Unit 8 Coping with an Educational Problem

I. Lead-in

• Background information• 1. C.C.L.A. (University of California at Los

Angeles): the largest of the eight branches of the University of California. It was established in 1919 and now has about 35, 000 students. UCLA is known especially for its film studies.

• 2. The Wealth of Nations: an important work of economic and social theory by Adam Smith (a Scottish philosopher and economist, published in1776.Its full title was An Inquiry into the Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nation. In it he analyzed the relationship between work and the production of a nation's wealth.

• His conclusion was that the best Economic situation results from encouraging free enterprise (an economic system in which there is open competition in business and trade, and no government control.) This ideal has had a great influence on economic theories since and it formed the basis of the economic policies of the Conservative government in Britain in the 1980s.

Discussion

• 1) Ss are divided into groups. Each is assigned one of the following topics for discussion:

• How has the United States deve1oped into the sole superpower in the world?

• How did Japan manage to rebuild itself after the devastation of World War II?

• How will China grow into a prosperous and well-respected country?

• 2) Speakers for each group report their answers to the class.

• 3) T sums up by stressing that almost all groups mentioned the importance of education, which is closely related to the theme of this unit?

II. Text Analysis

• Part One: (Paras 1-10) Teenagers’ idleness and ignorance will produce serious effects on all concerned and society as a whole.

• Part Two: (Paras 11-24) Kevin 1990 comes to realize in his dream how greatly lack of education costs his forebears, himself, his children and the society they live in, and how important it is to study hard.

III Language Points

• 1. run out of: use up or finish a supply of sth.

• Examples: To our disappointment, our car ran out gas halfway home.

• When they ran out of food, the soldiers set about hunting for more.

• 2. handful: a small number (used as singular noun, followed by of)

• Examples: You’d better hurry up. A handful of people are already waiting in the hall.

• I have to give up the plan because only a handfu1 of students are willing to spend the New Year’s Eve on campus.

• 3. in amazement: with a feeling of great surprise or disbelief

• Examples: Aunt Sophia gazed at her picture in amazement: she looked like a teenage girl.

• All the people in the lecture hall stared at him in amazement when he talked loudly with his friend.

• 4.upset: make (sb.) worry or feel unhappy (usu. used in the pattern: be upset by/about)

• Examples: They are terribly upset by the break-up of their parents’ marriage.

• He was upset about the argument he had with his wife.

• 5. ignorant: knowing little or nothing (often used in the phrase: be ignorant 4/about)

• Examples: Some people are ignorant of the facts about global warming.

• She was ignorant of her husband's illegal activities. Otherwise she would have done everything possible to stop him.

• 6.slice: 1) a part of sth. (followed by of)

• Examples: Fiction takes up a large slice of the publishing market.

• Here’s a car that represents a slice of motoring history.

• The boss promised that everyone would get a slice of the profit.

• 2) a thin flat piece cut from sth.(often used with of)

• Examples: Try to eat at least four slices of bread a day.

• Cut the pork into thin slices.

• 7. sum up: give a brief summary (of sth.).

• Examples: Alice summed up her Christmas holidays in one word: "Terrible".

• My teacher would sum up the main points of the lesson before he ended the class.-

• We discussed the proposed changes for most of the meeting. The chairman only took a few moments at the end to sum up.

• 8. compete with/against: try to be better than (sb.e1se) (used in the pattern: compete with/against sb. for sth.)

• Examples: More than 2,300candidates from 93 political parties competing for 486 seats of the market.

• 9. human capital: Here human Capital refers to people's knowledge and skills.

• 10. accumulate: collect, or gather together, esp. over a period of time

• Examples: I have accumulated many books over the last few years.

• While we were away on vacation, a lot of letters accumulated in our mailbox.

• 11.function: operate; act

• Examples: When the camera is functioning properly the green light comes on.

• Athens functioned as a center of trade in the thirteenth century.

• 12. idle: lazy; not doing anything

• Examples: Most of the men were idle during the depression.

• She is so idle; we can never get her to do anything.

• 13. jam: get stuck

• Examples: The lock jammed and I couldn't open it.

• The tape-recorder jammed and the teacher had to read the story to the class by herself.

• 14. break down: stop working; fall, collapse• Examples: The elevators in this building are

always breaking down.• I have accumulated so many dirty clothes

since my washing machine broke down last week-.

• Talks between the two countries broke down when the two sides failed to mach an agreement.

Sentences

• 1. While our children…so ignorant…

• Although our children seem to possess a better temper than ever, they are so lacking in knowledge.

• 2. The ability to perform… students I see.

• Many students whom I see don’t have the ability to perform even the simplest calculations any longer.

• 3. … and government offers… class.

• Here “services” refers to the systems of social security such as health care and provision for the unemployed maintained by the government.

V. Presentation and exercises

• 1. T guides Ss through some after-text exercises and checks on Ss’ home reading (Text B).

• 2. Essay writing • Please write an essay entitled The Use of Computers

according to the following outline:• 1) In what way you think the increasing use of

computers is of benefit to students• 2) In what way you think the increasing use of

computers is bad for students• 3) Your conclusion

Thank You!