帮下忙啊Haveyouheardtheexpression“whenpigsfly”?Itissometimesusedasacolorfulwayofsaying“never.”Asfarasanyoneknows,nopighaseverflown,andnoneislikelytoeverfly.InSeptemberof1783,however,asheepdidfly.This
帮下忙啊
Haveyouheardtheexpression“whenpigsfly”?Itissometimesusedasacolorfulwayofsaying“never.”Asfarasanyoneknows,nopighaseverflown,andnoneislikelytoeverfly.
InSeptemberof1783,however,asheepdidfly.Thiswasinthedaysbeforeairplanesandhelicopters.Flyingwassomethingonlybirdsdid.TwoFrenchmen,EtienneandJosephMontgolfier,workedhardtochangethat.
TheMontgolfierbrotherswerepapermakers.Theyfoundthatpaperbagsfilledwithsmokewouldfloatupwards.Thebrothersworkedtomakeabagbigenoughandstrongenoughtocarrypeopleupintothesky.
InJuneof1783,theyshowedofftheirfirstbigballoon.Aftertheyhadmadealargebagoutofclothandpaper,theytookittothetownsquare.Heretheybuiltasmokyfirewithsheep’swoolanddampstraw.Astheyforcedsmokeintobag,itslowlyrosetoitsfullheightof110feet(abouttheheightofa10-storybuilding).Whentheballoonwasfullofsmoke,thebrothersreleasedit.Itfloatedup6,000feetandeventuallycamedowntoearthoneandahalfmilesaway.
TheFrenchAcademyofSciencesaskedtheMontgolfierbrotherstoflyballooninParisinfrontofthekingandqueen,LouisXVIandMarieAntoinette.Thebrothersweresosureofsuccessthattheywantedamantogoupintheballoon.Butscientistsdidnotknowifpeoplecouldsurviveatsuchgreatheights.Theydecidedthatinsteadofriskinghumanlives,threeanimalswouldbeplacedinacageattachedtotheballoon.
OnSeptember19,1783,asheep,aduck,andaroosterrose1,500feetovertheroofsoftheking’spalace.Foreightminutestheyfloatedoverheadaspeopleonthegroundpointedandclappedandcheered.Therooster’swingwasbrokenwhenthesheepsteppedonitduringlanding.Otherthanthat,theanimalswereunharmed.
51.Thewriterbeginsthepassagewiththeexpression“whenpigsfly”to________.
a.explainwhattheexpressionmeans
b.emphasizethesignificanceofwhattheMontgolfierbrothersdid
c.provethatpigscan’treallyfly
d.tellusastoryaboutpigsthatfly
52.TheMontgolfierbrothers’firstbigballoonwasmadeof___________.
a.sheep’swool
b.dampstraw
c.clothandpaper
d.paper
