Unit 4 Its a Big Mystery Unit 4

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery CONTENTS LEAD-IN READING AND SPEAKING TEXT A TEXT B LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT WRITING FUN TIME

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LEAD-IN A. Are the following items wonders or mysteries? Wonder √ 1. The Great Wall 2. UFO 3. The Sinking of Titanic 4. Terra-cotta Warriors 5. Shenyang Strange Slope 6. Shennongjia Wild Man 7. Bermuda Triangle 8. The Pyramids of Egypt √ Mystery √ √ √ Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LEAD-IN B. Compare your answers with your partner’s. Then discuss the following questions. 1. How do you define a mystery? A mystery refers to a thing of which the cause or origin is hidden or impossible to explain with the current science and technology. A mystery confuses our senses and urges humans to explore continuously. Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LEAD-IN 2. Do you know about any other wonder or mystery? Describe them briefly.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery READING AND SPEAKING Crop Circle The earliest recorded image resembling a crop circle is depicted in a 17 th-century English woodcut called the “Mowing-Devil”. Crop circles rose in prominence during the late 1970 s as circles began appearing throughout the English countryside. The phenomenon of crop circles became widely known in the late 1980 s, after the media started to report crop circles in Hampshire and Wiltshire and corresponding phenomena were reported from locations as diverse as Penrith in Australia and Minnesota in the United States. To date, approximately 12, 000 crop circles have been discovered in sites across the world, from locations such as the former Soviet Union, the UK and Japan, as well as the U. S. and Canada. Various hypotheses have been offered to explain the formation of crop circles of unknown origin, ranging from the naturalistic to the paranormal. The main naturalistic explanation is that all crop circles are man-made, primarily as a hoax. Paranormal explanations suggest that, while some crop circles are man-made, others are the product of alien spacecraft or supernatural processes.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery READING AND SPEAKING Skill Focus A. Look at the photo in the article. Predict what the reading is about. Circle A, B, C, or D. A. Farmers B. Students ○C. Crop circles keys D. UFOs and aliens Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery One morning in 1977, a farmer in England discovered a large, unusual circle in his cornfield. He was surprised and confused. Newspaper reporters visited the field, and all around the world, scientists discussed the circles. At first, they said that the crops had an unusual disease. Then something very strange happened. Other farmers came forward. They had crop circles, too. One night, many scientists stayed up in the fields. They saw mysterious lights. The next day, the scientists discovered new crop circles. Translation New Words

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery The stories of the circles grew. Finally, people believed different things about the crop circles. There were tales about aliens, new kinds of lightning, and other mysteries. Then, some university students came forward and showed a TV crew how to make crop circles. The crop circles were a hoax. Finally, people knew the truth. The story of the crop circles wasn’t exciting anymore, or so people thought. Just a few years ago, a historian found a drawing from 1647. The drawing showed a strange circle in a field, a crop circle. Was this a hoax, too? No one is sure. The story of crop circles continues. Translation New Words

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery READING AND SPEAKING B. Sequence these events. Number them from 1 to 6. 3 a. _______ Scientists saw lights in the cornfields. 4 b. _______ Some people believed that aliens made the circles. c. _______ People learned that the mystery was a hoax. 6 d. _______ A farmer discovered a circle in his cornfield. 1 e. _______ Scientists said the crops had a strange disease. 2 f. _______ University students showed people how to 5 make a crop circle. Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery READING AND SPEAKING C. Ask and answer these questions with your classmates. 1. In your opinion, who or what made (or makes) the crop circles? In my eyes, it was the aliens who made them, because the event is really amazing and I do believe that there aliens on other planets. Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery READING AND SPEAKING 2. Do you have a favorite mystery? Explain. Do you like mysteries? Why or why not? I’m very interested in UFOs which pose a great mystery to us. We have always been eager to explain the happenings in the sky, but no one can be sure whethere are such things from other distant planets. I do like this kind of mystery, because it often arouses my curiosity about our nature and passion for the life. 3. Do you like play tricks? What do you think of people who play tricks? I like playing tricks on others. In my eyes, if we are of good intention, the tricks will not hurt others; meanwhile, it may make our life more colorful and interesting. Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A BACKGROUND INFORMATION ARTICLE TRANSLATION TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A The Zone of Silence The Silent Zone is the popular name for a desert patch in northern Mexico. The Silent Zone is often compared to the Bermuda Triangle, the Egyptian Pyramids, and the Sacred Cities of Tibet, all being located between the 26 th parallel and the 28 th parallel. The area is called the Silent Zone because of a myth which states that radio waves cannot be transmitted due to local magnetic fields. It is said that inside the zone you cannot hear the conversations of other people. However, there is no documented evidence which can support any of these claims. After gaining fame, it was flooded with tourists in search of UFOs. The fossil banks were sacked, only to be replaced by a circle of giant tourist-made Stars of David for “rituals of intergalactic connections”. Given the poverty of the locals, many of them sell fossils found on banks that are unknown to tourists. Eventually, the cacti and the exotic desert tortoise were brought to the brink of extinction.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A New Mexico is a state of the United States. New Mexico was given its name in 1563 by Spanish explorers who believed the area contained cultures similar to those of the Mexica Empire. New Mexico contains extensive habitat for many plants and animals, especially in desert areas. During World War Ⅱ, the first atomic bombs were tested at in the desert in New Mexico.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A Zone of Silence 全文音频 There is much about our world that we still do not understand. Scientists tell us that natural mysteries exist in every corner of the Earth. “Zone of Silence” is one of those natural mysteries. 世界上有很多东西我们至今都无法理解。科学家们告诉我们， 在地球的每个角落都有自然之谜的存在。“寂静之地”便是诸多 自然之谜中的一个。

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 1. On July 11, 1970, a rocket was launched from Utah, which is in the United States. It was headed to New Mexico. This was not unusual. The scientists in charge were used to rocket launches. They had launched 121 rockets before. The residents of New Mexico were also used to the launches. They enjoyed watching them land in the White Sands desert.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 2. But the launch of the Athena rocket on July 11 was different. After takeoff, the rocket disappeared thesouth horizon , and it wentover so far that the radar lost it. No one knew where the rocket was.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 3. Eventually, the rocket was located in an area known as the Zone of Silence. Many Mexicans weren’t surprised when they learned that the rocket had crashed there. Zone of Silence, commonly called by the few locals and scientists, is a place in northern Mexico in the middle of the hot, punishing desert. It is a strange place to experience, one of those mysterious natural wonders that beg our attention and confuse our senses.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 4. In the 1800 s, farmers used to report showers of hot pebble falling from clear skies. Then in the 1930 s, the Mexican pilot Francisco Sarabia reported that his radio had mysteriously stopped while he was flying through the area. For years, local residents described problems with telephone, radio, and TV signals. In the 1960 s, engineers from a Mexican oil company were exploring the area. Suddenly, their compasses spun crazily, and it was impossible to communicate with their colleagues. The shocked engineers reported their findings, and the Zone of Silence became a household name throughout much of Mexico. But it wasn’t until that summer night in July of 1970 that the rest of the world learned of it.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 5. And there have been reports of encounters with strange humanoid creatures. One farm family claims they are regularly visited by three blonde, long-haired humanoids, two males and a female, who speak perfect Spanish. As the story goes, the visitors only ask for water, never food or other provisions. And when asked once by the farmer where they came from, they reportedly answered “from above”.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 6. Then there’s the story of the visiting researcher who became lost in the desert. He reports he was directed back to the research center by a similar group of blonde “strange-looking people. ” Another story has it that a TV news investigation crew was aided by strange beings in the desert after being stuck in the road after an unusual storm. These “beings” reportedly wore long raincoats and ball caps, something you don’t often see in the desert wilderness.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 7. To this day, scientists aren’t exactly sure what pulled the Athena rocket off course or why you can’t get a radio signal in the Zone of Silence. A logical explanation of the phenomenon hasn’t been identified. Today, the Zone is famous throughout the world, and the tour companies lead excursions into the Zone for those in search of an unusual experience.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS Part One Two Three Para. (s) Main Idea 1 -3 Through the description of the event of the Athena rocket, the author introduces the Zone of Silence. 4 -6 The author tells us some mysterious happenings in the Zone of Silence. 7 The Zone of Silence remains to be a natural mystery.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A READING COMPREHENSION A. Identify the paragraph from which the following information is derived. 1. Some strange beings helped human beings in the Zone of Silence. (Para. ___) 6 2. There had been reports about the loss of radio signals in the Zone of Silence before the Athena accident. (Para. ___) 4 3. It was reported that strange humanoid creatures appeared in the Zone of Silence and they claimed to have come “from 5 above”. (Para. ___) 2 4. The Athena rocket disappeared in the south. (Para. ___) 5. No logical explanation has been identified about the Athena accident. (Para. ___) 7

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A B. Choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C, and D. 1. The launch of the Athena rocket was not unusual because D ___. A. it was headed for New Mexico. B. the rocket will land in the White Sands Desert. C. it was launched by U. S. scientists. D. people were used to such launches. 2. The launch on July 11 was different because ____. B A. it was launched in summer B. it disappeared and the radar lost it Keys C. it went to New Mexico D. it was the 100 th rocket that launched by scientists in charge

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A 3. When Mexicans learned that the rocket crashed in the Zone of Silence, they thought it ____. D A. exciting B. frustrating C. depressing D. not surprising at all. 4. The Zone of Silence is a part of ____. C A. a river B. a mountain C. a desert D. an iceberg Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A 5. It is reported that the blonde humanoids in the Zone of Silence spoke perfect ____. C A. English B. French C. Spanish D. Italian Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A C. Answer the following questions according to the text. 1. Where was the Athena rocket located eventually? Eventually, the rocket was located in an area _________________________ known as the Zone of Silence. ________________________ 2. What happened to the Mexican pilot’s radio when he was flying through the Zone? _________________________ The radio mysteriously stopped working. 3. When was the Zone of Silence got world-famous? ________________________ It wasn’t until that summer night in July of 1970 that the ________________________ Zone of Silence became a household name around the _____________________ world.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A Complete the diagram using the words or phrases in the box. Then, add other words or phrases you know to your word web. radio problems pilot White Sands Desert northern Mexico showers of hot pebbles strange-looking people humanoid engineer strange-looking people humanoid alien the White Sand Desert northern Mexico Utah

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A • Phenomena: radio problems showers of hot pebbles crazily spinning compasses Keys • Witness: pilot engineer farmer Mystery • The “beings”: strange-looking people humanoid alien • Sites: the White Sand Desert northern Mexico Utah

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A Suggested Answers Discuss the following questions with a partner. 1. In the Zone of Silence, some strange things happened. Will you choose to live in such a place? Why or why not? No, I don’t want to live in the Zone of Silence, because I’ve been accustomed to the life in the modern society. Although sometimes I’m tired of the pressure of the modern life and eager to have some different experiences, I will choose to travel there for a short time instead of living there for a long time.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT A Suggested Answers Discuss the following questions with a partner. 2. If you met a “strange humanoid creature” in the Zone of Silence, what would you say or do? I would first to find out whether it would hurt me. If yes, I would say nothing and run away as soon as possible. If not, I would ask it about its home town and life. If possible, I would visit the place where it lives.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B BACKGROUND INFORMATION ARTICLE TRANSLATION TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Mary Celeste The Mary Celeste was built in 1861 in Nova Scotia, the first of her kind the country had seen. However, the ship seemed born bad. During her maiden voyage, her captain died. The new owners, to be on the safe side, changed her name to the Mary Celeste. Three years later, the ship was taken over by Captain Benjamin Briggs, a seaman of the highest regard, and his first mate Albert Richardson. On December 5 th, one of greatest mysteries of the sea was born.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Captain Briggs The full name of Captain Briggs is Benjamin Spooner Briggs (April 24, 1835— probably November 1872) was an experienced United States seaman. He is famous today for being the Captain of the merchant ship Mary Celeste. Benjamin Briggs, his wife Sarah and two-year-old daughter Sophia Matilda, along with the crew of the Mary Celeste, and the lifeboat, were never found.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Mary Celeste: The Ghost Ship 全文音频 The Mary Celeste is one of the great maritime mysteries. Up to now, the real story of the Mary Celeste is still unknown to us. 玛丽 塞莱斯特号是航海史上重大未解之谜之一。有关该船的真 实遭遇至今尚无人知。

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 1. The legendary ghost ship, the Mary Celeste, is one of the greatest maritime mysteries. Over 125 years ago, it was found floating, crewless, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in perfect condition. The fate of the crew and passengers has never been explained. 2. Back in November 1872, the Mary Celeste was sailing to Europe with a cargo of wine and liquor. The Captain, Benjamin Briggs, was accompanied by his wife, his young daughter and a crew of seven men.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 3. On December 4, 1872, the Mary Celeste was found floating 600 miles off Gibraltar. The only things missing were the ship’s paper, its chronometer and everyone on board. They had all completely and strangely vanished. 4. The condition of the Mary Celeste, at the time of her discovery at sea, varies according to the reporter. One report suggested that there weapons on board and blood on some of the sail. If this is true it suggests a pirate attack, something that was common in that area around that period. But if it was a pirate attack, why were the money box and the ship’s cargo of wine and liquor not taken?

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 5. Another area of argument is whether or not the only lifeboat was still tied to the ship when it was discovered. 6. Some other theories about what happened to the Mary Celeste include: 7. Theory 1: The entire crew may have been swept overboard 1 (assuming that one of them must have been carrying the chronometer and ship’s papers at the time) by a large wave while watching their drunken, fully-dressed, captain swimming around the vessel in mid-ocean with his daughter on his back.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 8. Theory 2: The Mary Celeste came to aid a burning cargo ship filled with coal and explosives. The Mary Celeste got a little too close to the burning ship and the crew abandoned their ship into a small lifeboat which also picked up the crew of the cargo ship. The lifeboat then overturned and all hands were lost. Unfortunately there isn’t any record of a cargo ship being lost during that period and some have reported that the single lifeboat was still onboard the Mary Celeste.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 9. Theory 3: The captain of the Dei Gratia, the ship which found the Mary Celeste, plotted to take over the ship by placing three of his people on the Mary Celeste as sailors. Once at sea, the crewmen overtook the vessel and killed the captain and crew. The Dei Gratia then “discovered” the “abandoned” vessel and claimed his rights to the ship and the cargo.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TRANSLATION 10. Theory 4: Barrels of strong alcohol in the ship’s cargo broke open and the crew abandoned the ship to avoid the fire. They sailed in a lifeboat behind the ship, but bad weather caused the line to break and locked the survivors in the middle of the ocean as their ship sailed away without them. 11. What is the real story of the Mary Celeste? What was the fate of Captain Briggs and his family, and the crew of the Mary Celeste? We’ll never know.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS Part Para. One 1 Two 2 -3 Three 4 -10 Four 11 Main Idea The part gives us a general introduction to the Mary Celeste. It mainly talks about what happened to the Mary Celeste. The part introduces different theories about the mysterious event. The real story of the Mary Celeste remains to be unknown.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B A. Answer the following questions with the information from the text. 1. What’s the passage mainly concerned with? It is mainly concerned with the legendary ghost ship, the ________________________ Mary Celeste, and the fate of its crew and passengers. _______________________ 2. Where did people first find the legendary ghost ship, the Mary Celeste? 600 miles off Gibraltar. ________________________ 3. What was missing when the Mary Celeste was found? The only things missing were the ship’s paper, its ________________________ chronometer and passengers and crew onboard. _______________________

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B 4. Why did some people doubt the possibility of a pirate attack? Because the money box and the ship’s cargo of _______________________ wine and liquor were not taken. _________ 5. Retell theory concerning the captain of the Dei Gratia in your own words. The captain of the Dei Gratia tended to gain control of _________________________ the Mary Celeste. He sent three men to the ship to work _________________________ as sailors. The three sailors killed all the other people _________________________ on the ship, and the captain of the Dei Gratia pretended _________________________ to discover the Mary Celeste accidentally and claimed _________________________ the right to the ship and the cargo. ___________________

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B B. Discuss the following questions with a partner. 1. Among all the different versions about the mysterious ghost ship, which do you think is more believable? _________________________ I think the fourth theory is more believable. Because _________________________ the assumption in Theory 1 is unreliable; there is a _________________________ huge loophole in Theory 2, and Theory 3 is ___________________ comparatively far-fetched. 2. Have you ever heard about any other stories about ships? Exchange your story with your partner. _________________________ Yes, I’ve heard some stories about ships, among which _________________________ I’m very interested in the story of Titanic. For more _________________________ than a century, the tragic story of Titanic has gripped ________________________ the imagination of the world.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B C. Complete the following paragraph with words in the box below. There are more words than needed. floating explosives liquor lifeboat mystery common fate crew pirate survivors crewless cargo vanished varied assume

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B The ghost ship, the Mary Celeste, was a maritime mystery In November 1872, the Mary Celeste was _____. cargo of wine and liquor. But on sailing to Europe with a ______ December 4, 1872, it was found _____ floating in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the only things missing were the crew on board ship’s paper and its chronometer and its ______ had all strangely ____. vanished As the money box and the wine and liquor _____ were not taken away, some people didn’t pirate attack, which was common believe it was a _________ around the period though. Also, it is a mystery whether or not the only _____ lifeboat was still tied to the ship when it was discovered. There are various versions about what had happened to the Mary Celeste, but no one really knows the _____ fate of the Captain and the crew and passengers of the Mary Celeste.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Concluding Sentence & Concluding Paragraph Many articles ends with a concluding paragraph that wraps up the main idea, adding the finishing touch. They offer a fresh insight that locks the main idea in the reader’s mind. Read Text B again, pay special attention to the concluding paragraph which restates the main idea of this passage, and then complete the chart.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Main idea The legendary ship Mary Celeste is ________________________ one of the great maritime mysteries Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B Possible reasons for the mysterious condition of the ship 1. It was attacked by pirates. 2. The entire crew were swept overboard by a wave. 3. The entire crew went onto a lifeboat but it was overturned. 4. Someone plotted to take over the ship. 5. The entire crew sailed on a lifeboat behind the ship but the line broke.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery TEXT B 11 Concluding paragraph (Paragraph_______) We’ll ______________________ never know the real story of the Mary Celeste, the ________________________ fate of Captain Briggs and his family, and the crew of ________________________ the Mary Celeste. Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Match the words in the left column with their meanings in the right column. Write the letters on the lines. 1. ______ vanish d a. to change in some way, or to cause similar things to differ a 2. ______ vary b. to examine something carefully, especially to discover the truth about it Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT f 3. ______encounter c. to continue to live or to exist, especially after a dangerous event e 4. ______ identify d. to disappear or stop being present or existing, especially in a sudden, surprising way b 5. _____investigate e. to recognize or be able to name someone or something, or to prove who or what someone or something is c 6. ______ survive f. to meet someone unexpectedly, or to experience, especially something unpleasant Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT B. In Text A, you read the word “long-haired”. In English, some adjectives are made up of the combination of different parts of speech. Look at the following examples, and try to fill in the blanks. For example: The girl has long hair. → She is a long-haired girl. 1. The chair has three legs. three-legged → It is a______ chair. 2. I know a policeman who has sharp eyes like an eagle. → I know a ______ policeman. sharp-eyed 3. The car has four doors. → It is a ______car. four-doored

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 4. The apartment has three bedrooms. three-bedroomed → It is a ________ apartment. 5. I sill remember the woman who has a kind heart. → I still remember the ______ woman. kind-hearted 6. I like the pot which has a long handle. long-handled → I like the ______ pot. 7. He has never seen a lorry that has sixteen wheels. sixteen-wheeled → He has never seen a _______ lorry.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 8. The police finally found the murderer who has killed a girl in cold blood. cold-blooded → The police finally found the _______ murderer who killed the girl. 9. The pretty girl has blue eyes. blue-eyed → She is a _____ pretty girl. 10. The doctor who has a round face is humorous. round-faced → The ______ doctor is humorous.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT C. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box. Change the form if necessary. There are more words than needed. overboard onboard abandon plot vary vanish claim encounter logical demanding confuse identify wilderness excursion provision 1. Early that morning she decided to make a long excursion ______ through the forest. 2. When they found out that they were taken to a lonely abandoned island, they ______ their attempts to escape. 3. I am interested in the plants and animals that live in the wilderness ______.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 4. Last Sunday, I ______ an old friend in theater. encountered 5. These products ______ in quality but are generally vary acceptable. 6. With a wave of his hand, the magician made the rabbit _____. vanish logical 7. She wasn’t able to give me a ____ explanation for her behavior, so I was not convinced. 8. Can you _____ your classmate in the picture? identify 9. The man _____ that his injury occurred from a car claimed accident, but the police found it was not. 10. They ______ the teacher completely because they confused had the same names.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. 1. The ______you work, the ______points you’ll get in the exams. A. few; little C. less; fewer B. fewer; fewer D. less; less 2. It’s reported that the United States uses ______energy as the whole of Europe. A. as twice C. twice much as B. twice much D. twice as much

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. 3. It is___ that I would like to go to the beach. A. so nice weather C. so nice a weather B. such nice weather D. such a nice weather 4. The reason why so many people sit before the television tonight is that there will be a ___show. A. living C. alive B. live D. lived

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. 5. He couldn’t catch up with the belief though he had kept running, for he was ___ a child. A. no more than C. not less than B. no less than D. more than 6. You can’t be ___ while driving. A. too careful C. very careful B. more careful D. much too careful

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT B. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the given words. 1. 1. A farmer discovered an unusual circle in his field and he was _____ (surprise) and _____ (confuse). surprised confused 2. _____ (Eventual), the rocket was located in a Eventually mysterious area. 3. The radio signal ______ (mystery) stopped while mysteriously the plane was flying over the sea. completely 4. A group of tourists _____ (complete) and ____(strange) vanished in the desert. strangely 5. No one knows what the _____ (drink) captain did to drunken the ship.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT C. Put the given words in correct order to complete the sentences. 1. ____________happened last night in the Something very strange old house. (very, something, strange) 2. Scientists do not know what caused the shark to travel__________. ( south, far, so ) south so far are not exactly sure 3. Scientists what the strange thing is, but they suspect it is left by aliens. . (not, sure, are, exactly)

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT the only things missing 4. The ship was floating and____________ were its papers. (missing, the, things, only) three strange-looking 5. They want to learn more about the________ blonde people ________in the old picture. (people, strangelooking, three, blonde)

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. 1. It is one of those mysteries that beg our attention and confuse our senses � 是一个吸引我� 的注意力、迷惑我� 的感官的 未解之� 。 2. To this day, scientists aren’t exactly sure what pulled the Athena rocket off course. 直到今天，科学家� 依然无法确定是什么� 致雅 典娜号火箭偏离了� 道。

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 3. One of them must have been carrying the ship’s papera at the time. 当� ，其中一个人肯定是拿着船上的文件� 料。 4. Unfortunately there isn’t any record of a cargo ship being lost during that period. 很� 憾，并无任何��� 示在那期� 有� 船� 失。

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT B. Translate the following sentences into English. 1. During the festival, a lot of visitors_________ headed for the French village _____________ (前往� 个法国小� ). 2. They went on a hike and watched __________________________ (太阳从地平� 上升起). the sun rising over the horizon 3. My car has been in use for many years, but it is still in perfect condition _________________(仍然完好无� ).

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 4. 我� 一夜没睡，一直在跟同事� 沟通。(stay up) ________________________ We stayed up the whole night, communicating ________________________ with our colleagues. 5. 我� 希望史密斯先生能接管�� 作。(take over) We hope Mr. Smith will take over the work. ________________________ 6. 幸存者被一艘� 船救了起来。(pick up) The survivors were picked up by a fishing boat. ________________________

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT A. Search the Internet for information about any three mysterious places. Then complete the chart with the information you’ve found. Keys Location Mysterious Place 1 Mysterious Place 2 Mysterious Place 3 What’s the Mystery?

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT B. Discuss the following questions with your partner. (Answers will vary. ) 1. Which of the places above do you want to visit most? I want to visit the pyramids in Xi’an. 2. Have you ever heard about any mysteries that have been solved by scientists? Yes. The 1934 photo of Loch Ness Monster was faked! The photographer confessed, when he thought he was close to death, that it was actually a toy submarine. He and a friend had attached a head and neck made of wood to make it look like a monster.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING A. Read the e-mail. Underline the words that show the sequence of events: first, then, next, after that, finally. Hi Laura, I’m back from Egypt. It was an amazing trip. ____ First, we landed in Cairo. The next day, we went to the Egyptian ________ Museum, and we saw the King Tutankhamun treasures. They were incredible. Then _____ we visited the Pyramids and ____ the Sphinx. We were tired, but the day wasn’t over! After ____ we flew to Luxor. The next morning, we went to the that, temple of Karnak. It’s huge. Then _____ we took a boat across the river. We visited the Valley of the Kings. ____ Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING The tomb of King Tutankhamum is there. It wasn’t very interesting though. All of the treasures are in the museum in Cairo! It was also very hot in the desert, and it was crowded with tourists. Next, ____ we returned to Cairo. The ________ fourth day, we went to the Khan el Khalili market and bought a lot of souvenirs. It was hot and crowded, too, but finally, we relaxed. We went out on a sailboat. It’s very ____ quiet out on the Nile. It was a great trip! BTW, do you like the photos? I took them with my new digital camera. I hope you go to Egypt someday. See you soon! James Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING B. Complete these sentences about a past trip. Then add time words to show the sequence. Keys After that finally first next then Time Words Activities First Beijing World Park, which is the I went to largest of its kind of Asia. Then I saw many historical and natural sights on display in miniature. After that I bought some souvenirs.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING Time Words Next Then Finally Keys Actions I returned home to have a rest. I ate some delicious food my mother prepared. I visited my best friend and told her about my trip

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING Keys C. Edit your story and discuss it with a classmate. 1. Circle the words in your sentences that show the order of events. 2. share your story with your classmates. Ask your classmates for more details about their trip.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery WRITING Keys Last Sunday, I traveled to Beijing World Park, which is the largest park of its kind in Asia. When I got there, I was totally attracted by the amazing sceneries — the Seven Wonders of the World and more than 100 famous historical and natural sights on display in miniature. Then I walked around, enjoying a variety of replicas of famous sights, such as the Arc of Triumph and the Eiffel Tower of France, etc. After that, I went to the shopping street of the Park, and bought a lot of souvenirs. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon, I finished my tour, and returned home to have a rest. Then I ate the delicious food my mother prepared and showed her the unique souvenirs I bought. In the evening, I went to visit Mary, my best friend to share with her my beautiful memories in the Beijing World Park.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery FUN TIME Trick Questions Try to quicken your mind! 1. How many sides does a circle have? 2. What fruit is never alone? 3. Why are young men unwilling to date the daughter of the Fortunes? 4. Why is an empty matchbox the best thing to have in the world? Keys

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery FUN TIME Trick Questions 5. How many faces can you see in the following picture? (Answers will vary. )

THE END

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery • • 1. Two, inside and outside. 2. A pear. 3. Because she is Miss Fortune (misfortune) 4. Because it is matchless. Back

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT A 1. The scientists in charge were used to rocket launches. (Para. 1) The scientists who took on the task were rather experienced in rocket launches. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing 2. But it wasn’t until that summer night in July of 1970 that the rest of the world learned of it. (Para. 4) People all over the world became aware of it only after that summer night in July of 1970. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing 3. And when asked once by the farmer where they came from, they reportedly answered “from above”. (Para. 5) And according to the report, when the farmer once asked those strange humanoid creatures where they came from, they answered “from above”. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing 4. Another story has it that a TV news investigation crew was aided by strange beings in the desert after being stuck in the road after an unusual storm. (Para. 6) Another story says that a TV news investigation crew was helped by some strange people in the desert when they encountered an unusual storm and could not keep on moving in the road. Note: In this sentence, there is a very useful structure have it (that)…, which means “say (that) or claim to be the fact (that)”. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B 1. The condition of the Mary Celeste, at the time of her discovery at sea, varies according to the reporter. (Para. 4) According to the reporter, the descriptions of the condition of the Mary Celeste when it was found are different. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing Article 2. The entire crew may have been swept overboard (assuming that one of them must have been carrying the chronometer and ship’s papers at the time) by a large wave while watching their drunken, fully-dressed, captain swimming around the vessel in mid-ocean with his daughter on his back. (Para. 7) Everyone on the ship had probably been attacked by a large wave and fallen into the sea when they were watching their drunken, fully-dressed captain swimming around the ship in the middle of the ocean with his daughter on his back. What’s more, we may suppose that one of the sailors was probably carrying the chronometer and ship’s papers at the time when he stood by watching.

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing 3. The lifeboat then overturned and all hands were lost. (Para. 8) The lifeboat then turned upside-down, and all the sailors were drowned. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sentence Paraphrasing 4. Once at sea, the crewmen overtook the vessel and killed the captain and crew. (Para. 9) When the Mary Celeste sailed at sea, the three sailors sent by the captain of the Dei Gratia attacked the ship and killed the captain and other sailors. Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Back

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery launch vt. 1）发射 launch a rocket 发射火箭 2）使……行动；使开始 The company is launching a new car next month. 这家公司下月将推出一款新车。 Next Page

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery n. （航天器的）发射；（船的）下水； （新产品的）投放 The launch of their new product is successful. 他们新产品的投放很成功。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery be headed for 去，朝……方向去 We are headed for the school. 我们正在朝学校去。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery over the horizon 在地平线上 A ship appeared over the horizon. 一艘船出现在地平线上。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery locate vt. 1）找出准确地点 I’m trying to locate Mary. Do you know where she is? 我想找到玛丽，你知道她在哪儿吗？ 2）坐落于 The new shopping center is located in the downtown. 新的购物中心位于市中心。 location n. 地方，地点 the suitable location of the new park 适合建新公园的地点 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery crash vi. 1）坠毁，撞毁 The plane crashed into the forest only a few minutes after it took off. 飞机刚起飞几分钟就坠落在森林里。 2）猛撞，碰撞 The tress crashed through the window into the room. 树撞破窗户倒在了屋里。 Next Page

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery n. 1) 撞车；（飞机）失事 a car crash 一起撞车事故 2) 坠落声，撞击声 The bookshelf fell onto the ground with a great crash. 书架忽然哗啦一声倒在地上。 3) 崩溃 The economic crash ruined the international trade. 经济危机摧毁了世界贸易。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery explore vt. &vi. 1）勘探， 探测 As soon as they arrived in the desert, they went out to explore. 他们一到达沙漠就出去勘探了。 2）仔细检查，探究 Only when we explore all the possibilities can we find the best solution. 我们只有探讨了所有的可能性，才能找到最好的 解决方法。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery spin vt. &vi. （使）旋转 The sign was spinning round and round in the wind. 那个标志在风中一圈圈地旋转。 They spun the coin to decide who should do the housework. 他们靠转硬币决定谁来做家务。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery household adj. 家庭的，家用的 Though it is rather small, the store has a variety of household items. 这家商店尽管小，却有很多不同种类的家用物品出售。 n. 一家人，家庭 The whole household travelled to Hainan to enjoy the beautiful sea scenery there. 全家人都到海南旅游了，去欣赏美丽的海景。 a household name/word 家喻户晓的名字或名称 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery encounter 1）n. 相遇，邂逅 I had a close encounter with that famous novelist. 我曾邂逅过那位著名的小说家。 2）vt. 遭遇(意外或危险) Ｉencountered many difficulties when I first started the job. 我刚开始这项 作时，遇到了很多困难。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery claim vt. 1) 声称，宣称 The scientists claim that they’ve found the truth about UFOs. 科学家称他们已经发现了UFO的真相。 2) 索要 She claimed damages from the company for the accident. 她为此事故向公司索要赔偿。 3) 夺走（生命） The earthquake claimed thousands of people’s lives. Article 这次地震夺走了成千上万人的生命。

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery provision n. 供应，提供 The organization is responsible for the provision of foreign language training to the local factories. 这个组织负责为当地的 厂提供外语培训。 provisions [复]食物和饮料 People in the neighborhood offered provisions in time for the victims. 邻近地区的居民为难民们及时提供了食物。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery investigation n. 调查 The matter is under investigation. 该事件正在调查中。 The police are conducting an investigation into the causes of the accident. 警察正在就该事故发生的原因展开调查。 investigate vt. 调查 The company has sent several experts to investigate the matter. 公司已派出好几位专家去调查此事。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery identify vt. 1）找到，发现 The first thing is to identify the characteristics of the new virus. 首先要找到这种新病毒的特性。 Identify … as … 认出，认明，识别……系…… She identified the man as the thief. 她认出这个人就是小偷。 Identify … with … 认为……与……等同 One can’t identify happiness with wealth. 幸福和财富不能混为一谈。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery in search of sb. /sth. 搜查，搜索 The parents are in search of their lost child. 这对父母正在寻找丢失的孩子。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery legendary adj. 1）传奇的，传说的 legendary heroes 传奇英雄 2）有名的，著名的 Her patience with her students are legendary. 她对待学生的耐心是出了名的。 legend n. 传奇，传说 the legend of Robin Hood 罗宾汉传奇 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery be in perfect condition 情况很好 The package was in perfect condition when I got it. 我拿到该包裹时，它完好无损。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery accompany vt. 1) 陪伴 I must ask you to accompany me to the police station. 我必须得请你陪我去警察局。 2) 同时发生 Strong wind accompanied the heavy rain. 狂风夹着暴雨。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery vanish vi. 消失，消散 The thief ran away and vanished into the crowd. 小偷逃跑了，消失在人群中。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery vary vi. 相异，不同 These houses vary in size and price. 这些房子大小和价格各不相同。 various adj. 各种各样的 There are various desert plants in this area. 该地区有各种各样的沙漠植物。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery overboard adv. 从船舷掉入水中 The drunken young man fell overboard at midnight without anyone’s knowledge. 午夜时分，那位醉酒的年轻人在无人知晓的情况 下从船上跌入了水中。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery assume vt. 1) 假定，设想 I assume that the present situation is going to continue. 我猜测当前形势会继续下去。 2) 承担，开始从事 He assumed his new responsibilities in a time of significant challenge. 他在一个巨大挑战的时候承担了新的任务。 Next Page

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery assumption n. 假定 The theory is based on a series of wrong assumptions. 这一理论依据的是一系列错误的设想。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery explosive 1) n. 爆炸物，炸药 high explosive 烈性炸药 2) adj. 会爆炸的，易爆炸的；暴躁的 Never take anything explosive with you when boarding the train. 乘火车时请勿携带易爆物品。 The young lady has an explosive manner. 这位年轻的小姐脾气很暴躁。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery abandon vt. 离弃；抛弃；放弃 They had to abandon their car because of the heavy snow and walk to the school. 由于积雪太深，他们只好弃车步行去学校。 Those babies were abandoned by their parents, most of whom are girls. 那些婴儿都是被父母所遗弃的，其中大部分都是女孩。 The bad weather made them abandon their plan to find the lost children. 恶劣的天气迫使他们放弃了寻找失踪儿童的计划。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery pick up 1）营救，搭救 The helicopter can pick up no more than five people once. 直升飞机一次对多只能搭救五个人。 2）（开车）接人 I’ll pick you up at 7 o’clock. 我将在七点钟的时候来接你。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery plot vi. 密谋，策划 He plotted with others against the king. 他和其他人密谋反对国王。 n. 密谋，阴谋；情节 The plot to overthrow the government is discovered in time. 企图推翻政府的阴谋被及时发现了。 The plot is too complicated — I couldn’t understand. 情节太复杂了，我没办法理解 Article plotter n. 搞阴谋的人

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery take over 接管 The firm has been taken over by an American company. 该公司已由一家美国公司接管了。 When she fell ill, her daughter took over the company from her. 在她生病的时候，她女儿从她手上接管了公司。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery overtake vt. 1）(不愉快的事情)忽然降临 On my way home, I was overtaken by a snowstorm. 我在回家的路上突然遭遇了暴风雪。 2） 追上，赶上，超过It is very dangerous to overtake other cars on a corner. 在拐弯处超车非常危险。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery survivor n. 幸存者 He is the only survivor of the plane crash. 他是这次空难中唯一的幸存者。 survive vt. 幸存；比……活得长 He is the only person who survived the plane crash. 他是这次空难中唯一的幸存者。 His wife survived him by six years. 他妻子比他多活了六年。 Article

Unit 4 It’s a Big Mystery Sequencing helps readers make sense of information. When we understand what happened first, next, and last, we can begin to understand the relationships between the events, and other relationships, for example, causes and effects as well. Back