Unit 13 Morals, Apes and Us
Ⅰ Objectives
1. Understanding the text
2. Mastery of some language points
3. Learning the ways of nonverbal communication
4. Learning the importance of the nonverbal communication
5. Learning how to improve the effect of the speech-giving
Ⅱ Key points
1. Better understanding of the text
2. Mastery of some difficult language points
3. Learning the ways of nonverbal communication
Ⅲ Difficult points
1. Students may have never paid attention to the importance of the nonverbal communication
2. Students might have difficulty in some of the words and phrases.
3. Students need a lot of practice to improve the effect of the speech-giving
IV Time Arrangement
? About two periods of class will be used for the analysis and discussion of the passage itself.
Total class hours: three periods
V Teaching procedures
1. Related Information
About the author:
MARC D. HAUSER is an evolutionary psychologist, and a professor at Harvard University where he is a fellow of the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Program. He is a professor in the departments of Anthropology and Psychology, as well as the Program in Neurosciences. He is the author of The Evolution of Communication , and Wild Minds: What Animals Think
Hauser argues that to understand what animals think and what they feel, we must ask about the kinds of selection pressures which shaped their minds and see the creature for what it is, no more, no less. Using the tools of evolutionary biology, linguistics, neuroscience, and cognitive science, he asks questions such as: Why can't animals be taught to speak? How do animals find their way home in the dark? Do animals lie or feel guilty? Do they enjoy sex? Why were emotions designed into animal systems? Why are certain emotions universal and others highly specialized?
Hauser works on both captive and wild monkeys and apes as well as collaborative work on human infants. His research focuses on problems of acoustic perception, the generation of beliefs, the neurobiology of acoustic and visual signal processing, and the evolution of communication.
Along with Irv Devore, he teaches the Evolution of Human Behavior class, a Core Course at Harvard with 500 undergraduate students. The interdisciplinary course, “Science B29” (nickname: “The Sex Course”), has been running for 30 years, was started by Devore and Robert Trivers, and is the second most popular course on campus, behind “Econ 10”.Section teachers over the years comprise a who's who of leading thinkers and include people such as John Tooby and Leda Cosmides, and Sarah B. Hardy. In 1997-98, he sponsored a trial run of “Edge University” in which the students in Science B29 received Edge mailing as part of required reading in the course.
2. Text analysis
1) Warm-up question:
What significance do you think the scientific experiments on animals have?
2)Language notes:
1. The event captured the nation's heart as newspaper headlines blared:“Gorilla Saves Boy.”
(这件事打动了全国人的心，各大报纸的标
题
快递公司问题件快递公司问题件货款处理关于圆的周长面积重点题型关于解方程组的题及答案关于南海问题
都赫然标着?“大猩猩救男孩”。)
blare: to proclaim flamboyantly 耸人听闻的宣布
Headlines blared his defeat.
2. Most reports suggested that Binti rescued the boy because she felt empathy for him.
(大多数报道都猜测说，宾蒂救那个男孩，是因为她感受到了他当时的处境。)
此句中的suggest 并不表示“建议”之意，而是有“表明”，“暗示”之意，故后面从句中不用虚拟语气。
I'm not suggesting that the accident was your fault.
3.And to date, no study of ape intelligence comes close to showing that…
（而且到此为止，没有一项猿类智能的研究接近于表明…）
come close to: be very near or like (sth or doing sth) 几乎，接近，赶得上，不亚于He came close to being run over by a truck.
4. As a psychologist, I'm interested in the techniques we use to get at these questions:
(作为一个心理学家，我对我们用来解答这些问题的方法很感兴趣：)
get at: reach and discover (sth) 了解，发现
It's always difficult to get at the truth.
5. …to test their ability to rein in aggressive behavior and act cooperatively.
(…以测试它们控制攻击性的行为和相互合作的能力。)
rein in/back: control, restrain (one's feelings) 控制或抑制（感情等）
The man who does not rein in his passions will always be weak.
6. they began to inhibit their aggression.(霸道行为开始有所收敛。)
nhibit: to hold in check; restrain
7. But in any social situation with conventions, individuals often find that it pays to break the rules.
(但是在任何有规可依的社会环境中，个体常常发现违犯规则是要付出代价的)
It pays to do sth 原为"做…是有利的"，"做…的很明智的"等意，如：It pays to be polite.（客气不吃亏。）结合上下文，此处应为"做…是要付出代价的"解。
8. They beelined to the food and either consumed it on the spot or gobbled a few pieces and then moved to a new location with a stash.
(它们直奔向食物，要么当场把它吞下，要么抓上几块然后带着它跑到一个新的地点。)
beeline: move in a straight course
Just before the storm broke we beelined for home.
Beeline常做名词，用在短语中：make a beeline for 取捷径，走直路
I make a beeline for my car.
on the spot: at once
The boss was so anger over Ned's mistake that he fired him on the spot.
9. This experiment left many loose ends.
这项实验留下了许多未解决的问题。
loose ends: things still to be dealt with or explained 尚待处理或解释的枝节问题
His composition had many loose ends.
3. Topic for Discussion
(1) Can you give more examples of animals behaving as members of some established community?
(2) Discuss Agesilaus’s words，“If all men are just, there would be no need of valor”?
4. Exercises about the text
5. Fast Reading & Exercises
VI Homework.
1. Home reading: Pepperberg's Parrots
2. Preview Unit 14
浙公网安备 33021202002483