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Chapter 19 Science General Knowledge (7)
Heat travels from the sun to the earth by radiation. The rays of the sun must pass through space and the earth's atmosphere. The heat rays lose very little heat as they go through the atmosphere. When they strike the surface of the earth, the earth absorbs them. The earth becomes heated, and, in turn, heats the air closes to it. When air is next to a warm part of the earth, it expands. Along a lake or ocean on a warm day, the air over the hot land rises. It makes room for the heavy water-cooled air over the ocean, a sea breeze comes in. And the warm air rises, the high cold air is pushed down. In this way winds are set in motion.
Radiation from the sun, changes in temperature and moving air all have a part in causing weather. The amount of moisture in the air also causes different weather conditions. As water evaporates from soil, rivers, lakes, and oceans, it rises and forms clouds . The clouds send down rain and the water cycle begins all over again.
Forces. Even though thunderstorms cause damage at times, they do more good than harm. They bring rain that provides water for all living things. Millions of tons of fertilizers are formed by gases which are formed by the lightning.
Sand and dust storms cause damage to the soil. They carry away soil and even blow crops out of the ground.
Water, plants, ice, and changing temperatures all work together to break up the rocks and the soil. Weathering takes place. Land surface is worn down. This wearing away of soil and rocks is called erosion.
Prediction. The United States Weather Bureau takes recordings of the weather from all parts of the country and even from space by means of satellites. The weathermen find patterns developing. From these patterns they forecast the weather. Some of the instruments they use to predict the Weather are thermometers, barometers, weather vanes anemometers, rain gauges, and satellites.
Vocabulary
atmosphere ["? tm? sfi?] n. atmosphere, atmosphere, air, atmosphere, environment

temperature ["temp? rit??] n. temperature, temperature, high fever, fever

Moisture ["m?ist??] n. Moisture, water vapor, moisture;
vt. make moisture-proof

Instrument ["instrum? nt] n. Utensils, instruments, musical instruments, puppets, official documents, documents

predict [pri"dikt] vt. & vi. prophecy, prediction, forecast

Troposphere ["tr? p? usfi?] n. troposphere

Vapor ["veip?] n. Water vapor, water vapor, boaster;
v. Boast, (to) vaporize
Stratosphere ["str? t? sfi?] n. stratosphere, stratosphere
ultraviolet["?ltr?"vai? lit] adj. (light) ultraviolet
Mesosphere ["mes? sfi?] n. middle layer

Ionosphere [ai"? n? sfi?] n. ionosphere

Exosphere ["eks? sfi?] n. Outer atmosphere, exosphere
Fahrenheit ["f?r?nhait] n. Fahrenheit temperature scale
Altitude ["? ltitju: d] n. Height, altitude, high place, highland

radiation["reidi"ei? ? n] n. Radiation (energy), emission, radiation
motion ["m? u?? n] vt. (to...) gesturing, signaling;
n. (object) movement, action, proposal

Evaporate [i"v? p? reit] vt. & vi. (make something) evaporate;

vi. to disappear, to cease to exist

thunderstorm ["θ? nd? st?: m] n. A storm with thunder and lightning
Fertilizer ["f?: tilaiz?] n. fertilizer, chemical fertilizer

dust [d? st] n. Dust, dust, dust, remains;
vt. & vi. whisk, dust;

vt. Sprinkle (powder) on

Weathering ["wee? ri?] n. Erosion, weathering

Erosion [i"r?u??n] n. Corrosion, erosion, wear

forecast ["f?:-kɑ:st] vt. prediction, forecast

thermometer[θ? "m? mit?] n. thermometer, thermometer
barometer [b? "r? mit?] n. barometer, barometer
vanes [vein] n. Weather vane, weather flag, leaf, wing
anemometer["?ni"m? mit? ] n. Anemometer
gauges [ɡeid? ] n. Thickness, diameter, measuring instrument, specification;
vt. measure, estimate, judge

Practice
I. Complete the following sentences.
1. The air nearest the earth is called the .

2. The layer of atmosphere above the troposphere is called the ．

3. The layer of gas that helps protect us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun is called .

4. Heat travels from the sun to the earth by ．

5. Temperature drops about three and one-half degrees Fahrenheit for every thousand feet of ．

6. The wearing away of soil and rocks is called weathering, or .

7. The United States Weather Bureau weather with the help of instruments.

8. What are four forces that break up rock and soil?

9. What are four instruments that weathermen use to help them predict the weather?

II. Match these items.
1. Thermometera． moisture in the air
2. -55 degrees Fb． wearing away from soil
3. vanec. atmosphere nearest the earth
4. satellite. man-made object in space
5. altitude. protects us from sun's ultraviolet rays
6. barometer f. measures temperature
7. erosion. temperature 8 to 10 miles above the earth
8. vaporh. measures air pressure
9. troposphere I． height above earth's surface
10. ozone j. wind direction indicator
Translation
All life on Earth depends on the atmosphere.People, animals and plants are as inseparable from air as they are from water.Atmosphere - The changes in this sea of ​​air that form the climate.Changes in temperature, air pressure, air movement, humidity, all of these can create a climate.By studying these changes with special instruments, weathermen can predict the weather and warn us in advance.

cause.Scientists have named the layers of the atmosphere: The layer of air closest to Earth is called the troposphere, and this layer contains nearly all the air and most of the water vapor in the atmosphere.Wind belts, clouds, and climate are all part of the troposphere.

Next to the troposphere is the stratosphere.This layer of atmosphere extends from the troposphere to an altitude of about 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) above the Earth.The upper part of the stratosphere is the so-called ozone layer, where ozone gas protects people from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Outside the stratosphere, there are three layers of the atmosphere: the mesosphere, the ionosphere, and the exosphere.Outside of these layers, the atmosphere is integrated in the universe, where no air exists.

As you go higher up in the troposphere, the temperature drops.At an altitude of about 8 to 10 miles, temperatures drop to an average of -55 degrees Fahrenheit.In the mountains, the air is usually cooler.Temperatures drop approximately 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (305 degrees Celsius) for every 3.5 feet (2 meters) in altitude.

Heat is transferred from the sun to the earth by radiation.The sun's rays have to travel through space and the Earth's atmosphere, and when they do, they lose very little heat.When they reach the Earth's surface, they are absorbed by the surface.As a result, the ground temperature rises, which in turn warms the air near the surface.The air near the warmer parts of the Earth expands, and on hot days, in areas near oceans and lakes, hot air rises over the land to make room for heavier, cooler, moisture-laden air over the oceans, creating sea breezes .Warm air rises and cold air descends, and that's how the wind begins to move.

Radiation from the sun, which changes the temperature and moves the air, is partly responsible for the climate.The amount of moisture in the air can also produce different climatic conditions.Water evaporated from soils, rivers, lakes, and oceans rises and forms clouds, which can form rainfall, and the water cycle starts all over again.

strength.Although thunderstorms can sometimes be catastrophic, they can still do more good than harm.They bring rain and provide water for all living things.Gases from lightning can also produce millions of tons of fertilizer.

Sandstorms can cause damage to land.They carry away soil and can even pull crops out of the ground.

Water, vegetation, ice, and temperature changes all work together to destroy rock and soil.Weathering occurs when land surfaces are worn away. This abrasion of soil and rock is called erosion.

predict.The U.S. Weather Bureau has records of space weather from around the world and even via satellites.From these records, meteorologists look for patterns of weather development, and from these patterns, they forecast the weather.The instruments they use to predict the weather include thermometers, barometers, vane anemometers, rain gauges, and satellites.

Exercise
Ⅰ. Complete the following sentences.

1.The air closest to the earth is called .

2.The layer of atmosphere above the troposphere is called.

3.The layer of air that helps protect us from the sun's ultraviolet rays is called .

4.Heat passes from the sun to the earth.

5.For every 1000 feet you gain, the air temperature drops about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

6.The abrasion of soil and rock is known as weathering, or .

7.The US Weather Bureau weathers with the help of instruments.

8.What are the four forces that destroy soil and rock?
9.What are the four instruments that weathermen use to help them predict the weather?
Ⅱ. Match the following items.

1.thermometer a.moisture in the air

2. -55 degrees Fahrenheit b.soil abrasion

3.weather vane c.atmosphere closest to earth
4.satellite d.man-made objects in space

5.Altitude e.Protect us from the sun's UV rays
6.Barometer f.measure temperature

7.Erosion g.Temperature at an altitude of 8 to 10 miles above the ground

8.Moisture h.Measuring atmospheric pressure
9.troposphere i.Height from Earth's surface
10.Ozone j.wind direction indicator
Ⅰ. 1. troposphere2． stratosphere 3． the ozone
4. radiation 5． altitude6． erosion
7. forecast
8. Water, plants, ice, and changing temperatures.

9. thermometers, barometers, weather vanes anemometers, rain
gauges．

Ⅱ．1．f　2．g　3．j　4．d　5．i　6．h　7．b　8．a　9．c　10．e
07 Gravity What is gravity

The laws of gravity were discovered by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. He discovered that the universe was held together and kept in motion by a strange force. This force, called gravity, is a natural force that causes objects to move toward each other. Long before 1687, however, the Bible told those who read it that God holds the world together by His mighty power.
Some things are light in weight. Other things are heavy. A force, called gravity, pulls everything that is on the earth toward the center of the earth. Because of gravity, you have weight. Because of gravity, you can live on a round earth and not fall off.
(End of this chapter)