英语播客 A Cup of English 361 A rocket launch.

It was a windy, sunny day. You certainly needed to have a jacket on, as the wind was blowing down from the snow-capped hills. The crowd had gathered in the park, as scheduled. Everyone was excited, and waiting for the teacher to appear. A few passersby looked over and wondered why this group of people was standing and waiting for something. Finally, a car pulled up, parked, and out stepped the teacher, with a big box in his arms. There were all sorts of smaller boxes and pointy things protruding from the larger box. Anyone watching would wonder what he was up to. A couple of the kids ran up to him, "Hey, Mr. Mugg. Do you want some help?" After putting the box down, the teacher set up two launch pads, or rather launch sticks, for the morning's event. Some of the younger kids jumped up and down with excitement, and giggled nervously. It was time for the first student to see what he could do. He got his rocket, that he had spent the last few weeks building, from the box, put it on the launch pad, and started the count down, "Five, four, three, two, one, blast off!" And with that, the student pressed the button and there was a sudden, loud, "woosh" noise. Smoke blasted out of the bottom of his rocket, and up it went at great speed, high into the sky. Loud cheers sounded out from the crowd, and even people jogging in the park stopped to take a look at the disappearing and then reappearing rocket. This was the special rocket launching morning that the students had worked hard for. They had spent weeks learning all about how they work, why they work, and building them. Today, it was time to show off their knowledge. Some of the rockets had plastic soldiers with parachutes attached, and others had folded up glider planes tucked inside which out of the rocket and down to earth. There were so many cheers and squeals of excitement from one of the youngest students, that an older classmate said to him, "Hey dude, could you quit yelling!" You couldn't blame the little kid, though. It's not exactly an ordinary day in class.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: passersby, snow-capped, to protrude, to launch.

1. The street entertainer amused the passersby with his mime.

2. The snow-capped mountains contrast with the green forests that are further down.

3. The robber's gun was protruding from underneath his long coat.

4. We all stood back while my father launched firework rockets into the sky.