外研版选修四册第五单元听力练习

Unit 5 Into the unknown

James: Hello and welcome to Uncharted Territory, the podcast about weird and wonderful things. What's our subject today, Kelly?

Kelly: Today we're talking about the Antikythera Mechanism, James. It's an ancient “computer”.

James: An ancient “computer”? That intrigues me! Can you explain more, please?

Kelly: Of course. It's thought that this instrument could track the movement of the Sun, the Moon and five planets. Furthermore, it could predict a solar or lunar eclipse and calculate when festivals, such as the Olympic Games, would take place.

James: That's a lot of functions! Can you tell us how it works?

Kelly: Scans prove that the device contained 30 gear wheels. People turned a handle on the side to move the gear wheels, and then read the information on the front. It looks a little like a clock. On the back were instructions.

James: Wow! Would you mind telling us more about its age?

Kelly: It's just over 2,000 years old. What's notable about it is that nothing this complex was made for the next 1,000 years. The technology was lost.

James: Oh! Do you know who it belonged to?

Kelly: One theory is that it was created by a scientist. There are lots of things we don't know about the mechanism, as it is made of metal and was badly rusted when it was found in a shipwreck.

James: A shipwreck? So, it was found during an archaeological investigation?

Kelly: No, in fact it was discovered by sponge divers in 1901, near the island of Antikythera. Hence the name…

James: Does it still work?

Kelly: No, it doesn't. It probably wouldn't have been accurate anyway.

James: Oh? Tell me more.

Kelly: It's because the ancient Greeks' understanding of astronomy wasn't perfect. The mechanism was based on imperfect theories.

James: I see. Well, that was fascinating! Unfortunately, we've run out of time. Join us next time…