大学英语综合教程B1-Unit 3 Understanding Science

Unit 3 Understanding Science Text A Public Attitude Toward Science

1. Background Information

Brief Introduction to Stephen Hawking 1) Stephen Hawking (1942 -）: Chronology of Stephen Hawking

——1942 Born in Oxford， England.

-—1958 Entered Oxford University and became especially interested in thermodynamics(热力学),relativity theory， and quantum mechanics (量子力学). —-1962 Received a bachelor’s degree in physics and then enrolled as a research student in general relativity at the University of Cambridge。

-—1966 Earned his Ph.D degree at the University of Cambridge。 Stayed at the University of Cambridge to do post-doctoral research。 Diagnosed as having Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) （肌萎缩性骨髓侧索硬化).

“I am quite often asked: How do you feel about having ALS？ The answer is， not a lot。 I try to lead as normal as a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many.” --1977 Became a professor of physics。

—-1979 Appointed Lucasian Professor of mathematics at Cambridge， a post once held by Isaac Newton。 2） Main Achievements

a) Singularity

A point in space-time at which the space-time curvature （曲率) becomes infinite. b) black hole

A region of space-time from which nothing， not even light， can escape. Nothing can escape because gravity is so strong. c) A Brief History of Time

One of his books to make his work accessible to the public。

Albert Einstein （1879—1955)

1) Quiz about Einstein

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Do the quiz to see how much you know about Albert Einstein.

In his effort to discover the governing laws of the universe, Einstein tried to find a

mathematical relationship between two natural forces. What are they? D A) Electromagnetism and gravitation B) Fission（裂变） and gravity C) Electricity and the speed of light

D) Nuclear energy and electromagnetism

2) Monologue of Einstein

Albert Einstein （1879—1955）： I was born in Ulm， Germany in 1879. As you may know, 1905 was a big year for me. That’s when I turned the world upside down, at least for scientists， time had to be looked at in a whole new way—that Newton’s view of space and time was inaccurate。 These ideas became known as the special theory of relativity and introduced the equation E=MC2。

Ten years later I presented the general theory of relativity. The general theory

showed that gravity is not a force, as Newton had thought. It is instead a curvature of the space-time continuum.

3) Do you know?

——Einstein could not find a job in physics upon graduation from college, and

became a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. He worked on theoretical physics in his spare time。

--Einstein did not receive a Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity.

—-Einstein immediately left Germany for the United States following Hitler’s rise to

power。 —-Einstein spent much of his later career searching for a unified field theory， but

was unsuccessful. —-Einstein declined the presidency of the sate of Israel when it was offered to him in

1952 by the sate leaders. -—The element einsteinium(锿）, discovered in 1952, was named in the honor of

Albert Einstein。

Frankenstein: This is a horror film about a doctor who builds a monster out of dead

body parts and brings it to life using electricity， based on the novel by

Mary Shelley.

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III. Global Reading

1。chart completion

Fill in the chart by comparing the first 10 lines of both All the Cabbie Had Was a

Letter and Public Attitudes toward Science to see style difference between narration and exposition。 Text A Paragraph length Unit 2 Unit 3 shorter longer Sentence length shorter longer simple or any any dialogue? yes no any 3rd— person narrator？ no yes compound passive sentences? voice? simple no compound yes

2. Part Division of the Text （see Student's Book P69） Parts Lines 1 2 3 1~33 Main Ideas To make informed decisions about change， the public needs a basic understanding of science。 33~62 What can be done to educate the public about science。 63～ With an informed public， human civilization will survive。 67

IV. Detailed Reading

Important words ， phrases and sentences: Part One (Para.1～Para.3） 1. (L2） likely：

1) adj. probable很可能的， 合适的， 可靠的， 有希望的

———An accident likely to lead to war is reported on TV.

2） adv. probably (When used as an ad., the word is often preceded by \"mosthan”, or ”very\". You don't use it as an ad。 on its own。) 或许, 很可能 -——I shall very likely to be here again next month。

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Pattern：

It is likely that … 很可能

--It is highly likely that he will succeed. CF: likely， possible ＆ probable 这些词都有“可能的\"意思。

likely 系常用词，指从表面迹象来看很有可能。

---The likely outcome of the contest varies from moment to moment。

possible指由于有适当的条件和方法，某事可能发生或做到，强调客观上有可能,但

常会有实际希望很小的意思。 ---Is it possible to get to the city by train， or must I take a bus?

probable语气比possible强,指有根据,合情理，值得相信，带有大概,很可能的意思。 -—-It is probable that he has forgotten our appointment。

2。 （L6） do without： v. manage to survive， continue， or succeed although you do

not have sth。 you need, want， or usu. have 没有…而设法对付过去；免除， 不用

-- I can't afford a car, so 1 guess I’ll have to do without。 -—He can’t do without the services of a secretary。 Collocation:

do away with 摆脱;废除，取消 do up 系上,扣上；修理;打扮 have something to do with 和…有关系 have nothing to do with 和…没有关系 3. （L6） highly: adv.

1) very很, 非常 --Mr. Smith was a highly successful salesman. 2) to a high degree高度地

——He speaks very highly of you。

——出席这次会议的大部分人是受过高等教育的女性.

Most of the people present at the meeting are highly educated women。 CF: highly ＆ high

这两个词都表示“高高地”。

highly 这个副词是“高度地”的意思，是表达程度的，指的是抽象意义上的“高”.

修饰形容词要使用highly。 ——-a highly paid official 薪俸优厚的

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-—-think highly of sb。 器重某人 -—— ＊a highly infectious disease

high 这个副词是作“高高地”讲,是表达位置的，指的是具体意义上的“高”。

构成复合形容词要用high. —--aim high向高处瞄准

—-—search high and low到处寻找 -—-＊a high—born merchant 其他类似的例子有： closely ＆ close

closely 细心地，严密地 —--Watch what I do closely。

—--The prisoners were closely guarded.囚犯被严密看守着 close 近地

-—-He lives close to the school。

Para。 2

4。 (L9） put/turn the clock back: v. return to a situation that used to exist， usually

because the present situation is unpleasant 倒退，开倒车

---The employment bill in which women are not allowed to take jobs will put the clock back fifty years。

---Forget all about it and look to the future; you can't turn the clock back。 5。 （L10～11） Nor can one prevent further advances in the future. Why is this sentence reserved？

The word “nor\" here appears at the beginning of the sentence。

—-Nor will I deny that.

6. (L13） bring about: v. make （sth.） happen使发生， 致使 =make happen —--这是怎么发生的？ What brought it about？

—-—Some educators are hoping to bring about major changes in the educational system。 Collocation:

bring forth 产生;提出 bring forward 提前；提出 bring up 教育;养育；提出

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Fill in the blank with the above phrases and change the form where necessary. 1） They proposed that the date of the congress be brought forth a few months. 2） The trees in the orchard bring forth many apples。 3) He was well brought up。

4） At the meeting the next morning， the brought forth/forward/up many problems and discussed them one by one。 7。 （L14） inquire：

1） vt。 ask to be told询问， 问明， 查究

---He inquired (of her） the reason for being late again。

-——He asked for his key and inquired whether there had been any message for him。 2） vi. seek information by questioning. —-—我打电话询问有关火车时刻的事情. I rang up to inquire about train times. Collocation：

inquire after 问候 inquire for 求见

inquire into 查究,调查

CF： inquire， ask & question 这些词都有“问,询问”的意思。

inquire 是较正式的书面用词，渴望知道某人或某事的确实情况，后不接人作宾语。 ———He inquired your telephone number.

ask 是最常用词，指为了了解某人或谋事而提出问题，请别人解答或向别人打

听消息.

———Excuse me. May I ask you a question?

question指对某事不断提出问题，以便了解详细情况。 ———The suspect was questioned by the police。

8。 (L15～16) The only way to prevent further developments would be a global state that suppressed anything new, and human initiative and inventiveness are such that even this wouldn’t succeed.

1) What is the grammatical function of the first “that”?

Here “that” brings about an attributive clause。

2) What does the structure “such that” here mean?

The structure is used to give an explanation for something。

--His manner was such that he would offend everyone he met.

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3) What can we infer from this sentence？

No way can suppress anything new， as human initiative and inventiveness do exist.

9。 (L17） initiative: n。

1) the ability to make decisions and take action without waiting for sb. to tell you what to do主动;首创精神

——-If you show that you have initiative， you will sooner or later be promoted. -—- The workers are able to solve the problems on their own initiative。 2） used in the phrase \"take the initiative\" : be the first person to take action to improve a situation or relationship， esp。 when other people are waiting for sb。 else to do sth. 采取主动

--—He took the initiative in organizing a party after his brother’s wedding. 10。 (L17—18) All it would do is slow down the rate of change. Why is there no “to\" between “is” and “slow”?

When “do” appears in the subject of a sentence， the sign “to” of an infinitive

which is used as the predicative can be omitted. --The first thing he did was （to） look for a guide. ——All we could do now is (to） remain cool-headed. 11. （L18） rate： n。

1) value， cost, speed, etc。 measured by its relation to some other amount。 比率；速度;价格 ——-The world’s forests are disappearing at an even faster rate than experts had thought. —-—出生率是出生人数与人口数之比.

The birth rate is the number of births compared to the number of the people。 2) of the (numbered) quality 等级 —-—a first-rate performer

Para. 3

12。 (L20） ensure: v。 make sure; guarantee. 保证, 确保, 使安全, 保证得到 ---The new treaty will ensure peace. ———我不能确保他能及时到这儿. I can’t ensure that he will be here in time.

13。 （L22) informed: adj。 knowing things; having all the information。 见多识广的 -——随时告诉我新的发展。

Keep me informed of fresh development.

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—--Dictation: He’s a well—informed man。 CF: inform tell ＆ instruct

inform向某人传递信息，特别适用于告知所发生的情况或有关资料(可以用于上级

对下级，也可用于下级对上级的通知）。

-—-I have just received a letter from my old school informing me that my former headmaster， Mr. Kynd Page, will be retiring next week. tell 最通用,最不正式。指把某事告诉某人.

--—Glancing at her scornfully, he told her that the dress was sold. instruct 较正式，意为“指示（一般用于上级对下级）,通知”.

-—-The editor at once sent the journalist a telegram instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall. 14. (L24） steady： adj.

1） constant， regular in movement 稳定的, 持续的

-—-The government’s policies have brought a period of steady economic growth with falling unemployment。

---There has been a steady growth in the industry. 2） firm 稳固的，坚定的

—--Using the razor requires a steady hand。

15。 (L28~29) It is also an important element behind support for the Green parties。 1) What does “it” refer to？

The public’s distrust of science。 2） What part of speech is “support\" here?

It is a noun。

Part Two (Para.4~Para 6) Para。 4

16。 （L36） basis （pl. bases）： n.

1） the facts or ideas from which sth。 can be developed; foundation （usu. used as a

singular noun， followed by for or of) 基本, 要素， 基础 -—-The writing is full of arguments that have a firm basis。 -——Dictation: What is the basis for your opinion？

2) the circumstance that provides a reason for some action or opinion (usu. followed

by of or that-clause） on the basis of prep. 以...为基础， 根据, 在。。.的基础上,基于

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——-On the basis that recognizing the problem is halfway to a solution， we should pay much attention to his comments.

-——基于我们售货的预测， 我们明年将开始赚钱。

On the basis of our sales forecasts， we may begin to make a profit next year. CF: basis， base & foundation

这些词都有“基础、根基”的意思。

basis 多用于比喻，指信念、议论等的根据。 —-—Charity towards others is the basis of her philosophy. 慈善那待人事她人生的基点.

base 多用于指有形的或具体的基地或根基，尤指军事或工业方面的基地. --—We picnicked at the base of the mountain。 我们在山脚下野餐。

-—-The lamp stands on a circular base. 落地灯由圆形底座支撑。

foundation 强调基础的稳固与坚牢。可用于比喻。

——-Those thoughts rocked her assurance to its foundations. 那些想法从根本上动摇了她的信念.

—--The huge lorries shock the house to its foundation. 大卡车驶过连屋基都震动了。

17. （L36） lie in： v. exist or be found in (sth.) 在于 —-—The root of all these events lay in history。

——-这部戏剧令人感兴趣的地方在于它提出了一些婚姻方面的问题. The play's interest lies in the questions it raises about marriage。

18. （L36—37） But in schools science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner。

Paraphrase the sentence

But in schools science is often taught in a dull and boring way。 19。 （L39) in terms of： as regards （sth。） ； expressed as （sth。）.

根据， 按照， 用..。的话, 在。.。方面

---Dictation: In terms of salary， the job is terrible。 -—-以百分数回答这个问题。

Give the answer in terms of a percentage.

20。 (L43～44) Maybe I would have sold twice as many copies without it。 Translate the sentence into Chinese。

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如果不用这个公式的话,也许我能多卖出一倍的书. Para. 5

21. （L45) tend:

1) vi。 be likely to happen or have a particular characteristic or effect。 趋向， 往往是

——-Some people tend to get up later at weekends. —--物价正在上涨.

Prices are tending upwards。

2） vt。 watch over； attend to 照管,护理 —-—shepherds tending their flocks ———tend the sick and wounded 22. （46） precise： adj。

1） exact 精确的, 准确的

-—-We will never know the precise details of his death.

——-Dictation: Our train leaves at about half past ten, or—to be precise—10:33。 2) taking care to be exact and not to make errors. 谨慎的 ——-他是个非常谨慎的人。 He is a very precise man. 23。 （L47） grasp:

1）。 v。

a） understand掌握, 领会

——-This is a concept we in the West find difficult to grasp. b) seize firmly抓住， 抓紧,

——-The drowning man grasped the rope。

———贪得无厌的人可能毫无所得。

A man who grasps at too much may lose everything。 2）. n. power of grasping 掌握, 领会 ---这个作品我看不懂.

This work is beyond my grasp。 --—Success is within her grasp。

24. （L47) sufficient: adj。 enough充分的， 足够的 ---$ 30 should be sufficient for a new pair of shoes. ——-有足够的证据证明他是有罪的。

There was sufficient evidence to prove that he was guilty。

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25. （L48） convey: vt.

1） make （ideas， feelings, etc。） known to another 传达，转让,表达 ——-我无法用语言表达我的感情. I can’t convey my feelings in words.

--—This picture will convey to you some idea of the beauty of the scenery。 这幅画可将那处风景的美丽向你传达一二。 2） take； carry 搬运

———Dictation: This train conveys both passengers and goods。 Para。 6

26。 （L55) put across: v. cause to be understood解释清楚, 使被理解 ——-他非常善于表达自己的意见.

He’s very good at putting his ideas across。 —-—Good teachers are the ones who are able to put things across well. Collocation:

put aside 储存（钱、时间)；把…放在一边 put forward 提出(意见、建议）

put in 花费，付出（时间、精力等) put off 阻止；推迟 put on 穿上

put out 熄灭

put through 为…接通电话 put up with 忍受 27。 (L56) proportion: n

1) part of a group or an amount部分

---A large proportion of the dolphins in that area will eventually die because of water pollution。

—-—这个城市的很大一部分人已年过半百。

A large proportion of the city’s population is aged over 50. 2） relation of one thing to another in quantity， size, etc。 比例

-—-The proportion of men to women in the medical profession has changed in recent years。

Collocation：

in proportion to 与…成比例；和…相比 in direct proportion to 与…成正比例

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in inverse proportion to 与…成反比例 in proportion 符合比例的

out of proportion 不符合比例的

28。 (L59—60) fit into: v。 be part of a situation, system, or plan。 适合；符合;属于 ——-The new college courses fit into a national educational plan。 —--College English videos are designed to fit into the syllabus。 29. （L61) educate: v。 teach or train 教育,训练,培养 —--Your should educate your children to behave well. --—这个男孩只能在工作做完后的晚上自修。

The boy had to educate himself in the evening after finishing his work. 30。 （L62) entertain： v。

1） give pleasure (to) 娱乐 ---Dictation： Children’s television programs not only entertain but also teach. ---我们都对他的戏法感兴趣。

We were all entertained by his tricks. 2） receive （people) as guests 招待 —-—According to the school regulations， women students are not allowed to entertain men in their rooms。

31。 (L65-66) But I have sufficient faith in the good sense of the public to believe that we might prove this wrong。 1) What does “sense” here mean?

Power of judging.

2) What does this sentence imply?

The author believes that the public will have a good understanding about science

and can make informed judgments by itself.

V. After Reading

1。Antonyms （see Student’s Book P。75）

Try to find out the antonyms of the following words, sometimes by adding affixes 1） minority-majority 6) qualitative—quantitative 2） nasty-pleasant 7） sufficient-insufficient 3) global—local 8） responsible—irresponsible 4） informed-uninformed 9) likely-unlikely

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5) relevant-irrelevant 10) precise—imprecise

2。Useful Expressions

1) 在过去的一百年间 in the last hundred years 2) 回到 go back to

3） 享有特权的少数人 a privileged minority 4) 当今 the present government 5） 基础科学 basic science 6) 全球 a global government 7) 民主社会 a democratic society 8) 做出明智的决定 make informed decisions 9) 生活水准 the standard of living 10) 卡通人物 cartoon figures 11) 科幻小说 science fictions 12) 酸雨 acid rain

13) 温室效应 greenhouse effect 14) 核武器 nuclear weapons 15) 基因工程 genetic engineering 16) 死记硬背 learn by rote 17) 使销量减半 halve the sales 18) 分子生物学 molecular biology 19) 外星文明 alien civilization

20) 对…充满信心 have sufficient faith in…

3。Summary Writing

Science and technology (已带来了巨大的变化)（have brought great changes） to the world we live in in the last hundred years. (如何保证) （How to ensure that the changes are in the right directions？） Clearly， the public needs， （科学教育) (education in science） so as to (做出明智的决定） (make informed decisions) on their own fate。 Schools are important, especially if science is taught (以一种有趣的方式） (in an interesting manner，） and scientific concepts are expressed (用文字和图表来表达） （in the form of words and diagrams.) At the same time, we need （充分利用) （make full use of） popular media such as newspapers， magazines and above all TV to (了解最新发展）（put across the latest developments。) Human civilization can

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survive if the public understands science well。

7. Proverbs and Quotations

1) Science has no enemy but the ignorant. 科学的敌人是愚昧无知。 2) Science rests on phenomena.

科学依据自然现象.

3) Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now always.

———A German surgeon， Schweitzer

真理没有自己特定的时间段。它的时间永远是现在。

———德国医生 A. 施威策 4) Even when the experts all agree， they may well be mistaken.

-—-Bertrand Russell, British logician 即使所有的专家都一致赞同,他们也可能错了。

--—英国逻辑学家伯特兰。 罗素 5) The Golden Rule is that there are no golden rules。

——-G。B Shaw, Irish writer

真正的金科玉律就是世上并无金科玉律.

———爱尔兰作家萧伯纳

6) Most ignorance is vincible ignorance. We don’t know because we don’t want to

know.

---Aldous Huxley, British writer

大多无知是可以克服的.我们不知道是因为我们不想知道。 ---英国作家奥尔德斯.赫胥黎

8. Text Analysis

This text is the first piece of expository writing in our textbook series, therefore it is important to note the style differences between narration and exposition. Expository writings usually employ longer paragraphs in which there are longer and more involved sentences. Simply glance over the first page of Text A， Unit 2 and the first page of Text A, Unit 3， and you will see the latter is more closely packed than the former。 For the purpose of objectivity, third-person narration is often adopted in exposition. Meanwhile, sentences in the passive voice appear regularly.

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Exposition is the process of making a statement and then supporting it with evidence. In expository writing, the structure of a paragraph is usually similar to that of the text, i.e。， the topic sentences are presented in the first or second sentences of a paragraph， followed by supporting details。 In this text, an opinion is advanced in Para。 3, i。e., The public needs education in science so as to make informed decisions on their own fate。 In the following paragraphs the author details the ways to educate the public. In the last paragraph a conclusion is supplied — human civilization will survive if the public understands science well。

Interestingly， if we look closer at Part II of this text, we will find it to be a mini—exposition， its topic being how to educate the public in science. Afterwards three concrete solutions are proposed. They are: science education in schools， replacing equations with words and diagrams， and making use of popular media such as newspapers, magazines and above all TV。

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