Unit 4 Astronomy: the science of the stars(Period 3 Learning about language: Grammar)
4) it is not clear whether he comes or not.
5) our success depends on whether everyone works hard or not.
6) we must take actions to prevent this disease (from) spreading.
→step 2 preparation
show some sentences on the screen. ask students to read each of them and then find out its subject.
a tree has fallen across the road.
you are a student.
to find your way can be a problem.
smoking is bad for you.
“how do you do? ” is a greeting.
what she said is not yet known.
that we shall be late is certain.
it’s certain that we shall be late.
→step 3 grammar learning
1. reading and discovering
ask students to turn back to page 25 to read through the reading passage and find all the sentences where noun clauses are used as the subject and underline them. then translate them into chinese.
suggested answers:
1) what it was to become was uncertain until between 4. 5 and 3. 8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe.
地球會變成什么（樣子）, 直到45億至38億年前這個云團變成一個固體的球狀物, 才確定下來。
2) the earth became so violent that it was not clear whether the shape would last or not.
地球變得激烈動蕩, 不知道這個固體形狀是否會繼續存在下去。
3) what is even more important is that as the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface.
更重要的是, 隨著地球的冷卻, 地球的表面就開始出現了水。
4) it was not immediately obvious that water was to be fundamental to the development of life.
水對于生命的發展會起關鍵作用, 這一點在當時并不明顯。
5) what many scientists believe is that the continued presence of water allowed the earth to dissolve harmful gases and acids into the oceans and seas.
很多科學家相信, 由于地球上長期有水存在, 使地球得以把有害氣體和酸性物質溶解在海洋里。
6) why they suddenly disappeared still remains a mystery.
為什么他們突然消失了, 至今還是個謎。
7) so whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years to come will depend on whether this problem can be solved.
所以, 在未來的數百萬年中, 生命能否在地球上延續取決于這個問題能否得到解決。
2. thinking and discussing
let students read aloud the sentences they picked out, think over and discuss with a partner how each of these noun clauses is being used in the situations. if students have some difficulty, give them a hand.
3. summing up: noun clauses as the subject.
主語從句
作主語用的名詞性從句, 因其在復合句中作主語, 又稱主語從句。
（1）連接詞:
1) 從屬連詞 that, whether等。
that 引導主語從句只起引導作用, 本身無實際意義, 在主語從句中不充當任何成分, 但不能省略。
that she left him cut him to the heart.
她的離開使他很傷心。