Unit 1 Science Fiction
Reading and Thinking: Satisfaction Guaranteed (Adapted)
文本简析
本单元阅读文本是美国著名科幻小说家艾萨克·阿西莫夫的同名科幻小说《包君满意》(Satisfaction Guaranteed)的改编版本节选。小说采用顺序的叙述方式,通过女主人公克莱尔的视角,讲述了家用机器人托尼在她家进行使用试验期间发生的故事。托尼由克莱尔丈夫拉里的公司制造,在他被送到克莱尔家之前,克莱尔对此有轻微的抵触情绪。因为拉里要出差,只有她和托尼相处生活于同一屋檐下,她觉得有所不便。但是最后她被拉里说服,表示同意。当见到托尼时,她被他英俊的仿真外型震惊了。随着故事的发展,因为托尼的细心、贴心,克莱尔从尴尬拒绝,到习惯接受,再到依赖信任。克莱尔敏感、脆弱、自卑,觉得自己不如当地名媛格拉迪斯·克拉芬托尼漂亮,也不是一个能干的女主人,不能助力丈夫拉里实现社会阶层的跨越。于是,托尼帮助克莱尔改变妆容、改善家居,提升她的魅力值,增加房子的美观度,增强她的自信力。故事的结局,因为克莱尔爱上了托尼,所以托尼需要被送回公司改造。机器人不能让人类爱上自己,否则就是在情感上伤害到了人类,这标志着试验的失败。小说聚焦艾萨克·阿西莫夫所提出的机器人三大行为定律中的第一条定律,即机器人不能伤害人类,也不能允许人类受到伤害。旨在探讨人类与机器人之间的关系和由此衍生的伦理、道德等问题。
该文本节选小说的前半部分,叙述了托尼的到来,以及他为克莱尔提供的各种周到服务和细致帮助。托尼建议克莱尔在他离开的前一晚邀请朋友们来焕然一新的家中聚会。在文本的结尾部分,托尼搂着克莱尔,向她诉说自己对她的依恋,这时门铃响了。文本结束。在课后练习中,听力文本作为补充材料,为阅读文本提供了故事结尾。
在进行文本教学设计时,要帮助学生关注小说独特的叙事特征,了解作者及其作品的相关背景信息,激发阅读期待的同时也为精准解读做好铺垫。建构主题语料库词汇图式,如关于人类与机器人之间关系的表达、人物心理变化的表达。同时,关注功能类语言,如表明上下文逻辑关系的词汇as,but,however,although等,引导学生关注衔接词,体会行文逻辑,理解文本主题。在文本解读过程中,着重培养学生的文本概括和理解能力,梳理故事的主要情节。训练学生推理判断的思维能力,激发学生探究思辨,挖掘主题意义。
第1课时
一、教学内容
速读全文,了解故事梗概和人物关系。细读文本,梳理情节线,探究情绪链。
二、课时目标
1. 通过了解背景知识、预测和速读,导入主题情境,分析文本体裁,理解故事主要内容,厘清人物关系,培养整体阅读能力。
2. 通过自主阅读,明确克莱尔的情绪链。运用比较和对比的阅读策略,剖析托尼特征形象,提升分析思维能力。
3. 通过思考、分析、讨论,切换人物视角,思考辨析,为预测后续情节和深入探究主题作好铺垫,提高阅读逻辑思维能力和思辨能力。
三、教学过程
Activity 1: Getting into the topic about AI and robots
本活动为实现课时目标1作铺垫。
1.Talk about AI and robots.
The teacher draws students’ attention to AI and robots.
Q1: What does AI stand for
S: AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.
Q2: When it comes to AI, or Artificial Intelligence, what do you usually think of
S: Robots.
Q3: What roles do robots play in our life
Q4: How are robots similar to humans
Q5: How are robots different from humans
Answers vary.
Students air their views. The teacher provides feedback or make comments if necessary.
2.Activate and supply the background knowledge about American writer Isaac Asimov.
Students share their knowledge about Isaac Asimov and the teacher introduces some background information as well.
Q1: Have you ever read novels written by Isaac Asimov, a master of science fiction
Q2: What impresses you the most about Isaac Asimov’s works
S1: He wrote about robots.
S2: His works focus on exploring the relationship between robots and humans.
S3: He developed three laws for robots.
[设计意图]通过谈论“人工智能”,直接进入主题情境,激活学生的认知图式,引导学生运用比较和对比的策略,思考机器人和人类的异同点,为探究人类和机器人的关系做好铺垫。了解关于美国著名科幻小说家艾塞克·阿西莫夫的背景知识,激发阅读期待,增强阅读兴趣。
Activity 2: Outlining the story and clarifying the relationships among characters
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标1。
1. Skim the title and predict the plot.
The teacher asks students to skim the title, view the photo and make possible guesses about the story.
Q1: How do you understand the word “adapted” in the title
S: Rewritten.
T: It was originally written by Isaac Asimov, a photo of whom is shown with the passage.
Q2: What is the story entitled Satisfaction Guaranteed probably about
S1: It is probably about a product which makes its users feel satisfied.
S2: Maybe it is about a seller who promises to make his buyers satisfied.
S3: Since it was originally written by Asimov, it might be about a robot which guarantees a satisfactory user experience.
2. Scan the passage, check the predictions and understand the story.
Students go through the passage, focusing on the outline of the story and the relationships among characters.
Q1: Who are the main characters of the story
S: Claire, Tony, Larry, Gladys Claffern.
Q2: What are the relationships among the characters
S: Claire and Larry are wife and husband. Tony is a household robot tested out by Claire. Gladys is a wealthy and beautiful lady whom Claire envies.
Q3: How does the story relate to the title Satisfaction Guaranteed
Q4: Whose satisfaction shall be guaranteed
S: Claire’s. Tony are supposed to guarantee that Claire will be satisfied with him and his service.
[设计意图]引导学生解读文本标题,围绕题眼中心词“Satisfaction Guaranteed”,预测文本内容。通读全文,厘清人物关系,聚焦题眼主旨,构建“俯瞰式”整体认知的文本阅读思维模式。
Activity 3: Focusing on Claire’s feelings and finding out the similarities and differences between Tony and humans
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标2。
1.Read carefully and figure out the change of Claire’s feelings.
Students read the passage carefully to figure out how Claire’s feelings change as the story develops.
Q1: Was Claire satisfied with Tony and his service
Q2: How did her feelings towards Tony change
S1: When she first saw Tony, she felt alarmed.
S2: When Tony asked her whether she needed help dressing, she felt embarrassed.
S3: She gradually admired his wisdom and integrity and began to trust him.
S4: She looked at his fingers with wonder as they turned each page.
S5: Claire thanked Tony, telling him that he was a “dear”.
S6: As he held her, she felt the warmth of his body.
2.Evaluate Claire’s feelings and analyze Tony’s characteristics.
Students read for the reasons behind the change of Claire’s feelings and analyze Tony’s characteristics by comparing and contrasting Tony with humans.
Q1: Was Claire satisfied with Tony and his service
S1: Yes, she was so satisfied with Tony that she trusted him totally.
S2: Yes. Because he provided her with such perfect service and great comfort.
S3: No. She actually had mixed feelings for him.
S4: No. She kind of fell in love with Tony and guilt engulfed her.
Q2: What caused the change of Claire’s feelings
S: Tony’s care/ attention/ service/ support/ help/ encouragement/ wisdom/ integrity/ ...
Q3: To Claire, was Tony more like a household robot, or a friend or even a lover
Q4: How was Tony similar to a human
Q5: How was Tony different from a human
Students complete the diagram with the similarities and differences between Tony and a human being.
Possible answers.
Similarities:
Tony was tall and handsome with smooth hair and a deep voice just like an attrative man.
Tony offered help, suggestions, sympathy and comfort, and treated Claire with dignity just like a human, or rather, a gentleman.
Differences:
A human being’s facial expression changes often, whereas Tony’s never changed.
Different from a human, Tony had no idea of avoiding body contact between men and women when he offered to help dressing.
A human being read books, however, Tony scanned books.
Tony managed to catch Claire in time when she fell of the ladder in the next room, but a human being can't make it.
[设计意图]以题眼为轴心,并设问“克莱尔对托尼和他的服务是否感到满意(Was Claire satisfied with Tony and his service)”,以此为线,开展自主阅读,厘清克莱尔的情绪变化情感起伏。并进行合理归因,引导学生运用比较和对比的策略,深入分析托尼的特征,探究人类和机器人的异同点。。
Activity 4:Discussing and further exploring the topic
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标3。
1.Think, discuss and share.
Students form groups of 4, discuss with their group members, and then share personal insights.
Q: How did Tony feel about Claire
Answers vary.
S1: He was also attached to Claire.
S2: He had no feelings. He was just a robot and was just performing his duty.
[设计意图] 在对克莱尔情绪和托尼特征分析的基础之上,鼓励学生合作学习,切换人物视角,思考辨析,为预测后续情节和深入探究主题作好铺垫。
Assignment:
1.Retell the story.
2.Make predictions about what might happen to Tony and Claire later.
[设计意图] 要求学生通过复述巩固所学,并预测故事的后续发展,锻炼学生的逻辑思维能力和巩固叙事类文本的写作图式。
第2课时
一、教学内容
预测后续情节发展,并通过听力材料进行验证。分析托尼行为的合理性,了解机器人定律,探究主题意义。
二、课时目标
1. 通过复述故事并进一步分析托尼对克莱尔的情感,预测后续情节,锻炼逻辑思维能力。
2. 通过补充听力材料,验证后续情节,完善对文本情节的整体认知,并思考其结尾的合理性,培养发散性、评判性思维。
3. 通过学习相关背景知识,了解原著作者提出的机器人三大定律,探讨本文写作目的,探究主题意义。
三、教学过程
Activity 1: Retelling the story and reviewing Tony’s characteristics and feelings
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标1。
1.Retell the story.
The teacher asks several students to retell the story, focusing on the main plots and the change of Claire’s feelings.
2.Review Tony’s characteristics and dig deeper.
Students go over the similarities and differences between Tony and humans, and then read the text carefully, especially the last paragraph, before they again air their views about whether Tony had special attachment to Claire.
[设计意图]通过鼓励学生进行故事复述,锻炼口头表达能力。再一次回顾托尼和人类的异同点,巩固运用比较和对比策略,引导学生进一步研读思考推断托尼对克莱尔的情感态度,为预测后续情节的发展做好铺垫。
Activity 2: Continuing the story and listening to the end of the story
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标2。
1.Make predictions about the end of the story.
Students make possible guesses about what might happen to Claire and Tony in the end.
Q1: Who was ringing the doorbell
Q2: What might happen to Claire and Tony at the end of the story
Answers vary.
2.Listen to the end of the story.
Students listen to the end of the story and answer the questions below.
Q1: How did the guests feel about Claire, the house and Tony
Q2: Why did Claire shout “Leave me alone!”
Q3: What happened to Tony in the end
Students listen again and complete the following sentences.
① Tony let her go and ________________. It was then that Claire realised that ________________.
② What ________________ by those women! She might not be as beautiful as them, but ________________.
③ But even though Tony had been ________________, he would ________________ --you cannot have women ________________.
(Keys: disappeared from sight; Tony had opened the curtains of the front window; a sweet victory to be envied; none of them had such a handsome lover; so clever and caring; have to be rebuilt; falling in love with machines.)
附:Listening text:
[Then the front door bell rang.]
Tony let her go and disappeared from sight. It was then that Claire realised Tony had opened the curtains of the front window. Her guests had seen everything!
The women were impressed by Claire, the house, and the delicious cuisine. Just before they left, Claire heard Gladys whispering to another woman that she had never seen anyone so handsome as Tony. What a sweet victory to be envied by those women! She might not be as beautiful as them, but none of them had such a handsome lover.
The she remembered-Tony was just a machine. She shouted “Leave me alone!” and ran to her bed. She cried all night. The next morning a car drove up and took Tony away.
The company was very pleased with Tony’s report on his three weeks with Claire. Tony had protected a human being from harm when he prevented Claire from falling off a ladder. He had also opened the curtains that night so that the other women would see him and Claire, which would make them envy Claire. But even though Tony had been so clever and caring, he would have to be rebuilt-you cannot have women falling in love with machines.
[设计意图]通过预测,锻炼写作逻辑思维能力。课文配套听力材料的补充,既训练了学生的听力理解能力,又为学生提供了完整的小说叙事图式,使其对该文本所承载的主题意义理解更加透彻。
Activity 3: Pondering and commenting
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标2。
1.Think, discuss and share.
Students form groups of 4, discuss about the given ending make comments.
Q1: Do you like the ending
Q2: Was it a logical ending Why so or why not
[设计意图]通过引导学生思考、讨论、评价,比较个人、同伴所预测的结局和听力文本所给定的结局的异同点,深化对文本的认知,发展学生的评判性思维能力。
Activity 4: Exploring Asimov’s three laws of robotics and the purpose of the writing
本活动旨在落实课时教学目标3。
1. Get to know Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics.
The teacher shares Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics. The three laws state that:
①A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
②A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
③A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Q: How does Tony’s story relate to the laws
2. Figure out Isaac Asimov’s purpose of writing Satisfaction Guaranteed.
The students express their opinions about the author’s writing purpose.
Q: Why did Isaac Asimov write such a story
S: To explore the relationship between robots and humans.
[设计意图]通过了解艾萨克·阿西莫夫所制定的机器人三大定律,加深学生对文本的理解,深入探究文本的主题意义。推理作者的写作目的,联系生活实际,思考人类与机器人的关系。
Assignment
Read the original Satisfaction Guaranteed written by Isaac Asimov. After reading, try to tell a section of the story as if you were one of the four characters.
[设计意图]阅读艾萨克·阿西莫夫的原版英文小说Satisfaction Guaranteed,引导学生感受英语科幻作品的独特魅力,并通过思考科幻文学作品反映的社会现象,探究作品所传达的内在主题意义。