大学英语精读第三版第二册U5教案.doc

Unit 5 The Villain in the Atmosphere
Teaching Time: 8 hours
Students’ level: non-English majors of the second semester of the 1st year.
Teaching Objectives:
1. Get Ss to know the conditions of the pollution on earth; let the students realize the serious pollution of the earth; analyze the causes of the pollution on the earth; think over and discuss the ways to solve the issue.
2. About the text, Ss should grasp the text content, text structure, basic vocabularies and required grammar points of the section.
Words: atmosphere, compose, conclusion, conference, crash, deadly, emit, extremely, feasibility, fund hazard, indicate, originally, pollute, proceed, signal, smash, survive, type, unfit
Phrases & Expressions: be known as, name after, as to, base on, for one thing...for another, be composed of, as far as sth/sb. be concerned, stick up, give up, set back
Grammar: because of, what do you think of, so/as far as...he concerned
3. About the reading, Ss should acquire the reading skill — using word part clues for word meanings.
4. About the writing, Ss should get to know the writing skill— coherence.
5. About the listening, Ss will finish the Unit 5 directed by the teacher.
Teaching Procedures:
I. Pre-reading Activities
Background information:
1. Glaciers
Glacier, an enduring accumulation of ice, snow, water, rock, and sediment （沉淀物） that moves under the influence of gravity. Glaciers form where the temperature is low enough to allow falling snow to accumulate and slowly transform into ice. This accumulation is most common in the polar regions, but can also occur at high altitudes on mountains even near the equator. Glaciers are complex systems that grow and shrink in response to climate. At the present, glacier ice covers about 15 million sq km (5.8 million sq mi), or 10 percent, of Earth’s land area.
2. Polar ice cap
A polar ice cap is a high-latitude region, centered in the polar region, which is covered in ice.
3. Greenland
An Arctic island nation located in North America by geography, Greenland is a self-governed Danish territory. It is the world’s largest island, and about 81 percent of its surface is covered by ice.

4. Global Warming
Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.
5. Manhattan
Manhattan is one of the five boroughs that comprise the City of New York. It is by far the most densely populated county in the United States and famous for its soaring skyscrapers.
Manhattan (Island) is one of the commercial, financial, and cultural centers of the world. It has many famous landmarks and tourist attractions. They include Broadway, Chinatown, the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Times Square, The United Nations Headquarters, Wall Street, and many churches, colleges, skyscrapers, and theaters. Most of New York’s municipal buildings stand on Manhattan Island. When people think of New York City, they are usually thinking of Manhattan, the core of the city.
6. The British Isles
The British Isles are s group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe consisting of Great Britain (that is England, Scotland and Wales), Ireland and the many smaller adjacent islands. These islands form an archipelago of more than 6,000 islands.
7. Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was born on 2 January 1920 in the former Soviet Union, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He taught biochemistry at Boston University until he retired in 1958 to become a full-time writer. Asimov had been publishing short stories since the late 1930s, and in 1952 published his first novel. The author of the classic Ⅰ, Robot series and The Foundation Trilogy, Asimov wrote more than 400 books and won every major science fiction award. He also wrote popular books and essays on science and technology, earning him the nickname "The Great Explainer." Isaac Asimov died of “heart and kidney failure, which were complications of the HIV infection” on 6 April 1992. HIV was not revealed as the cause of his death until 2002, when his widow Janet published the memoirs It's Been a Good Life.
Warm-up 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?
Introductory Questions for Reading Comprehension
1. Who is the “villain” in the atmosphere?
2. What does carbon dioxide do to plants and animal life on the Earth?
3. What is happening to the sea level? What will the rising sea level do to our life?
4. What does carbon dioxide do to the temperature of the Earth?
5. How come that the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere is going up steadily?
6. So in the final analysis, who are the villains and who are the victims?
7. What should be done?
II. Key Words & Expressions
1. poisonous:
containing poison in itself; very harmful and cause illness or death
a) Dangerously high levels of poisonous chemicals were found in the water.
b) The Ministry of Health warned the general public to be on high alert against poisonous mushrooms, as 16 people have died after eating different kinds of poisonous mushrooms this summer.
2. essential:
absolutely necessary; extremely important
a) The body cannot store Vitamin C so it is essential to have a fresh supply every day.
b) The leadership of the Party is essential to socialist revolution and socialist construction.
3. convert:
1) change one’s opinion, religion, political belief, etc.
a) Bill was converted to Christianity soon after he retired from the army.
b) Kevin is such a stubborn man that not surprisingly his wife failed to convert him.
2) change to or into another form, substance, or state, or from one use or purpose to another
a) Water is converted into steam if it is boiled.
b) My uncle lived in a comfortable home converted from farm buildings some 15 miles to the northwest of the city.
4. tissue:
1) mass of cells forming the body of an animal or of a plant
nThe elderly lady strongly disapproves of the use of fetal tissue for the treatment of people with certain illnesses.
2) thin light paper used esp. for wrapping things, or soft paper which is used for cleaning and is thrown away after use
--The taxi driver always keeps a box of tissues in the taxi.
5. serve as :
be used for a particular purpose
a) Her apartment also serves as her office.
b) That will not serve you as an excuse.
c) In the absence of anything better, the couch would serve as a bed for a couple of nights.
6. liberate:
set free
a) Try to liberate yourself from preconceived ideas.
b) They liberated all the prisoners.
7. apparently: according to appearance; as it seems
a) Not all of what Mr. Blair wrote was false, but much of what was true in his article was apparently lifted from other news reports.
b) The young man was whistling by the window, apparently quite cheerful.
8. in all likelihood:
very probably
a) In all likelihood the flight will be canceled.
b) Interest rates will go up further in all likelihood.
likelihood: probability
There is much/every/no/little likelihood that he’ll be elected for the second term.
8. steadily:
evenly; regularly; gradually
It’s believed that today’s children will be living in a steadily improving environment.
9. beneath:
below; underneath
a)The industrialized world is completely dependent on oil, much of which resides beneath the surface of Middle Eastern countries.
b)After weeks at sea, it was wonderful to feel firm ground beneath our feet once more.
11. starvation:
suffering or death from lack of food
Drought conditions during the 1980s led to widespread starvation in Africa.
starve: v. be hungry; go without food
The explorers starved to death in the desert.
Let's get something to eat; I'm starving.
12. widespread:
found, placed, etc., in many places
a) A widespread flu epidemic affected eighteen Western states.
b) The president was elected to a new term with widespread popular support.
13. structure:
1) the way in which parts are formed into a whole
The family is seen as the primary social structure for meeting the emotional needs of children.
2) anything formed of many parts, esp. a building; any complex whole
Many buildings of the period were steel and cement structure.
14. collapse:
1) fall down or inwards suddenly
a) The building collapsed, trapping thousands of people.
b) Quite a few houses collapsed in the heavy storm last week.
2) fall helpless or unconscious
a) A hiker who collapsed along the snow-covered mountains was rescued after he’d called for help from his cell phone.
b) He collapsed while working and died on the way to hospital.
3) fail suddenly and completely; break down
a) The company collapsed without any sign beforehand.
b) He thought his whole world had collapsed when his wife died.
15. pressure:
1) the action of pressing with force or weight
a) It takes a bit of pressure to make the lid close.
b) The pressure of the water caused the wall of the dam to crack.
2) trouble that causes anxiety and difficulty
a) The pressure of modern life is causing violence, murder, suicide and an obsession with fortune-telling.
His health collapsed under the pressure of work.
16. come about:
take place; happen
a) How did the accident come about?
b) Sometimes it is hard to tell how a quarrel comes about.
17. connection:
relationship between things or events
a) How long will the connection of the new telephone take?
b) The doctor believed that his illness must have had some connection with his diet.
18. transparent:
allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be clearly seen; thin or fine enough to be seen through
a) The silk dress of the model was almost transparent.
b) The greenhouse was transparent all the way round, so the children can see the plants growing.
19. radiation:
the act of radiating heat, light, etc.; sth. which is radiated
a) The building is designed to trap and store radiation from the sun.
b) Nuclear radiation can attack the cells in living tissue.
20. visible:
that can be seen; noticeable to the eye
a) Many stars are hardly visible to the naked eye.
b) Children should wear bright orange when they are riding in the streets so that they are more visible.
21. tend:
v. be likely to
Prices are tending upwards.
Old people tend to get fat.
He tends towards selfishness.
People tend to get fat as they grow older.
22. distinctly:
in a distinct manner; clearly
a) I distinctly remember you promising to keep the secret.
b) He was looking distinctly nervous before the exam this morning.
distinct: adj.
The twins had distinct tastes.
You should make your writing distinct.
23. creep:
1) move slowly and quietly along the ground or a surface
a) The traffic was creeping along at a snail’s pace.
b) I heard a man creeping stealthily up to my door.
2) move or advance slowly and quietly
a) Surveys noted that the company is creeping onto cell phones and other wireless devices.
b) Old age creeps up on you before you realize it.
24. estimate:
calculate roughly the cost, size, value, etc. of sth.
a) I had estimated that the work would take three days; however, it took a week.
b) That’s just an estimate–nobody really knows what the figure is because nobody bothers to calculate it.
25. polar:
of or near the North or South Pole
The latest science tells us that, at the current rate of global warming, polar bears might not make it to the next century.
26. melt:
1) (cause to) become liquid
a) For a very long time the United States was regarded as a “melting pot”.
b) The spring sun melts the snow and the lakes become ice-free by mid-March.
2) gradually become smaller and then disappear
a) Their differences melted away.
b) Her anger melted away when she read the letter.
27. factor:
any of the things that cause or influence sth.
a) There are many factors that influence who will ultimately become the candidate for a party.
b) Ability, industry, and health are factors of success in school.
28. to make matters worse:
with the result that a bad situation is made worse
a) Trying to soothe her only make matters worse.
b) I realized that anything I could say only make matters worse.
29. disappear:
1) go out of sight
a) I saw the plane disappear behind a cloud.
b) The spot disappeared when the shirt was washed.
2) cease to exist; become lost
a) Let’s hope that our difficulties will soon disappear.
b) That species disappeared in the Ice Age.
30. replace:
take the place of
a) Robots are replacing humans for dangerous tasks.
b) Can anything replace parental love?
31. consume:
use; use up
a) Those big powerful cars consume a great deal of fuel.
b) He soon consumed his fortune.
32. perspective:
a particular way of thinking about or viewing sth.
a) The author sees the event in historical perspective.
b) The perspective of the executives on the situation is rather different from that of the workers.
33. nuclear:
of, concerning, or using the nucleus of an atom, atomic energy, or the atom bomb
They claimed that there was evidence that the country supported terrorism and possessed biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.
34. alternative:
(n.) one of two or more possibilities
a) We have no alternative in the matter.
b) One of the alternatives open to the minister is to resign.
(a.) that can be used instead of sth. Else; other; different
They are alternative ways of expressing the same idea.
35. interior
(a. & n.) situated within or inside; inner
a) The interior walls of the building were painted green.
b) The interior of the cave was dark.
36. solar:
of, from, or concerning the sun
A solar cell takes radiation from the sun and converts it into electricity.
36. compete:
try to win sth. in competition with someone else
a) The two nations continued to compete with each other for influence in the resource-rich Third World.
b) These young men competed for the silver medal.
38. military:
relating to the armed forces
a) The government accused the newspaper of preparing to reveal military secrets.
b) The administration became increasingly concerned with military action.
39. apparently:
adv. from appearances alone
He was apparently surprised at the news.
Apparently she did not succeed.
40. fraction:
n. a small part or item forming a piece of a whole
He has done only a fraction of his homework.
The story does not contain a fraction of truth.
41. splash:
vi. cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force; walk throug