Book one Unit 6 Animal IntelligenceText AThe first time:The first period:I. Preview:1. Let the students be familiar with some important words and phrases in Text A, which will enable them to better understand the text: controversy, encounter, convince, suspicious, blank, relieve, figure out, assess, inaccessible, release, deceive and wipe out.2. Ask the students to search for some information about animal intelligence through Internet or the Encyclopedia while keeping the question in mind that whether animals do have intelligence and what kind of presentation they may show.3. Read Text A in general and paragraph 5&6 in Text B.II. Check the homework left last time when the fifth unit was finished.III. Introductory remarks (Ts’ words):In unit 5, we’ve talked about romance. Of course, it’s about the romance of us human beings. But, do we believe that animals will also fall in love? In this unit, Text B, we have examples showing that animals do have certain affections to the one of the same kind but the opposite sex. As we’ve read paragraphs 5&6 in Text B, the point has been proved in someway.Well, from the stories, we see that animals really have their own way of thinking. But, what animals really think? Do they have intelligence as we do?IV. Check the preview work through discussion:1. What’s the meaning of intelligence? And, what about animal intelligence?→Intelligence refers to the power of perceiving, learning, understanding, and knowing. It also means mental ability.As for animal intelligence, it involves such factors as the ability to learn, to solve new problems, or to create novel solutions to familiar problems and reasoning. The last one means that some animals have the ability to benefit from the experiences of others. That’s what we can find in the third story in Text A, that Towan is clever to do the similar trick as Melati.2. Ask Ss to tell some interesting stories concerning animals’ presentation of intelligence. Here are also two samples.→Story one: My parents once raised a dog named Doudou. One day, my father left his coat behind in the scallion field. Doudou stayed beside the coat until my father returned to the scallion field and looked for his coat. Then, he went home happily together with my father.Story two: Once in Yunnan Province, a boa saved the son of his master from a river.Ts may list some other animal behaviors to arouse the Ss’ interests:E.g.: Bees communicate a food source to other members of the hive by means of various “dancing”.Some other species can communicate by sight, taste or odor, electrical impulse (fish), or touch, and many animals have more than one system.Conclusion: From all above, we find that animals do display intelligence in some areas. Let’s read the text and find more examples of animal intelligence.V. Global reading tasks.The second period: Detailed reading Tasks:Part 1 (paragraphs 1-2)I. Let the students reread the first two paragraphs, and think about the questions:1.What is the traditional way to examine the intelligence of animals?→experiments designed to teach human signs.PS:For example, in one early study, the intelligence level of animals was measured in terms of the human capacities required to perform parallel acts. Such a method led to gross overestimation of intelligence of the animal being studied. (Ts may take this as part of the Background Information.)2.What is the author’s idea?→to observe the animal’s performance for their own purposesII. Difficult Sentences:1. Wondering whether there might be better ways to explore animal intelligence than experiments... not when scientists ask them to. (Paragraph 1)------ I want to know if there might be better ways to find out more about animal intelligence than those experiments which are designed to teach human language to animals. Then I realized one thing that seems to be very clear now. If animals can think, they will probably do their best thinking for themselves. Animals will not think very hard when scientists ask them to do so.2. Most do not study animal’s intelligence, but they encounter it, and the lack of it, every day. (Paragraph 2)----- Most of the zookeepers do not research on animal intelligence, but they meet animal intelligence unexpectedly every day. They also meet the situation that animals show little intelligence everyday.3. The stories they tell us reveal what I’m convinced is a new window on animal intelligence: the kind of mental feats animal perform when dealing with capacity and the dominant species on the planet—humans. (Paragraph 2)----- The stories they tell us show something that I believe is a new aspect of animal intelligence. They tell us about the marvelous thinking that animals do when they deal with the situation of being caught and human, the most powerful species on the earth.III. Important Words and expressions:controversy over/about something encounter problems/difficulties/oppositions/resistanceconvince somebody of/to do something do one’s best thinkingserve one’s own proposePart 2 (paragraphs 3-6)I. Reread this part and do the exercises:1. True or false questions:a. Colo’s example indicates that some animals know quite well how to negotiate with the keepers. _T__b. Colo is a good bargainer, and this case shows that animals may really have intelligence. T_c. Mile’s experiment to teach Chantek to share things proves to be a great success. F_→Mile’s experiment to teach Chantek to share things proves to be a great failure.2. Ask the students to fill in the blanks with the information mentioned in this part, esp. the animals’ action. Then figure out the author’s purpose.a. Colo: Broke the key chainAuthor’s purpose:Animals know how to negotiate with people.b. Chantek: 1) Expanded the money supply by breaking plastic chips in two;2) Found pieces of tin foil and tried to make copies of metal chipsAuthor’s purpose: Animals can even handle the moneyIII. Difficult Sentence:Arriving on the scene, Jendry offered Colo some peanuts, only to be met with a blank stare. (Paragraph 3) ----- When she got to the place where Colo was, Jendry gave Colo some peanuts, but here good will was not well accepted and she got a blank stare from Colo.IV. Important Words and Expressions:a blank stare maintain eye contact raised the stakes careful bargainerspend on treats trade one thing for another catch up with somebody/somethingonly to do why (not ) do be suspicious of/aboutHomework: 1. Do the exercises of structure on pages 181&182. (only to do, why do/not do)2. Preview the left part of the text.The second time:Part 3 (paragraphs 7-10)I. Check the homework and go on to the new stories.II. Five minutes are given to the students to finish reading this part; two questions will be put forward.1. What did Orky do in this section?→Allowed somebody to stand on his head to reach up and release the baby2. What can you get from this example?→Animals can assess the situation and make a right decision.III. Difficult sentence:This is true, but I do not think it goes far enough. (Paragraph 7) ----- What behaviorist say is right, but I do not think their explanation helps very much.IV. Important Words and Expressions:in one’s interest make judgments emergency care go wrong assess based onthrive at throw up size up keep steady slide intoPart 4 (Paragraphs 11-12)I. Ask the students to read through this part quickly , then to answer the following questions.1.How did Melati and Towan play the trick on Shewman ?→Melati: Hid an orange in her other hand. Towan:Hid an orange underneath his foot.2.What did the author want to tell us？→Animal intelligence can be seen in their attempts to deceiveII. Let the students do some true or false questions according to Part 3 and Part 4.1.Behaviorists say that animals cooperate with human beings for their own benefit. ( T )ule believed that Orky, a killer whale, was the most intelligent animal she had ever seen. ( F )→Laule believed that Orky, a killer whale, was the most intelligent animal she had ever worked with.3.Some animals’intelligence can be seen in their attempts to deceive. ( T )4.Orky allowed somebody to stand on his head to reach up and release the baby because he had been trained to do so.( F )→Orky let somebody stand on his head to reach up and release the baby, but he had not been trained to do so.5.Animals can learn from each other in playing some tricks. Towan is a good example. ( T )III. Difficult sentence:Instead of moving away to get it, Melati looked Shewman in the eye and held out her hand. (Paragraph 11)------ Melati looked directly and steadily at Shewman without moving away to get it.Part 5 (Paragraph 13)I. While reading this paragraph, think about the function of the last paragraph. How do you understand it?→It concludes the whole passage--- animal intelligence not only exist but also plays a very important role in their survival. II. Difficult sentences:1. If life is about survival of a species---- and intelligence is meant to serve that survival--- then we can’t compare with pea-brained sea turtles, which were here long before us and survived the disaster that wiped out the dinosaurs.----- If the purpose of life is to survive and intelligence is for survival, then our intelligence can’t be compared with that of the pea-brained turtle. They were on this earth long before we human beings and they even survived the survived the disaster that destroyed thedinosaurs.2. … even if their horizons are more limited than ours.---- even though they can’t assess the world in the same way as we do because of more limited knowledge and experience.III. Important Words and Expressions in the two parts above:deceive somebody into doing something look somebody in the eye hold outinaccessible (get/have access to somebody/something ) move off hold one’s gaze steadilygive in be meant to do something wipe outPost-reading tasks:Ts may give a general conclusion about the whole text and answer the questions raised by the students.Homework: 1. Review the important words we’ve learned.2. Finish all the exercises in the book.The third time:I. Check the homework and do some exercises:a. Words Dictation:intelligence controversy encounter convince dominant suspicious blank negotiate maintain relieve undertake thrive emergency release evidence deceive survival disaster figure out wipe outb. Paragraph dictation: The following paragraph will be read three times; Ss should listen to the paragraph carefully for the first two times. For the third time, Ss should write down sentence by sentence of what they heard. Then check it.Why don’t birds get lost on their long flights from one place to another? Scientists have been puzzled over this question for many years. Now they fill in the blank.Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during daylight hours. But what about birds that fly by night? Tests with artificial stars have proved that certain night flying birds are able to follow the stars in their long-distance flights. What do they do when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their ways by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines and river courses. But when it’s too dark to see these birds circle helplessly, unable to get their ways.II. Deal with the exercises of Text A. (partly & selectively)III. Writing skills:The passages in this unit are expositions. The writing style is not strange to us since we have come to learn about it in Unit Two. The purpose of an exposition is to make something clear to the reader, and its focus is to explain, define and interpret. It is widely used in our daily life. Students’ attention can be directed to some writing techniques of an exposition.1. Using examples to support to a topic. For example, in this article, the author employs the stories of gorilla, three orangutans, and a killer whale to support his point.2. Using transitional devices to make a coherent writing.a. Headings and subheadings provide natural transitions between paragraphs and sections.For example, in this text we have three subheadings for three parts of the main body of the passage. They are: “Let’s Make a Deal”, “Tale of a Whale”, “Primate Shell Game”. The subheading directs readers’attention to another demonstration of animal intelligence.b. Transitional sentences.c. Conjunctions.The sixth periodText B Pre-reading tasksI.Before explaining text B, we will do some listening work together. Listen to the following passage carefully, then, answer the following questions.When lionesses give birth to their young, they usually have three or four cubs to a litter, and stay with them for about two years to protect them from danger when they are tiny, and to teach them the fine art of hunting. They have a very closely-knit family life. But when a lioness has her young she is usually in a very nasty protective disposition. But she is very patient and accommodating towards her cubs. A unique thing about lionesses is that they will nurse cubs from another litter besides their own. They never care less whose cubs they are.II. Ask two Ss to give a report about myquestion left last class. Do animals love each likehuman beings?(hint: some animals do love each other deeplyand faithfully. What’s more, their wooingmethods are even more fantastic. Their devotedaffection is touching to some degree. ) Onepicture about some animals’wooing methodswill be presented to help the Ss have a deepunderstanding of animals’ love.Global-reading tasks (15 minutes )I. Ss are given 10 minutes to finish scanning thetext, to count how many examples arementioned in the text. ( 5: Ado, a male parrot,Timmy, Coyotes, Tibby )II.Then ask the Ss to tell the organization of thetext.Part one: ( 1-2 ) Some animals do displayvarious feelings under different circumstances.Part two: ( 3-14 ) Concrete examples areoffered to prove that animals may fall in love.Part three: ( 15 ) Though rejectionremains, the fact that animals experienced, areexperiencing, will experience joy, anger, sorrow,and happiness everywhere. ( the seven humanemotions: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire) ( 15 minutes )Starling:椋鸟blue tit:蓝山雀quack: 呱呱叫Detailed-reading tasksPart one: Group discussion1. After scan the fist part in two minutes, Ss have a discussion on the following topics:Topic one: what’s true love? Reference: Two persons must love, trust one another. They should help, care, and cherish each other in any case. If one is ill, disabled, or is dying, another is willing to accompany and take good care of her or him wholeheartedly, not to desert him or her. If necessary, one may dedicate his or her life to his or her lover.Topic two: How do you think animals nurse their babies affectionately?Reference: to a large extent, it should be thought as natural instincts.Homework: Ask Ss to read paragraph3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, and 13 carefully, and describe those animals’ behavior mentioned in three—four adjective phrases respectively.Ado in para3: silent, depressed, and alone Athan: indifferent, glad, happyTimmy: reluctant, excited, sad, hurt Coyote: affectionate, gentle, happyTibby: get lost, strange, nostalgicThe fourth timeI First check the answers of the homework left last class. Then go on with what we stopped last time.II. Structure:a. what about-----used to make a suggestion e.g.: What about dinner at my place next week?b. how about----used to make a suggestion about what to do e.g.: No, I’m busy on Monday. How about Tuesday at seven?How about doing somethingIII. Useful expressionsBe cautious about doing sth 干----时很谨慎prefer to do/doing 更喜欢prefer A to B 比起B,更喜欢AAdequate parental care 足够的亲本照顾 a sense of loss 失落感IV. ensure ( US insure ) assure guaranteeAssure: tell sb positively or confidently 向-----保证，cause sb to be sure or feel certain about ~ sb of sth 使确信E.g.: I ~ you they will be perfectly safe with us. Assurance n..保险Ensure: make sure guarantee 确保，保证 e.g.: Please ~ that all the lights are switched off at night.Guarantee: promise (usually in writing) in a transaction will be fulfilled e.g.: the watch comes with a year’s ~.Part twoI. Ask the Ss to underline Ado’s, Athan’s，Timmy’s, coyotes’, and Tibby’s behavior respectively in the text. Then tell us theimplied meaning.Ado behavior: He stood…body, he hung his head…became vacant. didn’t have heart…sharply. Pulled himself together …another mate.Implied meaning: fell sorrowful and a sense of loss.Parrot: behavior: ignored a fine-feathered young female but thought an older female in extremely poor condition was the love of his life. The two birds…eventually produced young.Implied meaning: Instinct may…they will love.Timmy: behavior: declined to…at once.Implied meaning: Many species…of their species.Coyotes: behavior: Observations indicate that…sexually active. Pairs can be observed…curled up to sleep.Implied meaning: There is evidence… each other.Tibby：behavior Tibby made a habit…village. She tried to…his house. Acted strangely, even trying to follow him indoors.Implied meaning: An animal raised… when it grows up.II. Important language points :Lay ~ sth aside: put sth aside lay-off: dismissal of a worker, esp for a short time. Layout: arrangementVacant:not filled or occupied a ~ post blank: a ~ stare, look, a ~ mind 茫然的心情Compare A to B 把A 比成B compare A with B 把A和B向比较Shed/cast light on sth: make sth clear or easy to understandIII. Let the students translate the following phrases into Chinese:Put human emotions in animals 赋予动物人类的情感Cross the bridge of reality 逾越现实的鸿沟Whatever distinctions may be made between the love of two people and the love of two animals, the essence frequently seems the same. 无论人类的男欢女爱与动物雌雄相悦之间有多少取别，两者的本质常常是一致的。
