Reading Time 11|基礎詞彙和泛讀原版

導語

今天由偉哥帶讀

apart

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➊相距,相隔 [同] separately, away from

❷分開,離開

❸除去 [同] excluding, without

短語

apart from 除……之外

fall apart 土崩瓦解

apologize

vi.

➊道歉,認錯 [同] express regret, ask forgiveness

❷辯護,辯解 [同] plead, vindicate

短語

apologize to sb for sth為某事向某人道歉

apology

n.

➊道歉,認錯 [同] repentance, resipiscence

❷辯解,辯護 [同] argument,defense

短語

make an apology to sb for doing sth

為某事向某人道歉

[例句]

A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology.

一個三歲的孩子可能需要幫助才會明白,要是用很重的玩具砸了夥伴的頭,別的孩子會跟他一樣感到痛,需要向夥伴道歉。

appeal

vi.

➊請求,呼籲 [同] entreat, implore

❷吸引 [同] magnetize, please

❸上訴 [同] sue

❹(to)訴請,求助 [同] fall back on, have recourse to

vt. 申訴,上訴

n.

➊呼籲,要求 [同] begging, demand

❷吸引力 [同] attraction, fascination

appear

vi.

➊出現,露出 [同] come forth, come out

❷似乎,好像 [同] seem, look

appearance

n.

➊出現,出場 [同] arrival, emergence

❷外貌,樣子 [同] outward show, manner

[助記] appear(出現)+ ance(表狀態)

appetite

n.

➊食慾,胃口 [同] hunger, stomach

❷愛好,嗜好 [同] addiction, avocation

❸慾望 [同] hunger, desire

① 短語

have an appetite for 有……慾望,愛好

② 辨析

desire & appetite & lust

desire 泛指“慾望"

appetite 特指對食物的慾望,胃口 [同] desire of food

lust 特指色慾

Reading Time 11|基礎詞彙和泛讀原版

泛讀原版 TEXT 6

If extraterrestrial life were to exist, it would need a planet on which to evolve. All but one of 200-or so planets outside the solar system that have so far been discovered by astronomers would be quite unsuitable. That is because they are composed of gas, Yet the one whose discovery was announced this week is different. Astronomers think it is rocky, like the Earth, and that it may harbor liquid water. This makes it the best candidate yet for supporting life.

The new planet orbits a star, called Gliese 581, that lies a mere 20 light years away in the constellation Libra. The temperature of the sun is such that it supports a nuclear-fusion reaction that generates bright sunlight. By contrast, Gliese 581 is a red dwarf, so-called because the star is small and the fusion reaction proceeds slowly, creating a dim glow. Nevertheless, because the new planet is much closer to its star than the Earth is to the sun, it lies in what astronomers call the"habitable zone"—the space surrounding a star where water would be in its liquid form.

Seeing remote planets is difficult. Astronomers used to detect them indirectly, spotting a small wobble in the position of the star, which indicated that it was being pulled very slightly to and fro by an orbiting planet. New techniques have found other planets outside the solar system-so called"exoplanets"--directly, from the slight dip in the luminosity of the star as the planet crosses its face. But these techniques work only with giant planets and, in general, giant planets are gaseous.

Looking for planets orbiting red dwarfs is easier because the stars are less massive.

This not only means that any planets are likely to circle it more closely(to remain in orbit ) but also that the wobbles are more readily seen. The researchers-led by Stétphane Udry of the University of Geneva--used an indirect method called the "radial velocity" technique. This exploits the Doppler effect-familiar when a siren changes pitch as a fire engine passes you-to reveal changes in the velocity of the star as it wobbles. This is sensitive because it is easier to measure small changes in the wavelength of light than luminosity.

The new planet, dubbed Gliese 581c, is more than three times the size of the Earth. It has five times the mass of this planet and orbits its star every 13 days. The astronomers who discovered it had earlier found another planet, a gaseous giant similar to Neptune orbiting the same star every 5.4 days. They say they have strong evidence for a third planet in the same system that has about eight times the mass of the Earth and orbits every 84 days. The evidence is reported in a paper submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics.

According to theory, a planet the size and mass of Gliese 581c should be rocky, like the Earth. It could be covered in oceans, perhaps completely. The mean temperature on the surface of the planet is thought to be between 0℃ and 40℃, making it far more hospitable than either Venus or Mars, Earth's nearest neighbours. The race is now on to detect whether the planet has an atmosphere and whether it contains water. Just a fortnight ago, astronomers using the Hubble space telescope identified for the first time water vapor in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, albeit a gaseous one some 150 light years away. The planet, called Hd209458b, shows its face to Earth every three and a half days, giving plenty of chances to take measurements. If water exists on Gliese 581c, detecting it there will be far harder.

Reading Time 11|基礎詞彙和泛讀原版


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