新视界大学英语综合教程4Unit8课件.ppt

1、 Warming uWarming up pSkimmingSkimmingDiggingDiggingCritical thinkingCritical thinkingLanguage in useLanguage in useUnfamiliar wordsUnfamiliar wordsInterpretingInterpretingTalking pointTalking pointWarming up Listen and underline any words or expressions which are different from what you hear. What

2、is the greatest human achievement of all time? There are so many ways of looking at that question! Itcould be something that happened back in pre-history, like the discovery of how to make soup, or an epic journey, when the first humans arrived in America or Europe, for example. Or it could be the p

3、roduct of genius, like Darwins understanding of evolution or Einsteins theory of relativity, or in the practical genius of an engineer or the creative genius of an artist. What is the greatest human achievement of all time? There are so many ways of looking at that question! Itcould be something tha

4、t happened back in pre-history, like the discovery of how to make soup, or an epic journey, when the first humans arrived in America or Europe, for example. Or it could be the product of genius, like Darwins understanding of evolution or Einsteins theory of relativity, or in the practical genius of

5、an engineer or the creative genius of an artist. Warming upOther people might take a different view, and see humanity at its best in an act of heroism, or some imaginative achievement, or even just a simple act of unselfish generosity. It depends on how you look at it. But whichever way you look at

6、it, there seem to be no explanation for the human spirit. And, linked to this idea, whatever the future brings it will be different to what we imagined.Other people might take a different view, and see humanity at its best in an act of heroism, or some imaginative achievement, or even just a simple

7、act of unselfish generosity. It depends on how you look at it. But whichever way you look at it, there seem to be no explanation for the human spirit. And, linked to this idea, whatever the future brings it will be different to what we imagined.Warming upNow listen again and correct the information.

8、 soup fire ; Europe Australia ; engineer inventor ; imaginative sporting ; even just even just ; explanation for limits to Answer:Warming up Work in pairs and discuss the questions.1 Which of the speakers ideas (if any) do you agree with?2 Which is the greatest discovery ever made, and why?3 Which i

9、s the greatest scientific theory ever formulated, and why?4 Which is the greatest invention ever made, and why?5 What for you is the greatest example of the human spirit?Warming up1 Which of the speakers ideas (if any) do you agree with? I agree there are many different aspects of human achievements

10、. true that most predictions turn out to be worthless, so our guesses as to the future are doomed to be wrong.Warming up2 Which is the greatest discovery ever made, and why? Thats an unfair question when weve just agreed there are too many different types to consider. I think the development of an u

11、nderstanding of electricity. Without it very little of our modern world could be quite as it is today.Warming up3 Which is the greatest scientific theory ever formulated, and why? The Big Bang theory (创世大爆炸理论创世大爆炸理论) is great as it tells us something about the origin of everythingyou cannot get a bi

12、gger topic than that! It depends on what you mean by “great”maybe the theory of relativity since so much of the most recent science depends on it.Warming up4 Which is the greatest invention ever made, and why?Writingthat meant we could actually record our thoughts and so start building on past ideas

13、 instead of starting from the beginning every time.Warming up5 What for you is the greatest example of the human spirit? Our drive to leave our own planet and start exploring space itself. Musicsomething which has no clear use, but shows our species interest in something for its own sake and beauty.

14、 Check () the idea on which you think the theory of evolution is based. 1 the survival of the strongest 2 the survival of the healthiest 3 the survival of those most able to adapt to change 4 the survival of the most intelligentWarming upSkimmingBrowse the passage within 8 minutes to get a rough ide

15、a about it.Answer the questions of Activity 2 and 3 on page 159.TaskTaskSkimming Complete the facts about evolution according to Darwins theory.1 All forms of life are _. (a) variable (b) stable2 All forms of life come from _. (a) one common origin (b) different originsAnswer: (a)Answer: (a)Skimming

16、3 Natural selection occurs as a result of _. (a) differences in intelligence (b) differences in genes4 Forms of life survive when they are _. (a) stronger than others (b) able to adaptAnswer: (b)Answer: (b)Skimming5 Sexual selection is based on finding a mate that is _. (a) healthy (b) intelligent6

17、Sexual selection may require males to _. (a) take risks (b) waste timeAnswer: (a)Answer: (a)1 When did Darwin begin the research that became his theory of evolution?2 What did Darwin find particularly interesting about the Galpagos Islands?3 Why did Darwin keep his research secret for 14 years?Durin

18、g a voyage on board the HMS Beagle.It had wildlife unlike anywhere else.He wanted to make sure his theory was completely correct.Skimming Answer the questions. 4 Why did Darwin publish it in a hurry?5 What different reactions greeted his work, and why?6 In what way did Darwin feel guilty about his o

19、wn theory?Another scientist came up with a similar theory.Many people applauded it, but many also attacked it.He was sad because he upset a lot of peoplehis theory contradicted the popular belief at that time about the creation of the world.Skimming7 Who are “creationists” and what have they tried t

20、o do in the US?8 What has happened to Darwins theory over the last 150 years?Creationists are people who believe the world was created in seven days by a higher being. They tried to ban the teaching of evolution in schools.Darwins theory has been studied and tested intensely, and has become a widely

21、 accepted scientific theory.Skimming9 Where does the greatness of Darwin lie?His willingness to follow the logic of his thoughts and findings, and his ability to see that science need not be less beautiful and mysterious than religion.SkimmingThe miracle of evolution译文译文Digging1 “It is like confessi

22、ng a murder.” These were the words the British scientist Charles Darwin used in a letter to a friend announcing he had finally understood the mystery of how species developthe theory of evolution.Main idea of the textDigging2 But why would Darwin suggest that his extraordinary theory, which embraces

23、 biology, politics, economics, and the philosophy of religion, implied such an evil crime? And why did the theory of evolution cause such debate 150 years ago, and continue to create such a fuss even today?译文译文Digging3 Lets summarize the theory of evolution. First of all, although forms of life, suc

24、h as animals, plants, insects or humans, are variable, we are all descended from a common ancestor. Secondly, these life forms have evolved by a process of natural selection, in which some individuals have small differences in the genes which they have inherited and which give them a better chance o

25、f surviving or reproducing than individuals lacking these traits. Over time, these advantages become normal, and createa population which is highly suited to its environment and which can adapt to change.4 This second part of the theory has been called the “survival of the fittest”, although what Da

26、rwin actually said was, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”DiggingDigging5 But survival was not enough. Darwin proposed the concept of sexual selection, which suggests that some members of

27、 a species have an advantage over others when they choose a mate to breed with. Generally, sexually selected features indicate good health because their development depends on good health or a good diet.Digging6 Furthermore, these sexually selected features may show that all males within a species c

28、an survive, despite the physical risks that the features might impose. To illustrate this part of the theory, Darwin used the example of the peacock, which has evolved long, magnificent feathers to attract females even though they might make it difficult to escape danger.Digging7 It was during a jou

29、rney aboard the HMS Beagle around South America, Australia, New Zealand and the southern Pacific that Darwin began his comparative research on different species of birds, animals and plants. When the Beagle dropped anchor in a bay off the Remote Galpagos Islands in the Pacific, he observed that the

30、curious wildlife was unlike that anywhere else. Why?8 On his return to England with his cargo of specimens, Darwin spent 14 years devising his theory on how life kept changing. It was during these years that the facts he had observed and the inferences he had made during his research formed the basi

31、s of the theory.DiggingDiggingBut he kept it secret, refining it and making sure it was valid against all objections. It was only when another scientist came up with a similar theory that, in great haste, Darwin finally presented his own findings in The Origin of Species, published in 1859, It was g

32、reeted with applause by his colleagues. It was also easy and compelling to read, and quickly became a best-seller.9 But the knowledge the book contained was not popular with Western society at the time. Until then, most scientists, some of whom were even priests, wanted to show that their research f

33、indings were in accordance with religious beliefs.DiggingDiggingTo many people, the idea that man was descended from another form of animal, such as a monkey, was simply not plausible, it was nonsense. Furthermore, Darwin was married to a highly religious woman. His conscience wouldnt allow him to u

34、pset her or his enemies by making public his theory which destroyed the view current at that time on how the world was created.10 This was the evil crime he felt forced to confess.Digging11 Darwins great idea has been abused and attacked ever since. At the time, it caused a fierce debate among men o

35、f religion and men of science, especially among Darwins allies. The theory violated accepted religious belief and the Church of England could simply not tolerate it. Yet its rejection was a denial of scientific fact.Digging12 The fight has been going on ever since, and is notable for its lack of tol

36、erance towards scientific fact. In America, creationists tried to prevent the teaching of evolution in schools. Even today, in the United States, more people believe that the world was created in seven days by ahigher being than accept Darwinism. Britain too has some schools teaching “Creationism” o

37、r “Intelligent Design”meaning the creation or design of the human species by one single and intelligent beingrather than the truth ofevolution.Digging13 But Darwins theories have been studied and tested intensely for over 150 years, and are still applicable today. Real science has shown again and ag

38、ain that far from natural selection weakening, it is in fact even stronger and faster than Darwin realized.DiggingHis ideas influenced psychology, and with our greater understanding about our genetic profile today, provoke arguments about the very future of humanity. Modern-day awareness of environm

39、ental issues reflects Darwins understanding of the complex and delicate connection of all living things.Digging14 While defending his theory of evolution, Darwin once wrote, “There was a grandeur in this view of life . that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed law of gravity

40、, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.”Digging15 His choice of words was inspired. On the one hand, we might infer that he held a very traditional view of how life began, similar even to that held by those who attacked him. Yet,

41、 at the same time they describe the miracle of one of the most important and comprehensive scientific theories of all time.The quotation reconciles two totally opposite views, and moves to a higher dimension with its profound insightinto the universe in which we live, and the mystery of its creation

42、.16 That was Darwins courage, and his genius. Digging1 “There was a grandeur in this view of life . that whilst this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.” (Line 2

43、, Para 14)In response to the criticism that his scientific theory took away the beauty of earlier creation myths, Darwin replied that his theory had great majesty of its own: As the Earth had orbited the sun for aeons (极漫极漫长的时期长的时期) according to fixed laws of physics, everything biological on the pl

44、anet had undergone constant change, producing the most marvellous and surprising creatures.Difficult sentences Difficult sentences 2 The quotation reconciles two totally opposite views, and moves to a higher dimension with its profound insight into the universe in which we live, and the mystery of i

45、ts creation. (Line 7, Para 15)From these words above we can see that the theory of evolution is not a dull materialistic theory, but a combination of science and a mystery of great beauty. A scientific explanation does not take away the wonder of life. fuss 释义释义n. sing, U a lot of unnecessary worry

46、or excitement about something 紧张不安；大惊小怪；小题大做例句例句I dont what the fuss is abouthe seems like a fairly ordinary looking guy to me.我看不出来为什么那么激动，在我看来他只不过是个长相普通的家伙。 翻译翻译WordsWords例句例句She made no fuss when seeing a snake.看到蛇的时候她一点也不紧张。 翻译翻译 summarize 释义释义v. to provide a short account of the most important

47、facts or features of something 总结，概括，概述（某事物的要点）例句例句Ill just summarize the main points of the argument in a few words.我会用几句话把争论的要点概括一下。 翻译翻译WordsWords例句例句At the end of the news, they often summarize the main news stories. 在新闻结束的时候，他们常常会总结一下主要的新闻内容。 翻译翻译释义释义n. C 昆虫；虫WordsWords例句例句Ants, flies and butte

48、rflies are all insects.蚂蚁、苍蝇和蝴蝶都是昆虫。 翻译翻译例句例句Ive got some sort of insect bite on my leg.我腿上被小虫咬了一口。 翻译翻译 insect 释义释义a. changing often 多变的WordsWords例句例句The interest rate is quite variable.利率总是不断变化。 翻译翻译例句例句The weather in Britain is variable in the spring.英国春天的天气变化无常。 翻译翻译 variable 释义释义a. adaptable pe

49、ople can change their behaviour or ideas easily in order to deal with new situations 能适应新环境的；适应力强的WordsWords例句例句The survivors in this life seem to be those who are adaptable to changes.能在这种生活状态下幸存的人似乎都是那些能适应变化的人。翻译翻译例句例句It is a necessary quality to be adaptable to the ever-changing working environme

50、nt. 能适应不断变化的工作环境是一种必备素质。 翻译翻译 adaptable 释义释义1vi. if animals breed, they become the parents of young animals （动物）生育，繁殖WordsWordsbreed例句例句Most birds breed in the spring. 大多数鸟类在春天繁殖。翻译翻译例句例句Some dogs breed for their fighting nature. 有些狗繁殖是为了保持它们好斗的本性。 翻译翻译释义释义2vt. to produce new plants or animals from