Two Famous Explorers
Throughout
history, we have benefited from the courageous explorers whose daring
adventures opened new frontiers to us. Whether they set out to sail the seas,
cross unexplored lands, or take to the skies in flight, they changed our perception
of the world. If our
perception off the world are changes, we will know that the world is really
wide.
Vasco
da Gama is one such explorer. He was the first European to sail from Europe
(Portugal) around Africa to India and back. In 1497, with four ships, he made
the trip to India in 23 days. The return trip, however, took almost four and a
half months because of the monsoon winds. If he had
listened to the advice of the local people and waited, he wouldn’t have lost more
than half of his crew. He returned with only two of the four ships. If he waited a while before
returning to Portugal, maybe all four ships would return with him. Da
Gama was a true adventurer, and his discovery brought the spice trade to
Portugal.
Charles
Lindbergh was an explorer of the skies who made the first solo flight across
the Atlantic Ocean. As a young man, Lindbergh’s interest was in aviation. He
dropped out of college to travel around the country performing airplane stunts
for audiences at county fairs.
In
1924, he joined the Army and received pilot training. Later, he was hired to
fly mail between St. Louis and Chicago. If Lindbergh stayed in school and studied engineering, he probably
wouldn’t become a pilot. In 1927, Lindbergh set a goal to be the first
person to fly non-stop from New York to Paris and win a $25,000 prize for doing
so.
On
May 20, 1927, Lindbergh took off in his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, and
flew almost 4,000 miles across the Atlantic in 33.5 hours. After this historic
feat, Lindbergh continued to promote aviation and even wrote a book about his
transatlantic flight. If Lindbergh hadn’t traveled
around the country on a postflight tour, people wouldn’t have considered aviation
as a means of travel. From the story above we can learn if you are working hard your dreams will come true.
Type 1
1.
If our perception off the world are
changes, we will know that the world is really wide.
2.
If you are working hard your dreams will come true.
Type 2
1.
If he waited a while before returning to
Portugal, maybe all four ships would return with him
2.
If Lindbergh stayed in school and studied
engineering, he probably wouldn’t become a pilot
Type 3
1.
If he had listened to the advice of the local people and waited, he
wouldn’t have lost more than half of his crew
2. If Lindbergh hadn’t traveled around the country on a postflight
tour, people wouldn’t have considered aviation as a means of travel.
