Why explore space?(Excerpt)为何探索太空？（节选）

2022-01-17安徽王涛涛

疯狂英语·新悦读 2021年11期

安徽王涛涛

1970年，赞比亚修女玛丽·尤肯达写信给时任美国国家航空航天局马歇尔太空飞行中心科学副总监的恩斯特·施图林格博士，问他何以提议花费数十亿美元用于太空探索，而不顾世界上还有许多儿童在忍受饥饿的事实。在下文的回信中，施图林格用事实和道理阐述了太空探索的重要意义。

Dear Mary Jucunda,

1I believe that by working for the space program I can make contributions to the relief and eventual solution to such serious problems as poverty and hunger on Earth.Basic to the hunger problem are two functions:the production of food and the distribution of food.Food production by agriculture,ocean fishing and other large-scale operations is efficient in some parts of the world,but rather disappointing in many others.

2The best tool for the improvement of all these functions,undoubtedly,is the artificial Earth satellite.Circling the globe at a high altitude,it can screen wide areas of land within a short time;it can observe and measure a large variety of factors indicating the status and condition of crops,soil,droughts,rainfall,snow cover,etc.,and it can radio this information to ground stations for appropriate use.

3The distribution of the food to the needy is a completely different problem.Efficient relief from hunger,I am afraid,will not come before the boundaries between nations have become less divisive（分裂的）than they are today.I do not believe that space flight will accomplish this miracle over night.However,the space program is certainly among the most promising and powerful agents working in this direction,just taking the recent near-tragedy of Apollo 13 as an example.

4Higher food production through surveys and assessments from orbit（轨道）,and better food distribution through improved international relations,are only two examples of how deeply the space program will impact life on Earth.

5Although our space program seems to lead us away from our Earth and out toward the moon,the sun,the planets,and the stars,I believe that none of these celestial（天上的）objects will find as much attention and study by space scientists as our Earth.It will become a better Earth,not only because of all the new technological and scientific knowledge which we will apply to the betterment of life,but also because we are developing a far deeper appreciation of our Earth,of life,and of man.

Sincerely yours,

Dr Ernst Stuhlinger

Reading Check

I.Choose the best answers according to the text

Inference 1.What is the author's purpose in writing this text?

A.To make some contributions to space programs.

B.To help to overcome serious problems on Earth.

C.To show the artificial Earth satellite's functions.

D.To explain the reasons for space exploration.

Detail 2.Which item may be beyond the artificial Earth satellite's functions?

A.Circling the globe at a high altitude.

B.Screening wide areas of land quickly.

C.Indicating the status of crops and soil.

D.Improving the ocean fishing efficiency.

Inference 3.Why does the author mention Apollo 13 in paragraph 3?

A.To introduce the near-tragedy of Apollo 13.

B.To explain the boundaries between nations.

C.To show the impacts of space programs.

D.To illustrate the problem of food distribution.

Inference 4.What does the author think of space programs?

A.Hopeful. B.Challenging. C.Frustrating. D.Worrying.

Ⅱ.Discussion

Do you agree that our humans should explore outer space?Why?Give your reasons.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Analyze the difficult structure in the text

It will become a better Earth,not only because of all the new technological and scientific knowledge which we will apply to the betterment of life,but also because we are developing a far deeper appreciation of our Earth,of life,and of man.它将成为一个更美好的地球，不仅因为我们将应用于改善生活的所有新的技术和科学知识，而且因为我们正在发展对我们的地球、生命和人类更深刻的认识。

【点石成金】本句中not only...but also...意为“不但……而且……”，用于连接两个表示并列关系的成分，着重强调后者。because of后接名词或相当于名词的词，because后接句子。