21st Century College English: Book 3 Unit 9: Text A Space Politics

Reading & Writing Skills Language Points Guided Practice Assignment Unit 9: Text A Lead-in Activities Text Organization Reading & Writing Skills Language Points Guided Practice Assignment Space Politics

Questions for Discussion Lead-in Activities Questions for Discussion 1.Does space hold a shining promise for the future of mankind? 2. Will it become just another arena for greed and destruction. 3. Shouldn’t we concentrate on the problems here on Earth instead of wandering around the universe in search of who-knows-what?

The Structure of Text A Text Organization I. Presents the question: Is public support for the international space effort necessary? Para. 1 II. Deals with the public support for the space program. Paras. 2~4 III. Deals with the new enthusiasm the space project has generated in recent years. Paras. 5~15 IV. Concludes that space exploration has been conducted mainly for political reasons. Paras. 11~12

I. Presents the question: Text Organization I. Presents the question: Is public support for the international space effort necessary? Para. 1

Text Organization II. Deals with the public support for the space program throughout its history and how the support declined for various reasons. In the U.S.A. Paras. 2~3 In Russia Para. 4

In the U.S.A. In the 60’s In the 70’s In the 80’s Text Organization In the U.S.A. In the 60’s Para. 2 In the 70’s Para. 2 In the 80’s Para. 3

Text Organization In Russia The funding problem and the collapse of the former Soviet Union meant that the country gave up all its efforts in space exploration. Para. 4

New enthusiasm in space exploration in recent years. Text Organization III. Deals with the new enthusiasm the space project has generated in recent years. New enthusiasm in space exploration in recent years. Paras. 5~8 The impetus to fund a large-scale project is questionable. Paras. 9~13 The reasons for the space exploration enthusiasm. Paras. 14~15

Text Organization IV. Concludes that space exploration has been conducted mainly for political reasons. The purpose of space exploration has been mainly political in the past. Politicians still believe that man must conquer space to prove he is “master of the Earth”. Para. 16

Reading & Writing Skills 1. Reading skill: Scanning for Specific Information As we’ve learned, scanning a text before you read can make your reading more efficient in many ways. It can get you acquainted with the author’s style and aims; it can give you an idea of how the text is organized and where to look for ideas and information. This third type of scanning can save you lots of valuable time when you need some specific information, for example when you’re doing research—or answering comprehension questions!

Reading & Writing Skills This text is an argumentation. The author starts by stating his viewpoint. And then develops it by presenting the facts intertwined with opinions. The author also uses time markers to organize these paragraphs in simple chronological order（时间顺序).

Intensive Study Intensive Study Text A: Space Politics

Space Politics Intensive Study It is expected that the discovery of possible life-forms from the planet Mars will revive public interest in space exploration. But is public support for the international space effort necessary, given that politicians seem determined to press ahead with it anyway?

Intensive Study 1 The race to the moon, which was won by the Americans in 1969, was driven almost entirely by politics. The rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union meant that the two countries were determined to be the first to put a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy promised that America would win this race and, as one of the most popular presidents in American history, he inspired a nation to think of space exploration as the ultimate test of America’s superiority over her Soviet enemy.

Intensive Study 2 America’s success as the first nation to reach the moon, coupled with continuing Cold War rivalry, created much public support for the space programme and Washington was able to fund many more missions. During the 1970s, the moon was visited again, unmanned missions were sent to Mars and, for the first time, man-made craft were put on paths that would take them out of the solar system.

Intensive Study 3 But, by the 1980s, public support for space exploration was declining. It faded almost entirely after the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986, and the U.S. government was under pressure to scale back its space programme. Politicians reacted by demanding cuts in spending, which put the future of many space missions in doubt. 4 In Russia, funding was also a problem. The end of the Soviet Union meant the country could no longer afford to sustain its space programme. In fact, spending became so tight that there was often not enough money to bring home astronauts working on the country’s Mir space station.

Intensive Study 5 But, in the last few years, politicians seem to have changed their attitude to space exploration, even though there is little evidence that the public have. New missions to Mars are planned, and plenty of money is being spent on other extraterrestrial activities. Last year, for instance, the U.S. spent more on space research and development than on any other area of research, except health and the military.

Intensive Study 6 And spending is likely to increase in the coming years: currently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning a number of missions to Mars, and it is pressing ahead with the most expensive space-exploration project ever undertaken — the International Space Station. (Three years ago, this project — a collaboration between the U.S., Canada, Russia, Europe and Japan — came within one vote of being canceled by the American House of Representatives.)

Intensive Study 7 And the Americans are not the only ones spending huge sums on space exploration. The Europeans, Canadians and Japanese are expected to spend $9 billion on their share of the space station, and Europe has already spent huge sums developing its Ariane rockets, the most recent of which — Ariane 5 — blew up shortly after it was launched. The Russians, too, claim they are committed to supporting the International Space Station — an expense that country seems ill able to afford.

Intensive Study 8 So, if there is little public support for space exploration, where does the impetus to fund these activities come from? Promoting the cause of science is one possible answer. But recently there has been considerable controversy over whether projects like the International Space Station have enough scientific value to merit the billions that have been and will be spent on it.

Intensive Study 9 NASA’s reasons for building the space station are “to develop new materials [and] technologies that will have immediate, practical applications”. However, for such research to be worthwhile, NASA needs private companies to develop (and help pay for) extraterrestrial research. Unfortunately, the cost of sending anything into orbit is so high that most private companies favour improving techniques on Earth. Significantly, NASA has so far not managed to get any substantial private investment to manufacture products in space.

Intensive Study 10 The result is that the station seems, at present, to have only one concrete objective: research into how people can live and work safely and efficiently in space. But how important is this research? And can it possibly justify the cost of this huge orbiting laboratory? 11 The only purpose of studying how humans live and work in space would be to prepare for long-term space missions. At present, none are planned, and this seems unlikely to change in the near future. The main reasons for this are the costs. A manned mission to our nearest planetary neighbour Mars, for example, would cost around $400 billion. This is $50 billion more than Russia’s present Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Intensive Study 12 And even if one accepts that this research is important, can it justify building a space station the size of 14 tennis courts, at a cost which is eventually expected to exceed $100 billion? Given the shortage of funds in many other areas of scientific research, it would seem not. 13 So why build it? There are good political reasons for doing so. It will provide work for the thousands of unemployed defence workers who depended on the Cold War for their jobs, and who make up a substantial proportion of voters in both Russia and the U.S. It will also help keep American/Russian ties strong — another reason NASA believes the space station is a good investment. (Critics argue that there are far cheaper ways to keep the U.S. and Russia on good terms.)

Intensive Study 14 And then there is the legacy of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall may have fallen, but NASA and the U.S. government still seem to believe in the ideal of one nation’s superiority in space. Indeed, NASA describes the space station as “a powerful symbol of U.S. leadership”. 15 It seems that the world’s politicians are caught in a time-warp. They still believe, as they did in the 1960s, that man must conquer space in order to prove he is master of his surroundings. If only it weren’t so expensive. (1002 words)

Mars Text-related information Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, the next one beyond Earth’s orbit. Its red color inspired the Greeks and Romans to name it after their god of war, Ares, or Mars. The distance of Mars from Earth, and hence its brightness, vary considerably. At times it is the third-brightest object in the night sky, surpassed only by the Moon and Venus.

given that — supposing that; considering that Examples: • Many people are holding their money tight, given that the prices of cars would come down. • Given that the cost for college education is so high, he decided to apply for a training program.

press ahead/on (with sth.) — continue (doing sth.) in a determined way, knowing that it may take a long time or may be very difficult Examples: • Despite public complaints, the company pressed on with its plan. • The country pressed ahead with its expansion into its neighboring country despite international protest.

First Lunar Landing Text-related information Launched July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 made the first manned lunar landing on July 20. Neil Armstrong was the first out: he stepped on the moon surface at 10:56 pm that day. Dropping the last meter from the ladder, he said: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil A. Armstrong

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Text-related information John Fitzgerald Kennedy The 35th president of the United States (1961~63), was, at the age of 43, the youngest man ever elected to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant, and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His assassination in Dallas, Tex., in November 1963 provoked outrage and widespread mourning.

couple with — to join or combine with Examples: • Hard work coupled with high pressure caused serious health problems among the employees. • A reputation for quality, coupled with very competitive prices, has make these cars very popular. Make a sentence with the phrase: • ?

Washington — the U.S. government Example: • Beijing announced today that the US President would pay a 3-day visit to China next week. Beijing = the Chinese government

The Challenger Disaster Text-related information The Challenger Disaster The 25th flight on the space shuttle Challenger, ended less than two minutes after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986, when a fireball interrupted the craft’s ascent track. This disaster killed the entire crew of seven, including Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher chosen for the flight.

scale back/down — reduce esp. by a fixed rate Examples: • The company is scaling down its operation in the Middle East. • Imports will have to be scaled down until exports begin to rise again.

(put sth.) in doubt — (cause sth. to be) in a condition of uncertainty or at risk Examples: • The future of the project is in doubt because of a lack of money. • The result of the election remained in doubt until the next morning.

Mir Space Station Text-related information Mir is the Russian space station launched on Feb. 20, 1986. The name is a Russian word meaning “peace.” Mir has four additional ports for docking, more windows, two private compartments, and a slightly increased interior space. The core of the station is about 17 m (56 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) wide. Atlantis docked with Mir

But, in the last few years, politicians seem to have changed their attitude to space exploration, even though there is little evidence that the public have. Key: 但是，近年来政治家们似乎改变了他们对于外层空间探索的态度，尽管公众并没有表现出什么改变的迹象。 Translate the sentence: ?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Text-related information The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) NASA is the U.S. government agency responsible for the development of advanced aviation and space technology and for space exploration. It is an independent civilian agency responsible directly to the president.

Translate the sentence: ? Three years ago, this project — a collaboration between the U.S., Canada, Russia, Europe and Japan — came within one vote of being canceled by the American House of Representatives. Key: 三年前，这项计划—美国、加拿大、俄罗斯、欧洲和日本之间的一项合作—以一票之差险些被美国众议院取消。 Translate the sentence: ?

Ariane Rocket Text-related information Ariane rockets are designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to give Europe greater independence in the launching of satellites. Its private marketing company, Arianespace, has headquarters in Every, France, and a launch facility at the French Space Center, Kourou, French Guiana. The French space agency is the company’s principal shareholder, along with 36 European aerospace firms and 11 European banks.

blow up — to explode Examples: • It’s more than shock to see the space shuttle blow up in the sky. The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an electric switch.

merit v. — deserve, be worthy of Examples: • The suggestion merits serious consideration • The movie English Patient merits all the prizes it has been awarded.

Translate the sentence: ? Unfortunately, the cost of sending anything into orbit is so high that most private companies favour improving techniques on Earth. Key: 遗憾的是，将任何东西送上轨道的费用极高，大多数私营公司都宁可在地球上改进技术。 Translate the sentence: ?

Significantly, NASA has so far not managed to get any substantial private investment to manufacture products in space. significantly — ad. to an important or considerable degree Example: • Tourism contributes significantly to the economy of Hainan province. More to learn

Significantly, NASA has so far not managed to get any substantial private investment to manufacture products in space. substantial — a. large in size, value or importance Examples: By hard study he made a substantial improvement in arithmetic. The first draft of his novel needed a substantial amount of rewriting.

And can it possibly justify the cost of this huge orbiting laboratory? Key: 这项研究能够证明这个大型轨道实验室值得花钱去造吗？ Translate the sentence: ?

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Text-related information Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The total output of goods and services for final use produced by an economy, by both residents and nonresidents. It does not include payments to the nation's residents on their foreign investments, and it counts only output produced within the country. This measure is now being used more frequently as a means for evaluating the size of the economy.

Given the shortage of funds in many other areas of scientific research, it would seem not. Key: — Considering that many other areas of scientific research don’t have enough funds, it seems this research would not justify building that space station. Paraphrase the sentence: ?

on good/bad/speaking terms — have a good/bad/speaking relationship Examples: • I’ve always been on good terms with my neighbors. • I am not on speaking terms with him at the present time.

The Berlin Wall Text-related information A concrete wall, 4 m (12 ft) high, surrounding West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. In November, 1989 enthusiastic citizens began to demolish whole sections of the wall. East Germany eventually removed the Berlin Wall and reunited with West Germany in 1990, forming the Federal Republic of Germany.

believe in 1) [~ sth.] to be certain that it exists 2) [~ sb. /sth.] to have the confidence in sb./sth. Examples: Do you believe in ghosts? Not many people believe in the President’s plans to improve economy.

It seems that the world’s politicians are caught in a time-warp. Key: 全世界的政治家们似乎犯了一种时间错位。 Translate the sentence: ?

Guided Practice —— Vocabulary Cloze Translation Structure Writing

Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. military collaboration cancel impetus immediate orbit concrete rocket 1. For health reasons the president has decided to ________ his planned visit to Italy. cancel 2. John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to ________ the Earth in 1962, was 77 years old when he returned to space in 1998. orbit

Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. military collaboration cancel impetus immediate orbit concrete rocket 3. This book is the product of several years of ____________ between two leading universities. collaboration 4. Anger can be a positive force if it provides ________ for change. impetus

Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. military collaboration cancel impetus immediate orbit concrete rocket 5. She’s the only person in her ___________ family who has a college education, although two of her cousins also have degrees. immediate 6. There are many theories about where natural satellites came from, but manmade satellites are launched into space by ________. rockets

Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary. military collaboration cancel impetus immediate orbit concrete rocket 7. I don’t have any ________ plans for the weekend — I was thinking of spending some time with my family or perhaps getting together with some friends. concrete 8. According to the U.S. Constitution, the president and Congress share power over ________ affairs: the president commands the armed forces, but only Congress can declare war. military

Cloze 《读写教程 III》: Ex. XII, p. 271

Cloze Select the most appropriate word from the box to fill each of the blanks below. The choice O means no additional word is correct.

Cloze about collaboration extraterrestrials represented spacecraft which amid controversial genuine rivalry symbol whose among controversy impetus rivals symbolized with by cruising launching secure to O of extraterrestrial military securely ultimate It’s interesting to observe the changes in public attitudes toward visitors from other planets. In the early years of the Cold War, popular science-fiction films usually portrayed 1)_____ as horrible monsters 2)_____ the universe in terrifyingly advanced 3)_____, eager to enslave, colonize or destroy the innocent Earth. cruising extraterrestrials spacecraft

Cloze about collaboration extraterrestrials represented spacecraft which amid controversial genuine rivalry symbol whose among controversy impetus rivals symbolized with by cruising launching secure to O of extraterrestrial military securely ultimate In most of these movies, the ETs 4)_____ highly advanced civilizations whose 5)_____ expertise was matched only 6)_____ their evil ideas — an obvious 7)_____ of our worst fears about our Cold War 8)_____. It wasn’t until the 1970s— when America felt 9)_____ in the knowledge of who had “won the space race” — that films started speculating 10)_____ a gentler sort of extraterrestrial. secure about military represented by symbol rivals

Cloze about collaboration extraterrestrials represented spacecraft which amid controversial genuine rivalry symbol whose among controversy impetus rivals symbolized with by cruising launching secure to O of extraterrestrial military securely ultimate The famous film Close Encounters of the Third Kind was 11)____ the first of these. It portrays the visitors almost as angels 12)____ technological superiority is coupled 13)____ a desire to help mankind solve all our problems and achieve 14)____ a higher moral and spiritual level. At about the same time, the book Chariot (飞车) of the Gods presented some highly 15)____ “evidence” that it was early 16)____ visitors that provided the 17)____ for human civilization. whose among/O with O extraterrestrial controversial impetus

Cloze about collaboration extraterrestrials represented spacecraft which amid controversial genuine rivalry symbol whose among controversy impetus rivals symbolized with by cruising launching secure to O of extraterrestrial military securely ultimate These images are only science fiction, of course, but their popularity expresses a 18)____ thirst to be saved: ETs have become the religion of modern times. One reason for this could be that while “ET” stands for extraterrestrial, it also stands for English teacher. genuine

Translation Translation Ex. XI Ex. XII

Translation — English to Chinese 《读写教程 III》: Ex. IX, p. 270

Translation — English to Chinese The race to the moon, which was won by the Americans in 1969, was driven almost entirely by politics. The rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union meant that the two countries were determined to be the first to put a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy promised that America would win this race and, as one of the most popular presidents in American history, he inspired a nation to think of space exploration as the ultimate test of America’s superiority over her Soviet enemy. The race to the moon, which was won by the Americans in 1969, was driven almost entirely by politics. The rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union meant that the two countries were determined to be the first to put a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy promised that America would win this race and, as one of the most popular presidents in American history, he inspired a nation to think of space exploration as the ultimate test of America’s superiority over her Soviet enemy. The race to the moon, which was won by the Americans in 1969, was driven almost entirely by politics. The rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union meant that the two countries were determined to be the first to put a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy promised that America would win this race and, as one of the most popular presidents in American history, he inspired a nation to think of space exploration as the ultimate test of America’s superiority over her Soviet enemy. 登月竞赛几乎完全是受政治驱动的。 他激励国民将外层空间探索视为美国对其敌人苏联的优越性的终极考验。

Translation — English to Chinese America’s success as the first nation to reach the moon, coupled with continuing Cold War rivalry, created much public support for the space programme and Washington was able to fund many more missions. During the 1970s, the moon was visited again, unmanned missions were sent to Mars and, for the first time, man-made craft were put on paths that would take them out of the solar system. America’s success as the first nation to reach the moon, coupled with continuing Cold War rivalry, created much public support for the space programme and Washington was able to fund many more missions. During the 1970s, the moon was visited again, unmanned missions were sent to Mars and, for the first time, man-made craft were put on paths that would take them out of the solar system. 在20世纪70年代，月球被再次访问，无人飞船被送往火星，而且人造飞船也首次被送上将带领它们脱离太阳系的轨道。

Translation — Chinese to English 《读写教程 III》: Ex. XI, p. 270

one of the tangible objectives Translation — Chinese to English 1. 美国国家航空和航天局宣布，这次飞行任务长达九天，其明确目的之一将是研究太空飞行对衰老过程的影响。 one of the tangible objectives space flight the aging process NASA announced that one of the tangible objectives of this nine-day (flight) mission was to do research into the effects of space flight on the aging process.

spend substantial funds (on) Translation — Chinese to English 2. 在冷战期间，苏美两国在外层空间的开发活动方面投入了大量的资金。 the Cold War era space exploration spend substantial funds (on) During the Cold War era, the Soviet Union and the United States both spent substantial funds on space exploration.

cause a great deal of controversy Translation — Chinese to English 3. 总统关于削减政府社会福利支出的提议已经在公众中引起了很大的争议。 scale down social welfare cause a great deal of controversy The President’s proposal to scale down/back the government’s social welfare spending has caused a great deal of controversy.

the space shuttle Discovery put its safe landing in doubt Translation — Chinese to English 4. 美国“发现”号航天飞机回到肯尼迪航天中心之前，佛罗里达恶劣的天气，加上舱门的故障，曾使安全着陆难以保证。 the space shuttle Discovery coupled with put its safe landing in doubt Before the American space shuttle Discovery returned to the Kennedy Space Center, the bad weather in Florida, coupled with the door trouble, put its safe landing in doubt.

there is little evidence of Translation — Chinese to English 5. 迄今为止还没有充分证据表明火星上有生命，但这并不是说外层空间的研究没有科学价值。 there is little evidence of this doesn’t justify So far there is little evidence of life on Mars, but this doesn’t justify the conclusion that space research has no scientific value.

the International Space Station space-exploration project Translation — Chinese to English 6. 国际空间站是费用最为昂贵的太空探索项目，是有十六个国家参与的合作项目。 the International Space Station space-exploration project The International Space Station, a collaboration in which sixteen countries are taking part, is the most expensive space-exploration project ever undertaken.

pressed ahead with the research Translation — Chinese to English 7. 这本书讲的是在五十年代末，中国航天探索的先驱者在没有外国专家帮助的情况下，执着地进行研究的情况。 at the end of the 1950s pioneers pressed ahead with the research This book describes the period at the end of the 1950s when the pioneers of Chinese space exploration pressed ahead with their research without the help of foreign experts.

manufacturing industries make up one half of our country’s GDP Translation — Chinese to English 8. 今年制造业创利已超过二千亿美元，占我国国内生产总值的一半。 manufacturing industries make profits make up one half of our country’s GDP This year the profits made in manufacturing industries have exceeded $200 billion, making up one half of our country’s GDP.

Structured Writing In Text A — chronological order Structured Writing The author starts by stating his viewpoint. He then proceeds to present facts, intertwined with opinions, that support his point of view. Notice how he uses time markers to organize these paragraphs in simple chronological order（时间顺序）. Sample Essay Write your own

viewpoint: Structured Writing “The race to the moon, which was won by the Americans in 1969, was driven almost entirely by politics…”

Structured Writing Facts. (Notice how he uses time markers to organize these paragraphs in simple chronological order) Paragraph 2: the reference to President Kennedy establishes the time period as the 1960s Paragraph 3: During the 1970s … Paragraph 4: But, by the 1980s … the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986 …

Structured Writing The war against written homework for pupils in primary schools was started in the late 80’s of the 20th century. People were shocked to find that pupils’ school bags, containing many more textbooks, workbooks and exercise books, were becoming heavier than ever before. Pupils were totally deprived of their carefree childhood, having to work on their small desks for 4 or 5 hours a day after school. Public concern for pupils’ health, coupled with the demand of “returning a carefree childhood” to our children, created much support for dramatically cutting down the homework for pupils. In the first decade of the 21st century, primary schools banned all kinds of homework for pupils, memorization was declared unhealthy and entrance examination for middle schools were altogether stopped.

Structured Writing But in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, public support for “no homework” began to decline as people found with dismay that the “no homework policy” failed to meet the country’s demand for a highly educated workforce. Primary schools were under pressure to make sure children could read and write properly. This put the future of free time for pupils in doubt.

Structured Writing Use chronological order to structure a short composition of your own — about 150 words — in which you present the historical background to an issue you’re interested in. An example written from a future standpoint would be:

1. Review Text A 2. Do exercises: • Structure (Ex. IX, p. 269) • Translation (Ex. X & XI, p. 270) • Cloze (Ex. XII, p. 271) Assignment