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Unit Seven

America¡¯s Vision for a Digital Future

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Master the key words and structures, and understand America¡¯s global strategy of keeping a competitive cutting edge in information technology; its concerns about losing the lead in the digital world as well as its research and development priorities in the future..

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1.      Those programmers that are being funded tend to be directed [3] to short-term objectives [4], reflecting priorities [5] within industry itself¡­     

2.      With + noun + prep (v+ ing., v + ed ) verbs¡­

3.    Software research should be ¡°one of the Nation¡¯s highest R& D priorities.

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½Ìѧ¹ý³Ì£¨teaching procedures£©£º

Lead In Activity; Study of the Text; Study of Words and Phrases; Study of Reading Skills; Study of Practical Reading; Study of Practical Writing; Study of Practical Listening;

.. The first period:

Lead in

Directions:

(1)   Ask some questions for the students to answer freely: for example:

Do you enjoy surfing the internet?

How many hours a week do you spend doing this?

Do you think it is too much or not enough? Why?

(2)   Ask some students to give their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet.

(3) Ask the students to suggest some measures by which a country can take the lead and keep its cutting edge in It.

2.     Background information

Directions: The teacher introduces the background information of the text

1). The Internet: computer-based world-wide information network. From its creation in 1983, it grew rapidly beyond its largely academic origin into an increasingly commercial and popular medium.

2). Microsoft Corporation: It develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of software products for a multitude of computing devices. Microsoft software includes scalable operating systems for intelligent devices, personal computers and servers; servers applications for client/ server environments; knowledge worker productivity applications; and software development tools.

3). Windows: the operation system developed by Microsoft which is widely used in the world.

4). Multi-media: Human-computer interaction involving text, graphics, voice and video. Often also includes concepts from hypertext. This term has come to be almost synonymous with CD-ROM in the personal computer world because the large amounts of data involved are currently best supplied on CD-ROM

5). A few clicks away online: With the Internet, all the technical help and product information you need may only be a few clicks away. Websites offer online tools at your fingertips to improve your development and design capabilities and your overall work efficiency.

3.      Study the New words and expressions

Directions:

1) Listen to the tape recording or ask the students to read the new words,

2) correct the pronunciation, ask the students to read after the teacher.

3) Explain some usage of words and phrases and the methods of learning new words such as word building.

The second and third periods:

1. Study the text in detail:

Directions:

1)      listen to the tape recording or ask students to read the text

2)      Explain the text paragraph by paragraph.

3)      Language Points of the text

Read In

USA is in danger of losing its No 1 place in the IT research and development. What should they do to change the situation?

Question 1. What does ¡°IT¡± stand for?

( Information technology)

Para. 1

Q1. What serious problem is facing the federal government according to some experts?

Q2. What is the solution to such a problem

Federal research on information technology is seriously in adequate, According to a group of experts set up to advise the US President. They urge [1] the government to increase spending on IT research by $1.4 billion a year with the focus on [2] long-term, high-risk projects.

1.        urge: drive or force forward; persuade with force

e.g.  He urged me to think again

2.        focus used as noun: a center of attention, activity, or interest

e.g.  She always wants to be the focus of attention

3.        focus used as verb: concentrate

e.g.  It was so noisy outside. I couldn¡¯t focus my attention on my term paper.

Answer 1. Federal research on information technology is far from enough.

A2. An increase in spending on IT research by $1.4 a year with the focus on long-term, high-risk projects would be a good solution according to a group of experts.

Para. 2

Q1. Why is IT of such great importance to the US economy?

Q2. What is the situation now for the IT industry in the U.S.?

Q3. Why is it that the U.S. is now in danger of losing its lead?

Q4. What further danger is there in the field of IT in America according to the paragraph?

The country that gave the world Windows and the Internet is in danger of losing its lead in information technology while the importance of It to the US economy has risen sharply over the past decade¡ªfully a third of its economic growth since 1992 has been in this area ¨C federal funding for IT research has remained flat or declined in[1]real term[2]. Those programmers that are being funded tend to be directed [3] to short-term objectives [4], reflecting priorities [5] within industry itself. As a result, few companies are now supporting the kind of long-term research on which US leadership has been founded.

A1. Since 1992 a third of the US economic growth has been in the IT area.

A2. The U.S. is now in danger of losing its lead in this field.

A.3.T reason is that federal funding for IT has remained unchanged or is even declined in real terms.

A4. So far the funding tends to be given to short-term objectives. Therefore, few companies support the long-term research on which US leadership has been founded.

1.        decline: continue to become smaller, weaker, lower

e.g.  The production of coal declined slightly in the past three years.

2.        in real terms: in actual fact

e.g.  The recent increase in inflation means that our income has been reduced in real terms.

3.        direct: turn or aim in the stated direction

e.g.  Please direct your complaints to the sales manager.

4.        objective used as noun: aim; goal

e.g. She has not found a job yet, as her job objective is too high

5.        Priority: right to have or do something before others

e.g. The badly injured have priority for medical attention over those who are only slightly hurt

Para. 3

Q. Do other countries have the same concerns in the development of IT as the US?

       Such concerns are hardly confined to [1] the US ¨C many a [2] report has expressed sorrow over short-termism in Europe too ---- but the President¡¯s Information Technology Advisory Committee has come up with some bold [3] suggestions for change.

1.    confine to:      keep within limits; restrict

e.g. The chairman reminded the speaker to confine himself to the subject under discussion.

2.          many a: many, quite a few

e.g.  I¡¯ve been there many a time

3.          bold: brave, courageous and adventurous

e.g. The company needs a strong leader who is bold enough to make some tough decisions.

A. Yes. Some European countries are faced with the same problem,.

Para. 4

                                                 Visionary and high-risk research

Q1. What is the emphasis of the proposal?

Q2. What is the goal then?

       Their core [1] proposal is for a strategic initiative [2] in IT research which would over a five-year period, see federal support increase by $1.37 billion a year. Emphasis [3] would be on ¡° visionary and high-risk¡± projects that industry is unwilling to support by itself. ¡°The goal should be to recapture in the universities and research labs much of the excitement that existed at top-rated departments in the past,¡± says the panel. It recommends four areas for developments in the past,¡± says the panel it recommends four areas for development.

1.        core: the most important or central; it is also used as adjective.

e.g.  debt is at the core of the problem.

2.        initiative: capacity to see what needs to be done and enterprise enough to do it

e.g.  He did not have the initiative to start his own business.

3.        emphasis: special attention given to something to show that it is particularly important

e.g.  The school puts a lot of emphasis on discipline and respect for authority

A1. The emphasis would be on ¡°visionary and high-risk¡± projects that industry is willing to support by itself.

A2. The goal is to recapture in the universities and research labs much of the excitement that existed at top-rated departments in the past.

Para. 5

Q1. What is the first of the four bold suggestions?

Q2. Why is the suggestion put first?

First, there is an urgent [1] need to learn how to build large software systems. Because demand far outstrips [2] supply, the US depends on software which is often fragile, unreliable, hard to use and difficult to test and maintain [3]. Software research should be ¡°one of the Nation¡¯s highest R& D priorities.¡±

1.        urgent: very important; needing to be done without delay

e.g.  An international effort is required to cope with the urgent needs of the earthquake victims.

2.        outstrip: surpass or do better than

e.g.  for a number of years, the demand for food in the country outstripped supply

3.        maintain:

1) keep in good repair or working order

e.g. This car has always been properly maintained.

       2) keep up; continue

       e.g.  To maintain a happy mood is very important in life.

       3) assert as true

        e.g. Throughout the trial he maintained that he was innocent of the charge.

A1. The first suggestion is to build large software systems.

A2. Demand far outstrips supply in the U.S

Para. 6

Q. How is the Internet growing at present?

Second, the Internet is growing at a pace [1] far beyond the expectation of its designers and the strains are beginning to show. The government should promote [2] research on the design and operation of large information networks. A national Digital Library is one of the proposals.

1.        at a pace: at a speed

e.g. They worked at a great pace to meet the deadline

2.        promote:

1)      help to organize and start; help the progress of

e.g. All these activities will help to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

2)      advance in position or rank

e.g.  Helen was promoted to senior manager.

3)      help sell a new product

e.g.  She¡¯s in London to promote her new book

3.        achieve: gain or reach by effort

e.g.  He was a resolute man and nothing could stop him from achieving his goal

4.    scale up: increase, esp. by a fixed rate

e.g.  The salaries of teachers should be scaled up to attract more graduates to the profession.

5.  current: of the present time

e.g. When you need the latest education-related information, the Web is a wonderful resourc

A. The Internet is growing at a speed that the designers had not expected.

Para.7   

              Expeditions into the 21st century

       Third, there is a need for bigger, faster computers whose design will require new techniques that cannot be achieved [1] by scaling up[2] current technology.

      Finally, the US needs to deal with a host of [1] socio-economic issues arising from the information revolution, centering on[2] IT literacy, education and universal access[3].

1.        a host of: a number of

e.g. We are faced with a host of difficulties.

2.        center on: have as a main subject or area of concern; fix on

e.g.  The dispute centered on the question of overtime pay

3.        universal: concerning or shared by all members of a group; general

e.g.  Love and death are of universal interest

4.        access:

1)      mean of entering; entrance

e.g.  A sleep, narrow road was the only access to the house

2)      means or tight of using, reaching, or obtaining

e.g. This system has been designed to give the user quick and easy access to the required information.

Para.8

Q1. What does the phrase ¡°to explore technologies that would otherwise be beyond reach for many years¡± mean?

Q2. Why must the US devote itself to cutting-edge high-tech research and development?

       The report goes on to recommend various management structures for the initiative, including ¡°expeditions into the 21st century¡± to explore technologies that would otherwise be beyond reach for many years. ¡° To keep its competitive edge the United States must rededicate itself to cutting-edge[1] high-tech research and development,¡± the report concludes, ¡°or risk being overcome by nations with a clearer plan and a stronger view of the future.¡±

1.        cutting-edge: in accord with the most fashionable ideas or style

e.g.  The information highway is the cutting-edge development of the electronic revolution.

A1. Should people fail to do research and development on cutting-edge technologies, they wouldn¡¯t be available to us for many years.

A2. In order to maintain it¡¯s the lead in this competitive world. Otherwise, it could be surpassed by nations with a clearer plan and a stronger view of the future.

The fourth period:

Directions: Review the text by reading and ask some questions according to the text so that the teacher can know whether the students understand the text completely.

1. Comprehensive Questions

1) What does ¡°IT¡± stand for?

2) Why should more attention be paid to information technology?

3) What is the purpose of building A National Digital Library?

4) What are the four areas for development as recommended by some experts?

2. Summary of the Text

Directions: The teacher concludes the text

The US president¡¯s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) has now urged the government to heavily increase its spending on IT research as they believe federal research on information technology is seriously inadequate. According to them, the US is in danger of losing its lead in IT as government funding is inadequate. They also find that short-term objectives and that long-term research actually get little support from relevant companies.

In order to promote enthusiasm in IT research in American universities and research labs, PITAC has proposed in their report that strategic initiative be taken in starting ¡°visionary and high-risk¡¯ IT projects. These projects fall into four areas for development: large software systems, the design and operation of large information networks, computer design with new techniques, and IT training. In addition, the report has suggested that a variety of management structures be set as so ad to keep America¡¯s competitive edge in the IT industry.

3. Homework

Directions: Assign the students to do all the exercises.

The fifth and sixth period:

Exercises:

Directions: Ask the students to do the exercises in class. The teacher will correct the mistakes and explain the important and difficult points.

1.      Focus on:

2.      work out:

A: Read the text and then complete statements.

B: Fill in the blanks with words and phrases from the Vocabulary Snapshot.

C: Complete the sentences with the proper forms of the words given in blanks.

D: Translate the Chinese into English.

E: Make sentences according to the models of sentence structure.

F: Choose the right word and put it in the blank in its proper form.

The seventh period:

Grammar:

Directions: The teacher explains the definition of the grammar, and then asks the students to practice

1)      Èò½×´Óï´Ó¾ä

2) though/ although    as/ though    wherever/ no matter where    despite/ in spite of  be

3) Practice about the grammar above. (page 122)

The eighth period:

Reading skills:

Directions: The teacher introduce the reading skills and ask the students to read the passages, trying to use the skills to find out the concerning information.

Skimming Techniques

1) Read the title. If the piece is an article, check the author, publication date, and source.

2) Read the introduction. If it is very long, read only the first Para. Carefully.

3) Read any headings and subheadings.

4) Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs;

5) Read the summary or last paragraph.

Read two passages and do comprehension (clue on the passages)

Passage one: mysteriously, explanations, shell, flying saucers, nonsense, occasionally

Passage two: Browsing, proficient.

Practical reading: reading a Menu for the Evening meal

Soups, Main Courses, Desserts, Beverages

Use the information to answer the questions:

What is the name of the restaurant?

At what time is the evening meal served in Wednesday?

How much does Roast Beef with Potato, Vegetable& Salad cost?

How many selections do you have for beverage?

What is recommended as the best soup of the restaurant?

The ninth and tenth periods:

1. Practical writing: Complaining

Directions: 1) The teacher introduce a Complaining: It is possible to make some mistakes in the daily trade activity.. Had the mistake, the customer has been able to write a letter to complaint. These complaint letters contents often involve that the cargo does not to arrive on time or even to send the wrong place, to the cargo quality and the sample symbol, the cargo is short or has damage and so on.

A good complaint letter should include the following steps and the contents:

1.    First specify transaction content

2.    In the main text the concrete elaboration suffers the loss situation, is clear about requests opposite party to take the remedial treatment or to put forward the pointed recovery proposal

3.    At the end of the letter should be to have confidence in opposite party can fairly reasonably solve this problem.

Directions: Ask the students to read and the teacher explains briefly

The eleventh and twelfth period:

Directions:

1) Ask the students to read the phonemes and the teacher corrects their pronunciation. 

2) Listen to the tape and finish doing the followings:

Section A: After listening, circle the word the students hear, and then repeat them.

Section B: Listen and repeat, paying attention to the pronunciation of the words.

Section C: Ask the students to circle the words that they hear.

Listen in: Dialogues Section A, B, C.

3) Ask the students to imitate the speakers while listening.

4)        Ask the students to make conversations about ¡°How to express  Criticizing& complaining ?

5)        5) Listen more: Section A, B, C. to practice PET

Listening and Speaking

Unit7      You are so¡­

I. Teaching Hours: 2 classes

[ t ]    [ d ]     [ k ]     [ g ]

II. Teaching Objective:

1.      To review the phonemes, tell the students the differences in the positions of the speech organs for these phonemes.

2.      To review and to practice the expressions of criticisms and complaints

3.      To understand the dialogues, to learn by imitation and speak with fluency.

III. Teaching Plan:

1.      Get the Right Sound

2. Expressions learnt before:

It is not satisfactory enough.    The food is terrible.    

I can¡¯t put up with it any more.  I want to make a complaint about the shoes.

This paper is very poorly written.

What¡¯s your complaint?

Like it or lump i¡­t¡­

What exactly is wrong with the processor?

Listen In      Section A

Notes:

1. bureau: a division of a government department

2.mayor: a person elected each year to be the head of a city or town council

3.subway: underground railway.

4.food processor. : an electric apparatus used for mixing and cutting up food

Dialogue 1.

¡­very poorly written..                          I¡¯m sorry¡­

¡­do better¡­                                        ..hope so¡­

Dialogue 2.

¡­raise the subway fares again?                 ¡­hurt the city¡­                     ¡­raise taxes,            ¡­vote for him...

Dialogue 3.

¡­like the new wall paper¡­                                      ¡­too bad¡­

Like it¡­           ¡­put up new wallpaper¡­

Dialogue 4.

¡­to make a complain about¡­             ¡­your complaint?

¡­stopped working¡­                             ¡­my misuse¡­

¡­wrong with¡­

Speak Out

Notes:

1.      all day long: a whole day

2.      or something: ( infml) used when the speak is not sure what a thing is or when the speaker suggests other possibilities.

3.      very well: ( rather fml ) used as a form of agreement, but often with some degree of unwillingness

Listen More      

Section A

1.      enough for a purpose.

2.      keep something within limits

3.      something that needs attention, consideration, etc., before other things

4.      existing only in imagination or vision

5.      give completely to a particular cause, purpose or action

Section B

1.      I always forget people¡¯s names at parties

2.      He fell sick and stayed home from school.

3.      Everyone except Mike voted for an exam instead of a paper.

4.      I don¡¯t need to tell you to come alone, do I?