Angles on a PinAngles on a PinWhat?

Sequence:Sequence:

Warm-up discussion.Warm-up discussion. Meaning of the title, Meaning of the title, Angles Angles

on a Pinon a Pin.. Introduction of the authorIntroduction of the author Text appreciationText appreciation TaskTask FunFun

☆☆. Warm-up.. Warm-up. When it comes to education, When it comes to education, what words may come into what words may come into your mind? ( The tips are on your mind? ( The tips are on the next page.)the next page.)

Exam – My experienceExam – My experience

TipsTips Key wordsKey wordsHow do you feel before an How do you feel before an examination?examination?I usually feel …if I’m interested in I usually feel …if I’m interested in it, But I feel … if I…it, But I feel … if I…How about the coming exam? Are How about the coming exam? Are you …?you …?Yeah, I’m … How about you?Yeah, I’m … How about you?Did you find the exam easy or Did you find the exam easy or difficult?difficult?How about your final term How about your final term examination?examination?I was worried that I might…I was worried that I might…Cheer up. I am sure you will do Cheer up. I am sure you will do better next time.better next time.

confident, assured, certain, at ease, confident, assured, certain, at ease, nervous, uneasy, excited, restless, nervous, uneasy, excited, restless, anxious, indifferent, scared, upset, anxious, indifferent, scared, upset, think hard, rack one’s brains, at a loss, think hard, rack one’s brains, at a loss, easy, a piece of cake, smiling ,calm, easy, a piece of cake, smiling ,calm, frightened, dead silence, sweating, frightened, dead silence, sweating, trembling, unexpectedtrembling, unexpectedcontent, pleased, satisfied, pass, relief content, pleased, satisfied, pass, relief of anxiety, disappointed, depressed, of anxiety, disappointed, depressed, fail, hopeless, regret, sad, sorry, fail, hopeless, regret, sad, sorry, unhappy, worried, cheer up, take it unhappy, worried, cheer up, take it easy, do better next time, the world easy, do better next time, the world won’t endwon’t end

Work in pairs and discuss your feelings before, while and after examination. The tips and key words are as follows.

DiscussionDiscussion1. Do you think students 1. Do you think students

should be required to givshould be required to give standard answers to the standard answers to the questions on exam pape questions on exam papers?ers?

2. What do you think of 2. What do you think of the Chinese testing systethe Chinese testing system? Some suggestions.m? Some suggestions.

What do you think the What do you think the meaning of the title “ meaning of the title “

Angles on a Pin”?Angles on a Pin”?

Lesson 12 - The Kindness of Strangers ☆☆. Angels on a . Angels on a PinPin

To be continued on the next page.

The title of the text comes from the much-talked-about question: “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”, which is used to ridicule those people who asked meaningless questions about the Bible in the Middle Ages.

Medieval scholars were fond of debating other meaningless questions like:“Did Adam have a navel?”“Do angels defecate?”

Russian SputnikRussian Sputnik It was the first man made satellite It was the first man made satellite

in the world sent into space by in the world sent into space by Russia in Oct.1957. It set off a Russia in Oct.1957. It set off a fierce competition between the US fierce competition between the US and former USSR as each took the and former USSR as each took the other as the No. 1 enemy in the other as the No. 1 enemy in the world. It also caused a lot of world. It also caused a lot of criticism of the American criticism of the American educational system within the educational system within the United States.United States.

Alexander Calandra (1911-) Now Professor Emeritus (retired professor) of Physical Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

The present text is adapted from “Angels on the Head of a Pin: A modern Parable” which first appeared in Saturday Review, Dec. 21, 1968, and has, since then, become a classic (or an often quoted case on the problems of American education.

Lesson 12 - The Kindness of Strangers ☆☆ Alexander CalandraAlexander Calandra

☆☆ Text AppreciationText Appreciation

Text analysis Text analysis 1.1. General analysisGeneral analysis 2.2. ThemeTheme 3.3. Structure Structure 4.4. Further Further

discussiondiscussion

1. General Analysis1. General Analysis

PlotPlot of the story of the story SettingSetting of the story of the story ProtagonistsProtagonists of the story of the story

PlotPlot: The author was asked by a : The author was asked by a colleague to be the referee on the colleague to be the referee on the grading of an examination grading of an examination question. The student gave all question. The student gave all other acceptable answers instead other acceptable answers instead of the standard one which was of the standard one which was required and expected by his required and expected by his teacher. teacher.

Protagonists: Protagonists: “I” and the student “I” and the student who refused to give the standard who refused to give the standard answeranswer

Theme Theme : go to the next page: go to the next page

SettingSetting::

This text was written at a time This text was written at a time when the whole of the United when the whole of the United States was thrown into a panic States was thrown into a panic over the launching of the first over the launching of the first satellite (Sputnik) by the satellite (Sputnik) by the Russians, because this seemed Russians, because this seemed to prove that the former Soviet to prove that the former Soviet Union had left the US far behind Union had left the US far behind in science and technology. (to in science and technology. (to the next page)the next page)

Many Americans believed Many Americans believed that there must be that there must be something seriously wrong something seriously wrong with their educational with their educational system.system.

2. Theme:2. Theme: The author, in writing this The author, in writing this

article, seemed to think that article, seemed to think that part of the nation’s problem part of the nation’s problem in education was the in education was the traditional teaching and traditional teaching and testing methods, which testing methods, which emphasized book emphasized book knowledge rather than knowledge rather than students’ creativity.students’ creativity.

3.3. StructureStructure

Part 1 (Part 1 (para. 1 ) para. 1 ) : : The author was askThe author was asked to be a referee on the grading of ed to be a referee on the grading of an examination question because hian examination question because his colleague gave the student a zero s colleague gave the student a zero while the student protested that it wwhile the student protested that it was unfair.as unfair.

Part 2 (Part 2 (paras.2-11) paras.2-11) : : The author gave The author gave the student another chance to answthe student another chance to answer the question and the student gave er the question and the student gave all the possible answers, including tall the possible answers, including the one that was expected by his teahe one that was expected by his teacher. cher.

Part 3 (Part 3 (para. 12)para. 12) : : The author’s discu The author’s discussion and comment.ssion and comment.

4. Further discussion.4. Further discussion.

Read the passage again, trying tRead the passage again, trying to understand the details of the wo understand the details of the whole story and answer the questihole story and answer the questions on page 109.ons on page 109.

☆☆ TaskTask

Talk about the problems of the Talk about the problems of the educational system of China, if educational system of China, if you think there is any. Discuss you think there is any. Discuss to get some possible solutions to get some possible solutions to them.to them.

Some English riddles

1. What table is in the field?

2. What is the only thing you can break when you say its name?

3. What is there in your house that ought to be looked into?

4. What is that which you have never seen, heard or felt, which never existed and still has a name?

5. What changes a pear into a pearl?

6. What question can never be answered by 'Yes'?

keys

1.Vegetable2.Silence3.Mirror4.Nothing5.the letter “l”6. Are you asleep?