研究生英语阅读教程（提高级 第三版）Lesson 12 two inches between life, death

1、1 advanced reading revised edition 2策 划：鞠方安 商希建顾 问：李光立主 编：刘兰芝 董敬一 副 主编：gerald zimmerman 杨真真 任林静制作人：张广龙3lesson twelve2 inches between life, death 45 cataloguewarm-up questions main idealanguage points difficult sentencesbackground informationkeys to the exercises6background information robert lee hot

2、z joins nyus department of journalism as a distinguished writer in residence. professor hotz was pulitzer prize finalist in 1986 for his coverage of genetic engineering issues, and again in 2004 for his coverage of the space shuttle columbia accident.7the space shuttle colum-bia is one of the space

3、shuttles of national aeronautics and space administration ( nasa ). it is the first space shuttle in america.background information 8 .the name of columbia is from the american ship “columbia” which navigated around the earth. its first launch is on april 12th,1981, and the space transportation syst

4、em program begins from the sts-1.background information 9 the space shuttle was destroyed on february 1st, 2003, as it hurtled home. this is its 28th mission and the 7 crew all died in the accident. background information 10 the space shuttle is like a triangular airplane, and the length of the shut

5、tle is 18 meters.background information 11 this picture is the symbol of its last mission, with the 7 astronauts name on it.background information 12 seven crew died in the accident: brown; husband ; clark; chawla; anderson; mccool; ramon (a colonel in the israeli air force).background information 1

6、3 the cracks on the left wing of the space shuttle.background information 14 80 seconds after lift-off, a chunk of foam insulation from its external fuel tank struck the left wing so hard that the protective sheath disintegrated. this is the direct reason for its destruction. background information

7、15l when it came back on february 1st, 2003, the mission control in houston lost contact with the space shuttle columbia. l a short time later, debris was seen falling from the sky above texas. l the columbia is lost; none of the crew survives. background information 16 the last photos of the astron

8、auts.background information 17 the match of nba between piston and nets broke off because of the terrible news.background information 18 the debrisbackground information 19 worms-the only survivorbackground information 20warm-up questions i. watch a movie clip and guess what caused the destruction o

9、f the spaceshuttle columbia.21ii. listen to a voa report and fill in blanks:l officials of the u.s. space agency, nasa, probing the loss of the space shuttle columbia are paying close attention to the orbiters _ outer tiles, some of which may have been damaged when the shuttle was _more than two wee

10、ks ago.warm-up questions 22l columbia disintegrated as it _through earths upper atmosphere already at 18 times the speed of sound all the while subjected to furnace-like temperatures. nasa spokesman george diller says the shuttles protective tiles are more than capable of _intense heat so long as th

11、ey remain_. but, he added, the tiles are not_.dissipatingwarm-up questions 23l george diller: they are fragile in the context that, if they are broken, if something strikes them like a foreign object or_, they can be damaged. they do not lose a lot of that heat-dissipation quality if they have _dama

12、ge. if they have major damage, thats something else. minorwarm-up questions 24l attention has been focused on the tiles as a possible factor in the shuttle tragedy since, shortly after lift-off on january 16, a chunk of insulating _was seen to peel off the orbiters external fuel tank and strike the

13、spacecrafts left wing. video footage from the launch did not reveal the extent to which any tiles may have been damaged by the debris. but nasa officials say they cannot _of a connection between the incident and saturdays break-up of the shuttle over texas. warm-up questions 25warm-up questions 1. n

14、ow that you have learned of the danger involved being an astronaut, are you still willing to be an astronaut if you are given an opportunity?2. what physical and mental qualities are needed to be an astronaut? list them one by one.26main ideathis is about teamwork and the thousands of specialists wh

15、o have been dedicated to the united states space program. it is also about family, but not the kind we normally think of. this was a family of people working together with every bit of caring for each other as you would find in your own family. and they were grieving. they were grieving the loss of

16、seven family members and in that time of grieving they were looking for answers. 27main ideawhy did it happen? what must we do to prevent it from ever happening again. join with robert lee holz as he guides you up to the tragedy and shows you the heartfelt search for answers.holz began by telling us

17、 how critical the heat-shields were. he told of the crash of the space shuttle columbia. then he moved on past the deep hurt. he began with a detailed examination of the problems; friction generated heat from reentry into the earths atmosphere and the materials used to make each of the tiles that ma

18、de 28 up the heat shield.then, going back to the columbia, he gave more details about the tiles all those people working together to solve problems. and the misjudgment of how much force the tiles needed to withstand (each needed to be custom-fitted). from 112 flights they had learned the most vulne

19、rable parts. but three fourths of columbias original tiles were still in place after twenty two years. holz gave us details. n a s a shuttle engineers decided they main idea29 could live with the risk. but they were wrong and holz moved on to the team that had worked to protect human life and what t

20、hey were doing. he told us about improvements, careful inspections after every flight. he told us they were worried about age damage to the tiles. then he wrote that this is still a new frontier, still an experiment with much to learn. each team member has been challenged to his utmost.main idea30la

21、nguage points1. hurtle vi (line 2, para.2) to move violently, noisily or with great speed in the specified direction, especially in an uncontrolled way 她骑着马在乡间大道上奔驰。 she was hurtling along a country road on a horse.synonym: flash flash vi to move very quickly in the specified direction 火车呼啸而过。 the t

22、rain flashed by at high speed.31language points2. wreckage n singular ( line 1, para.5) the parts of sth such as a plane, ship, or building that are left after it has been destroyed in an accident 司机被困在汽车残骸里将近7个小时。 the driver was trapped in the wreckage for almost seven hours. synonym: debris 32 deb

23、ris n u the broken pieces that are left when sth large has been destroyed, especially by an explosion, fire, or accident 爆炸后的我们在瓦砾中搜索。 we searched among the debris after the explosion.language points33language points2. aluminum n u (line 2, para.3) a silver-white metal that is very light and is used

24、 to make cans, cooking pans, window frames etc. 铝铝罐罐 an aluminum can other nouns used to describe types of metals titanium n u dark-grey metallic element used in alloys 钛34language points3. airframe n (line 2, para.3) complete structure of an aircraft without the engines飞机架构（不包括引擎） other nouns used

25、to describe the structure of the space shuttle: underside; fuselage underside n c the bottom side or surface of sth 下 侧；底面 fuselage n c the main part of an aircraft that the wings are fixed to （飞机的）机身35 other verbs used to describe the movement of the space shuttle: shudder; disintegrate shudder vi

26、if a vehicle or machine shudders, it shakes violently. 船撞到礁石上剧烈地摇晃起来。 the ship shuddered as it hit the rocks. disintegrate: v (cause sth) to break into small parts or pieces 火箭重新进入地球大气时破碎解体。 the rocket disintegrated when it re-entered the earths atmosphere. language points36language points4. calamit

27、y n c (line 2, para.3) a terrible and unexpected event that causes a lot of damage or suffering synonyms: disaster; catastrophe 那次地震是全国有史以来最严重的灾难。 the earthquake was the worst calamity in the co - untrys history. 37 disaster: n an extremely bad accident or natural event in which a lot of people are

28、killed 地震之类的自然灾害在日本非常常见。 natural disasters such as earthquakes are common occurrences in japan. catastrophe: n a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering, or death ;disaster 这次地震是可怕的灾难。 the earthquake was a terrible catastrophe. language points38language points5. abrade vt (l

29、ine 2, para.4) to damage sth by rubbing its surface too hard other words used to describe the damage done to the heat- shield titles: ding; gouge ding n c a small dent on the surface of sth 小凹坑 gouge n c a hole or cut made in something, usually by a sharp tool or weapon 槽或孔 他膝盖上的皮肤擦破了。 the skin on h

30、is knees was abraded.39language points6. twilight n u (line 4, para. 4) 1) the final stages of sth 他现在处于演艺生涯的衰退时期。 he was in the twilight of his acting career.2) the small amount of light in the sky as the day ends 暮色朦胧，小山依然可见。 we could still see the hills in the twilight.3) the time when day is jus

31、t starting to become night 她喜欢黄昏时漫步沙滩。 she loves walking along the beach at twilight.40language points7. ingenious adj ( line 6, para.4) 1) an ingenious plan, idea, or object works well and is the result of clever thinking and new ideas 这是个制作精巧的玩具。 its an ingenious toy. 2) someone who is ingenious i

32、s very good at inventing things or at thinking of new ideas 他是一位心灵手巧的设计师。 hes an ingenious designer.41 synonym: creative creative adj1) involving the use of imagination to produce new ideas or things 绘画是一个创造的过程。 painting is a creative process.2) someone who is creative is very good at using their i

33、magination to make things 他是一个很有创造力的天才。 he is a creative genius. language points42language points8. slurry n u. (line 1, para.5) a mixture of water and mud, coal, or animal waste synonym: mud mud n u. wet earth that has become soft and sticky 一辆汽车驶过，给我的外衣溅上了泥点。 a car ran past, spotting my coat with

34、mud. 混合物形成了煤泥。 the mixture forms a coal-water slurry.43language points9. brittle adj (line 4, para. 5) 1) hard but easily broken 人老了，骨头越来越脆。 as one gets older, his bones become increasingly brittle.2) easily damaged or destroyed 两国间不稳固的和平 the brittle peace between the two nations3) showing no warm f

35、eelings 冷漠、不好接近的漂亮姑娘 a cold, brittle beauty44language points10. flex vt (line 5, para.6) to tighten your muscles or bend part of your body synonym: bend bend v to lean forwards and downwards or move the top part of your body forwards and downwards 她弯下身子拾起钢笔。 she bent down to pick up her pen. 伸曲你的膝关节

36、。 stretch and flex your knees.45language points11. strain n (line 5, para.6) pressure caused by a difficult situation synonym: tension 这场战争将给经济带来沉重的负担。 this war will put a great strain on the economy. tension: a nervous worried feeling that makes it impossible for you to relax 我试图讲个笑话来消除紧张情绪。 i trie

37、d to ease the tension with a joke. 46language points12. off-the-shelf adj & adv (line 9, para. 6) already made and available in shops rather than being designed especially for a customer 现成的现成的数据库软件数据库软件 off-the-shelf database software 这些东西你都可以买现成的。 you can buy all these items off-the-shelf. antonym

38、s: made-to-measure; made-to-ordermade-to-measure adj specially made to fitmade-to-order adj made for one particular customer 47language points13. velocity n (line 2 , para.7) the speed of something that is moving in a particular direction synonym: speed the rate at which something moves or travels 该

39、装置测量风的速度和方向。 the device measures the speed and direction of the wind 光速 the velocity of light48language points14. all told pron v (line 5, para. 7) 1) including everything or everyone; altogether 总共有六个人。 there were six people all told. 2) in short; in brief 总之，这给他们大大增了光。 all told, it was a great cre

40、dit to them.49language points15. come close v adv (line 6, para. 8) 1) almost do sth 我好几次差点要放弃。 i came close to giving up several times. 2) to be almost as good as someone or soth else 这部电影没有他上一部的好，但也差得不多。 its not as good as his last movie, but it comes pretty close.50language points16. out of kilte

41、r/off kilter (line 4, para. 9) 1) not working as well as usual 我们的社会全乱了。 things are totally out of kilter in our society. 2) different from sth else, in a way that spoils a situation 他跟自己的同时代人格格不入。 he was out of kilter with his generation. 51language points17. live with v prep (line 9, para. 10) 1)

42、to accept sth unpleasant that you cannot change 你得学会忍受压力。 you have to learn to live with stress. 2) to live as if married 他和那个姑娘同居两年了。 he has been living with that girl for two years. 3) to stay in your mind 我一辈子都记得她的声音。 her voice has lived with me all my life. 52language points18. consolidate vt (

43、line 6, para. 12 ) 1)to combine several small things into one large unit 我们把四个小农庄合并为一个大牧场。 we consolidated four small farms into a vast cattle ranch. 2) to make sth stronger or more effective so it will continue 公司正在加强对技术的掌握。 the company is consolidating its hold on technology. 53language points syn

44、onyms: make secure, make strong, reinforce, stabilize, strengthen 54language points19. keep track of v n prep (line 2, para. 13) to keep informed about sth 我经常读报纸以了解时事 。 i often read the newspapers to keep track of current events. antonym: lose track of 我与很多中学时的老校友失去了联系。 i have lost track of some of

45、 my old school friends. 55language points20. indelible adj (line 4, para. 13) 1)(of inks, stains, marks) that cannot be removed 染在我衬衣上洗不掉的桃子渍 indelible peach stains on my shirt2) impossible to remove or forget 她的话给我留下了不可磨灭的印象。 her words left an indelible impression on me. 56language points21. cottag

46、e industry (line 5, para. 13) an industry that consists of people working at home 在这个地方，手工编织是一项欣欣向荣的家庭手工业。 hand weaving is a flourishing cottage industry in the region. 57language points22. susceptible adj (line 4, para. 14) 1) easily influenced or harmed by sth 儿童尤其容易感染这种疾病。 children are particular

47、ly susceptible to the disease.2) easily influence by feelings 他易受感情影响，所以她很轻易地就得到了他的爱。 hes so susceptible that she easily gained his affection.58language points synonyms: disposed, given, inclined, liable, predisposed, prone, sensitive, vulnerable 59language points23. endure vi & vt ( line 2, para. 1

48、3) 这些传统世代相传至今。 2) to suffer sth unpleasant patiently 我曾经忍受了长达数月的孤独。 i endured solitude for months at a time.1) to remain alive or continue to exist for a long time these traditions have endured throughout the ages.3) especially in negative sentences bear; put up with 我无法容忍那个女人。 i cant endure that wo

49、man. 60language points24. up in the air (line 3, para.15) if sth is up in the air, no decision has been made about it yet. 我们的计划仍悬而未决。 our plans are still up in the air.61language points confusion in uses: in the air 人们都感觉到该是变革的时候了。 there was a feeling in the air that it was time for a change. in th

50、e air used for saying that people all have a similar feeling, especially a feeling that sth exciting or new is happening62 1. they are also, perhaps more than any other part of the most complicated flying machine ever built, pieces that crystallize a basic dilemma of modern spaceflight: how to combi

51、ne strength and durability in featherweight materials that can survive launch and reentry. (line 6, para. 3) 这些防热材料极轻，要想在航天飞机发射和重返地球过程中不被损坏，必须强度高，而且耐用，这是航天事业如今面临的主要困境。航天飞机算得上是人类建造的最复杂的飞行器，而在所有的构件中，防热瓦最能体现这个困境。difficult sentences63 2. by comparison, a more conventional heat shield absorbed the heat o

52、f reentry by ablation handling heat by charring and burning up a little at a time during descent. ? 与防热瓦相比，较为传统的防热材料通过烧蚀法吸热，在降落过程中，通过一步步一点点地烧蚀，解决高温问题。difficult sentences64 3. nasa engineers also underestimated how much even a relatively small change in the surface of the shuttle tiles could alter th

53、e way the craft glided through the air at velocities so many times the speed of sound, said michael cima, an authority on advanced ceramics at mit.? 麻省理工学院的迈克西玛是研究高级陶瓷的专家，他认为，航天飞机在大气中滑翔时，速度数倍于音速，哪怕是航天飞机上的防热瓦表面发生点不起眼的变化，都会改变航天飞机的飞行方式，这一点美国宇航局的工程师也估计不足。difficult sentences65 4. there were concerns that

54、 repeated exposure to the stresses and extreme temperatures of spaceflight could alter the ceramics in ways normal inspections would not reveal. 有人担心，由于反复承受压力，再加上太空飞行产生的极高温度的影响，这些陶瓷制品会发生某些改变，常规的检查可能查不出来。difficult sentences66keys to the exercisesi. reading comprehension a. 1. a 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. a 6. d 7. b 8. a 9.c 10. d 67keys to the exercisesb. 1. 18; space shuttle 2.tiles 3.first manned experiment 4.custom-fitted; off-the-shelf5.routine 6.altered; subtle7.hand-held laser scanners 8.experiment; up in the air i. readin