Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, only men had that opportunity. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
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 said in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college, 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.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. Between 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 science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children, and started her own science and 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 the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have travelled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
【小题1】Obama called Ride a national hero because she______.| A．was the first American to travel to space |
| B．became the first American female in space |
| C．was the first to travel on the Challenger shuttle |
| D．opened a door for women to find suitable jobs |
| A．Taking many pictures of the space program. |
| B．Starting a company to teach more astronauts. |
| C．Teaching kids through sharing her thirst for science. |
| D．Teaching woman how to become a successful astronaut. |
| A．Brave and creative. |
| B．Curious and strict. |
| C．Kind and elegant. |
| D．Generous and easy-going. |
| A．Ride studied astronomy when she was in university. |
| B．Americans think Ride was the greatest woman in history. |
| C．There are many women who have become astronauts after Ride. |
| D．Ride wanted to find a job as an astronaut when she was very young. |
