For centuries people dreamed of going into space. This dream began to seem possible when high-flying rockets were built in the early 1900s.
In 1903 a Russian teacher named Konstantin Tsiolkovsky figured out how to use rockets for space travel. His plan was the first one in rocket science to use correct scientific calculation. About 30 years later, a U.S. scientist named Robert Goddard built the first rockets that could reach high altitudes. During World War II, German scientists built large rockets that could travel very far and carry dangerous explosives. After the war, scientists from Germany went to the United States and the Soviet Union to help those countries build space rockets.
These two countries were soon racing to get to space first. Each of these countries wanted to prove that it was stronger and more advanced than the other one. Both countries also had powerful bombs. People in the United States were worried when the Soviets were first to launch a space satellite, which was called Sputnik. The Soviets were also first to send a person into space. Yury Gagarin orbited the earth in the Vostok I spaceship in 1961.
The US government set a goal for its space program to be the first country to put a person on the Moon. The U.S. space program built a series of Apollo spaceship. These vehicles were powered by huge Saturn 5 rockets. In 1969 Apollo II took three men to the moon successfully. Nell Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon.
The Soviets may have lost the race to fly people to the Moon, but they built the first space station in 1971. The United States also built a space station. The space stations allowed people to live and work in space. Then the Soviet Union and the United States cooperated to hook two spaceships together in space. This action ended the "space race". Today a much larger space station, built by several countries together, orbits Earth.
Another new way to go to space is by space shuttle. A space shuttle, first made in the United States in 1981, looks like an airplane. Astronauts who fly spaceships have used shuttles to help put satellites into space.
| The (1)▲ of Space Travel |
||
| Time |
Events |
Information concerned |
| Early 1900s |
High-flying rockets were built. |
It made the ancient dream of going to space possible to come（2) ▲ |
| 1903 |
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (3)▲ a way to use rockets for space travel. |
He planned to put correct scientific calculation to use in rocket science. |
| Around 1933 |
Robert Goddard built new rockets. |
The rockets could fly very(3)▲ in the sky. |
| During and after World War II |
German scientists built large rockets that could travel very far and carry dangerous explosives. |
Germany was ahead of all the other countries in building space rockets and later it even offered5) ▲ to the Soviet Union and the United States |
| |
The Soviet Union and the United States competed to get to space first. |
The Soviet Union became the6▲ of the race when it launched the first satellite and sent the first astronaut into space. |
| 1969 |
The United States (7▲ in putting a person on the moon. |
In one way, it 8) ▲ the Soviet Union by becoming the first country to fly people to the moon. |
| 1970s |
The Soviets built the first space station and was soon followed by Americans. And they finally ended the "space race" by (9) ▲ |
Astronauts can live and work in space stations. |
| 1980s-- |
Space shuttles are used as new vehicles for space （10) ▲ . |
Shuttles are also used to help put satellites into space. |
I was always told that the three Ps, patience, positive thinking and perseverance（毅力），were a sure path 31 success. But this advice does not always work as planned. My high school maths exam is one example. The exam, 32 was originally to be held in our classroom, 33 (change) to the library at the last minute. This, 34，didn’t bother me because maths had always been my strongest subject. I patiently walked to the library, took my seat and did some deep breathing to help relax 35．But my mood quickly changed when I saw 36 first question. I had no idea how to do it. I tried to stay positive and persevered 37 I finally found the solution. With the problem 38 (solve), I felt proud of my achievement. 39 (fortunate), I then noticed that I had just 10 minutes left 40 (complete) the rest!
Will __31_______ matter if you don’t take your breakfast? Recently a test __32________ (give) in the United Sates. Those tests included people of different __33________ from 12 to 83. During the experiment, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts, and sometimes they got __34__________ breakfast at all. Special tests were set up to see ___35________ well their bodies worked and when they had eaten ___36_________ certain kind of breakfast. The results show that if a person eats a proper breakfast, he or she will work with better effect __37_________ if he or she has no breakfast. This fact appears to be ___38_________ (especial) true if a person works __39_______ his brains. For example, if a student eats fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen with __40_______ (much) attention in class.
I was on my way to the Taiyetos Mountains. The sun was setting when my car 31 (break) down near a remote and poor village. Cursing my misfortune, I was wondering where I was going to spend the night when I realized that the villagers who had gathered around me were arguing as to 32 should have the honor of receiving me 33 a guest in their house. Finally, I accepted the offer of an old woman who lived alone in a little house. While she was getting me 34 (settle) into a tiny but clean room, the head of the village was tying up his horse to my car to pull it to 35 small town some 20 kilometres away 36 there was a garage.
I had noticed three hens running free in my hostess’s courtyard and that night one of them ended up in a dish on my table. 37 villagers brought me goat's cheese and honey. We drank together and talked 38 (merry) till far into the night.
When the time came for me to say goodbye to my friends in the village, I wanted to reward the old woman 39 the trouble I had caused 40 .
Millions of words have been said about young people in the United States. There are reasons 31 this great interest in their ideas, 32 (feel) and actions. Today there are about eight million Americans in the colleges and universities. The young under twenty-five make 33 nearly half of the American population, many of 34 will be in power in the U.S. 35 (nature) their ideas are important to everyone in the country, and 36 is necessary for the older people to understand 37 they think and feel. College students today have strong 38 (opinion) about right and wrong. They are deeply interested in making a 39 (good) life for all the people, especially for those 40 _____ have never been given a fair chance before.
More American people take their troubles with them on holiday, according to a new survey. 31 40 percent said that the main reason for going away is to escape 32 (press) from work, almost all said they worry more 33 they do at home. Only four in every one hundred said that they are happy and free of care.
The most common worry is burglary（入室盗窃）, with four out of ten worrying about their homes 34 (break) into while they are abroad. More than a quarter feel they will feel crazy 35 some other noisy and rough holiday-makers and twenty-two percent worry they may be attacked 36 their possessions will be 37 (miss).
The survey also showed 38 the stay-at-home Americans are no more. Three out of every five want to have a holiday abroad, which was 39 increase from the figures only three years ago. The hotel holiday is still a winner, with about one third of all Americans 40 (prefer) to go on a self-catering（自助） holiday.