2007年VOA标准英语-US Space Shuttle Endeavour Launches Safely with

By Cindy Saine
Washington
08 August 2007

Shuttle Endeavour lifts off launch pad

The U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavour has lifted off into space late Wednesday from Cape¹ Canaveral, Florida and is heading towards the International Space Station for a construction mission. As Cindy Saine reports from Washington, the spotlight² is on teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan.

The first mission of the space shuttle Endeavour in more than four years is off to a smooth start, counted down by George Diller of Launch Control Center. "Four, three, two, one, zero and lift off of space shuttle Endeavour, expanding the International Space Station while creating a classroom in space."

Seven astronauts are on board the Endeavour, but much of the focus is on teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan. The 55-year-old has waited 22 years for the chance to teach schoolchildren from outer space. NASA had picked Morgan as the backup "Teacher in Space" for Christa McAuliffe, one of the seven astronauts killed when the Challenger exploded seconds after liftoff in 1986. Morgan was just a few kilometers from the launchpad, watching as the shuttle blew up. She joined NASA as a full-fledged astronaut in 1998, and this is her first time in space.

Launch Control's George Diller gave Morgan a special mention: "Barbara Morgan seated down on the mid-deck. Morgan racing³ towards space on the wings of a legacy⁴."

The plan had been for Christa McAuliffe to teach two live lessons from space, telling children what it is like to live and work aboard the space shuttle. Now, Morgan is also set to speak with school children from orbit.

Shuttle astronaut Barbara Morgan trains at NASA's Virtual Reality Lab

At a recent news conference, she talked about the message she hopes to deliver. "What I would like them to do is take a good look, again, at themselves and their own curiosities and what they want to know and learn, and I look forward to our students looking with pride at their own teachers and all that they do to help them get ready for the future," she said.

Morgan will also operate a robot arm and oversee⁵ the transfer of cargo⁶ from Endeavour into the space station. Hundreds of school teachers gathered at the launch site in Cape Canaveral to cheer for the launch.

On Tuesday, First Lady Laura Bush, a former teacher herself, phoned Morgan to offer congratulations, as she said, "from one schoolteacher to another."

Endeavor Commander Scott Kelly and his crew are set to deliver a new truss segment to the International Space Station and to attach a replacement⁷ gyroscope. NASA plans three or possibly four spacewalks to attach all the new parts.

The shuttle is set to dock at the International Space Station on Friday, and the mission will last at least 11 days.

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• 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。

3 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

6 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

7 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。