《牛津高中英語》模塊2-Reading-project課文

7.M2U1.Reading—Boymissing,policepuzzled

PoliceinAmericahavesteppeduptheirsearchforafifteen-year-oldboywhowentmissingthreedaysagoinDover,NewHampshire.Thisincidenthasreceivedgreatinterestduetoreportsofstrangelightsintheskyandofalienvisitsaroundthetimetheboydisappeared.

JustinFoster,ahighschoolstudent,waslastseenFridaynight.Thateveningat8p.m.Justinwenttoplaybaseballwithtwofriends,whobothsayJustinwenthomeafterthegame.WitnessesalsosaytheysawJustinwalkingtowardshishouseat10.45p.m.Justin'ssister,Kelly,agednine,sayssheheardherbrotherreturnhomeatabout11p.m.

‘Iwasgettingreadyforbed,'Kellysaid.'Justinwentstraighttohisroom.Ididn'tseehim,butIheardhimputonhisfavoriteCD.Iwenttobed,andwaswokenuparoundmidnightbyabrightlightoutsidemywindow.'

Atfirst,theyounggirlthoughtitwasthelightofthefullmoon,butthensherealizedthatitwasmovingandcomingcloser.

'Ipulledbackthecurtainsandsawalargespaceshipflyingoutside.Ithadbluelightsallaroundit,andthereweremanywindows.Standinginsidewerelotsofstrangecreatureswithwhiteskinandlargeblackeyes.Iwasfrightened!'

Kellysaidthatthespaceshipthenmovedaroundtothesideofthehouse,towardsherbrother'sbedroom.'TherewasaflashoflightandIheardJustinshout,andthentheUFOjustdisappeared.Ihaven'tseenJustinsince.I'msurethealienstookhim.'

Kellythenranandwokeuphermother.However,sinceMrsFosterthoughtthatJustinwasspendingthenightwithafriend,sheassumedthatKellywashavingabaddream,andsentherbacktobed.MrsFosterwasworkingthatnightonhisroadconstructionjob,andwasnothomewhentheseeventsoccurred.WhenJustindidnotshowupforlunchthenextday,MrsFosterbecameworriedandtoldherhusbandtocallthepolice.

SomepeopleinDoveralsosaythattheysawaliensthatnight.'It'shappenedtome!'saidMrsMavisWood.'ThealienstookmeaboardtheUFOsothattheycoulddoresearchonme.Luckily,theyreturnedmehomewithoutanyinjuries.Thewholeexperiencewasterrible!Ihaven'tbeensleepingwellsinceIreturnedhome.IthinkJustinwastakenawaybythem,too.'

WhenaskedaboutthepossibilitythatJustinwastakenbyaliens,DetectiveSamPeterson,whohastakenchargeofthecase,toldjournalists,'Sometimespeoplemakeupsuchamazingstories.There'sreallynohardevidencethatalienstookhim.So,whilewehavenotdismissedtheidea,wearelookingintootherpossibilitiesaswell.Wewillnotgiveupuntilwefindoutwhathappened.'

8.M2U1.Project—Yeti,BigfootandtheWildManofShennongjia

Forcenturies,peoplehavereportedseeingawildcreatureintheHimalayascalledYeti.TheYetiissaidtobealarge,hairyanimalthatwalksantwofeetlikeahumanbeing.PeoplebelievethatYetissometimescomedownfromthemountainstoattackvillagers.

In1998,anAmericanmountainclimbersaidthathesawaYetiontheChinesesideoftheHimalayas.'Itwalkedlikeahuman,butithadthickblackfurandwasaboutsixfeettallwithhugeshoulders,verylongarmsandlargehands,'hesaid.

In2007,anAmericanTVteamsawYetitracks33centimetresinlengthinthesnownearMountQomolangma.TheymadecopiesofthesetracksandhadthemexaminedbyascientistintheUSA.Hereportedthattheylookedlikethetracksofasimilarcreature,calledBigfoot,whichsomepeoplebelievelivesintheforestsofthenorth-westoftheUSA.

YetiandBigfootaresimilartoacreatureknownastheWildManofShennongjia.TherehavebeendozensofreportsthatpeoplehaveseenaWildManintheShennongjiaNatureReserveinwesternHubeiProvince,China.Inonecase,agroupofengineersranafterthecreature,whichmovedwithamazingspeedandstrength.LargetrackshavealsobeendiscoveredwhichsomepeoplesaybelongtotheWildMan.Becauseofthesereportsandthetracks,therehavebeenseveralorganizedsearchesforthiscreature,butnostrongevidenceforexistencehaseverbeenfound.

DrGroverKrantz,ascientistfromWashingtonStateUniversity,studiedreportsofsuchstrangecreaturesformanyyears.Hebecameconvincedtheyexist.Hebelievedthatthesecreaturesarelinkedtoacommonancestor,ananimalthatlivedinAsiasome300,000yearsago.Inhisopinion,thisanimalmadeitswaytootherpartsoftheworld,andcontinuestosurviveeventoday.

Scientistshopethatthemysterywillbesolvedoneday.Ifsuchcreaturesreallyexist,wemighthavethechancetoseeonewithourowneyes.

9.M2U2.Reading—AnadventureinAfrica

30June

Theweatherchangessoquicklythatpeoplesayyoucanexperiencefourseasonsinoneday.ThebesttimestovisitShangri-laarespringandautumnwhenthetemperatureisatitsmildest.

11.M2U3.Reading—Thecurseofthemummy

HowardCarterisoneofthemostfamousexplorerstheworldhaseverknown.Hewasbraveandlovedtovisitandexplorenewplaces.Duringhislife,hediscoveredmanyamazingthings.

HowardCarterdidnotgotoschool,butlearnttodrawfromhisfather,whowasanartist.Hewasbrightandcuriousabouttheworldoutsidehishometown.In1891,attheageof17,hesetsailforAlexandria,Egypt.Bythe1920s,hehadbecomeanexplorer,searchingforthetombsoftheEgyptiankings.Hefoundseveralimportantones.Insidethetombs,hediscoveredagreatfortuneinjewelsandgold,alongwiththepreservedbodiesofdeadkings.Thesepreservedbodiesareknownasmummies.

In1922,HowardCartermadehismostamazingdiscoveryofall,intheValleyoftheKings,inEgypt.HehadreceivedmoneyfromLordCarnarvon,aBritishmanwhowasveryinterestedinEgypt.Carter’steamwasworkingataplacenearthecityofLuxor.There,theycameacrossthetombofKingTutankhamun.Itwasthemostimportanttombthathadeverbeenfound.‘Thetombcontainedmoretreasurethananyofushadeverseenbefore,aswellasthemummyoftheking,’saidCarter.‘Afterwelookedintothetomb,wecloseditandhiditsentrance.Wewantedtostudythetomblaterwhenwehadmoretime.Afterwards,allofitscontentswouldgointoamuseum.’

However,notlongafterthediscovery,peopleinCarter’steambegantofallillanddie.Upontheirenteringthetomb,Carter’sluckypetbird,whichhehadleftinCairo,wasawallowedbyasnake.Then,afewmonthsafterCarterhadopenedthetomb,LordCarnarvon,whowasalsopresentwhenthetombwasopened,fellillwithafeveranddiedinEgypt.AtthemomentofCarnarnon’sdeath,thelightswentoutinCairo,thecapitalofEgypt.BackinEngland,hisdogdiedatapproximatelythesametime.

GeorgeGould,afriendofCarnarvon’s,wenttoEgyptafterhearingofhisstrangedeath.Hetoovisitedthetomb,onlytocatchahighfeverthenextday.Twelvehourslater,hewasdead.Carter’ssecretary,RichardBethell,diedofhearttroublefourmonthsafterthetombwasopened.ArthurMace,anothermemberoftheteam,alsodiedshortlyafterthediscovery.

Withinsevenyears,21peoplewhohadsomethingtodowiththeopeningofthetombdied.HowardCarter,however,livedonuntiltheageof65.Somepeoplesaythedeathswerejustcoincidence.Othersbelievethattheywereinconnectionwithamummy’scurse,asapunishmentforthosewhoentertherestingplaceofthedead.

However,stillothersbelievethatthereisascientificexplanation.Insidethetombs,therearemanyviruses.Whenatombisopened,freshairdisturbstheviruses.Ifbreathedin,theycanresultinillnessorevendeath.Today,whenscientistsexaminemummies,theywearspecialclothingforprotection.

Whatiscertain,though,isthat‘thecurseofthemummy’remainsariddletothisday.

12.M2U3.Project—Explorer(16October2003)

Whatisthemostfunyoucanhavein21hoursand23minutes?On15October2003,YangLiweiansweredthisquestion.Hisvoyageinspacetookhim600,000kilometresinorbit,aroundtheEarth14times,injustover21hours.ItmadehimChina’sfirstastronautinspace.Hehadworkedtowardsthisachievementformanyyears.

Bornin1965,Yanghadwantedtoflysincehewasayoungboy.HisfriendsandteachersfromSuizhonginthenorth-eastofLiaoningProvincehaveallsaidthathelovedscienceandtechnologyfromayoungage.Healwayshadastrongdesiretolearnhowtofly.Hisdreamwasencouragedbyhisparentsaswellashisoldersisterandyoungerbrother.

In1983,hejoinedthearmy,andwenttoflightschool.Hegraduatedin1987andbecameapilot.In1998,heappliedtobeamemberofProject921,whichisnowcalledshenzhou.Hewasoneoftheonly14selectedfrom1,500candidates.Theteamspentthenextfiveyearsbeingtrained.Theynotonlystudiedallthes