21世纪大学英语2读写Unit 6教案

Unit 6 Text A A Brief History of Stephen Hawking Teaching Materials: 1. 21st Century English—Reading and Writing Course,

Book 2

2. 21st Century English—Listening and

Speaking Course, Book 2

II Aimed Students: Undergraduates in Grade One, non-English Majors Ⅲ Academic Year: The first academic year—the second semester

ⅣTeaching Objectives:

1. Knowledge objective：*Grasping the key words, phrases and structure

*Language points (key words, phrases and

difficult sentences)

*Grammar focus (Apposition)

2. Ability objective：*Listening, speaking, reading, retelling, reciting

of the text

*Mastering the skills of writing and reading in this unit

3.Cultural objective：*Getting to know some disabled giants in foreign

countries and learn their strong will

ⅤTeaching Content

1. Lead-in activities

2. Text organization

3. Background information

4. Skill learning in writing and reading

5. Language points (key words, phrases and difficult sentences)

6. Grammar focus (Apposition)

7. Guided practice (exercises, oral practice and group work)

ⅥTeaching Process

1. Pre-reading activities

1) Warm-up questions

Where did we come from?

How did the universe come into being?

Are we alone in the universe? Is there any other life out there?

What is the future of the human race?

2) Introduce Stephen Hawking’s family, education, marriage, disease, contribution

3) Let students discuss what contributes to Stephen Hawking’s success 2. Text organization

The text can be divided into 4 parts:

Part I (para1-2)Stephen Hawking is known to millions, far and wide, for one of his science book and two questions about his achievements and his disabilitity.

Part II (para3-5) Hawking was born to intellectual, eccentric parents, and he was also greatly influenced by famous scientist Galileo.

Part III (para6-10) Hawking showed his intelligence and gift at school.

Part IV (para11-14) Hawking gained success in science in spite of his disability.

3. Background information

Guinness Book of World Records.

In 1955, Norris and his twin brother Ross edited the first Guinness Book of World Records. The book was first designed to record the then extremes in, on and beyond the Earth — notably in human performance and of the natural world. The name “Guinness” derives from the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, which was Ireland’s largest company. It is in London now. The book is now published worldwide in 23 different languages.

The Sunday Times

The Sunday Times is an influential Sunday newspaper published in London, England. It is known around the world for the quality of its reporting and editing and for its coverage of British politics and the arts. Founded in 1822 as a nationally circulated paper with an independent editorial policy, The Sunday Times reflects the dignified, carefully written, and well-edited character of its daily counterpart The Times.

4. Skill learning in writing and reading

A) Writing Skill: Coming up with examples to support the general statement. When writing, we usually put forward some general statements, then we list several examples to illustrate the general statements

Now, analyze the following sample paragraph:

No one is smart at everything or smart all the time. Einstein, for instance, failed many classes in grammar school because of his terrible spelling. And he was well known among his colleagues for being forgetful. He was always

losing his keys, and one famous day he came to work with a clothes hanger still inside his jacket.

General statement: No one is smart at everything or smart all the time. Example1:Einstein, for instance, failed many classes in grammar school because of his terrible spelling.

Example2: And he was well-known among his colleagues for being forgetful. He was always losing his keys, and one famous day he came to work with a clothes hanger still inside his jacket.

B) Reading Skill: Understanding the figurative language

Authors often use figures of speech, or figurative language, to make their writing lively and memorable. Like idiomatic expressions, figures of speech can be confusing if you try to understand them literally—but for effective readers, who know how to recognize and interpret them, figures of speech can help you understand the author’s meaning more deeply and think about ideas in new ways.

Comparisons, personification and symbolism etc. are all figurative languages.

5. Language points

1) He has been proclaimed "the finest mind alive"... (para1) Paraphrase ---He has been declared the most intelligent man who is living today...

alive:adj. (predicative) having life; living

Examples:

The doctors are trying every possible means to keep him alive.

It is reported that more than forty people were burned alive in yesterday’s fire Cf.living :adj. (attributive)

Examples:

A living language is a language that is always changing.

I have no living relatives in my hometown.

2) Known to millions, far and wide, for his book A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking is a star scientist in more ways than one. (para1)

far and wide: (also far and near) everywhere; over a great distance) Examples:

The couple looked far and wide for the missing diamond ring.

People came from far and near to see the circus.

Since he retired, he has traveled far and wide.

3) His gift for revealing the mysteries of the universe in a style that non-scientists can enjoy made Hawking an instant celebrity and his book a

bestseller in both Britain and America. (para1)

Paraphrase ---His ability to explain the complexities of the universe in a way that the average non-professional readers can understand and appreciate soon made him well known and his book best-selling in both Britain and America.

bestseller :n. anything, especially a book, that has a large sale

4) earn a place in the Guinness Book of Record…(para1)

Paraphrase ---be carried in the Guinness Book of Records (for its success) earn : vt. get (something that one deserves) because of one's qualities; deserve

Examples:

He has earned his place in history.

She earned the promotion from a salesgirl to a sales manager.

After that, Sharon earned a reputation for honesty.

5) …spending 184 weeks in The Sunday Times "top-ten" lists (para1)

Paraphrase ---being among the weekly top best-sellers listed by The

Sunday Times for as long as 184 weeks

6)…virtually unheard-of success for a science book (para1) Paraphrase ---success which is almost never heard of in the case of science books

virtually :ad. practically; nearly; almost

Examples:

Last night's frost was unprecedented, virtually every flower in the garden was killed

These small errors are virtually impossible to detect within such a period of time

Many species of wild animals have virtually disappeared from the earth

7)How has a man who is almost completely paralyzed and unable to speak except through a computer overcome these incredible obstacles and achieved far more than most people ever dream of? (para2) Paralyse /paralyze:vt. cause (some or all of the body muscles) to become uncontrollable or stiff; (fig.) make powerless or make ineffective; cause to stop working

Examples:

After a stroke, his left arm and leg were paralyzed.

Electricity failure paralyzed the whole town.

8) achieve far more than most people ever dream of (para2)

Paraphrase ---successfully do far more than most people ever imagine they can do

9) His father Frank, a doctor specializing in tropical diseases… (para3) specialize /specialise in : pursue some special branch of study, research, or work; be or become a specialist; concentrate time and resources on Examples:

Prof. White specializes in oriental history.

He specialized first in painting birds and later in writing about them.

We went to a restaurant that specializes in Indian food.

10)Carpets and furniture stayed in use until they fell apart; the wallpaper hung peeling from old age. The family car was a London taxi, bought for 50 dollars. (para3)

Paraphrase ---Carpets and furniture would not be replaced by new ones until they broke; the wallpaper came off and hung for old age. The family car was a second-hand car bought for ￡50 from a London taxi company.

The description of Hawking's parents' house suggests their "eccentric “behaviors in other people's eyes and, on the other hand, their thrift in life: they would rather buy themselves in a roomful of books than have any comforts in their house.

peel:vi. A) come off

Examples:

After the sunburn, my husband's skin peeled.

The paint on the shed is peeling.

B) strip skin or bark from

Examples:

Mother wanted Charlie to peel some potatoes for salad.

The Indians peeled the bark from trees to make canoes.

11) Hawking has always been fascinated by his birth date... (para4) Paraphrase ---Hawking has always been interested in and curious about his birth date ...

12)… maintaining that the Sun is the center of the Solar System —not the Earth… (para4)

Paraphrase ---forcefully stating that it is the Sun instead of the Earth that is the center of the Solar System

13) …start using his eyes, both figuratively and literally (para5) Paraphrase ---begin to observe (the universe) with both his mind and his

eyes

"Figuratively" and "literally" are often used to describe the meanings of words. In the case of "eye", literally it means an organ of sight, as in "He closed his left eye and opened his right eye", while figuratively it means the mind's eye or observation, as in "To her expert eye, the painting was terrible."

14) In a sense, he was responsible for the age of science we now enjoy.

(para5)

Paraphrase --- To a certain extent, we owe it to Galileo that we are now in a world with rapid development of science.

in a/one sense : to some degree; partly

Examples:

You are right in a sense, but you don't know all the facts.

We are, in a sense, being deceitful if we tell them so.

15) He was part of a small elite group, the brightest of the bright students.

(para6)

Paraphrase --- He was one of a small group of intelligent students, the

brightest few among the bright students.

16) hang around together (para6)

Paraphrase ---spend a lot of time together

17)… at once an intellectual giant and liberal activist (para6)

Paraphrase ---a person with both unusual intellectual power and progressive views in politics, morals, etc.

at once : at the same time

Examples:

All three boys spoke at once.

The book is at once instructive and amusing.

When there's more than one conversation going on at on at once, you can’t hear anything.

intellectual: adj. having or showing power of the mind; needing or using power of the mind

Examples:

He's quite bright but he's not what you should describe as intellectual.

Thinking is an intellectual process.

Cf.intelligent : adj. having or showing understanding; able to learn and know Examples:

Dolphins are intelligent animals.

Scientists believe that there are intelligent life existing beyond our solar

system.

An intellectual person is one who has developed his brain and is highly educated, and is interested in subjects that exercise the mind, while an intelligent person has the power of learning or understanding but may not know much.

18)While I would be struggling away with a complicated problem, he just knew the answer. (para7)

Paraphrase ---While I would be trying hard all the time to solve a difficult problem, he gave the answer immediately as if it was ready in his mind. away: ad. all the time; continuously;

Examples:

She worked away at her job.

The young people chatted away like old friends.

19)…struggled over how to even begin approaching the problem ... (para8)

Paraphrase --- even had difficulty trying to take the first step in solving the problem

approach :vt. begin to cope with (a problem, task, etc.)

20) Hawking the schoolboy was... (para9)

Paraphrase ---As a schoolboy Hawking was ...

"Hawking the schoolboy", the reverse of the more common form, the schoolboy Hawking, is a case of restrictive apposition of noun phrases. The appositive preceded by "the" is a general word restricted in meaning by the proper name.

Examples:

Robinson the singer (= the singer Robinson)

Paul Jones the critic (= the critic Paul Jones)

21) …having inherited a slight lips from his father.(para9)

inheri t:vt. get (characteristics, qualities of mind or body, money, property, etc.)from one's parents or ancestors

Examples:

She inherits her blue eyes from her father.

Differences in intelligence were largely inherited.

After his parents' death, he inherited a big fortune.

22) This had nothing to do with early signs of illness… (para9)

have something /nothing/anything/a lot/a little to do with: have some/ no/ any/ a lot/a little relation or connection with

Examples:

His job has nothing to do with telephones.

Abstract art has little to do with everyday experience.

Listen, what I have said has a lot to do with you.

23) …a figure of classroom fun … (para9)

Paraphrase ----a person who made his classmates amused

24) He... averaged only one hour's work a day. (para10)

Paraphrase ---He ... had only to do one hour’s work a day on the average.

25) His main enthusiasm was the Boat Club. (para10)

Paraphrase ---One thing that he was enthusiastic about was the Boat Club.

enthusiasm : n. an activity or subject that interests someone a great deal and takes up a lot of his time

26) Many times he returned to shore with bits of the boat knocked off…

(para10)

knock off: cause (sth. or sb.) to fall from a place

Examples:

Just when I had put the glass safely down on the table, the cat jumped up and knocked it off.

A snowball knocked his hat off.

The blow knocked him off his feet.

27)…with his head in the stars, working out mathematical formulae

(para10)

Paraphrase --- with his thoughts far, far away thinking about solutions to mathematical problems

work out : find the answer to (sth.); solve (sth.)

Examples:

Can you work out this math problem for me?

No one can work out how the fire started.

We are always hoping that a more peaceful solution can be worked out

28) Oxford has always had its share of eccentric students, so Hawking fit

right in. (para11)

Paraphrase ---Just like many other universities, Oxford also has had some students who behave in a strange way, so Hawking felt as if he belonged

exactly to them

fit in : be suitable; behave or feel as if belonging (to a group)

Examples:

It's no surprise she is leaving the course ---she never really fit in.

They are looking for someone young to join the team, someone who fits in.

29)…get the most from a life he had previously taken for granted (para12)

Paraphrase---take full advantage of a life whose value he had not fully appreciated

take (sth.) for granted :be so familiar with (sth.) that one no longer appreciates its full value; treat (sth.) as unimportant

Examples:

He just takes it for granted that the house is tidy.

Most young people take the washing machine for granted because they've never lived without it.

30) …demonstrate the theory of mind over matter (para13) Paraphrase---prove the theory that the spiritual force overpowers the material force.

31) Hawking himself acknowledges his disease as being a crucial factor in focusing his attention on what turned out to be his real strength: theoretical research. (para13)

Paraphrase ---Even Hawking himself admits that his disease has been important in making it possible for him to concentrate on theoretical research, and this has proved to be something that he is really strong in.

turn out (to be): be found or known to be in the end; prove to be Examples:

That guy we met the other day turned out to be Lisa's second cousin.

As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Everything is going to be all right.

The absent-minded professor looked everywhere for his glasses, but it turned out that they were just on top of his head.

32) The smartest man in the world is not immune to the depression that can accompany severe disabilities. (para14)

Paraphrase ---The smartest man in the world also has the feeling of sadness that other disabled people may have.

be immune to :not responsive to or affected by (diseases, criticism, bad treatment, etc.)

Examples:

My uncle seems to be immune to colds —he just never gets them.

They're always so rude that I've already become immune to it.

6. Grammar focus

Apposition

1) Explain to Ss that a noun phrase can be added to another noun or

pronoun as further explanation, or modifier, which is called

apposition, and that an appositive is usually placed after the preceding

noun, but sometimes in front of a noun, or a pronoun for emphasis.

2) Ask Ss to find appositives in the text.

Examples:

-----His father Frank, a doctor specializing in tropical diseases, and his mother Isobel, a doctor’s daughter, lived in a big old house full of books

-----Hawking attended St. Albans School, a private school noted for it’s high academic standards.

-----He was part of a small elite group, the brightest of the bright students. -----Hawking the schoolboy was a typical grind, underweight and awkward and peering through eyeglasses.

7. Guided practice

Oral practice and group work

8. After-class assignments

1)P174-175 (Translation)

2) P175-176 (Cloze)

VII Length of Teaching: 8 periods