costing the United States D|S10 million a day⑬. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle⑭ - a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys⑮. The first shuttle flight into space was the Columbia - launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981⑯. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return⑰ to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apol lo 11's historic⑱ voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane­style landing in California. This was the start of a new age⑲ of space travel.

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①set foot on/in 踏上，进入/进到(某处)

②Ever since ...是时间状语从句，主句通常用现在完成时。

③accustomed/ə'kʌstəmd/adj.习惯的

become/be accustomed to 习惯于(注意to为介词)

④millions of 数以百万计的(表泛指)

如果million 前面有具体数字表示确指，则million不能用复数，后面也不加of。

⑤aware adj.意识到的；知道的

be/become aware of 知道；意识到

⑥risk n. & v．危险，风险；使(某人/自己)面临危险

take/run risks/a risk 冒险

risk doing ... 冒险做......

⑦giant adj.巨大的

⑧using a spaceship computer that ... 是现在分词短语作方式状语。该状语中含有that引导的定语从句，修饰a spaceship computer。该定语从句中，used by ...是过去分词短语作定语，修饰the ones。

⑨as they could not take off more than once 是原因状语从句。

⑩take off 起飞；脱掉；成功

take on 雇用，聘用；呈现，具有

⑪once n．一次 adv.曾经 conj.一旦(引导条件状语从句)

⑫be enthusiastic about 对......很热情/热心

⑬that was costing the United States D|S10 million a day 是定语从句，修饰a space travel programme。

⑭shuttle/'ʃʌtl/n.航天飞机

⑮that could be used for several journeys 是定语从句，修饰a spacecraft。

⑯launched from ... 为过去分词短语作后置定语。

⑰to test ..., to go safely up ..., to return ...是三个动词不定式短语作表语。

⑱historic/hI'stɒrIk/adj.历史性的，有重大历史意义的

historical adj.(有关)历史的

⑲age n．时期，时代；年龄　a new age of ......的新纪元

太空：最后的疆域

第一部分

[第1～2段译文]

自从尼尔•阿姆斯特朗在1969年7月21日首次踏上月球以来，人们对太空旅行这一概念已经非常熟悉。数以百万计的人们从电视上观看了首次登月，他们的心提到了嗓子眼，因为他们十分清楚这次冒险是多么艰难多么危险，以及要冒多