When it comes to long-distance space travel, the biggest problem is that spaceships can only get as far as the fuel onboard allows. In 1964, a British writer Clarke came up with the idea of “solar sailing” in his science fiction. He wrote of large, mirror-like sails that collect power from the sun and free spaceships from the limitation of fuel.
This sci-fi idea was first successful brought to reality in 2010 by Japan’s IKAROS satellite. Ever since then, the technology has improved mission by mission, with the latest being NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail 3(ACS3). NASA has recently announced that it’s going to team up with Lithuania’s satellite-building company NanoAvionics to test its new sail in Low-Earth Orbit.
To many, a solar sail may look like a giant solar panel, but it actually works very differently. While solar panels take in energy from the sun and change it into power, solar sails use Photons given off by the sun to create direct power. Besides, solar panels are big and heavy to carry, while solar sails are just the opposite.
According to Abbott, the CEO of NanoAvionics, the upcoming Low-Earth Orbit trial with NASA, if successful, will be followed with deep-space missions that involve larger solar sails. These are ideal for low-cost and long-distance space travel because fuel will no longer be a problem.
“It started as a sci-fi dream,” Popular Mechanics reporter Jennifer Leman wrote. “Now it could be the future of space flight.”
1. What can we say about solar sailing according to the first two paragraphs?| A．It was widely used in space travel. |
| B．It was tried by IKAROS satellite. |
| C．It was from the creative idea by Clarke. |
| A．Big and heavy. | B．Small and light. | C．Powerful and large. |
| A．Larger solar sails. | B．Deep-space missions. | C．Long-distance space flights. |
| A．Solar Sail: the Latest Technology |
| B．Solar Sail: from Dream to Reality |
| C．Solar Sail: a New Kind of Spaceship |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We want to explore and try to better understand the world in which we live. Space exploration (探索) is one of the ways. Through the exploration of space, we can begin to unravel the mysteries of our universe and to better know our living environment.
Space exploration provides us with knowledge about the beginning of our solar system (太阳系), our own planet and ourselves. It also helps answer the questions that have puzzled us for many years. Solar system exploration is important because it is good for us.
Space technology has become an important part of our daily lives. Some technology uses satellites (卫星) to communicate. Satellites are also used to examine the changes in the Earth’s climate (气候) and seas, for weather report and for military (军事). We also use satellites in food production. Because of the use of space technology in crops, fewer and fewer people will suffer (受苦) hunger.
The space program provides a chance for nations to work together. The cooperation (合作) promotes (促进) peace and understanding between governments and their people. Many governments have taken part in the space technology, including the United States, Russia, Japan, the European nations and India. In the near future, other nations will take part in it. In fact, the United States remains the leader in new space technology.
1. The underlined word “unravel” in the first paragraph means “________” in Chinese.| A．解开 | B．描述 | C．相信 |
| A．Difficulties in space exploration. |
| B．The advantages of space exploration. |
| C．The answers to the questions of space exploration. |
| A．reporting the weather |
| B．examining the changes of seas |
| C．changing the climate of a certain place |
| A．The United States | B．Russia | C．Japan |
| A．Poor countries don’t agree to explore space. |
| B．People in different countries have different ideas on exploring space. |
| C．More and more countries will take part in the space program. |
【推荐2】We all live on Earth and enjoy our life every day. Do you know all the interesting facts about the Earth?
The Earth is not round.
Do you think the Earth is round? Will the Earth is not completely round.
The Earth is really old.
Grandmas and grandpas are old, but the Earth is much older. Scientists think that the earth is about 4.5 to 5 billion (十亿) years old.
Much of the Earth is water.
About 70% of Earth is water, and only about 30% of Earth is land.
Earthquakes happen all the time.
Earthquakes (地震) take place all the time. But most of the time, they are very small and human beings cannot even feel them.
________.
There are many mountains on Earth. Mount Everest is the most famous one because its peak is five and one-half miles above sea level. It is the highest. There are more interesting facts about the Earth. Can you tell us some?
1. How old is the Earth?| A．4 billion. | B．4.5 billion to 5 billion. | C．5 billion. | D．5 billion to 5.5 billion. |
| A．Three. | B．Four | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．Many mountains. |
| B．Mount Everest is very famous. |
| C．Mount Everest is five and one-half miles high. |
| D．Mount Everest is the highest mountain. |
| A．Facts about Earth | B．The earthquake |
| C．Life on Earth | D．Mountains on Earth |
【推荐3】Do you know what will happen in a weightless environment? Students attend a science lesson given by astronauts on board China’s Tiangong space station on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, the members of the Shenzhou XIII, which was launched (发射) on October 16, appear on television screens watched by millions of students across China.
During the 41-minute lesson, the astronauts did four experiments to show physical phenomena (现象) only possible in a weightless environment, such as “liquid crystallization” and “a water bridge”. In one experiment, Wang used a toy of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, to show how objects fly in Tiangong. They invited the young viewers to do similar experiments to see the differences between space and land environments.
Before closing the lesson, the astronauts answered questions from students. The questions covered the life and work in space, such as how to take care of the skin and whether hot water was available. Wednesday’s event marked the third time Wang had taken part in a space lesson. In June 2013, she gave the nation’s first space lesson to over 60 million Chinese students in Shenzhou X. It made China the second country, following the United States, to have given a lesson to schoolchildren from space.
In early December, Wang gave the country’s second space lesson from the Tiangong station. The astronauts showed viewers how they lived and worked inside the space station.
“These science lessons can encourage students to explore the world of science and technology.” Shi Yi, a physics teacher, said after today’s activity, “Encouraged by China’s spaceflight achievements, my school has built a space science laboratory and the teachers give lessons about space exploration.”
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. On March 23, 2022, the astronauts finished these tasks EXCEPT ________.
| A．answering the questions from students |
| B．inviting the students to do experiments |
| C．doing an experiment about “a water bridge” |
| D．showing how they lived inside the space station |
| A．In June 2013. | B．In October 2021. |
| C．In December 2021. | D．In March 2022. |
| A．The astronauts did four experiments during the lesson. |
| B．Over 60 million students across China attended the lesson. |
| C．China is the second country to have given a lesson in space. |
| D．The three science lessons given by astronauts are rather meaningful. |
(①=paragraph 1 ②=paragraph 2,…)
| A．①/②③/④⑤ | B．①②/③/④ | C．①/②③④/ | D．①②③/④/⑤ |
| A．A science novel. | B．A news report. | C．A fairy tale. | D．An interview. |
【推荐1】Today the phone is as common as water in our daily life, but when telephones were invented over 140 years ago, people believed that they were very dangerous.
In 1876, most people didn’t accept that electricity was safe to hear a human voice through the phone. In fact, they thought that it might kill them.
Alexander Bell and his assistant Thomas Watson had no such fears. On the morning of 10 March, 1876, Bell spoke into his invention, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.” Mr. Watson was excited, because he did hear these words on his receiving machine in the next room.
However, it took a few more years for the talking machine to win people’s hearts. Bell had to help people overcome the fears about electricity and convince (说服) people that such a machine was useful. We can laugh at this now, but in 1876,people seriously asked, “But what use could it possibly have?”
Today, when we walk along a busy street, we could talk with friends on the phone. Our world has surely changed, hasn’t it?
1. Water is mentioned in Paragraph 1 to show that the phone is ________.| A．easy to use | B．not that expensive |
| C．now widely used | D．a danger to people’s health |
| A．On 10 March, 1876. | B．On 10 May, 1876. | C．On 10 March, 1877. | D．On 10 May, 1877. |
| A．Safe. | B．Excited. | C．Angry. | D．Worried. |
| A．they thought it was too heavy | B．they preferred to talk face to face |
| C．they didn’t have enough money to buy it | D．they thought it was dangerous and useless |
Florian Nast, George Horn and Stefan Streit come from Switzerland. They like travelling around the world.
One day, when they were travelling in Vietnam, one of their motorbikes (摩托车) broke down.
On the T-shirt, there are 40 common signs. It is easy for people all over the world to understand them.
If you travel in a foreign country with this T-shirt on, you can just point to the signs to tell others what you need.
| A．Finally, they made a T-shirt called Iconspeak T-shirt. |
| B．They wanted to find somebody to fix it up. |
| C．After that, the three young man used the same way to “talk” to the local people. |
| D．Sometimes they find language is really a problem. |
| E．In other words, these signs can help you a lot when you have trouble communicating with foreigners. |
| F．For example, if a visitor wants to find the bus stop, he can ask people for help. |
【推荐3】If you walked by James’ bedroom, you might hear the 8-year-old talking. You might think he was chatting with a friend, or with his 4-year-old sister, Anna. More likely, James would be talking to his smart speaker, an Echo Dot.
James often asks his Dot to tell jokes, report the time and temperature. And his sister? She asks it to play songs from Frozen.
As of December 2017, there were about 67 million smart speakers in the United States. A year later, that number had jumped to nearly 119 million. But as the number of kids using smart speakers grows, people worry about privacy (隐私) and data (数据) collection.
Researchers did a survey of more than 1,000 parents with kids ages 2 to 8. The survey is about how kids use smart speakers. It also asked about privacy.
Nearly half of the parents said their kids use the speakers, and half of those kids use them daily. Of parents who have turned off a smart speaker’s microphone, about one-third of them did it because they didn’t trust the speaker.
“A smart speaker might behave like a human in some ways,” says Florian Schaub, a professor. “But that’s really a company collecting data about you. Everything you say to a smart speaker is recorded by these companies. Companies use the recordings in different ways, such as to personalize service or decide which ads to play.” If users don’t like this, he suggests turning off the speaker when it’s not in use.
James says he doesn't worry about privacy. But his mom does. “Sometimes, the speaker flashes its lights when we’re not talking directly to it,” she says. “I wonder what it’s doing.”
1. James may talk with __________ most in his bedroom.| A．his friend | B．Anna | C．his parent | D．Echo Dot |
| A．dancing to music | B．telling jokes |
| C．playing music | D．telling kids time |
| A．贵宾服务 | B．企业服务 | C．个性化服务 | D．录音服务 |
| A．James’ mom doesn’t trust the smart speaker. |
| B．The number of the smart speaker in 2018 is 78% larger than that in 2017. |
| C．Over 1,000 parents and kids take part in the survey. |
| D．You can do nothing to do with the smart speaker if you don’t feel safe. |
| A．the invention of the smart speaker |
| B．the development of the smart speaker |
| C．the use and the problems of the smart speaker |
| D．the people who use the smart speaker |
【推荐1】Do you feel yourself growing older and yet being treated as a child? Do you want to be treated as an adult? Being an adult is not easy, and it’s not just a thing about the age. You need to act like adults. Why not read the following tips and make changes in your life?
Start thinking about where you’ll be in 10 years.
It’s important to start thinking about what you want to do with the rest of your life. Do you want to go to college? Are you studying what you want to study and providing yourself with a plan for the future? Do you want to start making money as soon as possible? Are you going to travel? Make a list of the things you want to do and start taking steps to make them happen.
Learn to say no.
Teenagers are impulsive. They are likely to say yes to a drink, a long night out, and a dangerous road trip. Becoming an adult means that you need to learn to say no. And it also shows that you are being responsible.
Be reliable (可靠的).
The words of an adult need to be tested by actions. If you say you will do something, do it. Maintaining relationships, jobs, and moving forward in the world will be difficult if you’re not seen as a reliable person. Be reliable. People need to know they can trust in you.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案，并在答题卡上将选定答案的字母标号涂黑。
1. According to the writer, being an adult means ________.
| A．growing old enough |
| B．acting like an adult |
| C．looking older than others of the same age |
| A．积极的 | B．乖巧的 | C．冲动的 |
| A．Say no to them. | B．Say yes to them. | C．Cancel the plan. |
| A．Making plans for the future. |
| B．Always saying yes to best friends. |
| C．Being a person others can trust in. |
| A．how to keep teenagers grow up |
| B．how to respect teenagers |
| C．how to act like an adult |
【推荐2】Scientists have come up with a new way of identifying (识别) animals in an area—by testing DNA in the air. The researchers believe their new method could help scientists keep track of (跟踪) animals that are hard to spot, including endangered animals.
Two teams of scientists—one in Denmark and one in the United Kingdom-came up with the same question at about the same time: Could they identify the animals in an area from DNA that was simply floating in the air?
Every living thing has DNA that can be used to identify it. They leave bits of DNA behind them wherever they go. DNA left behind like this is called “environmental” DNA, or cDNA. Scientists can use it to tell what kinds of animals are in a certain place.
①________. But most of the time, scientists look for cDNA in water. Neither team knew that the other group was working on a similar experiment. One collected samples from different locations at Denmark’s Copenhagen Zoo, and the other at Hamerton Zoo Park in the UK. The scientists used slightly (稍微) different methods to collect their samples. But basically, both teams used vacuums (真空吸尘器) and fans to collect tiny bits of DNA.
In the laboratory, by comparing their samples with examples of DNA from different animals, the scientists were able to identify many different animals at the zoos.
The scientists chose to test in zoos because they had rare animals not naturally found in the area. Each team only discovered about the other experiment after they had written a paper about their own results. The two decided to combine (合并) their results and publish a paper together.
Both teams are excited about the ways this new method could be used in the wild. The researchers believe the method could help scientists a lot. Scientists have been looking for better ways to tack endangered animals without interfering (干扰) with them. If researchers know where the animals live, they can do a better job of protecting them. The next step is to figure out how to take this method into nature.
1. What is the primary purpose of using cDNA according to the article?| A．To prevent DNA of animals from floating in the air. |
| B．To attract rare animals to zoos for better protection. |
| C．To identify animals by testing DNA found in the air. |
| D．To save endangered animals away from all the diseases. |
| A．They knew each other very well before. |
| B．They found more rare animals for zoos. |
| C．They worked together to publish a paper. |
| D．They used quite different methods to collect DNA. |
| A．It happened at different countries |
| B．Testing for cDNA isn’t a new idea |
| C．Bits of DNA is too small to see in the air |
| D．The scientists didn’t have high hope for the experiment |
| A．Proper ways of studying rare animals. |
| B．Differences between DNA and cDNA. |
| C．Challenges of protecting endangered animals. |
| D．The cDNA Testing for Animal Identification. |
【推荐3】Hello! My name is David. I live with my parents in China.
My mother, Lily, is from(来自) Chongqing, and my father is from Chengdu. His name is Paul .My mom likes Chongqing very much. She says if(如果) you want to eat delicious(美味的)food, you can go to Ciqikou. If you want to go shopping, you can go to Jiefangbei. If you want to see the beautiful night view(夜景), you can go to Laifushi ★ You can go to Kuanzhai Alley(宽窄巷子) to eat delicious food. You can see many pandas in Chengdu. You can go shopping in Chunxi Road, too. I think my parents are fun. I like Chongqing, and I like Chengdu, too.
1. David is Paul's__________| A．brother | B．father | C．son | D．mother |
| A．Ciqikou | B．Jiefangbei | C．Chunxi road | D．Kuanzhai Alley |
| A．You can go to Laifushi to see the beautiful night view. |
| B．You can see many pandas in Chongqing |
| C．You can go shopping in Jiefangbei and Chunxi Road. |
| D．The writer(作者) likes Chongqing and Chengdu,too. |
| A．Chongqing is a great place to go to | B．My mother likes Chongqing more than(超过)Chengdu |
| C．But my father doesn't like Chengdu | D．But my father says it's more(更)relaxing to go to Chengdu |
“This is a fig（无花果）tree, sir.” He said.
“A fig tree?” The rich man was very surprised. “How old are you, may I ask?”
“I am ninety years old.”
“What!” shouted the rich man, “You're ninety years old. You are planting a very young tree now and it'll take years to give fruit. You certainly don' t hope to live long enough to get any fruit from this tree.” The old man smiled and said, “Tell me, sir, did you eat figs when you were a boy?”
“Sure” the man did not know why he asked this question.
The old man asked, “Who planted the fig trees?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“You see, sir.” The old man said slowly, “our forefathers（祖先）planted trees for us to enjoy and I am doing the same for the people after me.”
The rich man was quiet, then said, “You are right, my good man. We should do some things
for the people after us. Thank you very much.” Then he rode away.
1. The old man was planting_ when the rich man saw him.
| A．an apple tree | B．a fig tree |
| C．a pear tree | D．a banana tree |
| A．to get himself some fruit to eat |
| B．for the people after him |
| C．to make his garden more beautiful |
| D．just for fun |
| A．he was thinking about who were his forefathers |
| B．he didn't want to disturb the old man |
| C．he couldn't communicate with the old man |
| D．he understood why the old man planted the young tree |
| A．creative | B．brave | C．wise | D．curious |
| A．前人栽树，后人乘凉 | B．光阴似箭，一去不返 |
| C．君子爱财，取之有道 | D．财多惹祸，树大招风 |
I have to (必须) go to work now. I prepare(准备) these things for you. Your schoolbag is on the desk. Your pen, books, keys and your school card are in your schoolbag. Your clothes and hat are on the dresser. The shoes are under your bed. Don’t forget your breakfast. It’s in the microwave oven.(微波炉)
Love you.
Mom
1. _____leaves(留下) the note(便条).
| A．Jane | B．Jane’s father | C．Jane’s mother |
a. the pen b. the shoes c. the keys d. the school card e. the hat
| A．a c d | B．a b d | C．a b e |
| A．They’re on the bed. | B．They’re on the dresser | C．They’re under the bed |
| A．On the desk | B．In the desk | C．Under the desk |
| A．拿走 | B．忘记 | C．带来 |
【推荐3】There was a car show in our town last weekend. My parents decided to see it. And they wanted to buy a new car because the old one in our home was broken (坏的).
The exhibition area (区域) is in Wenti Park. It’s about 3 kilometers away from my home. After breakfast on Saturday morning, my parents and I walked to the car show. At first, it was a bit cool in the morning. But soon, it got hot. When we got there, lots of people were visiting the modern cars. All the people there were very happy and excited. Some vendors were selling food, water, toys and model cars there. We bought three bottles of water and my father bought me a model car. At the same time, some people were taking photos with their cameras or mobile phones and some were looking and talking. Many people wanted to buy a car during the car show.
The exhibition area was very big and we went on seeing the car show and enjoyed ourselves. At about 11: 00 a m, we went back. I was very tired but happy.
1. Why did the writer’s parents want to buy a new car?| A．Because they don’t like the old car. | B．Because their old car was broken. |
| C．Because they had no car. | D．Because a new car is very cheap in the show. |
| A．By bus. | B．By train. | C．On foot. | D．By bike. |
| A．保安 | B．经理 | C．小贩 | D．清洁工 |
| A．watching some movies about cars. | B．taking some photos |
| C．talking and looking at the cars | D．selling some food and other things |
| A．A model robot. | B．A car. | C．A toy. | D．A model car. |
