20090513 -- Reaching for the Stars (1)

Reaching for the Stars

Will humanity call Earth it home forever?

From mountains to oceans to scorching deserts, Earth is filled with awesome beauty. Sure, we could all do without the typhoons and earthquakes and blood-sucking mosquitoes, but overall, we humans have a pretty fantastic home. It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave.

Still, some scientist think that leaving Earth is a necessary part of humanity's future. Stephen Hawking, a well-respected physicist, once said he didn't believe mankind would be able to survive the next thousand years if it didn't spread into space. "There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet," Hawking said. "But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars."

In the past couple of decades, humans have taken important steps toward conquering space. Astronauts have walked on the moon, probes have landed on Mars, and space telescopes have captured stunning images of distant galaxies. The international Space Station has even given astronauts the opportunity to stay in space for months at a time. But there is a big difference between staying in a space for short time and living there permanently. Is space colonization really the next step?


scorch v. 曬乾/烤焦/燒焦
eg: The scorching sun shone down on the field of corn.
eg: Mandy scorched the sausage because she forgot to turn it.
eg: The ironing board(燙衣板) was scorched badly.
eg: The plant looked scorched after we left it out in the sun for days.

awesome adj. 令人起敬畏心的
eg: Everywhere you look, you see awesome mountains and beautiful forests.

befall v. 降臨/發生(大多是指負面的事情)
-> happen to ( negative things
eg: Many problems befall travelers in this dangerous wilderness.
eg: He fears that harm might befall his family if he tells the truth.
eg: No matter what disaster befalls, we'll never leave you.

probe n. 太空探測器
eg: The probe was damaged when it landed on Mars.

probe v. 調查
eg: The special agent was assigned to probe the international crime.

galaxy n. 銀河系
-> a group of stars or planets that halted together by gravity
eg: With the help of this telescope, scientist can see deep into our galaxy.


do without

//== Chat room ==//

optimist n. 樂觀的人
optimistic adj. 樂觀的
look on the bright side of things 往好處想
look on the dark side (X) 沒有這種用法
eg:

pessimist n. 悲觀的人
pessimistic adj. 悲觀的

conquer
-> overcome


//== Grammer on the go ==//

Sure, we could all do without the typhoons and earthquakes and blood-sucking mosquitoes, but overall, we humans have a pretty fantastic home.
= Sure, we could all survive or manage without the typhoons and earthquakes and blood-sucking mosquitoes, but overall, we humans have a pretty fantastic home.

do without
-> to handle or get along without something or someone

can do without
-> situation that would rather not have

eg: My apartment is the right size and is located in a good neighborhood,
but I could do without the noisy neighbors.

eg: The food at the party was delicious and the music was lively,
but I could have done without the silly games.