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EXPLORATIONS - Wiley Post

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EXPLORATIONS1 - April 10, 2002: Wiley Post

By Paul Thompson
Anncr:


Now the VOA Special English program, explorations. Today Shirley Griffith and Doug Johnson tell about pilot
Wiley Post. He set new records when he flew his own airplane around the world in nineteen-thirty-three.
((Theme)
)
VOICE 1:
It was nineteen-thirty-three. Only six years earlier Charles Lindburgh became famous around the world as the


first person to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Now, a young pilot was trying to fly across Russia.


He had left Moscow several hours before. All he heard was the sound of the one engine that powered his plane.
Hour after hour the same sound. Now the weather was bad. He could not see much ahead, only the fog.
Flying in fog is very dangerous. Yet the sound of the engine made everything seem warm and safe. Then, out of


the fog he saw a mountain. He had only seconds to bring the airplane up.
It was a narrow escape, one of many he would have during his long flight.
VOICE 2:
The young pilot was Wiley Post. He was trying to fly around the world by himself. He made the trip in less than


eight days. He stopped eleven times for fuel, food and a little sleep.

 

Wiley Post made his famous flight in July, nineteen-thirty-three. Not many flight
instruments existed that could help him find his way. He was alone, fighting against sleep.
If he fell asleep he would die.

((Music Bridge))

VOICE 1:

Nothing in Wiley Post's early years suggests that he would become a famous pilot. He was
born in Grand2 Saline, Texas, in eighteen-ninety-eight. His family were farmers.

In nineteen -thirteen, Wiley saw something that forever changed his life -- an airplane. After watching the plane
fly, young Wiley waited until most people had left the area. He then began inspecting3 and studying the plane. He
measured different parts of the plane with his hands. Many years later, Wiley Post would say that first airplane
was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.

VOICE 2:

Wiley Post began to study everything he could find about flying. He began to educate himself about subjects such
as mathematics4, radio and machinery5. His self-education would continue the rest of his life.

Post finally rode in an airplane in nineteen-nineteen. At the time, many people believed all pilots were special
people. They believed it took special skills and courage to fly an airplane. But after his first ride, Wiley Post
knew that flying was something he could learn to do.

VOICE 1:


Wiley Post began his career in flying, not as a pilot, but as a performer6 who jumps from airplanes using a
parachute7. He did this with a group that performed flying tricks to earn money. He jumped ninety-nine times in
two years with the flying show. When he was not jumping with a parachute, he was being taught how to fly by
pilots in the air show. But he could not fly as often as he liked.

VOICE 2:

Wiley Post then decided8 the only way to become a good pilot was to buy an airplane of his own. He needed more
money than he earned in the flying show. He went to work in the oil-producing areas of Texas. But he damaged
his left eye in an accident. Doctors had to remove his eye.

At first, Post thought his days as a pilot were ended. A pilot needs to be able to judge distance. Judging distance
is difficult without two eyes. It seems impossible to tell how big objects are and how far away.

Wiley Post began teaching9 himself to judge distance with only one eye. He worked hard at training his eye and
brain to tell the correct distance. It took a long time, but he succeeded. He continued to fly and soon became a
very good pilot.

VOICE 1:

In nineteen-twenty-eight, he got a job flying the plane that belonged to a rich oil producer from Oklahoma. The
man's name was F.C. Hall. He bought a new airplane for Post to fly. Mister10 Hall named the airplane the "Winnie
Mae" after one of his daughters.

F.C. Hall told Post he could use the plane to enter flight competitions. Post did. In nineteen-thirty, he entered the
national air races. The race called for flying without stopping from Los Angeles in the western state of California11,
to the city of Chicago, in the middle western state of Illinois.
Post won the race. He defeated several well known12 pilots. It was the first time the public heard the name Wiley
Post.

VOICE 2:

Post was not really interested in racing13 airplanes. He wanted to be the first person to fly around the world. Many
pilots had talked about trying to made such a flight. But no one had done it.

Post believed he would need someone to help him in the effort. He chose an Australian man, Harold Gatty, to do
the mathematics that decided the plane's direction. Post would fly the plane. On June twenty-third, nineteen-
thirty-one, Post and Gatty took off from Roosevelt Field in New York. They returned to Roosevelt Field eight
days, fifteen hours and fifty-one minutes later. They had flown around the world.

VOICE 1:

At first every one was very happy. Wiley Post and Harold Gatty were heroes. Then many people began to say
that Post was nothing more than an airplane driver because he had no real education. They said Gatty was the real
hero. He had guided the flight. Both men knew they had made the flight as a team. Others did not recognize this.
This hurt Post.

Wiley Post began to plan another flight around the world. This time he would go alone.

((Music Bridge))

VOICE 2:

Wiley Post knew that any effort has a good chance of success if the person planning the task is well prepared. So
he worked hard to prepare well. He used the most modern equipment possible. He made sure the engine on the
Winnie Mae was perfect. And to prepare himself, he went without sleep for long periods of time.

On July fifteenth, nineteen-thirty-three, Post took off from Floyd Bennett Field in New York. His first stop would
be Berlin, Germany. He landed in Berlin twenty -six hours later. He became the first person to fly from New York


to Berlin without stopping.
VOICE 1:
After a little food for himself and fuel for the Winnie Mae, Post was once again in the air. This time he was


headed for Russia. For long hours he flew, listening only to the sound of his engine. Often, the weather was so
bad he could not see where he was. At one point he came so close to running out of gas he considered using his
parachute. But at the last minute he found a place to land and get gas.

The flight across the huge width14 of Russia was difficult. He made several stops for gas and a few hours rest
before flying across the Bering Sea to Alaska.

VOICE 2:
By now, he was very tired. To keep himself awake as he flew east during the long night, Post tied a piece of
string to one finger. The other end of the string was tied to a heavy aircraft15 tool. He held the tool in his hand. If he
started to fall asleep, the tool would fall from his hand. The string would pull his finger and wake him.


From Fairbanks, Alaska, he flew to Edmonton, Canada, and then on toward16 New York.


More than fifty-thousand people waited at Floyd Bennett Field. Wiley Post gently landed the Winnie Mae long
after dark. He had flown around the world in seven days, eighteen-hours and forty-nine minutes.
Thousands of excited people rushed toward the plane. Wiley Post was a hero. He had become the most famous


pilot in America.
((Music Bridge)
)
VOICE 1:
In nineteen -thirty-five, only two years after his around the world record flight, Wiley Post was killed in a flying


accident in Alaska.


Before Post's death, the government of the United17 States had bought the Winnie Mae. It is owned by the
Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington18, D-C.
VOICE 2:
Many pilots have flown around the world since Wiley Post made his flight. His record was first broken only
a


few years after his death. Since that time many records for the trip have been made and broken.
Yet what Wiley Post did can never really be done again. No pilot today would try to make the flight in an


airplane like the Winnie Mae. No one would try it with the flight instruments he used. And, no on would want to
copy his flight around the world ... alone.
((Theme)
)
VOICE 1:
This Special English program was written by Paul Thompson. This is Shirley Griffith.
VOICE 2:
And this is Doug Johnson. Join us again next week for another explorations program on the Voice of America.

 

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 explorations bf151792f1c418816c8faa34a0078566     
探险旅行( exploration的名词复数 ); 搜寻; 考察; 勘探
参考例句:
  • Our underwater explorations also helped to confirm the theory. 我们的水下考察也有助于证实这个理论。
  • The geographical explorations had revealed the inadequacies of the existing maps. 地形勘查揭露出现有地图的不妥之处。
2 grand 0fDx4     
adj.豪华的,宏伟的,壮丽的,主要的,重大的;n.(美俚)一千美元
参考例句:
  • The pianist played several pieces of music on a grand piano.钢琴家在一架大钢琴上弹了几首乐曲。
  • Come on,I'll give you the grand tour of the backyard.跟我来,我带你去后院来一次盛大的旅游。
3 inspecting 54b3db0fc995020fa455e86c0b339a28     
检查,检验( inspect的现在分词 ); 视察
参考例句:
  • The teacher walked around inspecting their work. 老师走来走去检查他们的作业。
  • The relevant inspecting organs shall give assistance thereto. 有关检查机关应当予以协助。
4 mathematics VBgxK     
n.(用作单)数学;(用作单或复)计算(能力)
参考例句:
  • He has come out in front in the study of mathematics.他在数学方面已名列前茅。
  • She is working at a difficult problem in mathematics.她在做一道数学难题。
5 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
参考例句:
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
6 performer DlbzwP     
n.执行者,表演者
参考例句:
  • He was the greatest performer we have ever seen.他是我们所见过的最伟大表演者。
  • He is a good performer on the cricket field.他是个出色的板球手。
7 parachute GKKxS     
n.降落伞;v.用降落伞投送/降落
参考例句:
  • No way,I'm not jumping from high places without a parachute.没可能的,没有降落伞我可不从高处往下跳。
  • Please release the parachute when there is an emergency.有紧急情况,请打开降落伞。
8 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。
9 teaching ngEziT     
n.教学,执教,任教,讲授;(复数)教诲
参考例句:
  • We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
  • He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。
10 mister rnQzwB     
n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生
参考例句:
  • Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
  • He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。
11 California FxizMX     
n.加利福尼亚(美国)
参考例句:
  • He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
  • We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。
12 known hpKzdc     
adj.大家知道的;知名的,已知的
参考例句:
  • He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
  • He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。
13 racing 1ksz3w     
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。
14 width 6gvwQ     
n.宽度,阔度,广度;宽阔,广阔
参考例句:
  • The hall is 15 metres in length and 8 in width.这个大厅直里有15米,横里有8米。
  • Use a rule to measure the width of that cloth.用尺子量一下那块布的宽度。
15 aircraft hKUyP     
n.飞机 (单复数同)
参考例句:
  • Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
  • They have placed an order with us for three new aircraft.他们向我们订购了三架新飞机。
16 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
17 united Yfmz2c     
adj.和谐的;团结的;联合的,统一的
参考例句:
  • The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
  • The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。
18 Washington OeAzjC     
n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)
参考例句:
  • His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿,但住在旧金山。
  • They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

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