Lesson 20
Pioneer pilots
飞行员的先驱
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1Lesson 20
2Pioneer pilots
3What was the name of the first plane to fly across the English Channel?
4In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of $1,000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel.
5Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.
6On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning,
7Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV.'
8He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea.
9The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.
10Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No.XI'.
11Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model.
12A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles.
13Latham, however, did not give up easily.
14He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antoinette'.
15It looked as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.
16Both planes were going to take off on July 25th,
17but Latham failed to get up early enough.
18After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later.
19His great flight lasted thirty-seven minutes.
20When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman.
21Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover,
22but he was unlucky again.
23His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.