Angles on a Pin What?

Sequence: Warm-up discussion. Warm-up discussion. Meaning of the title, Angles on a Pin. Meaning of the title, Angles on a Pin. Introduction of the author Introduction of the author Text appreciation Text appreciation Task Task Fun Fun

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

Exam – My experience Tips Key words How do you feel before an examination? I usually feel …if I’m interested in it, But I feel … if I… How about the coming exam? Are you …? Yeah, I’m … How about you? Did you find the exam easy or difficult? How about your final term examination? I was worried that I might… Cheer up. I am sure you will do better next time. confident, assured, certain, at ease, nervous, uneasy, excited, restless, anxious, indifferent, scared, upset, think hard, rack one’s brains, at a loss, easy, a piece of cake, smiling,calm, frightened, dead silence, sweating, trembling, unexpected content, pleased, satisfied, pass, relief of anxiety, disappointed, depressed, fail, hopeless, regret, sad, sorry, unhappy, worried, cheer up, take it easy, do better next time, the world won’t end Work in pairs and discuss your feelings before, while and after examination. The tips and key words are as follows.

Discussion Discussion 1. Do you think students should be required to give standard answers to the questions on exam papers? 1. Do you think students should be required to give standard answers to the questions on exam papers? 2. What do you think of the Chinese testing system? Some suggestions. 2. What do you think of the Chinese testing system? Some suggestions.

What do you think the meaning of the title “ Angles on a Pin”?

Lesson 12 - The Kindness of Strangers ☆. Angels on a Pin 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 Sputnik It was the first man made satellite in the world sent into space by Russia in Oct It set off a fierce competition between the US and former USSR as each took the other as the No. 1 enemy in the world. It also caused a lot of criticism of the American educational system within the United States. It was the first man made satellite in the world sent into space by Russia in Oct It set off a fierce competition between the US and former USSR as each took the other as the No. 1 enemy in the world. It also caused a lot of criticism of the American educational system within the 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 Calandra

☆ Text Appreciation Text analysis 1. General analysis 1. General analysisGeneral analysisGeneral analysis 2. Theme 2. ThemeTheme 3. Structure 3. StructureStructure 4. Further discussion 4. Further discussionFurther discussionFurther discussion

1. General Analysis Plot of the story Plot of the storyPlot Setting of the story Setting of the storySetting Protagonists of the story Protagonists of the storyProtagonists

Plot: The author was asked by a colleague to be the referee on the grading of an examination question. The student gave all other acceptable answers instead of the standard one which was required and expected by his teacher. Plot: The author was asked by a colleague to be the referee on the grading of an examination question. The student gave all other acceptable answers instead of the standard one which was required and expected by his teacher. Protagonists: “I” and the student who refused to give the standard answer Protagonists: “I” and the student who refused to give the standard answer Theme : go to the next page Theme : go to the next page

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

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

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

3. Structure Part 1 (para. 1 ) : The author was asked to be a referee on the grading of an examination question because his colleague gave the student a zero while the student protested that it was unfair. Part 2 (paras.2-11) : The author gave the student another chance to answer the question and the student gave all the possible answers, including the one that was expected by his teacher. Part 3 (para. 12) : The author’s discussion and comment.

4. Further discussion. Read the passage again, trying to understand the details of the whole story and answer the questions on page 109. Read the passage again, trying to understand the details of the whole story and answer the questions on page 109.

☆ Task Talk about the problems of the educational system of China, if you think there is any. Discuss to get some possible solutions to them. Talk about the problems of the educational system of China, if you think there is any. Discuss to get some possible solutions 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.Vegetable 2.Silence 3.Mirror 4.Nothing 5.the letter “l” 6. Are you asleep?