Unit 4 What High Technology Has Brought. Main Points: I. Leading In II. Text A III. Text B ●Vocabulary Practice●Vocabulary Practice IV. Practical Writing.

Unit 4 What High Technology Has Brought

Main Points: I. Leading In

II. Text A

III. Text B

●Vocabulary Practice

IV. Practical Writing

Leading In 1.How much do you know about Hi-tech products?

List the hi-tech products in daily use

2. Work in groups to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of hi-tech products:3.How useful are hi-tech products in our daily lives?4. What would life be like if these hi-tech products had not been invented ?

5.Something about computers Introduction

In 1946, the University of Pennsylvania

in USA produced the first computer – ENIAC. It took up to180 sq.m and weighed 30 tons. After 60 years, computers have taken several significant technical revolutions and they have been advancing rapidly. Some of them are as light as a piece of paper and small as your nail. They are easy to carry and the speed of the CPU is 10 million times faster than it was in 1946. Therefore, it is obvious that the main trends of computer development are ‘getting smaller’ and ‘enhancing speed’. Because of practicability and universality, computers have embedded into our lives and most fields cannot research without them. In other words, computer techniques expedite other subjects and consequently affect on human progress

Trends in computer development 

The main trends of computer development are ‘getting smaller’ and ‘enhancing speed’. Getting small is not only size but also the consumed power. As we know, resources are getting less, so saving power is really necessary. Some people say it is equated with saving capital. For personal computers, if the consumed power is low, it means you can use your computer for a long time without changing the battery. The development of saving the power of computer and enlarging the content of the battery benefits some people who have to use their laptops in different places and don’t want to carry chargers. Enhancing speed has two meaning. One is to accelerate the speed of processing. For example, we can run lots of programmers at the same time and it will not break down. Another one is enlarging memory, which is to increase the space of saving data and transferring data.

The above paragraph is about the trend of hardware development. The following is about software. It has two aspects – operating system and application software. The operating system likes a layer to provide conditions for the application of software and connect to the hardware. Even if the hardware and software have enhanced perfectly, without an operating system they cannot work together. So operating system plays an important role in software. The application of software is associated with our daily lives. For instance, MSN is quite useful software and a more popular chatting tool on the Internet. By using it, we can see and talk to others wherever we are.

The impact of the computer   According to the trend of computer development,

computers will be brought in every fields and change our lives completely in the future. I now want to emphasize the impact on daily life.

Firstly, the equipment is going to be intelligent. It will be able to deal with orders correctly and be connected to the Internet. People will easily command the equipment. Moreover, the computer will monitor all equipment synchronously and send the alarm to the concerned person. Secondly, the effect on communication will be improved. Our mobile phone can be used instead of a laptop. We can not only use it to have a visual call but also deal with our files. Surfing the Internet will be done without connection to wires. Finally, The GPS (Global Position System) will bring another benefit. When you are on holiday, wherever you are, you can find your position and a map of that area on your mobile or your car. Possibly you can get more traveling information which is sent by the local station. Another area of progress will be the translation of languages:

‘A phone system that translates language is also within the reach of speech-understanding technology. ’[1]

This technology can translate your language to others, if computer find it is difficult to translate, it might ask you to repeat or say in other ways.

Find out the advantages of the computer in groups   The computer is very useful, but if we can’t make a good

use of it. It will be bad for us. Find out what you should not do on the computer with your friends on the paper.

I. Find out what you should not do on the computer:_____________

1. do word processing          2. surf the Internet 3. listen to music             4. spend too much time on the computer games 5. send emails     6. do online shopping 7. download bad information   8. make a home page 9. visit bad web sites                     

10. program computers 11. keep in touch with friends      12. spend too much time chatting with net-pals 13. pay little attention to lessons    14. waste a lot of time online  Find out the advantages and disadvantages of the

computer: Advantages:_____________________________ Disadvantages:____________________________

1.  It’s bad for our eyes if we spend too much time on the computer.

2.  The computer can help us do our schoolwork.

3.  Computers make it easy to keep in touch with each other. 4   We’ll make friends with bad people if we chat with

strangers on the Internet. 5.  It’s hard to do with too much information. 6.  There is much information of all subjects. 7.  It can broaden our minds. 8.  Children’s schoolwork will be poor if they are very

interested in computer games. 9.  It can enrich our knowledge. 10. Some of us may find bad information on the Internet. 11. Some will pay little attention to real life. 12. It makes our life easier than before. Ask the students to add more about advantages and

disadvantages

Text A The Computer Is down

Pre-reading activities:

Group Working:

What does the Internet mean to you?

Read Text A and try to do the exercises on page 61

I. While-reading activities: Language Points:

1. down: adj. Our computers have been down for a few hours.( not in operation)

2. go about: He is going about with his girlfriend now. ( go around) We must go about our work now. ( perform or do ) 3. allow: The government does not allow smoking in public. ( p

ermit) 4. issue: vt. The government has issued new guidelines on tax r

eform.( produce) Food will be issued to the hungry people. ( give out) n. She’s not really concerned about this issue. ( a subject to be talked about ) 5. counter: n. One of the bank workers pressed a button behind

the counter. ( table )

v. Something has to be done to counter the recent rise in crime.( oppose )

adv. She acted counter to her promise.6. go down with: Many students have gone down with the

flu. ( catch an infectious disease)7. put: vt. I don’t know how to put my ideas into English. (

express something in words)8. backup: n. A backup pilot / PC backup software9. doubt: n. I have no doubt that he can fix your tape rec

order. I doubt whether I can solve the problem.10. No ( not )---without We cannot survive without water. They don’t meet without quarrel.

11. receipt: We should ask for a receipt when we pay for what we have bought.

12. proof: n. Do you have any proof to show you are very capable?

The police confronted him with proof of his criminal activities.

13. charge: v. How much does the hotel charge for a room? ( ask in payment)

The policeman was charged with neglect of duty.( accuse)

n. The members in this club can attend any courses, free of charge.

14. fare: n. There’s been an increase in air- fares since then. ( price)

15. spread: v. Because of these devices, ideas and news of events spread quickly all over the world.

( become widely known ) She unfolded a large map and spread it on the table.( open ) n. the spread of civilization / information16. whilst: conj. What’s been going on whilst I was away?

( while ) He wanted to be a teacher, whilst his parents expected

him to be a doctor.17. kick: v. the kicked the ball into hole.( strike with foot ) n. The football player directed a kick at the goal.18. Get over. They will find ways to get over the

difficulties. He had not completely gotten over his nervousness

Text B Cell phones, E-mail and

Voice Mail

I. Questions for discussion in groups1.What are the advantages of cell phones?2. When you are with your friend, if your cell phone happens to ring, what could you do? 3.Can you imagine what life would be like if these hi-tech products had not been made?

II. Detailed Study of Text BRead the text through and answer the questions on Page

681.stroke: v I leaned over to stroke her forehead.2. contact. n.direct eye contact shows you are listening to

the other person.3. disconnect: v. They were disconnected ever since. 4. advance: n. There have been great advances in inform

ation technology in recent years.5.scan: vt. This software will allow you to scan and keep v

iruses from entering your network. n. lazar scan scanner: film scanner free on-line virus scanner

Vocabulary Practice

I. Choose the best item to complete each of the following sentences.

1.They ______me fifty dollars for fixing the computer. A. cost B. took C. charged D. spent2. The word _______that a new model of cell phones would

soon come onto the market. A. communicated B. issued C. spoke D. spread3. As she read the letter, her eyes were ________with tears. A. filled B. full C. came D. crowed4. They won’t ________ their children to watch TV after 8

o’clock. A. let B. allow C. leave D. suggest5. The tickets for the show were ________ to the students and

teachers of the school. A. issued B. charged C. written D.

bought

6. In learning English, many students ________ an e-dictionary to a traditional paper one. A. like B. expect C. prefer D. respect7. ________ the child if he cries, and he will soon stop. A. Ignore B. Restrict C. Adjust D. Forget8. There is no ________ that he has paid for the ticket. A. realty B. reason C. information D. proof9. She gave______ her job to look after her sick mother. A. up B. with C. on D. off10. Although they graduated many years ago, they still keep in

contact ______ each other. A. in B. on C. with D. from

II. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word given.

1. I got the ( feel )_____ that you’d never let me down.2. Health without riches is (prefer)_______ to riches without

health.3. We all think that the government’s ( restrict) ________ on

the selling of weapons is reasonable.4. The city was cut off from (communicate) ________ with the

outside world because the power went out.5. The park was filled with people (talk) _______ on their cell

phones.6. ( obvious) ________ , the writer doesn’t want to e-mail

people if they live near him. 7. It’s ( frighten) ________ to think the accident could happen

again.8. By this time, there were quite a few people ( stand)

________ in line.9. Living in a city sometimes( restrict) ________ a child’s

freedom.10. In this city, playing football in the streets is

not( allow )________.

ⅣⅣ. Practical Writin. Practical Writingg

ⅣⅣ. Practical Writin. Practical Writingg

Write notes based on the information given.• To: Professor Wang From: Wu Jin Time: 上午八点十分 , 星期五 message: 今天下午两点去你办公室 . 如有变化 , 请

______ FridayDear Professor Wang, ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Wu Jin

To: Wang Hai From: Chen Bin Message: 我能借您的 < 新英汉词典 > 用几天吗 ?

请放在我的办公桌上 , 谢谢 . Dear Wang Hai,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chen Bin

The End

Good-bye