VOA慢速英语--航天大学计划让科学家为应对健康危机做好准备

Space University Program Prepares Scientists to Battle Health Crises¹

This week the International Space University, based in Strasbourg, France, ended its first virtual² Interactive³ Space Program, or ISP.

The ISP is an online development program for scientists in different fields of expertise⁴. It trains them to work together in groups, using space resources, to prepare for space flight and related⁵ projects.

The ISP is structured to be like a real space mission⁶. About a month before the five-week program began, the groups received training on team dynamics⁷ and communication skills. They also learned⁸ how to use digital tools for sharing documents, team-building and social exchanges.

Thirty nationalities

Eighty-six men and women, representing 30 different nationalities, took part in the latest Interactive Space Program, called ISP 2020. The participants learned about all areas of study linked to space exploration. Like members of an actual space flight crew, they worked closely⁹ with space experts during the program.

The director of the ISP 2020, spoke¹⁰ with VOA about the participants.

"So, ISU in general, not particularly this program, operates on a more almost intergenerational setting¹¹ so we have participants starting from new graduates at the age of 20, 21. And we have participants, even in this program, at the age of 60 plus who are senior managers in their institutions or organizations. And generally, the average age is around 35. I can definitely¹² say the network that we have at ISU, especially through our alumni -- and we have alumni [from] around 110 countries, at the moment, represented -- that network is actually one of the driving factors for people to ISU programs."

This year 12 of the participants came from India, which has a growing space program. Four of the 12 were awarded a scholarship honoring¹³ the Indian American astronaut Kalpana Chawla. She was the first Indian-born woman in space. She was one of the seven astronauts killed when the U.S. space shuttle Columbia broke up when reentering Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.

Mission: solve pandemics

Just like real astronauts, the participants were asked to complete a simulated¹⁴ space mission. Karacalıoğlu explains:

"The topic of this year, this particular program, is how space -- space technology, space assets¹⁵ in general -- can help the current and the next future pandemics, to solve the situation."

On many days, the program began with a talk by an expert from a space agency¹⁶ official or representative. Alumni of the program talked to the participants at other times. One of its most famous alumni is American Jessica Meir. She spoke with the participants this summer about her work with NASA, the U.S. space agency. Meir was part of the first all-female spacewalk in history.

The interactive training also involved practical aspects of space and health crises, including pandemics. The participants were given a chance to use satellite and communications technology. Other areas of study were artificial¹⁷ intelligence and medical fields. Speakers talked about business, international cooperation and other issues.

Focus areas

These talks were followed by individual and teamwork activities. ISP participants worked in teams with members in different time zones. They studied space and health issues related to pandemics. Karacalıoğlu said the teams closely examined four areas.

"One is how to monitor pandemics from space, the second one is how to mitigate¹⁸ for a future event, how to prevent and how to be prepared. So actually we have these four different teams, each team actually going much more into depth in each of these areas."

Stress & challenges

As part of the ISP 2020 experience, the participants were required to perform activities not directly related to space exploration. They had to grow food, cook something, get physical exercise -- such as walking a certain distance -- and plant a tree. Working with speakers of other languages made them communicate better in English. Working across time zones made them understand how astronauts feel as they circle the planet¹⁹ during a typical workday.

At the end of the program, each team produced a report and made a presentation on how space can help fight pandemics. The university says the presentations were given to representatives of the World Health Organization and decision-makers from around the world.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

resource – n. something that provides support or much-needed supplies

dynamics – n. the behavioral relationships between members of a group that are given connected work or duties

alumni – n. pl. people who were students at a particular school, college, or university

scholarship – n. financial aid for knowledge and education

artificial intelligence – n. an area of computer science that deals with giving machines the ability to act and make decisions like humans

time zone – n. an area within which the same time is used

monitor – v. to watch, observe or listen to, or check for a special purpose over a period of time

mitigate – v. to make (something) less severe, harmful, or painful

intergenerational – adj. occurring between or involving people of different age groups

1 crises   

n. 危机；危险期

参考例句：

• Economic crises recur periodically. 经济危机周期性地发生。
• Great crises often call forth gifted leaders. 危急存亡之际常能产生天才的领袖。

2 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

3 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

4 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

5 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

6 mission   

n.使命，任务，天职；代表团，使团

参考例句：

• He was charged with an important mission.他受委托承担一项重要使命。
• I'll leave you to undertake an important mission.我要让你承担一项重要使命。

7 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

8 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

9 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

12 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

13 honoring   

v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They sat in silence, honoring the clan Jordache for a moment. 他们默默地坐了一会儿，对乔达虚家族表示了一番敬意。 来自辞典例句
• Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check. 美国没有履行这项神圣的义务，只是给黑人开了一张空头支票。 来自辞典例句

14 simulated   

a.伪装的，模仿的

参考例句：

• The effects of weathering can be simulated in the laboratory. 在实验室里可以模拟各种天气产生的影响。
• She showed simulated enthusiasm towards us. 她向我们表示了虚假的热情。

15 assets   

n.财产；资产

参考例句：

• We capitalized our assets to avoid bankruptcy.我们把资产转作资金以避免破产。

16 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

17 artificial   

adj.人工的，人造的，人为的；做作的，假装的

参考例句：

• The new dam will form a large artificial lake behind it.新筑的水坝将会在后面形成一个人工湖。
• We don't use any artificial flavourings in our products.我们的产品不使用任何人工调味剂。

18 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

19 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。