China's newest space laboratory, Tiangong Ⅱ, will be sent up into the air from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China. It will provide more comfortable digs for astronauts living aboard.
Zhu Zongpeng, chief designer of Tiangong Ⅱ said designers aimed to create an astronaut-friendly environment in every regard when they refitted the space lab that was developed based on Tiangong Ⅰ.
"A number of particulars were taken into account, including the sound, lighting, inner decorations as well as support equipment. For instance, the carpet in Tiangong I was replaced with floorboards. We fixed a foldable, multifunctional table that can be used for dining and experiments. The light is softer and can be adjusted. Each astronaut has a bed lamp. We also equipped the astronauts with Bluetooth headsets and Bluetooth speakers." Zhu added.
The Tiangong Ⅱ consists of two cabins（舱）with separate functions—the experiment cabin is sealed and acts as the astronauts' living quarters, while the resource cabin contains solar panels（太阳电池板）, storage batteries, engines, etc.
The lab has about 15 square meters for astronauts to live and work, including a separate sleep section and waste storage area. The equipment in the spacecraft ensures its inner sound under 50 decibels（分贝）. The temperature within the experiment cabin is kept between 22℃ and 24℃ and the humidity（湿度） between 45 and 55 percent.
In addition, Tiangong Ⅱ has an air detector（空气探测器）, and it can be used to check and deal with more than 20 dangerous gases. Also, designers placed exercise equipment in the space lab to help astronauts keep healthy and its communication systems also allow astronauts to receive and reply to emails and make calls to family and friends.
1. What does the underlined word "digs" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Rooms. | B．Temperature. |
| C．Headsets. | D．Light. |
| A．To help astronauts keep healthy. |
| B．To create an astronaut-friendly environment. |
| C．To help astronauts to receive and reply to emails. |
| D．To deal with over 20 dangerous gases in the lab. |
| A．A table for dining and experiment was fixed. |
| B．A few aspects were considered to refit the space lab. |
| C．Astronauts were equipped with Bluetooth headsets. |
| D．Bright lamps which could be adjusted were placed. |
| A．Astronauts can live and work in different places. |
| B．Exercise equipment has been placed for astronauts to keep fit. |
| C．Astronauts will feel more comfortable in the space lab after the improvement. |
| D．The sound and temperature in the spacecraft will help astronauts sleep well. |
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【推荐1】A key part of protecting endangered species is figuring out where they’re living. Using environmental DNA, or eDNA, to track species isn’t new. For a few years now, researchers have been using DNA in water.
Two teams of scientists — one in Denmark led by Dr Kristine Bohmann and one in the UK led by Dr Elizabeth Clare — came up with the same question at about the same time: Could they identify the animals in an area from DNA that was simply floating in the air? DNA in the air is usually so small that it would take a microscope to see it. “I thought the chances of collecting animal DNA from air would be slim though much time had been spent on it, but we moved on,” said Bohmann who was trying to think of a crazy research idea for a Danish foundation that funds far-out science.
One team collected samples from different locations at Denmark’s Copenhagen Zoo, and the other at Hamerton Zoo Park in the UK. Clearly, they both chose the zoos. “We realized we have the Copenhagen Zoo,” Bohmann recalls. In fact, both the zoos in the UK and Denmark were almost like the zoos that were custom-built for the experiments: The animals in the zoos were non-native, so they really stuck out in DNA analyses. “If we detect a flamingo (火烈鸟), we’re sure it’s not coming from anywhere else but the zoo,” Bohmann says.
In the laboratory, by comparing their samples with examples of DNA from different animals, the scientists succeeded in identifying many different animals at the zoos.
Neither team knew that the other team was working on a similar experiment. The two were nearing submission to a scientific journal when they discovered about the other experiment. Rather than compete to rush out a publication first, they got in touch and decided to publish their findings as a pair. “We both thought the papers are stronger together,” says Clare.
“The next step is to figure out how to take this method into nature to track animals that are hard to spot, including endangered animals,” says Bohmann.
1. What did Bohmann initially think of the experiment?| A．It could be a failure. | B．It wouldn’t take long. | C．It wasn’t original. | D．It would cost much. |
| A．They raised many rare animals there. | B．The zoos were specially built for them. |
| C．They could collect enough animal DNA. | D．They could recognize animals confidently. |
| A．Competitive. | B．Inseparable. | C．Cooperative. | D．Casual. |
| A．Research Teams Test DNA in Nature | B．DNA in the Air Helps identify Animals |
| C．Different Zoos Conduct DNA Studies | D．eDNA Protects Endangered Animals |
【推荐2】Smart phones provide a palm (手掌)-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meeting s mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past.
So we should have more free time. Time which is now spent sleeping, relaxing or simply doing nothing-right? We recently interviewed 300 people across Europe to understand how they used digital devices in day-to-day life. This research showed that people want to avoid empty periods of time in their lives, so they fill those periods performing tasks, some of which wouldn’t be possible without technology.
Whether it was waiting for a bus, waking in the morning, or lying in bed at night, our research reported that time which would previously be “empty” was now filled with brain training apps, creating lists of things they should do or try based on their social media feed, and other life admin.
On the face of it some of these tasks may seem like examples of tech saving us time. In theory, online banking should mean I have more time because I no longer need to go to the bank in my lunch break. However, our research suggests that this is not the case.
If the idea that you have more time than ever before is making you choke on your coffee, you are not alone. There is growing evidence that while digital technology may help us to save some time, we end up using that time to do more and more things. For many people, it is no longer enough to simply eat dinner, watch TV or maybe do an exercise class. Instead, in an attempt to avoid wasting time, these activities are performed while also browsing the web in search of the ingredients for a more perfect life and trying to develop a sense of achievement.
It seems that people still see going for a walk or actually being with friends as more valuable than being online. Maybe if we put down the phone a little more, we would have the time to actually cook those recipes we watch online.
1. What conclusion can be drawn in the first paragraph?| A．Technology makes our lives easier. |
| B．We can’t live well without modern technology. |
| C．Virtual meeting is a thing of the past. |
| D．A smart home offers you luxury and convenience. |
| A．It is an essential means of relaxation. |
| B．It does good to perform daily tasks. |
| C．It is secretly stolen by technology. |
| D．It forces people to do more work. |
| A．It’s not too late to get free time back. |
| B．Lunch break can be saved by online banking. |
| C．Doing little or nothing is sometimes OK. |
| D．Technology leads to a denser form of life. |
| A．Students in on-line learning. |
| B．Employees working in the bank. |
| C．People relying on digital devices. |
| D．Researchers in the technological lab. |
【推荐3】In the last century, a series of missions have been carried out to explore the moon-Earth’s only natural satellite. Among them, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission was pioneering as it succeeded in landing the first humans on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Several decades later, NASA announced its Artemis program. Named after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of Apollo, the Artemis program will send humans to the moon by the year 2024. And this time, the moon will welcome its first female astronaut.
Up until now, only 12 people, all male, have ever walked on the moon. “No woman has ever walked on the lunar surface.” Bettina Inclan, NASA communications director said in a statement. But the Artemis program will change this.
Women, of course, have been involved in space projects and made valuable contributions. In 1963, astronaut Valentina Tereshkova from the Soviet Union became the first woman to travel into space.
However, the progress toward women’s access to space flight programs has been slow. Women have been held back by various requirements and security concerns. For example, astronauts had to be test pilots with a certain amount of experience. This was a problem as the they were all males at the time.
In 1962, NASA wrote to a little girl who wanted to be an astronaut. The letter said, “We have no present plans to employ women on spaceflights because of the degree of scientific and flight training, and the physical characteristics, which are required.”
Women have indeed made progress in this particular area, and have advantages over their male colleagues. Women tend to be smaller, which means they use less oxygen and take up less space in small spacecrafts. Also, women usually have greater communication skills that make them better-suited to long spaceflights.
Despite challenges, women have shown that they have the ability to join that great group of men who have gone to the moon. And this will truly be a remarkable moment in history.
1. What can be inferred from the passage?| A．The Apollo 11 was the first mission that was carried out to explore the moon. |
| B．Women made no progress in the space flight programs in the 20th century. |
| C．NASA announced to send the first woman astronaut to the moon by 2024. |
| D．The Artemis program will only bring women astronauts to the moon. |
| A．NASA took the little girl’s opinion seriously at that time. |
| B．it was impossible for a woman to be an astronaut at the beginning. |
| C．a lot of girls in America were eager to become astronauts then. |
| D．women had made great progress in space flight programme. |
| A．Women usually need more room than man do. |
| B．Women usually consume more oxygen than men do. |
| C．Women can easily get used to living in space. |
| D．Women are more likely to get along with others. |
