2010年ESL之日常生活 16 Talking About Astronomy_在线英语听力室

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16 Talking About Astronomy

honey – sweetheart; a word used when talking to loved ones to show them thatone cares

* Honey, could you please take out the garbage?

project – assignment; the study of a particular subject for a period of time,usually resulting in a report or other product that will be evaluated by the teacheror boss

* Sally had to draw a map of the world as part of her geography project.

Earth – the planet that humans live on

* Do you think there is life on other planets, or only on Earth?

universe – the entire world, including all planets, stars, suns, moons, galaxies²,and the space between them

* How many planets are in the universe?

report – a written document with information about a particular topic

* Each sales manager has to write a monthly report that explains why sales areincreasing or decreasing in his or her region.

model – a small copy of something that looks just like the real, much larger thing

* Architects often build models of their new buildings for clients to look at beforetheir final designs are approved.

telescope – a long, cylindrical³ object that one looks through at one end, used tosee the details of objects that are very far away in outer space

* This telescope lets us see faraway stars that are invisible to the naked eye.

space – outer space; all of the universe except for Earth; the area around planetEarth, including all other planets, stars, suns, moons, galaxies, and more* Lex wants to become an astronaut so that he can travel through space.

astronomy – the study of the universe; the study of outer space; the study ofplanets, stars, suns, moons, galaxies, and more.

* We’re studying black holes in our astronomy class.

planet – a very big, round object like Earth, Mars, or Venus that moves around asun

* When I was a kid, we were taught that Mars, Venus, Earth, Mercury, Jupiter,Saturn⁴, Uranus⁵, Neptune⁶, and Pluto⁷ were the only planets in our solar system,but it seems like scientists have discovered many other planets since then.

solar system – the part of outer space that we are most familiar with, includingthe Sun and the planets that move around it

* How long would it take a spaceship to travel outside of our solar system?

Big Bang – Big Bang theory; the idea that everything in the universe wascreated with one large explosion and that small pieces are still moving away fromeach other as a result of that explosion

* Do you think that the Big Bang theory can account for life on Earth?

light years – the distance traveled by light in one year

* How many light years would be needed to travel to Saturn?

star – one of many small points of light in the nighttime sky, actually a very largeball of burning gas

* Have you ever tried to count all the stars in the sky?

asteroid⁸ – a rock that moves around the sun, smaller than a planet

* This science fiction movie is about a large asteroid that threatens to hit theEarth and move our planet out of orbit.

galaxy⁹ – a large group of stars

* How many galaxies are in the universe?

to set (something) apart from (something) – to make something different orbetter than other, similar things; to differentiate¹⁰ something from something else

* Some people print their résumés on very expensive paper, hoping to set theirapplication apart from the others.

out of this world – very cool; awesome¹¹; extraordinary and very interesting

* Seeing that band perform live would be out of this world!

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these things is not part of a solar system?

a) Earth.

b) The universe.

c) Stars.

2. Why does Mariko’s father want her to set her project apart from the others?

a) Because it would be the best one.

b) Because it would be the biggest one.

c) Because it would be the farthest away.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

spaceThe word “space,” in this podcast, means outer space, or the entire universeexcept for Earth: “He loves looking at pictures of Earth as it is seen from space.”

The word “space” also describes the amount of room that is available in acontainer or room: “Do you have enough space in your purse to carry thecamera?” A “parking space” is a place for one car to park in a parking lot: “Theycouldn’t find a parking space close to the store’s entrance, so they had to park afew blocks away.” The phrases “to stare into space” or “to space out into space”

mean to look straight ahead without focusing on anything, unaware¹² of what oneis seeing, usually because one is thinking about something else: “Teachers canbecome discouraged when they see their students staring into space duringclass.”

starIn this podcast, the word “star” means one of many small points of light in thenighttime sky, actually a very large ball of burning gas: “Is that point of light a staror a planet?” A “star” is also the actor or actress who has the most important rolein a play or movie: “Ever since Craig was chosen as the star of the school play,he has had too high of an opinion of himself.” A “star” is also a famous celebrity,usually an actor or musician: “Were any famous Hollywood stars at the party?”

Finally, the phrase “to see stars” means to see bright points of light when onecloses one’s eyes, usually after one has been hit on the head: “The patient iscomplaining that she has been seeing stars and feeling nauseous ever since thecar accident.”

CULTURE NOTE

A “planetarium¹³” is a special theater with a “domed” (rounded) roof. Mostplanetariums are in museums and are used to present shows about astronomy,or just to teach people the names of objects in the “night sky” (the sky as it isseen at nighttime). Most planetarium shows let people see how objects moveacross the sky over time. They use a combination of special lights, “lasers”

(electronic beams of light), videos, music, and “narration” (a voice explainingwhat is happening or what one is seeing).

There are many planetariums¹⁵ throughout the United States. Here is a list of fourof the most “notable” (noteworthy) ones.

The Samuel Oschin Planetarium at the Griffith “Observatory” (a place where onecan view outer space through photographs) is in Los Angeles, California. It was“renovated” (improved and substantially rebuilt) in 2006 and its 75-foot dome¹⁴ isone of the largest. It uses “state-of-the-art” (very modern; high-tech) technologyin its shows.

Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois was “founded” (created) in 1930 and is theoldest planetarium. It has two domes¹⁶: one “remains” (continues to be) verysimilar to the original planetarium dome, and the other uses newer digitaltechnology.

Hayden Planetarium in New York City is not just a dome, but a “sphere” (globe; athree-dimensional circle). The top half of the sphere “serves as” (is used as) atraditional dome for planetarium shows. The bottom half of the sphere has aprogram called “The Big Bang Theater.”

Finally, Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina is the firstplanetarium that was built on a college “campus” (the land and buildings ownedby a university). It is “open to the public,” meaning that anyone can go there –not just students and “faculty” (teachers; professors).

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT¹⁷

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 605: Talking AboutAstronomy.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 605. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inthe beautiful city of Los Angeles, in the state of California, on the North Americancontinent.

This episode, as all our episodes, has a Learning Guide. It’s an 8- to 10-pageguide that gives you a complete transcript of everything we say, as well asadditional cultural notes, and vocabulary definitions – lots of fun stuff! Go to ourwebsite at eslpod.com and download it.

This episode is about the stars, about “astronomy,” which is the study of starsand planets and all of that good stuff up there. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Dad: What are you working on, honey?

Mariko: It’s a project for school about the Earth and its place in the universe. Ihave to write a report and build a model of what scientists can see with atelescope in space.

Dad: I can help you with that. I was always good in science, especiallyastronomy.

Mariko: Okay, Dad. If I need help, I’ll ask you.

Dad: Is that the report you’re writing right now?

Mariko: Yes.

Dad: Make sure you include all of the planets in the solar system.

Mariko: I plan to, Dad.

Dad: Don’t forget to talk about the Big Bang. Oh yeah, and talk about travelingthrough space and how many light years it would take. Are you going to includestars, asteroids¹⁸, and other galaxies in your model?

Mariko: No, the teacher didn’t say we had to.

Dad: Yes, but including some of those would set your project apart from theothers, don’t you think?

Mariko: Sure, Dad.

Dad: It would be out of this world!

Mariko: Right, Dad.

[end of dialogue]

Dad begins by saying to his daughter Mariko, “What are you working on, honey?”

“Honey” is a word that you would use for someone you love. It means the sameas sweetheart or darling. It could be a husband saying it to his wife; it could be afather saying it to daughter, as is the case here; it could be a mother saying it toher son.

Mariko says, “It’s a project for school about the Earth and its place in theuniverse.” A “project” is an assignment. When we are talking about a schoolproject, we’re usually talking about something that would take several days tocomplete. It’s very common in American grade schools, in perhaps seventh oreighth grade, to have a science project; sometimes it is an astronomy project.

When I was in school we had an astronomy project where we had to use atelescope, which I’ll explain in a moment, and write a long report about thedifferent planets.

Mariko is doing a project about Earth – that’s the planet we live on; I live onanyway, I’m not sure where you live – and its place in the universe. The“universe” is the entire existence – physical existence: all of the planets, stars,suns, moons everything is included in the universe. Mariko says, “I have to writea report (a written document) and build a model of what scientists can see with atelescope in space.” A “model” here means a small copy of something that looksjust like the original. When I was a young boy, my brother used to build modelairplanes. He would get these kits¹⁹ – these special packages and he would puttogether the little parts, and when he was finished it looked like a little airplane – a model airplane. I think he enjoyed doing that, or he liked the glue! Not surewhich. The “glue” is the liquid that holds things together in this case.

Well, Mariko is not building a model because she likes the smell of the glue;she’s building a model because she’s required to for school. She has to make amodel of what scientists – astronomers²⁰ in this case, who study the stars andspace – can see with a telescope in space. A “telescope” is a long, what wewould call cylindrical, round object that you look through. It has special lenses –special pieces of glass that make things bigger, they magnify, and you can seevery far into the distance, even up into the sky, even other planets. Scientists –astronomers have these large telescopes they use, and they have, morerecently, put telescopes into space. “Space” is sometimes called outer space; it’sall of the universe except for Earth. Sometimes it’s used to mean outside of aplanet’s atmosphere; that is, outside of the area that is immediately around aplanet. In general, however, it’s used to refer to everything in the universe butplanet Earth. The word “space,” as you know, has many different meanings inEnglish. Well, if you didn’t know, take a look at the Learning Guide for them.

Dad says, “I can help you with that. I was always good in science, especiallyastronomy,” which, of course, is the study of the universe. Mariko says, “Okay,Dad. If I need help, I’ll ask you,” meaning she doesn’t want his help right now.

Dad, however, insists; he says, “Is that the report you’re writing right now?”

Mariko says, “Yes.” Dad says, “Make sure you include all of the planets in thesolar system.” A “planet” is a large object that moves around a sun in the middle.

The Earth is a planet; Mars is a planet; Venus is a planet; Pluto might be aplanet, it depends on who you talk to. The “solar system” is the part of theuniverse that is closest to us. It includes the sun and the 9 or 10 planets thatmove around it.

Mariko says to her father, “I plan to,” meaning I am going to include all of theplanets in the solar system. Dad does not understand that Mariko does not wanthis help right now, but he continues. He says, “Don’t forget to talk about the BigBang.” The “Big Bang” (bang), or the “Big Bang theory” is the idea thateverything physical in the universe was created or was started with one largeexplosion, and that small pieces of that explosion are still moving away fromeach other, billions and billions of years later. Dad says, “Oh yeah, and talkabout traveling through space and how many light years it would take.” A “lightyear” is the distance that could be traveled by light in one year. You often see orhear that term in watching science fiction movies. It’s also used to mean a verylong distance, or a point in the future that is very far from today. For example:

“We are light years ahead of our competition,” meaning we are very much advanced, way ahead of them. Astronomers talk about light years in measuringdistance in space, and that’s what Dad is referring to, how long it would take toget from, say, one part of the universe to another. He continues, “Are you goingto include stars, asteroids, and other galaxies in your model?” A “star” isbasically a point of light. It’s typically a very large ball of burning gas that issomewhere up in the sky – in space. “Star” has many other meanings as well,and those can be found in – all together now – the Learning Guide. Dad alsomentions asteroids. An “asteroid” (asteroid) is a rock that moves around the sunbut is much smaller than a planet. A “galaxy” (galaxy) is a large group of starsand the planets that may be around them. Earth is located in the Milky²¹ Waygalaxy.

Dad is, of course, giving suggestions that are unwanted, so Mariko says, “No, theteacher didn’t say we had to,” the teacher didn’t say we had to include stars,asteroids, and other galaxies. The father says, “Yes, but including some of thosewould set your project apart from the others, don’t you think?” “To set(something) apart from (something else)” is to make something different or betterso that people will notice it. He wants Mariko to make her model different fromthe other children, and that would give her perhaps a higher or better grade.

Mariko says, “Sure, Dad,” but you can tell she doesn’t really want to. Dad says,“It would be out of this world!” “To be out of this world” in this case means to bevery cool, to be very interesting, to be awesome. It’s also sort of a joke, since“out of this world” can also refer to things that are in space that are far away fromhere, a long distance from Earth.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.