After China’s Tianwen-1 probe entered Mars’ orbit(轨道) on Feb.10th, NASA’s Perseverance rover(“毅力”号火星车) made a historic landing on the surface of Mars on Feb. 18th. This is the fifth rover that NASA has sent to Mars and it is full of firsts. It will be the first rover to search for signs of ancient life. A helicopter will fly on the planet for the first time as well. The rover is also better at solving problems on its own than previous rovers.
Landing a spacecraft on Mars isn’t easy. It had to go through the “seven minutes of terror”(惊险七分钟) all by itself. Since it takes 11 minutes for a radio signal to travel from Earth to Mars, NASA couldn’t control the craft during the process.
The spacecraft hit the top of the Martian atmosphere(大气层) moving at 12,000 miles per hour and had to slow down to 1.7 miles per hour within seven minutes before landing. At the same time, the surface of the craft is heated up to about 1,300 ℃. This high temperature could destroy the rover! But since the craft’s heat shield(抗热涂层) was able to take in most of this heat. Perseverance itself only reached room temperature.
The craft then used a parachute(降落伞) and a sky crane(空中吊车) to slow itself down for its final landing on Mars. A video of the landing was shared online later, at lowing people all over the world to see the amazing moment for themselves. The rover even recorded he sound of the wind on Mars for the first time.
1. The purpose that NASA sent Perseverance to Mars is ________.| A．to take a helicopter to the planet | B．to experiment with a new landing technique |
| C．to check on NASA’s previous rovers | D．to look for signs of ancient life |
| A．It waited for a radio signal from a control room on Earth. |
| B．It heated itself up to l,300 ℃ and destroyed the rover. |
| C．It had to slow itself down to get ready for landing. |
| D．It reached a speed of 12,000 miles per hour. |
| A．未来的 | B．先进的 | C．陈旧的 | D．先前的 |
| A．Perseverance’s landing process. | B．The materials that Perseverance is made of. |
| C．The tasks that Perseverance will complete. | D．The records that Perseverance has set. |
相似题推荐
Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really did move across the sky. The Greek god Helios was said to drive the sun around the sky with his chariot（战车）. But now, these ideas have all changed. Nowadays, it is the sun that drives our “chariot” around the sky.
So what does all this mean? Well, quite simply, there is now a plane （or “chariot”） that is powered by the sun. It has special parts in its wings. These parts absorb power from the sun. They absorb so much power that they can carry on flying at night. In the Greek myths（希腊神话）, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient than the gods themselves.
This plane is called Solar Impulse （“太阳驱动”号）. It will fly across the US in May. This is very important for the future of the world.
So why is solar energy so good for us? Well, other kinds of energy cause a few problems. If you live in China, you’ve probably noticed the pollution. This is caused by burning coal or gas to make energy. The heat and chemicals（化学制品）from this make things work. But if we use the heat from the sun, we don’t have to burn anything, and there’s no pollution.
Solar energy is not all there yet. It needs to be improved. But the best thing about it is that, unlike coal and gas, it doesn’t run out. Solar Impulse could keep flying forever. Well, actually, the sun will run out too, one day, but not for another 5 billion years. That’s a pretty long flight.
1. What does “chariot” really refer to in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?| A．The Earth. | B．The Greek god. | C．Solar Impulse. | D．Birds. |
| A．It can only fly at night. | B．It has already flown across the US. |
| C．It is powered by the sun. | D．It needs gas to work. |
| A．Overpopulation. | B．Burning coal or gas. |
| C．Using solar energy. | D．Heavy traffic. |
| A．It takes a lot of time to get Solar Impulse going. |
| B．Solar Impulse moves very slowly. |
| C．Solar Impulse will be in use for a long time. |
| D．Solar Impulse has a long way to go to take the place of the sun. |
| A．a Greek myth | B．a science fiction | C．a story-book | D．a science magazine |
【推荐2】An international team of scientists says it has discovered two new “super-Earth” type planets about 100 light-years away, one of which may be suitable for life.
Unlike any of the planets in our solar system, the nearly 1,600 known super-Earths are larger than Earth, but lighter than icy planets like Uranus and Neptune.
Researchers at Belgium’s University of Liège said that they found another one while using Earth-based telescopes to check the existence(存在) of a different planet first discovered by a NASA satellite in the same solar system.
NASA’s satellite found planet LP 890-9b, which is about 30% larger than Earth and orbits its sun in just 2.7 days. ULiège researchers used their telescopes in Spain to take a closer look at the planet. That’s when the stargazers(天文学家) discovered another planet, LP 890-9c, which is 40% larger than Earth and takes 8.5 days to orbit its sun.
Francisco Pozuelos, a researcher, said that the planet could be suitable to life though being a 3.7 million miles from its sun. Earth, by comparison, is located over 93 million miles away from our sun. “Although this planet orbits very close to its star, at a distance about 10 times shorter than that of Mercury around our Sun, the amount of stellar irradiation(照射) it receives is still low, and could allow the presence of liquid water on the planet’s surface, if it has enough air,” Pozuelos said. “This is because the star LP 890-9 is about 6.5 times smaller than the Sun and has a surface temperature half that of our star.”
1. How did ULiège researchers discover LP 890-9c?| A．They discovered it by accident. | B．They discovered it with NASA’s help. |
| C．They discovered it with Pozuelos’ advice. | D．They discovered it with telescopes in Belguim. |
| A．They are all suitable for life. | B．They are much bigger than Earth. |
| C．They are heavier than Neptune. | D．They are 100 light-years away from Earth. |
| A．How the planet was discovered. | B．Why the planet may be the suitable to life. |
| C．Pozuelos’ role in the discovery of the planet. | D．Comparison’s role between LP 890-9 and earth. |
【推荐3】Chinese scientists have used lasers（激光）to accurately identify space debris（碎片）in the Earth's orbit.
The team applied a specially developed set of rules to laser-ranging telescopes, which enabled them to identify space junk more effectively than previous techniques. “After improving the pointing accuracy of the telescope through a neural network（神经网络）, space debris with a cross sectional area of one square meter at a distance of 1500 kilometers can be detected,” Tianming Ma, an author of the study from the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, said in a statement.
According to NASA, orbital debris is any man-made object in orbit around the Earth that no longer serves a useful function. Debris can include non-functional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, and other mission-related space junk. It poses a significant risk to astronauts and spacecraft in orbit above the Earth as it travels very fast—up to 18,000 miles per hour, which is faster than a bullet. Worryingly, there are estimated to be many millions of tiny debris pieces in low-Earth orbit, and tens of thousands times larger than a softball, the space agency said. Fortunately, there have been surprisingly few collisions.
In the study, Ma and his team used two different neural networks to help identify space debris with the laser-ranging telescope. They then tested this method against more traditional techniques. According to the team, this is the first time that neural networks have been used to significantly improve the pointing accuracy of a laser-ranging telescope. They say the latest findings could have significant implications for manoeuvring spacecraft in orbit.
Laser-ranging technology has previously been used to detect space junk. However, these systems have limitations when it comes to accurately identifying small, fast-moving pieces. In fact, previous laser-ranging methods have only been accurate to about 0.6 miles. In an attempt to overcome the inaccuracies of laser-ranging techniques，the Chinese team used so-called neural networks to improve the effectiveness of their telescope system. Neural networks are computing systems which are inspired by biological networks in the brain and have the ability to learn to become better at tasks without being given a specific set of rules to follow.
1. How have Chinese scientists made progress in identifying space debris?| A．By improving the accuracy of laser technology. |
| B．By adopting newly developed telescope systems. |
| C．By upgrading the advanced traditional technology. |
| D．By applying neural networks to laser-ranging telescopes. |
| A．The introduction to orbital debris. | B．The advantages of neural network. |
| C．The threat of space junk to the Earth. | D．The importance of detecting space debris. |
| A．To add some background information. | B．To provide some advice for scientists. |
| C．To summarize the previous paragraphs. | D．To introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．They can speed up computing systems. |
| B．They can learn to perform better independently. |
| C．They can detect space junk in low-Earth orbit. |
| D．They can perform tasks accurately under a set of rules. |
________
When facing a problem, we weigh success or failure against the problem itself. We might think that positive thinking always leads us to expect success. Actually, it’s more important to realize that positive thinking results in acceptance of our situation. If we think positively, we may predict success or ways to move on when we are in difficulties. There’s a difference between blind positivity and seeing things in a positive way.
Results from positive thinking
Does research see any real value in positive thinking? Many studies show that a positive attitude leads to less stress and sadness. Physically, positive thinking also leads to a longer life and quicker recovery(恢复) from sickness. Positive people with a family history of heart problems are even less likely to experience heart attacks.
Positive VS Negative(消极)
It seems strange to think that a state of mind can have such effects. But there are several reasons why a positive attitude is better than a negative one. Negative feelings are good for making us focus on tasks, such as running from danger, for example. However, positive feelings open us up to a world of kinds of possibilities and bring us helpful ways. The more results of positive thinking naturally last longer as well.
Strategies for positivity
A positive attitude comes easier for some people than others because it’s a born character. Still, anyone can try a few things to bring out the positive.
a. Rebuilding: See positives through negatives, such as being glad the subway is cheap even when crowded.
b. Distance: When making a big decision, act like you’re giving a friend advice.
c. Smile: Real or not, smiles are shown to decrease (降低) heart rate and blood pressure.
In the end, a positive attitude requires not only positive thinking but also positive action.
1. The passage may come from ________.
| A．a notice | B．a survey | C．a diary | D．a magazine |
| A．What is blind positivity? | B．What is positive thinking? |
| C．How is success predicted? | D．What leads to success? |
| A．reasons | B．feelings | C．results | D．dangers |
| A．thinking of cheap tickets instead of crowded train |
| B．staying at home when you have a heart problem |
| C．laughing at your high blood pressure in hospital |
| D．helping your friend to make an important decision |
| A．negative thinking might lead to more possibilities |
| B．positive feelings can make us focus on difficult tasks |
| C．it’s easier for positive people to recover from illness |
| D．positive people will not die of serious heart problems |
【推荐2】School isn’t just a time to learn Maths,Science and other subjects. It is also a time to learn the skills you’ll need to succeed in the real world.
One very important skill that can help a young person in their future is leadership. While some schools may allow more students to take turns to be class leaders,most schools allow only a few students to take on such roles.
The downside may be the sense of superiority（优越感）the class leaders have. These leaders may begin to feel that they have a right to give orders to their classmates to do the work rather than working as a team. In some cases,students may begin to think that they are above their fellow classmates in power and privilege（特权）.These certainly aren't the expected qualities of a future leader.
One school in Hangzhou has recently been praised for introducing a new model of student leadership. It allows each student to work as a class leader. The teachers there created a lot of opportunities such as electing class librarians and group reading leaders. Parents of students at the school praised the new arrangement. When the news hit the Internet,people also agreed and encouraged more schools to follow it.
Of course, with this model,the focus can still be on “policing” and telling on classmates, rather than encouraging peers and promoting cooperation. The most effective student leadership programmers should teach such things as personal and group responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving creativity, goal-setting, and communication. As students, you should see leadership opportunities as a chance to learn important skills for your future.
1. What does the writer think of teaching students leadership at school? ________| A．It is easy. | B．It is difficult. | C．It is necessary. | D．It is impossible. |
| A．They will work with their classmates as a team. | B．They will give orders to their classmates. |
| C．They will be praised by parents and teachers. | D．They will have less responsibilities than others. |
| A．Good points. | B．Bad points. | C．High places. | D．Low places. |
| A．Students take turns to become the class leaders. | B．Only a few students act as the class leaders. |
| C．Only teachers can become the class leaders. | D．Parents take turns to become the class leaders. |
| A．Policing,and telling on classmates. | B．Group responsibility and teamwork. |
| C．Encouraging peers and promoting cooperation. | D．Goal-setting and communication. |
【推荐3】How do they get my information? Did you know that when you surf the Web, many websites put secret software (软件) on your computer? The software collects a lot of information about you and sends it to Internet businesses. Your personal information can also be collected from social media (媒体) sites. There are many ways your information can be used.
What information do they collect and why? First, businesses collect your information. They find out where you live, what websites you visit, and what you do online. With this information, they can guess other things about you. For example, they can guess if you are a man or a woman, how old you are, and your interests. The businesses use this, information to decide which advertisements (广告) are best for you.
What do they do with my information? Your personal information could also be sold. Some businesses collect information just so they can sell it to other businesses. A business that collects and sells personal information is called a data broker. When data brokers sell your formation, a lot of different businesses will know your online habits. Then these businesses will advertise products or other websites to you.
What online habits are tracked? Another way your personal information can be collected is through social media. When your information is on social media, a lot of people can see it. Even if you don’t use social media, a friend might post a picture or video of you with your name on it. Pictures and videos can be shared for free on social media. If someone knows too much about you, they can steal your ID. Then they can buy things online and post messages in your name.
Conclusion (结论). All of your online habits can be recorded. Studying people’s online habits is big business. Your personal information is very valuable to businesses. That is how they know who to send their advertisements to. The Internet reaches almost every corner of the world, but the danger is that your personal information might travel that far, too.
1. Why do businesses collect your personal information?| A．To make advertisements. | B．To put it on social media. |
| C．To enter your secret software. | D．To guess other things about you. |
| A．Manage Internet businesses. | B．Advertise products on the net. |
| C．Collect and sell personal information. | D．Make videos for people online. |
| A．Followed | B．Avoided | C．Required | D．Punished |
| A．You should change your online habits. | B．Online advertisements are unbelievable. |
| C．Online shopping is common in the world. | D．Your personal information can travel online. |
| A．Have you learnt to surf the internet? | B．Someone’s always watching you online... |
| C．Many people will pay for their information. | D．How many Internet businesses do you know? |
【推荐1】Astronauts’ (宇航员) daily life in the space station may be new and interesting for people on Earth. Let’s take a look at the astronauts’ life in space.
The astronauts started work at 8: 00 a. m. Beijing time on Friday. They finished a check of the spaceship and collected trace elements (微量元素) in the air in four hours. Then, they had two hours for lunch and rest.
Afternoon work began at 2 o’clock. On arriving at the center at about 4 p. m. , Nie Haishang and Tang Hongbo replaced the device to clean up CO2. This can give astronauts a better living place and support life in the space station.
Later in the afternoon, astronauts did some exercises. It is one of the most useful ways to keep healthy in space. While Liu Boming exercised on the space bike and Tang was on the treadmill, Nie reported to the crew on the ground about the day’s work and plans for the next day.
After dinner, they started watching “Xinwen Lianbo”, the most-watched daily TV news program in China. The team on the ground send news programs to the astronauts on time every day. It is one of the most important ways to help them know about things happening on the ground. Then, such as watching movies, playing music, talking to their families and so on. They went to sleep at about 10 o’clock.
This is a day in China’s space station Tiangong.
1. In what order did the astronauts do the following things?a. Had lunch and took a rest.
b. Did some exercises.
c. Checked the spaceship.
d. Had fun time watching movies.
e. Replaced the device.
| A．c-a-b-e-d | B．b-c-a-e-d | C．b-e-c-a-d | D．c-a-e-b-d |
| A．friends | B．families | C．workmates | D．relatives |
| A．Reporting plans for the next day. |
| B．Walking around the space station. |
| C．Collecting trace elements. |
| D．Watching daily TV news programs. |
| A．A day in space. | B．The space station Tiangong. |
| C．A trip to space. | D．Astronauts’ work in space. |
On 20 July 1969, the world celebrated an important moment in history when American astronaut, Neil Armstrong, became the first man to walk on the moon, making a giant leap for humanity. For more than 50 years, human beings have tried many times to understand the space environment. These efforts have paid off. Today, we are in a better position to understand our universe in which we live, thanks to space exploration.
Space exploration has triggered advances in science and technology which have benefitted humans and improved the quality of life on Earth. These benefits are related to space technology such as satellite communications, global positioning system(GPS) and weather forecasting. The development of satellite technology, for instance, makes telecommunications possible, connecting people from different parts of the world through satellite television, phones, radio and Internet access. Today, space technology also enables us to have virtual (虚拟的) meetings and lessons, making work and study from home possible during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the excitement and curiosity generated (产生), space exploration is attracting young people to careers in engineering, science, technology and mathematics, which creates innovations (创新) in science and technology. In countries such as America, Canada and Europe, space exploration has also generated jobs in fields related to engineering, technology and science. Even if interested youngsters do not end up in a job in these areas, space technology enriches their imagination about the possibility of life beyond Earth and space travel. To this end, space exploration continues to encourage human imagination, inspiring (激励) people to write stories and create movies, photographs and songs about space exploration.
Although there are many benefits, space exploration has often been criticized (批评)for its high cost. According to the University of Florida, it costs about $500 million to launch (发射) a space shuttle and many argue that this money could be better spent on solving the problems on Earth such as hunger, pollution, diseases and climate change. Although space exploration cannot directly provide immediate solutions to these problems, it generates many useful technologies and new knowledge in sciences necessary to improve the conditions of human life on Earth.
Every year, about a thousand innovations in the space programmes find their way into earthly technology that leads to better farming; better medical instruments; and more energy-efficient vehicles(交通工具). As a result, the money spent on space exploration does finally benefit human beings.
There is no doubt that space exploration has produced many benefits for humanity. It has also encouraged many to understand Earth and the universe in a deeper way. In the coming decade, we can continue to expect more exciting discoveries. We may eventually even find another planet where humans can live.
1. The words “triggered advances” in Paragraph 2 probably mean” ________” .| A．led to great progress | B．slowed down the speed |
| C．set back future growth | D．caught up the development |
| A．The benefits created by space exploration. |
| B．The high-tech jobs generated by space exploration. |
| C．The imaginative art works inspired by space exploration. |
| D．The abilities youngsters developed through space exploration. |
| A．solves the worst problems on Earth directly | B．benefits humans through space programmes |
| C．fails to improve the conditions of human life | D．limits the development of earthly technology |
| A．To introduce technology programmes in space exploration. |
| B．To compare different jobs generated by space exploration. |
| C．To present the benefits brought by space exploration. |
| D．To encourage people to carry on space exploration. |
【推荐3】China’s Mars rover（火星车）Zhurong, named after the Chinese god of fire, landed safely on Mars on May 15, 2021, making China only the second behind the United States fully succeed.
The 240-kilogram, six-wheeled rover is carried with six scientific instruments, giving it the appearance of a “blue butterfly”. Unlike Perseverance, the American Mars rover, Zhurong needs sunlight to power itself. Now that Zhurong has got down successfully, it is expected to spend the next 90 days mapping the area on Mars, monitoring changes in weather such as temperature and searching for signs of water ice. Zhurong will therefore help build a more complete geological picture of the red planet’s history.
China has successfully landed on the moon three times, and has even brought back lunar rocks to Earth. But landing on Mars is even more difficult. Mars exploration is known for its high risks and difficulties, as well as the uncertainties in the long-distance interstellar（星际）flight. The landing is the most challenging part of it. Around half of Mars exploration missions（任务）failed, and most of them went wrong in the landing process. A Mars landing is often considered as “the seven minutes of terror” because the process is completely autonomous. “The distance is too far away for the spacecraft, so it has to do it all on its own.” said Chen Lan, a scientist in China’s space program. “If something goes wrong, people on earth have no way to help.”
“Mars is the planet in our solar system that we are most likely to live on in the future. That’s why we want to understand it,” Ge, another scientist, said. “The success of Zhurong’s landing will lay the foundation for future Mars missions, including a sample return mission in 2030.”
1. There are many jobs that Zhurong is supposed to do EXCEPT ________.| A．mapping the Mars | B．looking for water |
| C．studying the weather | D．bringing back lunar rocks to Earth |
| A．trusted | B．prepared | C．self-directed | D．man-controlled |
| A．history | B．challenge | C．distance | D．process |
| A．To show how Zhurong explores Mars. |
| B．To lay the foundation for future Mars missions. |
| C．To introduce China’s achievement in exploring Mars. |
| D．To compare Mars explorations between China and the USA. |
