2014年12月英语六级听力备考练习13

英语自学网

　　英语六级听力部分算是同学们考试时的难点吧。听力这部分不能急于求成，需要时间来练习。对于这部分同学们平时在积累词汇的基础上多加练习就可以，听的多了就能掌握技巧，距离12月份的四六级考试还有一段时间，同学每天练习一点听力，考试时听力就能取得高分了。
　　

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听力音频点击下载.mp3
　　

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听力材料：
　　Wednesday’s successful launch of a Russianspace vehicle taking supplies to theInternational Space Station was in sharpcontrast to the explosion of a private U.S. cargospace craft shortly after it’s Tuesday launch ona similar mission. But U.S. space agency NASA,which contracted the private firm to supply the space station, says the program willmove forward, with more launches to come.
　　Under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation, based in Virginia, hassent two cargo vehicles to the International Space Station without a hitch.
　　This time, their Cygnus spacecraft, powered by an Antares rocket was carrying more than twotons of water and food and also some classified equipment.
　　But several seconds after the launch the rocket blew up, before the new second stage motorwas able to ignite.
　　The explosion completely destroyed the cargo and damaged the launch pad, but no injuries orloss of life were reported.
　　At a press conference at Wallops Island launch facility Executive Vice President and GeneralManager at Orbital Sciences Corporation, Frank Culbertson, said the Antares program will be puton hold.
　　“We will not fly until we understand the root cause and the corrective action necessary toinsure that this doesn’t happen again," said Culbertson.
　　President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Eric Stallmer, says the space flight industryis already looking ahead.
　　“It’s a setback, a short-term setback, but Orbital, they have still four more launches to go tothe International Space Station and we anticipate those to be a huge success," said Stallmer.
　　However, Orbital Corporation’s revenue will suffer, according to John Logsdon of GeorgeWashington University’s Space Policy Institute.
　　“Because not only was this a major source of revenue for the company, this commercialcargo contract, but we don’t know yet how much damage has been done to the launch padand it’s the only pad from which the Antares vehicle could be launched," said Logsdon.
　　NASA has a similar contract with another private firm, Space X Corporation, based in California,and their cargo vehicle is scheduled to launch in December.
　　For now the U.S. is only sending unmanned flights into space. but that will change. Space X andBoeing have both signed contracts with NASA and manned space flights are planned as soon as2017.