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Unit 4
A glimpse of the future
Developing ideas Reading
Learning objectives
To understand the the general idea and specific information of the story.
To know the usage of foreshadowing.
To talk about the possibility of having a friendship with a robot.
What’s your understanding of Asimov’s idea about robot Do you agree with him
Warming up
One, a robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; Two, a robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; Three, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
1、机器人不得伤害人类，也不得因不作为而使人类受到伤害。2、机器人必须服从人类给予它的命令，除非这些命令与第一法则相冲突。3、机器人必须保护自己的存在，只要这种保护不与第一或第二定律相冲突。
Isaac Asimov(1920-1992)
Isaac Asimov was an American writer, and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best
known for his works of science fiction
and popular science. Asimov loved to
write: he wrote or edited more than 500
books.
Background
Together with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein Asimov was considered to be one of the “Big Three” science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov is perhaps best known for his Foundation series, the first three books of which won the Hugo Award for “Best All-Time series” in 1966. His other major works are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series, in which he put forward the Three Laws of Robotics - an idea which continues to exercise some influence today.
Watch the video and answer the questions.
Pre-reading
1. How does Asimov set out the relationship between humans and robots
2. Have you read any of Asimov’s novels If so, share one story you’ve read with the class. If not, would you like to read them Why or why not
1. How does Asimov set out the relationship between
humans and robots
He puts forward the Three Laws of Robotics, which ensure that robots should always obey and protect humans.
2. Have you read any of Asimov’s novels If so, share one
story you’ve read with the class. If not, would you like to
read them Why or why not
Complete the table to compare life on Earth with life on the Moon.
Wear ordinary clothes and change according to the seasons.
Breathe the air freely.
Have to make an effort to jump high.
Keep pets, such as dogs, cats, etc.
Life on Earth
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Life on the moon
Wear spacesuits whenever outside.
Breathe from an air supply.
Jump high easily.
Keep robots as pets.
Now read the passage and find out what life on the Moon is like in the novel.
1. How long had the family lived on the Moon
2. Why could Jimmy better handle the lunar gravity
3. What was Robutt
4. How did Jimmy talk with his father
Read the passage and answer the questions.
15 years.
He was born on the Moon.
A robot-mutt.
By radio.
While-reading
Complete the summary of the story.
Title___________________________________________________
Author_________________________________________________
Setting
Time:________________________________________________
Place:________________________________________________
Characters
Jimmy, a Moon-born boy
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
A Boy’s Best Friend
Isaac Asimov
In the future
On the moon
Mr. Anderson, Jimmy’s father
Mrs. Anderson, Jimmy’s mother
Robutt, a mechanical dog, Jimmy’s pet
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Plot
Jimmy’s parents get a dog from Earth. They wanted to give it to Jimmy as a pet. But …
Jimmy already has a robot pet named Robutt. His parents think it would be good for Jimmy to have a real dog, and that he would like it. They want to send Robutt to another family. To his parents’ surprise, Jimmy refuses to accept the real dog, because he loves Robutt and he believes Robutt loves him too. For Jimmy, Robutt is not just a mechanical dog, but a real friend.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Different attitudes towards Robutt
Parents:
Jimmy:
Robutt is a mechanical imitation of a real dog.
He loves Robutt and treats him like a real dog.
Now talk about your attitudes towards the story.
1. What are the similarities and differences between Robutt and
a real dog
Similarities:
Both are able to respond to orders given by human beings.
Both can outrace human beings.
Both can guide and protect human beings.
Differences:
They have different appearances.
A real dog is a living creature, while Robutt is a machine.
A real dog loves human beings as a result of its nature, while Robutt is just adjusted to act as though it loves human beings.
2. Is there any foreshadowing of Jimmy’s final decision Find
clues in the reading passage.
Yes, there is.
At the beginning of the story, we know Jimmy has never seen a real dog. It also seems that he spends a lot of time with Robutt. Jimmy plays with Robutt enthusiastically, shouting “Come on, Robutt”. In the middle of the passage, we are told that “Jimmy couldn’t go wrong while Robutt was around”, indicating that Robutt protects Jimmy well.
3. What other sci-fi novels about robots can you think of
Share one with the class.
4. The two reading passages in this unit show us different
aspects of technology in the future. Which of these do you
most expect to encounter in your lifetime
Foreshadowing is when the author gives a clue as to what is to come later in the story. This often appears at the beginning of a story, or a chapter, and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story.
Work in groups. Give a talk on whether it is possible to have a real friendship with a robot.
Post-reading
1. Answer the questions to help to form your point of view.
Why do Jimmy and his parents have different feelings towards Robutt
If you were Jimmy, which one would you choose, Robutt or a real dog
Because Jimmy was born on the Moon, he has never seen a real dog. He has been getting along well with Robutt, and thus has developed an affection for him. He can’t figure out why a real dog is better than a mechanical dog, despite his father’s explanation. While Jimmy’s parents have seen real dogs before they left Earth. They know what real dogs look like. They think Robutt is just a machine.
Why do Jimmy and his parents have different feelings towards Robutt
2. Organise the main points you would like to cover and
complete the table.
Point of view
Arguments
Supporting details
Conclusion
Now vote for the best speaker. Ask them to share their experiences.
3. Give your talk to the class.
1. Surf the Internet and read a sci-fi story.
2. Preview next part: Continuing a sci-fi story.
Homework

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