1 . Let’s go back to Venus
Phosphine (磷化氢) in Venus’ atmosphere could be a sign that life is there. The only way to find out for sure is to go have a look.
If Mars were the popular kid in school,Venus (金星) would be the nerd sitting in the corner, largely ignored. Despite its image, Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon, its orbit taking it closer to Earth than any other planet in the solar system. It has nearly the same mass and size as Earth, but being closer to our star, it gets nearly twice as much heat from the sun.
However, instead of having a climate that is just a warmer version of Earth’s, Venus’ surface and atmosphere are hellish: clouds of sulphuric (含硫的) acid blanket the planet while at ground level it is hot enough to melt lead. Despite this, there is now a sign that Venus may harbour life.
Jane Greaves at Cardiff University, UK and her colleagues recently detected phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere, with one potential explanation that it is the by-product of biology. That is because the only way this gas is made on Earth is in laboratories or by microbes. Though this doesn’t mean it was produced by life on Venus, attempts to find nonbiological explanations for its presence have so far fallen short.
Our best hope for confirming or rejecting the possibility of life on Venus is to go and have a proper look. During the cold war, the USSR sent more than a dozen missions to Venus, including several landers and a pair of balloons, but these ended well before the dawn of the 1990s. Likewise, NASA hasn’t launched a mission dedicated to Venus since the late 1980s. What’s more no US mission has plumbed the depths of its atmosphere and probed its surface since the Pioneer Venus missions that departed Earth in the 1970s.
Other countries have had more recent efforts: the European Space Agency’s Venus Express orbited the planet throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, while Japan’s Akatsuki orbiter is exploring Venus right now. But these missions were ill-equipped for detecting phosphine or life.
While Mars has been the focus of interplanetary (太阳系内的) exploration efforts of late, with some space agencies focusing on landing more craft and even people on its surface, the phosphine discovery has people looking at Venus in a new light. As NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted:“Its time to prioritize Venus.”
In the months and years to come, computer simulations (模拟) will be used to further study the possible chemistries of the atmosphere on Venus. More observations will be made (and the old ones reanalysed) and laboratory experiments will be conducted to try to identify other ways the phosphine there could be produced. However, there is no guarantee that these efforts will reveal the true nature of this substance on Venus.
A new mission to directly sample the atmosphere and surface would be a watershed moment in planetary science. It need not only look for signs of life, but also answer some of our many questions about Venus, such as why it became so different to Earth and whether it was once habitable.
Some options to do this already exist. There are two NASA missions currently vying for approval. India aims to send an orbiter to Venus in 2023 and private company RocketLab also has plans to visit in that year, hopefully with a probe passing through the planet’s atmosphere.
The discovery of phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere is a great accomplishment. The scientific endeavour it has set in motion is as if a sleeping giant has awakened and it may be just what we need to finally refocus on this neglected world. The quiet kid in the corner may yet have the last laugh.
1. Venus is compared to the nerd sitting in the corner because ________.| A．it’s the brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon |
| B．its mass and size shape its image as a quiet and neglected kid |
| C．Its orbit takes it close to Earth and the sun in the solar system |
| D．it has been neglected in recent interplanetary exploration efforts |
| A．Its hell-like climate rules out the possibility that there may be life on Venus. |
| B．It’s enveloped in clouds of sulphuric acid and its surface is hot enough to melt lead. |
| C．It has nearly the same mass and size as Earth and is closer to Earth than any other planet. |
| D．Getting about twice as much heat from the sun, its climate is a warmer version of Earth’s. |
| A．the phosphine discovery has shed new light on Venus |
| B．Mars has been the focus of interplanetary exploration efforts of late |
| C．Our best hope for confirming the possibility of life on Venus is to have a look |
| D．Previous missions to Venus have hardly borne significant scientific or biological results |
| A．It has called upon scientists to refocus on Venus. |
| B．It gives a clue as to how to make phosphine out of labs on Earth. |
| C．It has cleared away the doubt regarding whether Venus may habour life. |
| D．It has overturned scientists’ previous perception of how Venus’ atmosphere was formed. |
2 . Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in the space industry.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.
1. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?| A．To express his doubts. | B．To compare different ideas. |
| C．To describe the conditions on Earth. | D．To introduce points for discussion. |
| A．Humans have the tendency to fight. | B．Humans are nature-born to do so. |
| C．Humans may find new sources of food. | D．Humans don’t like to stay in the same place. |
| A．The adaptive ability of humans. | B．Resources on the earth. |
| C．Our genetic makeup. | D．By-products in space exploration. |
| A．Space exploration has created many wonders. |
| B．Space exploration provided the best value for money. |
| C．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth. |
| D．Space exploration may benefit science and technology. |
