On April 20, SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever, exploded during its first test flight only minutes after it took off from Texas, US.
Even though the two-stage rocket ship made it less than halfway to the edge of space, climbing to just under 25 miles, the flight achieved its primary objective of getting the new vehicle off the ground despite some of its engines failing at liftoff. The plan was for Starship to soar into space at least 90 miles above Earth.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulated team members on “an exciting test launch” in a post-launch tweet and said they “learned a lot for the next test launch in a few months.”
Back in September 2017, Musk came up with the idea of developing a rocket that would be able to send astronauts to Mars, build a base on the moon, and allow commercial travel to anywhere on Earth in under an hour, according to The Guardian (卫报).
The most important aspect in Musk’s view, however, would be the rocket’s ability to be reused for multiple flights. This would allow for massive savings as it would reduce the number of spacecraft that would otherwise simply crash. Also, the rocket relies on low-cost fuel, methane (甲烷), making the cost of spaceflight drop dramatically.
The results of Starship’s first launch are not too far off from what Musk and SpaceX’s engineers had predicted. Musk himself gave 50-50 odds that Starship would reach orbit, but also stressed that “clearing the launch tower and not blowing up the pad (发射台) would be a win”.
In all, “it fell somewhere between a small step and their hoped-for giant leap, but it still represents significant progress toward a reusable super-heavy lift rocket,” said Jordan Bimm, a space historian at the university of Chicago, US.
Prepared for the likely outcome, SpaceX already has more boosters and spacecraft ready for more test flights, with the next full set “almost ready to go”. The plan is to fire off similar rockets in quick succession (连续) to gather data and start using Starships to launch satellites into low Earth orbit then put people on board. Each launch will take SpaceX a step closer to its ultimate goal of making commercial space flight a reality.
1. What happened minutes after Starship took off?| A．It crashed into the sea. | B．It flew off the course. |
| C．It blew up in the sky. | D．Its engines all failed. |
| A．The problems with the launch. | B．The risks of test flights. |
| C．The advantages of the rocket. | D．Musk’s idea of Starship. |
| A．Disastrous. | B．Record-breaking. | C．Acceptable. | D．Unexpected. |
| A．A Big Successful Failure | B．A Giant Leap in Space Exploration |
| C．Good Prospects for travel | D．Incredible Progress in Space Flight |
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【推荐1】One of the most expensive parts of flying is the cost of gas, not to mention the environmental effect it brings. An Israeli startup called Eviation Aircraft hopes to solve the problems. They displayed the world’ s first all-electric passenger airplane this week at the Paris Air Show.
The lightweight plane—playfully called Alice—will be able to fly about 600 miles between charges. So it will focus on transportation between cities. It seats nine passengers and two crew members. A typical flight should cost a customer about $200.
“The fact that we’ re building an electric plane from scratch instead of just refitting an existing plane with a battery means that we can design our aircraft to be more effective and efficient than present planes,” said Eviation co-founder Omer Bar Yohay. He predicts that per seat, per mile, the cost would be equal to that of a taxi or train.
The demand for electrically powered aircraft is projected to reach hundreds of planes per year within the next decade. The change from gas to electric in power is expected to save millions of dollars in fuel costs, not to mention the environmental benefits including significant reduction of air pollution and noise levels.
When it comes to the new possibilities, Yosef Abramowitz, an energy industry expert, said, “In modern life, it is important to fight climate change and now we have a path to do so in flying.” Abramowitz, a tireless advocate for solar power, added, “The batteries will hopefully be charged with solar energy too.”
To help further save fuel costs, the designers have also invented a “taxibot” that drags planes from the passenger gate to the runway, so the planes needn’ t run their engines.
After appearing at the Paris Air Show, the Alice will travel to the U.S. for further tests. It is expected that the first commercial flights will take off in 2022.
“I think for the first time in a very, very long time, we can look at flight again and talk about the next revolution,” Bar Yohay said.
1. What is the advantage of the new plane?| A．It can save more costs. | B．It is powered by solar energy. |
| C．It is much faster and cheaper. | D．It can be charged during the flight. |
| A．Without help. | B．From a distance. |
| C．In secret. | D．From the very beginning. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Modest. |
| C．Stressed. | D．Excited. |
| A．All-electric Planes Will Take Over the Sky One Day |
| B．The World’ s First All-electric Plane Proved a Success |
| C．The World’ s First All-electric Plane Makes Its Appearance |
| D．Israeli Is Advancing in Making the First All-electric Plane |
【推荐2】A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grimsvom is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvom different is that it lies under a huge glacier (冰川) of ice up to 12 maters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer (层) of water between the glacier and the volcano. This layer of water puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava (岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today.
Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp. Glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating ash-covered grass to the sharp object.
1. What makes Grimsvom different from other volcanoes?| A．It is below ice. | B．It lies under the sea. |
| C．It is the largest volcano. | D．It is lava affects the airlines. |
| A．The slow flow of water. | B．The low water temperature. |
| C．The thick glacier. | D．The water pressure. |
| A．People stop traveling in Europe. |
| B．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes. |
| C．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside. |
| D．Farmers have lost many of their animals. |
| A．a research paper. | B．a newspaper report. |
| C．a class presentation. | D．a geography textbook. |
【推荐3】Experts are warning about the risks of extreme picky eating after a teenager developed permanent sight loss after living on a diet of chips and crisps.
Since leaving primary school, the teen had been eating only French fries, white bread. as well as an occasional slice of ham or a sausage.
The adolescent, who cannot be named. had seen his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he was diagnosed with lack of vitamin B12 and put on supplements, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet.
Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eve Hospital because of progressive sight loss. Dr Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was only a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on chips,white bread and sometimes slices of ham or sausage, and not really any fruit or vegetables.
The teen explained this as a dislike to certain kinds of food that he really could not tolerate, and so chips and crisps were really the only type of food that he wanted and that he felt he could eat.
Dr Atan rechecked the young man's vitamin levels and said, "He was low in B12 as well as some other important vitamins and minerals—copper, selenium and vitamin D. He was not over or under weight, but was severely malnourished from his eating disorder. He had lost minerals from his bone, which was really quite shocking fora boy of his age."
"He had blind spots right in the middle of his vision," said Dr Atan's assistant. "That means he can't drive and would find it really difficult to read, watch TV or recognize faces, but he can walk around on his own because he has got peripheral (周边的)vision."
The condition the young man has is treatable if diagnosed early. Left too long, however, the nerve fibers in the optic nerve (视神经)die and the damage becomes permanent. Now he has been put on vitamin supplements and sent to a dietitian and a specialist mental health team.
1. What kind of food does the boy refuse to eat?| A．White bread, | B．Ham and sausage. |
| C．Fruit and vegetables | D．Crisps and chips. |
| A．He can not see anything now. | B．He didn't see a doctor. |
| C．He insisted on taking supplements. | D．He has a normal body shape. |
| A．to introduce how to improve our poor diet |
| B．to warn about the harm of picky eating |
| C．To tell a story about a blind boy |
| D．to conclude the main reason for picky eating |
| A．Lack of vitamins and minerals may lead to the loss of sight. |
| B．Vegetables and fruit are the only source of vitamins. |
| C．Loss of minerals from the bone causes blindness. |
| D．The more vitamins we take, the better we will be. |
【推荐1】As we all know, science is blooming more strongly than ever. Recently, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly showed a photo of the orange zinnia on Twitter. It is the first flower to ever bloom in space and has attracted much attention all over the world. This may be the most exciting news in the field of science. The zinnia in the picture is so beautiful and looks similar to that on earth. Kelly cared for it for more than a month.
The Veggie plant growth facility chose the zinnia flower species because it has a longer growth cycle. As a result, it can help scientists understand how plants flower and develop in microgravity.
“While the plants haven’t grown perfectly,” said Gioia Massa, NASA science team leader for Veggie, “I think we have gained a lot from this, and we are learning both more about plants and fluids and also how better to operate between ground and the station.”
This was not the first time that scientists had attempted to grow zinnia in space. Other astronauts aboard the International Space Station(ISS) began growing the colorful flowers last year. However, due to high humidity and low air movement in space, the zinnia leaked water out of the tips of the leaves. What was worse, the spread of harmful bacteria was destroying its growth badly. Kelly then took over the operation and began taking care of the zinnia as he would in his own garden.
The ISS also successfully grew red romaine lettuce in July 2015. Kelly even took a bite of the harvested plants and posted the photo on his Twitter. NASA’s new experiment using the Veggie plant growth system will be started later. Astronauts will attempt to grow Chinese cabbages. The space agency will then attempt to grow dwarf tomatoes in 2018.
1. Why does the zinnia cause public concern?| A．It is the first life to be found in space. | B．It is the first plant to ever grow in space. |
| C．It is the first zinnia to ever grow in space. | D．It is the first flower to ever bloom in space. |
| A．It was easy to grow. | B．Astronauts liked it most. |
| C．Other plants died in space. | D．It lived longer than other flowers. |
| A．More plants will grow in space. | B．The conditions in space are good for plant growth. |
| C．Scott Kelly isn't experienced in planting flowers. | D．Gioia Massa doesn't think much of the experiment. |
| A．A news report. | B．A research plan. | C．An advertisement. | D．A science textbook. |
【推荐2】Professor Johann-Dietrich Woemer has been in his new job as Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) for a week. In charge of a € 4. 4 billion annual budget, the former Chair of the German space agency is ultimately responsible for everything at ESA: Europe’s new weather and communication satellites; astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS); and explorations of Mars, Mercury and Jupiter.
When I ask him about his intentions for ESA,I expect a predictable and political answer about the economic and social benefits of space or maybe the importance for science of exploring the unknown Universe. Instead, Woemer surprises me with a vision for a future of space exploration that is both daring and ambitious.
“We should look to the future beyond the International Space Station,” he tells me. “I propose a Moon village on the far side of the Moon. ”
Yes, a village on the Moon. “A Moon village shouldn’t just mean some houses, a church and a town hall,” says Woerner. “This Moon village should mean partners from all over the world contributing to this community with robotic and astronaut missions and supporting communication satellites.”
Woerner pictures his Moon village in his mind as a multinational settlement involving astronauts from different countries. “We should have international cooperation, without any limitations, with any countries of the world,” says Woemer. “We have enough Earthly problems between different nations-space can bridge these Earthly problems and the Moon seems to be a good proposal. To keep a certain country out of a space program is not the right way; a much better solution is to find ways to cooperate in space to strengthen ties between humans on Earth. ”
1. What was Woerner before taking on the present position?| A．Chair of the German space agency. | B．Director General of ESA. |
| C．Leader of the exploration of Mars. | D．An astronaut on the ISS. |
| A．Woerner’s capability as the director. |
| B．Woerner’s ambition about space exploration. |
| C．Woerner’s strong political background. |
| D．Woerner’s emphasis on the economic benefits. |
| A．A substitute for the present space station. |
| B．A base to support communication satellites. |
| C．A community with houses, a church and a town hall. |
| D．A multinational settlement helping solve Earthly problems. |
| A．ESA Comes to Its Golden Age | B．ISS Calls for Global Cooperation |
| C．Woemer Proposes a Future Plan | D．Director General Takes His Chair |
【推荐3】It’s easy for consumers to buy food and drinks like a bowl of hot rice and coke online or from neighbourhood shops, but for astronauts such things were impossible in the past.
Members of China’s Shenzhou manned space flight last year, however, were able to enjoy such food, thanks to Joyoung, a Chinese firm. Joyoung created a mobile space kitchen for the astronauts. A drinking water machine, an air heater and a soybean milk maker were all accessible in the kitchen through a smart app. Tang Hongbo who was a member of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft said in the news that during his three month trip, he could eat hot food with just half-hour efforts, a contrast to the past when similar attempts required several hours. “If we had time, we would also use equipment to eat homemade yogurt. We could also control the equipment in the space kitchen through mobile phone apps,” he said.
In the past, most foods couldn’t be directly heated in a microwave oven in the space. Conduction equipment often caused uneven(不均匀的)heating. An astronaut had to spend as long as four hours to beat some vegetables in the space kitchen. To solve the problem, Joyoung has developed equipment that gives out hot air to heat vegetables in a 360-degree way. That enables astronauts to eat steaming-bot fish-flavoured pork and Gongbao chicken, a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish.
Besides Joyoung, a group of companies, including Xiaomi Corp and Huawei Technologies, have contributed their technologies to the development of the space station. A vacuum (真空) cleaner enabled haircuts on the spacecraft possible. NOLO VR, a Chinese virtual reality manufacturer, has helped astronauts develop an experimental equipment through which laboratory technicians on the ground can see and experience what astronauts are doing in the space.
1. What do astronauts think of Joyoung’s mobile space kitchen?| A．Water-saving. | B．Energy-wasting. |
| C．Time-saving | D．Money-wasting. |
| A．By making contrasts. | B．By analyzing results. |
| C．By providing pictures. | D．By answering questions. |
| A．There is more tech for the spacecraft. | B．Jayoung needs to further its technology. |
| C．What astronauts are doing is significant. | D．Astronauts on board can do as they wish. |
| A．Earth to Space, Fims Add Value by Creating Technology |
| B．The Hot Diet on the Space Station Needs to be Addressed |
| C．Modern Technology Brings Convenience to Human Beings |
| D．Manufacturers Make Big Profits from Inventing Equipment |
