外研版英语选修八module5课文原文word版本
外研版英语选修八-MODULE-5-课文原文复习过程
外研版英语选修八-M O D U L E-5-课文原文【MODULE 5】The Conquest of the Universe【READING AND VOCABULARY】Space: the Final Frontier[Part 1]Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong`s now famous words:“That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a peace travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle——a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle fight into space was the Columbia——launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981,. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo 11`s historic voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going to be a special flight and so millions of people turned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37, who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe theaim of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme. Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock—— maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous than getting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were ——in one moment excitement and success turned into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time,“When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human being who have the same feelings.”[Part 2]I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. We didn`t have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in mid-air and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard, a few weeks later, that the bodies of the astronaut and even the teacher`s lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean, I was not so sure it was worth it at all. In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.【READINH AND VOCABULARY】Secrets of the Gas GiantThe Cassini-Huygens space probe, which reached Saturn last week, has sent bank amazing photographs of the planet`s famous rings viewed in ultraviolet light. The pictures show them in shades of blue, green and red. The different colours shoe exactly what the rings are made of: the red means the ring contains tiny pieces of rock and the blue and green is likely to be a mixture of water and frozen gases. Saturn itself is made of gases. It is so light and it could float on water——if a big enough ocean could be found!The probe is an international project to explore the planet and its rings and moons. It was launched in 1997 and its mission was to explore the “gas giant” planet which is the furthest planet to be seen from the Earth without a telescope.Scientist says the spacecraft`s four-year tour of Saturn may tell them how the rings are formed. It will also study the planet`s atmosphere and magnetic field.The porbe has sent back pictures of some of Saturn`s moon, including tiny Phoebe, which has a strange shape——unlike other planets and their moons, it is not perfectly round——and Saturn`s biggest moon, Titan, which is believed to be the only body in the solar system other than the Earth with liquid on the surface.The images of Titan and Phoebe look strangely like photos of Earth and our own Moon, taken decades ago by the earliest space missions. They are so clear that it is easy to forget they ear coming from a distance f one-and-a-half-billion kilometers.【READING PRACTICE】May the Force Be with YouStar Wars is a series of science fantasy films. The six-film series began in 1977, and has a world-wide audience, with films, books, video games, television series and toys. It is now acknowledged by the movie industry as the most successful film series ever.The films were made in random order, and move backwards and forwards through two hundred years. They describe the deeds of Anakin Skywalker, a noble Jedi knight, while Darth Vader, under orders from Lord Sith, creates tension then conflict between various autonomous republics and movements. This results in the defeat of the Jedi.Then Anakin`s son, Luke Skywalker, joins the Rebel Alliance to attack the authority of the new evil Empire. He accuses Darth Vader of killing his father, so he trains to become a Jedi knight and swears to avenge his loss. But to his sorrow, he learns that his father is actually Darth Vader himself. Luke escapes the latter`s grasp, as well as the Emperor`s attempt to turn him to the Dark Side. Instead, to his great relief, he achieves glory by turning his father back to the light side, while the divisions of the Rebel Alliance fleet flights the battle for the airspace over the motherland, and wins the war. Star Wars reflects many abstract concepts in Greek, Roman and Chinesefolk stories, such as an ability to foresee the future and the impossibility of controlling one`s destiny. For example, Anakin Skywalker cause the deathof his wife coming to her aid. Luke is like the hero lf a wuxia film, with his intention of avenging the death of his father, to become the most powerful Master of his art.The broad theme of Star Wars` philosophy is the Force, and in every movie someone says “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars stresses the dangers of fear, anger, and hate, as well as putting aside one`s sympathy for certain people. For example, Luke Skywalker is ever told that his training rather than rescue his friends.This is consistent with many religious faiths, which stress rational thought, personal dignity and a devotion to praying for holy understanding, as opposed to the “Dark Side”, of violent passion and acute emotion.However, the strongest influence is Taoist philosophy. The Force is similar to Qi, a stable balance of the Yin and Yang forces to human beings and the environment. Many true Taoist masters eventually become supreme beings, similar to Obi-Wan and Yoda who Luke, as their scholar, consults for their teaching and advice.Even the language and clothing convey the philosophy of the Force——the Dark Force soldiers speak with British accents and wear black uniforms whilst most of the Rebels speaker American English and wear light colours.【CULTURAL CORNER】The War of the WorldsIn 1898, the English writer H.G. Wells wrote what is arguably the most important novel in the history of science fiction The War of the Worlds. It is a dramatic story about an invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars, a subject that has fascinated science fiction writers and film-makers ever since. But when, in 1938, the American actor and director, Orson Welles set a radio drama of The War of the Worlds in real life New Jersey town of Grover`s Mill, little did he know what people turned on their radios and heard the Mercury Theatre Company broadcast, it was so realistic that they believed every word:Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make. Incredible as it may seen, both the observations of science and the evidence of our eyes lead to the inescapable assumption that those strange beings who landed in the New Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars.Orson Welles had managed to set in motion a panic across America. When people heard that an invasion by aliens from Mars was underway, there was a wave of mass hysteria. Hundreds of people left their homes in panic, there were traffic jams all over the state and the police received thousands of telephone calls from terrified listeners who believed that Martians were attacking.The sleepy town of Grover`s Mill for an hour became the centre of the universe.One 13-year-old boy was doing his homework when he hears the first newsflash of the invasion. Taking the radio into the café downstairs where his mother worked, he and a dozen or so customers listened with mounting fear to the broadcast, until the men jumped up and announced they were going to get their guns and join in the defence at Grover`s Mill.Did Orson Welles deliberately set out to terrify the nation? Or was it simply a masterpiece of realistic theatre? Either way, The War of the Worlds will be remembered as a piece of broadcasting history.。
外研选修8 M5 课文 英汉对译校对版
READING AND VOCABULARY(1)Space:the final FrontierPart 11Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. 2Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television , their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong's now famous words : " That's one small step for man , one giant leap for mankind" , a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a space travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle -a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle flight into space was the Columbia-launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April,1981. 3The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system,to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo’s historic voyage, the Colu mbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going up into space. But this was going to be a special flight and so millions of people tuned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37 , who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe the aims of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme.Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock-maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous thangetting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were-in one moment excitement and success tumed into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time , "When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human beings who have the same feelings.Part 2I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. 5We didn't have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in midair and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was in a state of shock. Like every schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard,a few weeks later,that the bodies of the astronauts and even the teacher's lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean,I was not so sure it was worth it at all. 6In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.太空——最后的(未开发)领域第一部分自从尼尔•阿姆斯特朗在1969年7月21日首次踏上月球以来,人们对太空旅行这一概念已经非常熟悉。
高中英语外研版 选修8 Module 5 The Conquest of the Universe
——宇宙的征服核心词汇. ..“”“”.., .. ..(故意地), ..’(命运)..(抽象的) ..“(发誓).”. .(). .().;;高频短语.不管.指责某人某事.开始做;着手进行.在……一开始的时候.一系列的;一连串的.与……相似的.使某事开始.成功;及时到达.依靠;指望.习惯. . .重点句式., .到年,“挑战者”号起飞的时候,人们似乎对于人类进入太空一事已失去了最初的恐惧和好奇心了。
., ,,.一位岁的普通教师克里斯塔·麦奥里菲将要成为第一位进入太空的普通公民,她已结婚并有两个孩子。
.-.全世界都震惊了——也许他们原本都认为这次太空飞行跟乘坐飞机一样没什么危险。
. .……他根本不知道他将要造成多大的轰动。
., ...尽管看起来不可思议,但科学观测以及我们肉眼看到的证据都必然会让我们做出这个设想……;知识详解① .(使)爆裂;(使)裂开;(使)炸开;突然出现.突然破裂;爆发(回归课本)伴随着强大的力量和巨大的声响而突然爆发【归纳总结】【例句探源】① .她一听到迈克尔·杰克逊死亡的消息,就失声痛哭起来。
② .她一头趴在书桌上,失声痛哭起来。
③ .我们都认为他心中的快乐快要爆发出来了。
④ .警察闯入房间,向四周看了看。
【即境活用】.(年绍兴模拟)’ .....解析:选。
她对魔术师的表演如此开心以至于突然大笑起来。
后接名词,相当于+,表示突然……起来。
★, ..;.;.;.;解析:选。
“突然大哭起来”,相当于; “冲出屋子”。
②.依靠;取决于(回归课本) .太空研究的未来取决于我们有多少钱。
【归纳总结】【例句探源】①(朗文) .我能相信我的员工会把事情做好。
② .他们的未来取决于他们在这些考试中取得的分数。
③(朗文)“?”“() .”“这儿周围哪儿的饭最好吃?”“这取决你想吃什么。
”④-’, , ?- .你出去时给我买个热狗,好吗?放心好了。
(没问题。
)【即境活用】.(年合肥模拟)—’ .—’ .....解析:选。
外研社选修8课文英文版
必修8Module 1Deep SouthAntarctica: the Last ContinentAntarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It’s also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometers around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometers thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometers. Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable place.Yet Antarctica is full wildlife, which has adapt ed to its extreme conditions. There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days (the longest period of continuous darkness on earth), as wellas the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the world’s climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites from outer space. One rock, known as the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life.Since most Antarctic rocks are dark in colour, they stand out against the white background and are easy to identify and collect.Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balance d the land in the north. They called it Anti-Arktikos, or Antarcica: the opposite of Arcitc. When Europeans discovered the continent of America in 15th century, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South ole was slow. Not until the late 18th century did theBritish explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.Today scientists from many countries travel to Antarctica to study its resources. A spirit of international friendship has replaced the rivalry that existed between many of the earlier explorers. In 1961, a treaty signed by 12 countries, including Britain, France, and the USA made Antarctica the world’s biggest nature reserve. The aim of the treaty is to prevent the commercial and military use of the continent. In particular, it aims to keep Antarctica free from nuclear tests and radioactive waste; to promote international scientific projects; and to end arguments about who owns the land. Today countries representing 80% of the world’s population have signed the treaty. Antarctica has become perhaps the most successful symbol of man’s efforts to work together for progress and peace.How Failure Became SuccessOn 8th August, 1914, 27 men who had replied to an advertisement in The Times boarded a ship leaving for the Antarctic. The name ofthe ship was the Endurance and the captain was an Irishman called Ernest Shackleton.The aim of the journey was to cross the frozen continent via the South Pole –journey of 1,800 miles. Shackleton thought the journey would last six months.But when land came into sight, the Endurance became trapped in the ice and began to break up. Shackleton and his men watched the Endurance sink into the icy sea. They then head ed north, pulling three lifeboats behind them.After six days, bad weather force d them to give up and the men set up camp on a sheet of ice which began slowly moving across the Antarctic Circle.They survived on the ice for five months. Then, on 16th April, 1915, Shackleton saw land. It was Elephant Island – large rock with nothing growing on it, but much better than a floating piece of ice. When they reached the island, Shackleton came up with an idea –it was a risk but he would have to take it. He and five men would take one of the lifeboats, and sail 800 miles to South Georgia, where there was a permanent camp. They could then return to rescue the rest of the men.It took Shackleton 17 days to rach South Georgia. Unfortunately he landed on the wrong side of the island, and had towalk 36 hours over mountains to reach the camp. The whale hunters all the camp couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the six men walking down from the mountains.Shackleton kept his promise. More than three months later, he returned to Elephant Island to rescue the crew he had been forced to abandon. He had failed to reach the pole –but he had saved the lives of all his men.Welcome to the South Poles!South Poles? How many are there?In fact, there are three South Poles: a ceremonial Pole, which is on the moving glacier, a geographical or true Pole, and a magnetic Pole which changes its position according to the movement of the Earth.Is it safe?Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very intense. It’s also reflected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglasses and use suncream. If you don’t there’s severe risk that you’ll damage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.Is it cold?Yes! Be very careful out in the open air! The temperature isbetween minus 21°C in the summer and minus 78°C in the winter, and you can become numb with cold without realizing. There’s heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it’s quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly and carry dry clothing and a portable radio.Is there anything good about the weather?The air is very pure, and it doesn’t snow very much – only about four millimeters a year. There’s very little wind and the sky is usually clear. It’s possibly the calmest place on Earth.What’s it like to live here?Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some, depressing. We’re totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months.Where do we live?The South Pole scientific station is situated on a platform of ice, 3,000-4,000 metres high, but under only a few millimetres of snow. We have a minimum of 28 people living here in the winter and a maximum of 125 in the summer. The living quarters are modest, with few luxuries, but cosy. There’s a comfortable dormitory for sleeping, the canteen serve great food, and there’s a well-stockedlibrary of DVDs and videos. But showers and laundry are limited, because water is very valuable. We discourage you from smoking except in specific areas. Medical assistance is available in case of an emergency.Any other advice?Remember that conventional equipment doesn’t always work as it should do. If you use an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile and the camera battery doesn’t work in the cold.Don’t leave any rubbish, and don’t forget that the ecology of Antarctica is very delicate, so don’t take any souvenirs home with you, and be careful to leave nothing but footprints.Finally, remember that we’re all visitors to the South Pole. It’s a privilege, not a right to come to this extraordinary place.The Travels of Marco PoloThe year is 1271 AD. Imagine a 17-year-old boy from Venice Italy, well-educated and trained for life as a rich trader. He sets off with his father and uncle on a 25-year journey to mysterious, distant lands that most people in Europe have never heard of. While on their journey buying and selling spices, silks and jewels,they befriend one of the most powerful men on Earth, Kubla Khan.The boy’s name was Marco Polo and many years later a book about his travels was published which made him famous. Marco Polo told his fantastic stories to a writer named Rustichello who wrote them down for him. This man was well-known for his stories and romantic tales of the legendary English King Arthur, but so many people doubted the reliability of his book the Travels of Marco Polo. However, Chinese historians have found obscure names and facts in the book that could only have been known to someone intimate with the country.Many of Marco’s stories were about China and its people. He told stories about the towns, cities and populations in great detail. He described the amazing things he saw in China such as paper money and black stone that burned (coal). With very little contact between China and the West, it is not surprising that people in a rich powerful place like Venice could not believe his stories, nor in the idea of huge, rich city states inhabited by millions of people. There could surely be no comparison with Venice?A general myth has grown up around Marco Polo that he introduced such things as spaghetti and ice cream from China to the West. There is no truth to any of these claims and actually they are not mentioned in Marco Polo’s book.However, Marco Polo’s book is still a unique insight for its age.Most importantly it was a great influence for many future travelers. Christopher Columbus left behind a well-worn copy that he read as inspiration on his own voyages to America.Module 2 The RenaissanceThe RenaissanceFor many people, the Renaissance means 14th to 16th century Italy, and the developments in art and architecture, music and literature which took place there all that time. But there is one work which, perhaps more than any other, expresses the spirit of the Renaissance: the Mona Lisa. It is believed to be the best example of a new lifelike style of painting that amazed people when it was first used. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the years 1503-1506, the Mona Lisa is a mysterious masterpiece. People want to know who Mona Lisa is, and why she is smiling. Even if people do not know much about the Renaissance, they have heard of this painting.But the Renaissance is, of course, more than just Mona Lisa. Renaissance is a French word which means “rebirth”and it first appeared in English in the 19th century. The word was used to describe a period in European history which began with the arrivalof the first Europeans in America, and age of exploration, and the beginning of the modern world. It was as if Europe was waking up after the long sleep of the Middle Ages. From Italy, the ideas of the Renaissance rapidly spread northwards to France, Germany, England, and the rest of Europe.Trade with other parts of the world meant that Europe was getting richer, too. This meant that people had money to spend on the arts; and it became easier for artists to find people who could afford to buy their works or employ them. Leonardo worked for important people such as the Duke of Milan, and, towards the end of his life, the King of France.Renaissance artists found new ideas for their work in classical Greece and Rome. But they looked forward, too, by opening new frontiers in the arts. Painters discovered how to use perspective and the effects of light; composers put different voices together and created polyphony “many voices”; architects preferred designing buildings with more light which contrasted with the heaviness of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages.The sense of exploration which motiveated the artists went had in hand with a new type of philosophy. After centuries of accepting a medieval world view in which human life was considered of little value compared with the greatness of God,philosophers began asking questions like “What is a person?”or “Why am I here?”For the first time, they put people, not religion, at the centre of the universe.The Renaissance was a time of scientific invention, too. Leonardo, as well as being one of the greatest painters the world has ever known, was also a skilled inventor. Wherever he went, he carried a notebook around with him, in which he wrote down his ideas. They included detailed drawings of the human body, plans for engineers to build canals and bridges, and astonishing drawings of machines which were not to be built until hundreds of years later, such as aeroplanes, parachutes, submarines and tanks. Towards the end of his life he was employed by the King of France to do scientific research, and he did not have a lot of time for painting.In short, Leonardo was an extraordinary genius, an example of what has been described as “Renaissance man”: someone interested in everything and with many different talents. But even if his only contribution to history had been the Mona Lisa, it would have been genius enough for all time.ThursdayWe arrived on the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland and took a train to Amsterdam Central Station. It was only a short ride. It’s noteasy to find your way around the town. A lot of the roads follow the canals which aren’t straight but are shaped like horseshoes. So you can walk along a street for half an hour of so and end up five minutes from where you started. However, most people don’t walk –there are three million bikes in town and a good bus and tram system. There are boats, too. About half of them are for tourists, the others are houseboats with people living on them. We spent the whole day walking. Tomorrow we’re going to rent bikes.FridayWe spent today looking at houses. The architecture is astonishing, quite different from other European countries we’ve been to. The houses are tall and thin, and many of them have a fantastically ornate Renaissance appearance. In the Middle Ages the houses were made of wood. Then, at the end of the 15th century there was a huge fire and about three quarters of the town was destroyed. After that, houses were made of brick. Unlike other places in Europe, where house owners were taxed on the size of their windows, here the taxes depended on the width of the house – so they kept them narrow, but built them tall. Well, that’s what Claire says, and she read it in the guidebook.SaturdayWe visited the Van Gogh Museum, instead of the more famousRijksmuseum. It was astonishing. I hadn’t really looked at any of Van Gogh’s paintings before. He seems to have re-invented the art. It doesn’t matter whether he is doing a portrait of a landscape –he’s a genius. In the last 70 days of his life before he short himself he produced 70 paintings, and I reckon they’re almost all masterpieces. Yet in all his life Van Gogh only ever sold one painting! We must have spent three hours in that museum. When we came out I told Claire I thought Van Gogh was the greatest painter in history. She reminded me that we were leaving for Paris tomorrow, where we were going to see the most famous painting in the world …The puzzle of the Mona LisaThe Mona Lisa is the subject of many stories, but there is one anecdote which remains a puzzle. Is the painting in the Louvre the authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci … or just a copy?The story began one day in 1911 when someone noticed the Mona Lisa was missing. A spokesman said, “The burglar left the antique frame and the glass behind. He must have gone through the basement to the main courtyard. A passerby saw a man with a moustache, carrying a parcel under his arm, dash over the street crossing, along to the crossroads. He then fled down a sideroad.We’re appealing to anyone who saw the suspect to contact us.”So we stole the Mona Lisa? And why? News about the loss of the Mona Lisa was circulated in all the French newspapers, and there was a widespread search for the burglar all over the country. He police said, “we don’t think the burglar was working alone. We’re seeking a gang of criminals.”Two years later, a man with a moustache went to an art dealer in Florence in Italy and made a tentative attempt to sell the Mona Lisa. The art dealer checked it, agreed it was authentic …and then called the police.Why did the burglar, Vincenzo Perugia, wait so long? Perugia had stolen the Mona Lisa on behalf of the chief organizer of the crime, Eduardo de Valifierno. But Perugia made a fundamental mistake. He trusted da Valfierno to pay him for tha painting. The drawback for Perugia was that de Valfierno didn’t in fact need the painting, only the news of the theft. De Valfierno made six superb copies and sold them, claiming that each one was the authentic stolen painting. Of course, the fact that there were six substitutes was confidential. The six buyers didn’t know about the other paintings. What’s more, de Valfierno didn’t need to pay his debt to Perugia.After two years, Perugia got tired of waiting to be paid, andtried to sell the painting. When the real Mona Lisa turned up in Florence, de Valfierno simply told his buyers that it was merely a copy.The outcome of the story is that Perugia got the blame for the crime and went to prison. De Valfierno remained at liberty for the rest of his life.But there is still a puzzle. There were a number of precise copies of the Mona Lisa painted by gifted students of Leonardo da Vinci. Part of the painting’s fascination is whether the one in the Louvre was authentic … even before it was stolen. And if Perugia stole a copy … who has the authentic Mona Lisa?PrintingPrinting is the process of making many copies of a single document using movable characters or letters. In China, printing was known as early as in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty; in Europe, it was an important part of the Renaissance. Printing answered a need because people were thirsty for knowledge.Before printing was invented, copies of a manuscript had to be made by hand, usually on animal skins. This was a difficult task that could take many years, and which made books very expensive.Printing made it possible to produce more copies in a few weeks than could have been produced in a lifetime written out by hand.It is believed that a German, Johann Gutenberg, made the first printing press in Europe. He adapted it from the machines farmers used to squeeze oil from olives. It used paper, which was more suitable for printing (and cheaper) than animal skins. Paper, like printing, had been invented much earlier in China and it had found its way to Europe, via southeast Asia and then India. By the 10th century AD, paper was being produced in Baghdad. The first paper mill in Europe was built at the end of the 12th century.The first book that Gutenberg produced was a Bible. But as the ideas of the Renaissance developed, so did the demand for the Greek and Latin classics, which had been largely ignored for up to 2,000 years. People also wanted books in their own languages. The invention of printing meant that this desire could be satisfied.Soon there were printing presses all over northern Europe. In 1476 William Caxton set up his own press in London, and England became one of the most important centres of the printing industry. This spread of printed books led to a renewed passion for artistic expression. Without the development of the printing press, the Renaissance may never have happened. Without inexpensive printing to make books available to a large section of society, theson of John Shakespeare, a government official in rural England in the mid-1500s, may never have been inspired to take up writing as a profession. What western civilization gained from Gutenberg’s contribution is impossible to calculate.Module 3 Foreign FoodPassage 1Chinese people think a lot about food. In fact, I think that they are sometimes obsessed with it. My first experience of this aspect of Chinese culture came at a banquet during a trip to Beijing in 1998. I had eaten Chinese food often, but I could not have imagined how fabulous a real Chinese banquet could be. The first six or seven dishes seemed to fill the table, with plates dangerously balanced one on top of another. I thought this vast wave of food was the total number of dishes to be served, and I started eating greedily. Everyone else just tasted a bit of each dish and then put their chopsticks down, continuing to chat. “They can’t have very big appetites,” I thought.To my surprise, more dishes arrived, plus soups, side dishes, and desserts. There was enough to feed a whole army.No wonder my fellow guests had had only a few bites of each dish; they knew what was still to come. But I was already so full that I could only watch as the banquet continued.Another aspect of “food culture” is that the Chinese seem to eat almost every part of every animal – much to the horror of many westerners. Stomach, intestines, ears, tongue, tail, hoof, and lungs are all likely to end up on the dinner table in front of you. The first time I saw a three-year-old kid cheerfully chewing a chicken’s head I had bad dream for weeks.These days I enjoy that sort of food myself. On a recent trip to the United States I suddenly felt like some Chinese delicacies, and asked the guy at the meat counter of a supermarket, “Do you have pigs’ ears?”“No,” he said, pulling at his own ear, “Just these ordinary ones.”He must have thought I was joking.However, there are other kinds of foods that have taken longer for me to accept. The infamous choudoufu is an example. (the name says it all: “stinky tofu”.) Just when I got used to it, I found another variety on a trip to Hunan: deep-fried choudoufu, a horrible black substance that looked and smelled about as appetizing as a burnt tennis shoe. Maybe I’ll get used to that, too – someday.Passage 2The first time I ate British food I was in the canteen of a London publisher. Some people just sat down on the sofa to eat. I was amazed at their easy and graceful manner while I stood there feeling somewhat confused by the food. At the counter there were colourful mixtures in eight or nine big boxes. It was quite hard to make out hat they contained. The waiter put these foods inside bread or potatoes according to people’s requirements. I still remember what I ate: a tuna fish and cheese sandwich. It didn’t actually taste bad, but to me the cold fish, cold cheese, and even the bread from the fridge, was a meal that would make you feel cold inside. Later, I found out that British people like cold food. Their salad, for example, is made from vegetables which are only washed before serving, while Chinese food is prepared more carefully. The Chinese have a fixed phrase “cold leftovers”. Cold food means poverty –you don’t give it to a guest! No wonder westerners like Chinese food.I also learned that the English like to mix food before serving it at the table. I once ordered mushroom soup in a restaurant and was astonished when it was brought to thetable. It seemed to be just a bowl of grey liquid and it was only after I had tasted it that I knew it was actually cooked with mushrooms. The things inside sandwiches and baked potatoes are also various kinds of mashed food, like the fillings of jiaozi in Beijing. The food here goes against the Chinese sense of beauty and style at the dinner table. Chinese dishes can be photographed and have a nice appearance. We would never mash food into an unrecognizable shape.What’s more, the names of many kinds of English food are hard to remember. In fact, they often use French or Italian words. But one thing I do admire is the polite manner in which British people eat, even if it is just a potato.An Embarrassing MomentThe perfect host is the one who saves his guest from embarrassment whatever the cost. When Edward VII became King of England in 1901, he was already nearly 60 years old. He liked traveling, meeting people, and eating well. In short, he liked having a good time.One evening he was entertaining the ruler of a small island in the Pacific. The menu included asparagus, which his guest had never eaten before. Asparagus is by nature tenderand tasty at one end. Usually people leave the part which is difficult to eat on their plates.As soon as the Polynesian guest tasted the asparagus he remarked how delicious it was. However, when he realised that he could not eat the tough part, he simply threw it over his shoulder onto the floor behind him. The other guests were astonished, but went on eating. The King said nothing. However, when he had finished his asparagus, he too threw the piece that was left over his shoulder.Before long everybody else at the dinner was following his example, casually throwing the asparagus onto the floor, while the conversation continued in a friendly and relaxed manner. At the end of the meal the carpet was rather dirty. The cleaners weren’t very happy, but in the end most people had to agree that the King had been a perfect host, saving his guest and everybody else from the embarrassment which came from a misunderstanding of table manners.Food in AustraliaNot so long ago, food in Australia meant porridge with milk and sugar, and eggs and bacon for breakfast, then roast lamb or beef for lunch or dinner. During the 1980s each person consumed about39 kilograms of meat a year, and the butcher in the local High Street was one of the most important people in town. Australia is a country where the cattle and sheep outnumber the people, and it has always been justifiably famous for its lamb (no one would even think of eating mutton, which is the meat from the older animal). The consequence was that many people were overweight. Today there are still many Australians who eat huge amounts of meat. But recently, we have seen a gradual trend towards healthier food.Modern Australian cooking is often referred to as fusion cuisine, and the recipes include ingredients and cooking styles from the East and the West. Today, Australians enjoy Japanese food with bean curd, seaweed, and raw fish, as well as Greek, Italian and Lebanese food such as pasta, olives, tomatoes, eggplant and lemons. Cantonese and Beijing-style food is always popular, especially dim sum. French cooking can be seen in the Australians’love of the French-style bakery, with its delicious cakes and long loaves of bread. There are few or no artificial ingredients in fusion cooking, only the purest and freshest of produce.Even in the suburbs there are Oriental grocery stores where customers can buy everything from a Chinese frying pan (a wok) and chilli powder, cocoa from Brazil for drinking or for cakes, American chocolate-chip cookies, Canadian maple syrup or Frenchhoney to pour over your breakfast pancakes, to crisp Indian samosas and Lemon grass for fragrant Thai dishes, dairy products such as yoghurt and cream, as well as abundant homegrown fruit, especially ripe peaches, grapes, melons and oranges.Most Australian homes will have a stove on which your fry or steam vegetables, and there’s usually a microwave oven as well, for reheating food quickly. But perhaps the most important piece of equipment is not in the kitchen but in the garden –the famous barbecue, where, on a charcoal fire, they grill meat, such as slices of beef steak, chicken breasts or lamb cutlets. There’s usually a buffet of salads and vegetables to accompany it, and pints of Australian beer to drink, because the breweries which make the beer are among the finest in the world. Altogether, with its ample amount of food and drink and its relaxed way of cooking and serving, the barbecue is not just a piece of cooking and serving, the barbecue is not just a piece of cooking equipment but the word the Australians use for a popular way of entertaining friends.The Willow Pattern PlateOne of the best-known designs on British plates is the “Willow Pattern”. In many homes, the willow pattern plates (named after the willow tree in the centre of the design) are kept for special。
【外研版】选修八英语:Module 5 Period One
课 栏
bumper harvest.
目 开
假如风调雨顺,今年农民将获丰收。
关 (3)It is generally assumed that stress is caused by too much work.
普遍认为,紧张是工作过重所致。
Period One
[题组训练]
(1)① Assuming that he’s still alive
the very beginning of its voyage into space.即便我们掌握了现
third stage,to which the spacecraft is attached,then fires.It
carries the spacecraft into space.When the third stage uses up its fuel,it also falls off.The spacecraft is then left to travel to its
关
D.a booster rocket
Period One
2. A booster rocket is used to D .
本
A.carry all the fuel needed by rockets
课 栏
B.supply the necessary amount of power
目
C.carry the spacecraft into space
本
[归纳拓展]
课 栏
assume v.假定,假设
目 开
assume sb./sth.to be 假定/假设某人/某事为……
关
assuming that...假设/假定……
英语选修八小课文及翻译第五单元
Unit 5 THE FEAST: 18,000 BC公元前一万八千年的一次盛宴Worried about the preparations for her feast, Lala quickly turned for home with her collection of nuts, melons and other fruit.拉拉担忧她此次盛宴的准备工作,因此连忙把坚果、甜瓜和其他水果收集起来就快步回家了。
It was the custom of family groups to separate and then gatheragain at different sites for reunions as they followed the animal herds across the grasslands.由于在草原上放牧,家族成员先分别开,今后在不一样样的地方相聚,这是他们的一个民俗。
A wrinkle appeared on her forehead. 她的额头出现了一道皱纹。
If only it could be just like last year! 若是能像昨年那样就好了!At that time she had been so happy when Dahu chose her as the future mother of his children.当大胡选拉拉作未来孩子的母亲时,她感觉很快乐。
He was the best toolmaker in the group and it was a great honour for her to be chosen.他是这个家族中最好的工匠,被他选中对拉拉来说是莫大的有幸。
She remembered the blood pulsing through her veins.她记得那时热血汹涌。
She had felt so proud as the group shouted loudly to applaud his choice.当族人为他的选择喝采鼓掌的时候,拉拉感觉特别骄傲。
高中英语外研版选修8Module 5 Section Ⅰ Introduction
to the idea of space
[原文呈现]
Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their ⑤ mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks⑥ had to be taken. With Armstrong's now famous words : “That's one small step for man, one giant⑦ leap for mankind”, a dream was achieved.
③ ② ①
[读文清障]
①set foot on/in 踏上,进入/ 进到(某处) ② Ever since ... 是时间状语 从句,主句通常用现在完 成时。 ③accustomed /ə' kʌstəmd/adj.习惯的 become/be accustomed to 习惯于(注意 to 为介词)
While being trained to be astronauts, they went through many courses. They studied the star and the moon, and they also studied geology, the science of rocks. They were all trained to fly in helicopters. These helicopters landed directly down to give them some experience of the way the spaceship would really land on the moon. They were also taught the unknown facts about the conditions in space. They visited the scientists and engineers who designed the spaceships and rockets. They visited the factories where the spaceships and rockets were built. They learnt how every part of a spaceship and its instruments work. They also learnt every detail of the groundcontrol system. In a word, to be chosen as an astronaut, one must be in good health, wellinformed in science and good at piloting.
外研版选修八__module5
P58—60
1.set foot on 1. 踏入 2.be /get /become accustomed to … 2. 习惯于 3. 意识到,了解 3. be aware of 4. take a risk /take the risk of doing.. 4. 冒险 5. achieve /realise one’s dream 5. 实现梦想 6. 起飞,脱下,成功 6. take off 7. be enthusiastic about sth. 7. 对…热情 8. be used for …/ to do sth. 8. 被用作… 9. in space 9. 在太空中 10.两节15分钟的课 10. give two 15-minute lessons 11.震惊/处于震惊状态 11. in shock / in a state of shock 12. 在…底部 12. at the bottom of … 13. 尽管 13. in spite of /despite 14. 在最开始时 14. at the very beginning of.. 15.它是成功的。 15. It is a success.
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe
The first man in space
Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space in 1961. It took him 108 minutes to go round the world.
We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the challenger seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly, the future belongs to the brave. The challenger crew were pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them .
外研版高中英语选修8课件:Module5 The Conquest of the Universe
栏 目
(2)It is a historic meeting between two great leaders.
开 关
(3)You must place these events in their historical context.
3.The world was in shock—maybe they assumed this space
栏 目
上月球以来,人们对太空旅行这一概念已经非常熟悉。
开 关
[归纳拓展]
accustomed adj.习惯的
be/become/get accustomed to 习惯于……
accustom vt.使习惯,使适应
accustom oneself/sb.to...使自己/某人习惯于;养成……习惯
注意:be/become/get accustomed to 中的 to 是介词,后跟
本 课 栏 目 开 关
A single rocket is not powerful enough to send a spacecraft
into space.This is because all the fuel a single rocket can carry is
not enough to supply the necessary amount of power.To get
关
ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
speak→speaking
(3)He is a foreigner and he is not C like that while he is in
China.
A.accustomed to treating
B.used to treating
外研版高中英语选修八Module5
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe——宇宙的征服
归纳拓展 accuse sb.of sth.=charge sb.with sth. 指责/控告某人某事 accuse sb. of murder/ theft 控告某人谋杀/盗窃
栏目 导引
Module 5
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe——宇宙的征服
Module 5
The Conquest of the
Universe——宇宙的征服
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe——宇宙的征服
考点串讲讲练互动
单词精研 1 accustomed adj.习惯的 (教材P58)Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July,1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. 自从尼尔· 阿姆斯特朗在1969年7月21日首次踏上月球以 来,人们对太空旅行这一概念已经非常熟悉。
The Conquest of the Universe——宇宙的征服
①(2010· 高考湖北卷)The teens accuse their parents of misleading them. 青少年指责他们的父母误导他们。 ②He was accused of murder. 他被控告犯有谋杀罪。
栏目 导引
Module 5
The Conquest of the Universe——宇宙的征服
外研版高中英语选修8Module5《TheConquestoftheUniverse》word讲义
外研版高中英语选修8Module5《TheConquestoftheUniverse》word讲义课题: Module 5 The Conquest of the Universe年级:高二科目:英语天津一中2020-2021年第二学期高二英语讲义14课时1学生应把握的词汇词组互译:1.turn in ____________________2.in spite of ____________________3.other than ____________________4.at the very beginning of ____________________5.set out ( to do) ____________________6. a series of ____________________7.be similar to ____________________8.set sth. in motion ____________________9.be aware of ____________________10.become aware of ____________________11.in shock ____________________12.make an impact on____________________13.pray for ____________________14.accuse sb of doing sth____________________15.short cuts ____________________16.foresee the possibility of doing sth____________________课上典型例题:翻译句子1.我不久就适应了他那些惊奇的做法。
(accustom)2.我们亲眼见到本世纪最重要的科学进展.。
外研版选修八英语5-1
seem important don't seem quite as much so.”
The men all commented how desolate the moon seemed,how beautiful the earth seemed and how very ,
very good it was to come home to it.
课前自主学习
课堂互动探究
“Since that time,” said Alan Bean,who flew the second moon landing on Apollo 12,“I have not complained about the weather one single time—I'm glad there's weather,I've not complained about traffic—I'm glad there are people around me.”
课前自主学习
课堂互动探究
2.翻译佳句,放眼高考 I feel blessed every single day.Not a day goes by that I don't think this is great. 我感觉每一天都被幸福包围。没有一天不是在幸福中度过 的。
课前自主学习
课堂互动探究
Period One Introduction,Reading and Vocabulary
②The documentary is called In the Shadow of the Moon,consisting of all interviews with the astronauts.
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【MODULE 5】The Conquest of the Universe【READING AND VOCABULARY】Space: the Final Frontier[Part 1]Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong`s now famous words:“That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a peace travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle——a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle fight into space was the Columbia——launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981,. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo 11`s historic voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going to be a special flight and so millions of people turned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37, who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe theaim of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme. Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock——maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous than getting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were——in one moment excitement and success turned into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time,“When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human being who have the same feelings.”[Part 2]I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. We didn`t have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in mid-air and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard, a few weeks later, that the bodies of the astronaut and even the teacher`s lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean, I was not so sure it was worth it at all. In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.【READINH AND VOCABULARY】Secrets of the Gas GiantThe Cassini-Huygens space probe, which reached Saturn last week, has sent bank amazing photographs of the planet`s famous rings viewed in ultraviolet light. The pictures show them in shades of blue, green and red. The different colours shoe exactly what the rings are made of: the red means the ring contains tiny pieces of rock and the blue and green is likely to be a mixture of water and frozen gases. Saturn itself is made of gases. It is so light and it could float on water——if a big enough ocean could be found!The probe is an international project to explore the planet and its rings and moons. It was launched in 1997 and its mission was to explore the “gas giant” planet which is the furthest planet to be seen from the Earth without a telescope.Scientist says the spacecraft`s four-year tour of Saturn may tell them how the rings are formed. It will also study the planet`s atmosphere and magnetic field.The porbe has sent back pictures of some of Saturn`s moon, including tiny Phoebe, which has a strange shape——unlike other planets and their moons, it is not perfectly round——and Saturn`s biggest moon, Titan, which is believed to be the only body in the solar system other than the Earth with liquid on the surface.The images of Titan and Phoebe look strangely like photos of Earth and our own Moon, taken decades ago by the earliest space missions. They are so clear that it is easy to forget they ear coming from a distance fone-and-a-half-billion kilometers.【READING PRACTICE】May the Force Be with YouStar Wars is a series of science fantasy films. The six-film series began in 1977, and has a world-wide audience, with films, books, video games, television series and toys. It is now acknowledged by the movie industry as the most successful film series ever.The films were made in random order, and move backwards and forwards through two hundred years. They describe the deeds of Anakin Skywalker, a noble Jedi knight, while Darth Vader, under orders from Lord Sith, creates tension then conflict between various autonomous republics and movements. This results in the defeat of the Jedi.Then Anakin`s son, Luke Skywalker, joins the Rebel Alliance to attack the authority of the new evil Empire. He accuses Darth Vader of killing his father, so he trains to become a Jedi knight and swears to avenge his loss. But to his sorrow, he learns that his father is actually Darth Vader himself. Luke escapes the latter`s grasp, as well as the Emperor`s attempt to turn him to the Dark Side. Instead, to his great relief, he achieves glory by turning his father back to the light side, while the divisions of the Rebel Alliance fleet flights the battle for the airspace over the motherland, and wins the war. Star Wars reflects many abstract concepts in Greek, Roman and Chinesefolk stories, such as an ability to foresee the future and the impossibility of controlling one`s destiny. For example, Anakin Skywalker cause the deathof his wife coming to her aid. Luke is like the hero lf a wuxia film, with his intention of avenging the death of his father, to become the most powerful Master of his art.The broad theme of Star Wars` philosophy is the Force, and in every movie someone says “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars stresses the dangers of fear, anger, and hate, as well as putting aside one`s sympathy for certain people. For example, Luke Skywalker is ever told that his training rather than rescue his friends.This is consistent with many religious faiths, which stress rational thought, personal dignity and a devotion to praying for holy understanding, as opposed to the “Dark Side”, of violent passion and acute emotion.However, the strongest influence is Taoist philosophy. The Force is similar to Qi, a stable balance of the Yin and Yang forces to human beings and the environment. Many true Taoist masters eventually become supreme beings, similar to Obi-Wan and Yoda who Luke, as their scholar, consults for their teaching and advice.Even the language and clothing convey the philosophy of the Force——the Dark Force soldiers speak with British accents and wear black uniforms whilst most of the Rebels speaker American English and wear light colours.【CULTURAL CORNER】The War of the WorldsIn 1898, the English writer H.G. Wells wrote what is arguably the most important novel in the history of science fiction The War of the Worlds. It is a dramatic story about an invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars, a subject that has fascinated science fiction writers and film-makers ever since. But when, in 1938, the American actor and director, Orson Welles set a radio drama of The War of the Worlds in real life New Jersey town of Grover`s Mill, little did he know what people turned on their radios and heard the Mercury Theatre Company broadcast, it was so realistic that they believed every word:Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make. Incredible as it may seen, both the observations of science and the evidence of our eyes lead to the inescapable assumption that those strange beings who landed in the New Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars.Orson Welles had managed to set in motion a panic across America. When people heard that an invasion by aliens from Mars was underway, there was a wave of mass hysteria. Hundreds of people left their homes in panic, there were traffic jams all over the state and the police received thousands of telephone calls from terrified listeners who believed that Martians were attacking.The sleepy town of Grover`s Mill for an hour became the centre of the universe.One 13-year-old boy was doing his homework when he hears the first newsflash of the invasion. Taking the radio into the cafédownstairs where his mother worked, he and a dozen or so customers listened with mounting fear to the broadcast, until the men jumped up and announced they were going to get their guns and join in the defence at Grover`s Mill.Did Orson Welles deliberately set out to terrify the nation? Or was it simply a masterpiece of realistic theatre? Either way, The War of the Worlds will be remembered as a piece of broadcasting history.。