Unit 18 Inventions
Ⅰ.Brief Statements Based on the Unit
This unit provides the students good English language materials.Their interest in creating something useful will be aroused.In the first period,we’ll begin with how the students come to school.Then problems such as flat tyre will come up.In order to solve the problem,we’ll see a new type of bicycle and other new inventions.While talking about them,the students’ speaking ability will be improved.Listening is about two men,who want patents.After listening to it,the students will improve their listening ability.And students will practise how to express and support an
opinion in the speaking part.In the second period,the text will be dealt with.The students’ interest of creation will be greatly aroused.Students will improve their reading ability as well as master the useful words and expressions.In the third period,some useful words and expressions will be
mastered by the students after they finish the exercises.Also,the Attributive clause is reviewed in this period.In the last period,students will learn some useful words and expressions from the reading passage.And the students are asked to write an article describing a computer to improve their writing ability.After Ss study the whole unit,their abilities to listen,speak,read and write will be improved.
Ⅱ.Teaching Goals
1.Talk about inventions.
2.Practise expressing and supporting an opinion. 3.Review the Attributive Clause. 4.Write a process essay. Ⅲ.Background Information 1.Practical Computer English
Cannot open list file(不能打开清单文件) Cannot open run file(不能打开运行文件) Compare process ended(比较处理结束)
Compare more files(Y/N)(还作文件比较吗？) Copy complete(拷贝完成)
Copy another(Y/N)（还要拷贝另一个吗？） Under finded line number(未定义行号) Directory entries adjusted(目录页已调整) Disk boot failure(磁盘自举失败) Disk not compatible(磁盘不兼容) Data record too large(数据记录太大) Entry error(登记项错误)
Error loading operating system(装入操作系统的错误) File sharing conflict(文件共享的冲突) Files are different sizes(文件大小不同) Files compare OK(文件比较成功) Incorrect parameter(参数不正确)
Insufficient disk space(磁盘空间不足) Insufficient memory(内存空间不足) Can’t continue(不可能继续)
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Device fault(设备故障)
Device I/O error(I/O设备错) Device timeout(设备超时) Disk full(磁盘满)
Disk write protect(磁盘写保护) Disk not ready(磁盘没准备好) Division by zero(除数为零) Duplicate definition(重复定义) File already exists(文件已经存在) File already open(文件已打开) File not found(文件没找到)
FOR without NEXT(For语句中没有对应的next语句) Illegal direct(非法的直接使用) Illegal function call(非法函数调用)
Incorrect DOS version(不正确的DOS版本) Internal error(内部错误) out of data(数据不够) out of memory(超内存) out of paper(打印纸不够) overflow(溢出)
Path not found(路径没找到) String too long(字符串过长)
Subscript out of range(下标范围不够) Syntax error(句法错误) Too many files(文件过多) Type mismatch(类型不匹配) Access denied(存取被拒绝)
Backup file sequence error(后备文件顺序错误)
Bad or missing command interpreter(非法的或缺少命令解释程序) Bad partition table(非法的区分表) Bad unit(非法的装置)
Batch file missing(批处理文件丢失)
Cannot execute FORMAT(不能执行FORMAT) Cannot find system files(找不到系统文件) Cannot open overlay(不能打开覆盖段) 2.TV of the Future
Where is television going from here?Television,the box itself and what it does,is changing greatly.While nobody is really sure what it’s going to look like,TV and the Internet are coming silently together.In the old days of broadcasting,people used to say that the real miracle(奇迹)of television was turning air into money.The television miracle of the future is interactive(相互影响的).
“The Internet is the most significant change in creating what becomes the next mass media that I think any of us will experience in our lifetime,”says Tom Frank,a network expert.Using unused lines in the TV spectrum(范围),broadcasters are learning how to put brand-new interactivity into
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TV programs.There will be a little instrument that will indicate that interactivity is present and possible.Then,just will a standard remote control like this you would be able to press one button and say,start that interactivity.A menu would appear,similar to the one on a web site,that would let you interact with the program as it was being broadcast.If you are watching a cooking show,for example,you can print the recipe(烹饪法)or even pause the show and buy the ingredients.Many web sites do exist now where you can actually get your food shopping done for yourself and delivered to your house.So you can order the very ingredients for the dish you are watching the chef make on TV.And it will bring the right quantity of things directly to your house.
You could also interact with TV commercials.While you’re watching a commercial,you have the choice to buy the clothes the actors are wearing.Of course,the more you interact with this new sort of TV,the more you leave a digital record,and the more advertisers learn about your shopping habits.In fact,TV ads might be targeted at this special group of people who share a common interest.In the future,almost anything might be possible.Even news programs like World News Tonight could be improved.You could have the choice of changing camera angles.If you
wanted,you could pause what a reporter is saying and go back to World News Tonight to watch the next story,or skip to the last story in the show,or perhaps go deeper into a topic and view an interview prepared for Nightline later on.In the near future,you’re expected to see television
develop to become more like the Internet,meaning more choice,the ability to do the sorts of things you want to do at the moment you wish to do them. Ⅳ.Teaching Time:Five periods
The First Period
Teaching Aims:
1.Improve the students’ listening ability.
2.Talk about some topics about inventions and practise supporting an opinion. 3.Learn and master some useful words and expressions. Teaching Important Point:
Train the students’ listening and speaking abilities by talking about and listening to some materials. Teaching Difficult Points:
1.How to help students to improve their listening ability.
2.How to help the students to learn to express and support an opinion. Teaching Methods:
1.Discussion to make students talk about inventions.
2.Individual or pair work to make students practise their speaking ability. 3.Listening practice to improve the students’ listening ability. Teaching Aids: 1.the multimedia 2.the blackboard 3.some cards
Teaching Procedures: ?Step Ⅰ Greetings
Greet the whole class as usual.
?Step Ⅱ Warming-up and Discussion
T:(Walk to one student.)How do you come to school every day,Wang Jing?
S:I come to school on foot every day.My home is quite near.It only takes me about ten minutes.
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T:That’s quite convenient.You’re lucky.And,Li Fang,how about you?
S:I come to school by bike.It takes me about 15 minutes to get to our school.
T:You must be careful on your way to and from school.There must be many people on the road.Do you think it convenient?
S:Most of the time it is,but sometimes my bike has a flat tyre.I have to get it repaired and therefore I’ll be late for school.Once I even lost my bike.When I went to get it,it was gone.I had to take a taxi to go home and buy another bike.
T:I’m sorry to hear that.But suppose a new type of bike has been invented,what do you want it to be like?
S:I think the new type of bike can be folded up and carried about so that it will not be stolen. T:Good idea.But this is not very convenient.It’s not easy for you to carry a bike around,is it? S:No,it isn’t.What should it look like then?Please tell us. T:OK.Let’s watch the short video.
(Play the video for explaining how an inflatable bicycle works.)
T:That’s the new type of bike.It’s a kind of inflatable bicycle.Who can tell us the advantages of it? S:Let me have a try.We’ll not have to worry about having our bikes stolen again.Because we can let the air out and put the bike in bag.It’s very convenient to be carried around since it is not heavy. T:Very good.I think I’ll buy one when it is on sale.We know that inventions can make our life easier and better.Today we’ll talk about some inventions.
(Stick the pictures of electric shoes,inflatable bicycle,edible chopsticks and nose-top computer on the blackboard and then mark one,two,three and four.)
① ②
③ ④
T:Look at these pictures,please.Do you know what they are?Li Jie,will you have a try? S:I think the second invention is the inflatable bike that we’ve just talked about.In the third
picture,the man is eating the chopsticks after his meal.I guess these chopsticks are edible ones.I’m not sure about the others.
T:Good.You’re right.The second one is the inflatable bicycle.(Bb:inflatable bicycle)and the third are edible chopsticks.(Bb:edible chopsticks)They’re delicious and environmentally friendly. We can save some trees and have a snack at the same time.They come in five different flavours. You will never need to wash chopsticks again.Isn’t this wonderful?
S:Yes,it’s great.But,Miss Guo,maybe we could invent edible plates,bowls,cups and so on.
T:Oh,you’re great!I’m sure you have got a wonderful idea.Maybe one day you can invent such things.Study hard and you’ll be an inventor in the future.Now,let’s look at the first picture.Who knows what it is?
S:I think it is a special kind of shoe which can make electricity.If we wear such shoes,we can see the road in dark places.We needn’t take a flashlight with us any more.
S:I don’t quite agree with you.Maybe this shoe can make you feel warm using the electricity it makes.
T:You both are very clever.This is called the electric shoe.(Bb:electric shoe)The heel of this shoe is a machine that makes electricity with every step you take.You will never need batteries
again.But maybe you have better ideas about how to make use of the electricity it makes.If you
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like,you could have a try to make your own invention in your spare time.Now,let’s look at the fourth picture.Does anybody have an idea?
S:It looks like a computer which is fixed onto the man’s nose.And the keyboard is on his vest.I can’t believe it.
T:Yes,you’re quite right.This is called the nose-top computer.(Bb:nose-top computer)This new nose-top computer weighs less than a pair of glasses.It fits comfortably on your nose.When you want to type something you can use the keyboard vest.You will never have to carry a heavy laptop computer.These inventions are all wonderful.But which of them do you think would be useful?Please have a discussion in groups of four and tell us why you think so.
(Ss have their discussions in groups of four for about five minutes.Teacher may ask one group to act out their discussion or report their results.) Sample dialogue:
A:I think the inflatable bicycle would be useful.Because it’s convenient to carry and we needn’t worry about having our bikes stolen.
B:That’s quite true,but I think the edible chopsticks are useful.Because it not only saves trees but also saves water.It is very important to save our natural resources and protect our earth.
C:You’re quite right,but I have a different opinion.I think the nose-top computer is useful.Because the computer is used more and more widely.It’s convenient to carry such a computer around when doing business. …
?Step Ⅲ Preparation for Listening
T:We know that when someone has invented something,usually he will go to a patent officer to apply for a patent.Now,let’s listen to two dialogues.In these two dialogues,Mr Dean and Mr Scoles both have invented something.They’re trying to get the patent for their inventions from the patent officer.Before we listen to the tape,go through the questions on Page 15 by yourselves,and see what we should do after listening. ?Step Ⅳ Listening
T:(A few minutes later.)Are you ready? Ss:Yes.
T:OK.Listen carefully and answer the questions first on your own and then check your answers with your partner.
(Play the tape twice for students to listen to and then answer the questions.Play it a third time for students to check their answers.Allow the students a few minutes to check their answers in pairs.At last,check the answers with the whole class.) ?Step ⅤSpeaking
T:Well done.Now,you’ve known how to apply for a patent.Let’s play a game.Each of you will be given a role card.Work in groups of five:four inventors and one patent officer.Each inventor should explain how the invention works and why it is useful.The patent officers should ask questions and decide if each invention is a good idea or not.And I’ll show you some useful expressions to help you.
(Hand out the role cards and show the useful expressions on the multimedia.) Useful Expressions:
This invention can help people… What does it look like?
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