Space X has launched the third test flight of its Starship spacecraft, the largest and most powerful rocket, ever built, which aims to carry astronauts to the moon and, eventually, to Mars. The 120-metre system, which weights about 5,000 tonnes when fully fuelled, took off from Space X’s spaceport, named Starbase, on the Gulf of Mexico in Boca Chica, Texas. It entered space several minutes later and the six Raptor engines powered it to its expected orbit.
Two previous attempts ended in the explosion of both the spacecraft’s 33-engine booster, nicknamed Super Heavy, and the cruise vessel, which is designed to eventually carry up to 100 astronauts. Stacked together, they stand at 10 metres taller than the Saturn V rocket that sent humans to the moon in 1969.
Space X is much more tolerant of risk than Nasa and has a flight-testing strategy that aims to frequently push its spacecraft prototypes to the limit, and, beyond. Its first Starship launch attempt lasted four minutes and, the second lasted eight, with the latter reaching space. The company says frequent flight testing will provide valuable data that will help it design and, develop a more robust rocket.
“Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test,” Space X said in a statement before the third launch attempt, in an apparent attempt to manage expectations in case the system exploded. “They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximize learning.”
The third flight aimed to conduct the first ever re-light of Space X’s signature Raptor engine while in space, open a payload door, and make a controlled re-entry of Starship in the Indian Ocean. Both the upper and lower segments of Starship are designed to eventually power themselves safely back to Earth for a soft landing so that they can be reused, which will be significantly cheaper than building entirely new parts for each mission.
Elon Musk, Space X’s billionaire founder, hopes Starship will be the first step on a human journey further into space that ever before. To do this, Musk intends to begin the colonization of Mars so that humanity can survive a planet-destroying event on Earth. Several other Starship systems are already in production for future tests. The company has announced longer term plans to use the spacecraft as a shuttle for commercial travel on Earth, promising trips from London to Tokyo in less than an hour.
1. What set the third test flight apart from the other two?| A．Being the first to make a controlled re-entry of Starship. |
| B．Being significantly cheaper than the other launches. |
| C．Being the first ever to enter the expected orbit. |
| D．Being the first starship spacecraft to enter the space. |
| A．Space X’s first Starship launch attempt lasts eight minutes. |
| B．Both Space X and Nasa have a flight-testing strategy. |
| C．Space X’s first Starship travels farther than the second. |
| D．Space X will make the best of the frequent flight-testing data. |
| A．To manage expectations in case the system exploded. |
| B．To maximize learning in a flight environment. |
| C．To push its spacecraft prototypes to the limit, and beyond. |
| D．To protect the earth from being destroyed by disasters. |
| A．Space X will make Starship power itself back to Earth safely. |
| B．Space X will adjust the starship system and commercial travel. |
| C．Space X has launched the third test flight of its Starship spacecraft. |
| D．Elon Musk aims to carry astronauts to the moon and then to Mars. |
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【推荐1】To some, a cow’s burp (打嗝) might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, there are more cows than people. There are only five million people in New Zealand, which is home to 10 million cows.
Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat-instead, they ferment (发酵) it in their stomachs. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process comes at a high cost to the environment. The cows produce methane (甲烷) gas, which has a much stronger effect on global warming.
The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows. They are considering changing the food the animals eat or putting a device on the cow to change the methane into something innocuous. There is also talk of feeding the cows a kind of special red seaweed or giving them a food addition that would help them digest the grass.
In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand has announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much methane gas. The farmers say they will be affected if the tax plan go into effect.
A farmer running a farm in the town of Featherston, in the Wellington Region, is trying to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm. At a farmer level, he is doing his bit to help save the planet.
The fight against methane is serious in New Zealand. The county promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the year 2050.
1. Why does cows’ burping become a problem in New Zealand?| A．New Zealanders prefer milk. | B．The number of the cows is too large. |
| C．The cows consume much grass. | D．The cows have the digestive problem. |
| A．Rare. | B．Poisonous. | C．Harmless. | D．Inexpensive. |
| A．They will raise fewer cows. | B．They are affected by the warm climate. |
| C．They can’t increase milking efficiency. | D．They will face a heavier financial burden. |
| A．Climate Change: Cow Raising Is to Blame |
| B．Methane Gas: The Fight Against It Is Serious |
| C．Global Warming: New Zealand Targets Cow Burps |
| D．Cow Burping: Scientists Look for Some Ways to Stop It |
【推荐2】A dance held last Saturday in Central High School's gym raised $2,348 to help rebuild the home of freshman Keisha Kandun and her family.
Admission to “Rock the House” was $10; all money went to the Kandun Family Fund. Volunteers also walked the dance floor with donation boxes to collect more money.
The Kanduns are living with Keisha's grandparents until they can move into their new house. The whole family attended the dance; then they went on stage to thank the crowd. Rebuilding has already begun, and the family hopes to move back in time for the holidays.
“We appreciate the help so much that I cannot even put it into words,” said Mary Kandun, Keisha's mother. “We have always loved the school, but we never expected this kind of generosity. You should all be proud of your school for showing so much heart.”
The Kanduns' four-bedroom home was empty on August 14 when it caught on fire after being struck by lightning. Sadly, the family did not have enough insurance to pay for the cost of rebuilding.
Central High School Student Council organized the event with the help of advisor and English teacher Lois Conrad and Principal David Cordero; The student council also plans to hold a bake sale and a car wash, sponsored by Speedy Clean Inc. to raise more money.
The dance featured the music of the Harlequins. The four members of the band, seniors at Central, donated their time to perform.
“It's cool to be able to play for your fellow classmates,” said Adam Flynn, who plays the guitar for the band. We wanted to help out Keisha and her family, too.
“The band was awesome,” said senior Neil Lukowski, who went to the dance with several friends. It was a fun night for a good cause.
1. What do we know about the Kandun family?| A．They set up the Kandun Family Fund. | B．They hadn't expected such help from school. |
| C．They couldn't pay for their insurance. | D．They played the music of the Harlequins. |
| A．raised more money than needed | B．featured parents' participation |
| C．got support from teachers is well | D．was free of charge for the seniors |
| A．The Kanduns. | B．The student council. |
| C．Speedy Clean Inc.. | D．A school band. |
| A．Fund-raising Dance Raises Roof | B．"Rock the House" Counts a Lot |
| C．Successful Dance Requires Donation | D．Sponsors Rebuild Home for Freshman |
【推荐3】Large amounts of waste, or garbage, are filling streets in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, after protesters blocked a road leading to a landfill outside the city. People in Bancharedanda where the garbage is kept blame the government for not doing enough to protect them from the waste.
One British tourist, Richard McSorley, recently talked about the problem. He remembered how clean Kathmandu was when he first visited it many years ago. “If I were a new tourist, I would be despondent now,” McSorley said, while pointing to a load of garbage next to a city street. For weeks, treatment of waste has been a continuous problem in the city surrounded by hills. The problems started after people in the village of Bancharedanda refused to have the garbage thrown at a nearby landfill.
Biswas Dhungana was one of the protesters. He said the villagers were refusing to permit trucks loaded with garbage to enter. They say government officials have done little to provide basic equipment and effective ways to deal with the garbage. He added, “We have been forced to live like pigs in terrible conditions for several years as the government has not done anything to keep the village clean.”
Last week, hundreds of villagers built a wall of rocks on the road leading to Bancharedanda. It forced about 200 trucks filled with Kathmandu’s garbage to return without dumping their load. It was said that protesters also threw stones from surrounding hills.
Sunil Lamsal is an official to watch over how Kathmandu’s garbage is treated. He said, “I am working to deal with the concerns of the locals in Bancharedanda. But now, garbage continues to grow on the streets of Kathmandu. This has led to increased danger for people living in the capital. In the light of it, the government will soon take further positive measures to tackle the problem, as the environment affects every family.”
1. How does the author begin the text?| A．By listing statistics. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By describing a phenomenon. | D．By drawing a comparison. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Dependent. | C．Dynamic. | D．Disabled. |
| A．Government officials. | B．Foreign visitors. |
| C．City residents. | D．Truck drivers. |
| A．Punish the protesters. | B．Meet the villagers’ demand. |
| C．Stop the villagers’ illegal actions. | D．Urge every family to clean their village. |
【推荐1】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 |
【推荐2】Many people dream of going into space, but until recently only professional astronauts had that privilege. That all changed in 2022, with successful first missions for several space tourism companies.
First off the runway, in early July, was Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company. Its spaceship, called VSS Unity, took four passengers and two pilots on a trip to the edge of space, where they experienced weightlessness and saw the Earth from above.
Unity has a fully reusable design--it is carried to a height of 9. 5 miles under a larger “mothership” plane called Eve. It is then released before firing its own rockets to reach its maximum height of 53 miles. As it begins to fall, its wings turn around so that it floats down slowly like a shuttlecock (羽毛球), before levelling out and flying back to land like a normal aeroplane. Virgin Galactic hopes to begin regular flights in 2023.
Less than two weeks later, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s New Shepard rocket made its first flight, launching a space capsule with four passengers to an altitude of 66 miles. Among those on board were Bezos himself and 82-year-old Wally Funk, a pioneering female pilot who trained for NASA’s Mercury programme in the early 1960s but had waited 60 years for her chance to go into space. Funk became the oldest person to fly in space but only held that record until October, when 90-year-old actor William Shatner flew on the second New Shepard launch. Shatner played Captain Kirk in the Star Trek TV series and films.
In September, the Inspiration 4 mission carried four ordinary people into orbit around Earth. The launch was the first private passenger flight for Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, using a Dragon spacecraft that is also used for NASA missions. Designed to raise awareness and funds for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, US, the mission was paid for by billionaire Jared Isaacman. He was joined on the three-day flight by medical researcher Hayley Arceneaux, competition winner Dr Sian Proctor and hospital supporter ChrisSembroski.
1. What can we know about VSS Unity?| A．It can be used several times. | B．It has started normal flights. |
| C．It takes off from the ground. | D．It touches down like a shuttlecock. |
| A．Eve. | B．a shuttlecock. | C．an aeroplane. | D．Unity. |
| A．Hayley Arceneaux. | B．William Shatner. | C．Jeff Bezos. | D．Wally Funk. |
| A．New spacecrafts will weigh increasingly light. |
| B．Old people are more suitable to have space travel. |
| C．Ordinary people can go into space in the near future. |
| D．Space travel missions can meet the demand for hospitals. |
【推荐3】In May 2021, a hole was found in a robotic arm aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The main cause was believed to be a piece of space junk. While thankfully no astronauts were injured, it has refocused attention on the growing problem of orbital debris (残骸).
It’s easy to forget that just seventy years ago the Moon was the only thing orbiting the Earth. On January 1st, 2021, there were 6,542 satellites in orbit. Actually, only over half of them were active. That’s a lot of useless metal rushing around the planet at 28,000 kilometers per hour.
Jan Wörner, the former European Space Agency Director General, put it this way, “Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still moving around on top of the water.” In fact, even the smallest pieces can cause huge amounts of damage.
The problem is very bad and getting worse. There are now about half a million pieces of debris about one centimeter wide or larger and 100 million pieces of debris above one millimeter across. Yet only 27,000 pieces are actively tracked.
Space is only going to get more crowded, with the number of satellite launches set to increase by five times in the next ten years. In January 2021, 143 satellites were launched into space on a single SpaceX Falcon rocket alone. And 12,000 more are to be put in orbit by Starlink over the next five years. All this greatly raises the chances of crashes.
Better control of new launches would help as right now it’s a bit of a free-for-all. Increased tracking of existing space junk could also help because active satellites can be moved off a crash course—yet dead satellites are sitting ducks and there’s nothing we can do to prevent a crash. That’s why many are calling for a clean-up job. A space debris removal task called ClearSpace-1 will be launched in 2025 and attempt to deorbit (使...脱离轨道) the upper stage of a rocket left in space back in 2013.
1. What can we learn about space junk?| A．It can be recycled for other uses. | B．It has injured astronauts in space. |
| C．It first appeared over seventy years ago. | D．It threatens the safety of space activities. |
| A．The high speed of orbital debris. | B．The complex procedures of debris clean-up. |
| C．The large amount of untracked space debris. | D．The ineffective functions of clean-up facilities. |
| A．By listing numbers. | B．By offering solutions. |
| C．By explaining the causes. | D．By stressing the efforts. |
| A．Orbital Debris: What Results in It? | B．Satellite Launches: The More the Merrier? |
| C．Space Junk: Is It a Disaster Waiting to Happen? | D．Satellite crashes: Who Should Be Responsible? |
【推荐1】After their six-month orbital journey in the Tiangong space station, the three astronauts of Shenzhou XIV mission shared their experiences and feelings with the public on Friday in the first news conference.
Faced with domestic reporters at the Astronaut Centre of China in Beijing, mission commander Senior Colonel Chen Dong said that every day during their mission was full of work. For example, they were tasked with preparing for and monitoring the arrival of the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules, and making three spacewalks.
Chen recalled the moment he and his teammates—Senior Colonel Liu Yang and Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe—met their fellow astronauts in the Shenzhou XV flight inside the Tiangong station. “We had paid a lot of attention to news about the Shenzhou XV mission and the crew several days before they set out. When their spacecraft actually launched, we were watching the live broadcast and we were so happy that we kept clapping our hands for a long time. In the hours before their spacecraft arrived at the station, we were supposed to have a sleep but none of us really went to bed. The moment I was about to open the hatch after their spacecraft connected with the space station, I saw them through the window and I waved my hand to welcome them to our home, and theirs,” he said.
Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space, said the Shenzhou XIV was her second spaceflight and she made a paper “lucky star” each day in the mission. She said she often stared at China when the station flew over the country. “I know that there are numerous females in our nation working hard to pursue their dreams with courage and determination,” she said. “I wish that each of us could realize our ambition.” Cai Xuzhe, who made his first spaceflight, recalled that eating the vegetables they grew in the space station brought a lot of happiness to the crew, though taking care of the plants was never easy.
1. How does Chen Dong feel when seeing the launch of Shenzhou XV flight?| A．Curious. | B．Twitchy. | C．Cheerful. | D．Tired. |
| A．To prove the mission is difficult. | B．To confirm the crew are strong-willed. |
| C．To demonstrate the experience is unusual. | D．To show the astronauts are busy. |
| A．It makes her feel lucky each day. | B．It is the first space journey for Liu Yang. |
| C．Women also have rights to pursue their dreams. | D．It helps grow vegetables well in space. |
| A．Cabin seat. | B．Cabin door. | C．Cabin window. | D．Cabin wing. |
【推荐2】As we continue to explore farther out into our solar system and beyond, the question of humans living on other planets often comes up. Manned bases on the Moon or Mars for example, have long been a dream of many. There is a natural desire to explore as far as we can go, and also to extend humanity’s presence on a permanent (永久的) or at least semi-permanent basis. In order to do this, however, it is necessary to adapt to different extreme environments. On the Moon for example, a colony must be self-sustaining (自立的) and protect its inhabitants from the airless, harsh environment outside.
Mars, though, is different. While future bases could adapt to the Martian environment over time there is also the possibility of modifying (改变) the surrounding environment instead of just co-existing with it. This is the process of terraforming (地球化)—adjusting Mars’ atmosphere and environment to make it more Earth-like. But the bigger question is, should we?
One of the main issues is whether Mars has any native life or not and if it does, should it be preserved (保护) as much as possible? If the answer is yes, then large-scale human settlements on Mars should be completely off-limits. Small colonies might be fine, but living on Mars should not be at the expense of any native habitats, if they exist. If Mars is home to any indigenous life, then terraforming should be a non-issue; it simply should not be done.
What if Mars is lifeless? Even if no life exists there, that untouched and unique alien environment needs to be preserved as it is as much as possible. We’ve already done too much damage here on our own planet. By studying Mars and other planets and moons in their current natural state, we can learn so much about their history and also learn more about our own world. We should appreciate the differences of other worlds instead of just transforming them to suit our own ambitions.
1. What is the best title for the text?| A．Are Mars and Earth So Different | B．Should We Terraform Mars |
| C．Can We Adapt to Mars | D．Is There Life on Mars |
| A．Ensure that it’s not harmed. |
| B．Discuss with the Martians. |
| C．Change the unpopulated regions. |
| D．Reconsider the advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．Complex. | B．Simple | C．Foreign. | D．Native. |
| A．By referring to others’ research. |
| B．By showing the benefits of terraforming. |
| C．By arguing in support of one viewpoint. |
| D．By examining the conditions of different planets. |
【推荐3】If you think you’d like to live on Mars, you may have that possibility by 2023. A Dutch company called Mars One will soon advertise for people interested in colonizing (开拓) Mars. If you have all the necessary skills, you could be one of the first colonists. Are you ready for the challenge?
You won’t have to pay for the mission to Mars. Mars One has already received money from some donors and is hoping to get more from TV viewers who will become interested in the show where all applicants have a debate for the rare chances.
The main responsibility of the first colonists is to create an artificial environment on Mars where there is no air to breathe and no land to farm. Scientists know it’s quite possible because something similar has already been done in Antarctica.
Another problem is that space travel to Mars takes nearly a year to get to Mars and the colonists will live the rest of their lives there. When a human lives in an environment without gravity or with low gravity for a long time, the systems in the body weaken. Luckily, spinning (旋转) the spaceship can create artificial gravity, and artificial gravity can ease these problems. It will also be difficult for Mars colonists to be far from home, living in small spaces, and seeing the same people over and over. Colonists with depression could put the mission in danger. Fortunately, a few years ago, a joint Russian and European project called the Mars 500 Mission studied people’s reactions in a Mars-like environment. It is viewed as a great success because scientists were able to see how people handle emotional and physical stresses.
Recent studies show that seven percent of people would want to go on such an adventure. Mars One will soon start accepting its first colonists. Are you interested?
1. What do we know about the applicants to Mars from the first two paragraphs?| A．They will land on Mars in 2023. |
| B．They can get money from donors. |
| C．They will compete in a TV show. |
| D．They do not need special skills. |
| A．To create an earth-like environment. |
| B．To build labs in Antarctica. |
| C．To spin the spaceship. |
| D．To start the Mars 500 Mission. |
| A．Easy. | B．Adaptable. | C．Relaxing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．Everyone could be one of the first colonists on Mars. |
| B．Artificial gravity can make the colonists live better. |
| C．People can’t handle emotional and physical stresses on Mars. |
| D．Half of people would want to go on Mars. |
