Unit 1
Text A
Many people often turn a blind eye to the "ordinary" things in life. They are not aware of the existence and importance of the sun, water and air. In this text, the writer tells us how important the sun is to all living things on the earth and what would happen if the sun did not reappear the next morning.
Great Baee of Fire
Hugh Downs
In an interview following my 1965 voyage across the Pacific in a small sailboat, I was asked what power I had on that boat. "Atomic power," I told the reporter.
I wasn't kidding: The boat did have an auxiliary engine and a limited fuel supply; but its main power was its sails. The sails, of course, did nothing unless there was wind, but the wind would not blow if there were not a temperature difference that made cooler air move into the space vacated by the rising warm air.
And there would be no warmer air unless something heated it.
That something is an atomic furnace 93,000,000 miles away that pours its radiation constantly on the day side of the turning Earth. It heats the air, makes it rise, sucks in other air, makes it blow on the sails and causes the boat to be pushed. So every sailboat is powered by an atomic engine—the sun.
You Gotta Love It
Although the sun is very large compared to the Earth, it is one of myriad stars in a very large galaxy, which is one of myriad galaxies in a very large universe. But the sun is special to us because it is the closest star; it holds us in its gravitational grip. And its energy, raining down on the home planet, is utterly necessary for the maintenance of all life.
I've often thought that among the things humans have elected to worship over historic and prehistoric eras, the sun is the most appropriate visible object. Sun worshippers were not too far off the mark.
For life to continue here, the sun must keep on shining. Scientists say that if it died (unlikely in the extreme—it's good for another 5 billion years), in less than two weeks nothing would move on the Earth's surface. Nothing would remain alive.
This is easily seen when you think about how it gets cooler after the sun goes down, and is coolest just before it comes up the next morning. If it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit at sunset and goes down to 60 just before dawn, the only reason the temperature goes back up is that the sun reappears and starts warming things up again.
When Hell Freezes Over
Suppose it didn't do that.
In two days the temperature would go to 40, and then 20 (all water would start to turn into ice) and the next day zero, and then 20 below and 40 below, and so on.
In about 10 more days, when the temperature was close to absolute zero, the gases of the atmosphere (nitrogen and oxygen) would freeze, putting a light snow of solid nitrogen onto the ground, followed by a fine powder of oxygen.
The Earth would then have no liquid water, no atmosphere, and no life.
Perhaps these facts refute the foolish sage who once said the moon was more important than the sun, because the moon shines at night, when we need the light, while the sun shines in the daytime when we don't need it!
(509 words)
New Words
interview
n. a meeting in which a person is asked about personal views, activities, etc. 采访，访问
voyage
n. a journey or travel, esp. by water 航行，航海
sailboat
n. any boat that is moved by a sail or sails 帆船
atomic
a. of atoms; having to do with atoms 原子的
reporter
n. 记者
kid
v. tease playfully; talk in a joking way 开玩笑
auxiliary
a. 备用的；辅助的
engine
n. 发动机
limited
a. kept within limits; restricted 有限的
fuel
n. anything that can be burned to produce heat or power 燃料
vacate
vt. make vacant 腾出，空出
furnace
n. 炉子；熔炉
radiation
n. the act or process of giving out light, heat, electricity, or other radiant energy 辐射；发热；发光
constantly
ad. without stopping; again and again 不断地；经常地
suck
v. draw (liquid)into the mouth; draw into a position 吸，吮；吸入
gotta
v. (have) got to 必须
myriad
a. countless 无数的
* galaxy
n. 星系
universe
n. 宇宙
gravitational
a. of or having to do with gravitation 重力的；地心引力的
grip
n. tight grasp; firm hold 掌握；控制
planet
n. 行星
utterly
ad. completely; totally; absolutely 完全地；彻底地；绝对地
maintenance
n. the act of maintaining or the state of being maintained 维持；保持；维修，保养
human
n. a person; man 人；人类
worship
vt. show great admiration for and respect to 崇拜；尊敬
historic
a. of or having to do with history; famous or important in history 历史的；历史上著名的
prehistoric
a. 史前的
era
n. a historic period 时代
appropriate
a. right for the occasion; suitable 适当的；合适的
visible
a. capable of being seen; apparent 看得见的；明显的
worshipper
n. 崇拜者
unlikely
a. not likely; not probable 不大可能的
extreme
a. in or to the greatest degree; very great 极端的；极度的
n. an extreme degree 极端
billion
n. 十亿
easily
ad. 容易地
sunset
n. the going down of the sun; the time when the sun goes down 日落；日落时分
dawn
n. the beginning of day; the first morning light in the east 黎明；拂晓
reappear
vi. come into sight again 再出现
warm
v. （使…）变暖
hell
n. 地狱；阴间
absolute
a. complete; perfect; not allowing any doubt 绝对的；完全的；确定无疑的
gas
n. 气体；煤气；汽油
atmosphere
n. the air that surrounds the earth 大气；空气
nitrogen
n. 氮气
oxygen
n. 氧气
onto
prep.to a position or point on (sth.) 在…之上
powder
n. 粉，粉末
liquid
n. 液体
* refute
vt. prove (a person) to be in error; show (a claim, opinion, or argument) to be false or incorrect 驳斥；反驳
sage
n. a very wise and widely respected person 圣人；哲人
daytime
n. 白天；日间
Phrases and Expressions
of course
naturally; certainly 自然，当然
rain down (on)
fall in showers or like rain 如雨一般降下；倾泻
off the mark
missing the desired object or end; off the subject 不准确；不相关，不切题
keep on (doing sth.)
continue; go on 继续（做某事）
in the extreme
extremely 非常，极度
good for
able to last or be used for 能持续…，能保持…有效
go down
disappear below a surface or from sight; become low in price, value, etc. （日、月等）落下；（价格、价值等）下降
warm up
make or become warm or warmer （使）暖和起来
turn into
（使）成为
and so on
and other things of that kind 等等
Proper Names
Hugh Downs
休·唐斯
Pacific, the
太平洋
Fahrenheit
华氏温度计（的） |