1. Listening & Speaking

3. Qian Xuesen is one of the best- known scientists in China. His work has been very important for the development of China. 1

4. Qian XueSen (1911-) “Father of China's Aerospace” & “King of Rockets”

5. Qian Xuesen (1911- ), a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, went to the United States to study in 1935. In 1955 he returned to China, and in 1958 he joined the Communist Party.

6. He served successively as Director of the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice- Minister of the No. 7 Ministry of the Machine-building Industry, Vice- Minister of the State Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology.

7. He was also elected alternate member of the Ninth through Twelfth CPC Central Committees. Qian played a leading role in the research, manufacture and testing of carrier rockets, guided missiles and satellites, thus making outstanding contributions to the development of China's aerospace industry.

8. Look at the pictures and predict the content of the listening. 1

9. 神舟 5 号

10. 神舟 6 号

11. 神舟 7 号

12. It’s about the role of Qian Xuesen in the development of space technology in China. Listening and speaking 2. Listen to Parts 1 and 2 of the tape for the first time and write down the main idea.

13. 1. What did Qian study first? 3. Listen to Part 1 again and answer these questions. 2. What experience did he get in America that was useful for China? In America he began to work on space rockets so that he was able to develop a space program when he came back to China. 3. What was Qian Xuesen’s main achievement when he returned to China? Qian Xuesen first studied to be an engineer. When Qian Xuesen returned to China he set up a Space Institute to begin training people in how to design and build rockets.

14. 4. Listen to Part 2 and fill in the chart below. China’s achievements in space Steve Smith’s ambitious 1.Chinese astronauts in space 2.Chinese satellites in space 1.Become a rocket scientist 2.Be the first to land on Mars and put Qian Xuesen’s pictures there

15. A GREAT CHINESE SCIENTIST Father of the Chinese space programme Yu Ping is talking to her friend Steve Smith about Qian Xuesen and his work as a rocket scientist. Listening text

16. YP: What do you want to be when you grow up? SS: I want to be an astronomer and visit stars. I wish to visit Mars one day. YP: I think I'd like to work in the space industry too. I'd like to be a rocket scientist like Qian Xuesen. SS: What did he have to do to become a rocket scientist?

17. YP: Well, he first studied at university to be an engineer. Then he was lucky enough to go to America to study for his doctor's degree. It was then he began to work on rockets there. SS: So it was lucky for our space programme that he came back to China.

18. YP: Very lucky. There was no work on space rockets before he began his institute in China to design and build rockets to go into space. SS: Do you think he wanted to travel into space in one of his rockets?

19. YP: I have no idea but I believe he looked forward to the first space flight by a Chinese astronaut.

20. SS: Yes. China, has already sent satellites into space. I hope that we’ll be the first to land on Mars. That would really be something special and if I were that astronaut I would put Qian Xuesen's picture on Mars to show how much we admire his work.

21. YP: Indeed. He is called the father of the Chinese space programme. He is my hero and he is why I want to be a rocket scientist.

22. SS: Well, we'd better get on with our homework. We need good grades to get into university. YP: Right you are. See you, then. SS: See you.

23. In groups discuss a scientific job you might choose in the future. What job do you want to do? What education will you need? What personality will be needed? How long will the training take? What work experience would be useful? How will you prepare for this career? These questions may help you:

24. I always wanted to … because … The experience I will need is… I need to practise … I think I’m good at … so … I’ll need some training in … I might find it difficult to … My greatest problem will be to… These expressions may help you:

25. MIKE: What do you want to do when you grow up? LI RU: I want to build robots. I will have to do a physics and mathematics degree in China. Sample conversation:

26. After that I hope to go abroad to Reading University in England where you can study all about robots. There is a special cybernetics( 控制论 ) department there. MIKE: Why personality will be needed for that job?

27. LI RU: They have a lot of uses: for example, in making cars on a production line or doing other repetitive jobs. MIKE: What personality will be needed for that job?

28. LI RU: I think I need to be patient for my ideas will take a long time to develop. I also need to be creative enough to have good ideas. MIKE: What experience will be most useful to you?

29. LI RU: I think technology and engineering projects. I hope to work in a factory in my holidays. MIKE: What kind of person makes a good inventor?

30. LI RU: I think someone who is happy to persevere at something and learns from his mistakes. MIKE: Thank you. I think designing robots sounds fun.