Answers to "The Earth's Mysterious Neighbor"

Comprehension Check

1 C  2 C  3 C  4 D

◎ Exercise:

2 those who did not fully understand the moon tended to think

3 anyone who acted strangely only during a full moon would not face severe penalties

4 Those who stayed out late behaved bizarrely

5 a person who is educated now has more accurate information about the moon

Exercise:

1 Were it not for medical advances, there would be no treatments for cancer.

2 If it were not for his uncle’s support, Jason might not have enough money to attend college.

3 Were it not for the Internet, I could not collect detailed information so quickly for my assignments.

4 If it were not for the destruction of their natural habitats, tigers might not be in danger of extinction today.

◎ Extra Exercise:

I

1 Anyone who rides a motorcycle must wear a helmet.

2 If it were/Were it not for the rule, many motorcyclists would injure their heads in a road accident.

II

1 If it were/Were it not for air and water, humans could not survive/live.

2 Those who take these things for granted should learn to value/cherish them.

II

1 If it were/Were it not for dictionaries, students could not learn the correct usage of words.

2 Those who want/Anyone who wants to learn English well should make good use of dictionaries.

Exercise A:

Problem: I had the fear of public speaking.

Details of the Problem

My heart was in my mouth when I stood on the stage.

It seemed like the audience could hear the hammering of my heart while I was delivering a speech.

Nervousness filled my veins and made me light­headed.

Solutions

I told myself to think of the audience as stone instead of human beings.

With the crowd quieting down, a growing sense of confidence began to build inside me.

Exercise B:

Even now, I still remember how frightened I was the first time I made a speech in public. My heart felt like it was in my mouth. It seemed like the audience could hear it hammering. It was, I felt, not butterflies but elephants that were in my stomach. The thundering herd was threatening to trample me thoroughly. Nervousness filled my veins, making me light­headed.

My mind went blank for a while. Then, I told myself to pretend that the audience was stone─Stones can’t hear or criticize. Slowly I began to talk. As the crowd began to quiet down, a growing sense of confidence began to build inside me. My muscles relaxed and my breathing eased. I finished my speech and went off the stage to thunderous applause.