On September 26, 2022, NASA successfully completed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission by intentionally crashing an unmanned spacecraft into the asteroid(小行星) Dimorphos. The goal was not to destroy the asteroid but to change its orbit. With the successful mission, NASA proved the concept that this technique could keep a potentially dangerous asteroid from crashing into Earth in the future.
Dimorphos is a small asteroid orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos. NASA noted that Dimorphos is not a threat to Earth, but because it passes relatively close to Earth, it was chosen as the target for the test mission.
Although the intended crash should change the asteroid’s position slightly, it will add to a major shift over time. “If you were going to do this for planetary defense, you would do it 5, 10, 15, or 20 years in advance for this technique to work,” said NASA program executive Andrea Riley. “This is why we test. We want to do it now rather than when there’s an actual need.”
Asteroids can pose a significant threat to planet Earth. For example, around 66 million years ago, an asteroid around 6 to 9 miles across struck the Earth in what is now the Yucatan Peninsula. The resulting impact was so catastrophic(灾难性的) that it caused one of the largest extinction events in Earth’s history. Therefore, DART’s success is an important step forward in protecting the planet from potential damage from an asteroid. This shows humans are no longer powerless to prevent this type of natural disaster.
The DART spacecraft was launched by NASA on November 24, 2021. It was accompanied by another craft called LICIACube, supplied by the Italian Space Agency, and separated from DART just 15 days before the crash. LICIACube remained in orbit around the asteroid and took photographs of the crash and material ejected(弹出) from the asteroid’s surface.
1. What is the purpose of the DART mission?| A．To destroy Dimorphos completely. |
| B．To change the orbit of Dimorphos. |
| C．To track potentially dangerous asteroids. |
| D．To prevent Dimorphos from hitting the Earth. |
| A．Better late than never. |
| B．Rob Peter to pay Paul. |
| C．Prepare for a rainy day. |
| D．Bark up the wrong tree. |
| A．To prove the significance of DART’s success. |
| B．To present the effect of the largest extinction events on humans. |
| C．To explain the difficulty of protecting the Earth from asteroid strikes. |
| D．To show the necessity of conducting research on natural disasters. |
| A．Recording the crash test with photos. |
| B．Collecting rock samples from Dimorphos’s surface. |
| C．Providing additional energy for the DART spacecraft. |
| D．Increasing the force of crashing the DART spacecraft into Dimorphos. |
相似题推荐
About 2,000 years ago, the world population was probably about 250 million. It reached a billion in 1850. By 1930 the population was two billion. It is now three and a half billion. It is expected to double by the year 2,000. If the population continues to grow at the same rate, there will be 25 billion in the world a hundred years from now.
Man has been using the earth’s resources more and more rapidly over the past years. Some of them are almost used up. Now many people believe that man’s greatest problem is how to control the growth of the population. The material supplies in the world will be far from enough to support the human population in time to come, if the present rate of increase continues. Already there is overcrowding in many cities and starvation in some countries. Should man’s population keep on growing so rapidly as before? Many people believe that human survival in the future depends on the answer to this question.
1. The rapid increase in population is considered to be __________.
| A．the increase of resources | B．population pollution |
| C．the development of mankind | D．the present rate |
| A．the world is going to end |
| B．the earth won’t be able to support the growing population in the future |
| C．pollution has nothing to do with the rapidly increasing population |
| D．there would be four billion in the world a hundred years from now |
| A．In 1850 the world population reached a billion. |
| B．Man must fight a battle against population pollution. |
| C．The world’s population is increasing with years. |
| D．All of the earth’s resources are gone now. |
For many guests of the capital, some of the most vivid childhood memories are associated with this museum. A variety of technical fields are presented in 65 halls-Mining, Space, Energy, and Transportation, etc. And the exposition (博览会) is the only museum project in Russia about the history of the bike. The interactive division "Technoplay" is open, where you not only can but also need touch most of the exhibits with your hands. In addition to self-experimentation, for visitors with special requests the museum's experts will show many enjoyable experiments.
Eureka, England
The Eureka educational center is a huge complex where modern science and technology are becoming clear, even to kids. The main exhibition is devoted to the human body, the laws of physics and natural things. Visitors can obtain energy or create paper with their own hands. On the area of the Eureka educational park there is a botanical garden and a collection of minerals from the rock types of Finland is presented there.
Deutsches Museum, Germany
In this museum you can see more than 100 thousand different items from windmills (风车) to medical equipment. All aspects of industrial production appear before the eyes. Several museum rooms are arranged especially for children -there are exhibits that entertain kids starting from three.
NEMO, the Netherlands
The largest Dutch research centre stands ready to share its secrets with everyone. This immersion (沉没) in the world of science and technology will not be dull. All significant information is presented in the form of exciting games. All exhibits are interactive; visitors are allowed to touch, pull and press on anything. The museum is for children from 6 to 16, as well as for their parent - it will be interesting to all.
1. What makes Polytechnic Museum unique?| A．It is specially designed for children. |
| B．Some exhibits can be touched or pulled. |
| C．It shows information of exhibits in games. |
| D．Lots of enjoyable experiments are shown. |
| A．Touch all of the exhibits. | B．Make paper with their hands. |
| C．Which entertaining movies. | D．Play exciting games. |
| A．Polytechnic Museum. | B．The Eureka educational center. |
| C．Deutsches Museum. | D．NEMO. |
【推荐3】Time magazine listed its top inventions of 2019, some of which will surely become a big part of our everyday lives over the next decade. Here are some we're most looking forward to.
●Virtual （虚拟的）surgery
According to Harvard Business Review, our current system of training surgeons can't keep up with the speed of technological development. “Even after 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and 5 years of advanced training after working, 30% of graduates still can't operate on their own,” said Justin Barad, who is the CEO and co-founder of Osso VR.
This VR software is made to give doctors virtual operating-room experience so they can practice and prepare for surgeries. Apparently, it works. Gideon Blumstein of California University conducted a study on using Osso VR. His team found that participants' overall surgical performance improved by an astonishing 230% over traditional training methods.
● Vending veggies （出售素食）
"Eat happier. ” That's the Farmers Fridge advertising message. It is a good one, as this company wants to bring fresh, healthy food to people on the go.
It's trying to change more than just food, though. It also wants to change the delivery method. Farmers Fridge has created its very own automatic machines. They can be placed in high-traffic areas. These super-smart vending machines can know their contents at any moment, and can allow customers to reserve and pay in advance. They can even learn about what customers want. Shayna Harris is the company's Chief Growth Officer. “We have developed salads, sandwiches and breakfast items that taste as fresh as if you were to make them in your home kitchen,” she said in an interview with Insider Trends.
● Recycling pollution
When we write with black ink, we're writing with soot — a powder made by burning coal or oil. Cars are machines that produce soot. To collect the soot, Anirudh Sharma, creator of AIR-INK, made a device called Kaalink, which attaches to a vehicle’s exhaust pipe （排气管）.Once collected, it's made into ink color and mixed with vegetable oil to create inks, markers and paints with the brand AIR-INK.
“I don't know if it's pollution, but the quality of the ink is really special,” said artist Kristopher Ho. “It's black, really thick and dries extremely quickly.”
The Guardian describes AIR-INK as "remarkably green”. Each 30-milliliter pen contains between 40—50 minutes of air pollution, while each 6-liter spray can hold 2,000 minutes of diesel exhaust （柴油废气）. In the past year, Sharma said, his team has cleaned nearly 1.7 trillion （万亿）liters of air in India and Hong Kong.
1. What can be known about Osso VR?| A．It is an assistant to help surgeons do operations. |
| B．It can perform operations on patients automatically. |
| C．It offers doctors a virtual environment to practice surgeries. |
| D．It is a piece of software to help medical students do research. |
| A．Why its advertisement works. |
| B．What its vending machines sell. |
| C．How its vending machines operate. |
| D．Where its vending machines serve. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Casual. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Positive. |
| A．To encourage scientists to make technological inventions. |
| B．To tell readers some of the latest inventions in technology. |
| C．To call on people to keep up with technological development. |
| D．To raise everyone's awareness of the environmental protection. |
【推荐1】The ISS orbits Earth at an average of 250 miles from the surface of Earth and completes 15.5 circles per day, once every 92 minutes. In other words, the astronauts see the sunrise and sunset 16 times every day!
The station is inhabited by astronauts conducting research in various fields, while also using it as an observatory to explore Earth and outer space. It is also intended to be a transportation center for spacecraft that are bound for the Moon, Mars and other interplanetary voyages.
The crew is not only responsible for the scientific experimentation and research being conducted onboard, but also the upkeep and maintenance of the vessel, a vessel that is continuously in motion and exposed to the worst possible elements. Such conditions are significant area of study for researchers.
The most common effect of space is the initial contact — getting used to such an alien environment. Astronauts are often seen to display anxiety or depression as they adjust to the novelty of space, according to post-psychiatric screenings of astronauts. Other causes of stress are the high pressure of work while being under frequent public observation, being away from home and family, and missing important events.
Sleep is another major factor that affects the mood and efficiency of the astronauts. Due to the irregularity in life and the constant rotation of sunrise and sunset, the circadian rhythm of the astronauts goes completely haywire, resulting in poor quality of sleep. The shuttle itself is noisy, with essential equipment always in operation to sustain the vessel. Half of all the astronauts onboard rely on sleeping pills to get some rest and manage to get an average 2 hours less sleep than when they’re back on Earth. Sleep is so critical for functionality that 50% of all medicines taken by astronauts in orbit is to help them sleep better. Low-Earth Orbit living is a restless endeavor, indeed.
1. Which of the following is most likely to affect the astronauts’ mood?| A．Scientific experiments onboard. |
| B．Observation of outer space. |
| C．Interplanetary voyages. |
| D．Exposure to extreme conditions. |
| A．Return to normal. | B．Become out of control. |
| C．Go unnoticed. | D．Remain unchanged. |
| A．Highly-pressured. | B．Trouble-free. |
| C．Safe and sound. | D．Quiet and beautiful. |
【推荐2】China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft, in orbit around Mars’ has dropped its lander and rover (巡视器), named Zhurong after a Chinese god of fire, completing the most dangerous stage of its ten-month mission.
This is China’s first mission to Mars, and makes the country only the third nation to have landed a spacecraft there. It included an orbiter, a lander and a rover—making it the first to send all three elements to the planet.
“The mission is a big leap for China because they are doing in a single go what NASA took decades to do,” says Roberto Orosei, a planetary scientist at the Institute of Radio Astronomy of Bologna in Italy.
At a speed of 4.8 kilometers per second, the spacecraft departed Earth in July 2020 and arrived at Mars in February 2021, but the landing was the biggest test yet of China’s rising outer space exploration capabilities.
Landing on Mars is extremely difficult, because engineers back on Earth have no control over it in real time, and must leave pre-programmed instructions to carry on. Many missions have been lost, or have crashed on arrival.
Utopia Planitia, where Zhurong now sits, is a wide, flat area in a vast basin that formed when a smaller object crashed into Mars billions of years ago, “If the researchers are really fortunate, they might find some very ancient rocks, which could offer a window into our own planet’s history,” says Joseph Michalski, a planetary scientist at the University of Hong Kong, “Most of the similar evidence here on Earth has been destroyed by plate tectonics (板块运动).”
Zhurong will also be the first rover equipped with an instrument to measure the magnetic field (磁场) nearby. The instrument could provide insights into how Mars lost its strong magnetic field, an event that transformed the planet into a cold, dry place, uninviting to life.
A successful Mars landing could motivate more-advanced Chinese missions—including a sample-return one, which is planned to take place by 2030.
1. What makes Tianwen-1 mission unique?| A．Its multi-task in one try. | B．Its long completion time. |
| C．The danger of the landing. | D．The speed of its spacecraft. |
| A．The landing ground is not flat. |
| B．Instructions are too complicated. |
| C．It may crash into smaller objects. |
| D．Engineers have no live control over it. |
| A．More of the Earth’s history. |
| B．The formation of vast basins. |
| C．The discovery of ancient rocks. |
| D．The destruction of evidence on Earth. |
| A．Zhurong landed on Mars successfully. |
| B．Zhurong measured Mars’ magnetic field. |
| C．Tianwen-1 spacecraft orbited around Mars. |
| D．Tianwen-1 spacecraft returned to the Earth. |
【推荐3】Sixty-six years ago, there was one human-built object in Earth’s orbit. It was Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, launched in October 1957. Try to guess how many human-made objects are circling the planet now. Ready?
Your answer is wrong, unless you guessed 100 trillion. That’s a jaw-dropping number. It was provided by an international team of researchers writing in the journal Science. For years, this junk has formed an ever-growing mass near Earth. It’s a danger to spacecraft. The researchers are calling for a global treaty to limit the number of satellites and the amount of rubbish in space.
There are 9,000 active satellites in orbit, the scientists report. That could grow to more than 60,000 by 2030. The rest of that 100 trillion figure includes everything from used-up booster rockets and stray bolts to metal flecks and paint chips. Don’t think a paint chip is harmless. Travelling at 17,500 miles per hour, it can strike a spacecraft hard. The International Space Station is dotted with dents and holes. Astronauts often take shelter in an attached spacecraft to wait out a passing swarm of space debris (残骸). That way, if the station is severely damaged, they can escape in a hurry.
The mess we’ve made in space is like the mess we’ve made in the oceans. Think of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s a mass of floating junk twice the size of Texas. We’ve had centuries to make the ocean dirty. But it has taken just decades for us to do the same in space. That’s why the Science authors include experts in satellite technology and in ocean plastic pollution. “As a marine biologist, I never imagined writing a paper on space,” writes Heather Koldewey, who works at the Zoological Society of London. Cleaning up space, she says, has a lot in common “with the challenges of tackling environmental issues in the ocean.”
Coauthor Moriba Jah is an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “Marine debris and space debris,” he writes, “are both a human-made damage that is unavoidable.”
1. Why is Sputnik mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To provide background information. |
| B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To make a comparison. |
| D．To tell a story. |
| A．What caused space debris. |
| B．The number of space debris. |
| C．The seriousness of space pollution. |
| D．What astronauts often do in space. |
| A．Ocean pollution is very serious. |
| B．Ocean is the same as space. |
| C．Space pollution is getting worse. |
| D．She is going to write a paper on space. |
| A．There is the same amount of marine debris and space debris. |
| B．Humans are to blame for the space pollution. |
| C．Marine and space pollution are unavoidable. |
| D．Humans can do nothing to prevent space pollution. |
