First live class from Chinas space station 中国空间站首次直播课

任嘉礽

中国空间站开展首次太空授课活动，开启了“天宫课堂”第一课。“太空教师”翟志刚、王亚平、叶光富在中国空间站为广大青少年带来了一堂精彩的太空科普课。

Three Chinese astronauts wonderful voices resounded in the ground classrooms as the schoolchildren listened with attention. This was no ordinary course. It was delivered some 400 km above the Earth in Chinas space station by Zhai Zhigang， Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. A total of 1，420 students attended the lecture from five classrooms across China.

At the beginning of the class， Wang， the first female astronaut to enter Chinas space station， gave the students a tour of their living and working areas at the space stations Tianhe core module. She showed their bedrooms and toilet， a fully functional kitchen where the astronauts prepare their meals each day， the area where they conduct scientific experiments and their fitness equipment. In the kitchen， she showed the students a microwave， a water dispenser and a mini?refrigerator from which she took out a fresh apple.

In response to a students question about water， Wang said the water they drink is recycled， noting that there is no difference in taste between regular and recycled water. With a water recycling system， every drop of water is fully used in the space station.

After the tour， the three astronauts demonstrated several scientific experiments under zero?gravity conditions. First， Ye demonstrated experiments related to cell growth in the weightless environment in space with a video clip. They compared the growth and shape of cells in artificial gravity and zero?gravity to study their changing rules and mechanisms. “They look amazing in space， as if they are beating，” he said， explaining that the beating and gleaming occurred as the living cells had a bioelectrical reaction. Ye and Wang then demonstrated and explained why astronauts cannot walk in space like they did on the Earth and how they turn around in zero gravity. The team also conducted an experiment to show how lack of gravity causes loss in buoyancy （浮力）， an experiment using water refraction in a weightless environment using a water ball.

At the end of the 60?minute class， the three astronauts tried to arouse students curiosity through a real?time question and answer session. They answered the questions and wrapped up the class with their best wishes. “The secrets of space and science are boundless， and the future is yours，” said Zhai， commander of the Shenzhou?13 mission.

1. What was special about the class？

A. It was given by famous astronauts.

B. It was performed in distant space.

C. It was an online class for students.

D. It was designed for Chinese students.

2. How did the class begin according to the text？

A. The students observed the weightless state in space.

B. The astronauts showed their space lab to the students.

C. The astronauts gave students a tour of mysterious space.

D. The students learned about conditions in the Tianhe core module.

3. What can we know about the water in the space station？

A. It is adequate for the astronauts.

B. It tastes delicious.

C. It can be recycled.

D. It is kept in the fridge.

4. Why did the astronauts prepare a real?time question and answer session？

A. To advise students to learn science.

B. To stimulate students interest in space.

C. To conclude their class in a unique way.

D. To show their expectations of the students.

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

At the beginning of the class， Wang， the first female astronaut to enter Chinas space station， gave the students a tour of their living and working areas at the space stations Tianhe core module. 作为第一位进入中国空间站的女性宇航员，王亚平在课程一开始就带领学生们参观了空间站天河核心舱的生活和工作区域。

【点石成金】to enter Chinas space station为动词不定式作定语，female astronaut被序数词the first修饰，故应该用动词不定式作定语。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

a total of 总数为

conduct scientific experiments 进行科学实验

be related to 与……有关联;涉及……

arouse students curiosity 激发学生的好奇心

wrap up the class 圆满完成课程