外研版英语选修八-MODULE-5-课文原文

【MODULE5】TheConquestoftheUniverse【READINGANDVOCABULARY】Space:theFinalFrontier[Part1]EversinceNeilArmstrongfirstsetfootontheMoonbackon21stJuly,1969,peoplehavebecomeaccustomedtotheideaofspacetravel.Millionsofpeoplewatchedthatfirstmoonlandingontelevision,theirheartsintheirmouths,awareofhowdifficultanddangerousanadventureitwas,andwhatriskshadtobetaken.WithArmstrong`snowfamouswords:“That`sonesmallstepforman,onegiantleapformankind”,adreamwasachieved.AllthreeastronautsmadeitsafelybacktoEarth,usingaspaceshipcomputerthatwasmuchlesspowerfulthantheonesusedbytheaverageschoolstudentstoday.Therewereseveralmorejourneysintospaceoverthenextfewyearsbutthesinglespaceshipswereveryexpensiveastheycouldnottakeoffmorethanonce.PeoplewerenolongersoenthusiasticaboutapeacetravelprogrammethatwascostingtheUnitedStates$10millionaday.Thatwasuntilthearrivalofthespaceshuttle——aspacecraftthatcouldbeusedforseveraljourneys.ThefirstshuttlefightintospacewastheColumbia——launchedfromtheKennedySpaceCentreon12thApril,1981,.Theaimofthisflightwastotestthenewshuttlesystem,togosafelyupintoorbitandtoreturntotheEarthforasafelanding.ItwasasuccessandalittlemorethanadecadeafterApollo11`shistoricvoyage,theColumbiamadeasafe,controlled,aeroplane-stylelandinginCalifornia.Thiswasthestartofanewageofspacetravel.BythetimetheChallengertookoffin1986,theworldseemedtohavelostitsfearandwonderattheamazingachievementofpeoplegoingtobeaspecialflightandsomillionsofpeopleturnedintowitnessthetake-offonTV.Anordinaryteacher,ChristaMcAuliffe,37,whowasmarriedwithtwochildren,wastobethefirstcivilianinspace.Shewasgoingtogivetwofifteen-minutelessonsfromspace.Thefirstwastoshowthecontrolsofthespacecraftandexplainhowgravityworked.ThesecondwastodescribetheaimoftheChallengerspaceprogramme.Christahopedtocommunicateasenseofexcitementandcreatenewinterestinthespaceprogramme.Sadly,shenevercamebacktoherclassroomagain,astheshuttleexplodedjustoveraminuteaftertakingoffinFloridaandallsevenastronautswerekilled.Theworldwasinshock——maybetheyassumedthisspaceflightwouldbenomoredangerousthangettingonanaeroplane.Buthowwrongtheywere——inonemomentexcitementandsuccessturnedintofearanddisaster.Itwastheworstspaceaccidentever.AsoneRussiansaidatthetime,“WhensomethinglikethishappensweareneitherRussiansnorAmericans.Wearejusthumanbeingwhohavethesamefeelings.”[Part2]Icanrememberthatdaysoclearly,watchingthetake-offonTVatschool.TherewasanordinaryteacherontheChallenger,andwewereallveryexcited.Wedidn`thavemuchpatiencewaitingforthelaunch.Wehadseenthesmilingfacesoftheastronautswavingtotheworldastheysteppedintotheshuttle.Then,littlemorethanaminuteaftertake-off,wesawastrangeredandorangelightinthesky,followedbyacloudofwhitesmoke.TheChallengerhadexplodedinmid-airandweallstartedscreaming.IthappenedsoquicklyandeveryonewasschoolboyIhadthoughtthatgoingintospaceasanastronautmustbethebestjobintheworld.WhenIheard,afewweekslater,thatthebodiesoftheastronautandeventheteacher`slessonplanshadbeenfoundatthebottomoftheocean,Iwasnotsosureitwasworthitatall.Inspiteofallouradvancedtechnology,theworldisstillonlyattheverybeginningofitsvoyageintospace.【READINHANDVOCABULARY】SecretsoftheGasGiantTheCassini-Huygensspaceprobe,whichreachedSaturnlastweek,hassentbankamazingphotographsoftheplanet`sfamousringsviewedinultravioletlight.Thepicturesshowtheminshadesofblue,greenandred.Thedifferentcoloursshoeexactlywhattheringsaremadeof:theredmeanstheringcontainstinypiecesofrockandtheblueandgreenislikelytobeamixtureofwaterandfrozengases.Saturnitselfismadeofgases.Itissolightanditcouldfloatonwater——ifabigenoughoceancouldbefound!Theprobeisaninternationalprojecttoexploretheplanetanditsringsandmoons.Itwaslaunchedin1997anditsmissionwastoexplorethe“gasgiant”planetwhichisthefurthestplanettobeseenfromtheEarthwithoutatelescope.Scientistsaysthespacecraft`sfour-yeartourofSaturnmaytellthemhowtheringsareformed.Itwillalsostudytheplanet`satmosphereandmagneticfield.TheporbehassentbackpicturesofsomeofSaturn`smoon,includingtinyPhoebe,whichhasastrangeshape——unlikeotherplanetsandtheirmoons,itisnotperfectlyround——andSaturn`sbiggestmoon,Titan,whichisbelievedtobetheonlybodyinthesolarsystemotherthantheEarthwithliquidonthesurface.TheimagesofTitanandPhoebelookstrangelylikephotosofEarthandourownMoon,takendecadesagobytheearliestspacemissions.Theyaresoclearthatitiseasytoforgettheyearcomingfromadistancefone-and-a-half-billionkilometers.【READINGPRACTICE】MaytheForceBewithYouStarWarsisaseriesofsciencefantasyfilms.Thesix-filmseriesbeganin1977,andhasaworld-wideaudience,withfilms,books,videogames,televisionseriesandtoys.Itisnowacknowledgedbythemovieindustryasthemostsuccessfulfilmseriesever.Thefilmsweremadeinrandomorder,andmovebackwardsandforwardsthroughtwohundredyears.TheydescribethedeedsofAnakinSkywalker,anobleJediknight,whileDarthVader,underordersfromLordSith,createstensionthenconflictbetweenvariousautonomousrepublicsandmovements.ThisresultsinthedefeatoftheJedi.ThenAnakin`sson,LukeSkywalker,joinstheRebelAlliancetoattacktheauthorityofthenewevilEmpire.HeaccusesDarthVaderofkillinghisfather,sohetrainstob