Section One Around the topicStep 1 Topic introduction:The topic of this unit is about cyberspace. This unit provides some information about the history of the internet and discusses some uses of the internet that have grown dramatically in recent years. The main reading text enables students to access and reflect on the future of cyberspace. In the Extension part, students will read about the benefits of a digital library.Step 2 watch the video1.Watch the video “April Fool’s Day in the Internet Age”. What tricks did the websites play?How are they different from the past?2.How has internet changed your life? Discuss in groups.Play the video twice and try to have students think about the questions in the PPT and then ask some volunteers to express their viewpoints.Step 3 Your ideasA.Which of the following famous IT faces do you recognize? Do you know what they arefamous for?Start the unit by encouraging students to think of IT entrepreneurs and their IT business success. The aim here is to get students talking about the benefits they enjoy in the electronic era. Ask students to identify the three IT entrepreneurs and match them to their companies.Conduct a class feedback and familiarize students with the benefits of high-tech products. If there is enough time, the teacher can add some questions such as how do they like the products of the above three companies, etc.B.How often do you use products made by these international IT giants? Has your life becomemore convenient since you started to use them? Share your ideas in pairs.Encourage student to discuss the effects of information technology on our daily life. You may elicit topics and write them on the board to start students thinking, e.g. travel, education, communication, food, interpersonal relationships, work, hobbies, sports, money, health, family, agriculture.C.How often do you do the following things?●check e-mail●chat on the net●buy things through internet●listen to music on the net●learn English on the net●play games●search information●read e-books●read news reports●watch movies onlineInvite some students to talk about their own internet experiences.Step 4 vocabularyA.Many web-related words are newly created or are common words assigned with newmeanings. Match the following words with their definitions.Ask students to do this exercise in pairs. Check answers by asking students to read out the definition of each word.Answers:1.BBS2.browser3.virus4.e-mail5.hacker6.cyberspace7.e-commerce8.blogB.Do you know any other new words in the computer world? Describe and explain them inpairs.Encourage students to brainstorm more words related to the cyberspace or the computer world.Step 5 Listening and speakingThe aim of this section is to help students learn about the drawbacks of searching information on the internet. Ask students to think of their own experiences of using the internet as a tool when doing homework. Is it time-consuming or is it worth the while to do so?Are you easily distracted by looking at other things? Play the recording and ask students to tell whether the statements are true or false.A.Listen to a man and a woman talking about surfing the internet. Decide whetherthe following statements are true (T) or false (F).Play the recording once or twice if necessary. Ask students to take notes while listening to the recording, and tell them the importance of taking note in the listening practice.And then ask for the feedback from several volunteers and check the answer together asa class.B.Listen again and answer the following questions.1.What has the man been doing for the last few hours?2.What information did the man want to find?3.Why does the woman say surfing the internet can be distracting?4.What is the thing the man really doesn’t like about the internet?Play the recording again and encourage students to improve their notes and find answers from the notes. Then check the answer as a class.C.Work in groups and discuss the following questions.1.How convenient is it for you to use the internet on campus?2.Do you regularly chat in a certain online group? What’s it about?3.What topics do you usually talk about when you chat online?Divide students into groups and have them discuss on the above questions and exchange ideas, then ask several representatives from each group to express their ideas.Section two ReadingStep 1 introductionThe topic of this unit is about cyberspace. This unit provides some information about the history of the internet and discusses some uses of the internet that have grown dramatically in recent years. The main reading text enables students to access and reflect on the future of cyberspace.This is an argumentative article, aiming at discussing the future of the internet. In the firsttwo paragraphs, the writer presents the definition of cyberspace and the influence of the internet---the soaring use of the internet leads to the heated discussion of the net future. In the following paragraphs, the writer views the net future from two opposite opinions. Some are pessimistic, particularly because of the threat of cybercrimes. Others are optimistic, because life has been made easier and more convenient. This article ends with uncovering the nature of the internet---a non-existing entity.Step 2 pre-reading questionsDiscuss the following questions in groups:1.In what way has the Internet made our life easier or less convenient?Read the question as a class. Divide students into groups and assign a group leader to take notes on the advantages and disadvantages of using the net.1.Imagine life in the next 20 years. How do you think the Internet will further change our lives? Ask students to discuss he question in pairs or groups. Students may have interesting and creative ideas. Let their imagination go!Step 2 Text illumination1)Ask several students to read the whole text in order to check whether they preview thetext and get a general understanding bout it or not beforehand.2)Ask students to summarize the text3)The teacher can put the comprehension check either before or after illuminating the textaccording to the needs of class and the students’ comprehension ability.4)Illuminate the text, during the process of which the teacher can encourage students tohighlight or underline the important parts when they read the text in detail. Try to explain that it can help students to grasp the important details and review important points Language points:1. backbone n. the most important part of an organization or group of people 骨干，中坚e.g. Such people are the backbone of the country.2. case n. actual state of affairs; situation 实情，情况e.g. If that’s the case, you’ll have to work harder.3. access n. opportunity or right to use sth. 使用某物的机会或权利e.g. Students must have access to a good library.4. cyberfraudster n. a person who deceives people on the Internet in order to gain money, power, etc. 网络骗子e.g. The Internet has given birth to the cyberfraudster5. chaos n. a state of complete disorder and confusion 混乱；无秩序状态e.g. The wintry weather has caused chaos on the roads.6. crash v. to (cause to) have a sudden, violent, and noisy accident（使）猛撞，（使）撞毁e.g. The plane crashed into the sea.7. essential adj. extremely important and necessary 必要的，不可缺少的，最重要的8. simulated adj. not real, but made to look, sound, or feel real 伪装的，模仿的e.g. The movie’s simulated tropical storm used up huge quantities of water.9. undoubtedly adv. used for saying that sth. is certainly true or is accepted by everyone 无疑地，肯定地e.g. The painting is undoubtedly genuine.10. assimilation n. the process of becoming an accepted part of a country or group 融合，同化assimilate v.e.g. The USA has assimilated people from many different countries.11. physical adj. relating to real objects that you can touch, see, or feel 物质的e.g. the physical world around us the physical environment12. purchase v. to buy sth. 购买e.g. They purchased a large house.13. the masses all the ordinary people in society who do not have power or influence 劳动者阶层e.g. Leaders should trust and rely on the masses.14. dedicated adj.made for or used for only one particular purpose 专用的e.g. a dedicated word processor15. staple n. the main product that is produced in a country 主要产品e.g. Cotton is one of Egypt’s staples.16. productive adj. causing or resulting in sth. 造成某种结果的；产生某种事物的e.g. The changes were not productive of better labor relations.17. charge v. to ask someone to pay for sth. you are selling 收费e.g. I’m not going there again—they charged me ￡1 for a cup of coffee!18. entity n. things with distinct and real existence 实体e.g. The mind and the body are seen as separate entities.Step 3 Post-reading exercises1.The following sentences are taken form the text. Put them back in the correct place.1)We will work in virtual offices, shop in virtual supermarkets, and we will even study invirtual schools.2)In the 1980s, there were only hundreds of users3)Secondly, it is a sort of modern library where anything imaginable can be researched.4)The internet is now also seen as a new form of expression---freedom.5)Information can be easily downloaded using a searching engine.Have students scan the text. Set a gist question, such as “what are the changes brought by the wide use of the internet” to test students’ overall understanding of the text. Then ask students to complete the text with the missing sentences. Let students check their answers in pairs before checking with the whole class.2.Why do experts worry about the future of cyberspace? Why do people feel optimistic aboutthe internet future? Find reasons in the text.Ask students to do this task in pairs. Tell them to look at the two opposite viewpoints and skim through the text to find supporting evidence for each viewpoints. Remind them to underline or note down the evidence and discuss with their partners. When you give feedback, elicit evidence from different pairs and discuss why student s’ views differ.Answers:Reasons to be optimisticWorking lives and leisure time are being changed. The internet has become an essential part of life at our universities, offices, schools and homes.●It has given people a new way to communicate, through e-mail and webcams. Messagesare being sent to people all over the planet form other people who have access to the internet.●With the development of multimedia software, people can click their mouse on a page,view a film clip and listen to music at the same time.●The way we do business and shop are being changed by electronic commerce. Reasons to be pessimisticOne worry is the activity of cyber crime●Young hackers can get into the computer systems of banks and governments.●Cyber fraudsters may deceive people in order to gain money and power.●Cyber terrorists may use the internet to damage computers to cause chaos, and makeplanes and trains crash.3.Vocabulary and structureA.Read the text again. Match the words with their definitionsAsk students to find and underline the words in the corresponding sentences in the text. Tell them to work out the meaning of words from the context. Go around the class to monitor their work and offer any necessary help. Check their answers when they finish.Answers:1.case: an example of a particular situation or of something happening2.cyberfraudster: someone who cheats people on the internet3.chaos: a confused and disordered situation4.staple: the main product that is produced in a country5.entity: something that exists as a single and complete unit6.deceive: to trick someone7.charge: to ask someone to pay8.physical: relating to real objects that you can touch, see or feelB.Read the following sentences taken from the text. Underline the verbs referring to the futureand decide:a.which talks about a future event we can predict from present situation.b.which expresses our views and intentions in the near future.The aim here is to practice using “will”and “be going to do”to talk and write about the future. Ask students to work in pairs, find the sentences in the text and discuss the uses of the two future forms.C.Study the meaning of conjunction “as” in the following sentences. Then explain the meaningof “as” n sentences 1-4Have students read the sample sentences. Clarify and summarize the function of “as” in each sample sentence. Ask students to explain the meaning of “as” in the following sentences.Answers:1.at the same time2.because3.what Napoleon has said before4.although4. WritingSome people are optimistic about the future of cyberspace, but some are pessimistic about the changes brought by the use of the internet, write a paragraph about the predictions you make about the life by the year 2050. you may start by listing the possible changes or problems of the internet.Elicit both optimistic and pessimistic predictions. Help students state and list their views onthe board, for example, “I think there will be no newspapers”, “I think all newspapers will be in color.” Ask students to discuss the future of cyberspace in small groups. The groups report to the class and see if their views are shared by the rest of the class. Remind students of the correct use of future forms and computer vocabulary in their writing. This task can be either left as homework for students or done on class if time is enough.Section 3 Language in use: type 1 conditional and type 2 conditionalStep 1 test your grammarStudents may have already learned the different uses of the modal verb “would”. However, they may find themselves not so sure about the correct answer to these questions. This grammar exercise aims to further enhance students’ understanding of “would”.Read the examples sentences as a class. Ask students to explain the use of “would” in each sentence.The word “would”has several different uses. Look at these examples and decide which sentence expresses the future in the past, which expresses a situation which is contrary to reality and which expresses a habitual behavior in the past.a.When I was a kid, I would get up at 7:00 and take the dog for a walk.b.If I were taller, I would join the police force.c.In Paris Hans met Christina, whom he would marry three years later.Step 2 illumination and developmentBriefly explain the grammatical knowledge of the uses of “type 1 conditional and type 2 conditional”. Then ask students to finish these exercises. Check their work when they finish. Type 1 conditionalType 1 conditional is used to discuss things that will probably happen in the future as the result of something else that happens in the present.The first conditional consists of two clauses, one with If + simple present verb and the second with simple future verb, as in, "If you do something bad, something bad will happen to you."We can also use the first conditional to make predictions about the future. For example, we can predict that "If my brother crashes the car tonight, my mother will be furi ous.” Type 2 conditionalType 2 conditional refers to present and future situations. It is used to talk about unreal—impossible, improbable or imaginary—situations. It refers to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result.Type 2 conditional consists of two clauses, one with if + subject + simple past verb and the second with subject + would + verb, as in, “I would buy a big house if I had a million dollars.”Step 3 Doing exercisesThen ask students to finish these exercises. Check their work when they finish. Try to encourage students to explain the answers by themselves. The teacher is supposed to offer some explanations where necessary.plete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the brackets.Ask students to fill the gaps with the correct form of verbs according to Type 1 conditional. Ask for class feedback when they finish.B.Who would say these things, A or B?Remind students that these statements are not based on facts.e the cues below to write Type 2 conditional. The first one has been done as an example. Ask students to think of the Type 2 situations in which the statements would be appropriate.Step 4 Vocabulary building: words to do with computerThis section aims to expand students’computer-related vocabulary by forming compounds and collocations.With the development of computer technology, many new words related to computer are created by way of combination, which has greatly enlarged the English vocabulary.1、词义转移、引申许多计算机英语词汇从普通英语中转移过来,词义转移或引申是构建计算机英语词汇的一种常见的方法。
