英语听力—环球英语 716 Living on the Moon

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
“There is little question that man will get to the moon. At first he will have to bring his own food, water, shelter² and tools. But once established, there is reason to be sure that he can learn to live there. Compared with the planets⁴ and stars, the moon is probably most similar to earth. In a recognizable state, man could live by means⁵ of today’s technology, rough⁶ as it is.”
Voice 1
These words were written in 1959. It was for a Time Magazine article titled, “Race into Space.” During the nineteen fifties many people dreamed about living on the moon. No one had yet travelled to the moon. But people believed that once they did, there would soon be a city on the moon. Fifty years later, this still has not happened.
Voice 2
Today’s Spotlight is on the moon. All around the world, when people look up at night, they see the same moon. But the moon does more than give us light at night. The moon brings out the human desire to explore and discover. And when we learn more about it, the moon shows us that our own planet³ is very special.
Voice 1
Some ancient people believed that the moon was a container of fire travelling through heaven. Other people believed that the moon was a mirror that showed an image of earth’s lands and oceans. But by the year one hundred, people discovered that the moon was round, like the earth. They also discovered that it moved around the earth. But people also thought that the sun moved around the earth. It would take another fourteen hundred [1400] years before scientist discovered that the earth goes around the sun and the moon goes around the earth.
Voice 2
During the sixteen hundreds, better telescopes⁷ helped people understand the moon. Telescopes are long tubes⁸ with a rounded glass at each end. Astronomers⁹, look through them to study space. Things that are far away then appear closer. During this time in history, astronomers created a map of the moon. It included high mountains and deep craters¹⁰, holes in the moon’s surface.
Voice 1
But people still had not tried to get close to the moon. When scientists developed modern rockets, it became possible to try. In 1959 both the United¹¹ States and Russia sent ships to fly around the moon and take pictures. Then they sent ships without people to land on the moon. But the real goal was to send people to the moon.
Voice 2
But why would people in the nineteen fifties, especially in the United States, dream about living on the moon? There are two reasons. The first reason is the struggle between the United States and Russia. At this time, both countries wanted to be powerful¹². They tried to prove their power by being the first country to reach the moon.
Voice 1
In this way, getting to the moon had national importance. Normal people cared about this goal. They demonstrated¹³ pride in their country. Space travel was in the news. Children played with model rockets. They dreamed of growing up and flying through space.
Voice 2
The second reason many people thought about living on the moon is because the moon represented¹⁴ something. It represented the human desire to explore and discover new things. It is what people feel when they look at the stars and think, “I wonder what, or who, is out there?” While relations between Russia and the United States have now changed, people still feel called to explore space.
Voice 1
Finally, in 1969 three men from the United States finally landed on the moon. Back on earth, Thomas O. Paine, the director¹⁵ of the space program, was very happy. He told the Associated¹⁶ Press:
Voice 4
“I think that this success is something that has raised the spirits of men around the world. It has caused us to stop and think about its meaning, which only history will show us. But we have clearly entered a new time of history.”
Voice 2
But are we really any closer to living on the moon? We do know more about the moon than we did. We know about the rocks, the gravity¹⁷, and the atmosphere of the moon. But we also know that if we were going to live on the moon, we would need to take everything with us. We would need to bring food, water, and air. We would also need something to protect us from the sun.
Voice 1
Sadly, the moon just does not have enough resources¹⁸ to support life. There is no atmosphere to provide air or protection¹⁹ from radiation. There is no plant or animal life. Where the sun shines it can reach 127 degrees Celsius²⁰. Without the sun it is as cold as negative 173 degrees Celsius. The moon is not an easy place to live.
Voice 2
And it was this discovery that slowed excitement for space travel. Often, people now think space travel costs too much money. And it brings too little gain. They think that governments should spend money on problems here on earth. People want to know: why spend so much money to go to the moon, when the earth already has everything we need?
Voice 1
And this is very true. Our planet has food, water, and air. The atmosphere protects us from the sun’s radiation. The moon is cold and dead and still. The earth is moving and warm and alive. The earth has the perfect conditions necessary to support life. But sometimes we need to travel away from home to learn how nice it is. And the moon has shown us how amazing is our planet earth.
Voice 2
And yet, many countries have space programs. These include India, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States. There are also people with a lot of money who have started private space travel companies. So there are still plenty of people who want to travel to the moon. Some want to go to better study it and the stars. Other people want to make money. Others want to go simply because they like to learn about it. So the dream of living on the moon may still be a long way away. But the dream lives on.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

3 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。

4 planets   

行星( planet的名词复数 )； 地球（尤指环境）

参考例句：

• Does life exist on other planets? 其他行星上有生命吗？
• the planets of our solar system 太阳系的行星

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 rough   

adj.粗糙的；粗略的，大致的；粗野的，粗暴的

参考例句：

• It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
• His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。

7 telescopes   

n.望远镜( telescope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• optical instruments such as microscopes and telescopes 显微镜和望远镜等光学仪器
• Telescopes and microscopes are optical instruments. 望远镜和显微镜是光学仪器。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 tubes   

n.管( tube的名词复数 )；地铁；[军事]炮管；管状物

参考例句：

• In semiconductor receivers transistors take the place of vacuum tubes. 在半导体收音机中晶体管代替了真空管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• These evening damps and chills play Old Harry with one's bronchial tubes. 夜晚的湿气与寒冷对支气管有害。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 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》

10 craters   

n.火山口( crater的名词复数 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. 战场上布满弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

12 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

13 demonstrated   

举行示威游行（或集会）( demonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )； 示范。展示； 显示； 论证

参考例句：

• All of those demonstrated the correctness of his analysis. 这一切都证明了他分析的正确性。
• The fireman demonstrated great courage in saving the child. 那位消防队员在抢救孩子的过程中，表现了极大的勇气。

14 represented   

v.表现( represent的过去式和过去分词 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• The number 107 is represented in hexadecimal as 6B. 107这个数用十六进制表示为6B。
• Women are under-represented at senior levels in business. 商界高层的女性代表不足。

15 director   

n.主管，导演；主任；理事；董事；处长

参考例句：

• The director has taken the visitors off to his office.经理把客人带到他办公室去了。
• The new director is easy to get along with.新来的主任很好处。

16 associated   

adj.联合的

参考例句：

• the risks associated with taking drugs 与吸毒有关的危险
• I don't want to be associated with your scheme; I'm contracting out. 我不想参与你们的计划，我要退出。

17 gravity   

n.重力，引力，地心引力

参考例句：

• An apple falls down because of gravity.由于重力的关系，苹果往下掉。
• The stone rolled down the mountain by gravity.这块石头由于重力作用而滚下山。

18 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

19 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。

20 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。