Flying into History When you turn on the television or read a magazine, celebrities (名人）are everywhere. Although fame and the media play such major roles in our lives today, it has not always been that way. _ (46) Many historians agree that Charles Lindbergh was one of the first major celebrities, or superstars. Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1902，but he grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota. As a child, he was very interested in how things worked , so when he reached college, he pursued a degree in engineering. At the age of 20，however, the allure (诱惑）of flying captured Lindbergh’s imagination._(47) Soon after, Lindbergh bought his own plane and traveled across the nation performing aerial stunts (空中特技）_In 1924, Lindbergh became more serious about flying. He joined the United States military and graduated first in his pilot class. _(48)During the same time, a wealthy hotel owner named Raymond Orteig was offering a generous award to the first pilot who could fly nonstop from New York City to Paris，France. The Orteig Prize was worth $25，000 a large amount even by today’s standards. Lindbergh knew he had the skills to complete the flight, but not just any plane was capable of flying that far for that long. __ (49)On May 20，1927,Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in New York City and arrived the next day at an airstrip (简易机场）outside Paris. Named in honor of the sponsor, The Spirit of St. Louis carried Lindbergh across the Atlantic Ocean and into the record books. He became a national hero and a huge celebrity. When he returned to the United States, Lindbergh rode in a ticker-tape (热烈的）parade held to celebrate his accomplishment._(50) A very popular dance was even named for Charles Lindbergh the Lindy Hop. Today, The Spirit of St. Louis is kept at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D. C.

A. Eighty years ago, radio and movies were just beginning to have that kind of effect on Americans.

B. Working with an aviation company from San Diego, California, and with financial help from the city of St. Louis, Lindbergh got a customized (定制的)airplane that could make the journey.

C. He also received a Medal of Honor, the highest United States military decoration.

D. He quit school and moved to Nebraska where he learned to be a pilot.

E. His childhood was not full of fond memories.

F. Lindbergh used this additional training to get a job as an airmail pilot, flying out of St. Louis, Missouri.