1 . US Space Agency Returns to Mars with InSight Lander
The American space agency’s lander InSight is to arrive on Mars at the end of November, 2018. Unlike NASA’s Curiosity rover, InSight will not move across the planet’s surface. Instead it will become the first spacecraft (航天器) used only for exploring underground. It will study the geography of Mars, searching for signs of Martian (火星的) quakes.
InSight is a project of U.S. and Europe. It is 6 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. It weighs 360 kilograms. InSight’s 1.8-meter robotic arm will put two experiments in place. Both are designed to explore underground of Mars to learn about the inside.
Bruce Banerdt is the lead scientist for InSight. He viewed the spacecraft as a robot that can take care of itself. “It’s got its own brain. It’s got an arm. It can listen and feel things. It pulls its own power out of the sun,” he noted.
Thomas Zurbuchen, one of the heads in NASA, said the results of the InSight project could “change the way we think about the inside of our earth.” But, first, InSight will have to land on Mars undamaged. Since Mars exploration started in the 1960s, only about 40 percent of the explorations have succeeded.
Tom Hoffman is InSight’s project manager. He said earlier successes do not lessen the concerns for each new exploration. “That we’ve done it before doesn’t mean we’re not nervous and excited about doing it again,” he said.
InSight will enter the Martian atmosphere (大气层) traveling at 19,800 kilometers an hour. It will slow for landing on a wide flat area on Mars. If all goes well, InSight could carry out its experiments in about 10 weeks. The InSight project is expected to continue for one Martian year, about two years on Earth.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．InSight travels at an unchanged speed. |
| B．InSight is the project of America and Japan. |
| C．InSight has the functions (功能) of a robot. |
| D．InSight is mainly powered by the natural gas. |
| A．It will help us understand the geography of Mars. |
| B．It will change the way we think about the inside of the earth. |
| C．It will help carry out more experiments on Mars. |
| D．It will get more information about the reasons for Mars quakes. |
| A．Confident. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Frightened. |
| A．The size. | B．The design. |
| C．The speed. | D．The task. |
2 . A new study suggests that dark markings on the planet Mars represent sand — not water. The research in 2015 suggested that lines on some Martian hills were evidence of water. Yet American scientists now say these lines appear more like dry flows of sand. If water is present, it is likely to be a small amount. Water in liquid form would be necessary for microbial (微生物的) life.
NASA, the American space agency, said more research is needed. Michael Meyer is the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration programme. He noted that the latest study does not reject the presence of water. But he admitted, “It just may not be as exciting as the idea of rivers going down the sides of cliffs (悬崖).”
The new findings come from a team led by Colin Dundas of the United States Geological Survey. His team measured 151 of these lines in 10 areas. Most of the lines end with slopes (倾斜) between 28 degrees and 35 degrees. These measurements are similar to active sand dunes (沙丘) on both Mars and Earth. A small covering of dust that moves and sometimes becomes lighter might help explain the markings. They usually appear in the Martian summertime, and then disappear until the next year. If these lines are dry, this suggests that recent Mars bas not had large amounts of liquid water. Dundas and his research team say that many questions remain.
“I still think that Mars has great potential for having had life early on in its history,” Meyer said. “As long as that’s true, we also have a reasonable possibility of life still being on Mars. It just happens to be cryptic or well hidden.”
NASA currently has no robotic — either on Mars or in development — with the ability to climb steep slopes. The lack of such equipment has engineers coming up with ideas like Martian helicopters or planes without pilots.
1. What do American scientists find on Mars now according to their study?| A．A lot of little life. | B．An amount of water. |
| C．Some Martian hills. | D．Dark markings are sand. |
| A．In Martian spring. | B．In Martian summer. |
| C．In Martian autumn. | D．In Martian winter. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Trustful. | C．Unconcerned | D．Objective. |
| A．Undiscovered. | B．Strange. | C．Magical. | D．Icy. |
1．参加讲座的经历；
2．参加讲座后的心得体会。
注意：
1．词数80左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：讲座lecture
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4 . Scientists have found evidence of a giant planet far out in our solar system. In a statement, the California Institute of Technology—Caltech—said this planet travels in a strange orbit in the distant solar system.
The discovery was made by two researchers at Caltech: Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown. They used mathematical modelling and computer simulations to find the planet. So far, there have not been any direct observations of the planet.
“My jaw hit the floor,” said astronomer Mike Brown when he realized there might be a ninth planet.
The scientists said it would take the planet 10,000 to 20,000 years just to make one full orbit around the sun. The new planet which is called “Planet Nine” has a mass about 10 times the size of the earth. If they are right, the newly found planet will be the ninth planet in our solar system.
It is believed that the planet orbits, or travels, around the sun from a great distance. The planet Neptune’s average distance to the sun is about 4.5 billion kilometres. But “Planet Nine” could be 20 times farther away from the sun than that.
While they did not get a picture of “Planet Nine” yet, the scientists say they are using the biggest and the best telescopes on earth to try to find “Planet Nine”. They want to find out more about its orbit and its impact on the outer part of our solar system.
Brown and Batygin reported their findings in the Astronomical Journal. They say that this new planet is so large that there should be no doubt that it is a true planet.
Robert Massey is with the Royal Astronomical Society in London. He said that planet had been predicted before, and then was not found. But he said the work of these researchers was definitely worth following up.
1. “Planet Nine” is thought to exist because ________.| A．scientists have got a picture of it |
| B．astronomers once discovered it in space |
| C．scientists have discovered it by using a simulating method |
| D．researchers have found it by using the most advanced telescopes |
| A．He fell on the floor. | B．It was a blow to him. |
| C．He hurt his jaw badly. | D．He was surprised by the discovery. |
| A．prove there are many planets in the solar system | B．indicate “Planet Nine” is too far from the sun |
| C．suggest it is hard for “Planet Nine” to orbit | D．imply “Planet Nine” is larger than Neptune. |
| A．Have the Scientists Discovered a New Planet? |
| B．Is the Ninth Planet Far From the Solar System? |
| C．Is There a Ninth Planet in Our Solar System? |
| D．Has Any Evidence Been Found for the Ninth Planet? |
5 . Here's a list of some interesting facts about stars; some you might already know, and few that are going to be new.
The sun is the closest star to the earth. The sun is about 150 million kilometers away. Our sun, like most other stars, gives off power and light by nuclear fusion, which happens exactly where it's the hottest. The sun is about 4.5 billion years old and it will still last six billion years or so. When it runs out of its fuel, it would develop into a red star when increasing in size.
Since stars are billions of light years away, it may be hard to recognize that stars are in continuous battles with themselves. All the stars have their own gravitational pull that pulls them. The surprising part is that the nuclear fusion occurring inside the star truly produces an outward push to resist the gravitational force, which keeps its present shape.
Stars have different colors. The hottest stars are surprisingly the smallest ones and are blue in color. Their temperatures go to about 12,000 Kelvin. Although the yellow-colored stars are the middle-sized ones just like the sun, their temperatures fall to about 6,000 Kelvin. And lastly, the coolest and greatest ones are colored red and the temperatures of them are about 3,000 Kelvin.
When looking at the night sky, we may think that stars are up there alone. But don't be surprised that these heavenly bodies in fact come in pairs. And stars can even come in groups of 3 or even 4!
1. What will happen when the sun runs out of its fuel?| A．It will disappear slowly. | B．It will last six billion years. |
| C．It will become a white star. | D．It will become larger in size. |
| A．All stars are in a state of balance. | B．It's hard for the stars to keep their shapes. |
| C．The stars have the same gravitational pull. | D．The stars always stay in peace with one another. |
| A．It is blue when it is very cold. | B．It looks red when it is far away. |
| C．It seems yellow when it is over 3,000 Kelvin. | D．It has something to do with its size and temperature. |
| A．They appear only in pairs. | B．They appear without rules. |
| C．They stay alone here and there. | D．They appear in small groups or in pairs. |
The US space agency NASA says new data from observations of the asteroid (小行星) Bennu still suggests that the object could one day hit Earth. But, the scientists
Bennu and other asteroids are considered near Earth objects. Scientists identify such objects
The latest data on Bennu was collected by NASA's Osiris- Rex spacecraft,
7 . How many things can you see in the night sky? A lot! On a clear night you might see the Moon, some planets, and thousands of sparkling stars.
You can see even more with a telescope. You might see stars where you only saw dark space before. You might see that many stars look larger than others. You might see that some stars that look white are really red or blue. With bigger and bigger telescope you can see more and more objects in the sky. And you can see those objects in more and more detail.
But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will never see. We won’t see them with the biggest telescope in the world, on the clearest night of the year.
That’s because they’re invisible. They’re the mysterious dead stars called black holes.
You might find it hard to imagine that stars die. After all, our Sun is a star. Year after year we see it up in the sky, burning brightly, giving us heat and light. The Sun certainly doesn’t seem to be getting old or weak. But stars do burn out and die after billions of years.
As a star’s gases burn, they give off light and heat. But when the gas runs out, the star stops burning and begins to die.
As the star cools, the outer layers of the star pull in toward the center. The star squashes into a smaller and smaller ball. If the star was very small, the star ends up as a cold, dark ball called a black dwarf. If the star was very big, it keeps squashing inward until it’s packed together tighter than anything in the universe.
Imagine if the Earth were crushed until it was the size of a tiny marble. That’s how tightly this dead star, a black hole, is packed. What pulls the star in towards its center with such power? It’s the same force that pulls you down when you jump—the force called gravity. A black hole is so tightly packed that its gravity sucks in everything—even light. The light from a black hole can never come back to your eyes. That’s why you see nothing but blackness.
So the next time you stare up at the night sky, remember: there’s more in the sky than meets the eyes! Scattered in the silent darkness are black holes—the great mystery of space.
1. According to the article, what causes a star to die?| A．As its gases run out, it cools down. | B．It crashes into other stars. |
| C．It can only live for about a million years. | D．As it gets hotter and hotter, it explodes. |
| A．what a black hole is | B．why we can’t see black holes |
| C．black holes have enormous gravity | D．the formation of black holes |
| A．It burns up all of its gases. | B．It becomes invisible. |
| C．It falls to Earth. | D．It becomes brighter and easier to see. |
| A．Most black holes are so far away. |
| B．Because the gravity of a black hole is so strong that it sucks the light inward. |
| C．Because as the star’s gases burn, it stops giving off heat and light. |
| D．Because as a star cools, its outer layers pull in toward its center. |
8 . For years, planet-hunters have been searching for a planet other than Earth that can support life. They may have found one.
The planet is the sixth found orbiting a star called Gliese 581. Steven Vogt, one of the scientists involved, expects the new planet to have water. On Earth, when we find water, we find life.
A planet that can support life has to be just the right size for its system and just the right distance from its star. Some planets orbit so close to their stars that they’re much too hot for liquid water—or for life as we know it.
But a right-sized planet that's neither too close nor too far might be just right for water. Gliese 581 is probably just right. It is about three times as huge as Earth.
The new planet is 20 light years away, which is as far as 250 million trips to the Moon and back.
Gliese 581 is an exciting discovery—and astronomers are likely to find more soon, thanks to new, powerful telescopes specifically designed to look for planets.
| A．We can’t travel at the speed of light. |
| B．It’s pretty hard to imagine that water wouldn't be there. |
| C．Human beings won’t be visiting this planet any time soon. |
| D．So scientists looking for life on other planets look for water first. |
| E．It orbits its star so closely that it goes all the way around in only 37 days. |
| F．Astronomers will probably find more potential life-supporting planets soon. |
| G．Other planets keep their distance from the stars—where they’re too cold to have water or life. |
1.“天问一号”成功发射；
2.你的感想。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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10 . Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200 years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems.
However, Halley had a friend named Newton, who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse.
Now Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart.
This seemed very strange to Halley. The different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.
It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction of what comet would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley’s prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet has been called Halley’s comet, in his honor.
1. Halley made his discovery ________.| A．by doing experiments | B．by means of his own careful observation |
| C．by using the work of other scientists | D．by chance |
| A．1704 | B．1705 | C．1706 | D．1707 |
| A．Halley and other scientists | B．the orbit of a comet |
| C．Newton and Halley | D．Halley and his discovery |
| A．Edmund Halley was an American scientist. | B．Halley made his discovery by doing experiments. |
| C．Newton was a famous mathematician. | D．The orbit of a comet had the shape of a circle. |
