【高二 拓展閱讀-自然】The Inner Solar System

TheInnerSolarSystemTheinnersolarsystemisthenameoftheterrestrialplanetsandasteroidbelt.Terrestrialisjustafancywayofsayingrocky,LiketheEarth,terrestrialplanetshaveacoreofironandrock.AtthecentreofthesolarsystemistheSun.TheSunisabigballofhydrogenpoweredbynuclearreactions.MassiveexplosionsaregoingonallofthetimeinsidetheSun,It’swhatmakesthelighteverydayandkeepsourplanetwarmLightzipsfromtheSuntousinabouteightminutes.TheSunisthemostmassivethinginoursolarsystem.ItissobigthatyoucouldfitaboutamillionEarthsinsideofit!ClosesttotheSunistheplanetMercury.YoucouldsqueezeabouteighteenMercurysinsideofEarth.Itismadeofmostlyrock,butithasahugeironcoreanditgeneratesabigthatmagneticfield.SpeedylittleMercurysailsaroundthesuninonlyeighty-eightdays.SecondinlinecomesVenus,whichissometimescalledearth’stwin,It’saboutthesamesizeasEarth,butthat’swherethesimilaritiesend.Venusisalwayscoveredinthickcloudsfullofsulfuricacid.IttakestwohundredandtwentyfourdaystoorbittheSun.Youknowwhatplanetisnext.Youliveonit!You,theEarthisnumberthree.Wehavearockyironcoreatthecentreofourplanet.Wehaveliquidwater,andourairismadeofmostlynitrogenandoxygen.Ittakesthreehundredandsixty-fivedaysforustocircletheSun.Weonlyhaveonemoon.NexttousisMars.MarsalsohasacoreofrockandironItisalittlemorethanhalfthesizeofearth.ThemostdistinctfeatureaboutMarsisitsredcolour.Dustrichinironoxidecoverstheplanet.It’ssortofliketheplanetisrusting.Whitecapsatthepolesarewater,foreverfrozenbecauseofthecoldertemperaturesfurtherfromtheSun.IttakesnearlytwiceaslongforMarstocircletheSunatalmost684days.ThelastpartoftheinnersolarsystemiscalledtheAsteroidBelt.It’sthelinebetweentheinnerrockyplanetsandtheoutergaseousplanets.Infact,theAsteroidBeltisn’taplanetatall.Itisabunchoflargerockychunks,mostlymeteoroids.There’salsoadwarfplanetnamedCeresintheasteroidbelt.Therestaren’tverylarge.TheEarthistheonlyplanetthatweknowofwithlifeonit,butuniverseisabigplace.Muchofoursolarsystemisstillamystery,andthereisstillplentytoexplore.ReadingComprehensionChoosethecorrectanswerforeachquestion.1.HowlongdoesittakelighttotravelfromtheSuntotheEarth?A.5minutes.B.8minutes.C.15minutes.D.30minutes.2.WhatisthesizeofMercurycomparedtoEarth?A.Itis1/18thesizeofEarth.B.Itis18timesthesizeofEarth.C.Itisalittlemorethanhalfthesizeofearth.D.Itisaboutthesamesizeasearth.3.WhatisEarth’satmospheremostlymadeof?A.Hydrogenandoxygen.B.Carbondioxideandoxygen.C.Nitrogenandoxygen.D.Hydrogenandnitrogen.4.WherecanwefindwateronMars?A.Atthesurface.B.Atthepoles.C.Inthecore.D.Withintheatmosphere.5.What’sthemostdistinctivefeatureofMars?A.Ithasacoreofrockandiron.B.ItisnearlyhalfthesizeofEarth.C.Itisredincolour.D.Ittakesalmost684daysforMarstocircletheSun.Vocabulary基礎(chǔ)詞belt n.地區(qū)，地帶；腰帶，褲帶，皮帶記聯(lián)想記憶：腰帶（belt）上別了一個鈴鐺（bell）搭abeltofrain一條降雨帶safetybelt安全帶abeltbuckle一個腰帶扣seatbelt（汽氣車、飛機的）座椅安全帶hydrogen n.氫記詞根記憶：hydro（水）+gen（產(chǎn)生）→水可分解產(chǎn)生氧氣和氫氣→氫nuclear adj.核的；核能的；原子核的英using，producingorresultingfromnuclearenergy記聯(lián)想記憶：nu+clear（清除）→核能的威力足以清除地球上所有的生物→核能的搭nuclearpower核能zip v.（使沿某方向）快速移動；拉上拉鏈n.拉鏈例Acarzippedpastus.—輛車從我們身邊呼嘯而過。similarityn.相似（性），類似（性）；相似點英thestateofbeinglikesb/sthbutnotexactlythesame記詞根記憶：similar（相似的）+ity（表名詞）→相似性distinct adj.明顯的；明確的；清晰的英easilyorclearlyheard，seen，felt，etc記詞根記憶：dis（分開）+tinct（=stinct，剌）把刺分開后變得明顯的→明顯的搭adistinctachievement顯著的成就rust vi.生銹記聯(lián)想記憶：生銹（rust）后表面形成了硬殼（crust）例Themetalhasbeguntorust.這塊金屬已經(jīng)開始生銹了。universe n.宇宙；世界英thewholeofspaceandeverythinginit記詞根記憶：uni（一個）+vers（轉(zhuǎn)）+e→+個旋轉(zhuǎn)著的空間→宇宙Vocabulary進階詞inner adj.內(nèi)部的；內(nèi)心的n.內(nèi)部；內(nèi)心英inside；towardsorclosetothecentreofaplace記詞根記憶：in（在…里面）+ner→內(nèi)部的；內(nèi)心的terrestrial adj.陸地的，陸生的，陸棲的；地球的記詞根記憶：terr（地）+estr+ial（…的）陸地的asteroid n.小行星英anyoneofthemanysmallplanetsthatgoaroundthesun記詞根記憶：aster（星星）+oid（形狀）→小行星core n.地核；果心；核心，要點，精隨ⅵ.去掉…的中心部分搭theearth’score地核coreteam核心團隊mercury n.[M-]水星；水銀，汞記聯(lián)想記憶：mer（音似：沒）+cury（看作cure，治愈）→水銀中毒沒治了→水銀magnetic adj.磁的，磁石的；有磁性的；有吸引力的英withthepowerofamagnet記詞根記憶：magnet（磁鐵）+ic（的）→有磁性的暍搭magneticfield磁場venus n.金星；維納斯（古羅馬神話中的愛與美之神）sulfuric adj.硫的，含硫磺的orbit n.軌道；勢力范圍v.沿軌道運行，圍繞…運動記本身為詞根，表示“圓周”，引申為“軌道”nitrogen n.氮；氮氣記詞根記憶：nitro（硝酸）+gen（產(chǎn)生