Overview of Earth
地球概况
Earth is where we all live.
地球是我们所有人生活的地方。
It is our home in the solar system.
它是我们在太阳系的家。
There is no other place for us to live.
我们没有别的地方可住。
Earth isn't just any planet.
地球不仅仅是一个行星。
It's a very special place.
这是一个非常特别的地方。
It's special because we depend on it for many things.
它很特别，因为我们在很多事情上都依赖它。
Because of its importance we need to take care of it.
因为它的重要性，我们需要照顾它。
We depend on the Earth for its air, its water and many of its natural resources.
我们依靠地球的空气、水和许多自然资源。
Natural resources, such as coal and oil, give us energy.
煤炭和石油等自然资源给我们提供了能源。
Other natural resources we depend on include forests and soil.
我们依赖的其他自然资源包括森林和土壤。
Forests provide clean air and wood for building houses.
森林供清洁的空气和建造房屋的木材。
Soil is needed to grow plants and keep them healthy.
种植植物和保持健康需要土壤。
We need to take care of these resources and not waste them.
我们需要照顾好这些资源，而不是浪费它们。
The Earth is a large, rotating sphere, about 4.5 billion years old.
地球是一个旋转的大球体，大约有45亿年的历史。
The equator, which divides the earth into two hemispheres, is about 40000 kilometers long.
赤道把地球分成两个半球，长约40000公里。
The Earth's diameter is 12756 kilometers.
地球直径为12756公里。
Its radius is half that, or 6378 kilometers.
它的半径是它的一半，即6378公里。
The radius is the distance from the Earth's center to its surface.
半径是从地球中心到其表面的距离。
Most of the Earth's surface is covered by water.
地球表面大部分被水覆盖。
The rest of the earth's surface is land.
地球表面的其余部分是陆地。
Just above the Earth's surface is the atmosphere.
在地球表面的正上方是大气层。
The atmosphere is a layer of gases about 500 kilometers thick.
大气层是一层约500公里厚的气体。
These gases include oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
这些气体包括氧气、氮气和二氧化碳。
This mixture of gases is the air that we breathe.
这种气体混合物就是我们呼吸的空气。
As we move about the Earth's surface, the air gets thinner.
当我们在地球表面移动时，空气变得稀薄了。
At high altitudes, the air is too thin to breathe.
在高海拔地区，空气太稀薄，无法呼吸。
At the edge of the atmosphere is space.
在大气的边缘是太空。
There is no air at all in space.
太空中根本没有空气。
Listening
Water on Earth
地球上的水
Most of the Earth’s water is in the oceans.
地球上的大部分水都在海洋中。
The two largest oceans are the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
两个最大的海洋是太平洋和大西洋。
Unfortunately, we can’t drink ocean water.
不幸的是，我们不能喝海水。
This is because ocean water has too much salt.
这是因为海水含盐太多。
Fortunately, there is also water in lakes and rivers.
幸运的是，湖泊和河流中也有水。
This water isn’t salty, so we can drink it.
这水不咸，所以我们可以喝。
Only about 2% of the world’s water is fresh water.
世界上只有2%的水是淡水。
Without fresh drinking water, we can’t live.
没有新鲜的饮用水，我们就活不下去。
A person can’t live for more than a few days without water.
一个人没有水不能活几天以上。
Rivers are important.
河流很重要。
Most rivers begin in mountains and end in the oceans.
大多数河流始于山脉，止于海洋。
The water flows from high ground to low ground.
水从高地流到低地。
At first, rivers are small and are called creeks or streams.
起初，河流很小，被称为小溪或小溪。
As water enters from other streams, a river grows.
当水从其他溪流流入时，河流就会生长。
Some rivers become very large and long.
有些河流变得很大很长。
The longest river in the world is the Nile River, in Africa.
世界上最长的河流是非洲的尼罗河。
It’s almost 6,500 kilometers long.
它将近6500公里长。
As for water volume, the Amazon is the largest river.
至于水量，亚马逊是最大的河流。
The volume of water flowing through it per second is more than in any other river.
每秒流过它的水量比任何其他河流都大。
Another use of rivers is for energy.
河流的另一个用途是能源。
The energy of falling water is used to produce electricity.
落水的能量被用来发电。
This use of water supplies over 20% of the world’s electricity.
这种用水供应了世界20%以上的电力。
Rivers are also important for agriculture.
河流对农业也很重要。
Without water, farmers cannot grow food.
没有水，农民就不能种植粮食。
And of course rivers can be used for transportation.
当然，河流也可以用来运输。
River boats are used to carry things to inland cities or lakes.
内河船用来把东西运到内陆城市或湖泊。
Vocabulary
Things We Enjoy Doing
我们喜欢做的事件
This man goes running 5 days a week if the weather is good.
如果天气好，这个人一周跑步5天。
On the weekends he runs 10 kilometers unless the weather is bad.
在周末，除非天气不好，否则他跑10公里。
This woman really enjoys reading, especially works of fiction.
这个女人真的很喜欢阅读，尤其是小说。
She has read hundreds of books.
她读了数百本书。
This young couple enjoys watching old movies such as Titanic.
这对年轻夫妇喜欢看老电影，如《泰坦尼克号》。
They both cried when it sank and many people went down with the ship.
当船沉没时，他们都哭了，许多人和船一起沉没。
These young boys enjoy playing sports on the weekend.
这些小男孩喜欢周末运动。
Sometimes they play basketball and sometimes they play football.
有时他们打篮球，有时他们踢足球。
This young man eats too many sweets, so he is overweight.
这个年轻人吃太多糖，所以他超重了。
He needs to eat fewer sweets and exercise more.
他需要少吃甜食，多运动。
Vocabulary
Continents
大洲
Here are 6 of the Earth's 7 continents.
地球7大洲中的6个。
Asia is the largest continent both in land and in population.
亚洲是陆地和人口最多的大陆。
Asia covers 30% of the Earth's land area.
亚洲占地球陆地面积的30%。
Africa is the second largest continent.
非洲是第二大洲。
Of all the continents, Africa has the youngest population.
在所有大陆中，非洲人口最少。
Europe is to the west of Asia and is the second smallest continent.
欧洲位于亚洲西部，是亚洲第二小洲。
Europe is to the birthplace of classical music and some of the world's greatest art and literature.
欧洲是古典音乐和一些世界上最伟大的艺术和文学的发源地。
North and South America are bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
北美洲和南美洲西濒太平洋，东濒大西洋。
The first human beings to live in the Americas came from Asia more than 15,000 years ago.
第一个生活在美洲的人类是15000多年前从亚洲来到美洲的。
Australia is the world's smallest continent and the world's largest island.
澳大利亚是世界上最小的大陆，也是世界上最大的岛屿。
Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans.
澳大利亚被印度洋和太平洋包围。
Dialogue
A Driverless Car
无人驾驶汽车
M1：Hey, look at that.
M1：嘿，看那个。
M2：Look at what?
M2：看什么？
M1：Look out the window. Do you see the young lady in the red dress?
M1：往窗外看。你看到那个穿红衣服的年轻女士了吗？
M2：Yeah, I see her. Wow, she is beautiful and hot. Look at the way she walks.
M2：是的，我看到她了。哇，她又漂亮又性感。看看她走路的样子。
M1：Yes, no one behind her. Look in the car that's following her.
M1：是的，她后面没有人。看看跟在她后面的车。
M2：I'd rather look at the young lady.
M2：我宁愿看那个年轻的女士。
M2：So what's so special about the car?
M2：那这辆车有什么特别之处？
M1：Look at the driver, do you see one?
M1：看看司机，你看到了吗？
M2：No, I don't. There isn't anybody driving the car.
M2：不，我没有。没有人开车。
M1：Right. It's one of those new driverless cars.
M1：对。这是那种新型的无人驾驶汽车。
M2：Maybe it's the woman's car. It's following her.
M2：可能是女人的车。它跟着她。
M1：I don't know. Maybe you are right.
M1：我不知道。也许你是对的。
M2：Now that's a smart car. Maybe I'll go outside and follow her too.
M2：那是一辆智能车。也许我也会出去跟着她。
M1：Hey, get back to work.
M1：嘿，回去工作吧。
Dialogue
Calling Customer Service
呼叫客户服务
Answering machine：Thank you for calling our customer support.
应答机：感谢您致电我们的客户支持。
Please listen to the following menu to help us direct your call.
请听下面的菜单帮助我们指引您的电话。
Please say or press #1 to pay your bill.
请说或按1支付您的账单。
Please say or press #2 to upgrade your service plan.
请说或按2升级您的服务计划。
Please say or press #3 to report a technical problem.
请说或按3报告技术问题。
Please say or press #4 if you want to hear this choice again.
如果你想再次听到这个选择，请说或按4。
Customer：I don't want any of these choices.
顾客：我不想要这些选择。
Answering machine：You may also go to our website for help.
应答机：您也可以到我们的网站寻求帮助。
Customer：I went to your website but it didn't help. I want to speak to a human being.
顾客：我去了你的网站，但没用。我想和一个真人说话。
Answering machine：Your business is very important to us.
应答机：你的生意对我们很重要。
Answering machine：Please say or press #5 or hang up to end this call.
应答机：请说或按5或挂断以结束此呼叫。
Customer：None of these. I want a human being. I want to cancel my service.
顾客：这些都不是。我想要一个真人。我想取消我的服务。
Answering machine：Please wait while we connect you to a service representative.
应答机：请稍候，我们正在为您接通服务代表。
Customer：Finally. This is what they call customer service?
顾客：最后。这就是他们所说的客户服务？
Answering machine：To assist our representative, please say your first and last name.
应答机：为了协助我们的代表，请说出您的姓和名。
Customer：Tom Smith.
顾客：汤姆·史密斯。
Answering machine：We hear Tom Smith. If this is correct, say or press #1. If this is not correct, say or press #2.
应答机：我们听到汤姆·史密斯的声音。如果这是正确的，请说或按1。如果这不正确，请说或按2。
Customer：1.
顾客：1。
Answering machine：Thank you. For security purpose, what was your father's middle name?
应答机：谢谢。为了安全起见，你父亲的中间名是什么？
Customer：he didn't have a middle name.
顾客：他没有中间名。
Answering machine：Thank you. A customer service representative will be with you shortly.
应答机：谢谢。客户服务代表很快就会来。
Answering machine：I'm sorry but our offices are closed. Please call back during business hours. Our business offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. Thank you for calling.
应答机：对不起，我们的办公室关门了。请在营业时间回电话。我们的营业处是星期一到星期五营业，从上午8:00到下午6:00。谢谢你的来电。