Are we alone in the universe? Scientists have spent years
Venus is the second planet from the sun in our solar system. It's one of
The discovery of life beyond Earth would teach us more about the universe
2 . Will human beings find intelligent alien (外星的) life anytime soon? Probably not, according to theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.
Hawking made the prediction during the Breakthrough Starshot announcement in New York City on April 12. At the news conference, Hawking, along with Russian billionaire sponsor Yuri Milner and a group of scientists, detailed a new project that aims to send a large number of tiny, wafer-size (薄饼大小的) spaceships into space to the neighboring star system Alpha Centauri (半人马座阿尔法星).
If these tiny spaceships travel at 20 percent of the speed of light, they'll be able to reach Alpha Centauri in just 20 years, Milner said. Once there, the spacecraft will be able to do a 1-hour flyby of Alpha Centauri and collect data that's impossible to gather from Earth, such as taking close-up photos of the star system, studying space dust molecules (分子) and measuring magnetic fields (磁场), said Avi Loeb, chairman of the Breakthrough Starshot Advisory Committee and a professor of science at Harvard University.
In addition to learning about space technology, the audience wanted to hear about aliens--specifically, when scientists might find them.
Hawking took questions from reporters in advance so that he would have time to prepare his answers.
Hawking has famously predicted that intelligent aliens might threaten humankind. Indeed, when asked about what Earthlings should do if we came across intelligent alien life, he said, “We should hope that they don' t find us.”
Other researchers at the conference offered a more optimistic view of alien life.
1. What are the wafer-size spaceships mainly designed for?| A．Looking for aliens. | B．Doing a 1-hour flyby. |
| C．Landing on Alpha Centauri. | D．Collecting data about Alpha Centauri. |
| A．pretty soon human beings will find alien life |
| B．we may find alien life a danger to human beings |
| C．Alpha Centauri is suitable for human immigration (移民) |
| D．scientists should be sent into space to collect data |
| A．sponsors | B．reporters |
| C．human beings | D．scientists |
| A．analysis of the data collected |
| B．other questions from reporters |
| C．possible ways to defend us against aliens |
| D．other scientist’ opinions on alien life |
3 . Earlier this year, China achieved a new milestone in space exploration. On Jan. 3, Chang’e 4 became the first space probe (探测器) in history to successfully land on the far side (dark side) of the moon. After a 26-day journey, it touched softly down on a crater. The whole process of landing lasted 12 minutes, which opened a new page in history of mankind’s space exploration.
The far side of the moon is the side that we can not see. We don’t know much about it. This landing is of great importance. The far side of the moon is an ideal place for scientific research. It may have unique minerals (矿物质）and other resources. Scientists can make clearer observations of deep space from there.
Chang’e 4 has sent back photos of the far side of the moon. It is also being used to carry out experiments. The data collected from these experiments could be used to help us build a base on the moon in the future. The success of the Chang’e 4 mission (任务) is a major achievement for China’s space program.
China launched its lunar (月球的) exploration program in 2004, naming it Chang’e. Chinese scientists set three goals-“orbiting (环绕运行), landing and sample returning”. Chang’e 4 has realized the second goal. The third will be achieved during the Chang’e 5 mission, which is set to take place before the end of this year.
Following the success of the Chang’e missions, Chinese scientists are looking even farther into our’ solar system. China’s first Mars mission is expected to be carried out by 2020.
1. Chang’e 4 is the first space probe in the world to land ________.| A．in deep space |
| B．on the moon |
| C．on the near side of the moon |
| D．on the far side of the moon |
| A．学习 | B．观察 | C．描述 | D．庆祝 |
| A．Landing on the moon. |
| B．Bringing some samples back to the earth… |
| C．Building a base on the moon. |
| D．Travelling around the moon. |
| A．The Space Probe | B．Exploring the Moon |
| C．The Three Goals | D．Exploring the Mars |
4 . The universe is expanding faster than it used to, meaning it’s about a billion years younger than we thought, a new study by a Nobel Prize winner says.
At issue is a number called the Hubble constant, a calculation for how fast the universe is expanding. Some scientists call it the most important number in cosmology, the study of the origin and development of the universe.
Using NASAS Hubble Space Telescope, lohns Hopkings University astronomer Adam Riess concluded in this week’s Astrophysical Journal that the figure is 9% higher than the previous calculation, which was based on studying leftovers from the Big Bang.
The trouble is， Riess and others think both calculations are correct. Confused? That’s OK, so are the experts. They find the conflict so confusing that they are talking about coming up with “new physics”, incorporating (合作) perhaps some yet-to-be-discovered particle or other cosmic (宇宙) “fudge factors” like dark energy or dark matter
“Its looking more and more like were going to need something new to explain this,” said Reiss, who won the 2011 Nobel in physics.
NASA astrophysicist John Mather, another Nobel winner, said this leaves two obvious options, “1. We’re making mistakes we can’t find yet. 2. Nature has something we can’t find yet.”
Even with the discovery, life continues on Earth the way it always has. But to astrophysicists trying to get a handle on our place in this expanding universe, this is a cosmic concern. In fact, the universe is really mystical (神秘的). Scientists have done lots of study about it but there is still much they haven’t discovered.
1. What is the finding of the new study?| A．The earth is younger than expected. |
| B．Many universal problems are rising. |
| C．The universe is growing faster than before. |
| D．The finding is based on past scientists’ calculations. |
| A．The Hubble constant. | B．The faster expanding universe. |
| C．The development of the universe. | D．The scientific research on the universe. |
| A．They want to raise a new theory. |
| B．They want to explore dark matter. |
| C．They want to further calculate the finding. |
| D．They want to mix together both calculations. |
| A．We cannot find anything useful. |
| B．Astronomers are making many mistakes. |
| C．We need to learn about the universe. |
| D．We cannot find something new from nature. |
5 . A study confirmed that the cracks found on Mars’s surface last year by the Curiosity Rover are evidence of ancient lakes that likely dried up about 3.5 billion years ago. The new study provides further evidence of what the climate on the Red Planet may have been like in its ancient past.
The study, published online in Geology, proved that cracks on Mars’s surface previously photographed by Curiosity are dry mud cracks which could have only been formed when wet ground was exposed to the air. This conclusion was based on an analysis of a single area of rock known as “Old Soaker.”
Researchers used the Curiosity rover and information from its many tools including the Mars Hand Lens Imager, ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) and the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) to study both the physical appearance and the chemistry of the rock, which is described as no bigger than a coffee table.
The analysis showed that cracks on the rocks were formed by exposure to air, rather than heat or the flow of water. In addition, the shape of the cracks suggests it experienced a single drying event on the planet, rather than getting wet and drying over repeatedly. The position of the cracks, closer to the center of the ancient lake rather than alongside it, also suggests that the lake levels changed often, rising and falling over time.
“The mud cracks are exciting because they help us to understand this ancient lake system,” lead study author Nathaniel Stein, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said, referring to the ancient lake system on the planet.
Scientists have known of the existence of ancient water on Mars for years. A 2015 NASA study that measured water in Mars’s atmosphere suggested that ancient oceans may once have had more water than our own Arctic Ocean. However, because the planet has less gravity and a thinner atmosphere than Earth, this water evaporated(蒸发) into space over the course of several billion years.
1. What is the Curiosity Rover?| A．An organization. | B．A scientist. |
| C．A planet. | D．A machine. |
| A．The cracks are near the center of an ancient lake. |
| B．Mars was getting wet and drying more than once. |
| C．The lake level on Mars seldom changes over time. |
| D．The cracks on the rocks were formed by water flow. |
| A．Ancient water still exists on Mars now. |
| B．The gravity on Mars is stronger than that on Earth. |
| C．The atmosphere on Earth is thicker than that on Mars. |
| D．The ancient Arctic Ocean had more water than it has now. |
| A．Water on Mars. | B．A trip to Mars. |
| C．A study on Mars. | D．Cracks on Mars. |
6 . Surprise! High School Student Discovers New Planet Three Days Into NASA.
When 17-year-old Wolf Cukier accepted an internship (实习) at NASA, he expected to be challenged and gain insights into pursuing a career in astrophysics (天体物理学) . Instead, he attained worldwide fame for an achievement finding a new planet!
The teenager came across the distant world while examining images of the variations in star brightness captured by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and uploaded to Planet Hunters TESS by amateur citizen astronomers. “I was looking through the data for everything the volunteers had marked,” Cukier said. “About three days into my internship, I saw a signal from a system called TOI 1338. At first, I thought it was a stellar eclipse (日食) but the timing was wrong. It turned out to be a planet.” Further research revealed that TOI 1338 b, as it is now called, is a rare circumbinary planet (环双星行星) — a world orbiting two stars. Even more exciting, TOI 1338 b is the first circumbinary world discovered by the TESS mission.
The researchers believe that TOI 1338 b is about 6.9 times larger than Earth. The experts claim that TOI 1338 b's two stars vary in size. It is also the only planet in the TOI 1338 system, which lies 1,300 light-years away from Earth.
Not surprisingly, the High School senior is looking to pursue a career in physics and astrophysics. When asked of his plans to seek out a job at NASA, the youngster said, “I've no idea about NASA's hiring practices but it can't hurt!” He added, “A career in space research is appealing.”
1. What kind of writing does the text belong to?| A．A biography. | B．A novel. |
| C．A diary. | D．A news report. |
| A．It is a rare planet with only one star. |
| B．It is about 6.9 times smaller than Earth. |
| C．It lies 1,300 light-years away from Earth. |
| D．It is the first cirumbinary planet discovered by human. |
| A．Cukier is very proud of himself. |
| B．NASA is very strict on hiring practices. |
| C．Cukier has great interest in working at NASA. |
| D．Cukier knows nothing about NASA'S hiring practices. |
| A．A New Planet. | B．NASA's Tess Mission. |
| C．A World-famous Teenager. | D．The Discovery of a New Planet. |
7 . How big is space? That is a question man has been asking since the beginning of time. When your grandparents were in school, it was
Scientists cannot stretch（伸展）a measuring tape from the earth to a nearby star, so
| A．measured | B．bet | C．thought | D．proved |
| A．old | B．big | C．mysterious | D．small |
| A．over | B．across | C．through | D．outside |
| A．bigger | B．smaller | C．heavier | D．nearer |
| A．popularity | B．power | C．energy | D．strength |
| A．understand | B．control | C．imagine | D．feel |
| A．would | B．should | C．could | D．might |
| A．what | B．why | C．how | D．when |
| A．honoured | B．called· | C．considered | D．believed |
| A．actually | B．exactly | C．generally | D．simply |
| A．in and out | B．back and forth | C．sooner or later | D．up and down |
| A．unacceptable | B．unfamiliar | C．unbelievable | D．unnatural |
| A．look at | B．shake | C．glare at | D．notice |
| A．covering | B．opening | C．controlling | D．hiding |
| A．continue | B．happen | C．stop | D．appear |
| A．common | B．different | C．strange | D．same |
| A．result | B．effect | C．difference | D．similarity |
| A．suitable | B．same | C．opposite | D．correct |
| A．distance | B．length | C．height | D．width |
| A．realize | B．determine | C．recognize | D．design |
8 . Not too big, not too small. Not too hot, not too cold. A newly discovered planet looks just right for life as we know it, according to an international group of astronomers.
Orbiting a star about 500 light years away, the planet called Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth. As this astronomer’s explanation shows, it orbits its star at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. That is an essential condition for life as we know it.
But it is not exactly like Earth, NASA planetary scientist (行星科学家) Elisa Quintana said via Skype. “It’s more of an Earth’s cousin. It’s not an Earth’s twin. It shares the same characteristics as Earth, but their parent stars are very different.” said Quintana.
Kepler-186f orbits a star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. But, writing in the journal Science, the astronomers say the planet appears to be a closer relative than most of the hundreds of others discovered so far. Some are large gas-covered giants with thick atmospheres. Others orbit too closely to their stars and are too hot for life.
Two planets discovered last year are in the right orbit and might be good candidates (候选人) for life Quintana says, but they are a bit bigger than Earth.
“For the first time, we can actually say we now have a planet that is both Earth-sized and orbits in its star’s habitable (适合居住的) zone,” she said.
“It may be the first time, but it probably is not the last,” says Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. She spoke to VOA via Skype.
1. What’s the best title of the passage?| A．New Earth-size planet found | B．Kepler-186f’s orbit |
| C．A NASA planetary scientist | D．Planets |
| A．An unimportant. | B．A dangerous. |
| C．A difficult. | D．A necessary. |
| A．Kepler-186f is at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. |
| B．Kepler-186f is exactly as big as Earth. |
| C．Kepler-186fs and the Earth’s parent stars are very different. |
| D．The star that Kepler-186f orbits is smaller and cooler than our sun. |
9 . Junk can be an annoying thing. But dealing with the junk in your room is quite easy — just remove it. How about the junk in space? NASA is considering using lasers(激光) to move space junk around the Earth.
Scientists suggest that the energy contained in the laser could change the junk’s course by 650 feet (about 198m) a day. While that won’t be enough to knock it out of orbit, it could avoid a collision with a space station or satellite. Where does space junk come from and why should scientists want to move it?
There two main sources of space junk. One is exploded rockets. The largest amount of junk was caused by a rocket sent up into space in 1994. Its explosion in 1996 created a cloud of some 300,000 fragments(碎片), each at least 4 mm in size. Another source is astronaut error. Suppose an astronaut is doing a repair in space, he or she drops the wrench(扳手) and it’s gone forever. It spins into orbit, probably at a speed of around 6 miles(1.6km) a second.
Space junk is a huge threat to the lives of astronauts in space shuttles and on the International Space Station. A tiny speck(微粒) of paint from a satellite once dug a hole in a space shuttle window nearly half a centimeter wide.
Scientists are fully aware of this problem. They monitor the paths of space fragments and immediately report any threat of an orbital impact. Some 20,000 pieces of rubbish are currently being monitored in low-Earth orbit.
So far no effective ways have been found to avoid space junk.
Is there any danger of us on Earth getting hit by space junk? Probably not. Scientists say most space objects that re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn up or re-enter over water. So relax! The chance of getting hit by a falling astronaut’s glove is small.
1. According to the passage, which of the following probably is the greatest source of space junk?| A．Space shuttles. | B．Rocket fragments. |
| C．Used satellites. | D．Astronauts’ tools |
| A．knock space junk out of orbit | B．destroy the space junk directly |
| C．move the space junk off course | D．prevent the space junk from spinning |
| A．Scientists don’t think the space junk problem is serious. |
| B．There are currently 20,000 pieces of rubbish around the Earth. |
| C．Scientists have been following the paths of space junk closely. |
| D．Several ways have been worked out for astronauts to avoid space junk. |
10 . Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is one of the most interesting. It was named after Jupiter, the most important Roman god. Nicknamed “King of Planets”, it is the fifth planet from the Sun and the fourth brightest object in the sky. Before the invention of the telescope, Jupiter was thought to be a bright star.
In 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo realized that Jupiter was a planet and revolved around (围绕……转动) the Sun. He also noticed that it had four large moons. These are known as the Galileo moons. The biggest is Ganymede, and it’s larger than the planet Mercury. Next in size is Calisto, which is the farthest away from Jupiter. Io is the closest to the planet and has many active volcanoes. Europa, the smallest of the Galileo moons, is covered with ice, and scientists believe there may be an ocean underneath.
Galileo said that Jupiter wasn’t a star but a planet. Before his time, people believed that the Sun, stars and other planets all revolved around the Earth. However, Galileo proved that the Sun was at the center of the solar system!
Jupiter is farther out in the solar system than the Earth, so it takes longer to revolve around the Sun. This means that one year on Jupiter as long as 11.6 Earth years. However, a day on Jupiter is much shorter, only 9.8 Earth hours. This is because it spins a lot faster than the Earth does. Another of Jupiter’s interesting features is its “Great Red Spot”. This large red spot on the surface of the planet is a huge storm, like a hurricane but bigger. It covers an area twice as big the Earth and has been going on for at least 400 years!
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Jupiter?| A．It’s the fourth planet from the Sun. |
| B．It’s the brightest object in the sky. |
| C．Either the Earth or Mercury is bigger than it. |
| D．One of its moons might have an ocean underneath. |
| A．Io | B．Europa |
| C．Calisto | D．Ganymede |
| A．Because Jupiter was thought to be smaller than the Earth. |
| B．Because it proved that the Earth isn’t the center of the solar system. |
| C．Because Jupiter was found to be the only planet in the solar system. |
| D．Because it proved that the Earth goes around the Sun. |
| A．The features of the planet Jupiter. |
| B．How Jupiter moves in the solar system. |
| C．Galileo’s greatest contribution in astronomy. |
| D．Differences between Jupiter and other planets. |
