A few days ago, he was just Colonel (上校) Yang; Few people knew his name or recognized his face. But last Thursday, when he came back to the earth after a 21-hour trip to space, Yang Liwe's smile was seen across the world above the magic words:“China’s first spaceman”.

    The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space at 9 a. m. last Wednesday by China’s Shenzhou V spacecraft, which orbited the earth 14 times. He landed safely at 6: 23 a. m. the next day, making China the third country to successfully send a person into space, after the former Soviet Union and the US.

    Yang was satisfied with his job. “I have seen many landing scenes before on video, and I think ours was one of the most successful,” he said on a special plane to Beijing after landing.

    Born into an ordinary family in Liaoning Province, he became a pilot in the Chinese Air Force in 1987, spending 1, 350 hours in the air. He joined the Chinese space programmer 11 years later.

    While in space, Yang recorded everything he saw as well as showing China’s national flag and the United Nations’ flag to the people watching on TV at home. He also ate a meal of diced chicken and fried rice, before taking a 3-hour nap. The whole project went according to plan, but space exploration is not as easy as it seems.

    Anyone who saw the destruction of the US space shuttle Columbia in February this year will know that Yang took a great risk.

    He experienced extremely high temperatures, while the gravitational forces (重力) on takeoff and landing were strong enough to force tears from his eyes.

    He has spent five years training to become a spaceman.

    "I eat all of my meals at the space programmer’s dinning room and have never been able to take my son to kindergarten," he said. "I’ve never met his teachers."

    But becoming China’s first spaceman has made all the effort worthwhile.

    “When I boarded the spacecraft for the first time, I couldn’t help feeling excited,”he said.“I decided that I had to fly it.”

    To Chinese people, Yang is now a hero. One visitor to a Xinhua news agency online forum (网上论坛) said:“Yang’s trip is a giant leap forward for China.”

    Officials say the next Shenzhou will be launched by 2005. China also plans to develop space walking and a space lab.

1. What is the main idea of the story?

    A. China’s first manned space flight.

    B. A hero with great courage

    C. The first Chinese man in space

    D. How Yang Liwei became China’s first spaceman

2. How long did each of Yang’s orbits take on average?

    A. 1 hour.　　　　　　  B. 1. 5 hours.　　　　 C. 6 hours.　　　　    D. The story didn’t mention.

3. Why did the writer mention the gravitational forces on takeoff and landing?

    A. To stress the hardship and the spaceman had to experience.

    B. Because it was a very special experience for any spacemen.

    C. To stress how much training he had to do to prepare for the flight

    D. To show that Yang is lucky.

4. Why did the writer use“giant leap”in the title?

    A. Because the space flight marked China’s great progress in the field of space exploration.

    B. Because Neil Armstrong said it was a "giant leap" for mankind when he first set foot on the moon.

    C. Because the space flight was a huge success.

    D. Both A and B.

阅读理解

Five…four…there…two…one

　　A rocket launch count down, a common sound in the 1960s. But this was not just another launch. It was the beginning of a historic event. It was the countdown for Apollo Ⅱ, the first flight that would carry man to the first landing on the moon. The ground shook as the huge Saturn V rocket moved slowly up into the sky. It rose perfectly. Someone on the launch crew spoke the words “Good luck”and “Godspeed”. I'm Jack Whistler. Today Stan Busbee and I will tell the story of flight of Apollo Ⅱ in July, 1969.

　　In the spacecraft at the top of the speeding rocket were 3 American astronauts, whose names soon would be known around the world: Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Neil Armstrong was the commander of the spacecraft. e was a test pilot. He had flown earlier on one of the 2 -man Gemini space flights. Armstrong was a calm person, a man who talked very little. Edwin Buzz Aldrin was the pilot of the moon lander vehicle. The astronauts gave it the name Eagle. Aldrin had flown on the last of the Gemini flights. He also was a quiet man, except twenty talked about space. Michael Collins was the pilot of the command module vehicle Columbia. He also had made a Gemini flight. He would wait in orbit around the moon as Armstrong and Aldrin landed and explored the surface. Collins was very popular and always ready with a smile.

1．This passage mainly deals with ________.

[　　]

A．the countdown for Apollo Ⅱ and a brief introduction of the astronauts related

B．the personality of the astronauts

C．the flight of Apollo Ⅱ

D．the first landing on the moon

2．The word “Godspeed”means ________.

[　　]

3．Who of the follwing was not in the aircraft?

[　　]

4．The word“twenty”in the second paragraph ________.

[　　]

A．is but a number

B．means“a lot”C. means“seldom”D. means“a little”

5．Which of the following statements is true?

[　　]

A．Edwin was the commander of the spacecraft.

B．Armstrong was very popular and always ready with a smile.

C．Eagle was the name of the command module.

D．Neil had flown earlier on one of the 2-man Gemini space flights.

阅读理解

Five…four…there…two…one

　　A rocket launch count down, a common sound in the 1960s. But this was not just another launch. It was the beginning of a historic event. It was the countdown for Apollo Ⅱ, the first flight that would carry man to the first landing on the moon. The ground shook as the huge Saturn V rocket moved slowly up into the sky. It rose perfectly. Someone on the launch crew spoke the words “Good luck”and “Godspeed”. I'm Jack Whistler. Today Stan Busbee and I will tell the story of flight of Apollo Ⅱ in July, 1969.

　　In the spacecraft at the top of the speeding rocket were 3 American astronauts, whose names soon would be known around the world: Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Neil Armstrong was the commander of the spacecraft. e was a test pilot. He had flown earlier on one of the 2 -man Gemini space flights. Armstrong was a calm person, a man who talked very little. Edwin Buzz Aldrin was the pilot of the moon lander vehicle. The astronauts gave it the name Eagle. Aldrin had flown on the last of the Gemini flights. He also was a quiet man, except twenty talked about space. Michael Collins was the pilot of the command module vehicle Columbia. He also had made a Gemini flight. He would wait in orbit around the moon as Armstrong and Aldrin landed and explored the surface. Collins was very popular and always ready with a smile.

1．This passage mainly deals with ________.

[　　]

A．the countdown for Apollo Ⅱ and a brief introduction of the astronauts related

B．the personality of the astronauts

C．the flight of Apollo Ⅱ

D．the first landing on the moon

2．The word “Godspeed”means ________.

[　　]

3．Who of the follwing was not in the aircraft?

[　　]

4．The word“twenty”in the second paragraph ________.

[　　]

A．is but a number

B．means“a lot”C. means“seldom”D. means“a little”

5．Which of the following statements is true?

[　　]

A．Edwin was the commander of the spacecraft.

B．Armstrong was very popular and always ready with a smile.

C．Eagle was the name of the command module.

D．Neil had flown earlier on one of the 2-man Gemini space flights.

Giant leap for China

    A few days ago, he was just Colonel (上校) Yang; Few people knew his name or recognized his face. But last Thursday, when he came back to the earth after a 21-hour trip to space, Yang Liwe's smile was seen across the world above the magic words:“China’s first spaceman”.

    The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space at 9 a. m. last Wednesday by China’s Shenzhou V spacecraft, which orbited the earth 14 times. He landed safely at 6: 23 a. m. the next day, making China the third country to successfully send a person into space, after the former Soviet Union and the US.

    Yang was satisfied with his job. “I have seen many landing scenes before on video, and I think ours was one of the most successful,” he said on a special plane to Beijing after landing.

    Born into an ordinary family in Liaoning Province, he became a pilot in the Chinese Air Force in 1987, spending 1, 350 hours in the air. He joined the Chinese space programmer 11 years later.

    While in space, Yang recorded everything he saw as well as showing China’s national flag and the United Nations’ flag to the people watching on TV at home. He also ate a meal of diced chicken and fried rice, before taking a 3-hour nap. The whole project went according to plan, but space exploration is not as easy as it seems.

    Anyone who saw the destruction of the US space shuttle Columbia in February this year will know that Yang took a great risk.

    He experienced extremely high temperatures, while the gravitational forces (重力) on takeoff and landing were strong enough to force tears from his eyes.

    He has spent five years training to become a spaceman.

    "I eat all of my meals at the space programmer’s dinning room and have never been able to take my son to kindergarten," he said. "I’ve never met his teachers."

    But becoming China’s first spaceman has made all the effort worthwhile.

    “When I boarded the spacecraft for the first time, I couldn’t help feeling excited,”he said.“I decided that I had to fly it.”

    To Chinese people, Yang is now a hero. One visitor to a Xinhua news agency online forum (网上论坛) said:“Yang’s trip is a giant leap forward for China.”

    Officials say the next Shenzhou will be launched by 2005. China also plans to develop space walking and a space lab.

1. What is the main idea of the story?

    A. China’s first manned space flight.

    B. A hero with great courage

    C. The first Chinese man in space

    D. How Yang Liwei became China’s first spaceman

2. How long did each of Yang’s orbits take on average?

    A. 1 hour.　　　　　　  B. 1. 5 hours.　　　　 C. 6 hours.　　　　    D. The story didn’t mention.

3. Why did the writer mention the gravitational forces on takeoff and landing?

    A. To stress the hardship and the spaceman had to experience.

    B. Because it was a very special experience for any spacemen.

    C. To stress how much training he had to do to prepare for the flight

    D. To show that Yang is lucky.

4. Why did the writer use“giant leap”in the title?

    A. Because the space flight marked China’s great progress in the field of space exploration.

    B. Because Neil Armstrong said it was a "giant leap" for mankind when he first set foot on the moon.

    C. Because the space flight was a huge success.

    D. Both A and B.