For many years, when kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, their answers were not YouTubers or social media influencers. Instead, children in the 20th century enthusiastically said they wanted to be astronauts, who could fly spaceships. This was because many of them got to see the start of the Space Race, a competition between Cold War rivals — the USSR and America — in the 1950s and 1960s to see who was more technologically advanced.
While the US eventually won the Space Race by landing people on the moon first, the USSR was a leader in many ways in the beginning. They put the first artificial satellite into space in 1957. Then, they put the first person into space in 1961. Additionally, in 1963, the USSR sent the first woman into space, Valentina Tereshkova.
Born in a small village north of Moscow, Tereshkova was selected from more than 400 candidates who had applied to the Soviet cosmonaut corps after being inspired by Yuri Gagarin’s 108-minute space flight in 1961. She then had 18 months of training and was chosen to pilot Vostok 6 at the age of 26 due to her considerable skydiving experience. Tereshkova orbited the Earth 48 times during her 70.8-hour flight. Upon her return, she parachuted to safety before the capsule hit the ground.
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Later on in her life, Tereshkova was awarded many medals and held several high-level positions in the USSR. Her historic flight shattered the “glass ceiling” for women in space, paving the way for the next woman in space, Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, who was sent into orbit 19 years later in 1982.
過去多年來，當小孩被問及他們長大後想成為什麼時，他們的回答不是YouTuber或社群媒體網紅。二十世紀的孩子們反而會充滿熱情地說他們想成為可以駕駛太空船的太空人。這是因為他們當中的許多人得以看見太空競賽的開始──一場於1950和1960年代、冷戰對手蘇聯和美國之間看誰科技較先進的競賽。
雖然美國最終透過先將人類送上月球而贏得了太空競賽，但蘇聯一開始在許多方面都處於領先地位。他們於1957年將第一顆人造衛星送上太空。接著，他們於1961年將第一個人送上太空。此外，蘇聯於1963年將首位女性范倫蒂娜泰勒斯可娃送入太空。
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泰勒斯可娃出生在莫斯科北部的一個小村莊，受到尤里加加林於1961年進行的一百零八分鐘太空飛行激勵後，她從四百多名申請成為蘇聯宇航隊的候選人中脫穎而出。隨後，她接受了十八個月的訓練，並於二十六歲時因其豐富的跳傘經驗而被選來駕駛「東方六號」。泰勒斯可娃在70.8小時的飛行中環繞地球四十八圈。當她回到地球時，她在太空艙撞到地面前跳傘至安全的地方。
在她往後的生活，泰勒斯可娃獲頒許多獎章，並在蘇聯擔任過一些高階職位。她的歷史性飛行打破了女性在太空領域中的「玻璃天花板」，為下一位進入太空的女性宇航員斯維特蘭娜薩維茨卡婭鋪路，十九年後的1982年，她被送上太空。
What Did You Learn?
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1. How did the US win the Space Race in the 20th century?
2. Why was Tereshkova chosen to be the first woman to fly in space?
參考答案︰
1. By landing people on the moon first.
2. Because of her considerable skydiving experience.
Words in Use
1. enthusiastically adv. 熱情地
The football fans enthusiastically cheered on their favorite team.
足球迷熱情地為他們最喜愛的球隊加油。
2. competition n. 競賽，比賽
The swimming competition Amy took part in was very intense.
艾咪參加的那場游泳比賽非常激烈。
3. rival n. 對手，敵手
We defeated our rivals at last Saturday’s basketball game.
我們在上星期六的籃球比賽中擊敗了對手。
4. technologically adv. 科技地
The country has become one of the most technologically advanced in the world.
該國成為世界上科技最先進的國家之一。
5. land vt.（使）登陸∕降落
The pilot landed the plane safely.
這名飛行員把飛機安全地降落到地面。
Practical Phrases
1. apply to. . . 向……提出申請
The professor suggested that Kent apply to graduate schools to further his studies.
教授建議肯特申請研究所繼續進修。
2. be awarded sth 獲頒／被授予某物
award vt. 頒發；授予，給予
Sherry was awarded first prize in the essay competition.
雪莉在作文比賽中獲頒第一名。
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