Here is a piece of good news: the BeiDou Navigation System, China’s own version of GPS, is now used in about 90 percent of key industries in the country. From ships at sea to buses in cities, from farmers in the fields to rescuers in disasters, BeiDou is working quietly behind the scenes.
BeiDou’s story began in the 1990s. At that time, China wanted its own navigation system, because depending on other countries’ systems could be risky. After many years of hard work, Chinese scientists built BeiDou step by step. Now it is one of the world’s four major navigation systems, together with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo.
What does BeiDou do for us? It helps buses tell us when to wait. It helps trucks find the best road. In farming, it guides machines to plant seeds in straight lines. During earthquakes, it sends messages when phone networks break down. In fact, BeiDou can do more than find positions. It can also send short messages, which is very useful in emergencies.
The success of BeiDou shows the power of independent innovation. When a country builds its own technology, it does not need to worry about being cut off by others. More importantly, BeiDou is not only for China. It serves users in more than 200 countries and regions around the world.
Next time you use a map app on your phone, remember: behind that little blue dot, there are about 60 BeiDou satellites flying high above us. Technology like this makes our lives easier and safer every day.
Words to know:
- navigation (导航)
- industry (行业)
- risky (有风险的)
- satellite (卫星)
- emergency (紧急情况)
- innovation (创新)
- independent (独立的)
- region (地区)
长难句拆解 · 被动动名词与 there be 加 doing
① When a country builds its own technology, it does not need to worry about being cut off by others. 主干是 it does not need to worry about…（它不必担心……）。When 引导时间状语从句；worry about 后接动名词，being cut off 是动名词的被动式——被切断的是主语 it（该国的技术），逻辑主语与主句一致；by others 引出被动动作的执行者，是被动语态的标志。
② Next time you use a map app on your phone, remember: behind that little blue dot, there are about 60 BeiDou satellites flying high above us. 主干是祈使句 remember…（请记住……）。Next time 可以直接引导时间状语从句，相当于 the next time when…；behind that little blue dot 是提前的地点状语，起强调作用；there are about 60 BeiDou satellites flying… 是 there be 句型，satellites 后的现在分词 flying 作后置定语，表伴随状态。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
题干与原文之间隔着一层「同义变装」。先抓信号词，再回原文找替身，定位更快更稳。本文可迁移的替换组：
- is now used in → is now applied in（应用类通用）
- behind the scenes → out of the spotlight
- could be risky → might prove dangerous
- step by step → bit by bit
- break down → stop working
- in emergencies → in critical moments
- does not need to worry about → has no need to fear
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — BeiDou serves users in more than 200 countries and regions.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — How many BeiDou satellites are flying high above us?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — BeiDou is more accurate than the other three navigation systems.
参考答案与解析
- T — 原文「It serves users in more than 200 countries and regions around the world」原词对应，属原文直述。
- About 60. — 末段「there are about 60 BeiDou satellites flying high above us」，约数 about 不能答成确切数字。
- NG — 原文只把北斗与 GPS、GLONASS、Galileo 并列为四大系统，并未比较精度，属「无中生有」式比较。
中文译文
有一则好消息：中国自己的「GPS」——北斗卫星导航系统，如今已应用于全国约九成的关键行业。从海上航船到城市公交，从田间农夫到抢险救援人员，北斗都在幕后默默发挥着作用。
北斗的故事始于上世纪90年代。那时中国想要自己的导航系统，因为依赖别国系统存在风险。历经多年攻关，中国科学家一步步建起北斗，如今它与GPS、格洛纳斯、伽利略并称世界四大导航系统。
北斗为我们做些什么？它帮公交车预报到站时间，帮卡车规划最佳路线；在农田里，它引导农机笔直播种；地震时，它在通信网络中断之际发出讯息。其实北斗不只是定位，还能发送短报文，在紧急时刻格外有用。
北斗的成功彰显了自主创新的力量。一个国家掌握自己的技术，就不必担心被别人「卡脖子」。更重要的是，北斗不只服务于中国，还为全球200多个国家和地区用户提供着服务。
下次你用手机地图时请记住：那个小蓝点背后，是约60颗北斗卫星在高空飞越。这样的技术，正让我们的生活一天比一天更便捷、更安全。