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 spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in space.
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 Paragraph1?| A．To express his doubts. | B．To compare different ideas. |
| C．To describe the conditions on Earth. | D．To introduce points for discussion. |
| A．survival chances | B．potential resources |
| C．unexpected benefits | D．physical possessions |
| 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 provided the best value for money. |
| C．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth. |
| D．Space exploration can benefit science and technology. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】“The world’s first 35 kilovolt superconducting power cable was put into operation in Shanghai on Wednesday, making China among the global leaders in superconducting transmission applications” said its operator, the Shanghai branch of State Grid Corp of China.
The high-capacity superconducting power line, which is so far the world’s longest superconducting cable transmission project with the largest transmission capacity, marks a major breakthrough in core technologies of China’s construction of a new power system, according to State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electrical Power Co.
Installed in the commercial area of Xuhui district, the 1.2-kilometer cable connects two 220 kV substations with a designed current capacity of 2,200 amps. This is also the first superconducting transmission project built by the centrally administered State Grid in the country.
According to State Grid Corp of China, the nation’s largest power provider by generating capacity, the superconducting cables-one of the most revolutionary cutting-edge technologies in the power sector-represent an innovative power transfer technology that has the potential to offer numerous benefits.
According to Xie Wei, chief engineer at State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electrical Power Co, the transmission capacity of superconducting cables is much greater than that for conventional cables, but with much less transmission loss. It is also very suitable for power supply in high-load density areas, providing a new solution to the problem of power supply in high-load-density areas of megacities（特大城市）.
“One 35 kV superconducting cable transmission line can transmit the same amount of power as a traditional 220 kV power line and saves 70 percent of underground pipe gallery space,” Xie said. “The transmission efficiency of the high-capacity superconducting power lines can provide reliable and stable power to megacity urban centers,” he added.
Gan Zizhao, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, “superconducting cables have always been an important way to solve issues of power supply to superlarge cities amid efforts to push forward power upgrade and transformation in the country.”
“With a temperature of-196℃, which is the temperature range required for liquid nitrogen liquefaction, the technology can greatly improve losses in power transmission due to a resistance of zero,” said the company. The low-temperature superconducting cable project is one of the results of the strategic cooperation between State Grid and the Shanghai Municipal Government in the fields of science and technology.
1. What can we know of the power line?| A．It made China the leader of the world in the new power system. |
| B．It has the longest and largest superconducting cable all over the world. |
| C．It has helped to construct a new power system so far all over the world. |
| D．It is a significant achievement in developing China’s new power system. |
| A．By asking questions. | B．By giving examples. | C．By listing data. | D．By giving definitions. |
| A．Because it can be zero-resistant. | B．Because it can save a lot of space. |
| C．Because it can be used at low-temperature. | D．Because it can provide reliable and stable power. |
| A．Shanghai Opens Superconducting Line. |
| B．A Major Breakthrough in Core Technologies. |
| C．Superconducting Power Line-the High Technology. |
| D．A New Technology-Making China among the Global Leaders. |
【推荐2】Can a small group of drones (无人机) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s “eyes in the sky” technology to make sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure (基础设施) worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient (高效) across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews’ efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don’t need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
1. What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?| A．The use of drones in checking on power lines. | B．Drones’ ability to work at high altitudes. |
| C．The reduction of cost in designing drones. | D．Drones’ reliable performance in remote areas. |
| A．Personnel safety. | B．Assistance from drones. |
| C．Inspection and repair. | D．Construction of infrastructure. |
| A．To provide early warning. | B．To make trains run automatically. |
| C．To earn profits for the crews. | D．To accelerate transportation. |
| A．What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones |
| B．How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded |
| C．What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face |
| D．How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways |
【推荐3】It’s never hard to identify pictures from Instagram: They’re usually bright-colored, shot with tasteful lighting, and the people and items are artfully arranged in the frames (画面). Instagram photos seem much similar to each other and to be effortlessly perfect.
Even though it has been here for less than a decade, Instagram — a photo and video-sharing platform started in 2010 in the US — has redefined fashion, travel, food, and even art, because almost everyone wants to make themselves and things look “effortless” and “perfect”.
But every trend has its sell-by date, including the so-called “Instagram aesthetic (审美)”. Once young people figured out that what appeared to be effortless was actually carefully staged, they lost interest immediately. To them, “trying too hard” is never cool.
This is why a new trend is growing on Instagram - one that wants to be “more authentic”, Lexie Carbone from social media marketing firm mentioned. For example, people have been posting “Instagram vs reality” photos to show the real side of themselves. One Instagram user, 22-year-old Reese Blutstein, has attracted over 238,000 followers since she began posting unfiltered photos of herself in strange outfits (装束). “For my generation, people are more willing to be who they are,” said Blutstein. “We are trying to show a real person doing cool things as a real person, not trying to create a persona (人设) that isn’t actually you.”
So perhaps the “Instagram aesthetic“ is not coming to an end after all. It’s just evolving — into a cooler and more honest version of itself.
1. What do the underlined words “sell-by date” in Paragraphs probably mean?| A．end. | B．direction. |
| C．stage. | D．fashion. |
| A．To express people now want to be more real on Instagram. |
| B．To explain the meaning of “Instagram vs reality”. |
| C．To indicate youngsters have lost interest in Instagram. |
| D．To show people are crazy about taking Instagram photos. |
| A．Posting pictures in bright colors. |
| B．Posting pictures of a person’s true self |
| C．Posting photos that are artfully arranged. |
| D．Posting photos that remind people of the old days. |
| A．Instagram Aesthetic in Change |
| B．Instagram Lifestyles of Youngsters |
| C．A Popular Sharing Platform |
| D．Reasons for the Popularity of Instagram |
【推荐1】136 types of seeds, including crops, forest vegetation, flowers, and microorganisms will be carried on board the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft to start their space breeding journey. These seeds will contribute to the advancement of China’s agricultural science and technology and enhance food security, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced on Wednesday in a statement.
The seeds were selected through a four-month application and review process and have been chosen from 53 institutions across the country. The project, conducted by manned spaceflight, is of a public welfare nature and does not charge any carrying fees. It has been 36 years since China’s first space seed breeding effort in 1987, the country has sent the seeds of hundreds of plant species into space on dozens of retrievable satellites (返回式卫星) and Shenzhou spaceships. Nearly 1,000 new species have been created, of which 200 have displayed outstanding performances, according to media reports.
Space seed breeding uses cosmic radiation (宇宙辐射) to mutate the genes of seeds sent into space, in order to create new species for greater variety. “Space peppers and watermelons” commonly found in supermarkets in China are successful varieties of space breeding. China ranks first in the world in the number of cultivated varieties and the range of popularization and application of space breeding. The area under cultivation for grains, vegetables, fruits and other plants developed by space seed breeding has surpassed 4 million hectares, and generated economic benefits of over 200 billion yuan ($30.51 billion), media earlier reported.
The seeds need further improvement, especially in disease resistance, through conventional breeding methods and space breeding, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Space breeding involves exposing seeds and strains to cosmic radiation and microgravity during a spaceflight mission to mutate their genes.
China’s space seed breeding level also reflects the nation’s advancing aerospace technology, Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. And he added, “There are only a few countries in the world with mature aerospace technology, and China’s level of space seed breeding technology is world-class.”
1. What does the underlined word “mutate” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Change. | B．Destroy. | C．Infect. | D．Enhance. |
| A．Increase the number of seeds sent into space. |
| B．Cultivate new species through genetic mutation. |
| C．Combine space breeding with traditional breeding methods. |
| D．Use more advanced aerospace technology to breed seeds in space. |
| A．The seeds are now capable of resisting diseases. |
| B．It has successfully cultivated over 1,000 new species. |
| C．The project has mutated thousands of plant genes in space. |
| D．China’s space seed breeding technology is the world’s best. |
| A．Space Breeding: China’s Leading Role in Agricultural Science |
| B．Space Breeding: A breakthrough in China’s genetic technology |
| C．Space Breeding: Benefits and Risks for China’s Future Agriculture |
| D．Space Breeding: A contribution to China’s agricultural technology and food security |
【推荐2】①Since the first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei reached the space with Shenzhou V, we have continued the Chinese Flying Dream to new chapters. On the evening of November 29, Shenzhou XV was successfully launched (发射) from Jiuquan Center. Shenzhou XV is of great meaning for Chinese space work and made some great achievements (成就) that were never seen before.
②The first was the huge number of jobs Shenzhou XV’s astronauts will finish. They will do more than 40 science experiments in fields such as air medicine, and air technology, which is amazing in humans’ space history.
③With the arrival of Shenzhou XV, Tiangong Space Station has finally developed into its largest size weighing around 100,000 kg. It is one of the largest buildings that humans have ever built in space.
④The space station is made up of 5 different parts. The Tianhe module (舱) is working in the center of the station. The Wentian and Mengtian modules are on the left and right sides of Tianhe. The Shenzhou spaceships are on the top of the station. The last one, the Tianzhou V is under the Tianhe module.
⑤The astronauts of Shenzhou XV are also different from the past. Usually, the new groups of astronauts were sent into space after the early ones went back to the Earth. But this time, the two groups of astronauts met in the space. Worldwide, there are now a total of 13 astronauts in space. So, for the time being, China is the country with most people in the space.
⑥The other thing about them is the age of the Shenzhou XV’s astronauts-is the-oldest of history (over 53). Among them, 56-years-old Deng Qingming was one of the earliest 14 astronauts in China. He served as a backup astronaut four times and watched his teammates fly again and again, but he never gave up the dream to fly. Now he made it, although it takes some time.
⑦The launch of Shenzhou-15 is a historic moment for Chinese space-exploring plan. Chinese-people wilt always let imagination about the sky run wild.
1. The structure (结构) of Tiangong Space Station is .A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．share the exciting stories of Shenzhou astronauts |
| B．show how great and meaningful Shenzhou XV is |
| C．ask teenagers to work hard and become astronauts |
| D．tell it is difficult to build such a great space station |
| A．it makes up Tiangong Space Station as the largest building ever in space |
| B．all the astronauts in the world are now living in Shenzhou XV spaceship |
| C．the astronauts in it are the youngest of the history of Chinese space work |
| D．it made great achievements in Chinese and humans’ history of space work |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
【推荐3】NASA has flown an aircraft on another planet for the first time. On Monday, April 19, Ingenuity, a 1. 8-kilogram drone (无人机) helicopter, took off from the surface of Mars, flew up about three meters, then hovered for 40 seconds and took photos above with one of its two cameras. The historic moment was livestreamed on YouTube. “We can now say that human beings have flown a drone helicopter on another planet,” said MiMi Aung, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, at a press conference. “We, together, flew at Mars, and we, together, now have our Wright brothers moment,” she added, referring to the first powered airplane flight on Earth in 1903.
The details: The flight was a significant technical challenge, thanks to Mars' s bone-chilling temperatures (nights can drop down to -130 °F / -90 °C) and its incredibly thin atmosphere — just 1% the density of Earth' s. That meant Ingenuity had to be light, with rotor blades (螺旋桨) that were bigger and faster than would be needed to achieve liftoff on Earth (although the gravity on Mars, which is only about one-third of Earth's, worked in its favor). The flight had originally been scheduled to take place on April 11 but was delayed by software issues.
Why it's significant: Beyond being a significant milestone for Mars exploration, the flight will also pave the way for engineers to think about new ways to explore other planets. Future drone helicopters could help astronauts by scoping out locations, exploring inaccessible areas, and capturing images. Ingenuity will also help inform the design of Dragonfly, a car-size drone that NASA is planning to send to Saturn's moon Titan in 2027.
What's next: In the next few weeks, Ingenuity will conduct four more flights, each lasting up to 90 seconds. Each one is designed to further push the limits of Ingenuity's capabilities. Ingenuity is only designed to last for 30 Martian days, and is expected to stop functioning around
May 4. Its final resting place will be in the Jezero Crater as NASA moves on to the main focus of its mission: Getting the Perseverance rover (毅力号火星探测器) to study Mars for evidence of life.
1. Why does MiMi Aung mention Wright brothers?
| A．To honor the historic contribution of Wright brothers. |
| B．To make a comparison between Wright brothers and herself. |
| C．To highlight the importance of Ingenuity's Martian exploration. |
| D．To remind the public of the first powered airplane flight on Earth. |
| A．The delay of software tests. |
| B．The force of gravity on Mars. |
| C．Mars's temperatures and atmosphere. |
| D．Technical difficulty in liftoff on Earth. |
| A．A great victory. | B．A difficult task. |
| C．A roadside stone. | D．A historic event. |
| A．Mars Drone Helicopter Makes Historic First Flight |
| B．Modern Wright Brothers Moment: Mars Exploration |
| C．First Drone Helicopter Spots Evidence of Life on Mars |
| D．Ingenuity: Mars Drone Flies to Take Incredible Pictures |
