1 . Just as it does on Earth, it snows on Mars. However, scientists have found that Martian snow is “dustier” than it is on Earth, which could mean it’s warmer and more likely to melt into water, a new study suggests.
“There is a chance that this dusty and dark ice might melt a few centimeters down,” said the study’s lead author, Aditya Khuller, in a statement.
In June, a separate study suggested that there maybe more water on the Red Planet than previously thought, including “dozens” of lakes less than a mile beneath the surface of the Red Planet.
The scientists believe that the ice that was dug up by the Phoenix lander in 2008 (and subsequent falling snow) occurred from a snowfall sometime over the past million years.
“It is widely believed that Mars has experienced multiple ice ages throughout its history, and it looks like the ice being exposed throughout the mid-latitudes of Mars is a relic of this ancient dusty snowfall,” Khuller added.
If researchers are able to better learn about the prospects of water on Mars, then they may be able to better learn about its prospects for once hosting life.
“Characterizing these properties can significantly improve models of ice stability on Mars and inform us about its age and origin,” the researchers wrote in the study.
The researchers say that more work is required to determine if the ice actually melts into water.
Kuller added, “We are working on developing improved computer simulations of Martian ice to study how it evolves over time, and whether it might melt to form liquid water. The results from this study will be integral to our work because knowing how dark the ice is directly influence how warm it gets.”
Although scientists confirmed in 2018 that Mars still has lakes filled with liquid water, it has been somewhat difficult to find.
1. Why does the ice on Mars melt easier than that on Earth?| A．Because Mars’ ice is dustier and darker. | B．Because it snows more often on Mars. |
| C．Because Mars’ ice is exposed to the sun for long. | D．Because the temperature is not stable on Mars. |
| A．To help reduce ice’s meiting on Mars. | B．To better learn if Mars is potentially capable of hosting life. |
| C．To accelerate its turning into water. | D．To research how much water there is on Mars. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Unbelievable. | C．Essential. | D．Interesting. |
| A．It’s easy to find lakes with liquid water on Mars. |
| B．The Phoenix lander was the first explorer to land on Mars. |
| C．It’s impossible to learn the origin of Mars’ ice. |
| D．Scientists are striving for improving ice stability on Mars. |
2 . Two high school students have identified four new planets in distant space about 200-light-years from Earth, making them “the youngest astronomers” to make such a discovery.
Kartik Pingle, 16, and Jasmine Wright. 18, who both attend schools in Massachusetts, participated in the Student Research Mentoring Program (SRMP). With the help of Tansu Daylan, an MIT doctor for Astrophysics and Space Research, the students studied and analyzed data from the Transiting Exoplanct Survey Satellite (TESS). Together they focused on Tess Object of Interest (TOI) 1233, a nearby, bright sun-like star and here they found four planets rotating（旋转）around the star. “We were looking to see changes in light over time,” Pingle explained, “the idea is that if the planet transits the star, or passes in front of it, it would periodically cover up the star and decrease its brightness.”
While studying 1233, Pingle and Wright had at least hoped to find one planet but were overwhelmed with joy when a total of four were spotted. “I was very excited and very shocked.” Wright said. “We knew this was the goal of Daylan’s research, but to actually find a multi-planetary system, and be part of the discovering team, was really cool.” Three of the newly discovered planets are considered as “sub-Neptunes”, which are gaseous, but smaller than the Neptune that lives in our solar system. While observing the planets, the team determined each one completes their orbit around 1233 every six to 19.5 days. However, the fourth planet is called a “super-Earth” for its large size and rockiness this one orbits around the star in just under four days.
“We have long been studying planets beyond our solar system and with multi-planetary systems, the two young students are kind of hitting the jackpot. They are really blessed.” Daylan said. “The planets originated from the same disk of matter around the same star, but they ended up being different planets with different atmospheres and different climates due to their different orbits. So, we would like to understand the basic processes of planet formation and evolution using this planetary system.”
Daylan added that it was a “win-win” to work with Pingle and Wright on the study. “As a researcher, I really enjoy interacting with young brains that are open to experimentation and learning and have slightest bias（偏见）.”he said, “I also think it is very beneficial to high school students, since they get exposure to cutting-edge research, and this prepares them quickly for a research career.”
1. How did the two students identify the four planets？| A．By helping professor Tansu Daylan with the data. |
| B．By analyzing the change of brightness of star 1233. |
| C．By studying Neptune that lives in our solar system. |
| D．By interacting with other young talented brains. |
| A．It was made by two high school students. |
| B．It was made with an innovative approach. |
| C．It was meant to be made by Tansu Daylan. |
| D．It found the largest number of planets at a time. |
| A．Making a discovery difficultly. | B．Achieving the goal easily. |
| C．Succeeding in something luckily. | D．Performing a task carefully. |
| A．It allows the scientists to work with young people without prejudice. |
| B．It equips future astronomers with better researching abilities. |
| C．It provides more perspectives and thus boosts more discoveries. |
| D．It arouses students’ interest in exploring the unknown universe. |
3 . If Mars were the popular kid in school, Venus (金星) would be the unwelcome one sitting in the corner, largely ignored. Venus has nearly the same mass and size as Earth, but being closer to the sun, 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’s surface and atmosphere are unbearable: clouds of sulphuric acid (硫酸) 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 (发现) phosphine (磷化氢) in Venus’s 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 (微生物). Though this doesn’t mean it was produced by life on Venus, attempts to find non-biological explanations for its presence have so far failed. Our best way of confirming or rejecting the possibility of life on Venus is to go and have a proper look. While Mars has been the focus of interplanetary (行星间的) exploration efforts lately, the phosphine discovery lets people look at Venus in a new light. As NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted: “It’s 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 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 newly-proposed strategy is to directly sample the atmosphere and surface of Venus. By doing so, we would be able to take direct measurements of phosphine.
The discovery of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere is a great accomplishment. The scientific efforts may be just what we need to finally refocus on this neglected world. Possibly, the quiet kid in the corner may get the last laugh
1. Which description about Venus is NOT true?| A．It has the unbearable surface and atmosphere. |
| B．It has nearly the same mass as Earth. |
| C．It is almost as large as Earth. |
| D．It has a warmer Earth-like climate. |
| A．This kind of gas is very common. | B．There might exist signs of life. |
| C．Many products can be made with it. | D．Experiments were once conducted there. |
| A．The necessity to analyse phosphine. |
| B．The power of computer simulations |
| C．The importance of observations. |
| D．The approaches to exploring phosphine |
| A．Casual | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
4 . Since I was born and brought up in a rural town，I have a great interest in nature.Using the chance of studying abroad in my second year at college，I decided to go to Canada just because I wanted to see the beautiful phenomena there.So after I finished the study program，I went to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.
I clearly remember the sixth night in Yellowknife.Suddenly my host mother came to my room around 8∶00 p. m.and told me to change clothes and go outside quickly carrying her camera.
The northern lights were flickering (闪烁) in the sky！I was shocked and just stood there with my mouth open.I forgot to take pictures of the mysterious lights.
Since that night，whenever it was sunny，I went outside at night and looked at the sky.It was so cold that I lost all feeling in my hands and feet.
As I took pictures of the northern lights，I came to find a characteristic movement of the lights.They first appear in the north part of the sky and then they gradually come down to the south part of the sky.After that，suddenly，they come in the middle of the north and south only for a while，which is the time when the best northern lights can be seen.Since it is only a few seconds for the northern lights to come down to the middle of the sky，it is very hard to get good pictures.
The stronger the sun acts，the better and stronger the northern lights flicker in the sky.That's because they come about from the collisions (碰撞)between atmospheric gases and the solar wind.Much more solar wind comes to the earth when the sun is active，which leads to the best northern lights.And the colors of the northern lights depend on the height of the collisions and the kinds of gases.
1. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?| A．Ways to take good pictures. |
| B．The relationship between the sun and the northern lights. |
| C．The colors of the northern lights. |
| D．The time of the best northern lights. |
| A．She wanted to take a picture of him. |
| B．She wanted to take a walk with him. |
| C．She wanted to tell him something important. |
| D．She wanted him to see the northern lights. |
| A．the host mother didn't remind him to take the camera |
| B．he was shocked by the wonderful sight |
| C．the lights flickering in the sky disappeared too soon |
| D．he lost all feeling in his hands and feet |
| A．When they appear in the north part of the sky. |
| B．When they come down to the south part of the sky. |
| C．When they are between the north and south. |
| D．When they rise in the east part of the sky. |
5 . When Did the First Stars Shine
Our universe is home to countless galaxies(银河), with each galaxy hosting hundreds of billions of stars. Each one is a ball of energies powered by the nuclear explosion of elements in their hearts.
Billions of years ago, there was a time before stars or before lights, called the Dark Ages. There used to be not enough material of high densities(密度)to cause nuclear explosion. Without nuclear explosion, there were no stars.
Those first stars burned fiercely and died quickly. None of them survived to the present day.
Recently, a team of astronomers used 70 hours of observing time to take pictures of six extremely distant galaxies.
Hopefully, upcoming missions, like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, will be able to directly observe those galaxies in greater detail. And some star mysteries will be disclosed,
| A．Nevertheless, they left their mark. |
| B．Accordingly, there was no visible light either. |
| C．Each one also poured out light into the empty universe. |
| D．It was much darker than it is today with only a little light. |
| E．For example, when did the Cosmic Dawn exactly take place? |
| F．Based on their observations, they were able to estimate the age of the galaxies. |
| G．They're so far away that we can't capture them even with powerful telescopes. |
The probe of China’s first Mars mission Tianwen-1 flew a total of 100 million kilometres by 10:08 a.m.
During the flight,the probe has
It is expected
The Tianwen-1
Three Chinese astronauts recently arrived at the Country’s new space station in another step forward for the growing space power. The three-member crew will stay for three months in the station's main living space
Up to now, China
China was banned from drawing the ISS. It's likely, however,
8 . Hayley Arceneaux managed to live after bone cancer (癌症). So she isn’t afraid of a little space travel. This fall, she will be on SpaceX’s first private flight to circle Earth. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital chose Arceneaux for the honor (荣誉). She was a patient before she got a job at St. Jude last spring. Arceneaux will join three other people on the flight. She will be the medical officer. At 29 years old, she will be the youngest American to go into space. Arceneaux will also be the first person in space with an artificial (人造的) body part. When she was 10, Arceneaux was given an artificial knee at St. Jude.
The SpaceX flight will circle Earth. It will last two to four days. Billionaire Jared Isaacman paid for the flight. He raised money for St. Jude, which researches childhood cancers. Isaacman asked St. Jude to pick one person. Without telling its workers, leaders at the center chose from a group of workers who were also former patients.
When Arceneaux was home in Tennessee, the call came out of the blue. Her answer was “Yes! Yes! Please!” .But she also checked with her family members. Her brother and sister-in-law work in the space industry. They told her space travel is safe.
Arceneaux is a life long space fan. She is also a risk-taker.
“My fight against cancer really prepared me for space travel,” she said. “It made me strong.” .She can’t wait to show kids with cancer that “the sky is not the limit (界限) anymore.”. She thinks it will “mean so much to these kids to see a former cancer patient in space. ”.
Isaacman, 38, is also a risk-taker. He will lead the spaceflight.
He set out to raise $200 million for St. Jude. He said he would provide 50% of the money.
“It’s not all ... about getting people excited to travel in space someday,” Isaacman said. “It’s also ... about an encouraging message of what we can achieve here on Earth.”
1. What did St.Jude offer to Arceneaux?| A．A chance to travel in space. | B．Free medical treatment. |
| C．A round-the-world trip. | D．An artificial arm. |
| A．Proud. | B．Angry. | C．Upset | D．Excited. |
| A．It would be supported by her family. |
| B．It would encourage kids with cancer. |
| C．It would be bad for her health. |
| D．It would cost a lot of money. |
| A．Adventurous and caring. | B．Friendly and hopeful. |
| C．Helpful and strict. | D．Honest and kind. |
9 . The North Star, also known as Polaris, is often used by campers to help them find their way when they get lost.
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.
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.
| 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. |
10 . Some of the world’s most important scientists think the idea of people living on Mars will come true one day.
However, scientists will need to teraform（地球化）Mars for people to be able to live, which means changing the environment on Mars 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 is about-60℃.
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.
One particular organization is planning to send the first humans to Mars before 2030. The organization believes that its project is giving people worldwide the chance to be part of the first human crew ever to live on Mars for good.
| A．However, many experts think it can cost too much money. |
| B．Stephen Hawking believed humans must move into space to survive. |
| C．NASA believes new astronauts should be chosen for future missions without delay. |
| D．One idea for warming Mars is to build factories there that produce greenhouse gases. |
| E．It will prevent us from learning about the ability of humans to live in a different environment. |
| F．It was a 1,200-square-foot room that was on the side of a volcano and used the sun for energy. |
| G．Another important thing was that the people living together should all be able to get along and work together. |
