【人教课标选修7】Unit 2 Robots

Unit 2  Robots

Period One for Warming up

Teaching Aims: Learn the following words and the sentences:

fiction, cartoon, desire

Contents:

Warming up

Deal with Warming up. Present photos of different kinds of robots. Then ask them to say something about his or her favorite robot.

T: Good morning /afternoon, class!

Ss: Good morning/ afternoon, Mr. /Ms…

T: In this class we are going to learn about robots. Who would like to tell me what a robot is?

S1:A robot is a machine.

T: What kind of machine?

S2: A robot is a kind of machine that can do a variety of often complex human tasks.

T: How can a robot perform human tasks?

S3: A robot is controlled by a computer.

T: You are right. Then we can give the definition of a robot like this: A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans. Robots are programmed and controlled by a computer. Now look at some pictures. Divide them into different types and decide your favorite one.

Period Two for Reading:

Teaching Aims: Learn the following words and the sentences:

A: satisfaction, absent, alarm, alarmed, smooth, embarrass, sympathy, elegant, pile, scan, fingernail, absurd, haircut, accompany, curtain, cushion, carpet, paint, awful，affair, firm, firmly, declare, victory, envy, marriage, test out

B:  Master the following sentences:

1. She felt embarrassed and quickly told him to go.

2. Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.

3. By the amused and surprised look on her face, Claire knew that Gladys thought she was having an affair.

Contents:

Step I Pre-reading

Ask students to discuss the questions in pre-reading in groups. Students are encouraged to speak out their opinion freely, no matter what it is. Teacher should encourage students to use their imagination.

Step II  Reading

Deal with the reading part.

Scanning

Ask the students to scan the text and find out what Tony looks like.

T: Ok. I’m glad you had a heated discussion. Now I’d like you to meet Tony-- a robot that looks exactly like a human being. He is a character in the science fiction Satisfaction Guaranteed by Isaac Asimov. Please read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

Show the following questions on the PowerPoint.

1. What did Tony look like?

2. What did Tony do to make Claire and her home elegant?

Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.

Suggested answer:

1. He was tall and handsome although his facial expressions never changed. His hair was smooth and black and his voice was deep.

2. Tony gave Claire a new haircut and changed the makeup she wore. He also suggested Claire buy new curtains, cushions, a carpet and paint for the house and new dresses for herself. He made improvements on the house so that the house looked very elegant.

Careful reading

Comprehending questions on Page 12

Ask students to read the text carefully and then discuss the comprehending questions on Page 12 in groups.

T: Now let’s read the text carefully and then do the comprehending exercises on Page 12.

Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.

Suggested answers:

1.1. He opened the curtains so that the other women—Claire‘s guests could see them.

1.2 He had prevented Claire from harming herself through her own sense of failure.

1.3 Because the company (designers) cannot have women falling in love with machines.

1.4 Various answers can be accepted.

1.5 When she first saw the robot, she felt alarmed. Tony didn’t look like a machine at all.

She felt embarrassed when Tony asked her whether she needed help dressing.

Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.

She was amazed by the fingernails and the softness and warmth of his skin.

She screamed, pushed him away and ran to her room for the rest of the day.

What a sweet victory to be envied by those women. She might not as beautiful as them, but none of them had such a handsome lover. Then she remembered—Tony was just a machine. She cried all night.

2.

Claire’s emotion development

After dealing with the comprehending exercises, ask students to work together to find how Claire’s emotion developed.

Suggested answer:

At first refused to have Tony at her house---accept him----trust him---- proud of him----love him---sad to remember he was just a machine

T: From her emotion development, we can see Tony was designed as a Mr. Perfect. He is designed not to harm Claire or allow her to be harmed. This is one of Isaac’s three laws for robots. Later in this unit we will learn more about his three laws.

Characteristics of science fiction

T: As you know, the story was written in 1951. With the development of science, some of the functions performed by Tony have come true. From this story we can draw a conclusion:

Science fiction is often based on scientific principles and technology.

Science fiction may make predictions about life in the future.

Please remember these are some characteristics of science fiction. If you are interested, you may write short science fictions in your spare time.

Explanation

During this procedure Teacher will play the tape recording for students. Students will underline the difficult sentences. After listening to the tape, Teacher will explain the text and deal with language problems.

T: Now we will deal with some difficult language focuses. Now I will play the recording of the text for you. Please make a mark where you have difficulties.

After listening to the recording, explain the difficult sentences to students. Before explaining the difficult points, students are asked to refer to the notes to the text on Page88-89. 

T: Do you have any difficulties with the text？

S1:Could you please explain the sentence to us：She felt embarrassed and quickly told him to go. T: Because Tony didn’t look like a machine at all, when Tony offered to help her get dressed, she was embarrassed, perhaps shy to get a “man” help her dressing.

S2: How to understand this sentence: Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.

T: In spite of the fact that Tony looked so human, he was just a machine. So Claire thought it was foolish that Tony offered her sympathy. Do you have any other questions?

Ss: No.

T: Maybe someday we will have robots that have feelings and can also think for themselves. Please remember science fiction reflects scientific thought; things-to-come based on things-on-hand. Ok, that’s all for today. Don’t forget to surf the internet to learn more about the great writer and his stories. Of course you will learn more about robots.

Step III   Homework:

Remember the characteristics of science fiction.

Surf the internet to learn more about robots and science fiction.

Surf the internet to learn about Isaac Asimov.

Period Three for Learning about language

Teaching Aims: Learn the following words: turn around, accompany, curtain, envy, alarm, cushion, etc.

Contents:

be designed to do sth./ for sth. /as sth.

为某目的或用途而设计或制造

carry out  进行，开展，执行（后常跟plan, order等词）

Carry on （with）继续开展，进行下去

Carry  through　完成，将．．进行到底

Carry off　　携走，夺走

Carry away　搬走，拿走；冲昏头脑

satisfaction (u.)满意，满足　　
(c.)令人满意或带来乐趣的事物
express one’s satisfaction with/at对表示满意

satisfactory (adj.) 满意的，如意的

satisfy (vt.)使某人满意

satisfied (adj.)感到满意的

satisfying (adj.)令人满意的

e.g. 1. In old age, he finally had the satisfaction of seeing the quality of his work recognized.

2. The result of the experiment was satisfactory.

3. We want a satisfactory explanation of your lateness.

4. Nothing satisfies her. She is always complaining.

5. Look. You’ve broken my watch. Now are you satisfied?

6. Are you really satisfied with yourself?

desire (vt.)  想要，希望得到

                   desire to do sth.

                   desire sth.

                   desire sb. to do sth.

                   desire that sb. (should) do

(n.)  at one’s desire照某人的希望

       get one’s desire得到所希望的东西

       meet one’s desire满足某人的希望

       leave much to be desired有许多不足之处

       leave nothing to be desired尽善尽美

absent (adj.) 不在的，　缺席的，缺少的，

     to be absent  from a friend　和朋友分离

     to be absent from home/school/ office不在家，缺课，缺勤

     to be absent without excuse　擅自缺席

alarm (n.) 警报，惊慌，恐慌

     give the alarm=raise the alarm　发警报

     take the alarm at　对．．感到吃惊

    a fire alarm　火警

    a false alarm　虚惊一场

    in alarm　　惊慌，担心

    sound the alarm　响警报，吹警笛

alarm (vt.) 使惊慌，使惊动

  be alarmed at (the news) 被那消息吓了一跳

 be alarmed for the safety of  担心．．．的安全

Don’t alarm yourself. 不要惊慌．

Period Four for Using Language:

Teaching Aims: Ask the students to listen to a the story and tick the correct boxes and then learn the following words: explanation, navy, talent, chapter and divorce.

Contents:

1. Reading the questions and then listen again. Answer the questions:

  1. What does Kate think the difference between robots and humans is?

  2. How does Kate think Claire was hurting herself?

  3. Why would one of the girls like a robot like Tony living at her house?

  4. What is the joke that Kate makes?

  5. What does Kate think the company’s biggest mistake was?

2. Fill in the blanks with the following words and make sense in the sentences:

  think    maybe    suppose   wonder    guess   believe

3. Ask the students to imagine something that happens in the future and discuss what they imagine.

4. Read the passage: A biography of Isaac Asimov and then complete the timeline of the events in his life.