A satellite is about to demonstrate a new way of capturing space junk with magnets for the first time. With the frequency of space launches dramatically increasing in recent years, the potential for a disastrous collision above Earth is continually growing. Now, Japanese orbital clean-up company Astroscale is testing a potential solution.
The firm’s End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration mission is scheduled to lift off on 20 March aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. It consists of two spacecraft: a smaller “client” satellite and a larger “servicer” satellite, or “chaser”. The smaller satellite is equipped with a magnetic (磁力的) plate which allows the chaser to dock with it.
The two stacked spacecraft will perform three tests once in orbit, each of which will involve the servicer satellite releasing and then recapturing the client satellite. The first test will be the simplest, with the client satellite drifting a short distance away and then being recaptured. In the second test, the servicer satellite will set the client satellite tumbling before catching up with it and matching its motion to grab it.
Finally, if those two tests go well, the chaser will live up to its name by letting the client satellite float a few hundred metres away before finding it and attaching to it. All of these tests will be performed autonomously, with little to no human input once they are set in motion.
“These kinds of demonstrations have never been done before in space - they are very different to, say, an astronaut controlling a robotic arm on the International Space Station,” says Jason Forshaw at Astroscale UK. “This is more of an autonomous mission.” At the end of the tests, both spacecraft will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
If companies wanted to use this capability, they would have to attach a magnetic plate to their satellites so they could be captured later. Because of the growing space garbage problem, many countries now require firms to have a way to bring back their satellites once they run out of fuel or fail, so this could be a fairly simple likely plan, Forshaw says. Right now, each chaser can only nab one satellite, but Astroscale is working on a version that could drag three or four out of orbit at once.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “dock with” in Paragraph 2?| A．deal with | B．keep up with | C．join together | D．crash |
| A．Because of the growing space waste problem. |
| B．Because the frequency of space launches are dramatically increasing. |
| C．Because they can earn large profits from it. |
| D．Because Astroscale has found a new method of capturing the space garbage. |
| A．An astronaut controls a robotic arm on the International Space to capture the “client” satellite |
| B．Through a magnetic plate remotely controlled by humans on the ground to catch the “client” satellite |
| C．Finding the “client” satellite and attaching to it with a magnetic plate automatically |
| D．Tumbling to match the motion of “client” satellite the drag three or four satellites out of its orbit into atmosphere. |
| A．people will burn the space junk up in Earth’s atmosphere in the future |
| B．Japan and Russia will conduct space debris cleanup experiment together |
| C．These kinds of demonstrations have never been done before. |
| D．the demonstration mission will be divided into three phases |
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【推荐1】If you have a chance to talk with a historical figure, who would you like it to be? What would you like to know about the past or share from today? China in the Classics, a new TV show based on Chinese classics started by China Central Television (CCTV) in February, is exploring such possibilities.
In the first episode (集), the host of the show, Sa Beining, meets ancient Confucian scholar Fu Sheng, who interprets Shangshu, The Book of Documents. Regarded as one of the five classics of ancient Chinese Confucianism masterpieces, the book records many firsts in the country. Even the expression zhongguo (China) is used there first.
The episode ends with the host bringing Fu to today’s modern society, where the scholar is happy to find children reciting the same things he had learned in his childhood. It increased the rating of the series with viewers giving it 9 out of 10 on Douban, a film and TV show reviewing website popular among young people.
The success of China in the Classics doesn’t surprise Shen Haixiong, head of the China Media Group. Shen said in an article in the journal Qiushi, “We are happy to see the program is popular among the public, but we are more proud to find that innovative interpretation of Chinese classics are arousing young people’s interest in the Chinese culture.”
Therefore, TV channels have been making bold attempts in recent years to attract today’s younger generations. The Nation’s Greatest Treasures, CCTV’s cultural show in 2017, showcased China’s history and culture through antiques in the top-class museums, and fired up the audience. They include the 3,300-year-old Yinxu Ruins in Henan Province and the 1,300-year-old Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region.
CCTV should make a variety of programs showcasing classics and cultural traditions to appeal to the young generation’s aesthetics (审美学), said Zhou, a professor at the School of Arts and Communication, Beijing Normal University.
1. Why is The Book of Documents mentioned in the second paragraph?| A．To introduce a historical figure. | B．To inform us of the host. |
| C．To show the popularity of it. | D．To describe a new TV show. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Confused. | C．Satisfied. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Chinese treasures. | B．ATV program. | C．Yinxu Ruins in Henan. | D．Young Chinese audience. |
| A．CCTV Produces Some Famous TV shows | B．TV Shows on Chinese Classics Grow Popular |
| C．Scholars Focus Attention on Chinese Classics | D．China in the Classics Fires up the Audience |
【推荐2】Maths anxiety may be causing a national crisis, Cambridge University researchers have said, as they find that one in ten children suffer from anxiety at the subject.
Researchers surveyed 1, 700 British pupils aged 8 to 13 about their feelings towards the subject. They found 10% of children suffered from maths anxiety. Other feelings caused by maths included fear and anger, while physical symptoms included a racing heart or struggling to catch breath.
“The project studied students’ attitudes towards maths because of what could be called a maths crisis in the UK, ” researchers said. “Many children and adults experience feelings of anxiety, fear or discomfort when they face maths. This may be leading to a low level of maths in the country. ” The number of adults with functional maths skills equal to a GCSE (英国普通中等教育证书) grade C has dropped from 26% in 2003 to only 22% in 2011, according to the survey. At the same time, only 57% of the children achieved the same level in functional maths skills.
Dr. Denes Szucs, a professor at Cambridge’s Centre for Neuroscience (神经科学) in Education said that there is a misunderstanding that only low performing children suffer from math anxiety. “This is a common misunderstanding that we have seen in decision makers, ” he said. “They assume people are anxious about maths because they are poor achievers.” In fact, more than 77% of children with high levels of maths anxiety are normal to high achievers. Dr. Szucs went on, “Probably their maths anxiety will go unnoticed because their performance is good. But they are very worried and in the long term their performance is limited. This is a real danger here: these are children who are completely able to do maths at a normal level, but may keep away from it because they feel anxious.” The research also found that girls have higher levels of maths anxiety than boys.
John’s Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation said, “Mathematical achievement is valuable, as a foundation for many other subjects and as an important predictor of future academic learning, job hunting and even health. Maths anxiety can seriously influence students’ performance in both primary and secondary schools.”
1. What can we learn from the survey conducted by the Cambridge University researchers?| A．Girls suffer lower levels of maths anxiety than boys. |
| B．Only low performing children suffer from maths anxiety. |
| C．Children with maths anxiety will suffer both physically and mentally. |
| D．Most children with high levels of maths anxiety usually perform badly at the subject. |
| A．Many children are suffering from maths anxiety. |
| B．They want to help improve students’ academic performance. |
| C．Maths anxiety may cause great damage to children’s development. |
| D．Both children and adults experience maths anxiety, causing a national maths crisis. |
| A．Providing data. | B．Giving examples. |
| C．Giving definition. | D．Analyzing and reasoning. |
| A．How can students learn maths well? |
| B．How can maths anxiety be reduced? |
| C．How does anxiety influence students’ mental health? |
| D．How can children realize the importance of learning maths? |
【推荐3】Healthy sleep habits are associated with a lower risk of heart failure. Adults with the healthiest sleep patterns had a 42% lower risk of heart failure regardless of other risk factors compared to adults with unhealthy sleep patterns, according to a new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation.
Heart failure affects more than 26 million people, and more evidence indicates sleep problems may play a role in the development of heart failure. This observational study examined the relationship between healthy sleep patterns and heart failure and included data on 408,802 UK Biobank participants, aged 37 to 73 at the time of recruitment (招募). Incidence of heart failure was collected until April 1, 2019. Researchers recorded 5,221 cases of heart failure during a follow-up of 10 years.
Researchers analyzed sleep quality as well as overall sleep patterns. The measures of sleep quality included sleep length, insomnia (失眠) and snoring (打鼾) and other sleep-related features, such as whether the participant was an early bird or night owl and if they had any daytime sleepiness.
“The healthy sleep score we created was based on the scoring of these five sleep behavior,” said Lu Qi, direct of the Obesity Research Center at Tulane University in New Orleans. “Our findings highlight the importance of improving overall sleep patterns to help prevent heart failure.”
They also found the risk of heart failure was independently associated: 8% lower in early risers; 12% lower in those who slept 7 to 8 hours daily; 17% lower in those who did not have frequent insomnia; and 34% lower in those reporting no daytime sleepiness.
Participants’ sleep behaviors were self-reported, and the information on changes in sleep behaviors during follow-up was not available. The researchers noted other unmeasured or unknown adjustments may have also influenced the findings. Qi also noted that the study’s strengths include its novelty and advanced study design.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Adults often sleep well at night. |
| B．Sleep patterns are associated with habits. |
| C．Heart disease may influence sleep. |
| D．Healthy sleep reduces heart failure. |
| A．A bird that often appears at night |
| B．A bird that sleeps sound at night |
| C．A person who likes to be active late at night. |
| D．A person who stays awake for a whole night. |
| A．Heart failure varies from person to person. |
| B．Healthier hearts benefit from better sleep. |
| C．Getting up early will influence your sleep. |
| D．Sleep habits differ among different people. |
| A．Health. | B．Technology. | C．Society. | D．Education. |
【推荐1】Imagine that you could go into outer space, take your helmet off, and take a breath—without dying instantly, that is. Would the surrounding universe have a smell?
We think of space as a huge empty, pitch-dark and dead silent place without air. A place like that couldn’t possibly have a smell, right? As it turns out, space actually does have a clear smell. While we can’t smell anything in outer space because, as we mentioned, anyone attempting to do so would almost instantly die, what we can smell are the things that have come back from space.
Space suits, for instance, smell differently after they’ve returned from space than they did before launch. Astronauts returning from space say that their suits smell, in a word, burnt. The remaining scent of space reminds the astronauts of unpleasant burnt meat or metallic smoke.
What causes this rather unpleasant smell? Scientists believe that it could come from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a chemical compound (化合物). These things are basically high-powered materials released into space during the nuclear reactions that power stars and supernovae.
However, this smell is one of many scents that space could have. The universe is massive, after all, filled with many different elements and compounds. Scientists do have a pretty good idea of what a lot of “space stuff” is made of, giving them better ideas about what it might smell like. Most memorably, the dust cloud at the center of the Milky Way contains large amounts of ethyl formate (甲酸乙酯). This is the compound that, on Earth, gives raspberries (覆盆子) their scent. Yes, raspberries. What’s more, ethyl formate itself is created from a reaction between acid and a type of alcohol, which gives it a smell similar to a strong alcohol. (Ironically, alcohol is one of the foods that are banned from space.) The smell of space—or at least that part of space—doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
1. How can we know space has a smell?| A．By burning meat and metal. |
| B．By smelling the things returning from space. |
| C．By smelling astronauts’ clothes before launch. |
| D．By taking off helmets and taking a breath in space. |
| A．Alcohol. | B．Raspberries. |
| C．Unpleasant burnt space suits. | D．Smelly burnt meat and metallic smoke. |
| A．Stars and supernovae. | B．Chemical compounds. |
| C．High-powered materials. | D．Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. |
| A．It is believed there is only one smell in space. |
| B．The dust cloud in space smells like raspberries. |
| C．The smell of space may be known based on the “stuff” there. |
| D．Ethyl formate creates a reaction between acid and a type of alcohol. |
【推荐2】Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, only men had that opportunity. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut, I’m sure I would have said yes,” she said in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. Between the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children, and started her own science and education company.
Ride knew that she held a unique place in history. “I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have travelled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
1. Obama called Ride a national hero because she______.| A．was the first American to travel to space |
| B．became the first American female in space |
| C．was the first to travel on the Challenger shuttle |
| D．opened a door for women to find suitable jobs |
| A．Taking many pictures of the space program. |
| B．Starting a company to teach more astronauts. |
| C．Teaching kids through sharing her thirst for science. |
| D．Teaching woman how to become a successful astronaut. |
| A．Brave and creative. |
| B．Curious and strict. |
| C．Kind and elegant. |
| D．Generous and easy-going. |
| A．Ride studied astronomy when she was in university. |
| B．Americans think Ride was the greatest woman in history. |
| C．There are many women who have become astronauts after Ride. |
| D．Ride wanted to find a job as an astronaut when she was very young. |
【推荐3】Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup (基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other unexpected benefits including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communication systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in the space industry!
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human beings to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.
1. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?| A．To express his doubts. |
| B．To compare different ideas. |
| C．To introduce points for discussion. |
| D．To describe the conditions on Earth. |
| A．Humans are nature-born to do so. |
| B．Humans have the tendency to fight. |
| C．Humans may find new sources of food. |
| D．Humans don’t like to stay in the same place. |
| A．Our genetic makeup. |
| B．Resources on the earth. |
| C．The adaptive ability of humans. |
| D．By-products in space exploration. |
| A．Space exploration has created many wonders. |
| B．Space exploration provides the best value for money. |
| C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology. |
| D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth. |
