文章大意:本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了研究人员针对人体上的某些细菌在类火星环境中进行了实验,实验表明在人体上的细菌不仅可以在火星表面的恶劣条件下存活下来,而且还可能茁壮成长。
Recent experiments exposed four common disease-causing bacteria to a Mars-like environment with its lack of water, insufficient atmospheric pressure, deadly radiation and poisonous salts. The bacteria remained alive for various periods of time, researchers report in the January Astrobiology.
In 2020, a team of scientists found that several bacterial species that live on or inside the human body were able to grow in a medium like the nutrient-poor conditions. That made some of the researchers wonder how such bugs would hold up under the unforgiving environment of Mass. So several members of that team, along with microbiologist Tommaso Zaccaria, did the experiment about four microbes (微生物), which usually live harmlessly on or in us but can lend to diseases when stressed.
“At the beginning, we thought that the environment on Mars would have a harmful effect on the cells so it would limit their growth.” says Zaccaria, a microbiologist in Cologne. “But instead, we saw that it was the opposite.”
He and his colleagues are now trying to figure out just how the microbes held on. Perhaps on Mars, the bacteria managed to find small areas with enough water, nutrients and protection from the deadly UV radiation. Zeccaria says. The researchers are also interested in determining how the human body will respond to bugs that have gone through such hard conditions.
The results suggest that human missions to Mars should bring plenty of different antibiotics (抗生素) to deal with disease-causing bacteria surviving on the Martian surface. And since we don’t want to accidentally mistake a terrestrial (地球上的) bug for a native Martian one while searching for life on Mars, Zaccaria also recommends that areas of the Red Planet be set aside like national parks, where humans would send only robotic vehicles and not our bacteria-carrying bodies.
Waters, a scientist who was not involved in the experiments, points out that human intelligence will hopefully find ways to solve such problems, which shouldn’t scare us away from sending people beyond our planet.
12. What is the purpose of the experiment?
A.To show the similarity between the earth and Mars. |
B.To prove that some microbes have strong ability to live. |
C.To find out how some bacteria survive tough environment. |
D.To explain how harmless microbes lead to diseases under stress. |
13. What might be Zaccaria’s reaction to the findings?
A.Amazed. | B.Disappointed. | C.Satisfied. | D.Concerned. |
14. What might kill bacteria on Mars?
A.High stress. | B.Certain radiation. | C.Salty water. | D.Much heat. |
15. Which of the following does Zaccaria agree with?
A.Setting up more national parks on the earth. |
B.Continuing to search the whole Mars for life. |
C.Bringing more microbes to Mars for further research. |
D.Leaving special areas for robotic vehicles on Mars. |