figures

• 11. 科幻小说 science fictions• 12. 酸雨 acid rain• 13. 温室效应 greenhouse effect• 14. 核武器 nuclear weapons• 15. 基因工程 genetic engineering• 16. 死记硬背 learn by rote• 17. 使销量减半 halve the sales• 18. 分子生物学 molecular biology• 19. 外星文明 alien civilization• 20. … 对 充满信心 have sufficient faith in…

Proverbs and Quotations

1. Science has no enemy but the ignorant. 2. Science rests on phenomena. 3. Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now always. -- A. Schweitzer, German surgeon

科学的敌人是愚昧无知。

科学依据自然现象。

真理没有自己特定的时间段。 它的时间永远是现在。

-- 德国医生 A. 施威策

Proverbs and Quotations

4.Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. 　　　　　　　　　 -- Bertrand Russell, British logician

5.The Golden Rule is that there are no golden rules.　　　　　　　　　 -- G. B. Shaw, Irish writer

即使所有的专家都一致赞同 , 他们也可能错了 .

-- 英国逻辑学家 伯特兰 · 罗素

真正的金科玉律就是世上并无金科玉律 . -- 爱尔兰作家 萧伯纳

Exercise

Suppose you are Professor Zhang, who is in charge of a project of cloning only the best and brightest of the human race, and your partner is the host of Tell It like It Is ( 实 话 实 说 ), a popular TV program concerning hot issues of current affairs and social topics. The interview may cover the following topics.

Interview

Text B: How to Make Sense of Science

• Background Information• 1. El Nino:an abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the easter

n tropical Pacific, is one part of what's called the Southern Oscillation. The Southern Oscillation is the see-saw pattern of reversing surface air pressure between the eastern and western tropical Pacific; when the surface pressure is high in the eastern tropical Pacific it is low in the western tropical Pacific, and vice-versa. Because the ocean warming and pressure reversals are, for the most part, simultaneous, scientists call this phenomenon the El Nino/Southern Oscillation or ENSO for short. South American fisherman have given this phenomenon the name El Nino, which is Spanish for "The Christ Child," because it comes about the time of the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child-Christmas.

• 2.Apocalypse: (Greek: apoca'lipsis, meaning literally: the lifting of the veil), is a term applied to the disclosure to certain privileged persons of something hidden from the majority of humankind. Today the term is often used to mean "End of planet Earth", which may be a shortening of the phrase apokalupsis eschaton which literally means "revelation at the end of the æon, or age".

Words and phrases:

• yield: to reveal, offer, produce

• e.g. An examination of the plane yielded vital secrets about their anti-weapon technology.

• Talks between the two sides have yield no results.

• He finally yielded his consent

• Random: made, done, happening or chosen without method or conscious decision

• e.g. The way the books were arranged seemed completely random.

• The quality inspectors made a random check of the products.

• at random

• submit sth. for: present sth. to a person or body for consideration or judgment

• e.g. He submitted his application to the committee for consideration.

• Have you submitted your plan to your boss for approval.

• Wear down: overcome by persistence

• As I waited for him for nearly three hours, my patience wore down.

• The strategy was designed to wear down the enemy’s resistence.

Assignment:

• Writing Practice• Write a paper of about 80 words entitled Should

cloning of human beings be banned? Your paper should cover the following points.

• 1.Your opinion on cloning of human beings.• 2. Give supporting evidence.• 3. Use to begin with, secondly, thirdly and

finally to • connect all the evidence.

Thanks for Your Kindly Attention!