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1、Unit 9 The Damned Human RaceTeaching Objectives1. To know the author and his background;2. To explore the main idea and analyze the structure of text; 3. To master the features of travel writing;4. To master the language points in Text ATeaching ProceduresI. Pre-Reading1. Comment on the Quotations o
2、n human I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated His ability. Oscar Wild Men! The only animal in the world to fear. D.H. Lawrence We are perverse creatures and never satisfied. Nan Fairbrother Such is the human race, often it seems a pity that Noah. didnt miss the boat. Mark
3、 Twain Mana creature made at the end of the weeks work when God was tired. Mark Twain Discussion: what is your view?1) What is your understanding of human nature?2) Have you found any defect? Or nothing negative at all? 3) Please name three major defects of human nature.2. Background knowledge 1) Ab
4、out the author-Bill Buford (1950- ) 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
5、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. His masterpiece:n Innocents Abroad 1869n The Adventures of To
6、m Sawyer 1876n The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1885n Life on the Mississippi 1883n The Prince and the Pauper 1882 His writing style:n hilariously humorousn bitterly satirical2) About the text The author writes about ugly human traits and dispositions. In his opinion, human beings are not ascended
7、 from the lower animals but descended from the higher animals.3) Cultural backgrounda) Plains Bison美洲或欧洲的野牛 Originating in Eurasia(欧亚大陆) but migrating to North America across the Bering land bridge during prehistoric times, they thrived on the Great Plains, until the arrival of white settlers drove
8、them to the brink of extinction. Although they once ranged across the Great Plains from Mexico to Canada, with numbers estimated at 60 million, today they exist primarily on game reserves and ranches(大牧场), with estimated numbers of 200,000.b) Buffalo Chase with Bows and Lances(长矛) Horsemen pursue bu
9、ffalo on the Great Plains in Buffalo Chase with Bows and Lances(长矛). Hunters first isolated a buffalo by riding between it and the rest of the herd; then, riding at full speed alongside the animal, they shot it with a bow and arrow or a lance. Later, firearms were used.c) The Peerage(贵族阶级) The colle
10、ctive noun for peers, men and women whose rank is equal to nobility and aristocracy. In the United Kingdom, the peerage comprises hereditary peers(世袭贵族)and life peers(终身贵族). Both male and female peers receive the same rights. In the United Kingdom, hereditary peers are known by a number of titles, w
11、hich rank them in terms of importance. Most important are 24 dukes. Next in rank are the 35 marquises. Earls, the level below, there are around 200 in the UK in total. The female equivalent of an earl is a countess. There are 120 or so viscounts, and the nearly 500 barons or baronesses. Life peers,
12、called baron or baroness, total approximately 500. A life peer has all the rights of an hereditary peer, but he or she cannot pass on the title to his or her heirs. duke公爵；marquis侯爵；earl: 伯爵viscount子爵；baron男爵 The United Kingdom is the only country that has an Upper House comprising the aristocracy.
13、Originally vested with a great deal of power, in terms of land, money, and followers, the peers would be summoned to sit in the House of Lords. Thus, the principle of the few representing the many evolved. The original Upper House sat in the Parliament House in the Palace of Westminster. Today the U
14、nited Kingdom is the only country in Europe whose Upper House is still composed of unelected peers. Members of the aristocracy or members of the old noble families still act in an advisory capacity to the monarch.d) Anaconda(水蟒) Anaconda, common name for large South American snakes. Anacondas are am
15、ong the largest and most powerful snakes in the world. A large adult may be 6 m long and weigh 107 kg. Anacondas kill their prey by constriction or squeezing. The common anaconda inhabits the river systems of northern and Amazonian South America east of the Andes(安第斯山脉). Female anacondas give birth
16、to living young.e) Darwinian theory Darwinism originally included the broad concepts of transmutation of species or of evolution which gained general scientific acceptance when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, including concepts which predated Darwins theories, but subsequently ref
17、erred to specific concepts of natural selection, the Weismann barrier or in genetics the central dogma of molecular biology.1 Though it usually refers strictly to biological evolution, the term has been misused by creationists to refer to the origin of life and has even been applied to concepts of c
18、osmic evolution which have no connection to Darwins work. In 1817, Charles Darwin published the Descent of Man which gave evidence to show that man was derived from animals that, if alive today, would be classified as apes.f) Julius Caesara Roman military and political leader. He played a critical r
19、ole in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.In the times of Caesars, the early Christians were cruelly persecuted by the Romans.II. Text Analysis1. Theme of the text Through the analysis of various traits and dispositions human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals”,
20、the author finds that men have descended and degenerated. 2. Structure of the text1) The first version: Part 1 (paras. 1-3): Introduction: topic and credibility of the author researchA. (para. 1): topicthe descent of man from the higher animalsB. (para. 2): credibilitythe use of scientific method an
21、d authentic institution where the experiments were conductedC. (para. 3): a characteristic example of his experiements Part 2 (paras.4-17): findings about man as against higher animalsA. (para. 4): mans greedB. (paras. 5-8): mans immoralityC. (para. 9): mans crueltyD. (paras. 10-11): mans inclinatio
22、n for warsE. (para. 12): mans position of enslaving and being enslavedF. (paras. 13-15): mans hypocrisyG. (paras. 16-17): mans inability to learn to live together peacefully Part 3 (paras. 18): conclusionrestatement of the thesis2) The second version: Part 1 (para. 1): the thesis statement Part 2 (p
23、aras.2-9): Introduction to the scientific experiment and the analysis related to various traits and dispositions of human beings as contrasted to the “higher animals”. Part 3 (paras. 1017): Arguing with people who believe in mans superiority. Part 4 (para. 18): Men have descended and degenerated.3.
24、General Analysis Is this article written in a colloquial or formal way?Language: formal (big words, long sentences, serious tone, etc)He pretends to be reporting on a scientific experiment.Tone: tongue-in-cheek (开玩笑地) to achieve humor4. Further Questions on Appreciation1) Part one: Thesis statementI
25、 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. (Para. 1)Q: Why is lower animals put in quotation mark? Read the sentence and pay attention to the tone and diction.Notice the to
26、ngue-in-cheek way the author expresses his ideas. He makes it sound as if he were conducting and reporting on the result of a scientific investigation. In other words, he is deliberately using a pompous(夸大的) style to achieve humor.2) Part two(paras. 2-9)a) Is Mark Twain serious when he says that he
27、has done many months of painstaking and fatiguing work in the London Zoological Garden?London Zoological Gardens: London Zoou Set in the heart of Londons majestic Regents Park, London Zoo boasts not only a vast array of amazing animals, but also beautiful gardens, fine art, astounding architecture a
28、nd the astonishing exhibition.u London Zoo was the Worlds first scientific zoo. Opened in 1828, it housed a collection of exotic(外来的) animals that were studied by eminent scientists of the day. Only later in 1847 did the Zoo open its doors to the public and, from then on, became the most famous zoo
29、in the World. u Today, London Zoo houses a wonderful range of reptiles(爬行类动物), fish, invertebrates(无脊椎类动物), birds and mammals(哺乳动物). b) Traits and dispositions of human beings contrasted to the high animals(Find out them from para3-para9)u 1. Man is crueler than animal.whowhereto whomwhatwhyresulttr
30、aitSome hunterson ourGreat Plainsan Englishearlorganized abuffalo huntTo entertain and providesome fresh meat for his tableKilled 72, ate part of one of them the leftthe 71 to rotThe earl is cruel and destroys what he has no use for. The earl was descended from the anaconda and had lost a good deal
31、in thetransition.Iin LondonZooThe anacondasCaused 7 young calves to be turned into the cageto determine the difference between an anaconda and an earlcrushed one of them and swallowed it,then lay back satisfiedu 2. Man is avoricious and miserly and their desires cant be ended forever.I was aware tha
32、t many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor savings in order to partially appease the appetite.（para4)u 3. Man is the only one who takes possession of
33、revenge.u 4. Man invented indecency, vulgarity and obscenity.u 5. Man is soiled-minded and he always covers himself.u 6. Man is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.c) What effect do you think Mark Twain hopes to achieve with this mock seriousness?III. Detailed Reading1) I ha
34、ve 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. （para.1）I have been studying the characteristics of the so-called lower animals in comparison with those of man. The result of this
35、study makes me, as a man, feel terribly ashamed. traits and dispositions: characteristics; features; nature; qualities; personalities humiliating: making me feel ashamed; embarrassing; mortifying Notice the tongue-in-cheek way the author expresses his ideas. He makes it sound as if he were conductin
36、g and reporting on the result of a scientific investigation. In other words, he is deliberately using a pompous style to achieve humor.2) For it obliges me to renounce my allegiance to the Darwinian theory of the Ascent of Man from the Lower Animals and to name it the Descent of Man from the Higher
37、Animals.Because the result of my study forces me to give up (to abandon) my loyalty to (firm belief in ) Darwins theory of evolution and to change the theory of the Ascent of Man from the Lower Animals to the theory of the Descent of Man from the Higher Animals. to oblige sb to do sth: to force sb t
38、o do sth; to make it necessary for sb to do sth to renounce: to abandon or give up; to reject or disown allegiance: loyalty, esp. to a nation or a cause 3) That is to say, I have subjected every postulate that presented itself to the crucial test of actual experiment.In other words, I have put every
39、 theory or hypothesis there is to the decisive test of actual experiment. to subject sht/ sb to sth: to cause sb/sth to undergo or experience sth unpleasant or difficult and often for a long time,e.g. They were subjected to very cruel tortures.The desertification subjected people living in that area
40、 to great hardships. postulate: (fml) assumption; theory; hypothesis that presented itself: that happens or exists, e.g. when the opportunity presents itself you must seize it at once.4) I It also seemed to suggest that the earl was descended from the anaconda, and had lost a good deal in the transi
41、tion. Paragraph 3It also seemed to show that the earl came from the anaconda and had lost a lot of the anacondas good qualities in the process. to be descended from sb: to be related to sb who lived a long time ago5) I was aware that many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can
42、 ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor saving in order to partially appease that appetite.I knew that many men who have more money than they can ever use have shown a mad desire to get more, and they have not hesit
43、ated to cheat poor people and their few saving in order to satisfy that desire. rabid: uncontrollable (Note: it is related to rabies, which is an acute, infectious and often fatal disease of dogs, also known as hydrophobia, transmitted by the bite of the infected animal) to have not scrupled to do s
44、th: to have not hesitated to do sth because of trouble conscience or embarrassment from moral considerations to cheat sb out of sth: to trick or deceive sb in order to get an advantage, e.g. to cheat sb out of his money or job or land,etc Compare: to talk sb out of sth; to trick sb out of sth the ig
45、norant and helpless: the uneducated and powerless people; the poor laboring people in general to appease: to satisfy or relieve (hunger, thirst, desire, etc)6) Cats are loose in their morals, but not consciously so. Man, in his descent from the cat, has brought the cats looseness with him but had le
46、ft the unconsciousness behindthe saving grace which excuses the cat.Cats are immoral, but they do not know it. They just cant help it. Man has inherited cats looseness, but not their innocence, which is what excuses the cat for its low morals. to be loose in morals: immoral the saving grace: the red
47、eeming quality; the quality that makes up for the generally negative characteristics. 1) Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity- these are strictly confined to man; he invented them. （para.8）These are only mans problems. They are limited to man. They only happen to man 2) No- Man is the Animal that Blushes. He is the only one that does it- or has occasion to. （para.8）No, man is not the only animal that laughs, but it is true that man is the animal that blushes. He is the only animal that does it or has the need to. to have occasion to do sth: to have the need o
