Unit 2 Robots
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Science fiction about robots
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Transformers 《变形金刚》
I, Robot 《我,机器人 》
Entertainment
robots
Industrial robots 工业机器人
household robots家用机器人
The robot which can play with children.
The robot which can play football.
The robot which
can speak to people.
What is a robot?
A robot is a machine ___________ to do jobs that are usually _________ by humans . Robots are ___________ and ___________ by a computer.
designed
performed
programmed
controlled
Do you think it is possible for a robot to:
have feelings?
have its own needs and desires?
look and feel like a human being?
Read a short story about a robot. It was originally written by the science
fiction writer, Isaac Asimov,
and published in 1951.
Here the story has
been retold by
another writer.
Background information:
A retelling of an Isaac Asimov’s story called Satisfaction Guaranteed.
About a human-like robot.
Asimov’s first law(铁规) for robots: A robot must not injure human beings or allow them to be injured.
The robot causes the main female character(文艺作品里的人物) to have some very confusing feelings.
Skimming
&
scanning
Reading for main idea
What is the text mainly about?
It is mainly about how a household _________ was _________ ________ in
a family.
robot
tested
out
Reading: Satisfaction guaranteed
Larry Belmont
Tony
Claire
Characters in the story:
Gladys Claffern
working in a company that makes robots
Larry’s wife,
a housewife
the robot
a woman that
Claire envies (嫉妒)
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4
Para 1- Para 3
Para 4- Para 8
Para 9- Para 11
Para 12
Meet
Help
love
Leave
Reading for structure
Reading for details
1. Why did Claire feel alarmed at the sight of Tony?
A. Because he was a robot.
B. Because she didn’t like him.
C. Because he was more like a human than a machine.
D. Because he never changed his facial expressions.
Read for information
Choose the best answer
Reading for information
2. The robot Tony helped Claire to realize her dreams by______.
A. making her home elegant.
B. giving her a new haircut and changing the make-up she wore.
C. giving her advice on her dresses.
D. all the above
elegant
(What is elegance?)
3. “How awful to be discovered by her, Claire thought. By the amused and surprised look on her face, Claire knew that Gladys thought she was having an affair. The underlined word “awful” means_____(Paragraph6)
A. interesting B. unlucky
C. terrible D. amazing
having an affair
Annie and Harlem ________( 宣布) the divorce.
It was said that Annie __________with Huang Weide
Annie
Harlem
declared
had an affair
She cried out “Tony” and then heard him declare that he didn’t want to leave her the next day and that he felt more than just the desire to please her.
宣称;断言+(that)
她宣称再也不愿见他了。
She declared that she didn’t want to see him again.
How did Claire feel?
What happened?
____________
She saw Tony was ______ and ________. He had ______hair and his voice was _______.
____________
Tony asked whether she needed help dressing.
amazed
By his _________ and the ________ and ________of his skin.
______________
Tony caught her in time, held her firmly in his arms .
alarmed
tall
handsome
smooth
deep
embarrassed
fingernails
softness
warmth
Happy, surprised, shy
Reading for Details
Reading for details
How did Claire feel?
What happened?
_____________
Tony folded his arms around her, bending his face close to hers and _______that he didn’t want to leave her and that he felt more than just the _____ to please her.
__________
She was envied by those women.
___________
She remembered Tony was just a machine.
surprised
happy
sad
declared
desire
Claire had a sense of failure
She was
not
elegant
Her house
was not
elegant
The
salesman
was rude
to her
She wanted
to be
another
Gladys
She fell
off
a ladder
Claire had a sense of failure
She was
not
elegant
Her house
was not
elegant
The
salesman
was rude
to her
She wanted
to be
another
Gladys
She fell
off
a ladder
He gave
her a new
haircut and
changed the
make up she
wore
He
managed
to catch
her in
time from
the next
room
He
suggested
a party in
her house
He made
the
salesman
changed
his attitude
He
transformed
the house
completely
Was Claire satisfied with Tony?
Was Claire satisfied with Tony?
He gave her a new haircut and changed the makeup she wore.
He transformed the house completely.
He made the salesman changed his rude attitude immediately.
He suggested she invite Gladys and her friends to a party in her house.
He managed to catch her in time from the next room.
Claire had a sense of failure
She was
not
elegant
Her house
was not
elegant
The
salesman
was rude
to her
She wanted
to be
another
Gladys
She fell
off
a ladder
Tony: Mr. Perfect !
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!
Find out how Claire’s emotion developed
____ _____ ____ _____
____ _____
Sad to remember he was just a machine
accepted him C. proud of him
D. refused to have Tony at her house
E. trusted him F. loved him
D
B
E
c
F
A
How Claire’s emotion developed
refuse
accept
trust
proud
love
sad
Claire spent three weeks with Tony in her house. What sentences in the story show that she kept forgetting and then remembering that he was a machine?
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.
…..
Reading for appreciation
What a mixed feeling!
1. Do you think Tony was also in love with Claire?
2. If so, do you think it acceptable for Claire and Tony to be in love?
Mini Debate
Useful expressions (推测与确信)
I think/ don’t think… I believe / don’t believe…
I guess/ suppose… I wonder…
I’m sure that … I have a belief that…
Is it possible that…? Are you sure that…?
My dear wife…
Would you give some suggestions to Mr. Belmont?
(as an engineer or a husband)
Do you think it needs to rebuild Tony, why or why not?
rebuild?
包君满意
Title: Satisfaction Guaranteed
A different title
Isaac Asimov
(艾萨克 阿西莫夫)
(1920-1992)
An American scientist and writer
Science fiction stories about robots
Nothing is impossible in a fiction!
Films based on the works of Isaac Asimov
(艾萨克 阿西莫夫)
Isaac Asimov’s Laws For robots
First Law : A robot must not injure human beings or allow them to be injured.
Second law : ……..
Third Law : ……..
1.Read the text loudly and fluently
2.Preview “ A biography of Isaac Asimov”(P16)
3.Finish off the Exercises on the worksheet.