Unit 10 : Text A

1. 21st Century College English: Book 2 Unit 10 : Text A The Next 30 Years

2. Unit Ten: Text A • Lead-in Activities • Text Organization • Reading and Writing Skills • Language Points • Guided Practice • Assignment

3. Lead-in Activities Group Writing Looking for one aspect about the future development or problems and focusing on it and working together with the group members to write up a whole paragraph: What will happen and what will the future be like in the next 30 years?

4. General introduction: Influenced by years of reading articles and books about the future, the author offers his predictions in the next 30 years. There will be great new achievements in the next 30 years: rising living standards, increased life expectancy and better lifestyle. Humans will also face some dangers and problems in the next 30 years: violence and environmental devastation. A conclusion—Despite the above-mentioned problems, human civilization is still making genuine progress. Text Organization —— para. 1 para. 2-14 para. 15-18 para. 19

5. Reading & Writing Skills Reading Skill: Scanning for organization in reading materials. When you’re reading a text in order to find specific information, scanning it first to get an idea of the way the text is organized can be a big help. Visual clues—things like numbers and dates; lists, sections and subtitles(小标题); dialogs, quotations and recurring phrases—are easy to see in a text, and can often give us a good picture of its organization and content before we start reading. When we read in our own language, we usually notice the visual clues automatically, without thinking about them. When you’re reading in English, paying conscious attention to visual clues before you read can improve your comprehension and make your reading more efficient.

6. Reading & Writing Skills Writing Skill: Developing prediction + Illustrations passages This kind of passage begins with general prediction, and then is supported by illustrations. Example: The trends indicate that next semester, teachers will be better off than ever before. All of them will receive salaries much higher than their parents and grandparents ever dreamed of. At the same time, treated with greater respect by their students, teachers around the globe will enjoy their work much more. As a result, their mental and physical health will improve. Happy and satisfied teachers will become commonplaces.

7. Intensive Study • Intensive Study • Difficult sentences • Key words, phrases & usages • Comprehension exercises

8. Intensive Study The Next 30 Years by Edward Cornish 1In less than three years the world will reach the outstanding year 2000, and in less than four — on January 1, 2001, to be precise — a new millennium will begin. I am encouraged to offer my personal view of what is likely to happen in the next 30 years — a view that is heavily influenced by years of reading articles and books about the future.

9. Intensive Study 2To begin with, the next 30 years will almost certainly bring us incredible new achievements. The problems and dangers now facing the world are, in my judgment, far outweighed by solutions and opportunities.It is true enough that humans have an extraordinary genius for making mistakes, but it is balanced by our strong tendency to notice and correct them.

10. Intensive Study 3Rising Living Standards 4The trends indicate that humans will be better off economically 30 years from now than they are today. Hundreds of millions of people will live in homes that will seem like palaces to their parents and grandparents. At the same time, brought together by telecommunications, people around the world will work together more efficiently than ever before. Expertise will flow easily and cheaply to places where it is needed. Computers and cellular phones will become commonplaces.

11. Intensive Study 5Thanks to genetic engineering, plants will grow bigger, mature faster, need less fertilizer, and resist insects and diseases. New materials will permit improvements in products ranging from refrigerators to automobiles; roofs may rarely need repairs; stockings and underwear may not wear out during the owner’s lifetime.

12. Intensive Study 6Living to Be 200 Years Old 7Life expectancy will rise around the world, creating a rapidly growing proportion of old people in the population, as well as the age of the oldest humans — now above 120 years. Rapid progress in biotechnology suggests that breakthroughs may occur that will enable medical science to slow or reverse the aging process. This could mean that many people born in the next 30 years may live to be 200, 300, or more years old.

13. Intensive Study 8Increased life expectancy has some serious drawbacks, however. As people get older, more will find themselves disabled. Happily, increasingly sophisticated medicines and devices to assist the ill and disabled will become available in the coming decades. Researchers are finding ways to prevent and even partially cure blindness, deafness, muscular deterioration, and other problems connected with aging. This means that increasing numbers of people will be able to work and support themselves for years beyond the typical retirement age of 65.

14. Intensive Study 9 The Global Village 10 The nations of the world will become more tightly integrated because of rapidly improving telecommunications and transportation. A global culture will develop rapidly and take its pick of clothing styles, foods, drinks, games, sports and customs from countries everywhere.

15. Intensive Study 11Anetwork of superhighways will link up the nations of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Engineers are already talking enthusiastically about a tunnel under the Mediterranean at Gibraltar to link Europe with Africa. And superhighways across the Eurasian land mass will allow residents of Shanghai and Hong Kong to drive comfortably and rapidly to destinations like Paris, Rome, and Stockholm. Travelers in a hurry will, of course, still prefer to fly, especially over long distances. Space-planes should be in service within the next 20 years, making flights from Tokyo to New York in only a couple of hours.

16. Intensive Study 12  Humans Colonize Space 13We will push the frontiers of human settlement in all directions. The Moon will acquire its first permanent base, and the human population living in space will rise steadily, as manufacturing develops aboard spacecraft and the resources of other planets are explored. Meanwhile, advancing technology will also solve many of the problems of living and working in unfriendly environments on Earth, so the population of Antarctica and the Polar Regions will climb steadily. The forbidding Himalayas may experience a development boom, including, perhaps, luxury hotels for tourists.

17. Intensive Study 14The pace of ocean development will speed up as seaside nations increasingly assert their ownership of the resources off their shores. Ocean farming will become increasingly attractive as food prices rise. Studies have shown that the biological productivity of the ocean can be greatly increased by adding certain chemicals.

18. Intensive Study 15 Future Dangers and Problems 16  The 21st century will be a century of fantastic achievement, but it may be accompanied by horrors on an unheard-of scale, as was the 20th century with its world wars and atomic bombs. The biggest single cloud hanging over the next 30 years is violence — crime, terrorism, and war. The Cold War is over, but hot wars on a smaller scale must be expected. In addition, nuclear weapons may be used by terrorists.

19. Intensive Study 17The world's growing population and intensifying economic activity are increasingly destroying forests and polluting land, water, and air. Successful programs for reducing air pollution in many cities and restoring forests in many areas have demonstrated that environmental destruction is not irreversible, but the job will take great effort on a global scale.

20. Intensive Study 18Unfortunately, the steady rise in world population makes it likely that, for the world as a whole, environmental conditions will continue to worsen for some years to come. Though a number of precious animal species such as pandas may be preserved, thousands upon thousands of others will almost certainly perish during the next 50 years as their habitats shrink. 19If we cannot look forward to a peaceful, problem-free future, we can at least comfort ourselves with the realization that it will probably be the best period of history we humans have ever experienced. (937 words)

21. The problems and dangers now facing the world are, in my judgment, far outweighed by solutions and opportunities. in one’s judgment — in one’s opinion • e.g. • In my judgment, we should do it. • In the parents’ judgment, children should be more independent. More to learn

22. The problems and dangers now facing the world are,in my judgment,far outweighed by solutions and opportunities. outweigh vt. — be more important than • e.g. • National interest outweighed local objections to building this new airport. • The advantages of living in big cities far outweigh the disadvantages. • Cf. outdo vt. • — do more or better than in performance or action • e.g. • Germany and Japan have managed to outdo the United States in many economic areas. • Cf. outnumber vt. • — exceed the number of; be more numerous than • e.g. • In the English Department of our university, female students outnumber males 2 to 1. • Cf. outgrow vt. • — grow too large for; surpass in growth • e.g. • Peter needs new shoes again; he’s already outgrown the pair he got in September. • Cf. outlive vt. • — to live longer than • e.g. • My great-grandmother outlived her friends.

23. It is true enough that humans have an extraordinary genius for making mistakes, but it is balanced by our strong tendency to notice and correct them. tendency n. — inclination; way a person or thing tends to be or behave • e.g. • Prices are showing an upward tendency. • The car has a tendency to slide to the left. More to learn

24. It is true enough that humans have an extraordinary genius for making mistakes, but it is balanced by our strong tendency to notice and correct them. — It is true, indeed, that humans are especially capable of making mistakes, but it is also true that they always tend to see the mistakes and correct them.

25. be better of — be in comfortable economic circumstance; have more money than before • e.g. • She was much better off after she got a second job. • In many western countries the better-off people live in the suburbs, while the poor live in the inner city. Drill Make a sentence with “be better of”.

26. Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering is the alteration of an organism’s genetic, or heredity, material to eliminate undesirable characteristics or to produce desirable new ones. Genetic engineering is used to increase plant and animal food production; to diagnose disease, improve medical treatment, and produce vaccines and other useful drugs; and to help dispose of industrial wastes. Text-related information

27. New materials will permit improvements in products ranging from refrigerators to automobiles permit vt. — make it possible to happen • e.g. • I’ll come in June if my health permits. • The party will be held in the garden, weather permitting. More to learn

28. New materials will permit improvements in products ranging from refrigerators to automobiles range from … to … — vary from … to … • e.g. • The students’ ages in this class range from 18 to 20. • Their talks covered a wide variety of topics, ranging from domestic issues to foreign affairs. Translate Prices of TV sets range from some 2,000 to 10,000 yuan. Key 电视价格从两千元到一万元不等（各种价钱都有）。

29. life expectancy — the length of time a person, animal, or plant is expected to live • e.g. • Women usually have a longer life expectancy than men. • Bats have a life expectancy of around twenty years.

30. Happily, increasingly sophisticated medicines and devices to assist the ill and disabled will become available in the coming decades. — Luckily, more and more advanced medicines and devices which provide help for the ill and disabled people will be invented in the next few decades.

31. the typical retirement age — the age at which most people retire typicala. — Something is typical is the most usual, or the most characteristic. • e.g • typical tropical weather • a typical mistake of Chinese students of English

32. take one’s pick of — choose as one wants • e.g. • Take your pick. Choose whichever one of the three styles you like. • With so many houses for sale, a buyer with money can take his/her pick. Fill in the blank: The bus was fairly empty so we_____ (可以挑座位坐). could take our pick of seats

33. be in service — be in use; be in operation • e.g. • We need to replace the airplanes now in service with new ones. • The ferryboat has been in service here for about ten years. Translate The new traffic control system will be in service right after the new bridge is open to traffic. Key 新的交通管制系统将在新桥通车之后投入使用。

34. colonize vt. — establish control over (a place, an area, a country, etc.) and send citizens there to settle • e.g. • Peru was colonized by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. • Britain colonized many parts of Africa.

35. The forbidding Himalayas may experience a development boom, including, perhaps, luxury hotels for tourists. boom n. — (a period of) rapid growth or increase • e.g. • There was a baby boom in Britain and the United States after World War II. • They have passed through their most difficult time, and now they are enjoying their business boom. More to learn

36. The forbidding Himalayas may experience a development boom, including, perhaps, luxury hotels for tourists. — The unfriendly Himalaya Mountains may undergo a period of rapid development, possibly also the developed of expensive hotels for tourists.

37. speed up — (cause to) move or happen at a faster rate • e.g. • African’s population growth speeded up as the medical conditions improved. • Warmth speeds up chemical reactions. Translate 贫穷加速了他们婚姻的破裂。 Key Poverty sped up the breakdown of their marriage.

38. …, but it may be accompanied by horrors on an unheard-of scale, as was the 20th century with its world wars and atomic bombs. as conj. — and so too The conjunction as can be used to refer back to what has just been said in order to say that it also applies to someone or something else that follows. More to learn

39. …, but it may be accompanied by horrors on an unheard-of scale, as was the 20th century with its world wars and atomic bombs. • e.g. • John likes classical music, _____ (他女朋友也喜欢古典音乐). • He believed, _____ (和全家一样), that the King was their supreme lord. • She traveled a great deal, _____ (她的大多数朋友也是这样). as does his girl friend as did the family as did most of her friends More to do

40. Exercises • Structure VIII. Complete the following sentences according to the model, using the words given in parentheses. 《读写教程 II》:Ex. VIII, p. 286 1. Harry is unusually tall, … (both his parents and grandparents). 2. Some people are worried that the Moon will be polluted by human settlement, … (the Earth/ overpopulation). • as were both his parents and grandparents. • as is the Earth by overpopulation.

41. Exercises • Structure VIII. Complete the following sentences according to the model, using the words given in parentheses. 3. Some people say that in the next 30 years the population of Antarctica and the Polar Regions will rise steadily, … (the population/ the world’s deserts). 4. Asia and Europe will be linked by superhighways, … (Europe/ Africa/ a Mediterranean tunnel). • as will the population of the world’s deserts. • as will Europe and Africa by a Mediterranean tunnel.

42. Exercises • Structure X. Complete each of the following sentence, using a conj. + V-ed clause. 5. His third book was a best seller in the US, … (his first two). • as were his first two.

43. Cold War Cold war is a term used to describe the political and economic struggle for power and influence between the Western powers headed by the U.S.A(the West) and the nations led by the former Soviet Union (the East) after WWII. The cold war period was marked by massive military buildups (including nuclear weaponry) by both sides and intensive economic competition and strained, hostile diplomatic relations. Text-related information

44. on a small/ large scale — of a small/ large size; to a small/ large extent (especially in relation to other things or to what is usual) • e.g. • My parents used to entertain friends on a small scale. • The island grows oranges on a large scale. Drill Make a sentence with “on small/ large scale”.

45. shrink vi. & vt. — (cause to) become smaller • e.g. • The world’s forests are shrinking at an alarming rate. • The economy was shrinking instead of expanding after the new President came into power. • The hot water shrank my woolen sweater.

46. Guided Practice • Vocabulary • Cloze • Translation • Structure Writing

47. rarely proportion enable assist integrate deteriorate boom shrink preserve perish Vocabulary III. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with words from the list below. Change the form where necessary. 《读写教程 II》:Ex. III, p. 283 1. The country’s economic situation is _____ as the statistics indicate that unemployment is increasing, prices rising and exports falling. deteriorating 2. With the rise in life expectancy, the _____ of old people in the population will be very high. proportion

48. rarely proportion enable assist integrate deteriorate boom shrink preserve perish Vocabulary III. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with words from the list below. Change the form where necessary. 3. Spaceplanes will _____ you to travel from Tokyo to New York in a couple of hours. enable 4. If you need anything, please call us. We’ll be happy to _____ you. assist

49. rarely proportion enable assist integrate deteriorate boom shrink preserve perish Vocabulary III. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with words from the list below. Change the form where necessary. 5. Some 75 people _____ in the accident, and dozens more were badly injured. perished 6. I washed your new sweater for you, but I’m afraid the water was too hot. It’s _____. shrunk

50. rarely proportion enable assist integrate deteriorate boom shrink preserve perish Vocabulary III. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with words from the list below. Change the form where necessary. 7. For centuries, story-telling was the main method of _____ culture and passing it on from one generation to the next. preserving 8. The recent _____ in international trade has made English even more useful than before. boom