蒙大综合英语课件Unit8-2background information

1、BTLEWPart TwoPart TwoENTERUnit 8The Man in AsbestosBTLEWBackground informationBackground informationUnit 8The Man in AsbestosI. AuthorII. Future WorldIII. Development of TechnologyIV. BroadwayBTLEW_To be continued on the next page.I. AuthorI. AuthorUnit 8The Man in Asbestos Stephen Leacock (18691944) An English-born Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist. In the early part of the 20th century he was the best-known humorist in the English-speaking world. He is known for his l

2、ight humor along with criticisms of peoples follies. The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor was named in his honor. Stephen LeacockBTLEW_To be continued on the next page. born in England in 1869. emigrated to Canada in 1876 with his family. studied modern and classical languages and earned his bachelors degree in the University of Toronto in 1891. started graduate studies at the university of Chicago in 1899. received a doctorate in political science and political economy, in 1903 and went

3、 back to Canada to teach at the McGill University. died in 1944 in Canada.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosI. AuthorI. AuthorBTLEW_To be continued on the next page. Stephen Leacock published over 40 books, more than half of which were on serious political matters but have mostly been forgotten. Known as the best humorist in the English-speaking world in the early 20th century for his works of humor, Leacock was a social conservative. He opposed giving women the right to vote, disliked non-Anglo-Saxon im

4、migration and supported the introduction of social welfare legislation. Unit 8The Man in AsbestosI. AuthorI. AuthorBTLEW_To be continued on the next page.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosI. AuthorI. Author He was a staunch champion of the British Empire and went on lecture tours to further the cause. The story in the text was originally entitled The Man in Asbestos An Allegory of the Future and was first published in a collection of short stories entitled Nonsense Novels in 1911.BTLEW_Unit 8The Man in A

5、sbestosI. AuthorI. AuthorFictionLiterary Lapses (1910)Nonsense Novels (1911)Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912)Behind the Beyond (1913)Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich (1914)BiographyMark Twain (1932)Charles Dickens: His Life and Work (1933)AutobiographyThe Boy I Left Behind Me (1946)The end of Author. BTLEW_To be continued on the next page.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosII. Future WorldII. Future World1. Human influence The consequences of a persistent biotic crisis have been predicted to

6、 last for at least five million years. It could result in a decline in biodiversity and homogenization of biota, accompanied by a proliferation of species that are opportunistic, such as pests and weeds. Novel species may also emerge; in particular taxa that prosper in human-dominated ecosystems may rapidly diversify into many new species. BTLEW_To be continued on the next page.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosII. Future WorldII. Future World Microbes are likely to benefit from the increase in nutrient-

7、enriched environmental niches. However, no new species of existing large vertebrates are likely to arise and food chains will probably be shortened.BTLEW_To be continued on the next page.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosII. Future WorldII. Future World2. Random events The energy released from the impact of an asteroid or comet with a diameter of 510 km or larger is sufficient to create a global environmental disaster and cause a statistically significant increase in the number of species extinctions. Am

8、ong the deleterious effects resulting from a major impact event is a cloud of fine dust ejecta blanketing the planet, which lowers land temperatures by about 15 C within a week and halts photosynthesis for several months. The Barringer Meteorite Crater in Flagstaff, Arizona, showing evidence of the impact of celestial objects upon the EarthBTLEW_Unit 8The Man in AsbestosII. Future WorldII. Future World The mean time between major impacts is estimated to be at least 100 million years. During the

9、last 540 million years, simulations demonstrated that such an impact rate is sufficient to cause 56 mass extinctions and 2030 lower severity events. This matches the geologic record of significant extinctions during the Phanerozoic Eon. Such events can be expected to continue into the future.The end of Future World. BTLEW_To be continued on the next page.Unit 8The Man in AsbestosIII. Development of TechnologyIII. Development of Technology The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manuf

10、acturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power and the development of machine tools. It also included the change from wood and other bio-fuels to coal. A Watt steam engine. The steam engine, fuelled primarily by coal, propelled the Industrial Revolution in Great

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