Lesson 29 The hovercraft 氣墊船
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What is a hovercraft riding on when it is in motion?
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft. In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles. It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 'pad', or cushion, of low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air. Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft. As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed. His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making the ride on a cushion of air no more than one or two feet thick. This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of the craft. It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher -- its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.
The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation. The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach, climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road. Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which presented no problem.
Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service. The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications such as Africa or Australia; it can become a 'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports; giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h. -- the possibilities appear unlimited.參考譯文】
本世紀已研制出許多新奇的交通工具，其中最新奇的要數(shù)氣墊船了。1953年，有一位50多歲名叫克里斯托弗.科克雷的原電子工程師，改行在諾?？丝さ暮吹貐^(qū)從事造船業(yè)，他向英國政府和工業(yè)界提出了他研究多年的一項計劃。他的設(shè)想是：用一個低壓空氣或軟墊來支撐船體，軟墊周圍用高壓空氣環(huán)繞。自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。作為一個船舶技師，科克雷爾在尋找解決波浪阻力的方法，因為波浪阻力浪費掉了船在水面行駛的大量動力，從而限制了船的速度。他的解決辦法是把船體提離水面，讓船在一個氣墊上行駛，氣墊只有一兩英尺厚。船底裝上大量環(huán)狀噴氣嘴以實現(xiàn)這一目的。這樣，船就能飛了，但飛不高。它的飛行限決于它所懸浮的水面或地面。
1959年，在蘇倫特海峽進行的首次試航引起了轟動，氣墊船先是在水面上行駛，后又登上海岸，爬上沙丘，最后停在路上。后來氣墊船跨越英吉利海峽，平衡地在波浪上方行駛，波浪不再產(chǎn)生阻力。
從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。氣墊船在非洲、澳大利亞等交通不發(fā)達地區(qū)特別有用。它能成為“飛行水果盤子”，把香蕉從種植園動到港口。大型的氣墊班輪或許能跨越大西洋。未來的火車或許能成為“氣墊火車”，靠氣墊在單軌上行駛而不接觸軌道，時速可達每小時300英里。氣墊船的前途是不可限量的。1.hovercraft n.氣墊船
2.Norfolk Broads n.諾?？丝さ暮吹貐^(qū)
3.cushion n.座墊
4.ring v.圍
4.Solent n.（英國的）蘇倫特海峽
5.sensation n.轟動
6.dune n.沙丘
7.plantation n.種植園
8.hovertrain n.氣墊火車1.In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.
參考翻譯：1953年，有一位50多歲名叫克里斯托弗.科克雷的原電子工程師，改行在諾福克郡的湖泊地區(qū)從事造船業(yè)，他向英國政府和工業(yè)界提出了他研究多年的一項計劃。
講解：which引導定語從句，修飾的是idea。on which he had been working轉(zhuǎn)化為定語從句之后將一個詞組分開了，按照正常的數(shù)序是work on an idea。
in his fifties，50多歲，表示年齡大概是多少。
had been working是過去完成進行時，表示從過去到文中所描述的時間一直進行的動作。
2.Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.
參考翻譯：自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。
講解：have had difficulty in deciding，前面有Ever since，表示從那時起……一般情況下，出現(xiàn)這個詞組時用完成時態(tài)。剔除時態(tài)之后，是一個詞組：have difficulty doing sth.
have difficulty/trouble/problem doing sth這幾個短語的用法相同。
例句：We had difficulty (in) carrying out the plan．
我們執(zhí)行計劃有困難。
3.As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed.
參考翻譯：作為一個船舶技師，科克雷爾在尋找解決波浪阻力的方法，因為波浪阻力浪費掉了船在水面行駛的大量動力，從而限制了船的速度。
講解：a good deal許多,很多,大量的
例句：That new car costs a good deal of money.
那輛新車要很多錢。
相當于a great deal of和a great many的區(qū)別，見語法部分。
4.Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
參考翻譯：從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。
講解：take up拿起,開始從事
例句：He decided to take up journalism.
他決定操新聞業(yè)。
Ted took up a position of hostility.
特德采取了敵對的態(tài)度。
5.and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h. -- the possibilities appear unlimited.
參考翻譯：未來的火車或許能成為“氣墊火車”，靠氣墊在單軌上行駛而不接觸軌道，時速可達每小時300英里。
講解：up to 多達，相當于as many as
例句：Our restaurant can accommodate up to 60 people.
我們的飯店可最多容納六十個人。a great deal和a great many的區(qū)別
a great deal 大量地，非常多的
1、作副詞
The old woman's life is a great deal better now.
2、作代詞
We have learnt a great deal from our professor.
I have accomplished a great deal in the last few months.
We waited for their decision with a great deal of apprehension.
2、作名詞(不可數(shù))
People spend a great deal of money on National Day.
He drinks a great deal of water every day.
He offered me a great deal of money.
Keeping the house really meant a good deal to me.
3、比較：a lot of, lots of 也表示“非常多”，但它既可接可數(shù)名詞，也可接不可數(shù)名詞。
There is a lots of rain here in summer.
There are lots of tourists in Beijing every year.
A glossy magazine has lots of pictures of fashionable clothes and is printed on good quality paper.
He is a bold thinker, with lots of original ideas.
4、比較 ：a big deal 重要人物
[a subject, situation, or event which people think is important. ]
I don't know why this issue has become such a big deal.
Losing the match was no big deal.
All I said was, I'm going to have a baby - what's the big deal?
Yes, it's his birthday today, but he doesn't want to make a big deal of it. (= make people notice it by having a special celebration)
◆a great/good many 非常多，許多(形容詞)
The young couple has travelled a great many cities since they got married.
A great many college students were sent to the West to help the children there.
Helen has a great many friends indeed, but she does not think she has any she can confide in.
The city was even equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.
He has extracted a great many examples from the grammar book.
比較：
1. many a... 許多(后接單數(shù)動詞)
Many a teacher has come to the exhibition.
Many a woman has great influence on her husband.
He beguiled us with many a tale of adventure.
2. a lot, lots of, a number of 與 a great many / a good many 意義相同。
◆ a handful of 一把，少量(作為量詞)
She scooped up a handful of snow and rolled it into a ball.
Only a handful people agree with him, it is a foolis risk.
We invited twenty people, but only a handful of them came.
I picked up a handful of letters and began to open them.
比較：
同義詞組有：a small amount of , a small number of
A cap or tube containing a small amount of explosive used to detonate the main explosive charge of a firearm or mine.
At this school, only ten people passed the music examination this year. That may seem a small number but it's(about) par for the course.
◆ a kind of 有點兒，幾分，一種
An apple is a kind of fruit.
Money is a kind of allurement for us.
I have a kind of feeling this might happen. (隱約覺得）
I have a kind of suspicion that she told a lie. (有點兒）1.Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.
1.自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。
2.It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher -- its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.
2.這樣，船就能飛了，但飛不高。它的飛行限決于它所懸浮的水面或地面。
3.Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
3.從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。
4.Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century,the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
4.本世紀已研制出許多新奇的交通工具，其中最新奇的要數(shù)氣墊船了。
First listen and then answer the following question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What is a hovercraft riding on when it is in motion?
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft. In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles. It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 'pad', or cushion, of low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air. Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft. As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed. His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making the ride on a cushion of air no more than one or two feet thick. This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of the craft. It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher -- its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.
The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation. The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach, climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road. Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which presented no problem.
Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service. The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications such as Africa or Australia; it can become a 'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports; giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h. -- the possibilities appear unlimited.參考譯文】
本世紀已研制出許多新奇的交通工具，其中最新奇的要數(shù)氣墊船了。1953年，有一位50多歲名叫克里斯托弗.科克雷的原電子工程師，改行在諾?？丝さ暮吹貐^(qū)從事造船業(yè)，他向英國政府和工業(yè)界提出了他研究多年的一項計劃。他的設(shè)想是：用一個低壓空氣或軟墊來支撐船體，軟墊周圍用高壓空氣環(huán)繞。自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。作為一個船舶技師，科克雷爾在尋找解決波浪阻力的方法，因為波浪阻力浪費掉了船在水面行駛的大量動力，從而限制了船的速度。他的解決辦法是把船體提離水面，讓船在一個氣墊上行駛，氣墊只有一兩英尺厚。船底裝上大量環(huán)狀噴氣嘴以實現(xiàn)這一目的。這樣，船就能飛了，但飛不高。它的飛行限決于它所懸浮的水面或地面。
1959年，在蘇倫特海峽進行的首次試航引起了轟動，氣墊船先是在水面上行駛，后又登上海岸，爬上沙丘，最后停在路上。后來氣墊船跨越英吉利海峽，平衡地在波浪上方行駛，波浪不再產(chǎn)生阻力。
從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。氣墊船在非洲、澳大利亞等交通不發(fā)達地區(qū)特別有用。它能成為“飛行水果盤子”，把香蕉從種植園動到港口。大型的氣墊班輪或許能跨越大西洋。未來的火車或許能成為“氣墊火車”，靠氣墊在單軌上行駛而不接觸軌道，時速可達每小時300英里。氣墊船的前途是不可限量的。1.hovercraft n.氣墊船
2.Norfolk Broads n.諾?？丝さ暮吹貐^(qū)
3.cushion n.座墊
4.ring v.圍
4.Solent n.（英國的）蘇倫特海峽
5.sensation n.轟動
6.dune n.沙丘
7.plantation n.種植園
8.hovertrain n.氣墊火車1.In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles.
參考翻譯：1953年，有一位50多歲名叫克里斯托弗.科克雷的原電子工程師，改行在諾福克郡的湖泊地區(qū)從事造船業(yè)，他向英國政府和工業(yè)界提出了他研究多年的一項計劃。
講解：which引導定語從句，修飾的是idea。on which he had been working轉(zhuǎn)化為定語從句之后將一個詞組分開了，按照正常的數(shù)序是work on an idea。
in his fifties，50多歲，表示年齡大概是多少。
had been working是過去完成進行時，表示從過去到文中所描述的時間一直進行的動作。
2.Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.
參考翻譯：自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。
講解：have had difficulty in deciding，前面有Ever since，表示從那時起……一般情況下，出現(xiàn)這個詞組時用完成時態(tài)。剔除時態(tài)之后，是一個詞組：have difficulty doing sth.
have difficulty/trouble/problem doing sth這幾個短語的用法相同。
例句：We had difficulty (in) carrying out the plan．
我們執(zhí)行計劃有困難。
3.As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed.
參考翻譯：作為一個船舶技師，科克雷爾在尋找解決波浪阻力的方法，因為波浪阻力浪費掉了船在水面行駛的大量動力，從而限制了船的速度。
講解：a good deal許多,很多,大量的
例句：That new car costs a good deal of money.
那輛新車要很多錢。
相當于a great deal of和a great many的區(qū)別，見語法部分。
4.Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
參考翻譯：從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。
講解：take up拿起,開始從事
例句：He decided to take up journalism.
他決定操新聞業(yè)。
Ted took up a position of hostility.
特德采取了敵對的態(tài)度。
5.and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.p.h. -- the possibilities appear unlimited.
參考翻譯：未來的火車或許能成為“氣墊火車”，靠氣墊在單軌上行駛而不接觸軌道，時速可達每小時300英里。
講解：up to 多達，相當于as many as
例句：Our restaurant can accommodate up to 60 people.
我們的飯店可最多容納六十個人。a great deal和a great many的區(qū)別
a great deal 大量地，非常多的
1、作副詞
The old woman's life is a great deal better now.
2、作代詞
We have learnt a great deal from our professor.
I have accomplished a great deal in the last few months.
We waited for their decision with a great deal of apprehension.
2、作名詞(不可數(shù))
People spend a great deal of money on National Day.
He drinks a great deal of water every day.
He offered me a great deal of money.
Keeping the house really meant a good deal to me.
3、比較：a lot of, lots of 也表示“非常多”，但它既可接可數(shù)名詞，也可接不可數(shù)名詞。
There is a lots of rain here in summer.
There are lots of tourists in Beijing every year.
A glossy magazine has lots of pictures of fashionable clothes and is printed on good quality paper.
He is a bold thinker, with lots of original ideas.
4、比較 ：a big deal 重要人物
[a subject, situation, or event which people think is important. ]
I don't know why this issue has become such a big deal.
Losing the match was no big deal.
All I said was, I'm going to have a baby - what's the big deal?
Yes, it's his birthday today, but he doesn't want to make a big deal of it. (= make people notice it by having a special celebration)
◆a great/good many 非常多，許多(形容詞)
The young couple has travelled a great many cities since they got married.
A great many college students were sent to the West to help the children there.
Helen has a great many friends indeed, but she does not think she has any she can confide in.
The city was even equipped with a drainage system, for a great many clay pipes were found beneath the narrow streets.
He has extracted a great many examples from the grammar book.
比較：
1. many a... 許多(后接單數(shù)動詞)
Many a teacher has come to the exhibition.
Many a woman has great influence on her husband.
He beguiled us with many a tale of adventure.
2. a lot, lots of, a number of 與 a great many / a good many 意義相同。
◆ a handful of 一把，少量(作為量詞)
She scooped up a handful of snow and rolled it into a ball.
Only a handful people agree with him, it is a foolis risk.
We invited twenty people, but only a handful of them came.
I picked up a handful of letters and began to open them.
比較：
同義詞組有：a small amount of , a small number of
A cap or tube containing a small amount of explosive used to detonate the main explosive charge of a firearm or mine.
At this school, only ten people passed the music examination this year. That may seem a small number but it's(about) par for the course.
◆ a kind of 有點兒，幾分，一種
An apple is a kind of fruit.
Money is a kind of allurement for us.
I have a kind of feeling this might happen. (隱約覺得）
I have a kind of suspicion that she told a lie. (有點兒）1.Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles -- for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft.
1.自那以后，人們很難決定是否應(yīng)該將這種運載工具列為輪船、飛機，或是陸上交通工具，因為它是介于船和飛機之間。
2.It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher -- its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.
2.這樣，船就能飛了，但飛不高。它的飛行限決于它所懸浮的水面或地面。
3.Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service.
3.從那以后，各種各樣的氣墊船出現(xiàn)了，并開始了定期航行服務(wù)。
4.Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century,the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.
4.本世紀已研制出許多新奇的交通工具，其中最新奇的要數(shù)氣墊船了。