Unit 5 Pioneers of Flight
Key to Exercises Opener
A Mighty Airplane Built by Howard Hughes in 1947 Length Height Weight Trip
It was 220 feet long. It was higher than a five-story building. It weighed about 60 tons. It had to make the trip from Culver city in California to the Pacific, which is 30 miles away. Reading & Interacting
I. Understanding the Text
1. Text Organization Story 1 The hero Wan Hu When it happened A.D. 1500 How it relates to modern aviation Wan Hu’s crazy dream contains the principles of rocket-powered spaceflight. Many of the design features of the Spruce Goose have been incorporated into modern cargo planes. The flying devices with flapping wings 3 Leonardo About 500 years controlled and steered by human pilots he da Vinci ago designed still inspire people to pursue their dreams of flying freely in the sky.
2. Comprehension Check 2.1 Focusing on the main ideas
The article consists of three stories about pioneers of flight. The first story is about a Chinese named Wan Hu, who made an unsuccessful attempt at spaceflight 2 Howard Hughes On November 2, 1947 in A.D.1500. He built a spaceship powered by 47 rockets using gunpowder. His idea was crazy, but his dream of flight came true 500 years later when China successfully launched its first manned Shenzhou V spaceship. The second one is about the Spruce Goose, a flying boat designed to meet the need of transporting troops and materials during World War II. It was made entirely of wood and still holds the record for the greatest wingspan. Although it was never put to use, many of its design features have been incorporated into today’s cargo planes. The last is about Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous artist of the Renaissance. Apart from his great artistic work, he also drew sketches of flying devices with flapping wings controlled and steered by human pilots. Five hundred years later, a professional parachutist made a successful jump using a wood and canvas parachute based on one of da Vinci’s designs/sketches. 2.2 Digging into detail
1. Because it was powered by rockets.
2. It was the biggest airplane ever built up to that time, and still holds the record for the greatest wingspan. Besides, it was made entirely of wood.
3. No, because it was behind schedule and was not completed until well after the war.
4. Da Vinci’s flying machines have wings that flap like birds in flight.
5. Because it is difficult for ordinary people to understand their passion for flight, their spirit of innovation, and their courage to try and make their dream come true.
2.3 Understanding difficult sentences 1. A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. B
II. Focusing on Language in Context
1. Key Words & Expressions 1.1
1. He regards learning as a daily experience as well as a lifetime mission. 2. His plan is to design a new model, into which some features of previous models will be incorporated. 3. The ship, with 1,000 passengers aboard, was bound for New York. 4. It’s one thing to learn the rules of politics from books. It is quite another to get into the complex world of real-life politics. 5. At yesterday’s sports meet, my roommate Brian broke the record of our school in the men’s 100-meter race.
6. Jack had a hard time grasping the basic concepts of mathematics. 7. They are working on a new project, which calls for a(n) enormous amount of time and energy.
8. After I bought this iPad, I put into storage my old computer. 9. The new law tries to maintain a balance between national interests and individual rights. 10. The teacher drew a(n) analogy between the human heart and a pump to help students understand how it works.
11. If we teachers believe in education and focus on students’ growth, our labor will eventually pay off.
12. On display in the exhibition room is a new device to harness wind power. 13. His newly published book, which has made waves in literary circles, is based on events that the writer himself has witnessed. 14. At the meeting, he tried to steer the discussion away from criticizing the educational experiment.
15. The money was given to Ann as a scholarship, with no conditions attached. 1.2
1. steer 2. behind schedule 3. ahead of his time 4. Transportation of 5. confirmed 6. put on display 7. harnessing 8. had its roots in 1.3
1. The artist drew a sketch of the young lady before going into a more detailed painting.
2. Brown currently is focusing on devising/designing a new type of washing
machine that does not use water.
3. We need to adopt a different approach to music in education. 4. Usually a label with your name and address is attached to your suitcase before you check in at the airport.
5. A new system should be devised because the old system simply doesn’t work.
2. Collocation
1. We rejected the proposal as a matter of principle. 2. Although I am not an American football fan, it doesn’t mean I have no interest in it. 3. Demand for coal is down and so are the prices. 4. Biking is a green alternative to driving. 5. Our research on climate change focuses on its effect on the environment.
3. Sentence Patterns 3.1
1. Our reading room has many interesting books as well as the latest magazines. 2. The 300-page book contains many pictures of the artist as well as some of his famous paintings. 3. For character building, one needs to succeed as well as fail sometimes. 4. The latest model of the Huawei mobile phone is very popular at home as well as abroad. 3.2
1. Legend has it that the guy invented chess to please his King. 2. Word has it that the CEO of my company will retire next year.
3. Rumor has it that he has spent all his money on this crazy and risky plan. 4. Legend has it that those who step onto this stone will have good luck.
4. Comprehensive Practice 4.1 Cloze
Long, long ago Greek legend has it that Daedalus, a brilliant inventor, was imprisoned together with his son Icarus on an island in the Mediterranean. In order to escape, Daedalus devised a clever plan and sketched out his idea to his son. They would both fly away from the island like birds. It was risky, but both thought it worth a try. Using feathers attached together with wax and string, Daedalus made them both a pair of wonderful wings. Harnessed to these they were able to take to the air, leaving those on the ground who witnessed their flight amazed at their strange device. As they flew off over the sea their escape seemed certain. But Icarus, ignoring the warnings of his father, came too close to the sun. The wax holding his wings together melted and he plunged to his death in the ocean below. 4.2 Translation
1. How to harness the power of the rockets is the key to the successful launch of a spaceship.
2. The 20th century witnessed the growth of the aviation industry.
3. During World War II, the United States needed giant cargo planes for transportation of war materials.
4. The film The Aviator is based on the life of Howard Hughes.
5. The professor thinks that more money should be invested in/put into research in the field of energy efficiency. 6. They are carrying out a secret mission.
7. “Focus on the content of the article. Don’t worry about individual words,” said the teacher to the students.
8. Wan Hu’s plan was too risky and too primitive to be successful.
Reading & Comprehending
Reading 1
1. Comprehension Check for Reading 1
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T