英语听力精选进阶版 14454

Mountaintop blasted to build huge telescope

Summary

20 June 2014

Astronomers¹ have blown the top off a mountain in Chile. The explosion has created a flat area of land upon which the world's biggest telescope - called the European-Extremely Large Telescope - can be built. Scientists say that once it has been built, it will allow them to see deeper into space than ever before.

Reporter:

Rebecca Morelle

Report

It was an explosive start to the construction of a telescope that will revolutionise astronomy. In an instant, the top of a 10,000 foot (3,000m) high mountain was flattened², clearing the way for the Extremely Large Telescope. 

Located in Chile's Atacama desert, the structure will be size of a football stadium. At its heart is a mirror measuring 130 feet (40m) across - and this will transform our view of deep space. Dr Aprajita Virma from the University of Oxford³ in the UK is working on the project.

Dr Aprajita Virma, University of Oxford: 

The extremely large telescope will be able to see right back as far as we can go in the observable universe and look at the very first stars that formed and when basically the Universe switched on. For exoplanets, extra-solar planets, we'll be able to look at their atmospheres and compare them to the planets in our own solar system and potentially look for signs of life.

Once the rock and rubble⁴ form the mountain is cleared, construction will begin in earnest. The telescope will take 10 years to complete.

1 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

3 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

4 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。