New Horizon College English

New Horizon College English The Teaching Plan for Unit 7, Book 4 (Reading and Writing) Research into Population Genetics

Students’ level: Band 4 Teaching material: Unit7: Research into Population Genetics Teaching aims: 1. To learn new expressions and patterns 2. To review suffix-cy; -ology; -ics 3. To understand the main idea, devices for developing it and text structure 4. To understand general statements supported by examples Teaching time: 5 periods Teaching method: Communicative Language Teaching Approach Teaching evaluation: dictation; exercises; writing; self-testing exercises 1. Words, phrases and sentences for dictation: Words: vary; discount; superiority; bias; prime; feature; migrate; assemble; ensure; assume; resemble; distinct; exploit; mission; conventional Phrases: to date; nothing less than; be confined to; in effect; be descended from Sentences: 1) Their dream was nothing less than a more equal society where there is no racial prejudice. 2) He read more than Shakespeare’s plays; he liked modern music. 3) Technology itself, and its effective use, is not to be confined to the traditional science subjects. 4) Since the truth of this report was discounted, I was not in a position to publish it for you. 5) Many software companies have adapted general programs to the new operating system. 2. Exercises from the textbook Vocabulary: P159---160; Word Bank:P160; Collocation: P161; Word Building: P161--163; Structure: P163--164; Translation: P164--165; Cloze P166--167; Text structure analysis: P167--169. 3. Online Homework. Teaching stages: Step 1: Presentation for class To inform students of the teaching aims mentioned above. Step 2: Pre-reading activities 1. Background Information Luca Cavalli-Sforza ------Cavalli-Sforza, born in Genoa, Italy, was educated at the University of Pavia where he gained his MD in 1944. After working on bacterial genetics at Cambridge (1948 －1950) and Milan (1950－1957) he has held chairs in genetics at Parma (1958－1962)

1 and Pavia (1962 － 1970). In 1970 he was appointed professor of genetics at the University of Stanford, California, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. ------Cavalli-Sforza has specialized mainly in the genetics of human populations, producing with Walter Bodmer a comprehensive survey of the subject in their Genetics, Evolution and Man (1976). He has also done much to show how genetic data from present human racial groups could be used to reconstruct their past separations. This reconstruction, based on the analysis of 58 genes, yields a bifurcated evolutionary tree with Caucasian and African races in one branch and Orientals, Oceanians, and Amerinds in the other. Columbus ------Christopher Columbus, an Italian-born master navigator (born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 and died at Valladolid, Spain in 1506) who sailed in the service of Spain, is commonly described as the discoverer of the New World — America. His four transatlantic voyages (1492－1493, 1493－1496, 1498－1500, and 1502－1504) opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. ------Columbus’s real greatness lies in the fact that having found the West Indies — making major errors in his navigational computations and location in doing so — he was able to find his way back to Europe and return to the Indies. It is as a result of Columbus’s “discovery” that the New World became part of the European world. The human genetic map ------Our bodies are comprised of trillions of microscopic units called cells. Cells in turn are built up from many specific types of molecules, both large and small. The large molecules or macromolecules include polysaccharides, nucleic acids and proteins. Proteins are the workhorses of our cells. There are about 40,000 different types of proteins in our bodies. Each protein is present in many, many copies. ------An adult, for example, carries about 1021 (a billion trillion) hemoglobin molecules. The flow of genetic information is from DNA to RNA to Protein. Each protein is a linear polymer of a specific sequence of 20 different amino acids. DNA is also a linear polymer comprised of 4 types of nucleotides. The sequence of amino acids in each protein is encoded by a segment of DNA called a gene. Three consecutive nucleotides in a gene encode a single amino acid in the corresponding protein. The genetic code is universal among all living things. Khoisan ------Khoisan is the name by which the lighter skinned indigenous peoples of southern Africa, the Khoi (Hottentots) and the San (Bushmen) are known. These people were the earliest inhabitants of Africa and dominated the sub-continent for millennia before the appearance of the Nguni and other black peoples. There were probably about 120,000 living in South Africa around 1500. Basques ------The Basques are a people who live in a small region (about the size of Rhode Island in the United States) that straddles the border of Spain and France from the sea in the west into the Pyrenees in the east. This area is called Euskal Herria (comprising seven provinces, historically: Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, and Navarra on the Spanish side; Laburdi, Zuberoa, and Behe-Nafarroa on the French side). There are about

2 660,000, according to the 1991 census. ------Fewer than 80,000 of these are on the French side of the frontier which runs through the Basque Country, the rest on the Spanish side. Basques speak a language called euskara, but today only about 25% of the population is fluent in that tongue. Even so, the word for a Basque person, euskaldun, means “possessor of the Basque language”. The Basque population is distinguished physically by a high incidence of Rh Negative factor in the blood. ------No one knows exactly where the Basques came from. Some say they lived in that area since Cro-Magnon man first roamed Europe. Estimates of how long they have lived there vary from 10,000 to 75,000 years. Some say they are descended from the original Iberians. More fanciful theories exist, as well. One is that the Basques are the descendents of the survivors of Atlantis. 2. A question for discussion: ------How much do you know about your genes? 3. Questions and answers: 1). How did the researchers obtain the information to write their book? 2). What two scientific aims does the book have? 3). What is the ultimate aim of the book? Step 3: Intensive Study ------Words and Phrases 1. superiority n.[U] the state of being higher or better in quality 优越（性），优等 e.g. It was believed that the country already had superiority in conventional armies and weapons. (have superiority in…在……方面占有优势) 据信，这个国家已在常规军队和常规武器方面占有优势。 [扩展] superior adj. 较好的；较高的。(be superior to比……好/优越) e.g. His knowledge of French literature is superior to mine. 2. bias [v.] cause to form fixed opinion against sth. without enough information to judge fairly 使有偏见, 使倾向一方 e.g. We have argued that the broadcasting was biased towards the right wing and the government of today. 我们认为广播对右翼和现政府有偏见。 [n.] 偏见，偏心，偏袒 e.g. An umpire should have no bias in favor of either side.裁判不应该不偏不倚。 [扩展] be under bias:抱有偏见 root out bias：消除偏见 3. to date until now 至今，直到现在 e.g. 1) This is the biggest donation I've had to date. 这是到目前为止我所收到的最大一项捐赠。 2) To date, research on the application of the genetic map is very limited. 至今，对基因图应用的研究工作还是非常有限的。 4. nothing less than (used to emphasize how important or surprising sth. is) exactly, just, at least 简直是，同……一点也不差 e.g. 1) Our aim is nothing less than to make China the best trained and educated nation in the world. 我们的目标就是要使中国成为世界上受到最好培训和教育的国家。

3 2) What was needed was nothing less than a new industrial revolution and a thriving market.我们所需要的就是一场新的工业革命和一个繁荣的市场。 5. serve as fulfill the purpose of 起……作用，当成 e.g. 1) His remarks should have served as an encouragement to the authorities to develop this important aspect of community care.他的一席话应当视作是对当局发展社区保护中这一重要方面的一种鼓励。 2) The authorities have designed the prison so as to serve as a means of ensuring an endless supply of labor. 当局已使得监狱成为确保不断提供劳动力的一种手段。 6. be confined to be restricted or kept within certain limits 限制于，局限于 e.g. 1) His concerns were not confined to property, housing and environmental questions. 他所关心的事不局限于财产、住房、环境等问题。 2) Criticism and debate are to be welcomed and should not be confined to academic circles.批评和辩论应受到欢迎，并且不应该仅局限于学术界。 7. as of/ from starting from (the time stated) 从……时候起 e.g. As of / from now, cigarettes are banned in my house and all the offices. 从现在起，我的屋子和所有的办公室都禁止吸烟。 8. in effect for practical purposes; in fact 事实上，实际上 e.g. 1) In effect, the influence of this government is going down gradually. 事实上，这个政府的影响力正在逐渐下降。 2) The two economic systems are, in effect, identical. 这两种经济制度实际上一模一样。 9. adapt to change one's behavior or sth. in order to deal more successfully with a new situation（改变……）使适应 e.g. She knew his ways and had adapted to them, and this seemed to give him a satisfaction. 她了解他的各种独特行为习惯，已经适应了它们; 这似乎使他感到很满意 10. in combination with in conjunction with, together with 与……合作，共同 e.g. 1) The new treatment can be used either alone or in combination with the traditional one.这新疗法可单独使用，也可以和传统疗法结合使用。 2) The firm is working on a new product in combination with several overseas partners.公司正在联合几家海外合伙人制造新产品。 11. shed/ throw light on make a problem, etc. easier to understand 使（某事）更为清楚，阐明（某事） e.g. 1) To shed light on these questions, I'd like to take an example from the fairly recent past.为更好地清楚阐明这些问题，我想从最近的过去中举一个例子。 2) In addition, the research is expected to shed more light on the social consequences of cities' changing economic roles. 另外,这项研究会更为清楚地说明城市变化的经济作用所产生的社会影响。 12. be descended from have sb. as an ancestor 为……的后裔，是……的后人 e.g. 1) Wherever they are now, black people are descended from Africans. 无论黑人在哪儿，他们都是非洲人的后裔。 2) People say that she is descended from royalty.人们说她是王室后裔。

4 Step 4: Text Analysis ------What is the main idea of the text? As the most extensive survey to date on how humans vary at the level of their genes, the book The History and Geography of Human Genes made two remarkable contributions to science: There is no scientific basis for the genetic superiority of one race over any other one; and it creates the first genetic map of the world. In the process of collecting information for the book, however, scientists encountered great difficulties. The ultimate goal of their work is to remove racial prejudice. ------What are the devices for developing it? *Induction (归纳法) *Exemplification (举例法) *Listing (列举法) *Explanation (解释法) ------Detailed Text Analysis: The passage falls into four parts. It evolves from the two outstanding scientific contributions of the book through induction. Next, it moves back to the illustrations, as an inserted part, of hard work in collecting the information needed for the book. Then, the passage comes to the scientists’ remark-able discoveries, as listed in paras. 5 to 9. It is concluded with the social effect, the ultimate aim, of their research. Part I (paras.1-2): The book The History and Geography of Human Genes proves that the “races” are alike under the skin and creates the first genetic map of the world, the closest thing we have to a global family tree. Devices for developing it: Induction (归纳法) e.g.: Specific descriptions: (Para. 2) 1. The book is much more than an argument against the latest racially biased theory. 2. The prime mover labored with his colleagues… to create… the first genetic map of the world. 3. The book features more than 500 maps… 4. … the authors trace the routes by which early humans migrated around the earth. General statement: Result: the closet thing we have to a global family tree. Part II (paras. 3-4): It took decades and pains for scientists to collect the information needed to draw the family tree. Devices for developing it: Exemplification (举例法) A statement: Collecting blood,…, was not always easy; potential donors were often afraid to cooperate, or raised religious concerns. An example: On one occasion, when Cavalli-Sforza was taking blood samples from children in a rural region of Africa, he was confronted by an angry farmer waving an axe. Recalls the scientist: “I remember him saying, ‘If you take the blood of the children, I’ll take yours.’ He was worried that we might want to do some magic with the blood.” Part III (paras.5-9):

5 The book’s four remarkable discoveries: A color map of genetic variation has Africa at one end of the range and Australia at the other; Africa was the birthplace of humanity; the genetic maps show the origins of populations; and genetic information is also the latest raw material of the medical industry. Devices for developing it: 1) Listing (列举法) Discovery 1: A color map of the world’s genetic variation has Africa at one end of the range and Australia at the other. (Para. 5) Discovery 2: The same map, in combination with human bones, confirms that Africa was the birthplace of humanity and thus the starting point of the original human movements. (Para. 6) Discovery 3: The genetic maps also shed new light on the origins of populations that have long puzzled scientists. (Para. 7) Discovery 4: … genetic information is also the latest raw material of the medical industry… (Para. 9) 2) Exemplification (举例法) A statement: The genetic maps also shed new light on the origin of populations. Example 1: Many scientists consider the Khoisan a distinct race of very ancient origin, directly descending from the most primitive human ancestors. But the genetic maps show that the Khoisan may be a very ancient mix of West Asians and Black (Para. 7). Example 2: The Basques of France and Spain with unusual patterns for several genes and their language of unknown origin cannot be placed within any standard classification. But the fact where they live leads to the conclusion that the Basques are likely to be the most direct relatives of the Cro-Magnon people, among the first modern humans in Europe. All Europeans are thought to be a mixed population, with 65% Asian and 35% African genes. (Para. 8) Part IV (para.10): Apart from scientific purposes of the research, its social objective is to weaken conventional notions of race that cause racial prejudice. Devices for developing it: Explanation (解释法) In this part, paragraph 10, explanation is used to provide a clear though brief understanding of the social effect of the research.

6 (S1) Cavalli-Sforza stresses that his mission is not just scientific but social as well.

(S3) It is a goal that he hopes (S2) The study’s ultimate aim, he will be welcomed among says, is to “weaken conventional native peoples who have long notions of race” that cause racial struggled for the same end. prejudice.

Summary The passage is concentrated on the latest research development on the latest research development in population genetics--- The book The History and Geography of Human Genes. It presents the theoretical significance and the contribution of the book; the difficulties encountered in the process of conducting the research, the major contributions of the first genetic map and the social value of the research. The book The History and Geography of Human Genes is based on the combined research of more than 50 years into the genetics of humans. It appears from this book’s findings that, if we disregard the different external physical features between different races, then we are all very similar under the surface. Taken as a whole the genetic differences between groups are much less than those between the individuals in those groups or “races”. Scientifically there is no evidence that one race is in any way genetically superior to any other. The book has also traced the paths that humans in the past took when migrating around the world. And it appears that Africa is the very origin of mankind. Biologically the visible differences we see between modern populations are largely adaptations over time to the environment, caused by moving to different climates. Step 5: Writing (paragraph writing) A short paragraph with a statement supported by examples ------writing model: Topic sentence detail 1 / detail 2 / detail 3… conclusion Assignment: Write a composition Direction: Write a composition about 120 words on the following topic:

Should We Always Stick to High Moral Standards? Write in three paragraphs according to the outline given below in Chinese: 1) 有些人认为坚持高道德标准说起来容易做起来难。 2) 有些人认为我们在任何时候都应该坚持高道德标准。 3) 我的观点……

7 ---The Map of the Text Structure Analysis---How is the text organized?

No scientific basis for racial The study’s aim is to weaken prejudice; creation of the conventional notions of race first genetic map. that cause racial prejudice.

Part 1 (Paras. 1-2) Part 4 (Para. 10) Two scientific aims The ultimate aim of the achieved by the book research

Research into Population Genetics Part 2 (Paras. 3-4) Illustrations of hard Part 3 (Paras. 5-9) work in collecting the Remarkable discoveries information needed of the scientists

A genetic difference between For instance, people in a Australians and Africans; the rural region of Africa discovery of human refused to take blood birthplace; new light cast on out of their children. the origins of populations; and the medical value of the genetic material.