Unit 4 Space Exploration
Reading for Writing
【教材分析】
The topic of this part is “Prent an argument about space exploration”.
This ction is about an argument about introducing different benefits of exploring space. Argumentative essays have a stable structure. The first paragraph always prents a certain phenomenon or topic. The body always has the structure of putting up with the supportive or opposing views and their reasons or specific cas. The end always draws a conclusion. In the first paragraph, the author put forward the discusd topic—the benefits of exploring space. In paragraph 2 to paragraph 4, he or she gave 3 pieces of supportive opinions and the reasons or the specific cas. In paragraph 5, we can come to the conclusion—exploring space provides the world with many different benefits.
Therefore, students should be guided to learn the structure and write an essay like this after
reading the argumentative essay. But before doing this, students should understand the main ideas about the article and find the topic ntences of each paragraph.
【教学目标】
1. Read quickly to get the main idea; read carefully to get the detailed information.
2. Learn the characteristics or structures of argumentative essays.
3. Learn to write an argumentative essay.
4. Learn to correct others’ writing.
【教学重难点】
1. Learn the characteristics or structures of argumentative essays.
2. Learn to write an argumentative essay.
【教学过程】
Step 1 Lead in—Small talk
Space exploration has a great number of benefits, but there are also great risks and a large amount of money to spend. So some people support space exploration becau they think it has brought a lot of benefits to humans. But on the other hand, some people think there are a lot of questions to be solved like hunger and dias. Why don’t we spend more money and effort on them? What is your idea and why?
I think we should be in favor of it becau a lot of space technologies have already provided rvice for us common people, like GPS.
I think we should stop it becau we need more money and effort to help the poor, the disabled. What’s wor, there are a lot of risks in space exploration, like the Challenger accident.
Step 2 While reading—Task 1
1. Find the topic ntence of each paragraph.
Para 1 Prent an argument whether exploration space is a waste of time and money.
Para 2 Exploring space has contributed great to the fight against world hunger.
Para 3 Space exploration has already promoted technological improvement.
Para 4 Sending astronauts into space has furthered understanding of the world’s problems and figuring out ways to solve them.
Para 5 Draw a conclusion that exploring space is of great benefit, so we should continue.
2. The main idea of the passage is about an argument about introducing different benefits of exploring space.
Step 3 While reading—Task 2
Read the text and answer the following questions.
Q1: Why are some people against space exploration according to the passage?
Q2: What are the benefits of exploring space?
Q3: What did the picture of Earth from space make people reali?
Q4: What’s the author’s attitude to exploring space?
Step 4 Post reading—Summary
Answers: 1. shallow
2. made a difference
3. promoted
4. think about
5. continue
Step 5 Before writing—Words and phras
Translate the phras from the text.
①launch a satellite发射卫星
②collect data收集数据
③explore space探索太空
④make a difference有很大影响
⑤result in导致
⑥benefit from从中受益
⑦advanced technology先进的技术
⑧meet the requirements满足要求
⑨change our lives改变我们的生活
⑩limited resources有限的资源
⑪be clo to靠近；接近
⑫provide for提供生活所需
⑬promote technological improvement促进技术改进
⑭provide solutions to problems提供解决问题的办法
Step 6 While writing
最近，你班同学就“太空探索是否值得”这一话题展开了一场讨论。请你根据下表提供的信息，用英语写一篇短文介绍讨论的情况，并谈谈自己的看法。
30%的同学认为： | 70%的同学认为： |
1.不值得探索 2.离我们及我们的日常生活太遥远 3.浪费金钱。这些金钱本可用来解决地球上的饥饿、污染等问题 | 1.值得探索 2.已使用卫星进行通讯传播、天气预报 3.有望解决地球人口问题、地球能源短缺问题 |
| |
Step 7 While writing—the outline
Paragraph 1：Recently, students in our class have had a discussion on whether space is worth exploring.
Paragraph 2：30% of us think space exploration is not worthwhile.
Paragraph 3：On the other hand, 70% think space is worth exploring.
Paragraph 4：As far as I am concerned, it is worthwhile to explore the space.
Step 8 While writing—words and phras
①have a heated discussion 举行热烈的讨论
②be worth doing 值得做
③hold different ideas 持有不同的观点
