《step-by-step-2000》第一册答案

Unit1HappyNewMillennium!PartIWarmingupTapescript.1.Theworldisgreetingtheyear2000withmuchcelebration.ThefirstnationtocelebratewasKiribatiinthePacificOcean.2.InChina,PresidentJiangZeminlitafiretorepresentthousandsofyearsofChinesecivilization.The'traditionalChineseNewYearbeginsinFebruary.3.Russiacoveringtwocontinentswillhavetheworld'slongestNewYearcelebrations.4.FormerSouthAfricanPresidentNelsonMandelasaysheishopingforasaferandmorecaringworldinthenextcentury.TheformerPresidentalsosaidsciencehasgiventheworldnewwaystomeettheneedsoftheworldpopulation.5.WelcomefromLondon.WelcomefromtheBBCWorldServicetothe21stcentury.Theyear2000hasarrivedinBritainwhenthechimesofLondon'sBigBensignaledmidnight.HugecrowdscheeredasspectacularfireworksdisplayswentalongseveralkilometersoftheThames.6.WelcometothePacific,welcometoMillenniumIsland.VeryshortlyWeandthetinyRepublicofKiribatiwilltaketheworld's,veryfirststepintotheyear2000.7.NewZealandisgreetingthenewmillenniumwithfireworksandparties.Astheclockstruckmidnight,thousandsofpeoplebravedrainshowerstoattendmidnightcelebration,fireworksandconcerts.8.InAustraliaafireworkdisplaylituptheskyoverSydney'sfamousharboratthestrokeofmidnight.Earlier,thenewcenturybeganits24-hourmarcharoundtheglobeinthetinySouthPacificislandnationofKiribati.9.JoyouscelebrationstookplaceacrossAsiatocelebratetheturnofthecenturyandthestartofthenewmillennium.InHongkong,tensofthousandsofpeoplestartedtheNewYearattheracetrack,whereahorseracebeganjustaftermidnight.10.Morethan3,500peoplelinedSingapore'sOrchardRoadtocheerthenewcenturywhilehundredsofballoonswerereleasedintothesky.11.InVietnam,hundredsofthousandsofpeoplecrowdedthestreetsofHanoiandHuzhimingCity.12.TwothousandcouplesfromaroundtheworldgatheredinThailandtodaytomarktheNewYearwithamasswedding.Theday-longceremonybeganinthemorningwithgroomsmeetingtheirprospectivebridesandexchanginggiftsintheconventioncenterinthecapitalofBangkok.13.SouthKoreanPresidentannouncedthebirthofthefirstSouthKoreanbabyofthemillennium.14.InJapan,millionsofpeoplewishedforgoodfortuneintheYearoftheDragon.InTokyo'swaterfrontarea,10,000peopleenjoyedagalacountdowntotheNewYear.15.Peopleacrosstheworldarewelcomingtheyear2000withfanfareandcelebration.Thespectaculardusk-to-dawnlightshowismarkingthebeginningofthenewcenturyatthePyramidsinEgypt.16.Justoveranhourago,millionsofpeopleinwesternandcentralEuropewelcomedtheNewYearwithfireworksandopenairparties.PartIIThetimeballA.Tapescript.1.Thetimeballwasoriginallyusedasamarinetime-keeper.2.TheGreenwichtimeballissaidtobetheworld'sfirstpublictimesignal.3.Theballisautomaticallyraisedhalfwayupthemastat12:55p.m.tothetopat12:58p.m.,anddropsat1.00p.m.4.Around150publictimeballsareknownorreportedtohavebeeninstalledaroundtheworldafterthatatGreenwichin1833.5.TheU.S.NavalObservatorydroppedthefirsttimehallintheUnitedStatesin1844.6.TimeballswereusedinmanycitiesaroundtheU.S.duringthe19thcentury.7.Attheturnofthe20thcenturydozensoftimeballswerebeingdroppedaroundtheworld.8.Afewtimeballsarestillceremoniallydroppedaroundtheworld,rangingfromNewZealandtotheOldRoyalObservatoryinGreenwich.B.1.WhyisitsaidthatmanyplacesaroundtheworldwillmarkthestartoftheNewYearinanold-fashionedway?timeballdropping/19thcenturynavaltradition2,Howmanyplacesintheworldwillobservethenavaltradition?20sites/6continents2.Whatwastherealfunctionofthetimeballsinthepast?visualtimesignals/givethetime4.Whodroppedthefirsttimehallandwhen?BritishNavy/18295.Whatisthedifferencebetweenthetimeballdroppingthisyearandtheusualpractice?normallyatnoon/thisyearmidnight6.Whatwerethefirsttimeballsmadeof?wood&leather7.WhenistherealstartofthenewmillenniumaccordingtoStevenDick?year2001CTapescript:Inthisageofultra-hightechnology,manyplacesaroundtheworldwillmarkthestartoftheNewYearinanold-fashionedway.Theywillrevivea19thcenturynavaltraditionbydroppingtimeballswhen2000arrives.TwentysitesonsixcontinentswillobserveatraditionbestexemplifiedbytheloweringofthelightedtimeballinNewYorkCity.AstheNewYearsweepsaroundtheworld,beginningattheInternationalDateLine,wearegoingtohavethetimeballsdropping.'StevenDickisahistorianattheU.S.NavalObservatory,theinstitutionthatmaintainstheU.S.masterclock.EveryoneisfamiliarwiththetimeballinNewYork'sTimesSquare,buttheyhadarealfunctioninthepast.Inthe19thcenturythesewerevisualtimesignalswhichwereusedtogivethetime.'Mr.DicksaystheBritishNavydroppedthefirsttimeballinPortsmouth,Englandin1829.ThefirstU.S.timeballfellinWashingtonini844.Thisremainedaviablesignalingmethodthroughmuchofthe19thcentury.Theyweredroppedwellintothe20thcentury.Attheturnofthecentury100yearsagotherewereapproximatelytwodozenintheUnitedStatesthatwerestillinuse.TimeballsnormallyfellatnoonlocaltimeintheUnitedStatesandat1:00p.m.inEurope,thebeginningofthefallmarkingtheexacttime.Butthisyearwouldseethemdropatmidnightlocally.Thefirsttimeballs,aboutoneandhalfmetersindiameter,weremadeofwoodandleatherandhoistedmanuallybyropetodropbygravity.Eventuallyinseveralinstances,electricalmotorsormechanismusingwaterorairpressurewereemployed.Andinsometime,materialschanged.TheGr