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1 Pioneers of&...
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2 Text Scripts
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3 Language Focus
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4 Text with&nb...
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5 Key to ...






Language Focus
一、Text生词
Legend has it that … 据传说
e.g. Legend has it that this lake was formed by the tears of angels.
据传说,这个湖是由天使的眼泪变成的。
aboard: prep., ad. 在船(飞机、火车)上
e.g.There were more than two thousand people aboard the Titanic.
泰坦尼克号上乘坐了两千多人。
It was reported that the flight had 66 people aboard including three children and seven crew members.
据报道,航班上共载有66人,包括三名儿童,七名机组人员。
have one’s roots in: 起源于
e.g.His recent illness has its roots in a serious infection he suffered as a child.
他最近生病的原因源自小时候的一次严重感染。
The word “aviation” has its roots in the Latin word “avis (bird)”.
aviation一词源自拉丁文中的avis(鸟)一词。
confirm: v. state or show that sth. is true or correct 证实;确认
e.g. Please write back to confirm your acceptance of our invitation.
接受邀请者敬请回复。
mission: n. particular task or duty 任务,使命;(飞机或宇宙飞船的)飞行任务
e.g.A fact-finding mission was organized to look into the dispute.
已组织实情调查活动对这一纠纷加以调查。
A panel of experts think it is possible to send humans on a mission to Mars by the 2030s.
专家组认为,2030年代将人送上火星是可能的。
devise: vt. 设计
e.g. The real challenge is to devise a plan of medical care that will cover all people.
真正的挑战是设计一种能覆盖所有人的医疗保障计划。
risky: a. 冒险的,大胆的
e.g. It is risky to buy a house without careful inspection.
不仔细检查就买房太冒险了。
harness:
vt. control and use the natural force or power of sth. 控制,利用
e.g. We can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity.
我们可以利用风能发电。
vt. tie up 系,拴
e.g. They harnessed the horse to the post.
他们把马拴在柱上。
attach: v. (often followed by to) connect one object to another 把…系(贴、附)在;使附属于
e.g.Please attach a recent photograph to your application form.
申请表上请贴上近照。
He attached a color printer to his computer.
他把彩色打印机连上了电脑。
The hospital is attached to the medical school.
医院是附属于一所医学院的。
primitive: a. very simple in style; belonging to a very early period in the development of a species 简单的,原始的,旧式的
e.g.Engels argued that primitive societies were classless.
恩格斯认为原始社会是无阶级的。
The local hospital care was primitive and unreliable.
当地的医护条件非常简陋,靠不住。
Many people still have a primitive fear of darkness.
很多人对黑暗有种原始的恐惧。
principle: n. a basic rule or law of a particular theory; a general belief 原则,主义,原理;信条
e.g.He wouldn’t let anyone tell him how to do his job, as a matter of principle.
出于原则,他不让任何人告诉他该怎么做。
He is a man of principle.
他是个讲原则的人。
I agree in principle that this is possible but it will not happen soon.
原则上我同意这是可能的,但近期不会发生。
witness:
n. 证人;目击者
e.g. All the witnesses to the attack are asked to call the police.
这一袭击的所有目击者都要给警方打电话。
v. 目击,见证
e.g.India has witnessed many political changes in recent years.
印度近年来经历了各种政治变革。
The 20th century witnessed two world wars.
20世纪发生了两次世界大战。
aviation: n. the science or practice of flying in aircraft; the industry that makes aircraft 飞行,飞行技术;航空工业
e.g.What do aviation experts say about the missing plane?
关于失联飞机航空专家怎么说?
It is said that an aviation museum will be built in this city.
据说本市将建一座航空博物馆。
enormous: a. very great in size, amount, number 巨大的
e.g.An enormous amount of money has been wasted on this project already.
这个项目已经白白花了巨额费用。
The enormous birthday cake dwarfed everything else on the table.
硕大无比的生日蛋糕使得桌上所有别的东西都相形见绌。
concept: n. a thought, notion or idea 概念,理念
e.g.It’s important that children learn to understand the concept of sharing.
孩子懂得分享很重要。
People now have no concept of what it is like to live in dire poverty.
现在的人对极度贫困的生活毫无概念。
hold/break/set a record: 保持/破/创纪录
e.g. Ben Johnson, who set the world record of the 100-meter race in 1988 by taking drugs, said that he would hold the record for 50 years, unless he himself broke it.
1988年因服用禁药打破百米赛跑世界纪录的本·约翰逊曾称,除非他自己去打破,不然这个纪录可以保持50年。
project: n. a plan, proposal or undertaking 计划,方案,项目
e.g.The professor has obtained money/a grant for the three-year research project.
教授获得了这项三年研究项目的资金。
Our team is working on a building project, and Mr. Blackman is the project manager.
我们团队在做一个建筑项目,布莱克曼先生是项目经理。
complex: a. 复杂的
e.g. This is a complex situation. We need to devise a new strategy for solving it.
情况很复杂。我们需要制定新的策略加以解决。
approach: n. a method of doing sth. or dealing with a problem 方法,途径
e.g. He decided to adopt a different approach and teach history through story-telling.
他决定采取另一种方式,用讲故事的方式教历史。
behind schedule: (进度等)落后于计划
e.g.We arrived two days behind schedule.
我们晚到了两天。
The train is already five minutes behind schedule.
火车已经晚点5分钟了。
put into storage: 把…储藏起来
e.g. Gas is put into storage at times of low demand to be used at times of high demand.
需求量低时将汽油储存,用于需求量高时。
(put …) on display: 把…陈列出来
e.g. His collection of paintings has been put on display in many museums.
他的藏画在不少博物馆展出。
feature:
n. a prominent or distinctive aspect, quality, or characteristic 特征,特色
e.g.An important feature of van Gogh’s paintings is their bright colors.
梵高绘画的一个重要特征是用色明亮。
The rose garden is a special feature of this park.
玫瑰园是这个公园的特色。
vt. 以…为特色(或特征)
e.g. The concert features music by Mozart.
音乐会主要演奏莫扎特的作品。
incorporate … into: include (sth.) as part of a system/plan 将…并入
e.g.He assured me that my proposal will be incorporated into the general plan.
他跟我保证说,我的建议会融入到总体规划中。
A number of major improvements will be incorporated into the design of the new car.
诸多重大改进将会融入新车型的设计中。
We have incorporated some environment-friendly features into the design of the building.
我们在大楼的设计中融入了不少环保特色。
in the field of: 在…领域
e.g.The book is for people doing serious research in the field of art history.
本书专为深入研究艺术史的人士推出。
Thanks to some key discoveries in the field of medical science, we now have the power to bring the disease under control.
由于医学领域的重大发现,现在我们能对这一疾病加以控制。
transportation: n. 运输,交通业,输送
e.g.The city needs to improve its public transportation.
本市需要改进公共交通。
There should be stricter rules for transportation of dangerous chemicals/animals by road.
公路运输危险化学品/动物应该有更严格的规定。
ahead of one’s time: 超前
e.g.His views on education were remarkably ahead of his time.
他的教育观远超其时代。
He has the gift of seeing ahead of his time.
他具有超越时代高瞻远瞩的天赋。
sketch:
n. a hasty or undetailed drawing of sth. 草图
e.g. During lunch, he drew a rough sketch of his apartment on a napkin.
午餐期间他在一张餐巾纸上画了一幅自己公寓房的草图。
v. draw a picture of sth. quickly and with few details; give a general description of sth. 为…绘草图,速写;草拟
e.g.He quickly sketched the view from the window.
他很快勾勒出窗外的景致。
I’ve just sketched out a rough proposal. We can add details later.
我草拟了一份粗略的建议。以后我们可以添加具体内容。
She sketched out her plan for tackling the problem.
她草拟了解决问题的计划。
device: n. a machine or tool that does a special job 装置;器具
e.g. They are using a new device to separate metal from garbage.
他们正在使用新设备从垃圾中分离金属。
steer: vt. control the direction of (a boat, car, etc.) 掌舵,驾驶,操纵
e.g. They believe that they need a strong man to steer the country out of its economic troubles.
他们认为需要一个强人将国家带出经济困境。
focus on: 集中在,聚焦于
e.g. It’s time for us to focus our attention on the water problem.
我们该重视水资源问题了。
base … on: 将…基于
e.g. Experts believe that happy relationships are based on close friendship and shared interests, not just strong feelings.
专家认为,幸福的婚姻/情感关系基于亲密的友情和共同的兴趣,而不是强烈的情感。
analogy: n. 类似;类推,类比
e.g. He is fond of drawing analogies between business and football.
他喜欢拿做生意和踢足球作类比。
individual:
n. a single human being considered apart from a community 个人
e.g. The rights of the individual should be respected.
个人的权益应该获得尊重。
a. of or relating to a human being 个人(的)
e.g.Children get more individual attention in small classes.
小班化能使孩子获得更多的个人关注。
二、Text难句
Astronaut Yang Liwei brought to its fulfillment a dream that probably had its roots in a much earlier time. (Para. 1)
Astronaut Yang Liwei realized a dream that had probably originated long before.
宇航员杨利伟实现了一个起源于很久之前的梦想。
Although the veracity of the story cannot be confirmed, legend has it that in A.D. 1500 a man named Wan Hu prepared his own mission to the stars. (Para. 1)
According to a story from ancient times, a man named Wan Hu prepared his flight to the stars, although the truthfulness of the story cannot be proved.
虽然故事的真实性无法考证,但传说一个名叫万户的人在公元1500年筹划了一场他自己的遨游星空之行。
Legend has it that ...是本单元的重点句型,可以结合练习进行操练。
Although the story may seem a little far-fetched, the principles of rocket-powered spaceflight are contained in Wan Hu’s crazy dream. (Para. 2)
Although the story doesn’t sound believable, Wan Hu’s crazy dream has in it the principles of
rocket-powered spaceflight.
虽然故事可能显得有点儿牵强,万户的痴梦中却包含了以火 箭为动力的宇宙飞行的原理。
On November 2, 1947, a crowd of onlookers at San Pedro harbor in Los Angeles witnessed aviation history. (Para. 3)
On November 2, 1947, a crowd of onlookers at San Pedro harbor saw the launch of the Spruce Goose, which was to go down in aviation history as a milestone event.
1947年11月2日,一群旁观者在洛杉矶的圣佩德罗海湾见证了航空史上一大壮举。
The concept for construction of the Spruce Goose came from the need for more effective ways of transporting troops and materials in World War II. (Para. 4)
The idea of building the Spruce Goose grew out of the need for more effective movement of troops and materials during World War II.
建造云杉鹅的想法源于第二次世界大战中更有效地运送部队和物资的需要。
His research focused on the complex anatomy of birds in flight, and he based his flying machines on this analogy. (Para. 6)
He carefully studied the shape and structure of birds and applied the principles of their flight to
the design of his flying machines.
他的研究集中在飞鸟的复杂的解剖结构,他的飞行器的设计便是模拟飞鸟的。
These three enigmatic individuals, Wan Hu, Howard Hughes, and Leonardo da Vinci, came from places and cultures that are about as different as we can imagine. (Para. 7)
The three enigmatic individuals, Wan Hu, Howard Hughes, and Leonardo da Vinci, cannot be more different in terms of their living places and cultures.
万户、霍华德·休斯和列昂纳多·达·芬奇这三位不可思议的人物,来自完全不同的地方和文化背景。
飞行先驱
万户的传说
12003年10月15日,中国发射了第一枚载人火箭。宇航员杨利伟实现了一个起源于很久之前的梦想。虽然故事的真实性无法考证,但传说一个名叫万户的人在公元1500年筹划了一场他自己的遨游星空之行。当时中国发明的火药被广泛应用于军用火箭和烟花鞭炮。万户设计了一个大胆的计划,要利用这种火箭的动力使自己升上星空。
2故事称万户建造了第一艘宇宙飞船,它是一把椅子,配有47枚强力的用火药推动的火箭,还有两只风筝系于其上。发射那天,每枚火箭各由一名手持火把的仆人点燃。仆人们点火后便退后等待。接着便是一声震天动地的巨响:万户和他那原始的宇宙飞船消失得无影无踪。虽然故事可能显得有点儿牵强,万户的痴梦中却包含了以火箭为动力的宇宙飞行的原理。
霍华德·休斯的云杉鹅
31947年11月2日,一群旁观者在洛杉矶的圣佩德罗海湾见证了航空史上一大壮举。一艘别名为云杉鹅的巨型飞船,高速穿过海湾,升到了离水面70英尺的空中。不到一分钟,它完美地在离海湾一英里的地方着陆。这是这艘飞船的第一次也是最后一次飞行。
4建造云杉鹅的想法源于第二次世界大战中更有效地运送部队和物资的需要。这个主意出自一个名为亨利·凯泽的人,但是真正制造这艘飞船的人却是传奇人物千万富翁霍华德·休斯。
5云杉鹅是当时最大的飞机,现在还保持着翼幅最宽的纪录,它完全由木料制成。虽然很有前途,但该项目却以失败告终,其原因有三:建造这种巨型飞机耗资巨大;使用木料制作工艺复杂;而休斯在行事上又是一个完美主义者,致使整个项目工期延误。云杉鹅被存放起来,隐藏在公众视线以外,直到1976年才被陈列展出。1992年这架飞机被拆卸并运送到俄勒冈州,现在还存放在那里。现代货运飞机借鉴了云杉鹅的不少设计特点。像运输领域的其它许多先行者一样,休斯绝对是超前的。
达·芬奇的超前理念
6在休斯设计云杉鹅好几个世纪前,另一位运输设计的先行者已经在勾画不同种类的飞行器草图。列昂纳多·达·芬奇,这位也许是文艺复兴时期最著名的艺术家,画出了多种由人控制和驾驶的带有可以拍打的翅翼的飞行器。他的研究集中在飞鸟的复杂的解剖结构,他的飞行器的设计便是模拟飞鸟的。将近500年后,达·芬奇的草图才变成了实物。2000年6月,专业跳伞运动员艾德里安·尼古拉斯从南非乡村上空的一个热气球里跳出,他使用的降落伞就是根据达·芬奇的一个设计图由木料和帆布制作而成。尼古拉斯安全着陆,达·芬奇的梦想成真。
7万户、霍华德·休斯和列昂纳多·达·芬奇这三位不可思议的人物,来自完全不同的地方和文化背景,但他们却有共同之处,那就是:对飞行的迷恋,创新精神,以及敢于尝试和实现飞行梦想的勇气。
Unit 5 Pioneers of Flight
Key to Exercises
Opener
A Mighty Airplane Built by Howard Hughes in 1947 | |
Length | It was 220 feet long. |
Height | It was higher than a five-story building. |
Weight | It weighed about 60 tons. |
Trip | It had to make the trip from Culver city in California to the Pacific, which is 30 miles away. |
Reading & Interacting
I. Understanding the Text
1. Text Organization
Story | The hero | When it happened | How it relates to modern aviation |
1 | Wan Hu | A.D. 1500 | Wan Hu’s crazy dream contains the principles of rocket-powered spaceflight. |
2 | Howard Hughes | On November 2, 1947 | Many of the design features of the Spruce Goose have been incorporated into modern cargo planes. |
3 | Leonardo da Vinci | About 500 years ago | The flying devices with flapping wings controlled and steered by human pilots he designed still inspire people to pursue their dreams of flying freely in the sky. |
2. Comprehension Check
2.1 Focusing on the main ideas
The article consists of three stories about pioneers of flight. The first story is about a Chinese named Wan Hu, who made an unsuccessful attempt at spaceflight in A.D.1500. He built a spaceship powered by 47 rockets using gunpowder. His idea was crazy, but his dream of flight came true 500 years later when China successfully launched its first manned Shenzhou V spaceship. The second one is about the Spruce Goose, a flying boat designed to meet the need of transporting troops and materials during World War II. It was made entirely of wood and still holds the record for the greatest wingspan. Although it was never put to use, many of its design features have been incorporated into today’s cargo planes. The last is about Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous artist of the Renaissance. Apart from his great artistic work, he also drew sketches of flying devices with flapping wings controlled and steered by human pilots. Five hundred years later, a professional parachutist made a successful jump using a wood and canvas parachute based on one of da Vinci’s designs/sketches.
2.2 Digging into detail
1. Because it was powered by rockets.
2. It was the biggest airplane ever built up to that time, and still holds the record for the greatest wingspan. Besides, it was made entirely of wood.
3. No, because it was behind schedule and was not completed until well after the war.
4. Da Vinci’s flying machines have wings that flap like birds in flight.
5. Because it is difficult for ordinary people to understand their passion for flight, their spirit of innovation, and their courage to try and make their dream come true.
2.3 Understanding difficult sentences
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. B
II. Focusing on Language in Context
1. Key Words & Expressions
1.1
1. He regards learning as a daily experience as well as a lifetime mission.
2. His plan is to design a new model, into which some features of previous models will be incorporated.
3. The ship, with 1,000 passengers aboard, was bound for New York.
4. It’s one thing to learn the rules of politics from books. It is quite another to get into the complex world of real-life politics.
5. At yesterday’s sports meet, my roommate Brian broke the record of our school in the men’s 100-meter race.
6. Jack had a hard time grasping the basic concepts of mathematics.
7. They are working on a new project, which calls for a(n) enormous amount of time and energy.
8. After I bought this iPad, I put into storage my old computer.
9. The new law tries to maintain a balance between national interests and individual rights.
10. The teacher drew a(n) analogy between the human heart and a pump to help students understand how it works.
11. If we teachers believe in education and focus on students’ growth, our labor will eventually pay off.
12. On display in the exhibition room is a new device to harness wind power.
13. His newly published book, which has made waves in literary circles, is based on events that the writer himself has witnessed.
14. At the meeting, he tried to steer the discussion away from criticizing the educational experiment.
15. The money was given to Ann as a scholarship, with no conditions attached.
1.2
1. steer 2. behind schedule 3. ahead of his time 4. Transportation of
5. confirmed 6. put on display 7. harnessing 8. had its roots in
1.3
1. The artist drew a sketch of the young lady before going into a more detailed painting.
2. Brown currently is focusing on devising/designing a new type of washing machine that does not use water.
3. We need to adopt a different approach to music in education.
4. Usually a label with your name and address is attached to your suitcase before you check in at the airport.
5. A new system should be devised because the old system simply doesn’t work.
2. Collocation
1. We rejected the proposal as a matter of principle.
2. Although I am not an American football fan, it doesn’t mean I have no interest in it.
3. Demand for coal is down and so are the prices.
4. Biking is a green alternative to driving.
5. Our research on climate change focuses on its effect on the environment.
3. Sentence Patterns
3.1
1. Our reading room has many interesting books as well as the latest magazines.
2. The 300-page book contains many pictures of the artist as well as some of his famous paintings.
3. For character building, one needs to succeed as well as fail sometimes.
4. The latest model of the Huawei mobile phone is very popular at home as well as abroad.
3.2
1. Legend has it that the guy invented chess to please his King.
2. Word has it that the CEO of my company will retire next year.
3. Rumor has it that he has spent all his money on this crazy and risky plan.
4. Legend has it that those who step onto this stone will have good luck.
4. Comprehensive Practice
4.1 Cloze
Long, long ago Greek legend has it that Daedalus, a brilliant inventor, was imprisoned together with his son Icarus on an island in the Mediterranean. In order to escape, Daedalus devised a clever plan and sketched out his idea to his son. They would both fly away from the island like birds. It was risky, but both thought it worth a try. Using feathers attached together with wax and string, Daedalus made them both a pair of wonderful wings. Harnessed to these they were able to take to the air, leaving those on the ground who witnessed their flight amazed at their strange device. As they flew off over the sea their escape seemed certain. But Icarus, ignoring the warnings of his father, came too close to the sun. The wax holding his wings together melted and he plunged to his death in the ocean below.
4.2 Translation
1. How to harness the power of the rockets is the key to the successful launch of a spaceship.
2. The 20th century witnessed the growth of the aviation industry.
3. During World War II, the United States needed giant cargo planes for transportation of war materials.
4. The film The Aviator is based on the life of Howard Hughes.
5. The professor thinks that more money should be invested in/put into research in the field of energy efficiency.
6. They are carrying out a secret mission.
7. “Focus on the content of the article. Don’t worry about individual words,” said the teacher to the students.
8. Wan Hu’s plan was too risky and too primitive to be successful.
Reading & Comprehending
Reading 1
1. Comprehension Check for Reading 1
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T
2. Translation
1. 他俩合起来的履历看上去令所有真正的飞行冒险家都羡慕不已。
2.“你必须有思想准备,真正能设想出所有的解决方案,”皮卡特说。“否则就非常非常难了。”
3. 如果说有人领教过几乎无法完成的困难任务的话,那就是皮卡特,他是家族中第三代冒险家。
4. 确实,太阳能驱动飞机首创者的动力,不仅仅是为创造新纪录,更多是为后人绘制一条可持续道路的愿望。
Reading 2
Comprehension Check for Reading 2
1. She is the first Chinese woman astronaut on a mission to develop China’s space station.
2. She felt honoured and grateful.
3. Women astronauts have their advantages and capabilities and can complement men in fulfilling their mission.
4. She will carry out medical experiments.
Integrated Skills Practicing
I. Viewing & Listening
Hughes: I mean, I put my money into the planes, senator. My money. See, the thing is, I care very much about aviation. It has been the great joy of my life. That’s why I put my own money into these planes. And I’ve lost millions, Senator Brewster. And I’ll go on losing millions. It’s just ... what I do. Now, I am supposed to be ... many things which are not complimentary. I am supposed to be capricious. I have been called a playboy. I have even been called an eccentric, but I do not believe that I have the reputation of being a liar. Now, needless to say, the Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest plane ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That’s more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I got my reputation all rolled up in it. And I have stated several times that if the Hercules fails to fly, I will leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.
III. Writing
Model paper for your reference
Howard Hughes was an American entrepreneur and an aviation pioneer. During WWII, he entered into a contract with the US government to make planes that would be able to transport troops and materials across the Atlantic Ocean. The prototype he finally produced was nicknamed the Spruce Goose. It was made entirely of wood, and it was the largest airplane ever built. On November 2, 1947, the Spruce Goose made its first and only flight, and after that it was put into storage and then on display for the public. Many think that the Spruce Goose was a failure and a waste of time and money. But if we think of the fact that many of its design features have been incorporated into the modern cargo plane, we will not be so quick to blame Howard Hughes. He was simply ahead of his time. (143 words)

