现代大学英语精读1 (第三版)教师用书 Unit 12.pdf

Unit12

TextA

TheMonstersAreDueonMapleStreet
RodSerling

IIntroduction

1Background

1.Genre
Thistextiswritteninthetraditionofsciencefiction.Sciencefictionusuallydescribes
imaginaryfuturedevelopmentsinscience.ButunlikeRoundtheWorldin80Daysby
JulesVerne,today’ssciencefictionoftentriestogiveamoralmessage.Therefore,
theyaremore“fiction”than“science”.Thepresenttextisagoodexample.

2.Elementsofdrama
Thisisashorttwo-actplay.Inreadingaplay,firstweshouldlearnaboutthesetting
orbackground,andgettoknowthecharactersandtheirrelationstoeachother;then
wemustfindoutwhatishappening(theplotandthedramaticconflict),and
understandhowthedramaleadstotheclimaxorhowthedramaticconflictis
resolved.

3.Language
PlaysareparticularlygoodforlearningspokenEnglish.Studentsshouldpay
particularattentiontothepronunciationandintonation,aswellassuchspecial
featuresoforalEnglishascontractions,ellipsesandcolloquialexpressions.Students
arestronglyadvisedtoactoutthewholeplay.

4.Themeandthesis
Inthetitleoftheplay,the“monsters”seemtorefertothoseETs(extraterrestrial
beings)whoareouttodestroyushumanbeingsonearth(theearthlingsorearth
people).Whenwefinishtheplay,however,werealizethatmonstersactuallylivein
ourownhearts.Becauseofourweaknessesorwickedways,wetendtodestroyeach
otherorseekourowndestruction.This,andnottheETs,isourrealenemyandreal
danger.

Inthisplay,theauthorseemstoemphasizethreefatalhumanweaknesses:ourdeep
suspicionanddistrustofoneanother,oureagernesstofindascapegoat,andour
readinesstoturnintoamob.Itimpliesthatifwehumanbeingswanttobereallysafe,
wemustkillthosemonstersinourhearts:weshouldtrytounderstandandtrusteach
other,tobelesseagertoassignblame,andtoresistthekindofgroup(mob)mentality

216
whichtoooftenresultsinviolenceandtragedy.

2Structure
Theteleplaycanbedividedintofivepartsonthebasisofplotdevelopment,mostof
whichcanbefurtherdividedintoseveralsections.

PartITheintroduction/exposition:TheresidentsonMapleStreetdesperatelytry
tounderstandwhatishappeningintheneighborhood.(paras.1–29)
A.Onelatea