Unit 5 Pioneers of Flight Key to Exercises Opener A Mighty Airplane Built by Howard Hughes in 1947 Length It was 220 feet long. Height It was higher than a five-story building. Weight It weighed about 60 tons. Trip It had to make the trip from Culver city in California to the Pacific, which is 30 miles away. Reading & Interacting I. Understanding the Tex t 1. Text Organization Story The hero When it happened How it relates to modern aviation 1 Wan Hu A.D. 1500 Wan Hu’s crazy dream contains the principles of rocket-powered spaceflight. 2 How ard Hughes On November 2, 1947 Many of the design features of the Spruce Goose have been incorporated into modern cargo planes. 3 Leonardo da Vinci About 500 years ago The flying devices with flapping wings controlled and steered by human pilots he designed still inspire people to pursue their dreams of flying freely in the sky. 2. Comprehension Check 2.1 Focusing on the main ideas The article consists of three stories about pioneers of flight. The first story is about a Chinese named Wan Hu, who made an unsuccessful attempt at spaceflight in A.D.1500. He built a spaceship powered by 47 rockets using gunpowder. His idea was crazy, but his dream of flight came true 500 years later when China successfully launched its first manned Shenzhou V spaceship. The second one is about the Spruce Goose, a flying boat designed to meet the need of transporting troops and materials during World War II. It was made entirely of wood and still holds the record for the greatest wingspan. Although it was never put to use, many of its design features have been incorporated into today’s cargo planes. The last is about Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous art...
