高中英语 Unit3 单元背景知识学习学案 牛津版选修11.docx

高中英语 Unit3 单元背景知识学习学案 牛津版选修11.docx

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高中英语Unit3单元背景知识学习学案牛津版选修11

PartIBackgroundInformation

I.MoreinformationaboutSirCliveSinclair

SirCliveSinclair（borninJuly30,1940）isawell-knownBritishentrepreneurandinventoroftheworld'sfirst'slim-line'electronicpocketcalculatorin1972andtheZX80,ZX81andZXSpectrumcomputersinthelate1970sandearly1980s,amongstmanyotherthings.

TheZX80wastheUK'sfirstmassmarkethomecomputertobesoldforunder£100.Sinclairwasfascinatedbyelectronicsandminiaturizationfromhisteenageyears.In1961hestartedhisowncompany,SinclairRadionicsLtd,afterspendingseveralyearsasassistanteditorforPracticalWirelessandInstrumentPracticetoraisefunds.

InrecentyearsSinclairhasbecomeakeenpokerplayerandappearedinthefirstthreeseasonsoftheLateNightPokerTVseries.HewonthefirstseasonfinaloftheCelebrityPokerClubspin-off,defeatingKeithAllen

HismostrecentinventionistheA-bike,aningeniousfoldingbicycleforcommutersthatweighsonly5.5kilograms（12pounds）andfoldstoaverysmallsizeforeasycarryingonatrainorbus.

Earlylife,familyandeducation.

Sinclair'sfatherandgrandfatherwereengineers;bothhadbeenapprenticesatVickerstheshipbuilders.HisgrandfatherGeorgeSinclairwasaninnovativenavalarchitectwhogottheparavane,aminesweepingdevice,towork.GeorgeSinclair'ssonBillSinclairattemptedtobreakthefamilytraditionofengineeringbyexpressingapreferenceforgoingintothechurch-orperhapsbecomingajournalist.Hisfathersuggestedhetrainasanengineerfirst;Billbecameamechanicalengineerandhasbeeninthefieldeversince.AttheoutbreakofWorldWarIIin1939hewasrunninghisownmachinetoolsbusinessinLondonandlaterworkedfortheMinistryofSupply.

CliveSinclairwasbornin1940nearRichmond.HeandhismotherleftLondontostaywithanauntforsafetyinDevon,wheretheyeventuallytravelledtoTeignmouth.AtelegramarrivedshortlyafterbringingthenewsthattheirhomeinRichmondhadbeenbombed.Clive'sfather,BillSinclair,foundahouseinBracknellinBerkshire.Sinclair'sbrotherIanwasbornin1943andhissisterFionain1947.

Cliveenjoyedthefreedomoftheholidaysandhadinterestsinswimmingandboating.Atanearlyagehedesignedasubmarine,possiblybeinginfluencedbyhisgrandfatherGeorge.Duringtheholidayshecouldpursuehisownideasandteachhimselfwhathewantedtoknow.Sinclairhadlittleinterestinsportsandfoundhimselfoutofplacewithothersatschool.Hepreferredthecompanyofadults,thistypeofcompanionshipheonlygotfromhisfamily.

SinclairattendedBoxGrovepreparatoryschool.Atschool,heexcelledinmathematics.BythetimeClivewasten,hisfatherBillSinclairhadfinancialproblems.HehadbranchedoutfrommachinetoolsandplannedtoimportminiaturetractorsfromtheUS;however,heeventuallyhadtogiveupthebusiness.Becauseofhisfather'sfinancialproblems,Sinclairhadtomoveschoolseveraltimes.SinclairtookhisO-levelsatHighgateSchoolinLondonin1955andS-levelsinphysics,andpureappliedmathsatSt.George'sCollege,Weybridge.

Duringhisearlyyears,Sinclairearnedmoneymowinglawnsandwashingup,andearned6d（oldpence）morethanpermanentstaffinthecafe.Laterhewentforholidayjobsatelectroniccompanies.AtSolatronhestartedtoenquirehismentorsaboutthepossibilityofelectricallypropelledpersonalvehicles.SinclairappliedforaholidayjobatMullardandtookalongoneofhiscircuitdesigns;hewasrejectedforthetheoreticalprecociousness.WhilestillatschoolhewrotethefirstarticleforPracticalWireless.

Sinclairdidnotwanttogotouniversitywhenheleftschooljustbeforehis18thbirthday.Bythistime,heknewthathewantedtosellminiatureelectronickitsbymailordertothehobbyistmarket.

Career

AdvertisementfortheSinclairMicrometricradio.

Sinclair'sMicroKitwasformalizedinanexercisebookdated19June1958threeweeksbeforethestartofhisA-levels.Inthebook,Sinclairdrewaradiocircuit,ModelMarkI,withacomponentslist,cost/set9:

11d（49½p）+coloredwire&soldernuts&bolts+celluloidchassis（drilled）=9/-（45p）.AlsointhebookaretheadvertisementratesforRadioConstructor（9d（3¾p）/word,minimum6/-（30p））andPracticalWireless（5/6（27½p）perlineorpartline）.

Sinclairestimatedtoproduceattherateof1,000amonth,ordersplacedwiththecompaniessupplyingthecomponentsfor10,000ofeachtobedeliveredatacalloffrateof1,000permonth.

SinclairwroteabookforBernard'sPublishing,PracticaltransistorreceiversBook1,appearedinJanuary1959.Itwasre-printedlatethatyear,andninetimessubsequently.HispracticalstereohandbookwasfirstpublishedinJune1959;andreprintedseventimesoveraperiodof14years.ThelastbookSinclairwroteasanemployeeofBernard'swasModernTransistorCircuitsforBeginners,firstpublishedinMay1962.DuringtheperiodhewasemployedbyBernardBabani,hehadproduced13constructorsbooks.

Sinclairdecidedtostarthisownbusiness.In1961heregisteredhiscompanyasSinclairRadionicsLtd.Hisoriginalchoice,SinclairElectronics,wasalreadytaken;SinclairRadiowasavailablebutdidn'tsoundrighttoSinclair.EventuallySinclairRadionicswasformedon25July1961.

Sinclairmadetwoattemptstoraisestartupcapitalnecessarytoadvertisehisinventionsandbuycomponents.HedesignedPCBkitsandlicensedsometechnology.Thenhetookhisdesignforaminiaturetransistorpocketradioandspentsometimeseekingforabackerforitsproductioninkitform.Eventuallyhefoundsomeonewhoagreedtobuy55%ofhiscompanyfor£3,000;however,thedealdidn’tgothrough.

Sinclair,unabletofindcapital,joinedUnitedTradePress（UTP）,basedat9GoughSquare,justoffFleetStreet,astechnicaleditorsofthejournalInstrumentPractice.Sinclair'snamefirstappearedinInstrumentPracticeasanassistanteditorinMarch1962.Sinclairdescribedthemethodofmakingsiliconplanartransistors,theirpropertiesandapplicationsandexpressedahopethattheymightbeavailablebytheendof1962.Sinclairwasobsessedwithminiaturization,asbecamemoreandmoreobviousashiscareerprogressed.SinclairundertookasurveyforInstrumentPracticeofSemiconductordevices,whichappearedinfoursectionsbetweenSeptember1962andJanuary1963.

HislastappearanceasassistanteditorwasinApril1969.ThroughUTP,Sinclairhadaccesstothousandsofdevicesfrom36manufacturers.HecontactedSemiconductorsLtdandorderedrejectsthathewouldrepair.HeproducedadesignforaminiatureradiopoweredbyacoupleofhearingaidcellsandmadeadealwithSemiconductorLtdtobuytheirMATsat6d（2½p）eachinboxesof10,000.Hewouldthencarryouthisownqualitycontroltests,andmarkethisrenamedMAT100and120at7/9d（38¾p）and101and121at8/6（42½p）.

SinclairRadionicslasteduntil1979,withvariousproductsandcompanyspin-offs.Beginningwithamini-amplifier,thecompanyquicklyearnedanamefordesign,qualityandpioneeringideas.Theoverallvisionwastoproduceinbulkandtosellcheaply.Thisriskybutpotentiallyprofitable'stack'emhigh,sell'emcheap'approachhasmadefortunesbefore,butcarrieswithittheriskofbankruptcy.IntheearlydaysonestrategyessentialtothispolicyforSinclairRadionicswasproductioninketform.

SinclairResearchLtd（1978--present）

ZXSpectrum（1982）

InJune1978ScienceofCambridgelaunchedamicrocomputerkit,marketedastheMK14,basedaroundtheNationalSC/MPchip.ByJuly1978,apersonalcomputerprojectwasalreadyunderway.WhenSinclairlearntthattheNewBraincouldnotbesoldatbelowthesub-£100pricethatheenvisaged,histhoughtsturnedtotheZX80instead.InMay1979JimWestwoodstartedtheZX80projectatScienceofCambridge,itwaslaunchedinFebruary1980at£79.95inkitformand£99.95ready-built.InNovemberScienceofCambridgewasrenamedto“SinclaircomputersLtd”.

InMarch1981,thecompanywasrenamedagaintoSinclairResearchLtdandtheSinclairZX81waslaunchedat£49.95inkitformand£69.95ready-built,bymailorder.InFebruary1982TimexobtainedalicensetomanufactureandmarketSinclair'scomputersintheUSunderthenameTimexSinclair.InApriltheZXSpectrumwaslaunched,pricedat£125forthe16kBRAMversionand£175forthe48KBversion.InMarch1982thecompanymadean£8.55mprofitonturnoverof£27.17m,including£383,000governmentgrantsfortheTV80flatscreenportabletelevision.

In1982CliveSinclairconvertedtheBarker&Wadsworthmineralwaterbottlingfactoryat25WillisRoad,CambridgeintotheSinclairBuildingtouseitasthecompany'snewheadquarters.（ItwassoldtoCambridgeshireCountyCouncilinDecember1985duetoSinclair'simmensedebtsandfinancetroubles.）

II.MoreinformationaboutMensa.

WhatisMensa?

MensawasfoundedinEnglandin1946byRolandBerrill,abarrister,andDr.LanceWare,ascientistandlawyer.Theyhadtheideaofformingasocietyforbrightpeople,theonlyqualificationformembershipofwhichwasahighIQ.Theoriginalaimswere,astheyaretoday,tocreateasocietythatisnon-politicalandfreefromallracialorreligiousdistinctions.ThesocietywelcomespeoplefromeverywalkoflifewhoseIQisinthetop2%ofthepopulation,withtheobjectiveofenjoyingeachother'scompanyandparticipatinginawiderangeofsocialandculturalactivities.

WhatareMensa’sgoals?

Mensahasthreestatedpurposes:

toidentifyandfosterhumanintelligenceforthebenefitofhumanity

toencourageresearchinthenature,characteristicsandusesofintelligence