Unit 3
Why Do We Believe That the Earth Is
Round
Warm-Up Activity:
Can you prove that the
earth is round? Go ahead
and try! Will you rely on your senses or will
you have to draw on the opinions of experts?
Back Ground Information
• George Bernard Shaw:
• George Bernard Shaw
• (1856-1950),
Irish playwright, critic and novelist,
is widely considered the greatest British dramatist
since Shakespeare, and the greatest British satirist
since Swift.
• Shaw’s plays often ridicule governmental or
social hypocrisies of mock the conventions of
polite society. In the long prefaces to the printed
editions he aired his views on all sorts of
subjects. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature. Among his most famous
plays are Widowers’ Houses. Mrs. Warren’s
Profession, Arms and the Man, Man and
Superman, Major Barbara, Pygmalion and Saint
Joan.
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The Round Earth Theory
In the Sixth century B.C.,
The Greek Philosopher
Pythagoras (毕达哥拉斯）Believed
that the earth was a sphere because he
considered this the most perfect of shapes, not
from any scientific considerations.
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In the fourth century B.C.,
both Plato and Aristotle
believed that the earth
was spherical.
(Plato)
(Aristotle)
Plato, like Pythagoras, accepted this shape
because it is the most perfect, but Aristotle relied
more strongly on the evidence of the senses: the
earth’s shadow, during a lunar eclipse, is round.
In 1521, the Portuguese navigator
Magellan’s voyage around the world
proved that the earth was round.
(麦哲伦航船复制品）
（麦哲伦环球航线图）
• The Flat Earth Theory
• During the Middle Ages, clergymen
denounced the spherical theory of the
earth and a flat disc with Jerusalem at the
center was the only orthodox concept
• The Real Shape of the Earth
• Strictly speaking, the earth is not perfectly
round. It is slightly flattened at the poles
and has a bulge (an outward swelling) at
the equator ( an imaginary line around the
earth exactly halfway between the poles).
In recent years, scientists have learned
that there is another very small bulge at
the North Pole. They say, therefore, that
the earth is somewhat pear-shaped.
• Eclipses
• In Astronomy the word “eclipse” is used to
describe two different things: an eclipse of the
sun or an eclipse of the moon. An eclipse of the
sun is called a solar eclipse. It occurs when the
moon passes directly in front of the sun. As seen
from various points on the earth, the moon
blocks out the sun.
•
(Solar Eclipse Explanation)
(Solar Eclipse Captured)
• Lunar Eclipse
• An eclipse of the moon is called a lunar
eclipse. It occurs when the full moon
passes behind the earth into the earth’s
shadow. Within the shadow the moon is no
longer directly lighted by the sun.
• Explanation
Lunar Eclipses
Language Points
• 1. Or Other
• (used with someone, something, somehow,
somewhere, someday, sometime, etc. to show that
one is not certain)
• Eg1: I shall be coming again someday or other.
• Eg2: I’ve read the story before in some book or
other.
• Eg3: Somehow or other, John managed to get a
well-paid job in the bank
2. Superstitious
• Superstitious: believing in superstition
• Eg1: Tom is very superstitious and believes
the number 13 brings bad luck.
• Eg2: Many people have a superstitious fear
of the dark
3. Cite
• Cite: give or mention as an example (esp. by
quoting from a book to support an argument,
etc. )
• Eg1: The lawyer cited a previous case to
support his argument.
• Eg2: Can you cite another example like this
one?
4. Widespread
• Widespread: found in many places; covering
a wide area.
• Eg1: Personal computers are in widespread
use now even in many underdeveloped
countries.
• Eg2: The problem of air pollution has
attracted widespread attention.
5. Advance
• Advance: put or bring forward
• Eg1: In the 19th century, the new theory of the
origin of life advanced by Darwin raised a storm
of debate in England and other parts of the
world.
• Eg2: Mary is too shy to advance her opinion at
the meeting.
• 6. He merely swallows this theory:
He accepts this theory without question or
suspicion.
• 7. Because there is something about it
that appeals to the 20th century
mentality:
As it has a quality that attracts the contemporary
mind. It is accepted because we are willing to
base much of our knowledge of the world on
whatever experts tell us rather than rely on the
evidence of our own senses.
• Appeal to:
• Be attractive or interesting to
• Eg1: The idea of studying abroad appeals to
many young people.
• Eg2: The magazine is intended to appeal to
professional women in their 30s and 40s.
8. Exaggerate:
• Exaggerate: represent (sth.) as larger, worse,
more important, etc, than it really is; overstate.
• Eg1: People don’t believe what he says because
he is always exaggerating.
• Eg2: Tom exaggerated the dangers of the trip in
order to keep her from going.
• 9. There is something in what he says:
• There is some truth in what he says.
• Something in/ to: some truth or value in
• Eg1: There is something is/ to what you say: I
will take your advice.
• Eg2: they had to concede that there was
something in his teaching methods.
• 10. ..and the questions is worth following
up: and the question is worth discussing/ further
• Follow up: pursue or investigate closely; find
out more about
• Eg1: They followed up the matter until they got
results.
• Eg2: The editor of the newspaper thinks that his
story is worth following up.
11. For the Sake of :
• For the sake of : for the good or advantage of ,
for the purpose of, because of
• Eg1: The pretty actress married an old millionaire
for the sake of money.
• Eg2: My father used to be a “chain smoker”
but now he has given up smoking for the sake of
his health.
12. Throw light on:
• Throw light on: give new information about
something; make (a situation) clearer; explain.
• Eg1: This newspaper article throws
some/much/a clear light on the situation in the
Middle East.
• Eg2: His diary throws light on life in England in
the 17th century.
13. Refute
• Refute: prove (sb.) to be mistaken or (a
statement) to be untrue
• Eg1: How would you refute the theory that
the earth is flat?
• Eg2: The best way to refute the accusation
of laziness is to work hard.
14. Horizon:
• Horizon: The line far away where the land or
sea seems to meet the sky.
• Eg1: The sun had already sunk below the
horizon.
• Eg2: Suddenly the sailors saw a ship far
away on the horizon.
15.Phenomenon:
• Phenomenon: (pl. phenomena) sth. that
happens or exists, esp. sth. that is studied
because it is not understood.
• Eg1: The booklet gives scientific explanations to
many natural phenomena.
• Eg2: Snow in April is not an unusual
phenomenon in Inner Mongolia.
• 16. But it does not follow that the earth
is spherical:
• but it is not therefore necessarily true that
the earth is spherical. Or: but you cannot
reason from this that the earth is spherical.
17. Follow:
• Follow: be or happen as a necessary effect or
result
• Eg1: He is a good writer, but it does not follow
that he is a good speaker.
• Eg2: Because he is a competent engineer, it
does not follow that he will make a successful
factory director.
• 18. The first card I can play:
• the first point I can make to support my
argument.
• This figure of speech is often used by someone
presenting an argument point by point
• 19. The analogy of the sun and moon:
• the act of comparing the earth to the sun and the
moon.
20. Cast:
• Cast: send (light, shadow, etc) on a surface.
• Eg1: The candle cast a flickering light on the
wall.
• Eg2: The tall tree casts a long shadow across
the lawn in the late afternoon.
• 21. Defeated in the minor exchange:
Defeated in the two less important rounds of
debate.
• 22. Cover:
(in card games) to play a higher card than ( the
card played by the other party)
23. Statement:
• Statement: a written or spoken declaration, esp.
of a formal kind.
• Eg1: They need more facts to back up their
statement.
• Eg2: His statement is vague and no one can be
sure what it means.
24. Bring out:
• Bring out: show, produce
• Eg1: Suddenly the man brought out a gun
and threatened the taxi-driver with it.
• Eg2: As I brought the handkerchief out of my
pocket, several other objects fell out.
25. Justify:
• Justify: give a good reason for; show to be just,
right or reasonable
• Eg1: He tried to justify his neglect to his duties
on grounds of ill health.
• Eg2: He is fully justified in refusing your request
• Eg3: Do you think you are justified in treating
your old mother like that?
• 26. Then bang goes my ace:…
then I lose my ace
If you say bang goes something, you mean it
suddenly becomes obvious that it cannot now
succeed or be achieved.
Eg1: The dog has eaten my food---bang goes
my dinner!
Eg2: I have broken my leg, so bang goes playing
football.
• 27. I believe that finishes the Oval Earth
man:
• I believe this last argument of mine completely
defeats the Oval Earth man.
• Finish: overcome completely, kill
• Eg1: my answer finished him.
• Eg2: The Watergate scandal finished Nixon’s
political career.
• 28. My reasons for thinking that the earth
is round are rather precarious ones:
• My reasons for thinking that the earth is round
are not well-grounded. Here the author admits
that the evidence he provides is not enough to
establish his beliefs beyond any doubt.
29. Exceptionally:
• Exceptionally: unusually
• Eg1: He is an exceptionally talented player in
NBA history.
• Eg2: You have defended your position
exceptionally well.
• 30. Fall back on:
• Fall back on: turn to help, use, when all
else has failed.
• Eg1: He is a man to fall back on in an
emergency.
• Eg2: If this plan fails, there are other plans
we can fall back on.
31. Rest on
• Rest on: rely on, be based on
• Eg1: Bernard Shaw’s fame rests more on his
plays than on his novels.
• Eg2: Columbus’s decision to sail west to reach
the East rested on his belief that the earth was
round.
32. Authority
• Authority: power over the opinions of others.
• Eg1: Kings used to have absolute authority
over their subjects.
• Eg2:Prof. Smith has international authority
or influence in the field of theoretical
physics.
33. Stray (away) from
• Stray (away) from: wander away from;
leave (a subject)
• Eg1: His sheep strayed away from his own
fields to a neighbor’s.
• Eg2: You’ re straying away from the subject
again; do please keep to the point.
34. Bother:
• Bother: take trouble; trouble oneself.
• Eg1: Don’t bother about my breakfast. I’ m not
hungry in the least.
• Eg2: After writing an article, he never bothers to
go over it again.
• Eg3: On her mother’s 80th birthday, Myra would
not even bother to buy her a gift.
35. Outline
• Outline: give a short account or description
• Eg1: At the press conference the president
outlined his peace plan for the Middle East.
• Eg2: We all listened carefully as Jim outlined
his reasons.
36. Press
• Press: demand or ask continuously; urge
strongly.
• Eg1: He looked very ill that morning and all
his classmates pressed him to go and see
the doctor at once.
• Eg2: All the children pressed the teacher to
continue her manner.
• 37. In a way Shaw is right:
To a certain degree Shaw is right.
In a way: to a certain degree; in a certain but
limited manner.
Eg1: In a way I agree with you, but I think you
could have presented your argument in a much
better way.
Eg2: He considered himself a great manager,
and in a way he is justified.
• 38. This is a credulous age, and the
burden of knowledge which we now
have to carry is partly responsible:
• This is an age in which people tend to believe
whatever they are told, and one reason for this
is that now we have inherited so much
knowledge.
39. Credulous
• Credulous: believing too easily in sth.
• Eg1: Only a credulous person would believe
your stories.
• Eg2: Credulous people are easily fooled and
often swindled.
----pay attention to the difference between the
words “credulous” and “credible”
40. Burden:
• Burden: heavy load sb. has to carry; sth.
difficult to bear.
• Eg1: The old woman doesn’t want to be a
burden on anyone.
• Eg2: Ann was tired of the burden of looking
after so many children.
Word Building Knowledge
• 1. The suffix –let is added to nouns to form other nouns,
meaning a) little: booklet=a little book; b) things worn as
a band on: armlet= a band worn around the arm. Now
give definitions of the following words:
• Anklet:
• (a band worn around the ankle)
• Brooklet:
• (a little brook)
• Starlet:
• (a little star)
• Streamlet:
• (a little stream)
• Some nouns in English have corresponding
adjectives that are derived from Latin. Now
some adjectives have been given, please write
down the corresponding nouns in English.
• lunar
solar
• nocturnal
annual
• mental
dental
• oral
aural
• ocular
nasal
• paternal
maternal