1、JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTHAt first I could hardly see anything. After so long descending deep into the earth _1_ dark, narrow caves, my eyes were not used to the light. But when I could focus again, I stood _2_(amaze). Its a . sea! I cried. Yes, my uncle replied, and I shall give it my name,
2、 as it was discovered by me! A vast lake or even an ocean, spread far _3_ where the eye could see. The shore _4_(line) with shining sand, and _5_(lap) by waves softly. It was covered with small shells _6_ were once inhabited by the first living beings. Around this sea stood a huge rock wall that _7_
3、(wear) away by the endless action of the waves. I could see far over this great sea because it _8_(light) up by a strange light. Not sunlight, of course, as we were deep below the surface. No; with its bright, clear whiteness, the light must have been electric. Under the sky, if it could be called s
4、o, being made of rock, _9_(be) also vast clouds. They were being illuminated by this light, _10_ the light gave no heat, so the place felt rather gloomy. Here we were, shut up inside a cave of a size _11_ could not be estimated. It must have been several miles high. Human words cannot describe the d
5、iscoveries of those who have been deep into the earth. My imagination was _12_(power) before such wonders. I felt like I was on some distant planet, and was both amazed and rather _13_(scare). However, I was energised by the breezy salty air _14_(supply) more oxygen to my lungs. After many days in m
6、uch narrower spaces, it was _15_ great relief. Ready to walk a little now? asked my uncle.Yes, certainly. Well, let us follow the shore then, he said, and we began to explore.Soon in front of us appeared a tall, dense forest, _16_(compose) of trees formed like umbrellas. Mushrooms! said my uncle. An
7、d he was right! There were mushrooms in their thousands, and each at least thirty feet high. Wonderful! cried my uncle. A botanist never had such a feast _17_ this! Now look under your feet. Oh yes! I exclaimed. I hadnt noticed the many bones, _18_ were being crushed under our feet as we walked. Sud
8、denly I thought, if once these monsters lived here, might some still roam _19_ these gloomy forests? I anxiously _20_(survey) the landscape, but we were the only living creatures in this subterranean world. Thankfully! Eventually we returned to the cave we _21_(enter) from, and I fell asleep with st
9、range thoughts. Where did this underground sea end? Where did it lead to?SCIENCE FICTION OR SCIENCE FACT?Science fiction is one of the most popular genres of film. _1_(show) us everything from alien worlds to intelligent robots and time travel, sci-fi films are extraordinary. But how much of this sc
10、ience fiction is also scientific fact? Many sci-fi films _2_(base) on fiction: novels, short stories, or comics, which first came from someones imagination and were often influenced by _3_(early) sci-fi works. However, some films try to make the science they show _4_ realistic and accurate as possib
11、le. The film Interstellar was a box-office success and was praised for _5_ space travel and other scientific aspects of the plot were represented. The story takes place in the near future _6_ living conditions on Earth threaten the survival of humanity. A brave team of astronauts and scientists begi
12、n a dangerous mission _7_(find) a new planet for humans to live on. Director Christopher Nolan wanted the film to be as realistic as possible. Why simply imagine things that might happen in space or on an interstellar journey? Why not actually look at the real science there? he said. To make sure as
13、 much of the film as possible _8_(ground) in real science, Nolan and his team were helped from the start by physicist Kip Thorne, _9_ expert on Albert Einsteins theories. Thorne provided the correct mathematics for the special effects team to generate the fantastic computer simulations that _10_(see
14、) in the film. In the real world, the search for other habitable planets _11_(be) underway for many years. Space telescopes can identify planets _12_(orbit) stars by small changes in the stars light as the planets pass by. These searches have discovered _13_(count) planets. The next challenge is _14
15、_(find) one that is neither too hot nor too cold, _15_ there is water necessary for life forms to develop. Then the problem is how we would get there. As these stars and planets are many light years away, _16_ would take hundreds or thousands of years to reach them. Creating a spaceship that could t
16、ravel _17_ the speed of light would be one option, but in the film, Earth does not have that much time and a quicker route must be found. Thus the problem to be overcome is time _18_(it). Again, real science provided an answer, _19_ was then brought to the screen in the film. _20_ Einstein famously
17、described, time and space are not two separate things, but exist like a fabric that our universe is made _21_, called space-time. Objects such as planets and stars bend this fabric, _22_(create) the force we know as gravity. When this force is very large, space-time is bent a great deal, making _23_
18、 possible for a short cut, known as a wormhole, to appear. This would allow one to pass from one point in the universe to another without having to cross the space in between, therefore _24_(make) the journey much quicker. Wormholes are often used in sci-fi stories, appearing as simple holes to pass
19、 _25_, but what would one actually look like? Science tells us it would actually look like a sphere, through _26_ we could see through to the other side, and so this is how it appears in the film.In the film, such a wormhole mysteriously appears near Saturn. Several astronauts have already been thro
20、ugh, with some reporting back on _27_(promise) planets they have found. The team travels through it to another galaxy _28_ the hope of finding a new home. _29_, as hours pass on these distant planets, many years pass on Earth. This is also a realistic depiction of _30_ such interstellar travel would
21、 be like, as _31_(describe) by Einsteins theory of relativity. Time moves differently _32_(depend) on where you are and whether you are still or moving. Of course, sometimes real science has to be ignored to make sure that a film, _33_ is only a few hours long, is entertaining and that viewers under
22、stand what they see. We cannot know exactly _34_ interstellar travel looks like, but science can give us a good idea. Often, there is a fine line _35_ science fiction and fact, which is always changing as science and technology progress. Things that were only being dreamed of years ago _36_(be) now part of our everyday lives, such as the Internet, mobile phones, and soon even space travel itself. This is _37_ continues to make sci-fi so exciting and popular, _38_(inspire) generation after generation to imagine our future existence. 4 / 4
