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. |
