1. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
| A．Classmates. | B．Colleagues. | C．Teacher and student. |
| A．She is brave. | B．She is talented. | C．She is determined. |
| A．Having a graduate degree. | B．Doing well in sports. | C．Becoming an experienced pilot. |
| A．Walking in space. | B．Changing living habits. | C．Working inside the capsule. |
2 . The Australian National University (ANU) and an Australian start-up, Lunaria One, are teaming up to grow plants on the moon together, as early as 2025. Lunari a One’s ALEPH project is an early step toward growing plants for food, medicine and oxygen production. However, the problem is that the moon is like a desert (沙漠). There’s no life there, only dust, rocks and water.
“Space provides a unique opportunity to study how to grow plants in extreme environments,” said ANU Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt. “The extreme conditions that the Earth is facing because of climate change present challenges for how we manage food security in the future. Having controlled environments can create the ability to rapidly grow plants after natural disasters or events caused by climate change. So this project is important. If you can create a system for growing plants on the moon, then you can create a system for growing food in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.”
As to what plants to be grown on the moon researchers are still deciding, but one of the front runners under consideration is Tripogon loliiformis, a kind of Australian native (本土的) grass that can live in extreme conditions and survive for months without water. According to a plant biologist, even after losing more than 95 per cent of its relative water content, the dead-looking grass remains alive and continues to grow when provided with water. Whatever plants are selected, they will be transported to the moon in a dry and sleeping state and will come to life upon watering.
The ship will take off in 2025. Upon arrival, pictures and videos will be sent back to Earth over a 72-hour period and will be publicly accessible (可得到的). “The ALEPH project aims to make the science and engineering behind growing life on the moon open to people. And we hope to get everyone involved (参与的) and listen to their opinions. If you’re interested in the project, you can get all the necessary information from our website,” said Lauren Fell, the director of Lunaria One.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?| A．The methods of growing plants in space. | B．The challenges of growing plants after disasters. |
| C．The value of growing plants on the moon. | D．The need to grow food for a growing population. |
| A．It can produce young plants fast. | B．It can live with little water. |
| C．It is the most common grass in Australia. | D．It can naturally wake up from a sleeping state. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Shocked. | C．Negative. | D．Worried. |
| A．Plants are on the moon for the first time |
| B．How to care for plants in extreme environments? |
| C．Why can this Australian native grass grow in space? |
| D．A space project aims to grow plants on the moon |
The three astronauts of the Shenzhou XIV mission,
According to the China Manned Space Agency, the Shenzhou XVI crew left for the Tiangong station in May
1. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
| A．A certain ball made in space. |
| B．A research plan made in space. |
| C．A problem in making things in space. |
| A．Children’s games. | B．Medical research. | C．Earth protection. |
| A．To keep them smaller. |
| B．To keep them perfectly round. |
| C．To produce them more cheaply. |
NASA unveils first full-color images from Webb
NASA on Tuesday showcased the first full-color images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The image showcases the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it
Short space trips for paying passengers on the way
CAS Space, a Beijing-based rocket company, is designing a set of reusable rockets and spacecraft to send paying passengers on short trips into space. Yang Yiqiang, the founder of CAS Space, told China Daily on Wednesday if everything goes according to plan, the combination of the rocket and spaceship will become mature after at least 15 test flights and will be able to
To become
IS EXPLORING SPACE
A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY?
NASA satellite image of Typhoon Goni
Countries around the globe are spending billions of dollars and lots of time on various space missions, whether to Mars or other planets much further away. Some people argue that we should stop wasting time and money exploring space. Instead, we should feed the world’s poor and find immediate solutions to other problems, such as pollution and fatal diseases. However, others feel this is a shallow view which fails to realise how exploring space helps us.
Firstly, exploring space has already made a difference in the fight against world hunger. It has directly resulted in the many satellites that now orbit Earth. A number of the satellites record data on land and weather patterns. Then the data is transmitted to scientists on Earth. After careful analysis, the scientists can provide useful recommendations and advice for farmers. As a result, space-based science has helped farming in its efforts to grow enough food to feed Earth’s increasing population.
Secondly, space exploration has already promoted technological improvements that benefit us all. High-end products around the world are made to a higher standard now because of advanced technology which was first created to meet the requirements for space exploration. For example, space technologies have helped the research and development of different types of new material. They have also helped companies make better heart monitors and other machines that doctors regularly use. Today, space technologies are widely used in all kinds of industries, and everyday products such as GPS, memory foam pillows, and smartphone cameras are changing our lives.
Finally, sending astronauts into space has helped people to think about the world’s problems and even to find ways to solve them. Seeing pictures of our planet as an island in a black sea made people realise that our planet’s resources are limited. In order to provide for such a rapidly increasing population, scientists are trying to find other planets that could one day be our new home. The greatest attention at present is on Mars because it is closer to Earth. In the future, humans may live on both planets.
In closing, exploring space provides the world with many different benefits. Therefore, it should continue so as to provide new and better solutions to people’s short-term and long-term problems.
| A. Space exploration has already promoted technological improvements that benefit us. B. Sending astronauts into space has helped people to think about the world’s problems and even to find ways to solve them. C. Different opinions about space exploration. D. Exploration space provides the world with many benefits, so it should continue. E. Exploration space has made a difference in the fight against world hunger. |
Para.2:
Para.3:
Para.4:
Para.5:
1. Why did Jared Isaacman start the Inspiration 4 mission?
| A．To raise funds. | B．To do research. | C．To realize his dream. |
| A．She had cancer at 29. |
| B．She was chosen as a NASA astronaut in 2009. |
| C．She is the youngest American in space. |
| A．He’s a doctor. | B．He’s a teacher. | C．He’s an astronaut. |
| A．93 miles above the Earth. | B．360 miles above the Earth. | C．575 miles above the Earth. |
1. What was the news about?
| A．It’s about the space station. |
| B．It’s about the space. |
| C．It’s about the astronauts. |
| A．Because he hopes to go to the moon. |
| B．Because he is an astronaut. |
| C．Because he wants to do research in space. |
