选必3 Unit2
float upReading: Life on a space station
Living in space is every wouldbe astronaut's dream. My sixmonth stay on a space station has e to an end, and it has been a challenging but magical adventure. I bet you'd love to know what daily life is like up in space and how it differs from that on the Earth—the low gravity definitely makes ordinary things strange!
1. wouldbe astronaut's dream准宇航员的梦想
2. a challenging but magical adventure. 充满挑战但神奇的冒险
The strangeness of living in space is apparent from the moment we sleep.Due to the near absence of gravity in space, we have to attach ourselves so that we don't float around. We usually sleep in private quarters, which are more like large cupboards, or in sleeping bags attached to the walls or the ceiling. It's strange that we try to sleep with no pressure against o
ur back, but the unusual beds don't bother us any more. After about eight hours of sleep, we start our day of work.
3. strangeness≈unusualness
4. be apparent from明显不同于
5. Due to the near absence of gravity in space, we have to attach ourselves so that we don't float around.由于太空中几乎没有重力，我们必须附着自己，这样我们就不会漂浮。
The routine tasks that occupy most of the day are demanding, but they can also be extremely rewarding.Our main mission is to conduct scientific research. We need to evaluate the effects of low gravity on animals and plants. Creatures such as mice fish and mosquitoes have also been sent to the station! In a lowgravity environment,we can learn more about changes in cells and microorganisms under the microscope.As well as doing these biological experiments, we carry out experiments in other research fields. I have bee
n working on one experiment which locates and tracks lightning over large regions of the Earth. Hopefully, it will cast new light on the Earth's climate and lead to better lightning protection. With so much going on the space station needs a lot of maintenance, so we constantly check support systems and do some cleaning.
6. The routine tasks that occupy most of the day are demanding, but they can also be extremely rewarding.占据一天中大部分时间的例行任务要求很高，但它们也可能非常有益
7. evaluate≈assess≈estimate
8. cast new light on投下新的光芒
9. better lightning protection更好的防雷保护
10. maintenance≈mending≈fixture
The most challenging work takes place when we need to perform tasks outside the space s
tation such as testing new equipment, monitoring scientific experiments or repairing the space station. In the circumstances, it's time for a spacewalk. First,we put on our spacesuits, which allow us to breathe in space and protect us from exposure to the cold and radiation. Then we head out, and sometimes perform tasks for hours at a time, with the beautiful Earth visible below. Splendid as the view of the Earth is, spacewalking is not as exciting as you might think. It's probably the most dangerous work, with potential risks such as electric shocks. That's why every spacewalk is carefully planned.
11. Splendid as the view of the Earth is, spacewalking is not as exciting as you might think. 尽管地球的景很灿烂，但太空行走并不像你想象的那么令人兴奋。
12. potential risks潜在风险
In view of the lowgravity environment, eating is also different in space. Most food is dried or freezedried.It's a luxury to eat fresh food. because fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables can only be delivered to the space station from the Earth every couple of months. Salt and pepper are only in liquid form, so that they will not float away and block th
e air pipes.However, liquids can't be easily controlled in space. We must drink water or any other liquids out of a bag through a thin tube of plastic. Furthermore, to keep our body healthy, we must ensure a balanced supply of nutrients by taking pills.
13. freezedried冻干的
14. a luxury奢侈品
Spending sometime in the gym is of vital importance to astronauts' health. Did you know that in just five months,astronauts could lose a significant amount of muscle and bone mass? Considering these negative effects low gravity has on the human body we discipline ourselves to do at least two hours of exercise every day. Exercise in space is not your average workout. We have to be tied onto specially designed exercise equipment to stop ourselves from floating around.
15. be of vital importance至关重要
16. lose a significant amount of muscle and bone mass大量肌肉和骨量流失
17. discipline ourselves 自律
During our leisure time,there's nothing we like more than to sit back with the rest of the crew and watch our remarkable planet go by, taking pictures for our family and friends back  the space station travels at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour, we get to see the sunrise every 90 minutes. In these precious moments, all the challenges of life in space seem worth it.
18. precious moments珍贵的时刻
Grammar Usage
For thousands of years, people have looked to the starry sky and wondered what, or who, is out there. In the early 1600s, Galileo was the first to use his telescope to explore the sky and since then, telescopes have continually improved.
19. the starry sky星空
One major breakthrough came in 1990, when the Hubble Space Telescope was  Hubble is based in space allows it to see further than groundbased telescopes,and it allows scientists to learn more about the universe. Hubble observations have played a crucial role in the discovery of the mysterious dark energy.Hubble was followed by the Kepler Space Telescope in 2009. Kepler's Scientific goal is to search for Earthsize planets orbiting other stars. Whether life on other planets does exist is yet to be proved, but the signs are promising: Kepler has detected many suitable planets that are almost the same size as the Earth.