【一起听英语】航天行动

今天讨论的话题主要是与航天有关的....

Dan: Hello, I'm Dan.

Rob: And I'm Rob.

Dan: And welcome to 6 Minute English! Today we're talking about NASA's final

shuttle flight.

Rob: NASA – the American space agency – is closing its shuttle service after 30

years. A space shuttle is a spaceship that's designed to make repeated journeys

between earth and space. And NASA launches its final shuttle flight on 8th July.

Dan: It's the end of an era for space travel.

Rob: Yup, the end of an era – it's the end of a significant period of history.

Dan: Russia and America have been using rockets for space travel since the 1960s.

Rockets are tube-shaped devices that use explosions to power them into the air.

But NASA first started using reusable space shuttles in 1981. This final shuttle

mission is the 135th shuttle flight. So, talking of developments in space travel,

I've got this week's question for you Rob, We all know that Neil Armstrong

was the first man on the Moon, but how many people in total have walked on

the moon so far? Is it: 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 2 of 7

a) 12

b) 18

c) 24

Rob: Mm, that's a good question. Erm… I'd say 18.

Dan: As always, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme.

Rob: OK.

Dan: First of all, let's hear from BBC Science Correspondent, Pallab Ghosh. Here he

is reporting on NASA's final shuttle flight. He says the first shuttle, Columbia,

was launched into orbit 30 years ago, and it heralded 2 a new era.

Rob: To launch something means to put into motion or put into action, and orbit

here is the area around the Earth. So NASA launched its first shuttle into orbit

30 years ago. To herald 1 something means to announce that something is about

to happen – so 30 years ago, the shuttle heralded a new era for space travel.

Dan: Here's the BBC report on NASA's shuttle programme. What words does the

reporter use to describe people's expectations of space travel? And how was

this different from what actually happened?

BBC NASA report

Announcer: Five… four… we've gone for main engine start; we have main engine start.

Lift off of America's first space shuttle!

Pallab Ghosh: Thirty years ago the first shuttle was launched into orbit. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 3 of 7

Announcer: And the shuttle has cleared the tower

Pallab Ghosh: Columbia was to herald a new era, where space travel was cheap and

commonplace. That, of course, didn't happen. Instead, it was expensive

and dangerous, resulting in two shuttles being destroyed in flight.

Dan: The reporter there said that with the launch of Columbia, people believed space

travel would be cheap and commonplace, but in fact it was expensive and

dangerous. What does commonplace here mean, Rob?

Rob: Commonplace means usual or everyday. People expected space travel to be a

cheap, commonplace activity. But of course it wasn't.

Dan: No – space travel has always been a very expensive business. And dangerous

too; two of the shuttles were destroyed in flight. The disasters killed 14

astronauts.

Rob: Astronauts are the people who are trained for space travel. So what's happening

to NASA's shuttle programme now, Dan?

Dan: Well, nothing really – the programme is too expensive to continue; it costs

around US$ four billion a year. Around 10,000 workers have already lost their

jobs in the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, and around 5,000 more are losing

their jobs at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas.

Rob: Wow, so a lot of people becoming unemployed 3 with the end of the shuttle

programme. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 4 of 7

Dan: Yeah, let's hear from one of the workers who was involved in the shuttle

programme. Jerry Mulberry was an engineer for NASA, and now runs a shop

selling space memorabilia.

Rob: So Jerry was an engineer – a person who designs and builds machines - and

now he sells memorabilia – objects that are collected because of their historic

interest.

Dan: Let's listen to the clip. How does Jerry feel about the end of the shuttle

programme?

Jerry Mulberry, former NASA engineer

Yeah, it's kind of a sad and a happy time. You know, we've been part of this thing for a

Columbia was to long time and to see the final mission… I don't know if it's really set in

yet, and it probably won't until it's on its way to space.

Dan: Well, for Jerry, the final launch is both a sad and happy time; he says his

feelings haven't really set in yet.

Rob: To set in here means to become fixed 4 or permanent. I suppose it's sad that the

programme is over, but it's also a time to celebrate the programme's

achievements, don't you think that's right, Dan?

Dan: Well, NASA would certainly like people to remember all the achievements of

the shuttle programme since it started. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 5 of 7

Rob: And what does this mean for space travel now, then Dan? Does this mean no

more astronauts going into space?

Dan: Well, NASA is hoping that private companies will be able to take astronauts

into space, though that probably won't happen for several years. In the

meantime, NASA will pay Russia to fly its astronauts up for them. Right Rob,

well, back to today's question. I asked you how many people in total have

walked on the moon so far?

Rob: Well, I said 18, so was I right?

Dan: Well, in fact you weren't; only 12 people have walked on the moon so far. Neil

Armstrong was the first man on the moon in 1969 and Eugene Cernan was the

last man to set foot on the moon in 1972. So it was only three years, really, that

people were on the moon. Well Rob, before we go, let's hear some of the

words and phrases we've used in today's programme.

Rob: OK, we had:

space shuttle

the end of an era

rockets

to launch

orbit 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 6 of 7

to herald

commonplace

astronaut

engineer

memorabilia

Dan: Thanks, Rob. I hope you've enjoyed today's programme and you'll join us

again for more 6 Minute English next time.

Both: Bye!