Unit One Technology in Reverse
Unit One Technology in Reverse
I.Teaching Aims: To get the students know the style of an exposition. To have the students understand the satirical words and sentences used in the essay. To get students grasp the key words and sentences structures
I. Teaching Aims: ◼ To get the students know the style of an exposition. ◼ To have the students understand the satirical words and sentences used in the essay. ◼ To get students grasp the key words and sentences structures
II.Teaching Importance and Difficulties: Understand the author's main purpose of writing the essay. Know the writing strategies of the text. Grasp the key language points in the text. III.Teaching periods:6 periods
◼ Understand the author’s main purpose of writing the essay. ◼ Know the writing strategies of the text. ◼ Grasp the key language points in the text. III. Teaching periods: 6 periods II. Teaching Importance and Difficulties:
IV.Teaching steps: 1.Warm-up Questions: 1)How has modern technology influenced our lives? 2)Some one once pointed out that modern men are becoming the slaves of the modern technology,what is your view?
1. Warm-up Questions: 1) How has modern technology influenced our lives? 2) Some one once pointed out that modern men are becoming the slaves of the modern technology, what is your view? IV. Teaching steps:
2.Information related to the text: 1)About the author:Robert J.Samuelson(1945-) Born Robert Jacob Samuelson on December 23,1945 is a contributing editor of Newsweek and Washington Post.Samuelson was named one of the "100 Most Influential Business Journalists"of 1998 by The Journalist and Financial Reporter newsletter.Robert Samuelson joined Newsweek as a contributing editor in 1984.One of the magazine's most recognized writers,his bi-weekly columns analyze and report socioeconomic issues. In addition to his Newsweek column,Samuelson writes a bi-weekly column, which appears in The Washington Post,The Los AngelesTimes,The Bosion Globe and other papers.His columns are sold in syndication by The Washington Post Writers Group.In 2001,a collection of his columns from Newsweek and The Washington Post was published in a book entitled,"Untruth:Why the Conventional Wisdom Is [Almost Always]Wrong,"by Random House. Samuelson is a graduate of Harvard University with a B.A.in government.Based in Newsweek's Washington bureau,he lives in Bethesda,Md.,with his wife Judith Herr,their daughter and two sons
2. Information related to the text: 1)About the author: Robert J. Samuelson (1945-) Born Robert Jacob Samuelson on December 23, 1945 is a contributing editor of Newsweek and Washington Post. Samuelson was named one of the "100 Most Influential Business Journalists" of 1998 by The Journalist and Financial Reporter newsletter. Robert Samuelson joined Newsweek as a contributing editor in 1984. One of the magazine's most recognized writers, his bi-weekly columns analyze and report socioeconomic issues. In addition to his Newsweek column, Samuelson writes a bi-weekly column, which appears in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and other papers. His columns are sold in syndication by The Washington Post Writers Group. In 2001, a collection of his columns from Newsweek and The Washington Post was published in a book entitled, "Untruth: Why the Conventional Wisdom Is [Almost Always] Wrong," by Random House. Samuelson is a graduate of Harvard University with a B.A. in government. Based in Newsweek's Washington bureau, he lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife Judith Herr, their daughter and two sons
2)About the text:In the exposition,the author defines the term"retarded technology",which creates new and expensive ways of doing things that were once done simply and inexpensively,or even doing things that needn't doing at all.His purpose is to give a wry look at the less obvious disadvantages of innovative application of technology.By listing plenty of examples,the author illustrates that technology may not always push the world ahead,and that it sometimes holds it back.What the author is concerned with is the prevailing misuse of technology that is ordained by our ego and money
2) About the text: In the exposition, the author defines the term “retarded technology”, which creates new and expensive ways of doing things that were once done simply and inexpensively, or even doing things that needn’t doing at all. His purpose is to give a wry look at the less obvious disadvantages of innovative application of technology. By listing plenty of examples, the author illustrates that technology may not always push the world ahead, and that it sometimes holds it back. What the author is concerned with is the prevailing misuse of technology that is ordained by our ego and money
3.Detailed Study of the Text: Text Analysis The essay can be divided into 3 parts. Part I(Para.1):The author defines the term "retarded technology· Part II(Para.2-Para.9):By listing plenty of examples of retarded technology,the author expresses his doubt about the pro-technology theory;then explores the reason why people are frivolous about retarded technology. Part III(Para.10-Para.11):In the conclusion,the author mentions the arithmetic trouble with retarded technology with self-evident truth:a standard notebook is far simple and cheaper that "personal digital assistants"when performing the same function
Text Analysis The essay can be divided into 3 parts. Part I(Para. 1): The author defines the term “retarded technology”. Part II(Para. 2—Para. 9): By listing plenty of examples of retarded technology, the author expresses his doubt about the pro-technology theory; then explores the reason why people are frivolous about retarded technology. Part III(Para. 10—Para. 11): In the conclusion, the author mentions the arithmetic trouble with retarded technology with self-evident truth: a standard notebook is far simple and cheaper that “personal digital assistants” when performing the same function. 3. Detailed Study of the Text:
Part I (Para.1): In this part,the author mainly defines the term "retarded technology".Here,the following two points need to be noticed:1)the author by no means disapproves of all technology,because he classifies technology into two categories,"advanced technology and "retarded technology",then setting the tone of the essay:to discuss the misconception and misuse of technology.2)".made waste respectable,elaborate, alluring and even fun"is explained in Para.7 by "social Status,Adult Play,The Mount Everest Effect. Q:What is“retarded technology”and what is“advanced technology"?How do they differ from each other?
Part I (Para. 1): In this part, the author mainly defines the term “retarded technology”. Here, the following two points need to be noticed: 1) the author by no means disapproves of all technology, because he classifies technology into two categories, “advanced technology” and “retarded technology”, then setting the tone of the essay: to discuss the misconception and misuse of technology. 2) “.made waste respectable, elaborate, alluring and even fun” is explained in Para. 7 by “social Status, Adult Play, The Mount Everest Effect.” Q: What is “retarded technology” and what is “advanced technology”? How do they differ from each other?
Language points 1.Let me introduce you to retarded technology. The author here implies that technology may not always push the world ahead,and that it sometimes holds it back. Retarded:returning to worse conditions,methods, ideas,etc. e.g.mentally/emotionally retarded A rise in interest rates would severely retard economic growth
1. Let me introduce you to retarded technology. — The author here implies that technology may not always push the world ahead, and that it sometimes holds it back. Retarded: returning to worse conditions, methods, ideas, etc. e.g. mentally/emotionally retarded A rise in interest rates would severely retard economic growth. Language points
2.It has made waste respectable,elaborate, alluring and even fun. Respectable:highly regarded Elaborate:intricate Alluring:attractive
2. It has made waste respectable, elaborate, alluring and even fun. Respectable: highly regarded Elaborate: intricate Alluring: attractive