练习材料：Lesson 61
任务配置：L0
知识笔记：
Lesson61 Trouble with the Hubble
The Hubble telescope/ˈtel.ɪ.skəʊp/was launched into space by NASA on April 20,1990 at a cost of over a billion dollars. Right from the start there was trouble/ˈtrʌb.əl/with the Hubble. The pictures it sent us were very disappointing because its main mirror/ˈmɪr.ər/was faulty! NASA is now going to put the telescope right, so it will soon be sending up four astronauts/ˈæs.trə.nɔːt/to repair/rɪˈpeər/it. The shuttle/ˈʃʌt.əl/Endeavour will be taking the astronauts to the Hubble. A robot-arm from the Endeavour will grab the telescope and hold it while the astronauts make the necessary repairs. Of course, the Hubble is above the earth's atmosphere/ˈæt.mə.sfɪər/, so it will soon be sending us the clearest pictures of the stars and distant galaxies/ˈɡæl.ək.si/that we have ever seen. The Hubble will tell us a great deal about the age and size of the universe. By the time you read this, the Hubble's eagle/ˈiː.ɡəl/eye will have sent us thousands and thousands of wonderful pictures.
Shuttle宇航飞机
Lesson62 After the fire
Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they could get it under control. A short time before, great trees had covered the countryside for miles around. Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate/ˈdes.əl.ət/hills/hɪl/. Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the surrounding villages with destruction, for heavy rain would not only wash away the soil/sɔɪl/but would cause serious floods as well. When the fire had at last been put out, the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly. The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aero planes. The planes had been planting seed for nearly a month when it began to rain. By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root. In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries, patches/pætʃ/of green had begun to appear in the blackened/ˈblæk.ən/soil.
Desolate荒凉的
