Unit 6 The Greatest Invention
教学目的：带领学生了解作者生平，著作，作品特色，以及文中提到的相关背景知识。
初中数学教材学习本文作为现代寓言的文体特征，及其在文中的表现方式。
学习文中大量常用表达方式的运用。
通过课文主题的分析和学生的自主讨论使学生对科学的目的，科
学对社会的作用，科学家的动力等话题有所思考并能得出自己的
结论。
教学内容讲述作者生平，著作，作品特色以及文中提到的细菌战争，使学生认识到细菌战对人类的危害。
番禺美食通过精彩的故事线索对课文进行分析
通过神幻小说，寓言，现代寓言的讲解使学生了解相近文体的相
同与不同。
学生讨论升华对课文的理解。
教学重点 1. 课文的理解与分析与学生对主题的讨论
2．了解现代寓言
教学方法讲授，问答，讨论，练习
Background information
1. Lord Dunsany
Lord Dunsany (July 24, 1878 - October 25, 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist. His full name was Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany. Edward Plunkett was born on July 24, 1878 to John William Plunkett, 17th Baron Dunsany (1853 - 1899) and his wife Ernle Grosvenor. He was a relative of the Roman Catholic Saint Oliver Plunkett, the martyred Archbishop of Armagh. Lord Dunsany was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst. He rved as an officer during the Boer War, and in World War I. He was a keen huntsman, and sportsman, and was at one time the chess and pistol champion of Ireland. His fame aro, however, from his prolific writings of short stories, novels, plays and poetry, reportedly mostly written with a quill pen. His most notable fantasy short st
ories were published in collections from 1905 to 1919: he had to pay for publication of the first, "The Gods of Pegana". The stories were t within an invented world, with its own gods, history and geography. His significance within the genre of fantasy writing is considerable. 2．Germ warfare
Germ is an informal term for a dia-causing organism, particularly bacteria. Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the u of any organism (bacteria, virus or other dia-causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. It is meant to incapacitate or kill an adversary.
Biological warfare is a cau for concern becau a successful attack could conceivably result in thousands, possibly even millions, of deaths and could cau vere disruptions to societies and economies. However the connsus among military analysts is that except in the context of bioterrorism, biological warfare is militarily of little u.
Theme of the story
In today’s world, ordinary people may have access to the most dangerous weapons of mass destruction. It is possible for a few individuals to hold the whole of humanity as hostage. It is not easy to find a solution. But now is the time to start thinking.
What is the purpo of science. It can bring happiness to us. But it can also turn out to be Pandora’s box .What should scientists do in the circumstance?
What is the driving force of scientific development? Should science always aim at rving a practical need?
Writing skills
Type of writing
Fantasy, fable and modern fable
Fantasy
It is a situation imagined by an individual or group, which does not correspond with reality but express certain desires or aims of its
creator.
Fantasies typically involve situations which are impossible (such as the existence of magic powers)
or highly unlikely (such as world peace) In literature fantasy is a form of fiction, usually novels or short stories.
As a genre, fantasy is both associated and contrasted with science fiction and horror fiction.
"Fantasy" ems rerved for fiction that features magic, brave knights, damls in distress, mythical beasts, and quests.
Fable
a short moral story (often with animal characters)
In its strict n a fable is a short story or folk tale with a moral at the end. It often, but not necessarily, makes metaphorical u of an
animal as its central character. In some cas usage the term has been
extended to include stories with mythical or legendary elements. An
author of fables is a fabulist.
Notable fabulists and their works
Aesop Stone Soup
Berechiah ha-Nakdan The Little Engine that Could
Jean de La Fontaine Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Ivan Krylov Watership Down
Marie de France The Lion King
Modern fable
室内手绘fabled characters of more modern archetypes
using familiar characters in an unfamiliar tting
introduce people’s characters in modern life
updated message with contemporary circumstance and plot line
Question: Which writing style does this story belong to?
Language points (words and expressions)
1. I was tired of looking at the tropical a, so I went ashore and walked into a tavern to e if they had any decent wines in that countr y. (par a5)
go ashore: go to the shore
prefix “a-”加在名词、动词、形容词前，构成副词或表语形容词
They were walking abreast. (side by side)
He was standing a few steps apart from them.
She left the door ajar.（slightly open 半开）
Many of tho visitors came from afar (far away).
decent: acceptable, good enough
a decent meal/job/hou/ hotel decent clothes/ wages
2. When the bottle had been uncorked and the wine poured out, like liquid tropical sunlight, I watched it go down under that black mustache. (para5)
The bottle was opened and the wine was poured out. The man with black mustache drank it up although it was pretty strong, like hot liquid sunlight. liquid: (literacy) clear, shining like water
晶莹的蓝眼睛liquid blue eyes
3. W e aimed at the mastery of the whole Caribbean. (para6)
中西医结合执业医师It was our purpo to have complete control of the whole Caribbean.
The enemy had complete mastery(the status of master or control) of the as and no ships could get through.
Everybody was impresd by her quick mastery(full command of a subject)of tho complicated theories.
4. …he was not at all what one would regard as the figure of a soldier. (par a11)
the figure of a soldier: the kind of person one would expect to e as a soldier, tall and strong
figure
Y ou have to watch our diet if you want to keep your figure. shape
the exact figure number
both a political and a religious figure person
to play the figure of a judge character
5. Our Minister … was a cavalry officer and could not adapt his ideas to modern science. He thought of war simply as an opportunity for cavalry charges and fine uniforms and glory. (para12)
cavalry charges: rushes to attack the enemy on horback
1. The hotel charged me $50 for a room for the night. (ask in payment)
金枝玉叶的意思2. Suddenly the wild animal charged at us. (rush to attack)
3. He was charged with murder and betrayal. (to accu formally of a crime)
4. The soldiers charged their guns and prepared to fire. (to load)
5. He is always charged with strength and power. (to take in the correct amount of electricity/power)
6. “W e had to get rid of him in order to fulfill our just aspirations.” (para12)
get rid of him: to get him out of the way or remove him from office
fulfill our just aspirations: to achieve our just goals
a just ruler a just cau just derts a just appraisal
honorable and fair公正的
consistent with what is morally right; righteous 正义的
properly due or merited 应得的
bad on fact or sound reason; well-founded 有根有据的
7. Once, if a nation had twelve battleships it was a Great Pow er…(par a16)
It refers to the 19th century when colonialists and imperialists pursued gunboat diplomacy.炮舰外交）
Gunboat diplomacy: the u of a threat or show of armed force by a country to support a claim, demand, complaint, etc. against another.
8. But what if we know how to let loo a plague capable of destroying whole nations? (para16)
what if: what would happen if
let loo: to let sb. or sth. go free
plague: any dia causing death and spreading quickly to a large number of
people
我们把画移到这儿怎么样?
What if we move the picture over here?
你不该用这种方式发泄愤慨.
Y ou should not let loo your indignation in this way.
A great many people have been swept away by the plague.
That child is a plague of her life.
The little boy plagued his father by begging over and over to go to the zoo.
思想作风
Y ou’ve be en plaguing me with silly questions all day!
9. “W e looked for a new and deadlier germ.” (para18)
deadly (adj.): very dangerous, likely to cau death
Cf. deadly poison deadly enemy deadly silence
deadly (adv.): deadly rious deadly boring
Cultural notes:
the ven deadly sins
Tho faults in a person's character which are thought to be the cau of all evil actions. Ranked in order of verity (worst sins listed first) as in Dante's Divine Comedy, the ven deadly sins are:
1. pride (vanity) — a desire to be important or attractive to others or excessive
比亚迪创始人
love of lf 傲慢
2. envy (jealousy) —rentment of others for their posssions 嫉妒
3. wrath (anger) — inappropriate (unrighteous) feelings of hatred, revenge 暴怒
4. sloth— laziness; idleness and wastefulness of time 懒惰
5. avarice (covetousness, greed) — a desire to posss more than one has need or
u for 贪婪
6. gluttony — wasting of food 饕餮
7. lust — unlawful xual desire 淫欲
10. “W e knew that we had marvelous powers within our grasp, if only Carasierra could be kept at his work.” (para18)
have sth. within one’s grasp: to be able to achieve or attain sth.
keep sb. at sth.: to force sb. to continue to do sth.
Success is within our grasp now.
现在我们已有成功的把握了.
厦门春节旅游攻略她唾手可得一个很好的职位.
She has an excellent position within her grasp.
To do exerci once in awhile is not enough. Y ou’ve got to keep at it.
He keeps at his studies, although he is ill.
Keep at him for payment.
11. “Always spurred on by a fierce ambition. His very life was devoted to making inventions.” (para20)
