Some of the world’s most important scientists think the idea of people living on Mars will come true one day. Stephen Hawking believed humans must move into space to live. “Once we spread out into space and build independent colonies (殖民地), our future should be safe,” he said. Robert Zubrin, a rocket scientist, agrees and thinks sending people to Mars will allow us to learn a lot—for example, about the ability of humans to live in a very different environment.
★ Terraforming means changing the environment on a planet so that it is similar to Earth’s. One of the main goals of terraforming Mars is to warm it up because the average temperature there is about -60 °C. One idea for warming Mars is to build factories there that produce greenhouse gases. This could take many centuries. However, it should lead to rainfall and the growth of plants, resulting in more air that people can breathe.
Another big concern for scientists is whether humans can move to Mars and still stay healthy in mind and body. As a test, six people lived in a Mars-like environment in Hawaii for a year before “returning to Earth” recently. It was a 1, 200-square-foot room that was on the side of a volcano (火山) and used the sun for energy. Christiane Heinicke, one of the people who lived there, said that one of the biggest problems was feeling bored. Another important finding was that the people living together should all be able to get along and work together.
One particular organization based in Europe is planning to send the first humans to Mars before 2030. However, many experts think the project’s cost of $6 billion is too low for it to be successful. The American space agency NASA believes that sending people to Mars would cost about $100 billion, although this estimate (估价) is based on bringing them back to Earth, too. Anyway, it seems that humans living on Mars may well happen a lot sooner than most people believe.
1. Paragraph 1 mainly focuses on ________.| A．how we can move to another planet | B．why we work on moving to Mars |
| C．when we will move to Mars | D．where the Mars is |
| A．However, scientists need to terraform Mars for people to live. |
| B．And people are trying to send the people to Mars. |
| C．But scientists can’t do anything about this. |
| D．However, it is not easy to move to Mars. |
| A．the cost of moving to Mars | B．the energy on Mars |
| C．the physical quality of people | D．the food on Mars |
| A．humans | B．scientists | C．planets | D．cost |
| A．The temperature on Mars is 60 degrees above zero. |
| B．It is sure to send the first humans to Mars after 2030. |
| C．$6 billion is enough to send people to Mars. |
| D．Moving to Mars would be good for mankind. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We usually take the subway with our subway cards or by using QR codes (二维码) on our smartphones. But the development of science and technology makes a difference to people’s lives. The subway line, Beijing Daxing Airport Express, became the first in China to use the technology of scanning the palms (扫描手掌) in May, 2023.
To enjoy the service, people need to record their palms on machines in subway stations. Then, they have to turn on the palm-scanning function (功能) on their smartphones. After they finish this, they are allowed to go through the ticket gates without subway cards or smartphones. If they finish their rides, their smartphones will pay the money.
Many people welcome the new technology. They think it helps them to travel faster and more easily. They needn’t take out their subway cards or smartphones in rush hours. What’s more, the palm-scanning technology is very friendly to people who sometimes forget to bring their subway cards. If your phone is dead, your palms can get you into the subway station. Besides Beijing, some other cities like Shenzhen also put the new technology into service in subway stations.
Palm-scanning has started to enter people’s daily lives. It is believed that the technology will be widely used in more fields in the near future, like paying in the supermarkets or restaurants.
1. Where was the technology of scanning the palms first used?| A．At an airport. | B．At a subway line. | C．At a train station. |
| A．Turn on their smartphones. |
| B．Pay for their subway tickets. |
| C．Record their palms in subway stations. |
| A．People can travel faster. |
| B．People can go out without money. |
| C．People can avoid travelling in rush hours. |
| A．The new technology is helpful to people. |
| B．The new technology takes the smartphone’s place. |
| C．The new technology is good for people who get lost easily. |
| A．Science And Technology Is Developing Rapidly |
| B．A New Technology That May Change Our Lives |
| C．How To Get Into Subway Stations With Your Palm |
【推荐2】Sheridan is a town in Indiana, USA. There are lots of trees near the public schools in the town. Their leaves turn sunlight into energy (能量).
In Sheridan, the sun not just provides energy for plants. It keeps schools running, too. The schools use solar panels (太阳能电池板) to turn sunlight into energy.
The science behind solar energy is not new. But Sheridan Community Schools is the first school district (学区) in Indiana to be completely solar—powered. The district finished putting in solar panels for all three of its schools in 2014. Some of the panels can turn to follow the sun across the sky.
In 2008, fewer than 1,000 schools used solar power. By 2014, there were 3,727 schools with solar panels in the USA. These numbers come from a report by the Solar Foundation. Roxie Brown, a program director there, said that the number of schools with solar panels has continued to go up since 2014.
Solar energy has some advantages over other energy sources (来源). Sunlight is a renewable source, which means it won’t run out. Solar panels don't harm the environment. Also, sunlight is free. So by using solar power, schools can save money on energy costs.
Brown thinks more schools should run on solar energy. “The sun is Earth’s energy source,” she says. “We’re trying to make it the energy source for our houses, cars and schools, too.”
But using solar energy isn’t always easy. Solar panels can be expensive to put in. The panels also take up space. But for many schools, going solar is worth it.
1. What does the underlined word “It” refer to?| A．A district. | B．The solar panel. | C．A plant. | D．The sun. |
| A．for all three of its schools | B．in 2008 |
| C．with the help of the Solar Foundation | D．together with over 1,000 schools in the USA |
| A．has fallen | B．has risen | C．is too small | D．is large enough |
| A．可替代的 | B．可开发的 | C．可加工的 | D．可再生的 |
| A．Solar panels will take up less space. | B．It will never be difficult to use solar energy. |
| C．It may cost a lot to put in solar panels. | D．Going solar is a wise choice for every school. |
【推荐3】AI (人工智能) makes our lives easier and better. Let’s see the amazing AI.
Cool driverless bus Apolong is a new kind of driverless (无人的) bus. It can hold fourteen people and doesn’t need a driver. The bus follows the traffic rules. It will stop every time when it sees the red “stop” sign. | Your close friend Hi, everyone! I’m Xiaoice. I look like a 17-year-old girl. I can talk with you. And I’m good at singing, writing poems and telling stories. I want to be your friend! |
Popular AI artist Look at this beautiful picture. It sold for about 3,000,000 yuan! But it is not a work from a famous artist (画家), such as Vincent van Gogh. It’s from an AI artist. The AI artist studied over 15,000 pictures to learn how to draw. Now it is one of the most popular artists in the world. | World’s first AI anchor Hey, look! Qiu Hao is a Chinese famous anchor (主播). It is the world’s first AI anchor. It looks and speaks just like a person. It can both speak Chinese and English. It can work 24 hours without any mistakes (错误). |
| A．34 | B．30 | C．24 | D．14 |
| A．fly kites | B．talk with you | C．write poems | D．sing or tell stories |
| A．Vincent van Gogh invented it | B．it sold for about 3,000,000 yuan |
| C．it studied over 25,000 pictures | D．a lot of people like it |
| A．English and Japanese | B．Chinese and Japanese |
| C．Chinese and English | D．Japanese and Spanish |
| A．a medicine book | B．a poem book | C．a story book | D．a newspaper |
【推荐1】Food is interesting. It’s also interesting that different food has different meanings in different countries.
Onions—In Egypt, many farmers use the onion as a symbol of truth. When they have different ideas with each other, they often have an onion in their hands and put it up high to show the truth is in their hands. A town in Switzerland has the Onion Festival. It is on the fourth Monday of November. Food shops and restaurants make all kinds of onion food on that day.
Tomatoes—They are the “Number 1” food. They are a kind of vegetable and a kind of fruit. They are very helpful. They’re important to hamburgers and salad. They may taste bad if there are no tomatoes. In some countries of Europe, young men and women often pick tomatoes for each other when they are in love.
Carrots—We can usually see them in vegetable salad. In Holland, the carrot, onion and potato are country food. People in some countries call the carrot “Queen”.
Potatoes—They have two other names—“apples in the forest” and “the second bread”.
| Word Bank truth真理 Holland荷兰 queen女王 |
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. Why do people put an onion in their hands in Egypt?
| A．Because the onion is a symbol of truth there. | B．Because people often pick onions for each other. |
| C．Because the onion can bring people good luck. | D．Because the onion is very delicious for them. |
| A．The town. | B．The show. | C．The onion. | D．The Onion Festival. |
| A．自然的 | B．有趣的 | C．可爱的 | D．有用的 |
| A．The onion. | B．The tomato. | C．The carrot. | D．The potato. |
| A．Potatoes grow in the forest. |
| B．Onions are the “Number 1” food. |
| C．People in some countries call the carrot “Queen”. |
| D．Hamburgers may taste good if there are no tomatoes. |
【推荐2】Some animals are truly amazing! Study the chart below to learn more about several amazing animals.
| Animals | Where they live | Vertebrate （脊椎动物）Invertebrate | Interesting facts |
| cockroach | all over the world | invertebrate | It can live for up to a week without a head. |
| crocodile | places of tropical climates | vertebrate | It eats only about 50 meals a year. |
| giraffe | grasslands in Africa | vertebrate | It’s the tallest of animals with only seven neck bones. |
| penguins | cold ocean waters in the southern half of the world | vertebrate | Its eggs are kept warm by male penguin. |
| octopus | oceans throughout the world | invertebrate | It has three hearts. |
| snail | almost everywhere: forests, deserts, rivers, ponds, oceans | invertebrate | It can sleep for almost three years without waking up. |
| A．crocodile | B．snail | C．giraffe | D．penguin |
| A．A cockroach | B．An octopus | C．A shark | D．A mouse |
| A．Penguins’ eggs are usually kept warm by male penguins. |
| B．Snails can sleep for almost 3 years without waking up. |
| C．Crocodiles like to live in the places of tropical climates. |
| D．Octopuses live in the oceans of the southern half of the world. |
【推荐3】There are forty-five students in our class. I have made a survey (调查). Thirty-six students say they like to exercise. Most boys play basketball together twice a week. But girls think basketball is difficult for them. They’d like to play volleyball together twice a week. My friend, Tony, is good at running. He runs fastest in our class. He runs for thirty minutes every evening before he goes to bed. Is it interesting? Gray is good at swimming. He goes to the swimming club three times a month in winter and three times a week in summer. So he is pretty healthy. Some of my classmates have good eating habits. They eat both meat and vegetables. Seventy percent of them drink milk every day. Fifteen percent students say they drink milk three or four times a week. But some students like to eat junk food, especially (尤其) Ben. What’s more, he doesn’t like to exercise, so he is very fat. He always says, “I’m going to lose weight (减肥) tomorrow.”
根据短文内容，选择正确的答案。
1. How often do most boys play basketball?
| A．Every day. | B．Twice a day. | C．Twice a week. | D．Twice a month. |
| A．Because they have no time. | B．Because they think it’s not easy. |
| C．Because they don’t like to play with the boys. | D．Because they don’t like to exercise. |
| A．Every morning. | B．Every evening. |
| C．Every evening before he goes to bed. | D．Every afternoon. |
| A．Three times a month. | B．Three times a week. |
| C．Hardly ever. | D．We don’t know. |
| A．Because he doesn’t like to exercise. |
| B．Because he likes to eat junk food very much. |
| C．Because he eats too much meat, but doesn’t exercise. |
| D．Both A and B. |
