Step one Introduction 1.Warm-up questions: Give the students the following topics to discuss and then ask them to answer these questions (1)What's the weather like in your hometown?Do you like it?Why or why not? (2)Have you ever noticed any changes in your hometown or in the city you're now living in?What are they? (3)Do you have any idea of the greenhouse effect?How does it affect the temperature on Earth? 2.Introductory Remark When we read newspaper or watch news on TV,frequently we come across terms such as "greenhouse effect","global warming crisis",etc.What is the "greenhouse effect"?What does it mean by the"global warming"?How is it that it has become a crisis?It is good if you know and even can explain these terms in English,and if not,well,never mind,for Isaac Asimov provides an explanation both interesting and easy to understand in The Villain in the Atmosphere 3.Background Information (1)About the author Isaac Asimov(1920-1992)was a Russian-bom American author and biochemist a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books.He wrote or edited over 500 volumes and is by general consensus a master of the science-fiction genre. (2)About the article The Villain in the Atmosphere,originally titled Are We Drowning Our Tomorrows?,was first published in 1986.This article is intended as an explanation of the process called the "greenhouse effect"and the possible impacts of"global warming"on our planet,though all these particular terms do not appear in his writing. (3)Global WarmingStep one Introduction 1. Warm-up questions: Give the students the following topics to discuss and then ask them to answer these questions. (1) What’s the weather like in your hometown? Do you like it? Why or why not? (2) Have you ever noticed any changes in your hometown or in the city you’re now living in? What are they? (3) Do you have any idea of the greenhouse effect? How does it affect the temperature on Earth? 2. Introductory Remarks When we read newspaper or watch news on TV, frequently we come across terms such as “greenhouse effect”, “global warming crisis”, etc. What is the “greenhouse effect”? What does it mean by the “global warming”? How is it that it has become a crisis? It is good if you know and even can explain these terms in English, and if not, well, never mind, for Isaac Asimov provides an explanation both interesting and easy to understand in The Villain in the Atmosphere. 3. Background Information (1) About the author Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a Russian-born American author and biochemist, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. He wrote or edited over 500 volumes and is by general consensus a master of the science-fiction genre. (2) About the article The Villain in the Atmosphere, originally titled Are We Drowning Our Tomorrows? , was first published in 1986. This article is intended as an explanation of the process called the “greenhouse effect” and the possible impacts of “global warming” on our planet, though all these particular terms do not appear in his writing. (3) Global Warming