Our ship sailed on the sea into the Earth’s night. Here, there was no visible light from the Sun or the Earth Engines. But as we looked up, we children saw the starry sky for the first time in our lives. How breathtakingly beautiful it was!
Ms Xing put an arm around us while pointing at the sky with her other hand. “Look, children! That is Proxima Centauri (比邻星), our new home!” With these words, tears ran slowly down her face. Before long, we were all in tears—even the captain and crew. We all looked in the direction that Ms Xing was pointing. There was only one point of light among the twinkling stars that shined constantly: Proxima Centauri—the only source of hope and comfort for a hundred future generations. “Whatever risks we might take, we will finally make it there!” said the captain, in an assured voice.
On our way back from the sea, we saw the first sign that Earth had begun its journey. In the night sky, a huge comet had appeared. It was the Moon, abandoned by humankind. Lunar Engines had been installed to the Moon to force it out of its orbit so that a disastrous crash could be avoided as the Earth sped up and moved away. As it progressed, the gravitational tide of the Moon caused the ocean to swell, creating gigantic waves. We quickly got off the ship to our destination in the Southern Hemisphere. The next few days were the countdown to our departure.
Finally came the big day! As Earth Engines was set at a full power, we got immediately blinded by the bright light from it. This acceleration created massive tsunamis hundreds of meters high that crashed onto the coasts of every continent. Burning hot hurricanes roared through the boiling waves, screaming with wild fury and pulling up almost every tree on Earth.
Our Earth, with its blue tail cutting through the darkness of space, had set out on its long journey, and with it went all of humankind.
1. Why did we all cry when looking up into the sky?| A．Because we had to abandon the Earth. |
| B．Because we were fascinated by the stars. |
| C．Because we saw our new settlement. |
| D．Because we felt lonely in the universe. |
| A．To protect the Earth from a deadly impact. |
| B．To make sure the Moon runs in its orbit. |
| C．To keep the moon at the same speed as the Earth. |
| D．To shelter humans from the tide of the Moon. |
| A．Smooth and steady. | B．Endless and hopeless. |
| C．Exciting and entertaining. | D．Ambitious and adventurous. |
| A．A personal diary. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．A travel magazine. | D．An academic article. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】After a relaxing July day at the Jersey Shore in 2021, Jessica Reeder and her two children headed home to Philadelphia. As they reached Pennsylvania, they were greeted with a yellow-gray sky. It reminded Reeder of what she often saw in Southern California in her childhood when wildfires were burning.
In North America, most large wildfires occur in the western states and Canada. But smoke generated in the West doesn’t stay there. It tends to travel east. Within days, it can dirty the air in the Midwest and even East Coast towns. Today, most asthma (哮喘)-related US deaths and emergency-room visits from wildfire smoke occur in eastern cities.
The big problem comes from tiny aerosols (气溶胶) ― bits of ash, and other droplets in the air. Scientists refer to this mix as particulate matter, or PM.
The smaller the PM is, the longer it can stay in the air. And the longer it floats, the farther it can travel. The especially worrisome sizes are known as PM2.5. These bits are no more than 2.5 micrometers wide. That’s about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair. These aerosols are so small that they can be breathed deeply into the lungs. PM2.5 has been linked with breathing-related injury and heart disease.
Over the last few decades, US clean-air laws have set limits on emissions (排放) of PM from industrial sources. That has helped clean the air in many cities. But these rules don’t cover PM from wildfire smoke. Recent studies have shown that aerosols from wildfires may be more poisonous than industrial sources of these pollutants.
So far, much of the science on how wildfire PM2.5 can sicken people has focused on people exposed to smoke near fires in the US West. Now, researchers are turning their attention to how this smoke may be affecting people as far away as the East Coast. With climate change increasing the intensity and frequency of wildfires, people across North America need to be more concerned about the health impacts of this smoke.
1. Why does the author tell Jessica Reeder’s story?| A．To lead in the topic. | B．To praise her performance. |
| C．To remember a friend. | D．To introduce a nice scene. |
| A．The classification of PM. | B．The treatment for asthma. |
| C．The harm of tiny aerosols. | D．The characteristics of PM. |
| A．It cut down on PM from wildlife smoke. |
| B．It reduced industrial emissions by law. |
| C．It encouraged people to work from home. |
| D．It stopped wildfire smoke travelling east. |
| A．Wildfire Smoke Poses Health Risks in North America |
| B．Wildfires Are Burning Out of Control in the US |
| C．Why Do Large Wildfires Occur in the Eastern US? |
| D．How Do Wildfires Affect the Western US Cities? |
【推荐2】Chongqing, a city of more than 32 million people, faced a great test this summer—a series of large wildfires since August 17. Local residents(居民) have safeguarded their hometown in every way possible, with thousands of volunteers from all walks of life fighting the fires with professionals.
Under a hot sun, some residents cut down trees to make fire barriers(屏障). Others rode motorcycles on newlyformed paths to take firefighters and supplies up a mountain, while some volunteers carried food and drinks on their backs on foot. Women and children helped organize supplies and clear the ground, and performed other important tasks. On Thursday night, as wildfires moved towards a manmade barrier on Jinyun Mountain in Beibei District, a total of more than 1, 000 firefighters and volunteers stood alongside the barrier with fire extinguishers(灭火器). Seen from overhead, their lights formed a silver wall against the increasing fire line.
The residents’ stories have touched many people. “Chongqing people are really amazing,” said Du Hailang, head of the Beijing Emergency Rescue Association. Du and 10 other members of the association joined the fire rescue team in Chongqing. “The manmade wall was unbelievable, but shocking. It really showed Chinese people’s determination to defend their homeland,” Du said.
Zou Yu, from the Chongqing Emergency Management Bureau, said at a news conference that by Friday morning, the wildfires in the city had been put out and efforts were being made to prevent new ones from breaking out. He said Chongqing had experienced several forest wildfires in summer due to heat wave and drought since 1961. The city has experienced recordhigh local temperatures, with those in Beibei District reaching 45℃.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?| A．The ways to fight the wildfire. |
| B．The quick spread of the wildfire. |
| C．The determination of the firefighters. |
| D．The fighting efforts of Chongqing people. |
| A．Someone’s smoking. | B．The hot and dry weather. |
| C．No fire prevention work. | D．The shortage of fire barriers. |
| A．A research paper. | B．A book review. |
| C．A news report. | D．A travel diary. |
【推荐3】For decades, climate scientists have named hurricanes and ranked them according to severity. “Naming and categorizing heat waves is also a must,” states a newly formed international union, called the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance. “Hurricanes get attention because they cause obvious physical damage,” says Jennifer Marlon, a climate scientist at Yale University. Heat waves, however, have less evident effects, since the primary damage is to human health.
Heat waves kill more people in the United States than any other weather-related disaster. Data from the National Weather Service show that from 1986 to 2019, there were 4,257 deaths as a result of heat. By comparison, there were fewer deaths by floods(2,907), tornadoes(2,203) or hurricanes(1,405) over the same period. What’s more, climate change is increasing the possibility of high temperature events worldwide, getting tens of thousands of people dying each year because of heat.
Some populations are particularly easily harmed by high heat, including people over 65 and those with potential medical conditions. Historical racial discrimination also places minority communities at higher risk. Due to housing policies, communities of color are more likely to live in urban areas, heat islands which lack the green spaces that help cool down neighborhoods.
Part of the naming and ranking process will include defining exactly what a heat wave is. No single definition currently exists. Without a universally accepted definition of a heat wave, “We don't have a common understanding of the danger we face,” says Aaron Bernstein, an expert of the new group. “Defined categories for heat waves could help local officials better prepare to address potential health problems in the face of rising temperatures. And naming and categorizing heat waves could increase public awareness of the health risks caused by these silent killers.”
The union is in ongoing conversations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Meteorological Organization and other institutions to develop a standard naming and ranking practice.
1. What do we know about the heat wave in America?| A．It causes most serious physical damage. |
| B．It has got more attention in recent years. |
| C．It kills more people than other natural disasters. |
| D．It is the biggest killer among weather-related disasters. |
| A．They live in poorly-built houses. | B．They lack good medical resources. |
| C．They have less access to green spaces. | D．They are restricted in their movements. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Conservative. | D．Tolerant. |
| A．They also kill lives like hurricanes. | B．They should have names like hurricanes. |
| C．Climate change is affecting them greatly. | D．Measures should be taken to prevent them. |
【推荐1】Getting mixed families together isn’t always an easy task and some children can be left feeling hurt or angry when their parents remarry. But one woman has made sure her new step-son knows exactly how much she appreciates him, by dedicating part of her wedding vows (誓言) to him.
Vanessa Lynch, 30, became stepmom to nine-year-old Henry when she tied the knot with Craig Lynch and after making her vows to her new husband, she turned her attention to the young boy. Her vows said, “Henry, I know I wasn’t there for your first steps or your first words, but I promise I will be there for many more of your firsts. I promise to love you as if you were my own and lastly I promise I will be the best wife for your dad and I promise to be the best stepmom I can be for you.”
And Vanessa insisted she wanted to dedicate some of her vows to Henry because she didn’t want him to see her as just a “woman his dad was married to”. She explained, “I’m glad I decided to do it because Henry told me that they meant a lot to him and that he feels even closer to me than before.”
Vanessa also had a stepdad and chose to walk down the aisle with both her biological dad and her stepdad to show that family doesn’t just mean blood relatives. She said, “I come from a mixed family, so I wanted to show how stepparents should treat stepchildren as though they were their own children. You don’t share blood with someone, but it does not mean you can-not be a family. It all comes from the love you hold for a person and what you commit to one another.”
1. How did Vanessa show her care for her stepson?| A．By vowing to him at her wedding. | B．By allowing him to live with her. |
| C．By purchasing his favourite toys. | D．By promising to give him freedom. |
| A．Got familiar with. | B．Got married to. | C．Got used to. | D．Got involved with. |
| A．Worse than ever. | B．As close as before. | C．Greatly improved. | D．No closer than before. |
| A．Sensitive and skeptical. | B．Ambitious and gentle. |
| C．Talented and intelligent. | D．Kind and considerate. |
【推荐2】When I was so small that my head barely touched the windowsill, we lived in the ever-green forests of Vermont. Our home was far, far away from any town or city, but that was the way we liked it.
Some winters, it got so cold that the river would freeze, which was unusual for water like that, water which ran so fast and deep. It felt as though time had stopped near the river, and so it had decided to become solid, settling in to wait for spring. We liked to skate on that river, my grandfather and I, even though the ice was uneven and his brown leather skates was so old.
One night, in the most frigid winter my young mind could recall, long after I should have been asleep, I caught my grandfather sneaking out of the front door, his ancient leather skates in his hands. He looked sheepish when he saw me, like I had caught him doing something silly, but I was so young that I thought no adult could ever do wrong. Especially not my grandfather, because he was the model of wisdom in my eyes.
“Grandpa, where are you going?” I asked.
“Skating on the river.”
“Why would you go out now? We did that yesterday morning.”
He looked a little thoughtful, and then he said: “It’s just that when you go out there, on the coldest, stillest night of the year, and you lie on your back on the thick, bubbled river ice, you can hear them.”
“Hear who?”
“The fish. Trapped there under the ice. You can hear them singing their water y winter song. And if you hold your breath, you can almost hear the stars singing in harmony.”
1. What does the underlined word “sheepish” probably mean in Paragraph 3?| A．Calm. | B．Quiet. | C．Frightened. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．To breathe some fresh air in the forest. |
| B．To enjoy the charm of a peaceful night. |
| C．To catch the fish trapped under the ice. |
| D．To perfect his skating skills by practice. |
| A．I admired my grandfather for his wisdom. |
| B．My grandfather likes to singing with stars |
| C．Skating on the uneven ice is our favourite sport. |
| D．A fast-flowing river has never frozen in midwinter. |
| A．To describe the joy of fisting in the wild. |
| B．To highlight how embracing nature can purify us. |
| C．To explain why skating is such an appealing sport. |
| D．To record the good relationship with his grandfather. |
【推荐3】Frederick Banting hated school. Having grown up on a farm near Alliston, Ontario, Fred was a good worker but felt uncomfortable and unaccepted in a town school. After graduation, he began studies to become a minister. When that did not go well, he changed his goal to medicine. World War I arrived, and the great need for field medics (救护人员) resulted in the early graduation of Fred. After the war, the young Canadian doctor returned home to set up his practice. Just then he began to focus on articles on diabetes (糖尿病), a disease that had claimed the life of a neighbour’s child.
To solve the problem of this disease, Fred approached Dr. J. J. R. Macleod at the University of Toronto and eventually convinced Dr. Macleod to support him. In 1920, Fred happily entered a poorly equipped laboratory and was given a young assistant named Charles Best. Fred and Charles worked day and night, but early results in producing the hormone (激素) preparation they called insulin (胰岛素) were discouraging. Many of the animals they treated died. Finally one animal survived for several weeks. The team appeared to be finally getting somewhere, and it was time to move on to human subjects. Before treating human patients, however, Fred and Charles tested the safety of their insulin each other. Their tests were a triumph.
The first patient to be treated was a fourteen-year-old boy named Leonard. The year was 1921. The poor boy weighed only seventy-five pounds, and he was barely alive. But the new insulin treatment administered by Fred and Charles was a great success. Leonard gained weight, and his health dramatically improved.
In 1923, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded jointly to Canadian doctors Frederick Banting and J. J. R. Macleod. Fred could have made himself a millionaire with his discovery. Instead, he sold his patent for the production of insulin to the University of Toronto-for one dollar-so that the drug could be marketed cheaply and thousands of lives could be saved and improved. Thanks to Fred, diabetics are able to live normal lives where before it was impossible.
1. What does paragraph I focus on?| A．Why Fred graduated early. |
| B．How Fred took up the research. |
| C．Why Fred changed his life goal. |
| D．What Fred experienced in the war. |
| A．Victory. |
| B．Reference. |
| C．Challenge. |
| D．Demonstration. |
| A．To make money. |
| B．To earn reputation. |
| C．To benefit patients. |
| D．To promote insulin. |
| A．A Successful Test |
| B．A Famous Doctor |
| C．An Unlikely Hero |
| D．A Great Discovery |
【推荐1】When the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e-5 returned to Earth on December 17, 2020, it brought back something not seen on our planet since the 1970s: moon rock samples. This precious cargo, collected by Chang’e-5’s robotic research vehicle in the northwest region of the lunar near side, is now being studied by scientists in Beijing. The success of the latest Chinese space mission also showcased technology that may be used in future years to create human settlements on Earth’s near neighbor.
The returned lunar samples will “absolutely add new knowledge of the history of the moon, particularly its volcanoes,” says Xiao Long, a planetary scientist at China University of Geosciences. The rocks sent back by Chang’e-5 “will ask us to rethink about why and how the moon’s volcanic history lasted this long,” he says.
The Chang’e-5 mission was more than just a trip to collect moon rocks. It was also the latest stage of a long, planned sequence of robotic lunar explorations by China that have grown ever more scientifically advanced.
The program began with the 2007 launch of Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2 three years later. These craft circled the moon collecting data used to help guide Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4, the first Chinese spacecraft to land on the moon surface, and to direct their robotic vehicles. The robot on Chang’e-5 was able to collect rock and soil samples and return them to Earth. In the near future, an identical spacecraft called Chang’e-6 will attempt a sample-return mission from the moon’s south pole—an area of intense scientific interest-given the large amount of water ice present.
The more advanced Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 spacecraft are also planned to land near the south pole to carry out analysis of the region and test new technologies, including detecting and obtaining materials that could be useful to future human explorers, such as water and hydrogen, and testing 3D printing on the lunar surface.
The long-term aim of the Chang’s program is to establish an International Lunar Research Station around 2030 to support robotic and, eventually, crewed missions.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The moon’s recent volcanic activities. | B．The significance of the moon rock samples. |
| C．New knowledge of the history of the moon. | D．Further studies of the returned lunar samples. |
| A．The technology they use. | B．The time they spend on the moon. |
| C．The specific locations they explore. | D．The amount of material they bring back. |
| A．transport researchers to the moon station |
| B．build up an International Lunar Research Station |
| C．collect data necessary to guide moon-landing spacecraft |
| D．find and test resources and means to support living on the moon |
| A．A project to study the surface of the moon. |
| B．A plan to improve human settlements on the moon. |
| C．A set of experiments to test the possibility of manned spacecraft. |
| D．A series of increasingly challenging scientific lunar explorations. |
【推荐2】The age of space exploration started on April 12, 1961, when the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey to outer space. But why do we go to environments that are dangerous and even deadly to humans? The answer is simple.
Promote the progress of medicine
Develop new technologies
The space race has birthed the most technological advancements in the shortest period of time.
Start space tourism
The biggest dream some of us have is being able to take a trip to outer space. However, it is still too expensive to go to space. As reusable rockets improve, the costs of these trips will become significantly lower.
Inspire the next generation
Space exploration stimulates the curiosity of children.
| A．Technologies have advanced considerably. |
| B．It gets students interested in science and technology. |
| C．Hopefully one day they’ll be within the reach for all of us. |
| D．These include stepping up cooperation in space exploration. |
| E．The benefits of space exploration go beyond the dangers of it. |
| F．Studying the effects of space travel can lead to some medical benefits. |
| G．Throughout the years, companies have found consumer uses for many of these developments. |
【推荐3】China welcomed three heroic astronauts home on April 16. The re-entry module (返回舱) carrying Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu touched down safely at the designated Dongfeng Landing Site in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. This ended the Shenzhou XIII astronauts’ six-month space mission.
This return marks a major breakthrough for China’s efforts in space. Let’s look at some of the technical details of the mission.
Speed record
The mission set a new speed record. The Shenzhou XII return capsule revolved around the Earth 11 times over 24 hours, before returning on Sept 17, 2021. This time Shenzhou XIII shortened the time to about 9 hours, orbiting the Earth five times.
The Shenzhou XIII mission was simplified to only five orbits and was designed to return more efficiently, according to the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
This approach required more precise control of the spacecraft and more accurate orbital calculations. This meant that when the spacecraft separated, it could quickly target the landing area, calculate the return path, and adjust its altitude, Wang Ya’nan, editor-in-chief of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times.
“Having the ability to adopt such a fast return method indicates that China’s return technology for manned missions is very mature and reliable,” Wang added.
Temperature control
Another challenge for astronauts returning to Earth is traveling through the atmosphere. After the re-entry capsule enters the atmosphere, there is fierce friction with the air. The surface temperature of the capsule can reach thousands of degrees.
To solve this problem, the researchers designed a heat-resistant coating on the surface of the Shenzhou XIII return capsule. They also laid a layer of ablative material (烧蚀材料) that sublimated (升华) and fell off when the temperature reached a certain level, taking a lot of heat with it, according to People’s Daily Online.
Landing
Landing upright is the ideal way to land, ensuring astronauts have the softest landing, Pang Zhihao, a spaceflight researcher in Beijing, told Science and Technology Daily.
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To introduce Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. |
| C．To inform readers of the astronauts’ six-month space mission. |
| D．To tell readers about the successful landing of the Shenzhou XIII. |
| A．About 2.2 hours. | B．About 3 hours. |
| C．About 1.8 hours. | D．About half an hour. |
①to return more efficiently
②to control the spacecraft more precisely
③to calculate orbit more accurately
④to target the landing area quickly
⑤to adjust its altitude
| A．①②③④ | B．①②③⑤ | C．①③④⑤ | D．②③④⑤ |
| A．By designing a heat-resistant coating on the surface of the Shenzhou XIII. |
| B．By making the surface temperature reach thousands of degrees. |
| C．By sublimating and falling off when the temperature reached a level. |
| D．By putting a layer of material on the surface on the spacecraft. |
