Unit 14

1. Unit 14 Space Shuttle Challenger

2. Background • This article is in the nature of reportage, written by a newspaper reporter who witnessed the disastrous launch of the space shuttle Challenger in the united states in 1986 • It is written in journalistic style and the narration follows the natural sequence of the event • In humanity’s search for scientific discoveries, much courage and devotion has been required and displayed. The men and women who gave their lives in this case were not the only people, and they will not be the last

3. Words and expressions • Press the press people; all the reporters for newspapers, magazines, radios and television • Load sth. into a container to fill some container with sth. the word “load” is also used in the following patterns: to load a truck, to load sth. onto a vehicle, to load a place with sth. to be heavily loaded( to be loaded down with), to carry a heavy load

4. Words and expressions • Chatter a friendly informal conversation about sth. unimportant • Excess (adj.) (only before noun) much more than necessary, e.g. excess labor, excess luggage, excess capacity

5. Words and expressions • Let sth. out to allow sth. to leave a place (said of gas, air, light and water) • Build up to increase gradually, e.g. Over the years, a strong resentment had built up among the people against their unfair treatment. The Japanese mass media say that it is still uncertain whether the Prime Minister will be able to build up the necessary support for his refor policies

6. Words and expressions • liftoff the moment a space shuttle leaves the ground More compound words like “ liftoff” standoff, buildup, go-between, checkup, slowdown, makeup, printout, standby, get-together, handout • remind to remind sb. of (doing) sth. to remind sb. (not) to do sth. to remind sb. that … (clause) to remind sb. what/how/why, etc.

7. Words and expressions • Thundered to life were ignited with a terrible roar (“life” here means activity) Cf. to come to life, to roar to life, to splutter to life • flaw a defect or some weakness that makes sth. imperfect, e.g. The man said to the emperor that there was a flaw in the jade. The disaster was caused by a mechanical flaw of the plane. She can speak the language flawlessly.

8. Words and expressions • Raw copy unpolished copy, giving all unpleasant facts without trying to make them more acceptable • Pull free to struggle free, to move to get away from the booster. Cf. to break free, to wrench free

9. Life is a journey… • The baby arrived at 6 o’clock this morning! • I don’t know where I’m heading. My life has no direction at the moment. • You can’t just go through life with your eyes closed! • I set out to be a doctor, but I liked English so much that I became an English teacher! • You have to move on and forget about what has happened.

10. Life is a journey… • You want to know where we are going to be this Christmas? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it;it’s only July now! • After university I was at a crossroads, and I didn’t know which way to go. • His life took an unexpected direction after he met her. • Her parents don’t understand her at all. They’re over the hill! • My father passed away last night. He went in his sleep.

11. Life is a journey… • What age is “over the hill” for you? • Do you know anyone who goes through life with their eyes closed? • Has your life ever taken an unexpected direction? • Is it better to plan ahead in life or to cross bridges when you come to them?

12. What do you think? • Have you ever felt you were at a crossroads in life? • Have you ever set out to do something in life, but then done something completely different? • Have you ever felt that your life was going nowhere? • Do any of these metaphors for life exist in your language?