2.In pairs read the words below and then discuss what you know about the new vocabulary.

    Then listen to the tape again and number the words as you hear them.

__1___ Hubble telescope  __2__ oxygen  __8__ waist     __3___ gravity boots

__4___ engines          __4___ weigh  __7__ tiring     _6___ feathers

3.Listen to the tape and make notes to answer the questions.

(1)Why did Li Yanping have to repair the Hubble telescope?

It needed cleaning so that it would work better.

(2)Which two ways does his spacesuit protect him in space?

 a.It carries oxygen.

 b.It carries hot and cold water to warm him if it's  too cold and cool him if it's too hot.

(3)How does he move about in space?

He used small engines.

(4)What does it feel like in space?

Strange because you do not weigh anything. You can fly around like feathers.

(5)What happens if you fly too far from the spaceship?

You would continue into space and never get back to the spaceship.

(6)Was the repair successful?

Yes. The Hubble telescope works well now.

4. Answer key for Exercise 4:

1. Oxygen can (on the back)

2. Water system (the part of the suit covering the body)

3. Gravity boots (on the feet)

4. Left engine (on the left side)

5. Right engine (on the right side)

6. Tool kit (on the waist, at the back)

AN INTERVIEW WITH LI YANPING

W = Wallis        L = Li Yanping

W: Mr Li, would you please tell us about your space walk?

L:  Yes. rd be happy to. We cleaned and repaired Hubble telescope.

W: Oh, and is that when you did your space walk?

L:  Yes.

W: How did you prepare for it?

L:  First we had to get into spacesuits. They're thick and carry all the oxygen we need to breathe. The suit also has hot and cold water so it can warm us if it's too cold or cool us if it's too hot. So it’s very heavy.

W: Is it dangerous to leave the spaceship?

L:  Yes, indeed. When we leave, we go into a small room. We have to wear gravity boots to walk there. We close the door behind us and then we open the door to space. Then our gravity boots stop working and we fly out of the door.

W: How do you move about in space?

L:  We use small engines to move around. To go left we push the right engine and to go right we push the left one. We move slowly because we don't weigh anything.

We can fly around like feathers.

W: What does it feel like in space?

L:  Very strange. There is no gravity so doing any job is very tiring.

W: What happens if you fly too far from the spaceship?

L: You'd never get back so we tie ourselves to the spaceship with a special rope.

W: How did you repair the Hubble telescope?

L:  We used some special tools tied round our waists. That way we didn't lose them. We did a good job. The telescope works fine now.

W: Thank you very much, Mr Li.