Period 1 Warming Up，Pre－reading，Reading and Comprehending
设计方案(一)
设计者 邵宁宁
Teaching goals
1．Be able to learn some important words and phrases.
fiction，desire，satisfaction，alarm，alarmed，sympathy，elegant，pile，scan，fingernail，absurd，haircut，accompany，cushion，awful，affair，declare，envy，test out，ring up，turn around，leave...alone etc.
2．Help students to learn about robots and science fiction.
3．Enable students to realize science fiction reflects scientific thought；fiction of things－to－come based on things－on－hand.
Teaching important points
1．Enable students to grasp what Tony did to help Claire and how her feelings towards Tony changed during Tony's stay at her house.
2．Help students to sum up characteristics of science fiction.
Teaching difficult points
How Claire's feelings towards Tony changed during Tony's stay at her house.
Teaching methods
Discussing，explaining，reading and practicing
Teaching aids
The multimedia computer
Teaching procedures
Step 1 Warming up
1．Present photos of different kinds of robots.Then ask the students to say something about their favorite robots.[来源:学科网ZXXK]
2．Ask students to discuss the following questions in pairs.
(1)What is a robot?
(2)What can a robot do?
Suggested answers：
(1)A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans.Robots are programmed and controlled by a computer.
(2)A robot can do many things.For example，it can play music，sing songs and dance to music；it can pour tea，sweep the floor and cook dinner；it can play football；it can explore dangerous places；it can play with children；it can serve us etc.
Step 2 Pre－reading
Look at the photos of robots and ask students to discuss the questions in Pre－reading in groups.Students are encouraged to speak out their opinions freely.
1．Where would you find each robot？What does each one do?
2．Can you think of any other type of robot?
3．Do you think it is possible for a robot to think for itself，have feelings，have its own needs and desires，or look and feel like a human being?
Step 3 Skimming
1．Skim the text to find out t he main characters in the story.
|
Title Characters in the story |
Satisfaction Guaranteed |
|
|
employed in a company that made robots |
|
|
Larry's wife，a housewife |
|
|
a robot |
|
|
a woman that Claire envied |
Keys：
|
Title Characters in the story |
Satisfaction Guaranteed |
|
Larry Belmont |
employed in a company that made robots |
|
Claire |
Larry's wife，a housewife |
|
Tony |
a robot |
|
Gladys Claffern |
a woman that Claire envied |
2.In groups，find answers to the following questions：
(1)What did Tony look like?
(2)What was Larry Belmont's problem in the end?
Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.
Suggested answers：
(1)He was tall and handsome although his facial expressions never changed.His hair was smooth and black and his voice was deep.
(2)His wife may have fallen in love with Tony，the robot.
Step 4 Scanning
1．Ask students to read the text carefully and then find out the true statements.
(1)Claire didn't like the idea at the beginning，but she agreed to it at last.
(2)When Tony，the robot，offered to help dressing，Claire was pleased to accept it.But she thought it was surprising for a robot to be so human.
(3)Tony could understand Claire when she said she was not clever.
(4)Claire was sorry she could do little to help her husband，who wanted to improve his social position.
(5)Tony was eager to help Claire.He scanned quite a lot of books in the library，but he could find no way out.
(6)Tony went to town with Claire to buy things he wanted to improve the house.
(7)While Tony worked on the improvements of the house，Claire also did her part.
(8)Claire's guests were filled with admiration when they saw her house was completely changed.
(9)Claire was very happy to find that Gladys envied her.
(10)The company was very pleased with Tony's report because he had successfully made a woman fall in love with him.
Keys：True statements：(1)，(3)，(4)，(7)and (9)
2．In groups，discuss the questions in Comprehending on Page 12.
(1)Why did Tony open the curtains?
(2)What did Tony do to prevent Claire from being harmed?
(3)Why did Tony have to be rebuilt?
(4)How would you feel if you had a robot like Tony in your house?
(5)Claire spent three weeks with Tony in her house.Which sentences in the story show that she kept forgetting and then remembering he was a machine?
Several minutes later check the answers with the whole class.
Suggested answers：
(1)He wanted Claire's guests to see him and Claire together so that she could be envied by the women guests.
(2)Tony prevented Claire from being harmed by making her feel good about herself.He helped her make her and her home elegant so that she would not feel like a failure.
(3)Because the company (designers)felt that they could not have women falling in love with machines.
(4)Various answers can be accepted.
(5)Sentences：
How absurd，she thought.He was just a machine.
He held her firmly in his arms and she felt the warmth of his body.She screamed，pushed him away and ran to her room for the rest of the day.
Then she remembered—Tony was just a machine.
She shouted “Leave me alone” and ran to her bed.
3．In groups，list Tony's characteristics that were similar to and those that were different from those of a human being.
|
Characteristics |
Similar |
Different |
|
Physical |
|
|
|
Mental |
|
|
Suggested answers：
|
Characteristics |
Similar |
Different |
|
Physical |
Looks like a human being.Body and skin soft and warm.Hair and |
Facial expressions never change. Quicker reactions(She fell off a ladder and even though Tony was in the next room，he managed to catch her in time.) |
|
Mental |
Able to make suggestions and predictions.Able to make a plan and follow it through.Has good communication skills. |
Behaviour not appropriate(Tony brought her breakfast and then asked her whether she needed help dressing.) |
Step 5 Comprehending
1．Tell students that Claire's feelings towards Tony changed as the story developed.Read the story again and then fill in the occasions when Claire had these feelings.
|
Occasion |
Claire |
Oc |
Claire |
|
|
disliked him |
|
called him a dear |
|
|
was alarmed |
|
felt his warmth |
|
|
felt embarrassed |
|
felt being envied |
|
|
admired him[来源:学_科_网Z_X_X_K] |
|
cried all night |
Suggested answers：
|
Occasion |
Claire |
Occasio |
Claire |
|
1.Before he arrived |
disliked him |
5.When he helped her with the sales |
called him a dear |
|
2.When he arrived |
was alarmed |
6.When she fell off a ladder and caught by Tony |
felt his warmth |
|
3.When he offered to help her dress |
felt embarrassed |
7.When she heard Gladys whispering to another woman that she had never seen anyone so handsome as Tony |
felt being envied |
|
4.When he offered to help her improve her house and herself |
admired him |
8.When she remembered Tony was just a machine |
cried all night |
2.After filling in the occasions when Claire had these feelings，ask students to work together to find out how Claire's emotion developed.
Suggested answer：
At first refused to have Tony at her house—accepted him—trusted him—proud of him—loved him—sad to remember he was just a machine
(T：From her emotion development，we can see Tony was designed as a Mr.Perfect.He is designed not to harm Claire or allow her to be harmed.This is one of Isaac's three laws for robots.Later in this unit we will learn more about his three laws.)
Step 6 Discussion
In groups，discuss the following questions.(Students are encouraged to speak out their opinions freely.)
What suggestions do you want to give to Larry Belmont as an engineer?
What suggestions do you want to give to Larry Belmont as a husband?
Step 7 Homework
1．Learn the useful words and phrases in this unit by heart.
2．Remember the characteristics of science fiction.
3．Surf the Internet to learn more about robots and science fiction.[来源:Zxxk.Com]
