The Space Suit

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听力文本

Thank you. It's great to see so many of you interested in this series on "Survival in Outer Space."

Please excuse the cameras, we're being videotaped for the local TV stations.

Tonight I'm going to talk about the most basic aspect of survival --- the space suit.

When most of you imagine an astronaut, that's probably the first thing that comes to mind, right?

Well, without spaces suits, it would not be possible for us to survive in space.

For example, outer space is a vacuum --- there's no gravity or air pressure; without protection, a body would explode.

What's more, we'd cook in the sun or freeze in the shade --- with temperatures ranging from a toasty 300 degrees above to a cool 300 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

The space suit that NASA has developed is truly a marvel.

This photo enlargement here is a life-size image of an actual space suit worn by astronauts on the last space shuttle mission.

This part is the torso --- it's made of seven extremely durable layers.

his thick insulation protects against temperature extremes and radiation.

Next is what they call a "bladder" of oxygen --- that's an inflatable sac, filled with oxygen, to simulate atmospheric pressure.

This bladder presses against the body with the same force as the Earth's atmosphere at sea level.

The innermost layers provide liquid cooling and ventilation.

Despite all the layers, the suit is flexible, allowing free movement so we can work.

Another really sophisticated part of the space suit is the helmet.

I brought one along to show you. Can I have a volunteer come and demonstrate?

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词汇表达

freeze [I] to feel very cold感到很冷，冻僵   •nearly froze to death 冻死了。

shade [U] 背阴处，阴凉处  •a plant that needs a lot of shade 喜阴植物

in the shade (of sth)

•She was sitting in the shade of a large oak tree. 她坐在一棵大橡树的树荫下。

•The temperature was over 90 degrees in the shade. 背阴处的气温超过90度。

toasty   暖烘烘的，温暖舒适的  •our nice toasty bed 我们温暖舒适的床

degrees度，度数〔温度单位〕

Fahrenheit [物]华氏温度

marvel  n. [C ] SYN miracle, wonder 十分有用[灵巧]的物[人]

•an engineering marvel 工程上的一个奇迹

•He’s an absolute marvel! —他真了不起！

[+ of] •the marvels of modern science 现代科学的奇迹

Enlargement 放大的照片；扩大；增大  enlargement of the EU 欧盟的扩大

life-size  ( also life-sized ) adj. 与实物[真人]大小一样的

a life-sized statue of the president 真人大小的总统雕像

space shuttle N-COUNT 航天飞机

[+ to] the first manned space mission to Mars 首次载人探索火星任务

torso  /'tɔːsəʊ / n. [C ] pl: torsos 〔头和四肢除外的〕人体躯干；人体躯干雕像

the torso of a woman 一名女性的躯干

durable /'djʊərəbəl / adj.

1.耐用的hard-wearing, strong  2. long-lasting持久的 durably  durability 

•Wood is a durable material. 木头是耐用材料。

•His poetry has proved durable. 他的诗已经证明经久不衰。

insulation /ˌɪnsjʊˈleɪʃən/  N-UNCOUNT 隔热材料；绝缘材料；隔绝；隔热；隔音；绝缘

High electricity bills point to a poor heating system or bad insulation.

高额的电费账单表明供暖系统较差或者是隔热材料不好。

Good insulation can save you money on heating bills. 好的隔热效果能节省暖气费。

extremes [+ of]

The bacteria can withstand extremes of heat and cold. 这种细菌能承受酷热和严寒。

bladder /ˈblædə/ CN〔可充气或充水的〕皮囊，气囊〔如足球的内胆〕；膀胱

inflatable /ɪnˈfleɪtəbəl/ ADJ可充气的 N-COUNT可充气物品

The children were playing on the inflatable castle. 孩子们在充气城堡上玩。

floats, tubes救生艇、轮胎

sac /sæk/ N-C 囊

•  The lungs consist of millions of tiny air sacs.  肺包含数百万个小肺泡。

atmospheric pressure 大气压N the pressure exerted by the atmosphere at the earth's surface.

radiation  /‚reɪdi'eɪʃən / n. [U ]  1.辐射；〔尤指〕核辐射  2.〔热能或光能的〕辐射

•An accident at the power station could result in large amounts of radiation being released. 发电站事故会造成大量核辐射泄漏。

•Sun creams work by blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation. 防晒霜隔离有害的紫外线辐射。

innermost  /'ɪnəməʊst/ adj. [only before noun 仅用于名词前]

1. private〔情感、欲望等〕隐秘的，内心深处的

•a man who would never share his innermost thoughts with anyone

2.最深处的；最接近中心的 OPP outermost

•the innermost depths of the cave 山洞的最深处

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