In a weightless, microgravity environment like space, how can someone with sight or mobility problems navigate in the space station? As scientists continue to push the boundaries of spaceflight and the possibility of human life on other planets, how can we build space infrastructure (基础设施) friendly to all humans？
The Mission AstroAccess project aims to answer these questions, starting with a historic parabolic (抛物线的) flight that took off from Long Bench on Oct. 17, 2021. A group of 12 disabled scientists, students, athletes and artists launched into a zero-gravity environment as a first step. To get a better idea of what is needed for more inclusive (包容的) space travel, AstroAccess plans to conduct a series of follow-on parabolic flights after the first launch. On these flights, a plane flies up to an altitude of around 32, 000 feet and then begins a descent at about 4 miles per second. This quick descent creates a microgravity, weightless effect lasting roughly 30 seconds. Afterwards, the plane climbs back up to a stable altitude, and repeats the process again.
The 12 AstroAccess Ambassadors selected for this first microgravity flight included four blind or low-vision Ambassadors; two deaf or hard-of-hearing Ambassadors；and six with mobility disabilities, all carrying out various tasks in the weightless environment. One of the challenges was seeing whether all members could perform basic safety and operational tasks. The crew also tested whether sound beacons (声信标) could be used for blind members to direst themselves, They are also investigating how American Sign Language will be impacted by microgravity.
“My whole career goal is to make the average person able to go to cuter space, where you don’t have to be a crazy trained astronaut with perfect physical abilities and health to visit cuter space,” said Brenda Williamson, head of the AstroAccess logistics committee. “I grew up on Star Trek, so the idea of exploration is really important.”
1. Why is the Mission AstroAccess project carried out？| A．To expose the disabled to zero gravity. |
| B．To train a group of disabled astronauts. |
| C．To involve all humans in spaceflight. |
| D．To build mobile space infrastructure. |
| A．Going down. | B．Going up. | C．Taking off. | D．Touching down. |
| A．They all have mobility problems. |
| B．They communicate by sign language. |
| C．They do scientific research in the lab. |
| D．They perform tasks in weightlessness. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Successful. |
| C．Unrealistic. | D．Challenging. |
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【推荐1】Chinese social media apps have struggled to win over users beyond their home. TikTok is changing that. In the space of just two years, the app has attracted more than half a billion users — around 40% of them outside China --who share short videos of themselves singing, cooking, dancing or just being silly.
Created by the Beijing-based Internet technology company Byte Dance, TikTok has gained an international edge over China's influential social media platforms, such as Tencent's WeChat, Sina Weibo (WB) and Youku of Alibaba (BABA).
What makes Byte Dance better is its right direction and achievement in the social media category, which is largely controlled by Facebook ( FB) , Twitter and Snap 一 all Western companies, said Randy Nelson , head of Mobile Insights at analytics firm Sensor Tower. Social video apps reached new levels of popularity this year. Three of them are in the top 10 most downloaded apps worldwide, according to Sensor Tower. Byte Dance owns two of the three: Vigo Video and TikTok. The other is Instagram, which belongs to Facebook.
Byte Dance calls itself an artificial intelligence company. It uses machine learning and algorithms to figure out what people like and give them more of what they want to see. the company is best known in China for the popular news app Toutiao, which was put into use in 2012. People got hooked on the app' s customized news feeds quickly. Toutiao now has more than 240 million monthly active users that spend on average 74 minutes per day on the platform.
Byte Dance' s success is attracting big investors. It's reportedly in talks with technology kingmaker SoftBank ( SFTBY) about an investment that would value it at around $75 billion, a huge jump from the $ 20 billion valuation it secured last year. That would make Byte Dance one of the world’s most valuable companies alongside Uber.
1. What can be learnt about TikTok?| A．It has appealed to many foreign users. |
| B．It's the most popular Chinese app abroad. |
| C．It's the most successful app of Byte Dance. |
| D．It allows users to share whatever they like on it. |
| A．Support from its investors. | B．Success in social video apps. |
| C．Greater diversity in contents. | D．AI technology applied to apps. |
| A．were tired of | B．were trapped in. |
| C．were familiar with | D．were attracted by |
| A．Tik Tok has beaten other social media apps. |
| B．China's social media apps are successful globally. |
| C．Social video apps win popularity around the world. |
| D．Byte Dance is taking the social media world by storm. |
Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life; death and taxes. Americans do not have a corner on the “death” market, but many people feel that the United States leads the world with the worst taxes.
Taxes consist of the money which people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal (联邦), state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.
Salaried people who earn more than a few thousand dollars must pay a certain percentage of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies form person to person. It depends on their salaries. The federal government has a graduated income tax, that is, the percentage of the tax (14 to 70 percent) increases as a person’s income increases. With the high cost of taxes people are not very happy on April 15, when the federal taxes are due.
The second tax is for the state government: New York, California, North Dakota, or any of the other forty-seven states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item(项目) which you buy in that state. For example, a person might want to buy a packet of cigarettes for twenty-five cents. If there is a sales tax of eight percent in that state, then the cost of the cigarettes is twenty-seven cents. This figure includes the sales tax. Some states use income tax in addition to sales tax to raise their revenues (收入). The state tax laws are various and confusing.
The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax (people who own a home have to pay taxes on it) and excise (国产) tax, which is charged on cars in a city. The cities use these funds for education, police and fire departments, public works and municipal (市政内) buildings.
Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often protest that the government uses their tax dollars in the wrong way. They say that it spends too much on useless and impractical programs. Although Americans have different views on many issues, they tend to agree on one subject: taxes are too high.
1. How do you understand the sentence “Americans do not have a corner on the ‘death’ market”?
| A．It means that Americans, just like all other people, must die. |
| B．It means that Americans do not have a secret place to keep from death in their life. |
| C．It means that Americans are not good at doing business in the death market. |
| D．It means that there is no such place as a death market in the U. S. |
| A．There are three levels of government--federal, state and city-to support the United States. |
| B．There are three kinds of taxes to pay--graduated income tax, sales tax and property tax.. |
| C．They earn different salaries: high, middle, and low. |
| D．Tax laws in different states are different. |
| A．Americans are not satisfied with the three types of taxes. |
| B．The three levels of government do not use the taxes in a right way. |
| C．Americans complain that taxes are too high. |
| D．Americans’ taxes are diverse and confusing. |
【推荐3】Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical (垂直的) farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.
Humans have 12,000 years of experience in growing food, but only a generation’s worth of experience or so in growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (曲线). What’s more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promise.
The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as the “pie-in-the-sky” business. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors—the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.
Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create enormous efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can also be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It’s clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.
The future is probably mixed. In some environments—the Middle East, for instance—a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading other farmland. In other environments, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical farming and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.
1. What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?| A．It relies on more basic scientific research. |
| B．It will replace traditional farming one day. |
| C．It actually came into being 12,000 years ago. |
| D．It can be applicable under different conditions. |
| A．They use less light than traditional ones. |
| B．They can overcome many problems in farming. |
| C．They may seem very unlikely to be popularized. |
| D．They do not need any natural sunlight any longer. |
| A．The recent trend of vertical farming. |
| B．The possible benefits of vertical farming. |
| C．The secrets of developing vertical farming. |
| D．The ways of reducing costs of vertical farming. |
| A．To argue that vegetables do not need to be imported any longer. |
| B．To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia. |
| C．To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high. |
| D．To show vertical farming can work pretty well in some places. |
【推荐1】It is a small step for a plant, and a giant leap for plant kind. A sprouting (发芽) cotton seed on China’s Chang’e-4 lunar lander is the first plant ever to grow in another world, indicating a new era for life in space.
Seeds, including cotton, arabidopsis (拟南芥), oilseed rape (油菜) and potato were carried to the Moon as a part of biological experiment, along with fruit fly eggs and some yeasts (酵母).
Pictures sent back by the probe show the cotton seeds sprouting on January 7, 2019, a few days after Chang’e-4 landed on the far side of the Moon.
The organisms (生物) are in a sealed can, protected from the extreme temperatures and radiation on the surface. “Understanding how to grow plants in space will help lay the foundation for human settlement on the Moon,” a scientist leading the experiment told the South China Morning Post.
The six organisms are intended to form a mini-ecosystem, with the plants making oxygen and food to sustain the fruit flies. Yeasts could process the flies’ waste and dead plants to provide another food source.
In a future human settlement, potatoes could provide food, rapeseed could be a source of oil and cotton could be used for clothing. A study in 2014 reported that plants could sprout and grow in lunar soil for 50 days without any additional nutrients (营养物). Over longer periods, human waste could help support plants’ nutritional needs.
These lunar green shoots aren’t the first plants in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station have grown crops including peas, radishes and cucumbers. They got their first bites of space-grown romaine lettuce in 2015.
The China National Space Administration eventually hopes to put humans on the Moon. “We are studying the program of sending astronauts to the Moon, but it’s still in very early stages,” a deputy director told the South China Morning Post. “We haven’t got the approval yet.”
1. When might Chang’e-4 land on the far side of the Moon?| A．On January 7, 2019. | B．On January 3, 2019. |
| C．On February 28, 2014. | D．On February 3, 2015. |
| A．It helps scientists understand the ecosystem in space. |
| B．It helps people living on the Moon feed themselves. |
| C．It helps support plants’ nutritional needs in space. |
| D．It helps set the basis for establishing settlements on the Moon. |
| A．Oxygen created by plants provides a food source. |
| B．The purpose of these organisms is to form a small ecosystem. |
| C．The yeast hardly plays a role in dealing with fruit flies’ waste. |
| D．The organisms can resist extreme heat and cold in the environment. |
| A．Living on the Moon |
| B．Flying to the Moon |
| C．Garden on Moon’s Far Side |
| D．Human Settlement on Moon’s Far Side |
【推荐2】On February 6, 2020, American astronaut Christina Koch arrived back on Earth after 328 days in space. Her time in space is just one of the records set by herself. That’s the longest spaceflight ever made by a woman, and just one of the many things Ms. Koch achieved in space.
Ms. Koch took off from Earth for the International Space Station (ISS) on March 12, 2019. While in space, she made 5, 248 trips around the Earth, travelling 2, 237 million kilometers, which is roughly the same as 291 trips to the Moon and back. During her 11 months on the ISS, Ms. Koch took part in six spacewalks, spending over 42 hours in all outside the station. In October of 2019, Ms. Koch led the first ever all-female spacewalk with Jessica Meir.
But for most astronauts, space travel isn’t about setting records. It’s about doing science. Ms. Koch took part in a wide variety of special experiments, including studying how crystals grow in space, how atoms behave in extreme cold and learning more about growing plants in low gravity. Growing plants in space could be an important way to provide food on future trips. She also tested a new way of separating liquids from gases. This experiment could lead to simple methods of cleaning water and air in space, which could be very important for future space travel.
Ms. Koch isn’t just a scientist and an astronaut. She is also being studied. She’s part of a NASA program studying how astronauts are affected by being in space for long periods of time. Her trip was only 12 days shorter than the American record set by Scott Kelly in 2016. As they did with Mr. Kelly, NASA scientists are looking carefully at ways Ms. Koch’s body has been affected by her time in space. That research is important for the longer space trips NASA hopes to make in the future, such as for a base on the moon or a trip to Mars.
1. Which of the following is an achievement Ms. Koch has made?| A．Making the longest spaceflight by herself. | B．Leading the first women-only spacewalk. |
| C．Cleaning water and air successfully in space. | D．Staying outside the ISS continuously for 42 hours. |
| A．Koch made historic breakthroughs in space. | B．Koch went through a life-threatening space trip. |
| C．Koch completed admirable tasks in the space travel. | D．Koch is the most experienced astronaut in NASA. |
| A．Astronauts are competing to set new records. | B．Koch’s team produced their own food in space. |
| C．NASA has founded a scientific base on the moon. | D．Koch’s research is significant for space exploration. |
| A．Record-Setting Astronaut Koch Returns to Earth | B．US Astronauts Carried out Experiments in Space |
| C．Spacewalks Have Successfully Been Done on the ISS | D．NASA is Studying Astronauts for Longer Space Trips |
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan, named after the great Venusian astronomer Professor. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20000 light years ago.
Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility (可行性) of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.
"We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing," Prof. Zog said, "that there is no life on Earth."
"How do you know this?" the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.
"For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is made up of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive."
"What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?"
"We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than originally planned."
"Are there any other dangers that you discovered in your studies?"
"Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering (盘旋) over the surface of Earth? We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have further tests before we send a Venus Being there."
"Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicates it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer."
"If all you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?"
"Yes, but we shall continue as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds(资金)." Profession. Zog replied.
1. According to the passage, the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information about _____.
| A．the feasibility of landing a satellite on Earth |
| B．the possibility of making a first-rate flying saucer |
| C．the feasibility of sending a Venus Being to Earth |
| D．the possibility of directing a flying saucer into Manhattan |
| A．they need it in their way to the planet of Earth |
| B．the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases |
| C．there is a low level of oxygen for Venusians |
| D．there is no air on the planet of Earth |
| A．landing a manned flying saucer on Earth will be carried out soon |
| B．Venusians will land on Earth to help to stop serious pollution |
| C．it’s unnecessary to land a manned flying saucer on Earth at present |
| D．pollution on Earth makes it impossible for Venusians to survive there |
| A．In a popular magazine. | B．In a fairy tale. |
| C．In an observation journal | D．In science fiction |
