《牛津高中英语》模块2-Reading-project课文

7.M2U1.Reading—Boymissing,policepuzzledPoliceinAmericahavesteppeduptheirsearchforafifteen-year-oldboywhowentmissingthreedaysagoinDover,NewHampshire.Thisincidenthasreceivedgreatinterestduetoreportsofstrangelightsintheskyandofalienvisitsaroundthetimetheboydisappeared.JustinFoster,ahighschoolstudent,waslastseenFridaynight.Thateveningat8p.m.Justinwenttoplaybaseballwithtwofriends,whobothsayJustinwenthomeafterthegame.WitnessesalsosaytheysawJustinwalkingtowardshishouseat10.45p.m.Justin'ssister,Kelly,agednine,sayssheheardherbrotherreturnhomeatabout11p.m.‘Iwasgettingreadyforbed,'Kellysaid.'Justinwentstraighttohisroom.Ididn'tseehim,butIheardhimputonhisfavoriteCD.Iwenttobed,andwaswokenuparoundmidnightbyabrightlightoutsidemywindow.'Atfirst,theyounggirlthoughtitwasthelightofthefullmoon,butthensherealizedthatitwasmovingandcomingcloser.'Ipulledbackthecurtainsandsawalargespaceshipflyingoutside.Ithadbluelightsallaroundit,andthereweremanywindows.Standinginsidewerelotsofstrangecreatureswithwhiteskinandlargeblackeyes.Iwasfrightened!'Kellysaidthatthespaceshipthenmovedaroundtothesideofthehouse,towardsherbrother'sbedroom.'TherewasaflashoflightandIheardJustinshout,andthentheUFOjustdisappeared.Ihaven'tseenJustinsince.I'msurethealienstookhim.'Kellythenranandwokeuphermother.However,sinceMrsFosterthoughtthatJustinwasspendingthenightwithafriend,sheassumedthatKellywashavingabaddream,andsentherbacktobed.MrsFosterwasworkingthatnightonhisroadconstructionjob,andwasnothomewhentheseeventsoccurred.WhenJustindidnotshowupforlunchthenextday,MrsFosterbecameworriedandtoldherhusbandtocallthepolice.SomepeopleinDoveralsosaythattheysawaliensthatnight.'It'shappenedtome!'saidMrsMavisWood.'ThealienstookmeaboardtheUFOsothattheycoulddoresearchonme.Luckily,theyreturnedmehomewithoutanyinjuries.Thewholeexperiencewasterrible!Ihaven'tbeensleepingwellsinceIreturnedhome.IthinkJustinwastakenawaybythem,too.'WhenaskedaboutthepossibilitythatJustinwastakenbyaliens,DetectiveSamPeterson,whohastakenchargeofthecase,toldjournalists,'Sometimespeoplemakeupsuchamazingstories.There'sreallynohardevidencethatalienstookhim.So,whilewehavenotdismissedtheidea,wearelookingintootherpossibilitiesaswell.Wewillnotgiveupuntilwefindoutwhathappened.'8.M2U1.Project—Yeti,BigfootandtheWildManofShennongjiaForcenturies,peoplehavereportedseeingawildcreatureintheHimalayascalledYeti.TheYetiissaidtobealarge,hairyanimalthatwalksantwofeetlikeahumanbeing.PeoplebelievethatYetissometimescomedownfromthemountainstoattackvillagers.In1998,anAmericanmountainclimbersaidthathesawaYetiontheChinesesideoftheHimalayas.'Itwalkedlikeahuman,butithadthickblackfurandwasaboutsixfeettallwithhugeshoulders,verylongarmsandlargehands,'hesaid.In2007,anAmericanTVteamsawYetitracks33centimetresinlengthinthesnownearMountQomolangma.TheymadecopiesofthesetracksandhadthemexaminedbyascientistintheUSA.Hereportedthattheylookedlikethetracksofasimilarcreature,calledBigfoot,whichsomepeoplebelievelivesintheforestsofthenorth-westoftheUSA.YetiandBigfootaresimilartoacreatureknownastheWildManofShennongjia.TherehavebeendozensofreportsthatpeoplehaveseenaWildManintheShennongjiaNatureReserveinwesternHubeiProvince,China.Inonecase,agroupofengineersranafterthecreature,whichmovedwithamazingspeedandstrength.LargetrackshavealsobeendiscoveredwhichsomepeoplesaybelongtotheWildMan.Becauseofthesereportsandthetracks,therehavebeenseveralorganizedsearchesforthiscreature,butnostrongevidenceforexistencehaseverbeenfound.DrGroverKrantz,ascientistfromWashingtonStateUniversity,studiedreportsofsuchstrangecreaturesformanyyears.Hebecameconvincedtheyexist.Hebelievedthatthesecreaturesarelinkedtoacommonancestor,ananimalthatlivedinAsiasome300,000yearsago.Inhisopinion,thisanimalmadeitswaytootherpartsoftheworld,andcontinuestosurviveeventoday.Scientistshopethatthemysterywillbesolvedoneday.Ifsuchcreaturesreallyexist,wemighthavethechancetoseeonewithourowneyes.9.M2U2.Reading—AnadventureinAfrica30JuneDearAihuaHowareyougoing？SorryIhaven’twrittenforsolong.I’vebeenquitebusyarrangingmyholidaywithmyolderbrother,Colin.ColinandIplantospendafewweekstravellingbeforehegoestouniversity.We’regoingtovisitsomanyexcitingplacesanddolotsofextraordinarythings.WewillgotoAfricafirst.Ican’twait!Haveyoueverbeenthere?WeleaveLondonon15July,andwe’llbetakingaflighttoMorocco,innorthernAfrica.We’regoingtoridecamelsthroughtheSaharaDesert.It’sthebiggestdesertintheworld—aboutthesizeoftheUS!Iexpectitwillbeveryhot,dryanddustythere.We’llbetravellingbycamelwithlocalguides,campingintentsandsleepingontheground.I’veheardthat,intheSahara,thereisnoshadeduringtheday,andthestarsseemespeciallybrilliantonclearnights.I’llbringaflashlightwithmesothatI’llbeabletoseeinthedark.Altogether,thetripwilltakesixdays.ThatmeansI’llhavetositonacamelforalmostaweek—howuncomfortable!Ihopemycamellikesme!Afterthetripbycamel,we’regoingtotraveldowntheRiverNile.We’llstartatLakeVictoria.AlittlewaydowntheriverfromLakeVictoria,thewatergetsquiterough.So,we’llgowhite-waterrafting.It’squitedangerous,butveryexciting!Youhavetowearahelmetandalifejacketforpr