Unit 1 Great Scientists-

Reading （ 2 ）

Eight Planets In

the Solar System

Mercury 水星Venus 金星Earth 地球Mars 火星Jupiter 木星Saturn 土星Uranus 天王星Neptune 海王星

Eight Planets In the Solar System:

My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets.

Copernicus

born: in Poland in 1473

died : May 24, 1543

Copernicus’ Revolutionary Theory

He was one of the first scientists to use mathematical observations to collect information. He believed the sun is the center of the universe and the earth and other planets went around it.

1. Read paragraph 1 and fill in the table.

Before Copernicus’

theory

Showing Copernicus’ theory

People believed God had made the world and for the reason the earth was special and must be centre of the solar system.The earth is at the center of the solar system, and the Sun and the other planets go around it.

Only if you put the sun there did the movements of the other planets in the sky make sense.

The Sun is at the center of the solar system, and the Earth and the other planets go around it.

Only if you put the sun there did the movements of the other planets in the sky make sense.

只有当你把太阳放在中心位置上，天空中其他行星的运动才能说得清楚。 only if 只有；只要。当以 only 引导的短语或状语从句放于句首时，为了加强语气，句子需要倒装。Only if you work hard can you improve your English.

2.What problems did astronomers notice when they looked into the sky?(Para 2) They had noticed that some planets in the sky

seemed to stop, move backward and then go

forward in a loop. Others appeared brighter at

times and less bright at others.

天文学家发现，天上有些行星停顿下来，往后移动，然后再成环状向前移动，而其他行星看上去有时亮些，有时又不怎么亮。

3.When did Copernicus complete his theory? (Para 3)

Between 1510 and 1514 he worked on it, gradually

improving his theory until he felt it was complete.

4. In his letter to his friend, how did Copernicus explain his revolutionary theory ? (Para 4)

First, he placed a fixed sun at the centre of the solar

system with the planets going round it and only the

moon still going round the earth.

Second, he also suggested that the earth was spinning

as it went round it and this explain changes in the

movement of the planets and in the brightness of the

stars.

他把太阳固定在太阳系的中心位置，而行星围绕着太阳转，只有月球仍然绕着地球转。

他还提出地球在围绕太阳转的同时，它本身还自转，这样就说明了行星运动的变化情况以及星球的亮度问题。

5.Why did he fear to publish his idea when his friends encouraged him? (para 4)

Because he did not want to be attacked by the Church, he only published it as he lay dying in 1543.

他不想遭到基督教教会势力的攻击，所以他只在 1543 临终前才把它公布出来。

6. Why do people think that there is a direct link between his ideas and the work of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking?

Because his theory is now the basis on which all our

ideas of the universe are built. His theory replaced the

Christian idea of gravity which said things fell to earth

because God created the earth as the centre of the

universe. He showed this was obviously wrong.

因为他的理论是我们宇宙观赖以建立的基础，他的观点还改变了基督教对地心引力的卡法，他们认为物体往地球上掉落是因为上帝创造了地球，而地球是宇宙的中心，哥白尼证明这是明显错误的．

1) 这个句子，好像一点也讲不通。 The sentence doesn’t seem to make sense.

2) 你编的故事我听不明白。 Your story doesn’t make sense to me.

1 make sense 讲得通；有道理Language points

2 enthusiastic: be interested in

热情的 ; 热心的 She’s very _____________________

singing.

We explain our plan, and he is

very___________.

enthusiastic about / over

enthusiastic

enthusiastic enthusiasm enthusiastically

She shows boundless __________ for

the work.

She greeted him _____________ with a

kiss.

She is very __________ about Eastern

music.

enthusiasm

enthusiastically

enthusiastic

If you don’t like Tom, you may r_____

his gift.

If you don’t think the suggestion is

suitable for you, you may r____ it.

eject

eject

3 reject vt. 拒绝 ; 不接受 ; 丢弃

He rejected their offer of a job. 

他拒绝了他们给他的工作。

reject

an offer

a possibility

a theory

refuse to accept

The guard warned me to be cautious

about strangers.

My father is a very cautious driver.

警卫告戒我要当心陌生人。

我的爸爸是一位非常谨慎的司机。

4 cautious: careful to avoid risk

be cautious about / of sb. / sth.

He placed a fixed sun at the centre of the solar system with the planets going round it and only the moon still going round the earth. 他把太阳固定在太阳系的中心位置上，而行星则围绕着太阳转，只有月球仍然绕着地球转。 with the planets going round it 是 with + 宾语 + 宾语补足语的结构，在句中作状语。这一结构在句中常作定语或状语，作宾补的可以是介词短语、过去分词、形容词、副词或动词不定式等。现将其基本形式归纳如下：

(1) With + n./pron. + 介词短语 He sat there with a smile on his face.(2) With + n./pron. + 副词 With Mr Smith away, we’ve got more room.(3) With + n./pron. + 不定式 With so much work to do, he could not go home.(4) With + n./pron. + 现在分词 The street was quiet with no buses running.(5) With + n./pron. + 过去分词 In came a man with his hands tied back.(6) With + n./pron. + 形容词 He wrote a shirt, with the neck open, showing

his bare chest.

Discussion: If you were Nicolaus Copernicus, would you have hidden your theory for so many years? Why?

As a scientist, Copernicus was more cautious

than coward. If he had published his ideas at his

time, he would have been killed just as Bruno who

was burnt to death because his theory was against

the Christian Church’s. Every time a new idea

appears, there are always rejections. It’s normal.

Scientists should have patience to spread their

truth.

◆ As a scientist, one should be brave. But Copernicus was afraid of being attacked by the Christian Church. So he had hidden his theory for so many years. What do you think of this? Agree:1.He was cautious. if he had published his ideas, he would have been killed just as Bruno who was burned to death because his theory was against the Christian Church.2.Every time a new idea appears, there are always rejections. It’s normal. Scientists should have patience to spread their truth.3.It made no sense for him to publish his theory in a hurry. He was just cautious not coward. He should protect himself first.

Disagree:

1.Copernicus was very coward. He should speak out

his discovery and let the world know the truth

earlier.

2.Science can never advance unless people have the

courage of their beliefs.

3.As a scientist, you must have the courage to publish

your findings. No matter how people oppose them,

time will show if your ideas are right or wrong.

• Write a short letter asking Copernicus to publish his ideas so everyone can read them.

Write a short letter

asking Copernicus

(not) to publish his ideas so

everyone can read

them

One possible version:

Dear Nicolaus Copernicus,

I am a student studying astronomy and I would very much like to read your new theory about the solar system. I hope you will publish it for several reasons.

I understand the problems with the present theory. The way the planets move is not what you would expect if the earth was the center of the universe. It is also odd that the brightness of some stars seems to change. So I agree with you that we need a new theory.

Yours sincerely,

Lin Qi

I know your observations have been very carefully carried out over many years. Now you must have the courage to publish them. Science can never advance unless people have the courage of their beliefs. I know you worry about what will happen if you publish your new theory. No matter how people oppose it, time will show if your ideas are right or wrong.

So I hope you will feel you can publish your new theory.