Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Shenzhou 13 / Remembering Colin Powell / Air Taxi

Day 13

Q: How much money are you willing to spend on a space shuttle ride?

[transcript]

Shenzhou 13 Docks at China’s Space Station

The Shenzhou 13 space shuttle carried three Chinese astronauts to the country’s soon-to-be-completed Tiangong (heavenly palace) space station on October 16, 2021, where the astronauts will stay for 183 days working and testing out the facilities. China’s space program is overseen by the nation’s military, which is one of the reasons why the US congress has prevented NASA from cooperating with China in space while the communist country’s program is advancing rapidly contributing to what some call a new space race in the 21st century.

A newcomer to space traveling and one of the astronauts on Shenzhou 13, the 41-year-old Ye, Guangfu says that he hopes one day he can fly with other international astronauts in space and welcome them to visit China’s space station. The operation interfaces in the Tiangong space station are all shown in Chinese. However, China’s state media reports that European astronauts are already taking language courses so they can visit the Chinese space station.

Despite a late start in the space race, China is rapidly catching up. It has returned samples from the moon and even placed a rover on planet Mars just like the US. The country also has a number of big plans for commercial ventures and for deep space exploration including building a base on the moon with Russia and sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. A new chapter for the space odyssey begins!


- Remembering Former Secretary Of State, Colin Powell -

Former military and political leader, and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, passed away last Monday (Oct. 18, 2021) due to complications of COVID-19. Powell had an extraordinary resume dating all the way back to his work in the reserve officers training corps (ROTC) while he was in college. At that time, Powell attained the ROTC’s highest rank and he continued to advance his military career from there. Powell served in combat in the Vietnam War and became a four-star general in the US army.

During the Reagan administration, Powell became America’s first African-American national security advisor. Under President George H. W. Bush, Powell became the first African-American chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, the country’s highest-ranking military officer. And in the administration of President George W. Bush, Powell became America’s first black Secretary of State. In a statement on Monday, President Bush called Powell a great public servant, saying he was such a favorite of US leaders that he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom twice.

Powell worked as a speaker, an author and an advisor at a venture capital firm after serving in the federal government. His family says he died from complications from COVID-19 at the age of 84.


eVTOL, the Electric Air Taxi

eVTOL stands for “electric vertical takeoff and landing”, which means that the aircraft can take off and land like a helicopter but also fly like a plane. An aircraft company called Joby Aviation says its aircraft can travel up to 150 miles (about 241km) on a single battery charge at a max speed of 200mph. While other electric vehicles today aim to be autonomous, Joby’s aircraft will allow space for four passengers and one pilot. Joby believes its vehicles will improve upon traditional helicopters. The company says a streamlined design means there’s less maintenance; also, electric batteries not only lower carbon emissions but also reduce energy costs and noise pollution. Joby Aviation plans to offer commercial flights in 2024, which would become the first-ever in the eVTOL aircraft industry.

Check out today’s CNN10 video to learn more.


[Sentence of the day]

These operation interfaces are in Chinese, and China's state media reports that European astronauts are already taking language courses so they can visit the Chinese space station.

[Vocabulary words]

1. operation
the process of working to achieve something

E.g. Without training, it’s nearly impossible for you to master the operation of this machine.

2. interface
a connection between two pieces of electronic equipment

E.g. The updated version of Instagram comes with a much better user interface than the previous one.

3. astronaut
a person who has been trained for traveling in space

E.g. Buzz Lightyear, the character from Toy Story, was inspired by the astronaut Buzz Aldrin who was also the second man that stepped on the Moon in 1969.


Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
We surely talked a lot about flying today.
It’s fascinating how humans have never ceased to explore outer space.
Would you like to travel in space someday?
How much money are you willing to spend on a space shuttle ride?
Leave a comment down below!

This is Ken Miao, and I’ll see you again next time.

These operation interfaces are in Chinese, and China's state media reports that European astronauts are already taking language courses so they can visit the Chinese space station.

Good evening everyone. please feel free to shoot me some pronunciation advise.