外研选修8 M5 课文 英汉对译校对版
外研版英语选修八module5课文原文word版本
【MODULE 5】The Conquest of the Universe【READING AND VOCABULARY】Space: the Final Frontier[Part 1]Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong`s now famous words:“That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a peace travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle——a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle fight into space was the Columbia——launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981,. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo 11`s historic voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going to be a special flight and so millions of people turned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37, who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe theaim of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme. Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock——maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous than getting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were——in one moment excitement and success turned into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time,“When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human being who have the same feelings.”[Part 2]I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. We didn`t have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in mid-air and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard, a few weeks later, that the bodies of the astronaut and even the teacher`s lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean, I was not so sure it was worth it at all. In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.【READINH AND VOCABULARY】Secrets of the Gas GiantThe Cassini-Huygens space probe, which reached Saturn last week, has sent bank amazing photographs of the planet`s famous rings viewed in ultraviolet light. The pictures show them in shades of blue, green and red. The different colours shoe exactly what the rings are made of: the red means the ring contains tiny pieces of rock and the blue and green is likely to be a mixture of water and frozen gases. Saturn itself is made of gases. It is so light and it could float on water——if a big enough ocean could be found!The probe is an international project to explore the planet and its rings and moons. It was launched in 1997 and its mission was to explore the “gas giant” planet which is the furthest planet to be seen from the Earth without a telescope.Scientist says the spacecraft`s four-year tour of Saturn may tell them how the rings are formed. It will also study the planet`s atmosphere and magnetic field.The porbe has sent back pictures of some of Saturn`s moon, including tiny Phoebe, which has a strange shape——unlike other planets and their moons, it is not perfectly round——and Saturn`s biggest moon, Titan, which is believed to be the only body in the solar system other than the Earth with liquid on the surface.The images of Titan and Phoebe look strangely like photos of Earth and our own Moon, taken decades ago by the earliest space missions. They are so clear that it is easy to forget they ear coming from a distance fone-and-a-half-billion kilometers.【READING PRACTICE】May the Force Be with YouStar Wars is a series of science fantasy films. The six-film series began in 1977, and has a world-wide audience, with films, books, video games, television series and toys. It is now acknowledged by the movie industry as the most successful film series ever.The films were made in random order, and move backwards and forwards through two hundred years. They describe the deeds of Anakin Skywalker, a noble Jedi knight, while Darth Vader, under orders from Lord Sith, creates tension then conflict between various autonomous republics and movements. This results in the defeat of the Jedi.Then Anakin`s son, Luke Skywalker, joins the Rebel Alliance to attack the authority of the new evil Empire. He accuses Darth Vader of killing his father, so he trains to become a Jedi knight and swears to avenge his loss. But to his sorrow, he learns that his father is actually Darth Vader himself. Luke escapes the latter`s grasp, as well as the Emperor`s attempt to turn him to the Dark Side. Instead, to his great relief, he achieves glory by turning his father back to the light side, while the divisions of the Rebel Alliance fleet flights the battle for the airspace over the motherland, and wins the war. Star Wars reflects many abstract concepts in Greek, Roman and Chinesefolk stories, such as an ability to foresee the future and the impossibility of controlling one`s destiny. For example, Anakin Skywalker cause the deathof his wife coming to her aid. Luke is like the hero lf a wuxia film, with his intention of avenging the death of his father, to become the most powerful Master of his art.The broad theme of Star Wars` philosophy is the Force, and in every movie someone says “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars stresses the dangers of fear, anger, and hate, as well as putting aside one`s sympathy for certain people. For example, Luke Skywalker is ever told that his training rather than rescue his friends.This is consistent with many religious faiths, which stress rational thought, personal dignity and a devotion to praying for holy understanding, as opposed to the “Dark Side”, of violent passion and acute emotion.However, the strongest influence is Taoist philosophy. The Force is similar to Qi, a stable balance of the Yin and Yang forces to human beings and the environment. Many true Taoist masters eventually become supreme beings, similar to Obi-Wan and Yoda who Luke, as their scholar, consults for their teaching and advice.Even the language and clothing convey the philosophy of the Force——the Dark Force soldiers speak with British accents and wear black uniforms whilst most of the Rebels speaker American English and wear light colours.【CULTURAL CORNER】The War of the WorldsIn 1898, the English writer H.G. Wells wrote what is arguably the most important novel in the history of science fiction The War of the Worlds. It is a dramatic story about an invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars, a subject that has fascinated science fiction writers and film-makers ever since. But when, in 1938, the American actor and director, Orson Welles set a radio drama of The War of the Worlds in real life New Jersey town of Grover`s Mill, little did he know what people turned on their radios and heard the Mercury Theatre Company broadcast, it was so realistic that they believed every word:Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make. Incredible as it may seen, both the observations of science and the evidence of our eyes lead to the inescapable assumption that those strange beings who landed in the New Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars.Orson Welles had managed to set in motion a panic across America. When people heard that an invasion by aliens from Mars was underway, there was a wave of mass hysteria. Hundreds of people left their homes in panic, there were traffic jams all over the state and the police received thousands of telephone calls from terrified listeners who believed that Martians were attacking.The sleepy town of Grover`s Mill for an hour became the centre of the universe.One 13-year-old boy was doing his homework when he hears the first newsflash of the invasion. Taking the radio into the cafédownstairs where his mother worked, he and a dozen or so customers listened with mounting fear to the broadcast, until the men jumped up and announced they were going to get their guns and join in the defence at Grover`s Mill.Did Orson Welles deliberately set out to terrify the nation? Or was it simply a masterpiece of realistic theatre? Either way, The War of the Worlds will be remembered as a piece of broadcasting history.。
高中英语外研版 选修8 Module 5 The Conquest of the Universe
——宇宙的征服核心词汇． .．“”“”．．, .． .．(故意地)， .．’(命运)．．(抽象的) .．“(发誓)．”． .()． .()．；；高频短语．不管．指责某人某事．开始做；着手进行．在……一开始的时候．一系列的；一连串的．与……相似的．使某事开始．成功；及时到达．依靠；指望．习惯． . .重点句式．, .到年，“挑战者”号起飞的时候，人们似乎对于人类进入太空一事已失去了最初的恐惧和好奇心了。
．, ，，.一位岁的普通教师克里斯塔·麦奥里菲将要成为第一位进入太空的普通公民，她已结婚并有两个孩子。
．－.全世界都震惊了——也许他们原本都认为这次太空飞行跟乘坐飞机一样没什么危险。
． .……他根本不知道他将要造成多大的轰动。
．， ...尽管看起来不可思议，但科学观测以及我们肉眼看到的证据都必然会让我们做出这个设想……；知识详解① .(使)爆裂；(使)裂开；(使)炸开；突然出现．突然破裂；爆发(回归课本)伴随着强大的力量和巨大的声响而突然爆发【归纳总结】【例句探源】① .她一听到迈克尔·杰克逊死亡的消息，就失声痛哭起来。
② .她一头趴在书桌上，失声痛哭起来。
③ .我们都认为他心中的快乐快要爆发出来了。
④ .警察闯入房间，向四周看了看。
【即境活用】．(年绍兴模拟)’ .．．．．解析：选。
她对魔术师的表演如此开心以至于突然大笑起来。
后接名词，相当于＋，表示突然……起来。
★, .．；．；．；．；解析：选。
“突然大哭起来”,相当于; “冲出屋子”。
②．依靠；取决于(回归课本) .太空研究的未来取决于我们有多少钱。
【归纳总结】【例句探源】①(朗文) .我能相信我的员工会把事情做好。
② .他们的未来取决于他们在这些考试中取得的分数。
③(朗文)“？”“() .”“这儿周围哪儿的饭最好吃？”“这取决你想吃什么。
”④－’, , ?－ .你出去时给我买个热狗，好吗？放心好了。
(没问题。
)【即境活用】．(年合肥模拟)—’ .—’ .．．．．解析：选。
选修8英语u5课文翻译
选修8英语u5课文翻译选修8英语u5课文翻译英语翻译也是英语的必考题型之一，掌握相关的技巧很重要，下面是小编整理的选修8英语u5课文翻译，希望对你有帮助。
Unit1 加利福尼亚加利福尼亚是美国的第三大州，而且是人口最多的州。
加州与众不同之处在于它也是美国最具多元文化的一个州，它吸引了来自世界各地的人们。
这些移民的风俗习惯以及语言在他们的新家都得以延续。
当你了解了加利福尼亚的历史后，你就不会对此感到惊讶了。
美洲土著人最早的一批人具体是在什么时候来到我们现在所知道的加利福尼亚地区的，谁也说不清楚。
然而，很可能至少在15 ,000年以前美洲土著人就住在加利福尼亚了。
科学家们认为，这些迁居者通过一条史前时代曾经存在的大陆桥穿越北极地区的白令海峡到达美洲。
欧洲人在16世纪来到这儿后，土著人遭受了极大的苦难，成千上万的人被杀害或被迫成为奴隶。
此外，欧洲人带来了疾病，使许多人染病而死，不过，还是有一些人在经历了这些恐怖时期后活下来了。
今天住在加利福尼亚的美洲土著人比任何其他州的都要多。
西班牙人在18世纪的时候，加利福尼亚是由西班牙统治的西班牙士兵最早是在1 6世纪初期来到南美洲的，他们同土著人打仗，并夺去了他们的土地3两个世纪以后，西班牙人在南美洲的大部分地区定居下来，而且还在我们现在称之为美国的西北沿海地区住下来c在首批移居加州的西班牙人中，大部分是宗教人士，他们的职责是向原住民传授天主教。
1821年，墨西哥人从西班牙获得了独立-加利福尼亚于是成了墨西哥的一部分。
1846年美国向墨西哥宣战，美国赢得战争胜利后，墨西哥被迫把加利福尼亚割让给美国。
但是，这个州至今仍然保留着很强的西班牙的影响。
这就是为什么今天还有40%的加利福尼亚人仍然把西班牙语作为第一或第二语言的缘故。
俄罗斯人19世纪初期，一批最初到阿拉斯加的俄罗斯猎人开始在加利福尼亚定居下来。
今天，住在圣弗朗西斯科（旧金山）及其周边地区的美籍俄罗斯人约有25,000人。
选修八英语小课文翻译
选修八英语小课文翻译选修八英语小课文翻译How Failure Became SuccessOn 8th August,1914,27 men who had replied to an advertisement in The Times boarded a ship leaving for the Antarctic.The name of the ship was the Endurance and the captain was an Irishman called Ernest Shackleton.The aim of the journey was to cross the frozen continent via the South Pole – journey of 1,800 miles.Shackleton thought the journey would last six months.But when land came into sight,the Endurance became trapped in the ice and began to break up.Shackleton and his men watched the Endurance sink into the icy sea.They then headed north,pulling three lifeboats behind them.After six days,bad weather forced them to give up and the men set up camp on a sheet of ice which began slowly moving across the Antarctic Circle.They survived on the ice for five months.Then,on 16th April,1915,Shackleton saw land.It was Elephant Island – large rock with nothing growing on it,but much better than a floating piece of ice.When they reached the island,Shackleton came up with an idea – it was a risk but he would have to take it.He and five men would take one of the lifeboats,and sail 800 miles to South Georgia,where there was a permanent camp.They could then return to rescue the rest of the men.It took Shackleton 17 days to rach South Georgia.Unfortunately he landed on the wrong side of the island,and had to walk 36 hours over mountains to reach the camp.The whale hunters all the camp couldn?t believe their eyeswhen they saw the six men walking down from the mountains.Shackleton kept his promise.More than three months later,he returned to Elephant Island to rescue the crew he had been forced to abandon.He had failed to reach the pole – but he had saved the lives of all his men失败是如何成功1914年8月8日,响应泰晤士报上一则广告的27个人登上一艘轮船向南极进发。
英语选修八小课文及翻译第五单元
Unit 5 THE FEAST: 18,000 BC公元前一万八千年的一次盛宴Worried about the preparations for her feast, Lala quickly turned for home with her collection of nuts, melons and other fruit.拉拉担忧她此次盛宴的准备工作，因此连忙把坚果、甜瓜和其他水果收集起来就快步回家了。
It was the custom of family groups to separate and then gatheragain at different sites for reunions as they followed the animal herds across the grasslands.由于在草原上放牧，家族成员先分别开，今后在不一样样的地方相聚，这是他们的一个民俗。
A wrinkle appeared on her forehead. 她的额头出现了一道皱纹。
If only it could be just like last year! 若是能像昨年那样就好了！At that time she had been so happy when Dahu chose her as the future mother of his children.当大胡选拉拉作未来孩子的母亲时，她感觉很快乐。
He was the best toolmaker in the group and it was a great honour for her to be chosen.他是这个家族中最好的工匠，被他选中对拉拉来说是莫大的有幸。
She remembered the blood pulsing through her veins.她记得那时热血汹涌。
She had felt so proud as the group shouted loudly to applaud his choice.当族人为他的选择喝采鼓掌的时候，拉拉感觉特别骄傲。
外研社高中英语选修八表格对照中英文单词
module1 高中外研版选修八module1 高中外研版选修八1 polar 1 极地的2 penguin 2 企鹅3 explorer 3 探险者4 Antarctica 4 南极洲5 annual 5 每年的6 rainfall 6 降水量；降雨量7 state 7 状态；状况8 depth 8 深度9 gravity 9 重力，地心引力10 inhospitable 10 荒凉的，不适宜居住的11 extreme 11 极端的，极度的12 flower 12 开花13 moss 13 藓；苔藓14 algae 14 藻类（植物）15 lichen 15 地衣16 adapt to 16 (使）适应17 trap 17 储存，留存18 meteorite 18 陨石19 extraterrestrial 19 天外的，地球外的20 mass 20 块,堆，团21 balance 21 使平衡22 exploration 22 （对某地区的）勘查23 set food on 23 进入,到达24 rivalry 24 (不断的)竞争25 treaty 25 （国家或政府间的）条约，公约26 commercial 26 商业的27 nuclear 27 核的,核能的28 test 28 试验29 radioactive 29 （具有)放射性的30 promote 30 促进,增进31 via 31 经由，取道32 trap 32 使陷入困境33 lifeboat 33 救生船34 crew 34 (全体）船员35 voyage 35 （乘船的）旅行，航行36 drift 36 漂流，漂泊37 ceremonial 37 正式的38 glacier 38 冰川；冰河39 magnetic 39 磁的,磁性的，磁场的40 glare 40 刺眼的光41 intense 41 强烈的42 sunglasses 42 太阳镜;墨镜43 suncream 43 防晒霜44 severe 44 艰难的，艰巨的45 eyesight 45 视力；目力46 sunburnt 46 晒伤的47 minus 47 零下48 numb 48 麻木的；失去知觉的49 frost 49 霜；霜冻50 clothing 50 衣服；（尤指）某种服装51 portable 51 轻便的；便携的52 pure 52 干净的;不含有害物质的53 millimetre 53 毫米;千分之一米54 abnormal 54 不正常的，反常的55 sunrise 55 日出56 sunset 56 日落57 absence 57 缺乏；没有58 daylight 58 日光；白天59 tiresome 59 烦人的,令人讨厌的60 depressing 60 令人沮丧的；令人抑郁的61 isolated 61 孤单的，孤立的62 aircraft 62 飞机；飞行器63 platform 63 平台64 powder 64 粉;粉末65 minimum 65 最少量;最小数66 modest 66 不很昂贵的;适中的67 luxury 67 奢侈品68 cosy 68 温暖舒适的69 dormitory 69 宿舍；寝室70 canteen 70 (工厂学校等的）食堂，餐厅71 stock 71 储存,储备72 laundry 72 待洗的衣物73 discourage 73 阻止;打消……的念头74 in case of 74 如果；假使75 emergency 75 紧急情况；突发事情76 conventional 76 常规的;普通的77 drill 77 钻；钻机78 snap 78 崩溃,支持不住79 tricky 79 困难的，棘手的80 fragile 80 脆弱的；易碎的81 battery 81 电池82 ecology 82 生态；生态学83 delicate 83 娇气的,纤弱的84 privilege 84 荣幸85 trader 85 商人;买卖人；经商者86 spice 86 香料87 jewel 87 宝石88 befriend 88 对待……如朋友89 tale 89 传说；故事90 legendary 90 传说中的91 reliability 91 可靠性92 obscure 92 难理解的，晦涩的93 intimate 93 亲密的94 inhabit 94 居住95 spaghetti 95 意大利面条96 insight 96 洞察力，眼光97 inspiration 97 鼓舞；启示；灵感module2 module21 renaissance 1 （文艺的）复兴2 disturbing 2 引起烦恼的；令人不安的3 subject 3 （绘画,摄影等的）主题4 dull 4 枯燥的；沉闷的5 basically 5 基本上，本质上,大致说来6 work 6 作品7 effect 7 效果；作用8 shade 8 （图画等中的）阴影；阴暗部分9 medieval 9 中世纪的10 Gothic11 frontier 11 新领域12 perspective 12 透视（画）法；透视效果;透视感13 polyphony 13 复调音乐（作品）14 cathedral 14 大教堂15 motivate 15 激发,激励16 skilled 16 有技巧的，熟练的17 parachute 17 降落伞18 submarine 18 潜艇19 tank 19 坦克20 overnight 20 持续整夜的21 ferry 21 渡船22 horseshoe 22 马掌；马蹄铁23 ornate 23 华丽的24 tax 24 对……征税，向……课税25 depend on 25 依靠,依赖；取决于（条件、情况)26 reckon 26 认为27 in history 27 历史上28 leave for 28 出发去某地29 anecdote 29 趣闻，轶事30 authentic 30 (书画、文件、书籍等)原作的31 spokesman 31 发言人；代言人32 burglar 32 窃贼，小偷33 leave sth behind 33 把……抛在后面34 antique 34 古时制造的，古董的35 basement 35 地下室;地下层36 courtyard 36 庭院，院子37 passerby 37 (过）路人38 moustache 38 小胡子39 parcel 39 (小）包裹40 dash 40 猛冲41 crossing 41 十字路口；交叉口42 crossroads 42 十字路口43 flee 43 逃跑,逃掉44 sideroad 44 旁路,旁侧路45 appeal 45 恳求;呼吁46 suspect 46 （犯罪）嫌疑人；可疑分子47 loss 47 丢失；丧失48 circulate 48 流传；传播49 seek 49 寻找;寻求50 gang 50 (犯人的）一群，一帮51 tentative 51 不确定的;试探性的52 behalf 52 方面；利益53 on behalf of 53 代表……54 chief 54 最重要的；首要的55 fundamental 55 根本的;基本的56 drawback 56 不利因素57 superb 57 极好的；超级的58 substitute 58 代替物；代替品59 confidential 59 秘密的，机密的60 debt 60 债务；人情债61 get tired of doing sth。
外研版选修八__module5
P58—60
1.set foot on 1. 踏入 2.be /get /become accustomed to … 2. 习惯于 3. 意识到,了解 3. be aware of 4. take a risk /take the risk of doing.. 4. 冒险 5. achieve /realise one’s dream 5. 实现梦想 6. 起飞,脱下,成功 6. take off 7. be enthusiastic about sth. 7. 对…热情 8. be used for …/ to do sth. 8. 被用作… 9. in space 9. 在太空中 10.两节15分钟的课 10. give two 15-minute lessons 11.震惊/处于震惊状态 11. in shock / in a state of shock 12. 在…底部 12. at the bottom of … 13. 尽管 13. in spite of /despite 14. 在最开始时 14. at the very beginning of.. 15.它是成功的。 15. It is a success.
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe
The first man in space
Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space in 1961. It took him 108 minutes to go round the world.
We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the challenger seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly, the future belongs to the brave. The challenger crew were pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them .
外研社选修八 module5 原文
Space:the Final FrontierEver since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st july, 196 9, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong’s now famous words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”，a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a space travel programme that was costing the United Slates $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle－a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle flight into space was the Columbia－launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo 11’s historic voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel. By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going up into space. But this was going to be a special flight and so millions of people tuned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37,who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe the aims of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme. Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.－maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous than getting on an airplane. But how wrong they were－in one moment excitement and success turned into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As oneRussian said at the time, “When something like this happens we areneither Russians nor Americans. We are just human beings who have the same feelings.”Part 2I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. We didn’t have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off. we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in midair and we all started screaming. It happened so quickly and everyone was in a state of shock. Like every schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard, a few weeks later, that the bodies of the astronauts and even the teacher’s lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean, I was not so sure it was worth it at all. In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.Secrets of the Gas GiantThe cassini-Huygens space probe, which reached Saturn last week, has sent back amazing photo-graphs of the planet’s famous rings viewed in ultraviolet light. The pictures show them in shades of blue, green and red. The different colours show exactly what the rings are made of: the red means the ring contains tiny pieces of rock and the blue and green is likely to be a mixture of water and frozen gases. Saturn itself is made of gases. It is so light and it could float on water－if a big enough ocean could be found! The probe is an international project to explore the planet and its rings and moons. It was launched in 1997 and its mission was to explore the “gas giant” planet which is the furthest planet to be seen from the Earth without a telescope. Scientists say the spacecraft's four-year tour of Saturn may tell them how the rings are formed, lt will also study the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field. The probe has sent back pictures of some of Saturn's moons, including tiny Phoebe, which hasa strange shape－unlike other planets and their moons, it is not perfectly round－ and Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, which is believed to be the only body in the solar system other than the Earth with liquid on the surface. The images of Titan and Phoebe look strangely like photos of the Earth and our own Moon, taken decades ago by the earliest space missions. They are so clear that it is easy so forget they are coming from a distance of one- and-a-half-billion kilometres.May The Force Be With YouStar Wars is a series of science fantasy films. The six-film series began in 1977, and has a worldwide audience, with films, books, video games, television series and toys. It is now acknowledged by the movie industry as the most successful film series ever. The films were made in random order, and move backwards and forwards through two hundred years. They describe the deeds of Anakin Skywalker, a noble Jedi knight while Darth Vader, under orders from Lord Sith, creates tension then conflict between various autonomous republics and movements. This results in the defeat of the Jedi. Then Anakin's son, Luke Skywalker, joins the Rebel Alliance to attack the authority of the new evil Empire. He accuses Darth Vader of killing his father, so he trains to become a Jedi knight and swears to avenge his loss. But to his sorrow, he learns that his father is actually Darth Vader himself. Luke escapes the latter’s grasp, as well as the Emperor's attempt to turn him to the Dark Side. Instead, to his great relief, he achieves glory by turning his father back to the Light Side, while the divisions of the Rebel Alliance fleet fights the battle for the airspace over the motherland, and wins the war. Star Wars reflects many abstract concepts in Greek, Roman and Chinese folk stories, such as an ability to foresee the future and the impossibility of controlling one’s destiny. For example, Anakin Skywalker causes the death of his wife while coming to her aid. Luke is like the hero of a wuxia film, with his intention of avenging the death of his father, to become the most powerful Master of his art. The broad theme of Star Wars’ philosophy is the Force, and in every movie someone says “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars stresses the dangers of fear, anger,and hate, as well as putting aside one s sympathy for certain people. For example, Luke Skywalker is ever told that his commitment ought to be to finish his training rather than rescue his friends. This is consistent with many religious faiths, which stress rational thought, personal dignity and a devotion to praying for holy understanding, as opposed to the "Dark Side", of violent passion and acute emotion.However, the strongest influence is Taoist philosophy. The Force is similarto Qi. a stable balance of the Yin and Yang forces to human beings and theenvironment. Many true Taoist masters eventually become supreme beings, si milar to Obi-Wan and Yoda who Luke, as their scholar, consults for their t eaching and advice.Even the language and clothing convey the philosophy of the Force－the Dark Force soldiers speak with British accents and wear black uniforms.whilst most of the Rebels speak American English and wear light colour s.The War of the WorldsIn 1898, the English writer H.G. Wells wrote what is arguably the most impo rtant novel in the history of science fiction The War of the Worlds. It isa dramatic story about an invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars, a subj ect that has fascinated science fiction writers and film-makers ever since.But when, in 1938, the American actor and director, Orson Welles set a radio drama of The War of the Worlds in the real life New Jersey town of Grover's Mill, little did he know what impact he was going to make. When people turned on their radios and heard the MercuryTheatre Company broadcast, it was so realistic that they believed every wor d:Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make. Incredible as itmay seem, both the observations of science and the evidence of our eyes le ad to the inescapable assumption that those strange beings who landed in the New Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars. Orson Welles had managed to set in motion a panic across America. When people heard that an invasion by aliens from Mars was under way, there was a wave of mass hysteria. Hundreds of people left their homesin panic, there were traffic jams all over the state and the police receiv ed thousands of telephone calls from terrified listeners who believed that Martians were attacking.The sleepy town of Grover’s Mill for an hour became the centre of the univ erse. One 13-year-old boy was doing his homework when he heard the first ne wsflash of the invasion. Taking the radio into the cafe downstairs where hi s mother worked, he and a dozen or so customers listened with mounting fear to the broadcast, until the men jumped up and announced they were going to get their guns and join in the defence at Grover’s Mill.Did Orson Welles deliberately set out to terrify the nation? Or was it simp ly a masterpiece of realistic theatre? Either way,The War of the Worlds wil l be remembered as a piece of broadcasting history.Road to the Red PlanetIf you had asked the question “How much would it cost to send a mission to Mars”two decades ago, the answer would have been: “About $450 billion.” The huge cost was one reason why no one was very enthusiastic about the pl an, apart from the need for very advanced technology. However, the cost is now thought to be down to $50 billion. The technology is arguably good enou gh at least for probes to land on Mars to bring back pieces of rock, though not yet for people to go there. So rocket scientists assume that they will eventually succeed in sending astronauts to Mars－that is, after another three or four decades of research and development.Rocket scientists have a lot of patience and are accustomed to waiting a lo ng time for results. As long ago as 1960, the Russians launched a space pro be; then another and another. After the fifth probe had travelled nearly 10 0 million kilometers, the signal disappeared .An American probe, Mariner 4 , took 21 pictures in 1965, and since then, Russian, European and American spacecraft have allowed us to view more and more of the Red Planet.It does not seem a very friendly place. It has the largest mountains of any in the whole Solar System, the surface is dry and covered in rocks, and hu mans could not breathe the air. The gravity is much less than that of Earth , and the temperatures are either freezing cold or very hot with constant s torms, high winds and clouds of gas. Why would anyone want to go to Mars and how long would the journey take?Life depends on water, energy, and air. In spite of the cold and the lack o f oxygen, scientists have made the assumption that there might be, or might once have been, some form of life on Mars. Dramatic photos taken by the Ma rs Express probe in 2004 suggest that the tallest volcano on Mars has ice o n its peak. But for humans to reach Mars it could take three years, and it could also be very dangerous. It may be several decades before we know the answer to the old question: “Are we alone?”。
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READING AND VOCABULARY（1）Space：the final FrontierPart 11Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. 2Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television , their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong's now famous words : " That's one small step for man , one giant leap for mankind" , a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a space travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle -a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle flight into space was the Columbia-launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April,1981. 3The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system,to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo’s historic voyage, the Colu mbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going up into space. But this was going to be a special flight and so millions of people tuned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37 , who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe the aims of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme.Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock-maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous thangetting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were-in one moment excitement and success tumed into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time , "When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human beings who have the same feelings.Part 2I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. 5We didn't have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in midair and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was in a state of shock. Like every schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard,a few weeks later,that the bodies of the astronauts and even the teacher's lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean,I was not so sure it was worth it at all. 6In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.太空——最后的（未开发）领域第一部分自从尼尔•阿姆斯特朗在1969年7月21日首次踏上月球以来，人们对太空旅行这一概念已经非常熟悉。
数百万的人们从电视上观看了首次登月，他们的心提到了嗓子眼，因为他们十分清楚这次是多么艰难多么危险，以及要冒多么大的风险。
伴随着阿姆斯特朗这句如今已经很有名的话：“这是个人的一小步，但却是整个人类的一大步”，一个梦想终于实现了。
3个宇航员顺利返回地球，他们当年使用的计算机远不及现在一个普通学生使用的电脑高级。
在接下来的几年里，又有几艘宇宙飞船进入太空，但是单程宇宙飞船非常昂贵，因为它们只能被使用一次。
人们对每天要花掉美国1，000万美元的太空旅行计划不再那么热衷了。
这种情况一直持续到航天飞机的出现——那是一种可以被用来进行几次旅行的航天器。
第一架到达太空的航天飞机是“哥伦比亚”号——于1981年4月12日发射于肯尼迪航天中心。
这次飞行的目的是测试这种新的飞行器系统，看这种飞行器是否能够安全进入轨道、返回地球并且安全着陆。
距离“阿波罗11号”历史性的航行仅仅十年多的时间，这次飞行取得了成功，“哥伦比亚”号在控制下以飞机着陆的方式安全地返回了加利福尼亚。
这次飞行开辟了太空旅行的新纪元。
到1986年“挑战者”号起飞的时候，人们似乎已经沉醉于人类走进太空这一巨大成就而忘记了恐惧，也失去了好奇心。
但这将是一次特殊的飞行，因此数百万人打开电视来亲眼目睹这次起飞。
一位37岁的普通教师克里斯塔•麦奥里菲将要成为第一位进入太空的普通公民，她已经结婚并有两个孩子。