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2026 秋仁爱版八上
Unit 6 Earth and Beyond
Preparing for the Topic
Activity 3
Kangkang: Guys, come and watch the stars! They look so clear.
康康：伙计们，快来看星星！它们看起来好清晰啊。
Meimei: Wow, there are so many stars! And some of them shine
brighter than others.
梅梅：哇，好多星星啊！而且有些星星比其他的更亮。
Xiao Ya: Look at the brightest ones. Are they the Big Dipper and the
North Star?
小雅：看那些最亮的。它们是北斗七星和北极星吗？
Kangkang: Yes, they are. The Big Dipper looks like a spoon. Follow the
two stars on the right, you can find the North Star.
康康：是的，它们就是。北斗七星看起来像一把勺子。顺着右边的两颗星找，就
能找到北极星。
Lingling: Many stars are far, far away. Let me see more through the
telescope.
玲玲：很多星星都非常非常遥远。我用望远镜再看看更多的。
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Meimei: What can you see, Lingling?
梅梅：玲玲，你能看到什么？
Lingling: Some stars are white, some are blue and some are yellow ...
玲玲：有些星星是白色的，有些是蓝色的，还有些是黄色的...
Xiao Ya: Let me have a look ... I see red stars. How amazing!
小雅：让我看看…… 我看到了红色的星星。太神奇了！
Meimei: One star never appears at night. Do you know what it is?
梅梅：有一颗星星从来不会在夜晚出现。你们知道是什么吗？
Kangkang: Ha! I know. It’s the sun. It’s our daytime star.
康康：哈！我知道。是太阳。它是我们白天的星星。
（1）shine
v.闪耀，发光；照耀
过去式：_________过去分词：_________
The sun_________ brightly in a cloudless sky.
太阳在无云的天空中明亮地照耀着。
Excitement was_________ in her eyes.
她眼里闪着兴奋的光芒。
（2）bright
adj.明亮的；光线充足的；鲜艳夺目的
比较级：_________
最高级：_________
派生词：_________adv. 明亮地
_________ n.亮度；鲜明；光泽
I closed my eyes against the _________ light.
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我闭上眼睛以防强光的照射。
I was convinced that he was _________ than average.
我确信他比一般人聪明。
（3）look like “看起来像”，后面可接名词、代词、动名词或从句等
look like + 名词：用于描述某人或某物看起来像某个具体的人或事物。
例如“He __________________ a postman but he was really a fake.”
（他看上去像个邮递员，但实际上是假冒的。）
look like + 代词：常用来询问或描述某事物看起来像什么样子。
例如“What does it __________________?”（它看起来像什么样子？）
look like + 动名词：表示看起来好像要发生某事，通常用于描述天气、情
况等。例如“It__________________ raining.”（天看起来要下雨了。）
look like + that 从句：that 可省略，同样用于表示看起来好像要发生某事
或具有某种情况。
例如“It__________________ it is going to rain.”（天看起来要下雨了。）
（4）spoon n.勺;匙复数：_________
He was born with a silver _________ in his mouth.（他生在富贵人家。）
His soup_________ dropped onto the ground.（他的汤勺掉到了地上。）
（5）far away “遥远的，远离”
It's_________from here.（它离这儿很远。）
We're just too_________.（我们实在相隔太遥远。）
（6）telescope n.望远镜复数：_________
Many stars are invisible without a _________.
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许多星星不用望远镜就看不见。
He pointed the __________________ at a deer on the hillside.
他把望远镜对准山坡上的一只小鹿。
（7）have a look “看一看，瞧一瞧”
Seeing a cat sleeping on the sofa, she quietly went over to
_________________at it.
看到一只猫在沙发上睡觉，她轻轻地走过去看了看。
I was curious about the box and decided to __________________ inside.
我对这个盒子很好奇，决定看看里面有什么。
（8）appear v.出现，呈现，显现；显得，看来
She didn't _________at all surprised at the news.
她听到这消息时一点也没有显得吃惊。
She didn't_________ at all surprised at the news.
她听到这消息时一点也没有显得吃惊。
1.The sun ______ more ______ yesterday than today, making the beach
much warmer.
A. shone; brightly
B. shined; brighter
C. shone; brighter
D. shined; brightly
2.That star ______ a diamond in the dark sky.
A. looks like
B. looks as
C. Likes
D. appears as
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3.Could you pass me those ______? I need to serve the soup.
A. spoon
B. spoons
C. Spoonful
D. spoonfuls
4.The village is ______ from the city, so we need to drive for 3 hours.
A. far away
B. far away to
C. far from
D. far to
5.Astronomers use ______ to study stars and planets in the universe.
A. telescope
B. telescopies
C. telescopes
D. a telescope
6.Let me ______ at your new painting. It must be wonderful!
A. have a look
B. have look
C. look a look
D. look look
7.The moon ______ so ______ that we could see the path clearly without
lights.
A. appeared; bright
B. appeared; brightly
C. looked; brightly
D. seemed; bright
8.My little sister is ______ than her classmates, and she always solves
math problems quickly.
A. bright
B. brightly
C. Brighter
D. more bright
9.It ______ it’s going to rain—let’s take umbrellas.
A. looks like
B. looks as
C. appears like
D. seems like
Exploring the Topic
Activity 1
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The Sun is a star. It has a diameter of about 1,391,400 kilometers. It
may look yellow, orange, or even red, but its real color is white. There
are no living things on the Sun.
太阳是一颗恒星。它的直径约为139.14 万公里。它看起来可能是黄色、橙色，
甚至红色的，但它真正的颜色是白色。太阳上没有生物。
Earth is one of the eight planets of the solar system. The diameter of
Earth is around 13,000 kilometers. It looks blue and green, and it is
the only planet with life in the solar system.
地球是太阳系八大行星之一。地球的直径约为1.3 万公里。它看起来是蓝绿相
间的，并且是太阳系中唯一有生命存在的行星。
（1）diameter n.直径；对径
复数：__________________
The_____________ of a circle must go through the center.
圆的直径必相交于圆心。
A _____________ passes through the center of a circle.
直径从圆心穿过。
（2）one of “…… 中的一个”
例如“One of the apples is red.”（这些苹果中有一个是红色的。）
“one of + 形容词最高级+ 复数名词” 结构，表示“最…的…之一”
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例如“Qomolangma is_____________ the highest mountains in the
world.”
（珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最高的山峰之一。）
（3）system n.系统；制度，体系
复数：_____________
We have had to adapt quickly to the new _____________.
我们不得不迅速适应新制度。
Our first task is to set up a communications_____________.
我们的首项任务是架设通信系统。
1.The Earth's equatorial ______ is about 12,756 kilometers, while its
polar ______ is slightly shorter.
A. diameter; diameters
B. diameters; diameter
C. diameter; diameter
D. diameters; diameters
2.The planet Saturn is famous for its rings, which are made up of
countless particles, ______ the largest ______ several meters across.
A. one of; has diameters
B. one of; having diameters
C. one of them; has a diameter
D. one of which; having a diameter
3.______ the most challenging tasks in astronomy is measuring the
______ of distant stars accurately.
A. One of; diameters
B. One of; diameter
C. Among; diameters
D. Among; diameter
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Activity 2
In the solar system, the Sun is in the center, and eight planets go
around it. Asteroid Belt separates the planets into two groups — the
inner planets and the outer planets. The inner planets are Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars. They are closer to the Sun. The outer planets
include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They are farther away.
The inner planets are smaller and made of rocks and soil, while the
outer planets are larger and made of gas with rocks inside.
在太阳系中，太阳位于中心，八颗行星围绕着它运转。小行星带将行星分为两组
—— 内行星和外行星。内行星有水星、金星、地球和火星。它们离太阳更近。
外行星包括木星、土星、天王星和海王星。它们离太阳更远。内行星体积较小，
由岩石和土壤构成，而外行星体积较大，由气体构成，内部含有岩石。
（1）center v.居中；集中，把……聚集在；n.篮球中锋，中场手；中心adj.
中点的
复数：_____________
The Leisure _____________ is a long and low modern building.
休闲中心是一个狭长而低矮的现代建筑。
His chief joy _____________ in caring for the children.
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他主要的乐趣集中在管教孩子们上。
（2）go around “四处走动”“流传”“足够分配”“绕过，绕行”
The community workers_____________ telling people about the service.
（社区工作者四处走动，向人们宣传这项服务。）
There aren't enough chairs to _____________.（椅子不够坐。）
（3）separate...into “把…… 分成，分离成”
Let's _____________ smaller groups.（让我们分成几个小组吧。）
The main group _____________several smaller groups.
这个大组分成了若干个小组。
（4）inner adj.接近中心的;内部的;内心的
n.内部；里面
If he has any _____________ doubts, he doesn't show them.
如果他心里有什么疑问的话，他并未表现出来。
She is rich in the _____________ feelings.（她内心的感情丰富。）
（5）outer adj.外围的,远离中心的;外边的
Our knowledge of the _____________solar system will be transformed.
我们对太阳系外围区域的了解将会改变。
Matches on the_____________courts have indeed been suspended.
外场的比赛确实已经暂停了。
（6）include v.包括;包含
It would be wise to_____________ plenty of mineral - rich foods in your
diet.在饮食中多摄入富含矿物质的食物是明智的。
The exhibition _____________ some interesting old musical instruments.
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展览包括一些有趣的古老乐器。
“including” 是介词，意为“包括，包含”，后接名词、代词或动名词作
宾语，用于列举部分内容，常置于句尾或句中，用逗号隔开。
例如“Many fruits are rich in vitamins, _____________ oranges and
strawberries.”（许多水果富含维生素，包括橙子和草莓。）
（7）The inner planets are smaller and made of rocks and soil, while
the outer planets are larger and made of gas with rocks inside.
内行星体积较小，由岩石和土壤构成，而外行星体积较大，由气体构成，内部含
有岩石。
While 引导对比状语从句，强调前后分句的对立关系，相当于"whereas"
（然而）。
The inner planets are rocky, _____________the outer planets are
gaseous.
内行星是岩石质的，而外行星是气态的。
with + 名词+ 介词短语/ 形容词/ 分词做定语。相当于定语从句：
gas that has rocks inside
如：a house with a garden（带花园的房子）
a cake with chocolate filling（夹心巧克力的蛋糕）
1.The children are playing ______ the center of the playground,
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laughing and shouting.
A. at
B. around
C. in
D. into
2.The Earth ______ the Sun in an elliptical orbit, which takes about 365
days.
A. centers
B. goes around
C. separates from
D. includes
3.The teacher asked the students to ______ the big topic ______ several
sub - topics for easier discussion.
A. center; into
B. go; around
C. separate; into
D. include; in
4.The ______ layer of the onion is usually the most pungent, while the
______ layers are a bit milder.
A. inner; outer
B. outer; inner
C. include; including
D. separate; separated
5.The
price
of
the
package
tour
______
air
tickets,
hotel
accommodation, and some meals.
A. centers
B. goes around
C. separates
D. includes
6.There are many fruits in the basket, ______ apples, bananas, and
oranges.
A. include
B. included
C. including
D. to include
7.______ some students are good at math, ______ are better at English.
A. While; others
B. When; the other
C. As; another
D. Since; other
8.The solar system is complex. The Sun is at the ______, and the planets
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______ it.
A. center; go around
B. around; center
C. inner; separate into
D. outer; include
Activity 1
Why is the sun so important? There are at least two reasons:
为什么太阳如此重要？至少有两个原因：
•
It keeps the planets in the solar system. The sun is the biggest
object in the system. It has the power to keep all the planets moving
around it.
它使太阳系中的行星保持在轨道上。太阳是太阳系中最大的天体，它有足够的引
力让所有行星围绕它运转。
• It gives heat and light to the earth. The heat gives the just right
temperature to the living things on the earth. The light is important
for people and animals to get energy, and plants need the light to
grow.
它为地球提供热量和光。热量为地球上的生物提供了适宜的温度。光对于人类和
动物获取能量很重要，而植物则需要光来生长。
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（1）at least “至少，最低限度”，用于表示最小的数量、程度或条件等
It'll cost _____________ 500 dollars. 这东西至少要花500 元。
_____________ he knew right from wrong. 至少他明白是非。
“at least” 表示“至少”，指某个数量、程度等不低于某个特定值，是一个
下限；“at most” 表示“至多，最多”，指某个数量、程度等不超过某个特
定值，是一个上限。
These books will cost _____________ 10 dollars.这些书至少要10 美元
There are _____________ 20 students in the classroom.教室里最多有20
名学生。
（2）object n.物体;对象;目标;宾语
复数：_____________
He became an _____________ of universal derision. 他成了众人嘲弄的对象。
（3）power n.能量;控制力,影响力;电力供应
；权力；能力
_____________ adj.强大的；有力的；有影响力的
Human societies have the _____________ to solve the problems
confronting them. 人类社会有能力解决他们面临的问题。
The once - _____________ empire gradually declined.
这个曾经强大的帝国逐渐衰落了。
（4）heat n.热量;热;高温v.加热；变热
The__________ in the narrow packed streets was stifling.
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狭窄拥挤的街道上，热气令人窒息。
The rain brought blessed relief from the__________.
那场及时雨把人们从酷热中解脱了出来。
（5）temperature n.温度；气温；体温复数：temperatures
______________________________ 高/ 低温
______________________________量某人的体温
例句：The nurse will come to ____________________ soon.
（护士很快会来给你量体温。）
The ____________________ yesterday made everyone feel uncomfortable.
（昨天的高温让每个人都感到不舒服。）
（6）energy n.能量；能源；能；精力[不可数名词]
It's a waste of time and __________.那是浪费时间和精力。
She's always full of __________ .她总是充满活力。
energetic：形容词
“精力充沛的，充满活力的”
例如：He is an __________ speaker and always inspires his audience.
（他是一位精力充沛的演讲者，总能激励听众。）
1.The project will take ______ three months to complete.
A. at least
B. at most
C. powerful
D. energetic
2.You can invite ______ five friends to the party. There isn't enough
space for more.
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A. heat
B. at most
C. at least
D. energy
3.The museum has many ancient ______ on display.
A. objects
B. power
C. heat
D. temperatures
4.The new engine has more ______ than the old one.
A. energetic
B. powerful
C. power
D. heat
5.She is a (n) ______ speaker who always keeps the audience
interested.
A. powerful
B. energy
C. heat
D. objects
6.The ______ from the fire kept us warm during the cold night.
A. at least
B. heat
C. power
D. energetic
7.______ can cause health problems if you stay in them for too long.
A. High temperatures
B. Take your temperature
C. At most
D. Energy
8.You should ______ if you feel sick.
A. at least
B. powerful
C. take your temperature
D. heat
9.Doing exercise every day can give you more ______.
A. energy
B. objects
C. heat
D. at most
10.My grandfather is 80 years old but still very ______.
A. power
B. energetic
C. heat
D. temperatures
Activity 3
The earth is our only home planet. It is neither too close nor too far
from the sun. This helps the earth get enough light and heat from the
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sun. The earth is large, and it can hold the right type of air around it.
Besides, there is plenty of water as well as some dry land on the
surface of the earth. With water and land, people can live and grow
food on the earth.
地球是我们唯一的家园行星。它离太阳既不太近也不太远。这有助于地球从太阳
获得足够的光和热。地球很大，它能在自身周围维持适宜的空气环境。此外，地
球表面有大量的水和一些陆地。有了水和土地，人们就能在地球上生活和种植粮
食。
（1）neither...nor “既不…… 也不……” 可连接任意两个并列的词、短语或
句子成分，包括主语、宾语、谓语、表语、状语等，表示所连接的两者都被否定。
_________ Tom _________ Jerry likes this movie.（汤姆和杰瑞都不喜欢这部电
影。）
She wants_________ money _________ fame.（她既不想要金钱也不想要名誉。）
The weather is_________ hot _________ cold today.（今天天气既不热也不冷。）
（2）Besides“除…… 之外（还）”，表示一种累加关系，着重于指另外还有。
后可接名词、动名词等。在动词do 后还可接不带to 的动词不定式。
No one writes to me_________ you. 除你以外，没有人给我写信。
_________ going jogging, what else did you do last weekend?
除了去慢跑，你上周末还做了哪些事啊？
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_________ diets, he devised punishing exercise routines.
除了节制饮食，他还设计了魔鬼健身计划。
（3）plenty of “许多，大量的”用于修饰可数名词复数或不可数名词
There are_________ eggs in the house. 家里有许多鸡蛋。
What that child needs is_________ loving care.
那个孩子需要的是大量的关爱。
（4）as well as “也，还；和…… 一样好”
She is kind __________________ intelligent.（她不但聪明，而且善良。）
He speaks French __________________English.（他会说英语，也会说法语。）
（5）surface
n.表面;表层
She watched the sunlight dancing on the water's _________.
她看着阳光在水面上舞动。
The marble has a smooth, shiny_________.（大理石有光滑闪亮的表面。）
（6）With water and land, people can live and grow food on the earth.
有了水和土地，人们就能在地球上生活和种植粮食。
with 引导的介词短语，在句中作条件状语。
1.______ Tom ______ his sister likes playing the piano. They think it's too
boring.
A. Both; and
B. Either; or
C. Neither; nor
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2.______ studying hard at school, he also takes part in many after -
school activities.
A. Except
B. Besides
C. But
3.There is ______ rain this year, so the crops grow well.
A. plenty
B. plenty of
C. a plenty of
4.She can sing ______ well ______ dance beautifully.
A. as; so
B. so; as
C. as; as
5.The oil on the water ______ can be seen clearly in the sunlight.
A. surface
B. surfaces
C. surfaced
6.______ more money and time, we could have finished the project
better.
A. With
B. Without
C. In
Activity 2
When you look up at the sky at night, you can see many stars. But do
you know the Sun is a star too? Yes, it is the only one in the solar
system. As a star, the Sun has eight planets around it, and Earth is one
of them.
当你在夜晚仰望天空时，你能看到许多星星。但你知道太阳也是一颗恒星吗？是
的，它是太阳系中唯一的一颗恒星。作为一颗恒星，太阳周围有八颗行星，地球
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就是其中之一。
Among the eight planets, Earth is a middle-sized one, with a diameter
of around 13,000 kilometers. Three of the planets are smaller than
Earth. They are Mercury, Venus and Mars. The other four planets are
larger. They are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. In the solar
system, Jupiter is the largest planet, with a diameter of about 140,000
kilometers.
在这八颗行星中，地球是中等大小的行星，直径约为13000 公里。其中有三颗
行星比地球小，它们是水星、金星和火星。另外四颗行星则更大，它们是木星、
土星、天王星和海王星。在太阳系中，木星是最大的行星，直径约为140000 公
里。
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, at a distance of about 58
million kilometers, while Neptune is the farthest, at a distance of
about 4.5 billion kilometers. As for Earth, it is the third closest, closer
than Mars but farther away than Venus and Mercury. Mercury and
Venus are much hotter than Earth, while Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune
are much colder. For example, the temperature on Neptune is around
minus 200℃. No living things can survive on these planets. As our
home, Earth is alive with life because it is neither too hot nor too cold.
Mars is more similar to Earth in size and temperature. And there’s
also ice there! So scientists are looking for life on Mars.
水星是离太阳最近的行星，距离约为5800 万公里，而海王星是最远的，距离
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约为45 亿公里。至于地球，它是离太阳第三近的行星，比火星近，但比金星和
水星远。水星和金星比地球热得多，而木星、天王星和海王星则冷得多。例如，
海王星上的温度约为零下200 摄氏度。这些行星上没有任何生物能够生存。作
为我们的家园，地球上充满了生命，因为它既不太热也不太冷。火星在大小和温
度上与地球更为相似，而且那里也有冰！所以科学家们正在火星上寻找生命。
Besides the eight planets, there are many other smaller ones.
Together, they make up the amazing solar system.
除了这八颗行星外，还有许多其他较小的行星。它们共同构成了令人惊叹的太阳
系。
（1）When you look up at the sky at night, you can see many stars.
当你在夜晚仰望天空时，你能看到许多星星。
when 引导的时间状语从句，用来表示主句动作发生的时间。
_________ I got to the airport, the guests had left.
当我赶到飞机场时，客人们已经离开了。
（2）look up “抬头看”“查阅”“拜访”“好转”
If you don't know what a word means, you should_________ (in the
dictionary).（如果你不知道某个单词的意思，就该查一下（词典）。）
（3）among 主要用于三者或三者以上，其宾语通常是表示笼统数量或具有复
数意义的名词或代词。
知识点精讲
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I live _________the mountains.（我住在群山之中。）
She is the tallest _________ her classmates.（她在她同学之中是最高的。）
（4）middle-sized“中等大小的；中型的”
She was a strong __________________ woman with a head of flowing
white hair2.（她是个中等身材、身体强壮的女人，留着一头飘逸的白发。）
We need to find a ___________venue for the conference.
（我们需要为会议找一个中等规模的场所。）
（5）In the solar system, Jupiter is the largest planet, with a diameter
of about 140,000 kilometers.
在太阳系中，木星是最大的行星，直径约为140000 公里。
with 引导的复合结构，作伴随状语，此处with 表示“具有，带有”，引出
对主语Jupiter 的补充描述。
Mars, ___________ a thin atmosphere, is less hospitable to life than
Earth.
（火星大气层稀薄，比地球更不适合生命存在。）
（6）Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, at a distance of about 58
million kilometers, while Neptune is the farthest, at a distance of
about 4.5 billion kilometers.
水星是离太阳最近的行星，距离约为5800 万公里，而海王星是最远的，距离
约为45 亿公里。
at a distance of 是固定搭配，强调“以…… 的距离”
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并列连词：while 连接两个独立分句，形成对比关系（水星vs. 海王星），
相当于whereas（而）。这种用法符合while 作为并列连词表示“对比” 的
语法规则。
while 和whereas 均可表对比，但while 更口语化，whereas 更正式。
例如：
口语：The Moon is small, ___________the Sun is huge.
正式：The Moon is small, ___________ the Sun is enormous.
（7）survive v.生存;存活;幸存
___________生存；存活；幸存
__________________可幸存的；可生还的；可挺过去的
She was the last ___________ member of the family.
她是这家人中仅存的一员。
（8）As our home, Earth is alive with life because it is neither too hot
nor too cold. Mars is more similar to Earth in size and temperature.
作为我们的家园，地球上充满了生命，因为它既不太热也不太冷。火星在大小和
温度上与地球更为相似。
___________ 是固定搭配，表示“充满…… 活力”，
例如：The forest is ___________ birds.（森林里鸟鸣不断）。
because 引导原因状语从句
He is absent, ___________ he is ill. 他缺席了，因为他生病了。
The swimming pool won't be open today ___________ they're making
repairs. 游泳池今天不开放，因为他们在修理。
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______________________是固定搭配，表示“与…… 相似”
His problem______________________ yours.（他的问题和你的相似。）
（9）make up 有“构成、组成”“编造”“弥补”“和解”“化妆”“整
理”“配制” 等含义。
The Chinese ___________ the largest single ethnic group in the city's
public classrooms.（华人在该市公立学校的课堂中构成最大的一个族群。）
I think it's very unkind of you to ___________ stories about him.
我认为你编造关于他的故事是很不友好的。
She ___________ her face to look prettier.（她化了妆，让自己看上去漂亮些。）
1.When the bell ______, all students rushed out of the classroom.
A. rings B. rang C. will ring D. is ringing
2.If you don't know the word, you can ______ it ______ in the
dictionary.
A. look; up B. look; for C. look; out D. look; after
3.She is standing ______ a group of children, telling them a story.
A. between B. among C. in D. on
4.We need a ______ box to hold these books.
A. middle
B. medium
C. middle-sized
D. medium-size
5.The two cities are ______ 200 kilometers.
A. in a distance of
B. at distance of
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C. at a distance of
D. in distance of
6.Only a few people ______ the terrible accident.
A. survived
B. survival
C. alive
D. living
7.The ______ of the team depends on their cooperation.
A. survive B. survival C. alive D. living
8.The forest is ______ birds and animals.
A. alive with
B. filled of
C. full with
D. lived with
9.He didn't go to school ______ he was ill.
A. so B. because C. but D. and
10.Her hobbies are ______ her sister's.
A. similar with B. similar to C. same as D. same with
Developing the Topic
Activity 2
Earth and Its Neighbor—Mars 地球及其邻居—— 火星
Is there any life in outer space? We may think of the same
planet—Mars. Mars is smaller than Earth. It has a diameter of around
6,800 kilometers and Earth’s diameter is around 13,000 kilometers.
Mars looks red because of its red soil, while most parts of Earth look
blue because of its oceans. As a neighbor planet, Mars is farther from
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the Sun than Earth. Mars is 228 million kilometers away from the Sun,
while Earth is 150 million kilometers away. That is why Mars is colder
than Earth. The temperature on Mars is about minus 63℃; here on
Earth, the temperature is about 14℃on average. Although the two
planets have many differences, they have something in
common—water. On Mars, there’s a lot of ice under the ground; On
Earth, we have water both on and under the ground.
Mars is waiting for us to explore, and so is the universe.
外太空中有生命存在吗？我们可能会想到同一颗行星—— 火星。火星比地球小，
其直径约为6800 公里，而地球的直径约为13000 公里。火星因其红色的土
壤而看起来是红色的，而地球的大部分地区因为海洋而看起来是蓝色的。作为相
邻的行星，火星比地球离太阳更远。火星距离太阳2.28 亿公里，而地球距离太
阳1.5 亿公里。这就是为什么火星比地球冷。火星上的温度约为零下63 摄氏
度，而地球的平均温度约为14 摄氏度。尽管这两颗行星有许多不同之处，但它
们也有一个共同点—— 水。在火星上，地下有大量的冰；在地球上，地表和地
下都有水。
火星在等待我们去探索，宇宙也是如此。
（1）neighbor n.邻居，邻人；邻国adj.邻接的，邻近的
复数：___________
知识点精讲
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Our ___________George is a very lonely man.
我们的邻居乔治是个非常孤独的人。
The ___________ seem very distant, although I try to be friendly.
尽管我极力表现得友好，邻居似乎很冷淡。
（2）think of “考虑”“想起”“认为”“想念”
We must ___________ the cost.（我们必须考虑成本。）
What do you ___________ my new dress?（你认为我的新衣服怎么样？）
（3）because of “因为，由于”，后接名词、代词、动名词或what 引导的
名词性从句等，在句中通常作状语。
He was late for school___________ the heavy traffic.
他因为交通拥堵上学迟到了。
They couldn't go to the beach ___________ the rain.
因为下雨，他们不能去海滩了。
（4）Mars looks red because of its red soil, while most parts of Earth
look blue because of its oceans.
火星因其红色的土壤而看起来是红色的，而地球的大部分地区因为海洋而看起来
是蓝色的。
because of 是介词短语，后接名词、代词或动名词
如：He failed___________ carelessness.
because 是连词，后接完整的从句
如：He failed ___________he was careless.
while 表对比时的逗号使用
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例如：I prefer tea, ___________ she likes coffee.
（5）That is why Mars is colder than Earth. 这就是为什么火星比地球冷。
本句是典型的主系表结构+ 表语从句，由That is why... 引导。
Mars has a thin atmosphere. ___________________ it is colder than Earth.
（6）on average “平均；通常”
How much television do you watch every day, ___________?
平均来说，你每天看多久电视？
___________, we spend $100 a week on food.
我们平均每周花费100 美元在食物上。
（7 ）Although the two planets have many differences, they have
something in common—water.
尽管这两颗行星有许多不同之处，但它们也有一个共同点—— 水。
although 是从属连词，引导让步状语从句，表示“虽然；尽管”
___________ the sun was shining it wasn't very warm.
尽管太阳高照，却不很暖和。
I felt he was wrong, ___________I didn't say so at the time.
我觉得他错了，不过我当时没有说出来。
in common “共同的；共有的”
常见搭配为“______________________”，表示“有…… 共同之处”
We don’t have much ___________.我们没有多少共同之处。
The two methods have a lot ___________.这两种方法有很多相同之处。
（8）wait for “等待”
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We are ___________the rain to stop so that we can go out and play.
我们在等雨停，这样我们就可以出去玩了。
She is ___________ a bus at the bus stop.
她在公交车站等公交车。
（9）universe n.宇宙；万象；复数：___________
We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the ___________.
我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。
Theories of how the ___________ began are still being explored by
scientists.
关于宇宙如何起源的理论，科学家们仍在探索中。
1.I really like my new ______. They are very friendly and always ready
to help.
A. neighbor
B. neighbors
C. neighbor's
D. neighbors'
2.What do you ______ the new movie that was released last week?
A. think
B. think of
C. think about
D. think over
3.He was late for the meeting ______ the heavy traffic.
A. because
B. because of
C. although
D. while
4.She didn't go to school ______ she was ill.
A. because
B. because of
C. although
D. while
5.______ I was doing my homework, my brother was watching TV.
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A. Because
B. Because of
C. Although
D. While
6.______ it was raining heavily, he still went to work on time.
A. Because
B. Because of
C. Although
D. While
7.My sister and I ______ many hobbies ______. We both like reading and
dancing.
A. have; in common
B. has; in common
C. have; common
D. has; common
8.They are ______ the bus at the bus stop.
A. waiting B. waiting for C. wait D. wait for
9.Scientists are still trying to understand the mysteries of the ______.
A. universe
B. universes
C. universe's
D. universes'
10.______, people in this city spend two hours a day on commuting.
A. On average B. In average C. At average D. For average
Activity 4
Pluto is a special planet. It travels around the Sun. It takes Pluto about
248 Earth years to go around the Sun. Clyde Tombaugh discovered
Pluto in 1930. Pluto is about 40 times farther from the Sun than Earth.
It has five small satellites (moons). To have a better look at the planet
and its satellites, scientists sent a spaceship to fly close to it. The
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spaceship took many pictures. Scientists put the pictures together
and learned more about Pluto. There is no air on the planet. It is so
cold on the planet that air would freeze into something like snow.
Without air, human beings can’t live on the planet.
冥王星是一颗特殊的行星。它围绕太阳运行。冥王星绕太阳一周大约需要248
个地球年。克莱德・汤博在1930 年发现了冥王星。冥王星与太阳的距离大约
是地球与太阳距离的40 倍。它有五颗小卫星（卫星月球）。为了更好地观测这
颗行星及其卫星，科学家派遣了一艘宇宙飞船靠近它飞行。宇宙飞船拍摄了许多
照片。科学家将这些照片拼合起来，从而对冥王星有了更多的了解。这颗行星上
没有空气。它非常寒冷，以至于空气都会冻结成类似雪的东西。没有空气，人类
就无法在这颗行星上生存。
（1）special adj.特别的；特殊的；专用的；重要的
比较级：___________
最高级：___________
You're very ___________ to me, darling.（亲爱的，你对我来说很重要。）
There's a ___________on coffee this week.（本周咖啡特价。）
（2）discover v.(第一个)发现；发现（人才）；(出乎意料地)找到；发觉；查
明；认识到
派生词：___________ n.发现者
Scientists have___________ a new species of butterfly which has not yet
been classified.（科学家发现了一种新的蝴蝶，目前尚未归类。）
知识点精讲
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We ___________ her to be a good cook.（我们发现她菜做得很好。）
（3）To have a better look at the planet and its satellites, scientists
sent a spaceship to fly close to it.
为了更好地观测这颗行星及其卫星，科学家派遣了一艘宇宙飞船靠近它飞行。
不定式短语作目的状语
spaceship n.宇宙飞船
复数：___________
The___________ hit in the drink.宇宙飞船降落在海上。
The___________ successfully docked with the international space
station yesterday.（这艘宇宙飞船昨天成功与国际空间站对接。）
（4）take ...pictures 给...拍照
The tourists have nothing to do but___________ of each other.
游客们无事可做，只有相互拍照。
I like to ___________ for my mother.我喜欢拍照给我妈妈看。
（5）It is so cold on the planet that air would freeze into something
like snow. Without air, human beings can’t live on the planet.
它非常寒冷，以至于空气都会冻结成类似雪的东西。没有空气，人类就无法在这
颗行星上生存。
so...that 结果状语从句
The box is___________ heavy___________ I can't lift it by myself.
这个箱子如此重，以至于我自己抬不起来。
He studied___________hard ___________ he got an A+ in the exam.
他学习如此努力，以至于在考试中得了A+。
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Without prep.没有；不（做某事）；不用；adv.没有；缺乏；conj.如果不
We got there ___________ any trouble. 我们到了那儿，一路上没遇到任何麻
烦。
You can’t get rich ___________ taking risks. 人不冒险不富。
human beings 人类
As decent___________, we are supposed to be pleased by one another’
s successes.
作为正直的人，我们应该为彼此的成功感到高兴。
Dinosaurs preexisted ___________.（恐龙比人类先存在。）
1.The scientist made a ____ discovery that could change the future of
medicine.
A. special
B. more special
C. specially
D. specialer
2.Among all the gifts I received, this handmade necklace is ____.
A. special B. more special C. most special D. the most special
3.Columbus is known as the ____ of America.
A. discover B. discovery C. discoverer D. discovering
4.Scientists are working hard to make spaceships that can travel ____
faster.
A. more B. much C. very D. so
5.We went to the zoo and ____ lots of pictures of the lovely animals.
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A. take B. took C. taking D. taken
6.The math problem was ____ difficult ____ none of us could solve it.
A. so; that
B. such; that
C. too; to
D. enough; to
7.____ air, human beings can't survive for more than a few minutes.
A. With
B. Without
C. In
D. Under
8.Spaceships ____ can reach other galaxies are still in the stage of
imagination.
A. what
B. who
C. that
D. where
