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SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Space Shuttle in Orbit but Future Flig

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SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Space Shuttle in Orbit but Future Flights Suspended
By Caty Weaver1,Jerilyn Watson,...

Broadcast: Tuesday, August 02, 2005

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty2. On our program this week, we tell about a new panda baby born in Washington, D.C. and one of the world's greatest athletes. But first, America's space shuttle Discovery returns to space.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

 
 

The American space shuttle returned to the skies on July twenty-sixth. Discovery and its seven-member crew were launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to fly to the International Space Station.

The launch was supposed to have taken place on July thirteenth. But, space agency officials called it off just a few hours before the launch because one of Discovery's fuel tank sensors3 failed a test. NASA officials investigated the system for several days but they never learned the cause. They decided4 to set up another launch for last Tuesday. Discovery is now connected to the space station, orbiting hundreds of kilometers above the Earth.

VOICE TWO:

 
 

This is the first space shuttle flight in two and one-half years. NASA suspended the flights following the deadly explosion of the shuttle Columbia in two thousand three. All seven crewmembers were killed. A team of investigators5 found that the explosion was the result of damage done to the shuttle during the launch.

A piece of lightweight protective material fell off of the shuttle's external fuel container. The object hit the shuttle at a high rate of speed and made a hole in one of the wings. This permitted extremely hot gases to enter the shuttle and destroy the spacecraft as it returned to Earth.

VOICE ONE:

During the launch of Discovery on Tuesday, a large piece of protective material again broke off the external fuel tank. The object apparently6 did not hit the space shuttle. But program manager William Parsons decided to suspend future shuttle flights until NASA experts fix the problem. He said: "Until we fix this, we're not ready to fly again." He said he did not know how long it would take.

After the destruction of Columbia, the investigators advised NASA to carry out fifteen steps to increase safety before flying another shuttle. One of the major changes involved the fuel tank. NASA engineers thought they had reduced the risk that its protective material would break off during launch. NASA experts also increased the number of cameras at the launch area. And they designed a new warning system to inform crewmembers on Discovery and ground control of any problems.

VOICE TWO:

Discovery's cameras recorded pictures of material flying off the shuttle as it launched last Tuesday. Investigators inspected the pictures closely. On Wednesday, Discovery's crew used a special device to examine all areas of the spacecraft for signs of damage. They found no serious damage.

Discovery's commander is retired7 Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins. She was the first woman to fly a space shuttle and is the first female shuttle commander. The Discovery pilot is James Kelly. Other crewmembers include a rock and roll guitar player, astronauts from Japan and Australia and another female astronaut.

VOICE ONE:

Discovery will be in space for thirteen days. Its crew is very busy. They transported supplies and equipment to the space station. And, astronauts Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi are performing space walks outside the space shuttle. They are testing possible new ways to make repairs to the orbiting space station. On the final space walk they are to remove and replace a broken piece of equipment on the outside of the station. The also will place a television camera and light system on the outside of the station.

NASA has said this flight is a test of new safety measures on the space shuttle. But now it is not known if the next shuttle, Atlantis, will be able to fly in September. You can learn more about America's return to space at NASA's Web site. The address is http://www.nasa.gov/.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

 
 

The giant pandas in Washington, D.C., recently produced the first panda baby born at the National Zoo in sixteen years. Male panda Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) and his mate Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) became parents July ninth. Panda cubs9 born in earlier years to the zoo's first pandas survived only a few days.

The birth of the new baby was the result of artificial insemination. Reproductive material from Tian Tian was placed in Mei Xiang's body March eleventh. The process was completed during the two or three days a female panda can become pregnant each year. This short fertile period is one reason why giant pandas are in danger of disappearing from Earth.

VOICE ONE:

At birth, the new cub8 appeared healthy. It was extremely small. It weighed only about one hundred grams. Experts at the zoo have praised Mei Xiang's skills as a mother. They say the cub is gaining weight from its mother's milk. It is active and is making noise.

The cub was pink in color and had no hair at birth. But the skin around its eyes is getting darker now. The animal's back legs and ears also are darkening. These places will develop into black fur. The rest of its body will have mainly white fur. These markings give giant pandas their special appearance.

Baby pandas sometimes do not survive in zoos. So Mei Xiang and the cub are being kept by themselves to prevent infection. Zoo workers watch them through cameras that are connected to the Internet so people around the world can watch them, too.

VOICE TWO:

The cub will be sent to China at age two. China loaned the two adult giant pandas to the National Zoo for ten years. They arrived five years ago. China has also loaned pandas to three other American zoos. China receives a great deal of money in return. The money helps support programs to save giant pandas in the wild. Experts hope that the giant pandas at other zoos in the United States will also produce babies this year.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

 
 

On July twenty-fourth, Lance Armstrong of the United States won the Tour de France bicycle competition for the seventh straight year. His victory sets a new world record. Armstrong said he will not race again next year. The three-week competition is considered the most difficult cycling race in the world. Racers must ride almost three thousand six hundred kilometers.

They must ride uphill through the Alps and Pyrenees Mountains. And they must race at high speeds over flat land. Winning requires great athletic10 ability.

VOICE TWO:

Lance Armstrong is thirty-three years old. He is one of the best athletes in the world. Scientists say his body operates better than the average person. For example, his heart can beat more than two hundred times a minute. It pumps an extremely large amount of blood and oxygen to his legs. Scientists say only about one hundred other people in the world have this ability.

A scientist at the University of Texas at Austin studied the cyclist from the age of twenty-one to twenty-eight while Armstrong was in training. The Journal of Applied11 Physiology12 published his study in June.

VOICE ONE:

Edward Coyle is the head of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas in Austin. He tested Armstrong five times from nineteen ninety-two until nineteen ninety-nine. Each time, the cyclist rode a fixed13 bike for twenty-five minutes with the work rate increasing every five minutes.

Scientists measured Armstrong's performance against the amount of oxygen he breathed. Doctor Coyle discovered an eight percent increase in Armstrong's muscle power. Doctor Coyle suspects Armstrong may have developed more of a certain kind of muscle during his seven years of training.

Doctor Coyle also discovered that Armstrong was able to reduce his body weight and body fat before his Tour de France victories. This enabled him to increase his power in relation to his body weight by eighteen percent. Doctor Coyle says the results of the study show that long-term training has more of an effect on athletes than scientists thought.

VOICE TWO:

Lance Armstrong is special in another way. In nineteen ninety-six, when he was twenty-five, he discovered he had cancer of the testicles. The cancer had spread to his lungs and brain. Armstrong received chemotherapy treatment and several operations on his brain. After he recovered from the treatment, he began training again in nineteen ninety-eight. The next year he won his first Tour de France race. Many people believe he is a hero to other people who have survived and are living with cancer.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Caty Weaver, Jerilyn Watson, and Jill Moss14. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for Science in the News in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
2 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
3 sensors 029aee483db9ae244d7a5cb353e74602     
n.传感器,灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时,有很大变化。 来自辞典例句
4 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
5 investigators e970f9140785518a87fc81641b7c89f7     
n.调查者,审查者( investigator的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
  • The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • 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。
7 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
8 cub ny5xt     
n.幼兽,年轻无经验的人
参考例句:
  • The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
  • The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。
9 cubs 01d925a0dc25c0b909e51536316e8697     
n.幼小的兽,不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
  • Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 athletic sOPy8     
adj.擅长运动的,强健的;活跃的,体格健壮的
参考例句:
  • This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
  • He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。
11 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
12 physiology uAfyL     
n.生理学,生理机能
参考例句:
  • He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
  • He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。
13 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
14 moss X6QzA     
n.苔,藓,地衣
参考例句:
  • Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
  • He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

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