Studioclassroom_20090318

Exploring the Final Frontier

20090318空英課文講解


SC:
How have average people gained from space exploration and its technology?

PT:
Well, the biggest way is through spinoff technology. Cell phone, for example, could not have developed at least as quickly as they did if it hadn't been for the space program. It has also greatly inceased our body of knowledge. While the space program has not answered all of our questions, it has given us a lot of food for though.

SC:
Is international cooperation the way of the future in space?

TP:
Yes, it already is. For example, ESA(European Space Agency) has 14 different countries involved. There are also many countries involved with the International Space Station. The cost of space exploration are so large you need a lot of participants and funding sources.

SC:
We've learned a lot about space.
Do we know everything we want to know?

PT:
Far from it. It's like my personal life. The more I learn the more I know how much I don't know. Before we went to the moon, we only saw what it looked like from Earth. After we got there, we found a whole new set of questions to ask. That's a good thing because it lets us increase our knowledge and appreciation of things.



spinoff n. 附加效果/附產品 ( = spin-off )
eg: The TV show was so successful that it led to two spinoff programs.
eg: This company is a spin-off of another company in the car industry.
eg: This sit-com is a spin-off of a blockbuster(風靡一時的電影巨片) movie.
(轟動的電影衍生出來的節目)

food for thought -> get us thinking 引人深思的事情
eg: Dr. Carter's lecture gave us all a lot of food for thought.

give someone food for thought 讓某人開始去想
eg: Your interesting opinions have given us food for thought.
eg: This documentary movie(紀錄片) gave the audience food for thought regarding the condition of the rainforest.

cooperation n. 合作
eg: Will never finish this project without more cooperation from everyone.



appreciation n. 欣賞/感謝/感激
eg: Miriam wants me to give you this gift in appreciation for all you did for her.
eg: Both of Jack's parents are artiests so his appreciation for art is incredible.
eg: We want to give you these flowers to show you our appreciation for your help.



//=== Grammer on the go ===//
Cell phones could not have develped if it hadn't been for the space program.


Sentence pattern:
... if if hadn't been for ... 要不是...
eg: I would have overslept if it hadn't been for your phone call.
eg: If it hadn't been for his wife encouragement and support, Mark wouldn't have been able to finish medical school.


//=== Chat room ===//

the body of knowledge
-> the collection of knowledge 所有的知識的彙集
-> a quantity of knowledge

the body of evidence 所有的證據
the body of water ( a mass of water, a ocean, a lake ) 水體

body 所有的/整體的東西

the study body 學校全體的學生
the president of study body 學年代表





Galileo project - European Space Agency (ESA)