HailtheSuccessofChina’sFirstMannedSpaceFlight..docVIP

Lesson One This text contains two news stories respectively written by Reuters and Xinhua reporting the successful mission of China’s first space hero Yang Liwei. The success of China’s first manned space flight is a great event, which is not only hailed by the whole nation but also welcomed by the whole world. What do you think is its significance for China, and for the world? In terms of style, the two pieces set a good example of news story writing, especially the use of the “inverted pyramid” structure. Hail the Success of China’s First Manned Space Flight On October 16, 2003, China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei successfully completed his historic voyage in space and safely returned to earth. Yang’s return marked the opening of China’s age of manned space exploration and made China the third country after Russia and the United States in manned space flight. The success of China’s first manned space flight is a great event, which is not only hailed by the whole nation but also welcomed by the whole world. Following are two news stories respectively written by Reuters and Xinhua, reporting Yang’s successful return and his crowning of the title “Space Hero”. China’s First Space Hero Returns to Earth (Reuters 2003-10-16 ) China’s first man in space returned to a hero’s welcome on Thursday, completing a historic voyage four decades after the Soviet Union and the United States pioneered the manned spaceflight. Yang Liwei emerged from the Shenzhou V capsule and waved, drawing cheers from the masses of 600 locals, recovery workers and police who greeted him on the chill, sunlit steppes of Inner Mongolia. Suspended by a giant parachute, the bronze-colored capsule carrying the taikonaut, coined from the Chinese word for space — taikong, touched down at around 6:23 a.m. (6:23 p.m. EDT Wednesday) after a 21-hour journey that took him around the world 14 times. Premier Wen Jiabao sent immediate congratulations, hailing the mission as a “complete success” after a c