1、ESA to launch space waste collector in 2025语篇导读 欧洲航天局拟于2025年发射航天器清理太空垃圾。A fourarmed robotic waste collector will be launched(发射)into space by the European Space Agency(ESA)in what it sayswill be the first mission(任务)to remove an item of waste.The ClearSpace1 mission，scheduled for launch in 2025，will
2、 cost C120 million and will grab(抓住)a single piece of waste.But the agency hopes the mission will pave the way for a widereaching clearup operation，with ESAs Director General JohannDietrich“Jan”Wrner calling for new rules that would force those who launch satellites to take responsibility for removi
3、ng them from orbit(轨道)once they are retired from use.“Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if allthe ships ever lost in history were still drifting on top of thewater，”said JohannDietrich“Jan”Wrner.“That is the currentsituation in orbit.”In the past 60 years，thousands of tonnes of wa
4、ste have accumulated around the Earth，including old rocket parts and satellites.They are typically circulating at a speed of 20,000 km/h.Unless a clearup operation is launched，the chances of collisions(碰撞)will increase as thousands more satellites are put into orbit.The target for ClearSpace1 is a p
5、iece of waste called Vespa，which was left in an orbit around 800 km above the Earth by ESAs Vega launcher.Vespa weighs 100 kgaround the size of a small satelliteand was selected because it has a simple shape and strong construction.The“chaser”ClearSpace will be launched into the targetorbit where it
6、 will track down Vespa，grab it using robotic armsand drag it out of orbit,with Vespa and the chaser both burningup the atmosphere on the way down to the Earth.A future ambition is to create clearup robot that could pushwaste in the atmosphere，before continuing grab and deorbitother pieces of waste.S
7、ection Warming Up&ReadingPreparing课前 自主预习课文预读释疑原文呈现HOW LIFE BEGAN ON THE EARTHNo one knows exactly how the earth began，as it happened solong agoHowever，according to a widely accepted theory，the universe began with a“Big Bang”that threw matter in alldirectionsAfter that，atoms began to form and combin
8、e tocreate stars and other bodies.as it happened so long ago是as引导的原因状语从句。that threw matter.是that引导的定语从句，修饰a“Big Bang”。For several billion years after the“Big Bang”，the earth was still just a cloud of dust.What it was to become was uncertainuntil between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the dust se
9、ttled intoa solid globe10.The earth became so violent that it was not clearwhether the shape would last or notIt exploded loudly with fire and rock.They were in time to produce carbon dioxide，nitrogen，water vapour and other gases，which were to make the earths atmosphere.What is even more important i
10、s that as theearth cooled down，water began to appear on its surface.it was not clear whether.，it是形式主语，whether从句是真正的主语。Water had also appeared on other planets like Mars but，unlike the earth，it had disappeared later.It was not immediatelyobvious that water was to be fundamental to the development ofl
11、ife.What many scientists believe is that the continued presenceof water allowed the earth to dissolve21 harmful22 gases and acids23 into the oceans and seas.This produced a chain reaction24，which made it possible for life to develop.It was not immediately obvious that.中，it是形式主语，that引导的从句是真正的主语。which
12、 made it possible.是非限制性定语从句，修饰a chainreaction，其中it是形式宾语，真正的宾语是to develop。Many millions of years later，the first extremely small plants began to appear on the surface of the water.They multiplied25 and filled the oceans and seas with oxygen26，which encouraged27 the later development of early shellfis
13、h28 and all sorts of fish.Next，green plants began to grow on land.They were followed in time by land animals.Some were insects.Others，called amphibians29，were able to live on land as well as30 in the water.Later when theplants grew into forests，reptiles31 appeared for the first time.They produced yo
14、ung generally by laying eggs32.After that，some huge animals，called dinosaurs33，developed.They laid eggs too and existed34 on the earth for more than 140 million years.However,65 million years ago the age of the dinosaurs ended.Whythey suddenly disappearedstill remains a mystery.This disappearance ma
15、de possible the rise of mammals35 on the earth10.These animals were different from all life forms in the past，because they gave birth to36 young baby animals and produced milk to feed them.called amphibians“被称为两栖动物”，过去分词短语called.作后置定语，相当于定语从句which were called.。Why they suddenly disappeared是why引导的主语从
16、句。10 made possible.“使 成 为 可 能”，宾 语 the rise ofmammals on the earth因为太长而后置。Finally about 2.6 million years ago some small clever animals，now with hands and feet，appeared and spread all over the earth.Thus37 they have，in their turn38，become the most important animals on the planet.But they are not loo
17、king after the earth very well.They are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere，which prevents heat from escaping39 from the earth into space.As a result of40 this，many scientists believe the earth may become too hot to live on41.So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of
18、years to come will depend on42 whether this problem can be solved 11.阅读清障 according to根据。后不跟me，us，view，opinion。如果要表达类似的意思，可用in my view，in my opinion等。widely accepted广泛接受的 theory/IrI/n.学说；理论 begin with(start with)从开始，起源于 Big Bang宇宙大爆炸；创世大爆炸in all directions(in every direction)朝四面八方atom/tm/n.原子 billio
19、n/bIlIn/pron.&n.&adj.英万亿；美十亿 a cloud of dust一团尘埃 a cloud of一般用来修饰不可数名词。globe/lb/n.球体；地球仪；地球 global/lbl/adj.全球性的；全世界的violent/vaIlnt/adj.猛烈的；激烈的；强暴的in time to do sth./for sth.及时做某事，来得及做某事 in time及时；终于carbon dioxide二氧化碳carbon/kbn/n.碳dioxide/daIksaId/n.二氧化物nitrogen/naItrdn/n.氮water vapour水蒸气 vapour/veIp
20、/n.蒸气；水蒸气atmosphere/tmsfI/n.大气层；气氛cool down凉下来，冷却unlike/nlaIk/prep.与不同；不像反义词like prep.与相同fundamental/fndmentl/adj.基本的；基础的be fundamental to是的基础the continued presence of water水的长期存在continued adj.持续不断的presence/prezns/n.出席；到场；存在21 dissolve/dIzlv/vt.&vi.溶解；解散22 harmful/hmfl/adj.有害的 be harmful to对有害(do ha
21、rm to)23 acid/sId/n.酸24 a chain reaction连锁反应 chain/teIn/n.链子；连锁；锁链in chains戴着镣铐reaction/rIkn/n.反应；回应25 multiply/mltIplaI/vi.&vt.乘；增加26 oxygen/ksIdn/n.氧27 encourage此处意为“激发，促进，助长”。28 shellfish/elfI/n.水生有壳动物29 amphibian/mfIbIn/n.两栖动物30 as well as也，还31 reptile/reptaIl/n.爬行动物；爬虫32 lay eggs下蛋33 dinosaur/d
22、aIns/n恐龙34 exist/IzIst/vi.存在；生存35 mammal/mml/n.哺乳动物36 give birth to产生；分娩37 thus/s/adv.因此；于是38 in ones turn轮到某人39 prevent.from doing阻止/制止做40 as a result of由于的结果41 too hot to live on太热而不能在上面居住too.to.太而不能；live on中的on不能省略42 depend on取决于，依靠,课文译文地球上生命的起源没有人确切知道地球是怎样开始的，因为在很早很早以前它就形成了。然而，根据一种普遍为人们所接受的理论，宇宙
23、起源于一次大爆炸，这次大爆炸将物质投射到四面八方。然后，原子开始形成并结合成恒星和其他天体。大爆炸后好几十亿年过去了，地球还只是一团尘埃。它将成为什么不得而知，直到45亿38亿年前，这团尘埃才逐渐稳定下来变成了固态的球体。地球变得激烈动荡，不知道这个固体形状是否会继续存在下去。它(地球)猛烈的爆炸喷出了烈火和岩石，最终产生了二氧化碳、氮气、水蒸气和其他气体，从而形成了地球的大气层。更重要的是，随着地球冷却下来，地球的表面开始出现了水。在其他行星像火星上都出现了水，但和地球不同的是，这些水后来都消失了。水对生命的发展起关键作用，这一点在当时并不明显。很多科学家相信，由于地球上长期有水存在，使地球
24、得以把有害气体和酸性物质溶解在海洋里。这产生了连锁反应，使生命的生长发育成为可能。好几百万年以后，水的表面开始出现了最早的极小的植物。它们繁殖起来使得海洋充满了氧气，这为早期的贝类及各种鱼类后来的进化创造了条件。接着，绿色植物开始出现在陆地上。随后，陆地上出现了动物，其中有一些是昆虫，另外一些叫两栖动物，它们既能在陆地上生活，也能在水里生活。后来，当这些植物长成森林时，爬行动物第一次出现了。它们一般是通过孵蛋来繁衍后代的。再后来，一些叫恐龙的巨型动物出现了。它们也生蛋，在地球上生存了一亿四千多万年。然而，六千五百万年前，恐龙时代结束了。它们为什么会突然灭绝至今仍是个谜。恐龙的灭绝使地球上哺乳动
25、物的兴起有了可能。这些动物不同于以往所有的生命形态，因为它们从体内生产出幼仔并给幼仔哺乳。最后，大约260万年前，一些小巧聪明、长着手脚的动物出现了，它们散布在地球的各个地方。于是，他们接着成了这个行星上最重要的动物。然而，他们对地球却不怎么在意，他们把过多的二氧化碳排放到大气中，这使得热量不能从地球上散发到太空中去。因此，许多科学家相信地球可能会变得太热而不适合(生物的)生存。所以，在未来的数百万年中，生命能否在地球上延续将取决于这个问题能否得到解决。课文阅读理解Step 1 Match each paragraph with its main idea.1.Para.1A.The impo
26、rtance of water for life.2.Para.2B.The development of plants and animals on the earth.3.Para.3C.The formation of the earth.4.Para.4D.A widely accepted theory about the formation of the universe.5.Para.5E.The arrival of humans and their impact on the earth.答案：1.D 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.EStep 2 Choose the best
27、 answer according to the passage.1What does this passage mainly talk about?AWhy was the earth different from the other planets?BWhy did the plants grow before the animals came?CHow did life begin on earth?DThere used to be nine planets.答案：C2The disappearance ofmade possible the rise of mammalson the
28、 earth.Ahumans BbirdsCfishDdinosaurs答案：D3What problem is caused by human beings?AThey exist everywhere on the earth.BThey caused global warming.CThey find new methods of growing crops.DThey enjoy hunting and fishing.答案：B4Why did plants appear earlier than animals?ABecause plants could produce oxygen
29、，which was importantfor animals.BBecause plants were more advanced than animals.CBecause animals needed more water.DBecause plants needed more water.答案：A5According to the passage we can know.Aonly the earth has life on it in spaceBoxygen in the atmosphere on the earth came from the Big BangChumans a
30、re the cleverest animals of the earthDplants played an important part in the appearance of animals答案：DStep 3 Fill in the blanks with proper words according to the passage.How Life Began on the Earthdustglobeatmosphere fundamentalplantsshellfish plants animalsanimalsbeings基础知识自检.单词预习1_(n.)系统；体系；制度2_(
31、n.)学说；理论3_(n.)球体；地球仪；地球4_(n.)大气层；气氛system theoryglobeatmosphere5_(adj.)基本的；基础的6_(n.)链子；连锁；锁链7_(vi.&vt.)增加；乘8_(adv.)因此；于是9_(n.)宗教；宗教信仰_(adj.)宗教上的fundamentalchainmultiply thus religion religious10_(adj.)猛烈的；激烈的；强暴的_(n.)暴力_(adv.)猛烈地；激烈地11_(prep.)与不同；不像_(prep.)像12_(adj.)有害的_(n.)伤害；损害13_(vi.)存在；生存_(n.)存在
32、14_(v.&n)使迷惑；难题；谜_(adj.)迷惑的_(adj.)令人迷惑的violent violenceviolently unlike likeharmfulharm exist existence puzzlepuzzledpuzzling.短语研习1solar _ 太阳系2a widely _ theory 一个广泛接受的学说3_ time 及时；终于4cool _ 冷却下来；变凉5be _ to 对(来说)是基本的system accepted in down fundamental6a _ reaction 连锁反应7_ eggs 下蛋8give _ to 产生；分娩9in o
33、nes _ 轮到某人10_.from 阻止；制止chain lay birth turn prevent.句型博习1_was uncertain until between 4.5and 3.8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe.它将成为什么不得而知，直到45亿38亿年前，这团尘埃才逐渐稳定下来变成了固态的球体。What it was to become2The earth became _ violent _ it wasnot clear _ the shape would last _.地球变得激烈动荡，不知道这个固体形状是否会继续存在下去。3This produced a chain reaction，which _.这产生了连锁反应，使生命的生长发育成为可能。sothatwhether or notmade it possible forlife to develop