新编大学英语二版教案book1_unit 6.docVIP

PAGE PAGE 1 Introductory Remarks We humans have found countless mysteries of the universe. We not only ask questions about what something is but we also want to know why it is. Ancient people invented elaborate mythological explanations to account for the mysterious natural things they saw but were unable to explain. that is why we have so many myths such as Greek myths, Roman myths and Chinese ancient myths. One sight that intrigues ancient humans most was the Milky Way. They of course, didn’t know that the strange, broad, luminous band of light across the sky is in reality composed of countless stars and planets located so far from the Earth that they cannot be seen individually by the naked eyes. to the ancient Chinese it appeared as a luminous river, which was also the center of one of the oldest and best-known folk stories in China, “ The Cowherd and the Girl Weaver” Even though today we know what the Milky Way is, it remains equally mysterious in many ways because it is so remote from us. Therefore, humans never cease their quest about the outer space. The moon was a goal once thought unattainable for exploration, but it finally happened. Now the planet Mars is a current target for exploration- whether there is life on it? Some of the phenomena which seemed mysterious in the past have been satisfactorily explained with the help of the increasingly sophisticated science and technology. But there still remain many things in this world of mystery that will keep us asking, “Why?” Part One: Preparation Mysterious Circles Useful Information for Teachers Crop circles are areas of cereal or similar crops that have been systematically flattened to form various geometric patterns. The phenomenon itself only entered the public imagination in its current form after the notable appearances in England in late 1970s. Crop circles started with simple circular patterns and develop over time into huge and complex geometric formations. Each year more than 100 formations appea