时间:2018-12-18 作者:英语课 分类:现代大学英语精读


英语课

Lesson Fifteen

Pre-class Work

Read the text a third time. Learn the new words and expressions listed below.

Glossary 1

aborted 2
adj. stopped because it would be difficult and dangerous to continue 中途失败的;流产的

accumulation
n. the gradual increase in amount until there is a large quantity in one place 积累;累计

alert
v. to make sb. notice sth. important or dangerous

apparently 3
adv. obviously; evidently (Note: It usually implies that you are not completely sure.)
arc
v. to move in a curved shape

assemble
v. to put all the parts of sth. together in order

astronaut
n. sb. who travels and works in a spaceship

autopilot
n. 自动驾驶

bang
v. ~ out: (infml) to write sth. in a hurry, esp. on a typewriter

bathed
adj. 沐浴在(某种光线中)

bay
n. at ~: under fierce attack, which is impossible to escape from

blink
n. an act of shutting and opening your eyes quickly
v. shut and open your eyes quickly

booster
n. a rocket used to provide additional power to help to get a spacecraft off the ground(火箭的)助推器;运载火箭

catastrophic
adj. terrible, causing great suffering or many deaths

clarify
v. to make sure about the facts

chatter 4
n. friendly informal conversation

check in with sb.
向某人核实

clatter 5
v. ~ out: to come out quickly and noisily (said of the typewritten message)

closeup
n. (infml) photo taken very near 特写镜头

coherent
adj. (of speeches, thought, ideas, etc.) being naturally and reasonably presented in their proper order 连贯的

commentator 6
n. a person who gives opinions or descriptions during an event on radio or television

confirm
v. to show or find out sth. is definitely true; to make certain 确定;确认

corkscrew
v. 螺旋式坠落

countdown
n. 倒计时

crackling
adj. making a repeated short sharp sound like sth. burning in a fire

crew
n. all the people working on a ship, plane, or spacecraft

debris 7
n. all the pieces that are left after sth. has been destroyed in an accident or explosion

dictate 8
v. to say words for sb. else to write down 口述

drafty
adj. with currents of air blowing through it 通风的;有穿堂风的

enormity
n. extreme seriousness

excess
adj. additional and not wanted or needed because there is already enough of sth.

exhaust
n. the gas or steam produced when an engine is working

external
adj. of the outside; coming from outside

fatal
adj. extremely serious, often resulting in sb.'s death

file
v. to keep papers with information on them in a particular place (on the computer in this case) so that you can find it easily

flame
n. hot and bright burning gas

flare 9
v. to suddenly begin to burn with a bright flame

flaw
n. a very important weakness that makes sth. certain to fail

fleeting 10
adj. (of time or periods) short; passing quickly

fuel
v. to put in fuel

futile 11
adj. having no effect; useless; having no chance of being successful

gallon
n. 加仑(液量单位)

header
n. the top of a page, esp. on a computer

heater
n. a machine for making air or water hotter

heartbeat
n. the action of your heart as it pumps the blood through your body

hydrogen
n. 氢

ignite
v. to cause or start to burn

incredible
adj. too strange to be believed; unbelievable

indicate
v. to suggest; to show

journalist
n. a news reporter; sb. who writes for newspapers, magazines, TV or radio

keyboard
n. 键盘

liftoff
n. the start of the flight of a space vehicle 升空

lull 12
n. a short period of time in which there is less activity or noise than usual

majestically 13
adv. beautifully and impressively

minus
prep. 减去

momentary 14
adj. lasting 15 a very short time

monitor
v. to listen, to keep track of, to check 监听;监测

motion
n. a movement

narrative 16
n. sth. told as a story

obit
n. =obituary 讣告

option
n. sth. offered for choice 选择

orbit
n. the path travelled by an object such as a spacecraft which is moving around another much bigger object such as the Earth

orbiter
n. =space shuttle orbiter 航天飞机的载人载货舱

originally
adv. in the beginning

pad
n. launch ~: a base from which a rocket or missile is sent up into the sky

paralyze
v. to make sb. unable to move part or all of their body or to feel anything in it

periodically
adv. happening at regular times; happening repeatedly

plume 17
n. a small cloud of smoke which rises up into the air

profile
n. a short description that gives impressive details about a person 个人简介

puff 18
n. a sudden small movement of wind, air, or smoke

punch
v. ~ in: to put information into a computer by pressing buttons or keys

rattle 19
v. to shake with quick repeated knocking noises

resume
v. to go back to the position where it was before

scanner
n. 通常指扫描器,这里指记者用以监听特定频率上某一场所或某些人群谈话的无线电接收器

shuttle
n. a spacecraft that can fly into space and return to Earth and can be used more than once 穿梭机;航天飞机

site
n. a place where sth. important happened or is happening

skyward
adv. up in the direction of the sky

spacecraft
n. a vehicle able to travel in space 宇宙飞船

sparkle
v. to shine in small bright flashes

spotlight 20
n. a light with a very bright beam which can be directed at sb. or sth. 聚光灯

steam
n. the mist formed by boiling water

subconsciously 21
adv. having feelings and desires hidden in your mind that you are not aware of 下意识地

tank
n. a large container for storing liquid or gas

thunder
v. ~ to life: to start working with a loud noise

trailer
n. a vehicle that can be pulled behind a car used for living and sleeping in during a holiday

twin
adj. being two things closely resembling each other

veer 22
v. to change direction suddenly

vertical 23
adj. pointing directly upwards 24 in a line and an angle of 90 degrees with the ground

virtually
adv. almost

wheel
v. ~ about: to turn around suddenly

Proper Names

Judy Resnik
朱迪·雷斯尼克

Kennedy
肯尼迪

Al Rossiter Jr.
小阿尔·罗西特

Christa McAuliffe
克丽斯塔·麦考利夫

Harris
哈里斯

Trott
特罗特

Text A

Space Shuttle Challenger

William Harwood

Read the text once for the main idea. Do not refer to the notes, dictionaries or the glossary yet.

I witnessed the launch from the Kennedy Space Center press site just 4.2 miles from Pad 39B. It was my 19th shuttle launch but my first without the comforting presence of UPI Science Editor Al Rossiter Jr., a space veteran with all of the experience I lacked.
I arrived at the UPI trailer around 11:30 p.m. Monday night, Jan. 27. I always came to work before the start of fueling on the theory that any time anyone loaded a half-million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into anything it was an event worth staffing.
It was bitterly cold that night. I remember turning on the drafty UPI trailer's heaters in a futile attempt to warm up while I started banging out copy. I was writing for afternoon newspapers that would hit the streets the following afternoon. Because Challenger's launch was scheduled for that morning, the PM cycle was the closest thing to "live" reporting that print journalists ever experience... I had written my launch copy the day before and, as usual, I spent most of the early morning hours improving the story, checking in periodically with NASA public affairs and monitoring the chatter on the bureau's radio scanner. I would occasionally glance toward the launch pad where Challenger stood bathed in high power spotlights 25, clearly visible for dozens of miles around. Off to the side, a brilliant tongue of orange flame periodically flared 26 in the night as excess hydrogen was let out harmlessly into the atmosphere.
As night gave way to day, the launch team was struggling to keep the countdown on track. Problems had delayed fueling and launch, originally scheduled for 9:38 a.m., for two hours, to make sure no dangerous accumulations of ice had built up on Challenger's huge external tank. Finally, all systems were "go" and the countdown resumed at the T minus nine-minute mark for a liftoff at 11:38 a.m. Battling my usual pre-launch nervousness, I called UPI national desk editor Bill Trott in Washington about three minutes before launch. I had already filed the PM launch story to UPI's computer and Trott now called it up on his screen. We shot the breeze. I reminded him not to push the SEND button until I confirmed vertical motion; two previous launches were aborted at the last second and we didn't want to accidentally "launch" a shuttle on the wire when it was still firmly on the ground. But there were no such problems today. Challenger's three main engines thundered to life on schedule, shooting out blue-white fire and enormous clouds of steam. Less than seven seconds later, the shuttle's twin boosters ignited with a ground-shaking roar and the spacecraft rose skyward.
"And liftoff... liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission, and it has cleared the tower!" said NASA commentator Hugh Harris.
"OK, let it go," I told Trott when Harris started talking. He pushed the SEND button and my story winged away on the A-wire.
Four miles away. Challenger was climbing majestically into a cloudless blue sky. We could not see the initial puffs 27 of smoke indicating a fatal booster flaw. A few seconds later, the crackling roar of those boosters swept over the press site and the UPI trailer started shaking and rattling 28 as the ground shock arrived. I marveled at the view, describing it to Trott in Washington. We always kept the line open for the full eight-and-a-half minutes it took for a shuttle to reach orbit; should disaster strike, the plan went, I would start dictating 29 and Trott would start filing raw copy to the wire.
But for the first few seconds, there was nothing to say. The roar was so loud we couldn't hear each other anyway. But the sound quickly faded to a dull rumble 30 as Challenger wheeled about and arced over behind its booster exhaust plume, disappearing from view. NASA television, of course, carried the now-familiar closeups of the orbiter, but I wasn't watching television. I was looking out the window at the exhaust cloud towering into the morning sky.
"Incredible," I murmured.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the exhaust plume seemed to balloon outward, to somehow thicken. I recall a fleeting impression of fragments, of debris flying about, sparkling in the morning sunlight. And then, in that pregnant instant before the knowledge that something terrible has happened settled in, a single booster emerged from the cloud, corkscrewing madly through the sky.
I sat stunned 31. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
"Wait a minute... something's happened..." I told Trott. A booster? Flying on its own? Oh my God. "They're in trouble," I said, my heart pounding. "Lemme dictate something!"
"OK, OK, hang on," Trott said. He quickly started punching in the header material of a one-paragraph "story" that would interrupt the normal flow of copy over the wire and alert editors to breaking news.
I still didn't realize Challenger had actually exploded. I didn't know what had happened. For a few heartbeats, I desperately 32 reviewed the crew's options: Could the shuttle somehow have pulled free? Could the crew somehow still be alive? Had I been watching television, I would have known the truth immediately.
But I wasn't watching television.
"Ready," Trott said.
The lead went something like this: "The space shuttle Challenger apparently exploded about two minutes after launch today and veered 33 wildly out of control. The fate of the crew is not known."
"Got it..." Trott said, typing as I talked. Bells went off seconds later as the story starting clattering 34 out on the bureau's A-wire printer behind me.
Trott and I quickly corrected the time of the accident and clarified that Challenger had, in fact, suffered a catastrophic failure. While we did not yet know what had happened to the crew, we all knew the chances for survival were virtually zero.
For the next half hour or so, I simply dictated 35 my impressions and background to Trott, who would file three or four paragraphs of "running copy" to the wire at a time. At one point, I remember yelling "Obits! Tell somebody to refile the obits!" Before every shuttle mission, I wrote detailed 36 profiles of each crew member. No one actually printed these stories; they were written to serve as instant obits in the event of a disaster. Now, I wanted to refile my profiles for clients who had not saved them earlier. At some point — I have no idea when — I put the phone down and started typing again, filing the copy to Washington where Trott assembled all the pieces into a more or less coherent narrative.
For the next two hours or so I don't remember anything but the mad rush of reporting. Subconsciously, I held the enormity of the disaster at bay; I knew if I relaxed my guard for an instant it could paralyze me. I was flying on some kind of mental autopilot. And then, around 2 p.m. or so, I recall a momentary lull. My fingers dropped to the keyboard and I stared blankly out the window toward the launch pad. I saw those seven astronauts. I saw them waving to the photographers as they headed for the launch pad. I remembered Christa McAuliffe's smile and Judy Resnik's flashing eyes. Tears welled up. I shook my head, blinked rapidly and turned back to my computer. I'll think about it all later, I told myself. I was right. I think about it every launch.



1 glossary
n.注释词表;术语汇编
  • The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
  • For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便,我们在附录中也提供了术语表。
2 aborted
adj.流产的,失败的v.(使)流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 );(使)(某事物)中止;(因故障等而)(使)(飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等)中断飞行;(使)(飞行任务等)中途失败
  • The rocket flight had to be aborted because of difficulties with computer. 因电脑出故障,这次火箭飞行只好中辍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They aborted the space flight finally. 他们最后中止了这次宇航飞行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
4 chatter
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
5 clatter
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声
  • The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
  • Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。
6 commentator
n.注释者,解说者;实况广播评论员
  • He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛,是个好的解说者。
  • The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。
7 debris
n.瓦砾堆,废墟,碎片
  • After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
  • Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上,导致蛀牙。
8 dictate
v.口授;(使)听写;指令,指示,命令
  • It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
  • What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令?
9 flare
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发
  • The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
  • You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。
10 fleeting
adj.短暂的,飞逝的
  • The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
  • Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝,于是让自已尽情地享受。
11 futile
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的
  • They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败,他们全部被杀,无一幸免。
  • Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。
12 lull
v.使安静,使入睡,缓和,哄骗;n.暂停,间歇
  • The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
  • Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后,地面战又突然爆发了。
13 majestically
雄伟地; 庄重地; 威严地; 崇高地
  • The waters of the Changjiang River rolled to the east on majestically. 雄伟的长江滚滚东流。
  • Towering snowcapped peaks rise majestically. 白雪皑皑的山峰耸入云霄。
14 momentary
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的
  • We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
  • I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
15 lasting
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
16 narrative
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的
  • He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
  • Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
17 plume
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰
  • Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
  • He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。
18 puff
n.一口(气);一阵(风);v.喷气,喘气
  • He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
  • They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。
19 rattle
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
20 spotlight
n.公众注意的中心,聚光灯,探照灯,视听,注意,醒目
  • This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
  • The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。
21 subconsciously
ad.下意识地,潜意识地
  • In choosing a partner we are subconsciously assessing their evolutionary fitness to be a mother of children or father provider and protector. 在选择伴侣的时候,我们会在潜意识里衡量对方将来是否会是称职的母亲或者父亲,是否会是合格的一家之主。
  • Lao Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his grasp on the rifle. 他下意识地攥紧枪把想。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译
22 veer
vt.转向,顺时针转,改变;n.转向
  • He is unlikely to veer from his boss's strongly held views.他不可能背离他老板的强硬立场。
  • If you fall asleep while driving,you'll probably veer off the road.假如你开车时打瞌睡,可能会驶离道路。
23 vertical
adj.垂直的,顶点的,纵向的;n.垂直物,垂直的位置
  • The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
  • Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。
24 upwards
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
25 spotlights
n.聚光灯(的光)( spotlight的名词复数 );公众注意的中心v.聚光照明( spotlight的第三人称单数 );使公众注意,使突出醒目
  • The room was lit by spotlights. 房间被聚光灯照亮。
  • The dazzle of the spotlights made him ill at ease. 聚光灯的耀眼强光使他局促不安。 来自辞典例句
26 Flared
n.吸( puff的名词复数 );(烟斗或香烟的)一吸;一缕(烟、蒸汽等);(呼吸或风的)呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
  • We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里,轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
  • Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句
27 rattling
v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 );口授;支配;摆布
  • The manager was dictating a letter to the secretary. 经理在向秘书口授信稿。 来自辞典例句
  • Her face is impassive as she listens to Miller dictating the warrant for her arrest. 她毫无表情地在听米勒口述拘留她的证书。 来自辞典例句
28 rumble
n.隆隆声;吵嚷;v.隆隆响;低沉地说
  • I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
  • We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定,天要下雨了。
29 stunned
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
30 veered
v.(尤指交通工具)改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 );(指谈话内容、人的行为或观点)突然改变;(指风) (在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向)逐渐转向;风向顺时针转
  • The bus veered onto the wrong side of the road. 公共汽车突然驶入了逆行道。
  • The truck veered off the road and crashed into a tree. 卡车突然驶离公路撞上了一棵树。 来自《简明英汉词典》
31 clattering
发出咔哒声(clatter的现在分词形式)
  • Typewriters keep clattering away. 打字机在不停地嗒嗒作响。
  • The typewriter was clattering away. 打字机啪嗒啪嗒地响着。
32 dictated
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布
  • He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
  • No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
33 detailed
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
学英语单词
abbreviated argument
ability to harden
absorbed manufacturing expense
acid-fast nonphotochromogen
aerial transparency
an Antarctic expedition
Anamniota
aposteme
as-yet-unknowns
badly-designeds
badmouthed
ball socket adjuster
bopeep
C.I.G.S.
cheer
chlodwig
christmas pyramid
chromidium
cobblestone
compound tide
concurrently-shared resource
crushed zone
culpable homicide
cyclophorus formosaensis
daily traffic flow
dame barbara hepworths
desulfurases
developpes
Diemel
EABV
fiducial point
financial-service
fishing basket
floribundas
fourty equivalent unit
front vertex focal distance
fuel lifetime
General Foods Co.
genus cronartiums
global schema
gnawing at
golden clematiss
gotten cracking
grave's
half duty
hannemann
hide sorter
high volume account
homeappliance
homoveratric acid
humanas
husbands
hypabyssally
i-swowen
immunological unresponsiveness
index servo
integrative
inter-bourse
interabangs
joint cummulative distribution function
knob gobblers
Kyamepromazine
land use capability survey
Lutefium
marchia barclayana
mathematical modeling
metromalacia
mishent
movement picture
orthogonality conditions
painted sandgrouse
pallidoidosis
pandurata
pharmacons
pomatuming
profit ratio of paid-in capital
pseudomones sp.
pulsus
QBE
recovered solvent
roller comnveyor
rotation of the Earth
scolopendrium
side-draw
silvertipped
songfully
spallanzani
Still water runs deep
supported type abutment
sync non-linearity
thiomerin
Tukulan
two-liter
undefined
unexpended ammunition
Unified Threat Management
vacuum tube modulator
ventriculus mesencephalicus
waterslides
whatsernames
whrinny
Yalutsangpu River