Show the questions on the screen.

1 When did the age of space exploration begin?

2 When did the first successful manned flight take place?

3 How could astronomers observe space without the Earth's atmosphere being a barrier?

4 Why is the International Space Station built?

5 When did China's contribution to international space exploration start?

6 What's the next step in China's manned space programme?

Suggested answers to the questions:

1 It began in 1957, when Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union.

2 It took place in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin was shot past the boundaries of the Earth's atmosphere and into space.

3 Through the Hubble Telescope.

4 It will work as a permanent manned scientific base for scientists to research life in space and provide a stepping stone in case future manned flights are sent out.

5 China's contribution to international space exploration started with the successful launch of the Dongfanghong 1 Satellite in 1970.

6 The next step will be to send astronauts into the Earth's orbit in order to set up space stations to conduct experiments.

Step III Language study

Get the students to finish off Exercises 2 - 5 on pages 26 & 27 and explain some language points to understand the passage better.

Exercises

T: We know that we can use different sentences to express the same meaning. In the passage there are some sentences that mean the same as the colloquial sentences listed in Exercise 2. Now please find them from the passage referring to the paragraph letters in brackets.

Suggested answers to Exercise 2:

1 The age of space exploration began in 1957, when Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union.