(
课件网) Key question What is it like to travel in space Unit 5 Off to space Do you know the names of the eight planets of the Solar System from closest to farthest from the Sun Mercury（水星） Jupiter （木星） Venus （金星） Saturn （土星） Earth（地球） Uranus （天王星） Mars （火星） Neptune （海王星） Before you read Exploring Mars On 23 July 2020, China’s first Mars lander, Tianwen-1, was sent into space from Wenchang, Hainan Island. The spacecraft takes its name from an ancient poem by Qu Yuan (340–278 BCE). “Tianwen” means “Questions to Heaven” and expresses China’s determination to explore the universe. Mars has interested people for thousands of years. Around 3,000 years ago, in ancient China, people already knew about the planet and began to study how it moved in the sky. However, it was difficult to find out more about it before the 20th century. Thanks to the work of scientists, we have learnt a lot about Mars. Spacecraft like Tianwen-1 will help us find out more about our red neighbour. After travelling more than 470 million kilometres, Tianwen-1 reached the red planet on 10 February 2021. The craft circled around the planet for three months before landing on the surface on 15 May. There, it released a 240-kilogram rover named Zhurong. During the next 100 days, Zhurong drove 1,000 metres on the planet’s surface and continued its travel. It took photos of Mars and studied different kinds of rocks, and then it sent the information back to the Earth. The success of Tianwen-1 is only the beginning of China’s Mars exploration programme. Maybe one day Chinese astronauts will visit Mars. Read and answer 1. How did the spacecraft Tianwen-1 get its name What does it mean The spacecraft got its name from an ancient poem by Qu Yuan. It means “Questions to Heaven”. 2. How long did Tianwen-1 circle around Mars before it landed Tianwen-1 landed on Mars after circling around the planet for three months. 3. What did Zhurong do on the surface of the red planet It drove 1,000 metres on the planet’s surface within 100 days, took photos of Mars and studied different kinds of rocks, and then it sent the information back to the Earth. Notes Tianwen (Questions to Heaven) is a famous poem by Qu Yuan, an important Chinese poet. The poem includes more than 170 questions that explore big topics such as the creation of the universe. These questions reflect Qu Yuan’s deep curiosity and desire to understand the world. The Chinese official Wan Hu of the Ming dynasty is said to be the world’s first “astronaut”. He tried to launch himself into outer space by sitting in a chair with rockets attached. The crater “Wan-Hoo” on the far side of the Moon is named after him. Work in groups. Change the article on page 78 into a dialogue. Follow the example. S1: Hi,... I heard about China’s first Mars mission, Tianwen-1. When was it launched S2: It was launched into space on 23 July, 2020, from Wenchan ... ...
