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Chapter 15 Science General Knowledge (3)
a. 1969 b. 1909c. 1979
2. The planet nearest the sun is the planet.

a. Mercuryb． Venus c． Earth
3. The scientific study of the universe is called ．

a. geology b． astrology c． astronomy
4. The number of stars that can be seen on a clear night without a telescope is .

a. 200 to 500 b. 3 to 000c. 5 to 000
5. An instrument used to study the stars is the .

a. ． telescope b． periscopec． barometer
6. Astronomy is a.

a. superstition b. sciencec． false religion
Translation
The sun, earth, moon, plants and other smaller objects such as meteoroids, comets and asteroids make up what we call the solar system.Of course, the solar system also includes stars.

sun.The sun is a star and the center of the solar system.The earth, moon, planets and small celestial bodies all revolve around the sun.Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth; without the sun, there would be no change in the weather.The tilt of the earth causes the seasons to change, and the heat of the sun moves the air, thus creating the wind.Due to the Earth's rotation, the sun always appears to rise in the east and set in the west.The period of the earth's rotation around itself is 24 hours, and the period of the earth's revolution around the sun is 365.14 days.We measure years by revolution.The Sun also spins, spinning on its own axis and traveling through the Milky Way at 43000 miles (69187 kilometers) per hour.

moon.The moon is the closest to us in space, about 240000 miles (386160 kilometers) from Earth.Because there is no air and water on the moon, there is no life on the moon.The gravitational force on the surface of the moon is about 1/6 of that on the surface of the earth.If a man weighs 60 pounds on Earth, he weighs only 10 pounds on the Moon.If he could lift 50 pounds on Earth, he could lift 300 pounds on the moon.In 1969, two astronauts landed on the moon for the first time, and they also brought back soil and rock samples from the moon for study.

planet.Do you know how many planets revolve around the sun?Including the earth, there are 9 planets orbiting the sun.You may recall that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.The other planets, in order of distance from the sun, are Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. (Pluto comes closer to the sun than Neptune about every 20 years.)
Star.We do not use a telescope in the clear night sky, and the number of stars visible to the naked eye is between 3000 and 5000.Humans estimate that there are infinitely many galaxies in space, each with billions of stars.

Astronomers have studied the stars for hundreds of years, and some people still confuse astronomy with astrology.Astronomy is the scientific study of the universe, a true science.Astrology is a superstition, and astrologers make a living by studying the planets and stars to predict people's future.The Bible warns people not to trust astrology.Scientists believe this reliance on the stars doesn't make sense, and that we study astronomy to better understand the universe, not ourselves or our future.

Exercise
True or false.

1.The emergence of day and night is caused by the earth's revolution around the sun.

2.The sun travels through the Milky Way very fast.

3.Without the sun, life on earth would be impossible.

4 planets fly in the orbit of the sun.

5. 4 planets fly in the orbit of the earth.

6.People are warned in the Bible that astrology is superstition.

7.Earth is the center of the solar system.

8.Comets are relatively small objects in space that orbit the sun.

9.The cycle of an asteroid orbiting the moon is 24 hours.

Choose the correct answer to fill in the blank.

1.Two astronauts landed on the moon in .

a. 1969 b. 1909c. 1979
2.The closest planet to the sun is .

a.Mercury b.Venusc.Earth

3.The scientific study of the universe is called.

a.Geologyb.Astrologyc.astronomy
4.On a clear night, the number of stars that can be seen with the naked eye is ________.

a. 200～500 b. 3000～5000
c．5 000，000～10，000，000
5.One tool used to study the stars is .

a.telescope b.Periscope c.Barometer
6.Astronomy is.

a.Superstition b.science c.wrong belief
True or false:

1. true2. true3. true
4. true5. false 6． true
7. false 8． true 9． false
Choose to fill in the blanks:

1. a 2． a3. c
4. b5． a6． b
04 Personnel Work at the Space Center

All the people involved with space travel at the space center are helping man to know more about what is in space. This knowledge is useful. The scientists have learned many things about the moon and stars. They know more about the earth because of the study at the space center. The scientists are helping make our world a better place in which to live.
Weathermen at the space center are studying the weather. More knowledge of the upper layers of air helps them understand how and where storms grow. If men know when bad storms are coming, they can warn people. all over the world.
Many people work at the Space Center. Scientists, weathermen, truck drivers, builders, engineers, and technicians all work there.
The scientists at the space center draw plans for rockets and explore the problems of space travel.
The weathermen find out what time is best for a launch. They know when storms will be in the area. A rocket cannot be launched during a storm.
Truck drivers are busy driving the big fuel trucks that are used to fill the rocket tank. Fueling is dangerous work because the fuel is very explosive and the rockets need so much of it to make a long trip. Because it is so dangerous, the fueling is done just before launching.
Engineers plan the direction a rocket will go. They plot a path through space for the trip just as you might plan a trip to the Everglades. They must decide how fast the rocket will travel and how much fuel it will need to carry. computers to help them plan.
Technicians check the rockets to make sure they are ready to go. Other technicians watch the rocket's flight on a screen and check its speed and direction. Technicians have many jobs at the space center. Many of the technicians work in the blockhouse. Rockets on special screens because the blockhouse has no windows.
Workers build many things around the space center. Some of these workers build the gantry. The gantry is a tower where the rocket is checked. Other men move the gantry on its tracks. These men pull the gantry back into a parking area before the rocket is launched. Moving the gantry prevents it from being burned by the heat of the rocket firing.
Many workers are needed to build the rockets, satellites, and space capsules. These things are usually built in other places in the country, and then they are carried by huge trucks to the space center. Once they reach, they are put together by other workers.
Many people must work together to launch a rocket. Many willing hands and heads make a hard job easier.
Vocabulary
Involve [in"v? lv] vt. to involve, involve

weathermen ["wee?m?n] weatherman

upper ["? p?] adj. Higher, upper;

adj. capitalized;
vt. Typographically in capital letters

Technician [tek"ni??n] n. Technicians, experts, people with good skills
explore [iks"pl?:] vt. & vi. exploration, detection;
vt. to explore, explore, examine carefully

launch [l? :nt? ] vt. Launch (boat), launch, launch;
n. launch, (new product) production, yacht

Explosive [iks"pl?usiv] adj. Explosive, eruptive, highly controversial;

n. explosive, dynamite

engineer ["end? i" ni? ] n. engineer, (train) driver;
vt. design, planning

direction [di"rek??n] n. direction, trend, scope, guide, management, guidance, name and address
plot [pl? t] n. Storyline, intrigue, small plot;
vt. Divide... into small pieces and draw;
vt. & vi. conspiracy
Everglade ["ev?ɡleid] n. Wetlands, swamps
blockhouse ["bl? khaus] n. bunker, wooden house, log cabin, rocket launch protection room
Gantry ["ɡ?ntri] n. Gantry, bucket stand

track [tr? k] n. track, footprint, path, track, runway;
vt. to follow, trace

Capsule ["k? psju:l] n. Capsule, space capsule, airtight cabin
Practice
I. Write the correct word on the line.
1. Scientists at Space Center study about ．

space children roads
2. The are in the blockhouse．

gantries rockets controls
3. The gantry is the tower where the rockets are .

built checked sold
4. The blockhouse has no ．

workers screens windows
5. Many people must work together to launch a .

rocket storm tower
6. Rockets carry a lot of ．

rocksstars fuel
II. Draw lines to match the workers with their jobs and then write the right letter on each line.
1. scientistsa. bring the fuel
2. truck drivers b． plot a path for the rocket
3. engineers sc. watch the rocket on a screen
4. weather mend. put up towers and buildings
5. technical. study about space
6. gantry workers f． watch for storms
7. builders g． moves the tower to the parking area
Translation
All the people who work at the Space Center are there to help people gain a better understanding of the universe and space, and this knowledge is beneficial.Scientists already know a lot about the moon and stars, and those at the Space Center have given them an even better understanding of Earth, and they are helping us make the world a better place to live in.

Meteorologists work at space centers to study the weather.A wealth of knowledge about the upper air can help them understand what storms will look like and where they will arise.If they knew when a severe storm was coming, they could warn people.Studying the weather is a very important job that can help people all over the world.

In the space center, there are many people working.They include scientists, weather researchers, truck drivers, builders, engineers and technicians.

There, scientists make plans to launch rockets and discuss issues of space travel.

Weather researchers can help determine when is the best time to launch, because they know when there will be storms in the area, during which rockets cannot launch.

(End of this chapter)