12 Unit 9 The Damned Human Race

备 课 纸 Unit 9

任教课程：《综合英语》（二） 年 月 日

一、授课时间：第15--16周

二．授课类型：课文分析8课时；习题讲解4课时 三．授课题目：The Damned Human Race 四．授课时数：12

五．教学目的和要求：

通过讲授课文使大学生了解有关马克吐温幽默讽刺的写作风格，学会用英语解释句子以达到学以致用的目的。要求学生主动地预习课文，课前准备练习，学会分析文章体裁和进行段落划分。

六．教学重点和难点：

1）背景知识的传授：About the author； 2）文章的体裁分析及段落划分；

3）语言点的理解：

Word study: allegiance; ascent; atrocious; avaricious; brood; conjecture; degenerate;

descent; disposition; exterminate; gory; mutilation; oblige; rabid; scruple; wantonly

Grammar Focus: Study and learn how such contrast expressions as and, but, compared

to/with, while, unlike, and on the other hand, are used.

七．教学基本内容和纲要 Part One Warm – up 1.1 Warm-up Questions

1.2 Define the following words and phrases Part Two Background Information

2.1 Have you read much of Mark Twain? Can you name some stories, novels or essays he wrote? How do you like him? What qualities in his writings brought him world renown? Is this essay written in his usual humorous vein? Part Three Text Appreciation 3.1 Text Analysis

3.1.1 Theme of the text 3.1.2 Structure of the text 3.2 Writing Devices 3.2.1 Contrast 3.2.2 Humorous

3.2.3 Satire and Parallelism 3.3 Sentence Paraphrase Part Four Language Study 4.1 Phrases and Expressions 4.1.1 Word list:

4.1.2 Phrases and expressions list:

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备 课 纸 任教课程：《综合英语》（二） 年 月 日

4.1.3 Word Building 4.2 Grammar 4.2.1 Object

Part Five Extension 5.1 Group discussion 八、教学方法和措施

本单元将运用黑板、粉笔、多媒体网络辅助教学设备等教学手段，主要采用以学生为主体、教师为主导的任务型、合作型等教学模式，具体运用教师讲授法、师生讨论、生生讨论等方法进行教学。

九．作业，讨论题，思考题

完成课后练习；

多看英语报刊杂志及英语经典小说，扩大阅读量； 精听与泛听相结合，逐步提高自己的听力水平； 积极参加英语角等有助于提高英语口语的活动； 坚持用英语写日记； 做一些专四相关练习；

十．参考资料：

1) 杨立民主编,《现代大学英语精读》（4）第二版，学生用书。北京：外语教学与研

究出版社,2012。

2) 杨立民主编,《现代大学英语精读》（4）第二版，教师用书。北京：外语教学与研

究出版社,2012。 3) 李观仪主编，《新编英语教程》（第三、四册）。上海:上海外语教学研究出版, 1999。 4) 黄源深，虞苏美等主编，《综合英语教程》（1-4册）。北京：高等教育出版社，1998。 5) 《高等学校英语专业英语教学大纲》，北京：外语教学研究出版社，2000。 6) Judy Pearsall主编，《新牛津英语词典》。上海：上海外语教育出版社，1998。 7) 丁往道、吴冰等编著，《英语写作手册》。北京：外语教学与研究出版社。 8) 张道真，《现代英语用法词典》（重排本）。北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1994。 9) 张道真，温志达, 《英语语法大全》上、下卷。北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1998。 十一、课后小结

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备 课 纸 Unit 9 The Damned Human Race

任教课程：《综合英语》（二） 年 月 日

Part One Warm – up

1.1 Warm-up Questions

1. Do you have any idea why Mark Twain became more and more bitter in his later years? Do you agree that it was largely due to his personal misfortunes? How would you describe this essay? Serious and matter-of-fact? Scientifically detached and objective? Hilariously humorous? Bitterly satirical? Or what?

2. What is the main idea of this essay? Do you think the subject of human nature still deserves our close attention today? Is Twain’s condemnation of human beings in line with the Darwinian theory of evolution? How does the author come to doubt this? Is that the result of scientific experiment? Is Mark Twain serious when he says that he has done many months of painstaking and fatiguing work in the London Zoological Garden? What kind of effect do you think he hopes to achieve with this mock seriousness?

3. Do you take Mark Twain’s views seriously? Why do you think Twain wrote this essay? Does he have any serious purpose other than amusing his readers?

1.2 Define the following words and phrases

1. sport 2. loose 3. grace 4. confined 5. occasion 6. prior

7. unhumanly 8. distinction

9. subject sth/sb to sth

10. have not scrupled to do sth 11. cheat sb out of sth

Part Two Background Information

2.1 About the author:

Mark Twain (1835---1910) was born Samuel Langhorne Clements in Florida, Missouri, but lived as a child in Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. He took the pen name Mark Twain from the call of the pilots on the river steamers, which indicated that the water was twelve feet deep, a safe depth for a steamer.During his early years, he worked as a riverboat pilot, newspaper reporter, printer, and gold prospector. But then he turned to writing, and became one of the greatest of American writers. 2.2 His masterpiece: Innocents Abroad 1869

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备 课 纸 任教课程：《综合英语》（二） 年 月 日

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1876 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1885 Life on the Mississippi 1883 The Prince and the Pauper 1882 2.3 His writing style: hilariously humorous bitterly satirical 2.4 About the story:

The author writes about ugly human traits and dispositions. In his opinion, human beings are not ascended from the lower animals but descended from the higher animals.

Part Three Text Appreciation

3.1 Text Analysis

1. Questions for thinking:

a. How does the author contrast human beings with other animals? What specific human

traits and dispositions does he condemn? How would you describe the image of human beings in the author’s writing? And what arguments does the author give to support his views?

b. Why does he say that man is the cruel animal? What examples does he give to illustrate

the point? Do you agree with Twain that human beings are cruel whereas tigers, wolves, and anacondas are not?

3.1.2 Structure of the text

I. Introduction : Topic and credibility of the author’s research (paras. 1-3) A. Topic : The descent of man from the higher animals (para. 1)

B. Credibility : The use of scientific method and authentic institution where the experiments were conducted (para. 2)

C. A characteristic example of his experiments (para. 3)

II. Findings about man as against higher animals (paras. 4-17) A. Man’s greed (para. 4)

B. Man’s immorality (paras. 5-8) C. Man’s cruelty (para. 9)

D. Man’s inclination for wars (paras. 10-11)

E. Man’s position of enslaving and being enslaved (para. 12) F. Man’s hypocrisy (paras. 13-15)

G. Man’s inability to learn to live together peacefully (paras. 16-17) III. Conclusion : Restatement of the thesis (para. 18) Logic & Technique

The main body is arranged accordingly to the various traits and dispositions of human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals.” However, in the second half, the author begins to adopt a polemic tone. He seems to be arguing with people who believe in man’s superiority. Notice how

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备 课 纸 任教课程：《综合英语》（二） 年 月 日

Mark Twain achieves humor. He talks tongue in cheek throughout the essay, using highly exaggerated and formal words and expressions as appropriate for the academic writing he pretends the essay to be. He adopts a pompous style very different from the usual colloquial vernacular he is famous for, to ridicule those critics who say Mark Twain lacks proper education. Relevant questions:

1. How is this essay organized? What devices does the author use to make the article interesting? What do you have to say about the diction of this essay? Mark Twain is generally known for his skilful use of the vernacular. Would you consider this essay a good example? Is this article written in a colloquial and informal way? How would you explain his adoption of this style?

2. Do you agree with Mark Twain? If you were to write in response to this essay to express some different opinions, what would you say? 3.1.3 Detailed Analysis of the text Part I: Main Idea

This slightly abridged essay is organized like a paper to report results of a scientific experiment. It has a thesis statement at the beginning and a brief summing-up at the end. The main body is arranged according to the various straits and disposition of human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals”. However in the second part of the body the author begins to use a polemic tone. He seems to be arguing with people who believe in man’s superiority because they can reason, have moral principles and religion, and love their neighbors and country.

Part II: Discussion

1. How does the author contrast human beings with other animals? What specific human traits and dispositions does he condemn? How would you describe the image of human beings in the author’s writing? And what arguments does the author give to support his views? 2. Why does he say that man is the cruel animal? Conclusion of the text:

It is wrong to think that Mark Twain is pessimistic or cynical. He is neither. Behind all the bitterness is a warm and human heart. Mark Twain does not really believe that human beings are incurably cruel, greedy and wicked. Otherwise he would not have bothered to write those essays. He writes about ugly human traits and dispositions precisely because he thinks human beings are capable of mending their ways if they can open their eyes to their own weaknesses and understand the conditions that give rise to them and nurture them. In other words, his policy is to frighten in order to enlighten.

3.3 Sentence Paraphrase

1. I have been studying the traits and dispositions of the ―lower animals‖, and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me.

I have been studying the characteristics of the so-called lower animals in comparison with those of man. The result of this study makes me, as a man, feel terribly ashamed.

traits and dispositions: characteristics; features; nature; qualities; personalities

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