这是原文,译文见附件.因为我的汉语译文无法提交.

　　Rockets

　　Todayrocketsareveryadvancedmachineswhichwecanusetosendastronautsintospace.Theyarealsousedinfireworkdisplaystocelebrategreatevents,suchastheendoftheOlympicGamesorthebeginningofthenewmillenniumintheyear2000.

　　Rocketswereprobablyinventedbyaccidentabout2,000yearsago.TheChinesehadaformofgunpowderwhichwasputinbambootubesandthrownintofirestomakeexplosionsduringfestivals.Perhapssomeofthetubesjumpedoutofthefireinsteadofexplodinginit.TheChinesediscoveredthatthegasescapingfromthetubecouldliftitintotheair.Theideaoftherocketwasborn.

　　Thefirstmilitaryuseofrocketswasin1232.TheSongDynastywasatwarwiththeMongols.DuringthebattleofKaifeng,theSongarmyshot"arrowsofflyingfire".Thetubeswereattachedtoalongstickwhichhelpedkeeptherocketmovinginastraightdirection.SoontheMongolslearnedhowtomakerocketsthemselvesanditispossiblethattheyintroducedthemtoEurope.Betweenthe13thand15thcenturiesthereweremanyrocketexperimentsinEngland,FranceandItaly.Theywereusedformilitarypurposes.OneItalianscientisteveninventedarocketwhichcouldtraveloverthesurfaceofwaterandhitanenemyship.

　　Butnoteverybodywantedtouserocketsinbattles.WanHu,aChinesegovernmentofficial,inventedaflyingchair.Heattachedtwobigkitestothechair,and47rocketstothekites.Therocketswerelit,therewasahugeexplosionandcloudsofthicksmoke.WhenthesmokeclearedWanHuandhischairhaddisappeared.Nooneknowswhathappened.DidWanHudieintheexplosion?Orwashecarriedmilesintospace,becomingtheworld'sfirstastronaut?