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Unit 6 The Greatest Invention
教学目的：
带领学生了解
作者生平，著作，作品特色，以及文中提到的相关
背景知识。
学习本文作为现代寓言的文体特征，及其在文中的表现方式。
学习文中大量常用表达方式的运用。
通过课文主题的分析和学生的自主讨论使学生对科学的目的，
科
学对社会的作用，
科学家的动力等话题有所思考并能得出自己的
结论。
教学内容
讲述作者生平，著作，作品特色以及文中提到的细菌战争，使
学
生认识到细菌战对人类的危害。
通过精彩的故事线索对课文进行分析
通过神幻小说，
寓言，
现代寓言的讲解使学生了解相近文体的相
同与不同。
学生讨论升华对课文的理解。
教学重点
1.
课文的理解与分析与学生对主题的讨论
2
．了解现代寓言
教学方法
讲授，问答，讨论，练习
Background information
1. Lord Dunsany
Lord Dunsany
(July 24, 1878 - October 25, 1957) was an Irish
writer and dramatist.
His full name was
Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron
Dunsany.
Edward Plunkett was born on
July 24, 1878 to John William Plunkett, 17th Baron
Dunsany (1853 - 1899) and his wife
Ernle Grosvenor. He was a relative of the Roman
Catholic Saint Oliver Plunkett, the
martyred Archbishop of Armagh. Lord Dunsany
was educated at Eton College and
Sandhurst. He served as an officer during the Boer
War, and in World War I. He was a keen
huntsman, and sportsman, and was at one
time the chess and pistol champion of
Ireland. His fame arose, however, from his
prolific writings of short stories,
novels, plays and poetry, reportedly mostly
written
with a quill pen. His most
notable fantasy short stories were published in
collections
from 1905 to 1919: he had
to pay for publication of the first,
The stories were set within an invented
world, with its own gods, history and
geography. His significance within the
genre of fantasy writing is considerable.
2
．
Germ warfare
Germ is an informal term for a disease-
causing organism, particularly bacteria.
Biological warfare, also known as germ
warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria,
virus or other disease-causing
organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of
war.
It is meant to incapacitate or
kill an adversary.
Biological warfare is a cause for
concern because a successful attack could
conceivably result in thousands,
possibly even millions, of deaths and could cause
severe disruptions to societies and
economies. However the consensus among military
analysts is that except in the context
of bioterrorism, biological warfare is militarily
of
little use.
Theme of the story
In today’s world, ordinary people may
have access to the most dangerous weapons
of mass destruction. It is possible for
a few individuals to hold the whole of humanity
as hostage. It is not easy to find a
solution. But now is the time to start thinking.
What is the purpose of
science. It can bring happiness to us. But it can
also turn out
to be Pandora’s
box
.What should scientists do in the
circumstance?
What
is
the
driving
force
of
scientific
development?
Should
science
always
aim
at
serving a
practical need?
Writing skills
Type of writing
Fantasy, fable and modern fable
Fantasy
?
It is a
situation imagined by an individual or group,
which does not
correspond
with
reality
but
expresses
certain
desires
or
aims
of
its
creator.
?
Fantasies typically involve situations
which are impossible (such as
the
existence of magic powers) or highly unlikely
(such as world peace)
?
In literature fantasy is a form of
fiction, usually novels or short
stories.
?
As a
genre, fantasy is both associated and contrasted
with science
fiction and horror
fiction.
?
seems
reserved
for
fiction
that
features
magic,
brave
knights, damsels in
distress, mythical beasts, and quests.
Fable
?
a short moral story (often with animal
characters)
?
In its strict sense a fable is a short
story or folk tale with a moral at
the
end.
It
often,
but
not
necessarily,
makes
metaphorical
use
of
an
animal
as
its
central
character.
In
some
cases
usage
the
term
has
been
extended
to
include
stories
with
mythical
or
legendary
elements.
An
author of fables is a
fabulist.
Notable fabulists
and their works
Aesop
Stone Soup
Berechiah ha-Nakdan
The Little Engine that Could
Jean de La Fontaine
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Ivan Krylov
Watership Down
Marie de France
The Lion King
Modern fable
?
fabled characters of more modern
archetypes
?
using familiar characters in an
unfamiliar setting
?
introduce people’s characters in modern
life
?
updated message with contemporary
circumstance and plot line
Question: Which writing style does this
story belong to?
Language
points (words and expressions)
1. I was tired of looking
at the tropical sea, so I went ashore and walked
into a
tavern to see if they had any
decent wines in that country. (para5)
go ashore: go to the shore
prefix
“
a-
”加在名词、动词、形容词前
,
构成副词或表语形容词
They were walking abreast.
(side by side)
He was standing a few
steps apart from them.
She left the
door ajar.
（
slightly open
半开）
Many of those
visitors came from afar (far away).
decent: acceptable, good enough
a decent meal/job/house/ hotel
decent clothes/ wages
2.
When
the
bottle
had
been
uncorked
and
the
wine
poured
out,
like
liquid
tropical sunlight, I watched it go down
under that black mustache. (para5)
The
bottle
was
opened
and
the
wine
was
poured
out.
The
man
with
black
mustache drank it up although it was
pretty strong, like hot liquid sunlight.
liquid: (literacy) clear, shining like
water
晶莹的蓝眼睛
liquid blue eyes
3. We aimed
at the
mastery
of the whole
Caribbean. (para6)
It was our purpose
to have complete control of the whole Caribbean.
The enemy had complete
mastery
(the
status of master or control)
of the
seas and
no ships could get through.
Everybody
was
impressed
by
her
quick
mastery
(full
command
of
a
subject)
of
those complicated theories.
4. …he was not at all what one would
regard as the figure of a soldier.
(para11)
the figure of a
soldier: the kind of person one would expect to
see as a soldier, tall
and strong
figure
You have
to watch our diet if you want to keep your figure.
shape
the exact
figure
number
both a
political and a religious figure
person
to play the figure of a judge
character
5. Our Minister … was a cavalry officer
and could not adapt his ideas to modern
science. He thought of war simply as an
opportunity for
cavalry
charges
and fine
uniforms
and glory. (para12)
cavalry charges:
rushes to attack the enemy on horseback
1. The hotel
charged
me $$50 for a room
for the night.
(ask in payment)
2. Suddenly
the wild animal
charged at
us.
(rush to
attack)