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1、Lesson34OutoftheBlueOnapicture-perfectTexasmorning,theshuttleColumbiawasheadinghomewhentragedystruck,leavingAmericaandtheworldwonderingwhatwentwrong-andhonoringthelivesofsevenbraveastronauts.ByEvanThomas1)TonyBeasley,anastronomerattheCaliforniaInstitu
2、teofTechnology,gotupearly,alongwithhiswifeandmother-in-law,towatchthespaceshuttleflyoverhead.Itwasalittleafter5:45a.m.,Californiatime,7:45a.m.atMissionControl1inHouston,8:45a.m.atCapeCanaveralinFlorida.Beasleycouldseethebrightglowoftheshuttleasitcameo
3、verCalifornia’sOwensValley,boundforaFloridalanding,still60mileshigh,travelingatabout20timesthespeedofsound.Thenhenoticedsomebrightflashes,justsmallonesatfirst.Beasleyidlywonderediftheshuttlewassheddingsomedebrisasitenteredtheatmosphere.Hedidn’tmakemuc
4、hofit;2hethoughtherecalledthatspaceshuttlessometimeslostafewtilesasthecraftburnedintotheatmospnere.Butthenhenoticedalargepulseoflight.“Itwaslikeabigflarebeingdroppedfromtheshuttle,”hetoldNewsweek.“Itdidn’tseemnormal.”2)Afewminuteslater,afewhundredmile
5、stotheeastinRedOak,Texas,TrudyOrtonheardaboomasshestoodonherfrontporchinthebrighteningmorning.Shethoughtitwasanatural-gasexplosion.“Myhouseshookandwindowsrattled.”Herdogranintothehouseandhid.Aneighbor,loadinghercar,lookedupandasked,“Whatonearthwasthat
6、?”Ortonlookedupandsawawhitestreakofsmokeacrossthesky.“Itwasn’tasleeklittlestraightlinelikethejetsmake.Itwasbillowinglikeapuffycloud.”3)AttheKennedySpaceCenterat9a.m.,ET,thefestivecrowd-NASAofficials,familymembersoftheastronauts,localdignitariesandpoli
7、ticians,evenarepresentativeoftheIsraeligovernment,onhandtohonorIsrael’sfirstastronaut,Col.IlanRamon-eagerlylistenedforthefamiliarsonicboom,heraldingthearrivalofthereturningshuttle.Butastheskiesremainedsilent,theburbleofchatterdieddown,thengrewanxious.
8、Atabout9:05,mobilephonesbegantoring.Suddenly,officialswereherdingfamilymembersintobuses.Thecountdownclockcontinuedtowinddowntothescheduled9:16landing.Butthecrowdwasalreadygone.4)ThespecialistsinsideMissionControlwerewellawarethatthecomplexmach
