Unit 11 Scientific achievements
I. 單元教學(xué)目標(biāo)
技能目標(biāo)Goals
▲ Talk about science and scientific achievement
▲ Practise expressing intentions and wishes
▲ Learn about Word Formation (1)
▲ Write a persuasion essay
II. 目標(biāo)語言
功
能
句
式 1.Talk about science and scientists
2. Practise expressing intentions and wishes
If I got the money, I would……
My plan is to…….
I hope that…….
I want/ wish/hope/intend/plan to……
I’d like to……
I’m thinking of……
詞 匯 1. 四會(huì)詞匯
Engineering, solar, significant, mankind, constitution, likely, zone, private, grasp, master, perfect , arrange, rely, failure, locate, valley, brand, luggage, achieve, organ, boom, breakthrough, agency, announce, evolution, supercomputer
2. 認(rèn)讀詞匯
Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, eureka, economic, hi-tech, technological, overseas, IT, Lenovo, Founder, silicon, Nokia, Motorola, rejuvenate, impressive, genome, element, byte, humanoid
3. 詞組
set foot (in), rely on, put forward,
4.重點(diǎn)詞匯
significant, likely, private, grasp, master, perfect , arrange, rely, failure, locate, achieve,
breakthrough, announce
結(jié)構(gòu) Word formation
重
點(diǎn)
句
子 1.Whatever great achievements the future may have in store for China, it is likely that many of them will be born in northwestern Beijing.
2. Not all the new companies can succeed, but the spirit and creativity they represent are more important than money.
III. 教材分析與教材重組
1. 教材分析
通過學(xué)習(xí)了解人類的科學(xué)成就,幫助學(xué)生認(rèn)識(shí)到這些成就深刻地改變了人類生產(chǎn)和生活的方式及質(zhì)量,同時(shí)也深刻地改變了人類的思維觀念和對(duì)世界的認(rèn)識(shí),改變并繼續(xù)改變著世界的面貌,極大地推動(dòng)了社會(huì)的發(fā)展。激發(fā)學(xué)生學(xué)科學(xué),愛科學(xué),把科學(xué)知識(shí)轉(zhuǎn)化成科技成果,報(bào)效祖國, 為祖國的繁榮富強(qiáng)貢獻(xiàn)自己的力量。
1.1 WARMING UP 通過討論一些科學(xué)成就,幫助學(xué)生認(rèn)識(shí)到這些成就怎樣改變了我們生存的世界,對(duì)我們又將有什么樣的影響以及所有科學(xué)成就的共同之處是什么。
1.2 LISTENING是一些科學(xué)發(fā)明的具體事例。
1.3 SPEAKING是一個(gè)任務(wù)型教學(xué)活動(dòng)。提供了4種科研項(xiàng)目,讓4位同學(xué)做為代表發(fā)言,通過介紹和辯論,說明自己的項(xiàng)目最重要,從而學(xué)會(huì)表達(dá)自己的意圖和希望。
1.4 PRE-READING是開放性問題,要求學(xué)生開動(dòng)腦筋,勤于思考,小組討論找出問題答案。
1.5 READING是關(guān)于中關(guān)村科技園的介紹。通過學(xué)習(xí)了解中關(guān)村的發(fā)展,激發(fā)學(xué)生的民族自豪感。教育學(xué)生要以振興民族產(chǎn)業(yè)為己任,為改變中國這個(gè)擁有13億人口的大國的科技面貌產(chǎn)業(yè),為由“中國制造”向“中國創(chuàng)造”邁進(jìn)而努力學(xué)習(xí)。
1.6 POST-READING第一個(gè)題是5個(gè)選擇題,目的是訓(xùn)練學(xué)生的事實(shí)核對(duì)能力;第二題是開放性問題比較中關(guān)村-中國的硅谷和美國硅谷的異同,此題可以很好的培養(yǎng)學(xué)生自主學(xué)習(xí)的習(xí)慣,還可以訓(xùn)練學(xué)生的概括能力,訓(xùn)練學(xué)生開放性思維,要求學(xué)生學(xué)會(huì)多角度的去思考問題,更能開闊學(xué)生的思路,豐富學(xué)生的視野。
1.7 LANGUAGE STUDY 分詞匯和語法兩部分。其中,Word study 是一個(gè)英語釋義練習(xí),旨在培養(yǎng)學(xué)生的英語思維能力,有助于養(yǎng)成英語思維的習(xí)慣。Grammar構(gòu)詞法知識(shí)介紹。本單元的語法訓(xùn)練設(shè)計(jì)是從易到難,呈階梯狀,由構(gòu)詞法知識(shí)介紹到篇章中的猜詞義連習(xí),設(shè)計(jì)得非?茖W(xué),可操作性強(qiáng)。
1.8 INTEGRATING SKILLS中的Reading介紹了近十幾年來中國在不同領(lǐng)域取得的一些重大成就。WRITING部分要求學(xué)生給《現(xiàn)代科學(xué)》(Modern Science)雜志寫一篇關(guān)于最偉大科學(xué)成就的文章,說明原因并且解釋為什么你認(rèn)為它是最偉大的。
1.9 TIPS 介紹了怎樣寫persuasion essay。
2. 教材重組
2.1將GRAMMAR與WORKBOOK中的語法練習(xí)題整合在一起上一節(jié)“語法課”。
2.2把WARMING UP 作為SPEAKING的熱身練習(xí),將WARMING UP與SPEAKING整合在一起,通過談?wù)摽茖W(xué)成就,討論最重要的科學(xué)成就,練習(xí)表達(dá)自己的觀點(diǎn)和愿望,上一節(jié)“口語課”。
2.3將LISTENING 和 WORKBOOK 的LISTENING 結(jié)合在一起,上一節(jié)“聽力課”。
2.4把PRE-READING, READING 和POST-READING 放在一起上一節(jié)閱讀課。
2.5 將INTEGRATING SKILLS 設(shè)計(jì)為一節(jié)“綜合實(shí)踐課(一)”。
2.6將WORKBOOK 的INTEGRATING SKILLS設(shè)計(jì)為一節(jié)“綜合實(shí)踐課(二)”。
3. 課型設(shè)計(jì)與課時(shí)分配(經(jīng)教材分析,本單元可以用6課時(shí)教完)
1st Period Grammar
2nd Period Warming up, Speaking
3rd Period Listening
4th Period Reading
5th Period Integrating Skills (1)
6th Period Integrating Skills (2)
IV. 分課時(shí)教案
The First Period Grammar
Teaching goals 教學(xué)目標(biāo)
1. Target language目標(biāo)語言:
Learn the Grammar--- Word formation (I)
2. Ability goals能力目標(biāo): Study the ways of forming a word and enlarge students’ vocabulary.
3. Learning ability goals學(xué)能目標(biāo):Enable students to use context clues and what they know about word parts to guess the meaning of new words.
Teaching important points教學(xué)重點(diǎn)
The ways of forming a word.
Teaching difficult points 教學(xué)難點(diǎn)
How to guess the meaning of a new word.
Teaching methods教學(xué)方法
Explaining and practising
Teaching aids教具準(zhǔn)備
1. a projector 2. a computer
Teaching procedures & ways教學(xué)過程與方式
Step I Lead in
T: Good morning afternoon, class!
Ss: Good morning afternoon,Mr/Ms…
T: In this class, we are going to start Unit 11 Scientific achievements .Now pay attention to the two words. Will you please tell me how the two words are formed?
S1“Scientific”is the adjective form of” Science”.
S2:“Achievement “ is the noun form of “achieve”.
T: Observe them carefully; can you explain how they are formed?
S3:” Science” is a noun, if we add –fic to it, then we get its adjective.
S4: “achieve” is a verb. If we add –ment to it, we get its noun.
T: Excellent ! That is how the two words are formed. The basic part of any word is the root; to it, you can add a prefix at the beginning and/or a suffix at the end to change the meaning. For example, in the word "unflattering," the root is simply "flatter," while the prefix "un-" makes the word negative, and the suffix "-ing" changes it from a verb into an adjective (specifically, a participle).This is the grammar we are going to learn in this class.(Show Word Formation on the powerpoint.)
Step II Grammar
Ask students to observe the given words carefully and find out how words are formed.
T: How do learners improve their vocabulary? There are no super shortcuts to vocabulary, but there are various forms of support. Here is one example. Increasing your vocabulary is so important that you just can't forget about it. Don't bury your head in the sand. OK.. Please look at the following words and tell how they are formed. (Show the following words on the PowerPoint.)
affix
infix
prefix
suffix
Teacher explains the following.
T: What do these words (nouns) have in common?
Ss: All of them contain the root “fix”.
T: Well, they do have a number of things in common. Let's settle for the most obvious, the 'fix' at the end. So if we split them, this is what we get
af + fix
in + fix
pre + fix
suf + fix (These will be shown on the PowerPoint)
T: What does 'fix' mean?
Ss: Fix means attach to, fasten, stick, glue.
T: What about 'af' , 'in' , 'pre' , 'suf' ? in' and 'pre' are understandable, aren't they ?
'in' a room, 'in' a sentence, 'in' a word.
'pre' means before like in pre-war, pre-school, premature.
So what do infix and prefix actually mean? infix - to attach something inside (a word).prefix - to attach something at the beginning of (a word)
What about 'af' and 'suf'?
That's a bit more difficult to explain. 'af' is actually from the beginning the Latin word 'ad', and the meaning is the same as the English word add. Add 4 and 5 and you get 9.
'suf' is the Latin word 'sub', like in submarine, subway, suburb. The meaning is under, after (outside).
Why have the d in 'ad' and the b in 'sub' changed into f?
The reason is really quite simple. 'adfix' and 'subfix' are difficult to pronounce. There is economy in everything! You simply leave out the d and the b, but in order to mark their existence the words are spelt with an extra f .
So what do affix and suffix actually mean?
Ss: affix - to attach something to (a word)
suffix -to attach something at the end of (a word)
T: We have now fixed the fixes, haven't we? affix - something you add (stick) to a word
There are three kinds of affixes:
added inside the word - infix
added at the beginning of the word - prefix
added at the end of the word – suffix
Ss: What's this good for then?
T: Well, there are thousands of words with prefixes and suffixes. The infixes are fewer and less useful to you.
The English vocabulary basically consists of words of Latin and Germanic origin. There are prefixes in both groups.
If you know the basic meaning of a prefix or a suffix you can often 'guess' the meaning of an English word. There are a limited number of Latin prefixes and suffixes. If you learn the meaning of them, and learn to recognize them in English words, you will increase your vocabulary much faster.
Here are some of the most common Latin prefixes (for the meanings of the Latin roots, look up the words in a good dictionary): (Show the following on the PowerPoint.)
ab
(away) abstain, absent, absolve
ad
(to) adverb, advertisement, advance, adjoin
in /il-/im-/ir-
(not) incapable, indecisive, intolerable , illegal, impossible, irrugular
inter
(between, among) international, interaction interdependent, interprovincial
pre
(before) prerecorded, preface prefer
post
(after) postpone, postscript, postwar
sub
(under, not quite) subsoil, subscription, suspect ,subway, subnormal
trans
(across, to a changed state) transfer, transit, translate, transport ,transform
Step III Practice
T: Are you ready for some exercises? Open your books and look at Page6. Let’s do the exercises. Let’s do Exercise 1 first .How are these words formed? (Or show the following words on the PowerPoint).
international= inter-+national telephone= tele-+phone
mankind=man+kind broadband= broad+band
extremely=extreme+-ly manned= man+ -ed
hi-tech= high+technology email= electronic mail
IT= information technology CSA= Chinese Space Agency
S1:I think international and telephone are formed in the same way. We add prefix inter- to national and tele- to phone.
T: Good! What about the others?
S2: Mankind and broadband are formed in the same way. Each is made up of two words.
S3:Extremely and manned are formed by adding a suffix.
S4:Hi-tech is the shortened form of high technology and e-mail is the shortened form of electronic mail.
S5: IT stands for information technology. We use the first letters of the two words to form a new one .We use the first letters of Chinese Space Agency to form the word CSA.
T;Well done .So we know that words are formed in these ways. When you come across a new word, you can easily guess the meaning. Ok ,let’s come to Exercise2.
Deal with the rest of exercises in the same way.
Step IV Workbook
Step V WORD FORMATION EXERCISES
(If there isn’t enough time, please print it out and give the handouts to students as homework)
T: I’m very glad you’ve done the exercises quite well. Would you like to try some difficult ones?
Now look at the following exercises. You are given 8 minutes. Then we will check the answers together. If you have any difficulty, you may work with your partner or refer to a dictionary.
( Show the following exercises on the powerpoint.)
Use the word at the end of each gap to form a new word with which to fill the gap. While doing this exercise, look for clues which tell you what kind of word is missing (adjective, noun, verb, adverb). Make sure to take into consideration forms using various prefixes and suffixes, as well as negative forms.
EXERCISE # 1
This text was taken from "The Picture of Dorian Gray " by Oscar Wilde
In the centre of the room, clamped to an upright easel, stood the full-length portrait of a young man of _____(ORDINARY) personal beauty, and in front of it, some little _____(DISTANT) away, was sitting the artist himself, Basil Hallward, whose sudden _____(APPEAR) some years ago caused, at the time, such public ______ (EXCITE), and gave rise to so many strange conjectures. As the painter looked at the ______ (GRACE) and comely form he had so _______
(SKILL) mirrored in his art, a smile of ______ (PLEASE) passed across his face, and seemed about to linger there. But he ______(SUDDEN) started up, and, closing his eyes, placed his fingers upon the lids, as though he sought to _______(PRISON) within his brain some curious dream from which he feared he might ______(WAKE).
EXERCISE # 2
This text was taken from "The Time Machine", by H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells
`It is simply this. That Space, as our ______(MATHS) have it, is spoken of as having three dimensions, which one may call ______(LONG), Breadth, and _______(THICK), and is always definable by _______(REFER) to three planes, each at right angles to the others. But some philosophical people have been asking why THREE dimensions _______ (PARTICULAR) --why not another direction at right angles to the other three?--and have even tried to construct a Four-Dimension geometry. Professor Simon Newcomb was expounding this to the New York Mathematical Society only a month or so ago. You know how on a flat surface, which has only two dimensions, we can represent a figure of a three-______ (DIMENSION) solid, and ______(SIMILAR) they think that by models of thee dimensions they could represent one of four--if they could master the _______(PERCEIVE) of the thing. See?'
Keys to EXERCISE # 1
Extraordinary, distance, disappearance, excitement, gracious, skillfully, pleasure, suddenly, imprison, awake
Keys to EXERCISE # 2
Mathematicians, Length, Thickness, reference, particularly, dimension, similarly, perspective
Eight minutes later check the answers.
Show the answers on the PowerPoint so that students can have a better understanding of word formation.
T: After doing theses exercises I’m sure you have a better understanding on word formation. I hope this will help you to improve your vocabulary. When you come across a new word, try to guess its meaning in this way. Good luck to you! Today’s homework Finish all of the Vocabulary and Grammar exercises on the workbook That’s all for today.
Step VI Homework: Finish all of the Vocabulary and Grammar exercises on the workbook. Learn vocabulary on scientific achievements.
The Second Period Warming up & Speaking
Teaching goals 教學(xué)目標(biāo)
1. Target Language目標(biāo)語言:
a. 重點(diǎn)詞匯和短語
solar energy, breakthrough, organ
b. 交際用語
Practise expressing intentions and wishes.
If I got the money, I would……
My plan is to…….
I hope that…….
I want/ wish/hope/intend/plan to……
I’d like to……
I’m thinking of……
2. Ability goals能力目標(biāo): Enable students to talk about scientific achievements. Help them learn to express intentions and wishes.
3. Learning ability goals學(xué)能目標(biāo):Talk about great scientific achievements that have changed the world. Practise expressing intentions and wishes by talking about which scientific project is the most important .
Teaching important points教學(xué)重點(diǎn)
Talk about great scientific achievements. Learn the patterns used to express intentions and wishes.
Teaching difficult points 教學(xué)難點(diǎn)
How to express intentions and wishes.
Teaching methods 教學(xué)方法
Group work Discussing (cooperative learning)
Teaching aids 教具準(zhǔn)備
a tape recorder, a projector and a computer
Teaching procedures & ways 過程與方式
Step I Revision
Check the homework. Check the answers on the workbook with the whole class.
Ask some students to name some great achievements.
Step II Warming up
Show the photos of some great scientific achievements that have changed the world on the PowerPoint. Divide students into groups and ask them to discuss which one is the most important and what these achievements have in common. (The exercises in warming up on Page 1).Students may have different opinions. The most important thing is to encourage them to think and express their opinions.
T: Please look at these great achievements and work in groups and discuss the following questions. You may have different answers. But you will have to tell us your reasons. (Show the following questions on the PowerPoint.)
1. Among the great scientific achievements that have changed the world, which one do you think is the most important? Why?
2. What are some other scientific achievements that you think are important?
3. Do these achievements have anything in common? If so, what?
Five minutes later ask some students to speak out their opinion.
T: Ok. Please stop here. I’d like to listen to your opinions.
S1: I think electricity is the most important. The modern world cannot work without electricity. Electricity has changed our way of life. This summer in some areas there wasn’t enough electric power, so some factories had to close and people had lot of problems in life.
S2: In my opinion the most important is Radio and television. Radio and television have changed the way we look at the world.
S3: That’s true. But I still think the most important is solar energy. Because by using solar energy, we can save other energy resources. And what’s more we can protect our environment.
……
T: Good! Do these achievements have anything in common?
Ss: These great achievements have changed the world.
S8: And all these great achievements were made by westerners/ foreigners.
T: That’s true. My dear students please think thousands of years ago our ancestors made 4 great inventions that changed the world. We are proud of them. But among the recent 75 greatest achievements, none was achieved by us Chinese .So I hope you study hard and make great scientific achievements. I will be very proud of you. Every Chinese will be proud of you.
Step III Speaking
T: Ok. Suppose we are in the year of 2015. You are scientists. You are working on different projects. All of you need money and want to get money to complete your project. You will introduce your project and explain why it is the most important. One member will listen to all the scientists and ask questions .At the end of the discussion, he or she must decide who will get the money and why .Now turn your books to Page 2, look at the Speaking part and work in groups of five .Please don’t forget the useful expressions. You are given five minutes to do it. Then I will ask some groups to act it out.
Show the useful expressions on the PowerPoint.
If I got the money, I would……
My plan is to…….
I hope that…….
I want/ wish/hope/intend/plan to……
I’d like to……
I’m thinking of……
Five minutes later, some students are asked to act it out
Sample of the speaking:
Official: I know all of you have your own reasons. Now I’d like each of you to state your reasons and answer my questions truthfully so that I can decide who will get the money.
Dr Wilson: Ok. I’ll speak first. Our team is working on a cure for AIDS. As everyone knows, this is an issue for everyone. AIDS as a disease is not affecting only minority groups - gay men, drug users and prostitutes. The latest figures from the World Health Authority and UNAIDS show that HIV infection is now the fastest-growing serious health condition in many countries around the globe, where women are particularly at risk of becoming HIV-positive. It's clearly no longer the 'minority' disease it once was. I hope to find a cure as soon as possible. So our research is extremely important.
Official: We’ve spent a lot of money on many programs which help people fight AIDS in poor countries.
Dr Wilson: That’s true. But our research is to find a cure for this deadly disease. If we got the money, we would do more experiments and find a solution sooner. Then we would save thousands of lives.
Official: OK. Let’s listen to what Dr Jones will say.
Dr Jones: Our research project is about cloning and how to use the new technology to cure disease. The main reason to clone plants or animals is to mass produce organisms with desired qualities. Other reasons for cloning include replacing lost family pets and repopulating endangered or even extinct species. And we are thinking of using the new technology to cure diseases.
Official: Could you give us an example?
Dr Jones: The number of pandas is becoming smaller and smaller. Even though the Chinese government has been trying hard to provide pandas a suitable environment, the number remains samll. If we find a way to clone pandas, they won’t die out. We can help to keep the balance of the world. So I think our group should get the money.
Official: Ok. I think it’s Dr Smith’s turn.
Dr Smith: Without water, man cannot live. Water is very important to us. But many areas are short of water. In some places, people cannot have enough drinking water. So I want to develop new technology that will make it possible to grow food in areas where there is very little water. This new technology would help us save the natural resource.
Official: How are your experiments going?
Dr Smith: The experiments are going as expected, but at present we are short of money. I need your support.
Official: Let’s listen to Dr Winfrey’s explanation about his project.
Dr Winfrey: Once the moon has been reached, Mars seems the next obvious destination. We are working on sending a manned spaceship to Mars. It would be very difficult for one country to carry out such a program. A mission to Mars would require funding.
Official: Neil Armstrong's "One giant step for mankind" defined a generation. The project is very interesting and I am not turning it down. I support it, and it should be further developed. The money goes to Dr Winfrey’s group. Congratulations!
Dr Winfrey: Thanks. You will be proud of us.
T: Well done. Many of you can express intensions and wishes very well. After class please practice these useful expressions more often.
Step IV Workbook
Step V Homework
Surf on the internet or use the library to find some information of Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, Ray Tomlinson and more about scientific achievements in groups.
The Third Period Listening
Teaching goals 教學(xué)目標(biāo)
1. Target Language目標(biāo)語言:
constitution, Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, Ray Tomlinson, eureka
2.Aility goals 能力目標(biāo):
Introduce some great scientists and their achievements to students by doing some listening exercises.
3. Learning ability goals學(xué)能目標(biāo):
By listening to the introduction of some scientists and their achievements help students learn more about scientific achievements. Improve their listening ability by doing listening exercises.
Teaching important points教學(xué)重點(diǎn)
Listen to materials about some great scientists and their achievements.
Teaching difficult points教學(xué)難點(diǎn)
How to improve their listening ability
Teaching methods教學(xué)方法
Listening, speaking, discussing
Teaching aids 教具準(zhǔn)備
a tape recorder, a projector and a computer
Teaching procedures & ways 過程與方式
Step I Revision
Check the homework.
Ask some students to express their intensions and wishes using the patterns learned in this unit.
Ask students to say more about scientific achievements.
Step II: Leading in
After students talk about some great scientific achievements, show the pictures of Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, Ray Tomlinson. Ask students to say something about the three great men.
T:Do you know anything about Neil Armstrong?
S1: He is the first man to land on the moon.
T: Good! What about Alexander G Bell?
S2: He was the inventor of telephone.
S3: Ray Tomlinson invented e-mail.
T: Quite good! Now let’s listen to some materials about them and then finish the exercises on page 2.
Step III: Listening
Part 1
Play the tape for students to listen and give students several minutes to finish the exercises. If students have any difficulty in listening, explain the difficult points and play the tape again where necessary. Then check the answers with the whole class.
T: Well done! I would like to learn more about Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, Ray Tomlinson. .Which group will introduce Neil Armstrong to us?
S1: Our group has found something about Neil Armstrong.
T: Good. Please introduce something to us. Let’s read together. (Ask students to show the following on the PowerPoint or print them out)
In 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first man to walk on the moon, uttering the immortal phrase, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
NAME: Neil A. Armstrong
NASA Astronaut (former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Married. Two sons.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University; Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from University of Southern California. He holds honorary doctorates from a number of universities.
SPECIAL HONORS: He is the recipient of many special honors, including the Presidential Medal for Freedom in 1969; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy in 1970; the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1969; and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, 1978.
EXPERIENCE: From 1949 to 1952, he served as a naval aviator; he flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War. During 1971-1979, Armstrong was professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati, where he was involved in both teaching and research. Currently serves as Chairman, AIL Systems, Inc. Deer Park, N.Y.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Armstrong joined NACA, (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), NASA's predecessor, as a research pilot at the Lewis Laboratory in Cleveland and later transferred to the NACA High Speed Flight Station at Edwards AFB, California. He was a project pilot on many pioneering high speed aircraft, including the 4,000 mph X-15. He has flown over 200 different models of aircraft, including jets, rockets, helicopters and gliders.
In 1962, Armstrong was transferred to astronaut status. He served as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, launched March 16, 1966, and performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space.
In 1969, Armstrong was commander of Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, and gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the Moon and the first man to step on its surface.
Armstrong subsequently held the position of Deputy Association Administrator for Aeronautics, NASA Headquarters Office of Advanced Research and Technology, from 1970 to 1971. He resigned from NASA in 1971.
As a young man, Alexander Graham Bell taught deaf students in schools and universities and tutored them privately to help them communicate. He was trained in this work by his parents.
In 1862, Bell enrolled as a "student teacher" at a boy's school near Edinburgh, Scotland. There he taught music and elocution in exchange for instruction in other subjects. Later, he became a full-time teacher, using Visible Speech in teaching a class of deaf children. In April, 1871, Bell went to Massachusetts, where he met with great success.
As a teacher of the deaf, Bell was determined to help deaf people speak, so that they could take part in the speaking world, rather than be isolated and alone. To do this, he tried to find a way to make sound visible. Bell got his idea for making sound visible from his knowledge of how the ear hears.
Ray Tomlinson Inventor of Email
Email has become one of the most commonly used forms of communication, yet its invention passed with little note. Unlike some other communications breakthroughs, like the telegram or phone, nobody thought that email would grow as big as it has. Even the inventor of email, Ray Tomlinson, didn't know he was creating something important. But despite its humble beginnings, email has become an important part of our world. Whether it is used by a business for important messages, or by a disabled person simply to communicate, email is definitely here to stay.
After learning something more about the great people, go on dealing with the rest of listening exercises.
Part 2
Play the tape for students to listen and give students several minutes to finish the exercises. If students have any difficulty in listening, explain the difficult points and play the tape again where necessary. Then check the answers with the whole class.
Part 3
Students are encouraged to think creatively and give different answers.
Step IV: Workbook
Deal with the listening exercises on workbook.
Homework: Remember the three great men and their achievements.
Learn words and expressions in the text.
The Fourth Period Reading
Teaching goals 教學(xué)目標(biāo)
1. Target Language目標(biāo)語言:
a. 重點(diǎn)詞匯和短語
likely zone, private, grasp, master, perfect, arrange, rely, failure, locate, valley, set foot in, rely on
b. 重點(diǎn)句型
1.Whatever great achievements the future may have in store for China, it is likely that many of them will be born in northwestern Beijing.
2. Not all the new companies can succeed, but the spirit and creativity they represent are more important than money.
2.Aility goals 能力目標(biāo): Learn about the development of Zhongguancun and great achievements China has made in recent years. Encourage students to become interested in hi-tech.
3. Learning ability goals學(xué)能目標(biāo):Students are divided into different groups. Each group will be assigned different tasks. They are asked to collect Zhongguancun’s information from different resources outside of class. Each group member should be involved. Through these activities students should learn to be involved, co-operate and solve problems.
Teaching important points教學(xué)重點(diǎn)The development of Zhongguancun and great achievements China has made in recent years.
Teaching difficult points教學(xué)難點(diǎn)
How to analyze the text and grasp the main idea of the text.
Teaching methods教學(xué)方法
Listening, reading, discussing
Teaching aids 教具準(zhǔn)備
a tape recorder, a projector and a computer
Teaching procedures & ways 過程與方式
Step I Revision
Check the homework..
Go over the three great names Neil Armstrong, Alexander G Bell, Ray Tomlinson and how they changed the world.
Ask some students to read words and expressions in Unit 11.
Step II Pre-reading
Deal with the questions in the pre-reading part.
T: Good! In this class we are going to learn about the development of Zhongguancun First I’d like to make a survey. If you wanted to do research or start a hi-tech company, what kind of support and environment would you need?
S1: I think I will need support from academies of science.
S2:I think I will need support from the government, i.e. special policy to support my company.
S3: In my opinion, competition will help companies develop very fast. So I will set up my company in a science and technology center.
S4:……
……
T: Good! Why are scientific achievements important? How do they improve our life? How do they improve society?
S8: Scientific achievements can improve our life and change the world. For example before areoplanes and cars were invented, it took years to travel around the world. Now it is very convenient for people to travel.
S9: Scientific achievements make our life colorful. Scientific achievements make life more comfortable.
S10: Scientific achievements change our way of life. We are living a life quite different from our ancestors’.
S11: Scientific achievements also change our way of thinking.
…….
T: So scientific achievements are very important. Then you will good answers to this question:
Why do scientists spend so much time trying to achieve something?
S15: Because they like to do something valuable.
S16: Then they turn their wishes into reality.
S17: They are doing something to strengthen the social development.
T: They are very great. I hope you study hard and in future you will make some scientific achievements to benefit the world.
Step III Leading in
Help students to learn something about the symbol of Zhongguancun..
T: Now look at the picture. ( Show the picture of the statue in Zhongguancun on the powerpiont.) Do you know where it is? It is a statue of a DNA molecule. It is the symbol of the Zhongguancun Scientific and Technological Garden. In this class we are going to learn something about Zhongguancun.
Step IV Reading
Deal with the reading part.
Scanning
Ask the students to scan the text and find the information aboutZhongguancun. Then fill the information in the form. It is not necessary to write in whole sentences. Key words will do. Students will finish the task independently and then they will compare their notes with their group members.
T: First I’d like you to do the scanning and then finish the form with the information you get from the text. You don’t need to write in sentences. Key words are OK. After you finish, please compare your notes with the other group members.
Show the form on the PowerPoint.
Zhongguancun is located in Northwestern Beijing
What is it? China’s Silicon Valley
In the early 1980s Chen Chunxian opened a private research and development institute
Set up as a special economic zone
Zhongguancun is home to A growing number of overseas Chinese;
A number of science parks;
Many IT companies
The number of IT companies in Zhongguancun More that 8,000 hi-tech companies
Its effect On business& science
Several minutes later, students compare their information with each other in groups. Then show the following form on the PowerPoint.
Zhongguancun is located in Beijing’s Haidian Distric Northwestern Beijing
What is it? New center for Chinese science and technology China’s Silicon Valley
The science center got started In the early 1980s Chen Chunxian opened a private research and development institute
Set up as a special economic zone In the late 1990s Leader of China’s hi-tech industry
Zhongguancun is home to Some famous research institutes and universities A growing number of overseas Chinese;A number of science parks;
Many IT companies
The number of IT companies in Zhongguancun More than 4,000 IT companies More that 8,000 hi-tech companies
Its effect positive On business & science
T: From this form we can have a clear image of Zhongguancun. Let’s come to the post reading questions.
Skimming
Ask students to skim the text and then finish the post-reading questions.
T: Look at the post reading questions first. Then skim the text to find the answers.
Then check the answers with the whole class.
Suggested answers:
1. A.B.C.D 2. D 3.C.D 4.B 5. C.D
Sum up the main idea of each part.
Ask the students to read through the text and grasp the main idea of the text. Before giving students the answers, ask them to discuss first.
In this procedure, students should sum up the main ideas by themselves first, then discuss with group members.
(Cooperative learning)
T: Now let’s sum up the main idea of each part. While reading, please think carefully and decide how many parts the text should be divided into.
After reading the text, Ss will think carefully and then they will discuss with their group members. Then some spokesmen will stand up and speak out their opinions.
T: OK. I’m glad you have thought actively and had a heated discussion. Let’s look at the suggested answers.
(Show the suggested answers on the PowerPoint.)
The main idea of each part
Part1 (Paragraph1-2)
General introduction of Zhongguancun.
Part2 (Paragraph 3-7)
Why Zhongguancun attracts more and more overseas Chinese.
Part3 (Paragraph 8-9)
The positive effect Zhongguancun has had on both business and science & the spirit of Zhongguancun.
T:I hope you will remember the spirit of Zhongguancun.I hope it will encourage you to study hard and be the guide of your life.
Step IV Explanation
During this procedure Teacher will play the tape for students. Students will underline the difficult sentences. After listening to the tape, Teacher will explain the text and deal with language problems.
T: We have learned the main ideas of the text. This time we will deal with some difficult language focuses. Now I will play the tape for you .Please make a mark where you have difficulties.
After listening to the tape, explain the difficult sentences to students. Before explaining the difficult points, students are asked to refer to the notes to the text.
T: Do you have any difficulties with the text?
S1In the first sentence Whatever great achievements the future may have in store for China, it is likely that many of them will be born in northwestern Beijing. can I replace “l(fā)ikely” with “possible”?
T: Yes, you can. It is the same. We can say “It is possible that something will happen” But when we say “Somebody is likely to do sth “or “Something is likely to happen.”.
E.g. The train is likely to be late.
She is not likely to come next month.
S2: In the last paragraph the second sentence” Not all the new companies can succeed”, does “not all “mean “none”?
T: No, “not all” means” some”.Do you have any other questions?
Ss: No.
T: Today’s home work Surf on the internet and find more about Chen Chunxian and Zhongguancun .That’s all for today.
Step VI Homework
Surf on the internet and find more about Chen Chunxian and Zhongguancun.
The Fifth Period Integrating Skills (1)
Teaching goals教學(xué)目標(biāo)
1. Target language目標(biāo)語言:
a. 重點(diǎn)詞匯和短語 boom, rejuvenating, impressive, genetic, genome, byte, broadband, humanoid, put forward
b. 重點(diǎn)句型
In 1995, the Chinese government put forward a plan for “rejuvenating the nation by relying on science and education”.
2. 能力目標(biāo): Help students to learn about scientific achievements in different fields made by Chinese.
3. 學(xué)能目標(biāo): After learning about scientific achievements, students should realize scientific achievements rely on science and education and knowledge will help them to achieve their goals.
Teaching important points教學(xué)重點(diǎn)
Help students to learn about scientific achievements in different fields made by Chinese.
Help students to realize scientific achievements rely on science and education and knowledge will
help them to achieve their goals.
Writing: Write a persuasion essay.
Teaching difficult points 教學(xué)難點(diǎn)
How to write a persuasion essay.
Teaching methods教學(xué)方法
Task-based teaching method
Teaching aids教具準(zhǔn)備
1. A recorder 2. A projector 3. A computer
Teaching procedures & ways教學(xué)過程與方式
Step I Revision
Check the homework.
T: Yesterday I asked you to find more about Chen Chunxian and Zhongguancun. Have you done your homework?
S1: Chen Chunxian was called “Father of "China's Silicon Valley”. He died on August 9,2004 in Beijing.
S2:He was China's Silicon Pioneer, but he had had many failures.
S3: He is publicly recognized as the first mover in China’s IT industries in the 1980s. He was born in 1934. In 1953, he entered the University of Moscow to study physics. At the time of his study, it was the heyday of Russian research and development. Sputnik, the first satellite, was launched in 1957. After he finished his degree in 1958, he started his career as a researcher at the Institute of Physics in the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), the most preeminent research institute in China.
S4: Chen Chunxian, along with 10 fellow CAS scientists took academic tours to the U.S. soon after the Open Door Policy was established in 1978.
S5: In 1980 he started up the Advanced Technology Service Department, a technology-consulting firm in the Zhongguancun area of Beijing, with 15 staff members from CAS. Many scientists and researchers followed Chen’s example in the early 1980s
……
T:I’m glad to share your information. You’ve done very well. Here’s a piece of news on his death. Please read it. (Show the following on the PowerPoint.)
Father of "China's Silicon Valley" Dies
Chinese scientist Chen Chunxian, founder of Beijing's Zhongguancun hi-tech area, has passed away at the age of 70.
The physicist died Monday morning. He made his last contribution to society by donating his corneas to a medical institution.
In 1980, 46-year-old Chen Chunxian tabled the proposal of building Zhongguancun into China's "Silicon Valley".
He left Chinese Academy of Sciences the same year to establish the first private scientific institution in the country, the precursor of China's hi-tech enterprises.
Chen Chunxian's efforts to develop China's hi-tech industry have given him the name "father of Zhongguancun".
(CRI August 11, 2004)
Step II Leading in
T: Though he had many failures, his spirit inspires thousands of people to work hard to build a new future. Just as a motto says: “Encouraging pioneering work and accepting failure”, great scientific achievements are the results of years of failures, years of trying to create something that has never existed before. Now let’s look at the great achievements we Chinese have made in different fields.
Step III Integrating skills
Students are requested to look through the text in the given time and then finish the exercise on Page 8. Students are given several minutes to discuss their answers with their group members. Several minutes later, check the answers with the whole class.
T: Look through the text on page 7 quickly and then finish the exercise on page 8.Eight minutes later we will check the answers together.
Suggested answers:
Field Achievements Importance
Exploring space Developed Long March rocket series Safe; used to send satellites into space; prepare for the nation’s first manned flight
Genetic research A new kind of rice which allow farmers to increase production;
Completed part of the international human genome project in 2000 A leader in the field of genetic research;
Proving that Chinese scientists are among the world’s best
Computer engineering A new high-speed broadband network was recently started;
Developed the supercomputer Shenwei; built the nation’s first humanoid robot The internet is becoming increasingly popular.
Medical science Created a chemical element that can fight cancer cells Gives hope to cancer patients all over the world; makes China one of the world leaders in the battle against the deadly disease.
After finishing the exercises, play the tape for students to follow. Then explain the questions students ask.
Step V Writing
T: Now let’s come to Writing. First read the tips. Then finish writing an essay for the magazine Modern Science.
After the brief introduction, students will discuss in groups. Then they will write an outline by themselves. Students will finish the writing outside class. After every student finishes his writing, their work will be collected and on display.
Step VI Homework Finish writing your essay.
The Sixth Period Integrating Skills (II)
附 件
I.本單元課文注釋與疑難解析
1. Whatever great achievements the future may have in store for China, it is likely that many of them will be born in northwestern Beijing.無論中國將來會(huì)有什么樣的偉大成就,很有可能其中很多就誕生在北京的西北部。
1. whatever conj. regardless of what , no matter what 引導(dǎo)讓步裝語從句。
Eg. Whatever happens, the first important thing is to keep cool.( Whatever happens= No matter what happens)
不管發(fā)生什么事,頭等重要的是保持冷靜。
Whatever you do, I won't tell you my secret. (Whatever you do= No matter what you do )
不管你做什么, 我都不會(huì)把我的秘密告訴你。
注意:當(dāng)whatever 引導(dǎo)名詞性從句時(shí), 不可用no matter what 替換, whatever= anything that 。
You may do whatever you want to do.(whatever= anything that)
無論你想做什么事,你都可以做。
Whatever can be done has been done. (Whatever= Anything that)已經(jīng)做了能做的一切。
2. likely adj. probable可能的
1.) sb be likely to do sth
sth be likely to happen
2).. It is likely that ……
Eg. The train is likely to be late.這趟火車很可能晚點(diǎn)。
She is not likely to come next month.她下月很可能不來。
They are likely to become angry with him.他們可能會(huì)對(duì)他發(fā)怒
It is very likely that he will not consent.
很可能他不會(huì)同意。
like possible probable
意思都含“可能的”。
likely 系常用詞, 指“從表面跡象來看很有可能”, 如:
It is likely that she will ring me tonight.(= She is very likely to ring me tonight.)很有可能她今晚給我打電話。
possible 指“由于有適當(dāng)?shù)臈l件和方法, 某事可能發(fā)生或做到”, 強(qiáng)調(diào)“客觀上有可能”, 但常含有“實(shí)際希望很小”的意思, 如:
It is possible to go to the moon now.
現(xiàn)在有可能登上月球。
probable 語氣比 possible 強(qiáng), 指“有根據(jù)、合情理、值得相信的事物, 帶有‘大概’、‘很可能’”的意思, 如:
l don't think the story is probable.
我覺得那故事不大可能。
2.In1995, the Chinese government put forward a plan for “rejuvenating the nation by relying on science and education” and it has helped Chinese scientists make many breakthroughs.
1995年中國政府提出“科教興國”的規(guī)劃,幫助中國科學(xué)家取得了許多突破性的成就。
1. put forward 1)提出(意見、建議)
"In 1860, a better plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low."
"1860年,一個(gè)名叫威廉.婁的英國人提出了一項(xiàng)更好的計(jì)劃。"
2)推薦;提名;推舉
Shall we put Mr Willinton forward as the candidate for chairman of the committee?
"我們提名惠靈頓先生作為委員會(huì)主席的候選人,好嗎?"
2. rely(與on, upon連用)依靠;依賴;信任;信賴
rely on one's own efforts依靠自己的努力
You may rely on me.你可以信賴我。
rely depend
都含“信賴”的意思。
rely 指“在過去經(jīng)驗(yàn)的基礎(chǔ)上, 依賴、相信某人或某事物, 希望從中得到支持或幫助”, 如:
He can be -lied on to keep secret.
相信他能保密。
depend 指“出于信賴而依靠他人或他物, 以取得其支持或幫助, 這種信賴可能有過去的經(jīng)驗(yàn)或了解為根據(jù), 也可能沒有”, 如:
He can depend on his wife for sympathy.
他相信妻子會(huì)同情他。
2. breakthrough n..1) 突破,沖破防線
a military breakthrough軍事突破
2)突破性的發(fā)現(xiàn),成就
a scientific breakthrough科學(xué)成就
Surgeons have made a great breakthrough in the kidney transplantation.
外科醫(yī)生們在腎移植方面取得了重大突破。
II. 文化背景知識(shí)
Ray Tomlinson(born 1941) Inventor of Email
Frequently Asked Questions
Did you send the first network email?
Why did you do it?
Why did you choose the at sign?
What was the first message?
Did you receive any rewards, patents, etc.?
What were the early uses of email?
Did you send the first network email?
As far as I know, yes. However, there are a few qualifications. Network should be included because there were many earlier instances of email within a single machine. Computer networks, in any real sense, didn't exist until the ARPANET was built starting in 1969. Dick Watson proposed a form of email in July 1971 (RFC 196). I don't think that was ever implemented. It differed in that the mail was directed to numeric mailboxes. RFC 196 also suggests that the final product would be a printer output (i.e. ink on paper). SNDMSG sent messages to named individuals (computer users).
________________________________________
Why did you do it?
Mostly because it seemed like a neat idea. There was no directive to "go forth and invent email". The ARPANET was a solution looking for a problem. A colleague suggested that I not tell my boss what I had done because email wasn't in our statement of work. That was really said in jest because we were, after all, investigating ways in which to use the ARPANET.
________________________________________
Why did you choose the at sign?
The primary reason was that it made sense. at signs didn't appear in names so there would be no ambiguity about where the separation between login name and host name occurred. (Of course, this last notion is now refuted by the proliferation of products, services, slogans, etc. incorporating the at sign.) The at sign also had no significance in any editors that ran on TENEX. I was later reminded that the Multics time-sharing system used the at sign as its line-erase character. This caused a fair amount of grief in that community of users. Multics used IBM 2741 terminals which used EBCDIC character coding. They did not have a "control" modifier key and didn't have many (any?) non-printing characters beyond space, backspace, tab, and return. The designers of Multics were constrained to using printing characters for line-editing.
________________________________________
What was the first message?
The first message of any substance was a message announcing the availability of network email. The exact content is unknown, but it gave instructions about using the at sign to separate the user's name from his host computer name.
________________________________________
Did you receive any rewards, patents, etc.?
Not unless you consider the current interest in the origins of email a reward.
________________________________________
What were the early uses of email?
The early uses were not terribly different from the current uses: The exceptions are that there was only plain text in the messages and there was no SPAM.
A Conversation With The Inventor Of Email
By Sharon Gaudin
Ray Tomlinson gave society one of the greatest communication tools in history. He invented email back in 1971 -- essentially fostering global business communication and turning the Internet into a digital kitchen table for far-flung family members.
The MIT grad is one of the forefathers of the Internet, working on ARPANET, the forerunner to the Internet, along with workstations, super computers and a slew of protocols.
But email may be his greatest legacy -- if not the toughest project he's ever worked on. Alexander Graham Bell became a household name -- someone children learn about in school -- because he invented the telephone. But consider that in this high-tech era there are more emails sent every day than telephone calls. That definitely gives Tomlinson his own place in history, if not a life of fame and fortune.
In this Q&A, the man who was honored earlier this year for a lifetime of innovation by Discover magazine, says he's irked by spam and hopes for a technical solution. He also talks about his vision for the future of email, dismisses claims that he's changed society and updates us on the distributed computing project he's working on today at BBN Technologies in Cambridge, Mass., where he's worked for the past 35 years and is their much-lauded principal engineer.
Q: What was your vision for email, and has the reality of it lived up to your expectations?
I'm not sure there was a vision there. It was a hack -- a neat thing to try out. ...It probably took four, five, six hours to do. Less than a day spread over a week or two -- when I had a spare moment. The idea was this facility had proved its usefulness sending messages to the same computer. What about when someone was on another computer, maybe across the country? It would be like the telephone but they wouldn't have to be there to answer the phone.
Q: When did you realize how big email was going to be?
It never seemed big at the beginning because there weren't many computers. It was only as big as the network. It depended upon having people with access. As an idea, it caught on right away, but there were so few people on the network... We didn't call it email. If we called it anything we called it mail or messages. The contrast with snail mail wasn't necessary then... I never documented the creation of the program. In 1993, someone started to ask where email started. I knew I had done the program... but later various people came along and there were a lot of additional ideas that went into it.
Q: How many email addresses do you have?
I have three that I use and three that I don't. They're three come-along-for-the-ride email addresses that you get from an ISP.
Q: How do you feel about spam and what should be done about it?
I get irked when I get spam. It's a tough problem and I'd like to see a solution come along. So far the solutions aren't working. Either they filter too much or they're not effective when they should be. They don't do what humans would do. Why did that email come through? And why didn't that legitimate one get through? No, I don't think legislation will work. I hate legislative solutions. It just doesn't sit well. I'd like to think people have the common sense not to spam, but obviously they don't. It's still possible we may have a technological solution for it. I would like to see that. I'm not spending any time on it myself. The other stuff I'm working on now is more interesting to me. I didn't have any association with email after the late '70s. I watched it from afar but I didn't participate.
Q: How do you see email evolving? What will it look like 10 years from now?
If it doesn't get killed off from spam, it probably won't be a lot different. You may see it more closely integrated with other forms of communication, though, like instant messaging. Once email is answered, you could continue the conversation more immediately, like with instant messaging. Simultaneous correspondence is a lot better than a few emails in a few hours. Or maybe you'll get an email and press a button and make a phone call... not with Verizon, but over the Internet. People would like more seamless interaction between the tools. They don't like being in a particular mode and having to switch to another. I want to specify what I want to do. I don't care how it happens... Bandwidth will go up. DSL is becoming more common. Cable modems are more common. Technology there will improve those services.
Q: What do you think of instant messaging?
I don't use it myself. I got turned off when I installed some browser that insisted with cluttering my screen up with instant messaging. The closest I've come to IM is some chat services. They were not fast enough. They weren't instant to me. I think people who use it are very happy with it. It fills an important niche.
Q: What can be done to make email more secure and cut down on the distribution of viruses and worms?
The insecure part of email is not something you can fix with technology. It's just so convenient. You can have an attachment in an email that does something for you. The attraction with that tempts people to click on an application... and get a virus. Anything you can think of to tag that as a virus is not going to be used. You'd have to have the cooperation of the hacker for that to work. And if your ISP threw away every attachment, that wouldn't work because email would lose its utility as a communication tool.
Q: A lot of people say email has changed society. Do you buy into that?
I think there will never be an answer to that. It's had an effect. I don't think people are fundamentally different now than they would have been. They simply communicate more. Maybe they've made friends and maintain relationships that they wouldn't have. But bad guys are still bad guys. Good guys are still good guys. Friendly people are still friendly. Just because they can be friendly over email and not a telephone [isn't that much of a difference]. You just have a larger community to draw from. If you have problems or are looking for answers, you have additional opportunities to find those answers. It's like having a library in your hometown or not. If it's not there and you have to make a trip to another town, you might not do it. You can tap into resources more readily. People have found answers to questions and email has been part of that solution.
Q: Is high-tech research as exciting to you now as it was back in the late '60s and early '70s when you were working on ARPANET and email?
Yeah, the subjects are different. This may be more exciting because there's so much happening all at once. We have this wonderful tool - the Internet. It's been around in one form or another since about '74. That's when the first networks were hooked together. It's just a wonderful resource. Think of ways to hook things together. Think of ways to get information.
Q: What are you working on now?
Distributed systems that use tools in various places around the country and work out solutions to problems. Trying to get it to happen is a challenge, but getting it to happen is tremendous. The system is based on agents, which are software applications that have certain expertise to work out solutions, like scheduling. Other agents know how to take a problem and break it down into smaller problems. They talk with each other and give each other answers. One agent will have access to specific information so it will be able to answer specific questions. We're actually working on solving the Department of Defense's logistical problems. We have a particular focus, but the overall techniques are general and could be adapted to other scenarios... We're working on both Linux and Windows and it's written in Java so it's relatively platform independent.
Q: Does it bother you that Ray Tomlinson is not a household name despite the contributions you've made?
No, it doesn't bother me. It's a geek thing. Computer nerds know that I've done this. I've gotten emails from individuals who've run across this fact. They say, 'It's great what you did. Why don't you do something about spam?' I'm not a household name. I wouldn't say it has brought me no fame and fortune, but it's not what most people think of when you say those words. It's kind of neat to have people talking about what you did and have people interested in it. It's not the center of my life.
Q: What is the center of your life?
I'm not sure I have a center. I just do what I do. I play around with computers and do some music and a little golfing.
Q: Was email the biggest thing that you've worked on?
I think there were bigger things -- things that took more effort. The workstation that I designed and built back around 1980 -- that was the biggest single thing I've done. It was a two-year effort. And it worked and it was useful. We never tried making a product out of it but it did serve our researchers... It was fun playing around with the super computer design. It didn't pan out, but it expanded my own knowledge. Everything has been interesting. I can't single out any one thing.
Q: What else interests you right now?
I read about anything I can get my hands on, from biology to archeology. I see none of these as something I'll directly work on... but biological computing is intriguing. And I'm interested in quantum computing too.
Chen, China's silicon pioneer, dead at 70
By Mike Clendenin
EE Times
August 11, 2004 (8:00 AM EDT)
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Chen Chunxian, the scientist credited with setting up China's "Silicon Valley," died Monday (Aug. 9) at the age of 70, according to state media reports.
In 1980, four years after the death of Communist Chinese leader Mao Zedong and the opening of China, Chen walked away from a coveted position at the national Chinese Academy of Sciences to launch a high-tech development company in the Zhongguancun area of Beijing.
Chen, a Soviet-trained scientist and one of China's top plasma researchers at the time, was apparently inspired to set up the firm after a visit to California's Silicon Valley. Although his company eventually failed, his pioneering effort is credited with helping other tech-minded entrepreneurs.
Sitting on the northwest outskirts of Beijing, Zhongguancun eventually transformed from a sleepy academic district into a bustling electronics bazaar, with a mlange of privately funded retail shops driving its growth. In 1988, the city government officially established the Haidian Science Park within the Zhongguancun area and about a decade later the central government created the Zhongguancun High-tech Zone, encompassing about 100 square kilometers and making it Beijing's largest tech-oriented zone.
Considered the cradle of China's fabless industry, Zhongguancun also houses more than half of the countries Internet firms and the park administration believes some 6,000 companies - 70 percent of which are tech firms - have offices within its borders. In 2000, the park's revenue of $14 billion accounted for 60 percent of Beijing's industrial growth, according to the park administration.
More than a decade after Chen's pioneering endeavor, the failure of his company still registered more with Chen then the IT legacy he had been a part of. He was quoted as saying: "I don't consider myself a hero. A true hero should be rewarded with success."
State media did not report the cause of Chen's death.
Zhongguancun, China's Silicon Valley
A statue of a DNA molecule. It is the symbol of the Zhongguancun Scientific and Technological Garden.
The numerals 0 and 1 represent the idea that Zhongguancun will rely on computer technology to develop itself.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as a dozen famous colleges and universities, including Beijing and Qinghua Universities are located in Zhongguancun in Beijing's Haidian District. The area has a dynamic economy that focuses on the knowledge and information industries. The average age of the several hundred thousands of employees in Zhongguancun is about 30; and the area of Zhongguancun is popularly known as the Silicon Valley of China.
Since 1978, when China started to implement the policies of reform and opening-up, various special economic zones were established, such as the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province in the 1980s, the new district of Pudong in the Shanghai Municipality in the 1990s, and Zhongguancun in Beijing in the late 1990's. It has been forecasted that Zhongguancun will become the leader of China's hi-tech industry in the 21st century.
Similar to Silicon Valley in the United States, Zhongguancun is a product of the development of the market economy. Twenty years ago, the Chinese government decided to focus its attention on economic development, and so began the nationwide implementation of reforms. On October 23, 1980, Chen Chunxian, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded a technological development service department under the Beijing Society of Plasma Physics in Zhongguancun. It was the first civilian-run scientific and technological institution in the area. By the end of 1986, 100 non-governmental scientific and technological enterprises, specially engaged in the development and marketing of electronic products, were set up along the sides of a street which was later called the Zhongguancun Electronics Street.
An office of a large enterprise in Zhongguancun.
Wang Xuan (second from left) is one of the most famous scientists in Zhongguancun. He has developed the technology of laser photo-typesetting of Chinese characters and has made contributions to the technological revolution of China's printing industry.
Cultivating Chinese kale for bioengineering research. Bioengineering will become Zhongguancun's next important area of economic growth.
In order to accelerate its development, the densely populated Zhongguancun Garden designed a new development pattern and established five subsidiary scientific and technological gardens. The Haidian Garden, where the Zhongguancun Electronics Street is located, is responsible for the research and development of hi-tech products. It has set up the 1.8-square-kilometer Shangdi Information Industry Base and the 4-square-kilometer Yongfeng Experiment Base. The other four subsidiaries are the Fengtai Garden, the Changping Garden, the Yizhuang Scientific and Technological Garden in the southern suburb, and the Electronics Garden in the nort