1 . For future humans to survive long periods on Mars, growing food on the planet is a must. It would be too costly and risky to rely upon rocket deliveries to meet the food needs of settlers. With this in mind, scientists are exploring ways to improve space farming.

Researchers work in a controlled greenhouse. They have identified a way that could improve crop production in simulated (模拟的) Martian soil, with different crops grown together. The method is called “intercropping”, invented by ancient Maya farmers in what is now Central America.

In their experiments, the researchers grew cherry tomatoes, peas and carrots together in small, round containers. Tomatoes grown in this way produced about double the amount of tomatoes grown alone—or “monocropped”—in the same simulated Martian soil. The tomatoes were also bigger. They flowered and matured earlier, gave more fruit per plant and had thicker stems. The amounts of peas and carrots did not increase with intercropping.

Rebeca Goncalves, an astrobiologist and lead writer of the study, said the research is the first time the intercropping technique was used in space soil, and that it was a big find—one that they could now build further research on. The crops were grown in simulated Martian regolith, a soil with no organic matter —a near-perfect physical and chemical match to real Martian soil.

The researchers added useful bacteria and nutrients. They also controlled the gases, temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse to match conditions expected in a Martian greenhouse. Intercropping involves growing plants with properties that could help each other grow. The method makes the best use of resources including water and nutrients.

The researchers said the tomato plants in intercropping may have benefited from being close to the pea plants. That is because the peas are good at turning nitrogen from the air, with the help of bacteria introduced into the soil, into an important nutrient. Overall, the tomatoes, peas and carrots grew well, though not as well as in Earth soil in the same greenhouse.

1. What is the benefit of intercropping mentioned in the article?

A．Increasing crop yield.	B．Preventing soil pollution.
C．Decreasing sunlight exposure.	D．Reducing water consumption.

2. What role did the peas play in the process of intercropping?

A．Enhancing growth of carrots.

B．Increasing fruit production in tomatoes.

C．Transforming nitrogen into a crucial nutrient.

D．Improving the variety of bacteria introduced into the soil.

3. What was the key finding of the research?

A．Carrots benefited the most from intercropping.

B．The crops grew as well as they would in Earth soil.

C．The presence of peas helped tomatoes produce more fruit.

D．Peas and carrots showed significant growth improvement in intercropping.

4. What is the main idea of the article?

A．Intercropping is developed for growing crops in space.

B．The study found Intercropping resulted in higher tomato yields.

C．Scientists are struggling to find ways to improve crop production in space.

D．Researchers successfully grew some plants in imitated Martian soil using intercropping.

2 . A planet that suffers 475 C beneath a thick acid atmosphere may be the last place you'd expect alien (外星的) life in our solar system. But one NASA scientist claims that extraterrestrials (天外来客) are most likely hiding on Venus amid conditions that are unbearable for humans. The new theory was put forward by the research scientist Dr Michelle Thaller. She says that possible signs of life have already been seen within the carbon-dioxide filled atmosphere, adding that she was absolutely certain that life exists somewhere.

Venus is often described as Earth's twin due to its similar size and structure. But their conditions couldn't be further apart, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus. Positioned 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, suffering temperatures that can even melt lead. Its atmosphere also adds to the uninhabitable situation.

Despite this, scientists have long debated whether Venus' clouds may host microbial (微生物的) life forms that can survive. Many scientists think that photosynthesis (光合作用) is possible on the planet's surface as Venus receives enough solar energy to pass through its thick clouds.

However, Professor Dominic Papineau, a biologist at the University College of London, believes Dr Thaller's views are “difficult to realistically assume”. He explained, “For life-related chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary. Hence, to find extraterrestrial life, we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils requires looking for special rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past.”

This makes life on Venus today difficult to realistically assume, because its surface is too hot, although Venus might have had liquid water in its past. Even still, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agree that the icy moons of our solar system could also be sites of potential microbial life. NASA suggests there are 290 “traditional moons” in our solar system-excluding 462 smaller minor planets.

1. What can we know about Venus?

A．Its atmosphere is thin acidic.

B．It is much bigger than Earth.

C．It is 77 million miles from the Sun.

D．Venus and Earth are considered as twins.

2. Which statement would Papineau agree with?

A．Photosynthesis can happen on Venus's surface.

B．Thick clouds make photosynthesis in Venus hard.

C．Liquid water is important for the extraterrestrials.

D．Some rocks can prove life exists on Venus.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．The surface temperature of Venus is high.

B．It's very easy to confirm life on Venus.

C．Venus might have liquid water now.

D．Many icy moons go around Venus.

4. In which section of a newspaper can you find this text?

A．Education.

B．Science.

C．Culture.

D．Sports.

3 . If you live on this planet, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen the classic Star TrekEpisode, in which captain Kirk and several members find themselves in what appears to be another universe.

These days, it seems the idea of the multiverse—many worlds—is having its Hollywood moment. Its appeal as a storytelling device is obvious—characters explore a multi-world with varying degrees of similarity to our own, as well as different versions of themselves. Hence, it has been fully established in mainstream pop culture.

While Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of the multiverse, it remains deeply controversial (有争议的) among scientists. Advocates on the two sides show no mercy toward each other in their books, on their blogs. But physicists didn’t pull the idea out of thin air—rather, several distinct lines of reasoning seem to point to the multiverse’s existence. However, critics warn that making the multiverse legal could make it harder for the public to distinguish speculative (推测性的) theories from established fact, making it more difficult to keep pseudo-science (伪科学) at bay. Giving credit to such speculation risks “turning fundamental physics into pseudo-science”.

The multiverse controversy is rooted in the idea of test ability. If we can’t interact with these other universes, or detect them in any way, some experts insist that reduces them to mere philosophical speculation. But Carroll, an advocate for “many worlds”, argues that mathematics is the language describing our physical theories. Since Schrdinger’s equation (方程), on which Quanturr (量子) mechanic rests, predicts the existence of many worlds, so be it.

Could a more expansive view of the universe itself be the next breakthrough? As Siegfried puts it: “Every time in the past that we’ve thought, ‘We’ve got it; this is what the whole universe is’—the people who’ve said, ‘Maybe there’s more than one of those’ have always turned out to be right.”

1. Why is Hollywood so occupied with the multiverse?

A．It makes for engaging plots.

B．It is a much-talked-about topic.

C．It is helpful to popularize science.

D．It dominates the mainstream pop culture.

2. What do the underlined words in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Out of date.

B．Out of place.

C．Out of nowhere.

D．Out of question.

3. According to the opponents, the basic standard of fundamental physics is that ______.

A．it can be detected somehow

B．it can be reasoned logically

C．it can be interpreted philosophically

D．it can be predicted by mathematics equation

4. What might be the author’s attitude toward the multiverse?

A．Doubtful.

B．Dismissive.

C．Unclear.

D．Approving.

4 . In the 1997 movie Contact, a scientist, played by actress Jodie Foster, detects a radio signal — the first communication from an extraterrestrial (外星的) civilization. That story, composed by Carl Sagan, is a fiction. But the search for such a signal is not a crazy story. Real scientists look to the sky, using powerful radio telescopes, hoping to hear even a whisper of a radio signal from one of our neighbor planets.

Indeed, a recent report of a transmission originating from Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our own, was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian in December. The source of the story is not a scientific paper, but instead it seems to have been leaked by an unknown source. The claim of a signal, if it turns out to be truly a sign of extraterrestrial intelligence, would be one of the most important discoveries of all times.

In April and May of 2019, the 64-meter-wide Parkes radio telescope, located in Australia, was recording radio transmissions from the direction of nearby star Proxima Centauri. Over the course of hours, the telescope documented data from the star every half an hour, before staying away to look at a different direction. This procedure, called “nodding” was used to make sure that any observed signal is coming from a particular direction, rather than just random radio noise.

This signal was not immediately noticed; it was over a year after the data was recorded that Shane Smith, an assistant with Breakthrough Listen, found it buried in the telescope’s recordings. This was in late October 2020. So, what exactly was seen? It was a radio signal at a single frequency, specifically 980.002 MHz. It was observed to have originated in a small patch of the sky, about half the diameter (直径) of the full moon, centred on Proxima Centauri.

First and foremost, it is important to note that astronomers think it is highly unlikely that the signal is caused by space aliens trying to communicate with us. However, astronomers mentioning the significance of the signal cannot be ignored.

1. Why is the movie Contact mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To show the close connection between fiction and signals.

B．To introduce the topic of a radio signal from a near planet.

C．To stress the importance of the extraterrestrial civilization.

D．To persuade people to pay more attention to radio signals.

2. How did the radio telescope collect data?

A．By recording the data every 30 minutes.	B．By staying away at a different direction.
C．By analyzing the direction of the signals.	D．By focusing on some random radio noise.

3. What do we know about the radio signal found by Shane Smith?

A．It was sent by some space aliens.	B．It lay in the centre of Proxima Centauri.
C．It was noticed as soon as it was observed.	D．It changed rapidly with the passing of time.

4. What might be talked about in the paragraph following the text?

A．How aliens think about the radio signal.	B．The potential results of the radio signal.
C．The importance of finding the radio signal.	D．How other countries react to the radio signal.

5 . Supermassive black holes all over the universe are merging (合并), a fate that will eventually come for the black hole at the center of our galaxy (银河系). These magic universal structures at the heart of nearly every galaxy consume light and matter and are impossible to see with traditional telescopes. But now, for the first time, astrophysicists have gathered knowledge directly from these huge universal structures, in the form of gravitational waves that move around through space and time.

Essential to these findings is the detection of complicated gravitational waves, and understanding how they are produced. Any object with mass that is moving causes these waves—invisible bending in time and space that were first theorized by Albert Einstein in 1916 but not detected until roughly 100 years later. In 2015, scientists used the ground-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory to detect how short, high-frequency gravitational waves from one merger between less massive black holes move around the Earth by less than the width of a single subatomic particle (亚原子微粒).

The findings help confirm what will one day happen to the supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s center known as Sagittarius A, as it crashes into the black hole at the heart of the Andromeda galaxy. “The Milky Way galaxy is on a crash course with the Andromeda galaxy, and in about 4.5 billion years, the two galaxies are set to merge, said Joseph Simon, a member of Nanograv. That merger, he said, will eventually result in the black hole at the center of Andromeda and Sagittarius A sinking into the center of the newly combined galaxy.

“Before now, we didn’t even know if supermassive black holes merged, and now we have evidence that hundreds of thousands of them are merging, said Chiara Mingarelli, another member of Nanograv.

If scientists understand more about the history of the merging supermassive black holes, it could help know how they form in the first place, said Masha Baryakhtar, a physicist who wasn’t involved in the research.

1. What stopped scientists from studying black holes?

A．Black holes were too far away.

B．There were no ways to observe them.

C．Black holes were too supermassive.

D．People did not care to know them more.

2. What is the main topic of Paragraph 2?

A．The causes of black holes’ merging.

B．The knowledge of gravitational waves.

C．The function of gravitational waves.

D．Two breakthroughs on black hole study.

3. What may support the evidence mentioned by Chiara?

A．The actual detection of gravitational waves.

B．Black holes consuming light and matter.

C．Objects moving with mass cause gravitational waves.

D．The merging of Andromeda and Sagittarius A.

4. What may be the best title of the text?

A．Black Hole in Our Galaxy Is on Crash Course

B．Gravitational Waves Were First Detected

C．The End of Universe Goes to Black Holes

D．Black Holes Merge to Form New Worlds

6 . Using first-of-their-kind observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. a University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team looked more than 13 billion years into the past to discover a unique, minuscule galaxy cluster (星系团) that generated new stars at an extremely high rate for its size. The galaxy is one of the smallest ever discovered at this distance —around 500 million years after the Big Bang — and could help astronomers learn more about galaxies that were present shortly after the universe came into existence.

The James Webb Space Telescope can observe a wide enough field to image an entire galaxy cluster at once. The researchers were able to find and study this new, tiny galaxy because of a phenomenon called gravitational lensing (引力透镜), where mass, such as that in a galaxy or galaxy cluster, bends and magnifies (放大) light. A galaxy cluster lens caused this small background galaxy to appear 20 times brighter than it would if the cluster were not magnifying its light.

The researchers then measured how far away the galaxy was, in addition to some of its physical and chemical properties. Studying galaxies that were present when the universe was this much younger can help scientists get closer to answering a huge question in astronomy about how the universe became reionized (再电离的).

“The galaxies that existed when the universe was in its primary stage are very different from what we see in the nearby universe now,” explained Hayley Williams, first author on the paper and a PhD student at the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics. “This discovery can help us learn more about the characteristics of those first galaxies, how they differ from nearby galaxies, and how the earlier galaxies formed.”

“The James Webb Space Telesco pe can collect about 10 times as much light as the Hubble Space Telescope and is much more sensitive at redder, longer wavelengths. This allows scientists to access an entirely new window of data,” the researchers said.

1. What does the underlined word “minuscule” in paragraph l mean?

A．Extremely small.	B．Remarkably dark.
C．Especially remote.	D．Quite complicated.

2. What can a galaxy cluster lens do?

A．Enlarge the size of the galaxy.	B．Beautify the image of the galaxy.
C．Shorten the distance of the galaxy.	D．Make the small galaxy look brighter.

3. What can be said about James Webb Space Telescope?

A．It is more sensitive at shorter wavelengths.

B．It can see extremely far into the universe.

C．Scientists get access to data entirely through it.

D．It is 10 times as light as the Hubble Space Telescope.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Studying younger galaxies can help scientists solve mysteries

B．James Webb Space Telescope helps astronomers learn more about galaxies

C．James Webb Space Telescope discovers tiny galaxy with big star power

D．James Webb Space Telescope can observe a wide enough field to image galaxies

7 . Robots in space will be extracting (提取) gold from asteroids (小行星) within ten years if anew project backed by a Silicon Valley billionaire goes as planned. Peter Diamandis, the founder of Planetary Resources, said the company attempts to make the resources of space available to humanity.

The initial stage, to be achieved in the next 18 to 24 months, is to launch a series of private telescopes which will orbit Earth. These will be used to search for the right type of asteroids. The plan is to use commercially built robotic ships to extract rocket fuel and valuable minerals from the rocks that regularly pass by Earth. Diamandis predicts that they could have their version of a space-based petrol station up and running by 2025.

Several scientists not involved in the project argued that the project was daring, difficult and very pricey. They do not see how it could be cost-effective. But the founder of Planetary Resources has a track record of profiting from space exploration business. Diamandis was the first person to sell rides into space to tourists. “Before we started launching people into space as private citizens, people thought that was a ridiculous idea,” Diamandis said. “This is a long-term project. But it’s not a charity. We’ll make money.” The idea that asteroids could be mined for resources has been around for years. There are probably 1,500 asteroids that pass near Earth that would be good initial targets. They are at least 50 meters wide, and Diamandis figures ten percent of them have water and other valuable minerals.

Richard Binzel, Professor of Planetary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says, “The idea might be many decades ahead of its time. But you have to start somewhere as it might offer a new perspective of saving the earth from being over explored.”

1. What is supposed to be the first step of the project?

A．Launching robots into Earth orbit.	B．Sending some telescopes into space.
C．Building a space-based petrol station.	D．Using robotic ships to extract rocket fuel.

2. How did Diamandis use to make money from space exploration business?

A．By extracting gold from asteroids.	B．By providing space travels for tourists.
C．By being the first person to ride into space.	D．By selling tickets to sce tourists' rides into space.

3. What does Richard Binzel think of the project?

A．It is risky.

B．It is complex.

C．It is worthwhile.

D．It is demanding.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Mining Asteroids	B．Humans and Asteroids
C．Space Exploration in Progress	D．The Project of Extracting Minerals

8 . The North Star, also known as Polaris, is often used by campers to help them find their way when they get lost.     1     You can use them to find the North Star and help you if you lose your direction, or just find the North Star for fun if you’re into star gazing.

    2     You can use the Big Dipper(北斗七星)to find the Little Dipper. The Little Dipper is the constellation(星座)that contains the North Star. The tip of the Little Dipper’s handle is the North Star. If you’re able to locate the Little Dipper, you can easily spot the North Star.

Locate the North Star with your smart phone. There are many smart phone applications that work something like a telescope. You allow the phone to find your location, and then point your phone to the sky. The phone acts as interactive map, identifying stars and constellations for you.     3    

Buy a star atlas(星图). If the idea of carrying your phone around while stargazing kills the fun for you, consider buying a star atlas instead. You should also always take an atlas with you when hiking in case your phone battery dies.     4     A star atlas is a book that breaks down the night sky by the region and time of year. You can use it to locate the North Star on any given night.

    5     You can use desktop applications for your computer to know how the sky will look on a given night. These devices can help you plan ahead. You’ll go outside with a rough idea of where you can expect to find the North Star.

A．Plan ahead with your computer.

B．Find the direction north with two sticks.

C．It is very helpful and can be used on any night.

D．This can prevent you from locating the North Star.

E．Here are some ways to help you find the North Star.

F．Rely on constellations in the night sky to find the North Star.

G．Some applications can also assist you to see stars more easily.

9 . Jerry Morrison was already shooting for the stars at six. “I want to live on another planet,” Jerry told his uncle, Joey Jefferson, at StoryCorps in November. Jefferson, 29. also fell in love with space at an early age. Today he’s a mission operations engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.

Jefferson, who lives in California, and Jerry, who lives in Florida, meet up a few times a year, and their conversations are always about their common interest in space.

“What kind of planet would you live on? Are you going to say Mars?” Jefferson asked. No, Jerry wants to live much farther from Mars: on an exoplanet (a planet beyond the edge of the solar system) called Kepler-452b. NASA announced its discovery of the Earth-like planet in 2015.

Jefferson wants his nephew to not only hold on to his curiosity but also share what he learns with others. And Jerry has already gotten the chance to do that. As a kindergartner last year, he taught a lesson to the fifth graders in his school about the planets of the solar system.

“It was a big chance for me,” Jerry said. “I felt so proud.”

Jerry said he learned about space from his uncle. “I learned from you a lot, like more than I could imagine.” Jerry said.

“You’re learning so much by yourself, too, that you’re teaching me as well,” Jefferson said. “And that’s really cool. The more you learn, the more you realize the little things in life we take for granted are the very things that make life possible. So when I look up at the stars. I think about that.”

1. What do Jerry Morrison and Joey Jefferson enjoy talking about when they meet?

A．Their shared love for space.	B．Their friends and families.
C．How to build a close relationship.	D．How to develop a similar lifestyle.

2. What do we learn about Jerry Morrison?

A．He is quite adaptable.	B．He has a desire to explore.
C．He will work at NASA.	D．He is influenced by his mother.

3. What did Jerry take pride in?

A．Sharing knowledge at school.	B．Having strong curiosity.
C．Knowing a lot about space.	D．Attending a lecture on space.

4. What can best describe Jefferson?

A．A proud engineer.	B．An imaginative story-teller.
C．An encouraging model.	D．A hardworking teacher.

10 . Fiery Visitors from Outer Space

1. On the next clear summer night, look up into the sky. If you are lucky, you may see a “shooting star”. They look just like stars falling down from the sky.

2. But shooting stars are not stars at all. The real name for a shooting star is “meteor”. There are millions of meteors out in space. They are pieces of rock and metal. When they are in space, meteors do not glow. In fact, we can’t see them at all. But when a meteor comes close to the earth, it starts to fall toward the earth. As it passes through the air, it gets very hot. It starts to glow, and finally it begins to burn. We see the burning meteor as a shooting star.

3. Sometimes meteors travel by themselves in space. But many meteors travel in groups called swarms. The swarms have orbits like planets have. They pass close to the earth every year. A famous swarm is the Perseid swarm. It passes close to the earth in summer, usually in August. Each year a few meteors from the Perseid swarm fall to the earth, so August is a good month to watch for shooting stars.

4. Most meteors are small, so they burn up before they crash into the earth and are buried in the ground. Once a meteor reaches the earth, we call it a meteorite. The biggest meteorite, which weighs seventy tons, landed in Africa.

Question 19
1. Circle the main idea of paragraph 3.

A．Sometimes meteors travel by themselves in space.

B．Sometimes meteors travel in swarms.

C．A famous swarm is the Perseid swarm.

D．August is a good month to watch for shooting stars.

Question 20-23
Match the word on the left with the phrase on the right that fits best by writing letters.
2. ______ meteor
3. ______ swarm
4. ______ Perseid
5. ______ meteorite
a. a famous swarm of meteors
b. a meteor that has reached the earth
c. the real name for a shooting star
d. a group of meteors
Question 24-25
Answer questions in complete sentences and in your own words.
6. Why is August a good month to watch shooting stars?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. There is an old saying that if you make a wish when you see a shooting star, your wish will come true. So when you see a shooting star, what wish will you make? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________