Lead-in

Are you fascinated by space travel?

Is it a dream or a reality?

Do you know who are they?

Do you know what they did?

They flew into space aboard spacecraft (太空飞行器) developed by their own respective companies.

Read for main idea

Space travel is becoming a reality. Some people believe it is a way to prevent an energy crisis on Earth while some people say it is a privilege preserved for the super rich.

Read for details

Read the text carefully and answer the following questions.

1. What’s the function of rocketships according to Branson?

Rocketships going into space can help to monitor things like climate change.

2. What are the benefits of space tourism according to Jeff Bezos?

The next generations can build a future by building a road to space and space tourism is the first step toward moving people into space to prevent an energy crisis (危机) on Earth.

3. Why do some people think it is difficult for ordinary people to achieve their space dream?

Because the price of a seat in a rocket is so high that ordinary people can’t afford to buy one.

4. Does Bobak Ferdowsi think space tourism has a bright future? Why or why not?

As far as Bobak Ferdowsi is concerned, tourism is a privilege (特权) preserved for the super rich now, but the trend will not last forever. He predicts that the price will come down. So space tourism has a bright future.

Read for critical thinking: discussion

1. Do you think space travel will become a reality for ordinary people soon?

2. What should be done to accelerate the process?

Language study

1. be fascinated by 对……着迷

2. more than ever before 比以往任何时候都

3. climate change 气候变化

4. build a future 创造未来

5. prevent an energy crisis 防止能源危机

6. at the very high end 处于非常高端的地位

7. the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent 前百分之一中的百分之一

8. give up their dream 放弃他们的梦想

9. sky-high prices 天价

10. come down 下降

Sentence structure

1. They think it is part of the so-called “billionaire space race”, which offers what’s seen by some as “joyrides (驾车兜风)” for the super-wealthy.

which引导非限制性定语从句；

what 引导宾语从句，在从句中做主语。

句意：他们认为这是所谓的“亿万富翁太空竞赛”的一部分，这被一些人视为是超级富豪“驾车兜风”。

2. US flight engineer Bobak Ferdowsi said that we are at the point at which space tourism is a privilege (特权) preserved for the super rich, but that doesn't mean the trend will last forever.

句子分析：that引导宾语从句；at which 引导定语从句，修饰先行词point ;preserved for the super rich是过去分词作定语，修饰名词privilege。

句意：美国飞行工程师博巴克·费尔多西（Bobak Ferdowsi）说，我们正处于太空旅游是超级富豪的一种特权的时刻，但这并不意味着这种趋势将永远持续下去。

Homework

Write an email to your pen pal in a foreign county and introduce the progress China has made in space exploration in recent years.

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