Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to be astronauts. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel into space.
Ride died at the age of 61. “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut, I’m sure I would have said yes,” she told TFK in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle. “There is no amusement park ride on Earth that even comes close. It can’t be more wonderful,” she said.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. In the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for space with kids. She wrote five science books about space for children, and started her own science education company.
Ride knew that she held a unique place in history. “I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
Which of the following is true?
A.Sally was the first person to travel to space in America. |
B.Sally wanted to be an astronaut even when she was a pupil. |
C.Sally was interested in space, so she chose astronautics as her major. |
D.Sally graduated from college and first traveled to space in 1983. |
From the fifth paragraph, we know that Sally .
A.was good at doing business |
B.wanted to be rich by doing business |
C.became a famous writer at last |
D.had a lasting interest in space |
What can we infer from the text?
A.Sally inspired many American women to travel to space. |
B.Sally made great contributions to American economic development. |
C.Women astronauts used to be looked down upon in American history. |
D.The government did not allow women to become astronauts in the past. |