What will it be like to live on the moon?Volunteers
In January,four volunteers finished spending 200 days in the lab.Never
Life in Yuegong1 is busy.Volunteers get up at 8：30 am and go to bed at 11 pm.Growing food
The experiment will give scientists information that can be used to create better living areas for
2 . Plenty of science fiction (sci-f) movies over the decades have shown us different versions of Mars. The truth about the Martian surface might be exciting because it's real. And with NASA' s Mars 2020 mission set to launch this summer, we're facing more discovery.
So far, thanks to a decade of research enabled by NASA's Curiosity rover, we've learned that lakes, rivers streams and likely oceans used to appear on Mars. While its water disappeared over three billion years ago, it tells us that Mars used to be habitable. This knowledge confuses us because so far, we've seen no clear evidence of life there, not even a virus. But if Mars was once habitable, wouldn't it have life?
NASA is now prepared to take the next step to answer this question with the launch of another rover, Perseverance. Every time a rover goes to Mars, it just stays there, with no way to fly back home. So we have never brought rock or soil samples back from Mars.
Perseverance rover will change this. Its primary and unique purpose is to collect samples that a future spacecraft can return to Earth. These samples will tell us more about the geologic history of Mars than anything we've learned, which is already a lot. Since 2012. the Curiosity rover has traveled more than a dozen miles, making observations along the way with its 10 instruments.
Thanks to data from the Curiosity rovers Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, we know that Mars does indeed have organic materials. That’s more complex than we expected to find on the surface of Mars. And that's exactly why we want to gather the most interesting samples and bring them back to Earth. We expect to find out much more about Mars once we get samples back from the Mars 2020 mission.
1. What is the purpose of Mars 2020 Mission?| A．To explore the Martian surface. | B．To travel around the universe. |
| C．To show the power of NASA. | D．To study the life on Mars. |
| A．Enjoyable to visit. | B．Suitable for living. |
| C．Ready for changes. | D．Convenient to travel. |
| A．The rovers could not reach Mars. |
| B．Observations were hard to make. |
| C．Samples on Mars couldn't be brought back. |
| D．Study instruments got lost in the space station. |
| A．New Mars rover to be launched | B．Sei-fi movies on Mars to be made |
| C．Curiosity to bring back Mars samples | D．NASA to send manned rover to Mars |
3 . If you grew up watching the kid’s television channel Nickelodeon, you will probably understand that there is nothing greater than enjoying its special bright green slime ( 水晶泥). The week of May 11, astronauts (宇航员) aboard the International Space Station(ISS) joined the slime.
Nickelodeon sent two kilos of its green slime into space in the summer of 2019. The Slime in Space project’s idea was to create an educational trip for teachers to use in class. The green slime was also used to guide astronauts through a series of experiments that were designed to learn more about how slime acts in microgravity.
Researchers from Portland State University(PSU) were excited to design the experiments for the project. Mark Weislogel and his partner designed eight shows for NASA astronauts and European Space Agency astronaut aboard to perform.
If you’re wondering what we could hope to learn from sending slime into space, the answer lies in its very name. Slime is slimy. This is because it is a liquid that is thicker than liquids like water. This makes slime act in unexpected ways in the microgravity of the ISS. Improving our understanding of how thicker liquids act in space may help us improve the design of systems that something were designed with Earth’s gravity in mind.
“Interestingly, we consider liquid on Earth as that takes the shape of its container,” Koch tells CNN. “Water just turns into a ball in microgravity, so we’ve had to have a new understanding of different kinds of matter in space. This experiment shows how microgravity can help us understand things on Earth, especially the things we take for granted.”
1. In paragraph one, Nickelodeon is mentioned .| A．to introduce the topic | B．to attract the kids |
| C．to make advertisements | D．to share a TV show |
| A．Because they get students interested in space. |
| B．Because slime takes the shape of its container. |
| C．Because slime is popular with kids in the TV show. |
| D．Because they help us understand how slime acts in space. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Worried. | C．Uninterested. | D．Positive. |
| A．Microgravity makes a difference to matters. |
| B．Astronauts join the slime in space for science. |
| C．Kids join the slime so as to become astronauts. |
| D．Experiments are designed with slimy slime. |
Black holes aren't actually holes. They are
Supermassive black holes are much
Scientists first picked up signs of black holes in the late 1700s. But no one had actually seen one until
In early 2019, scientists
5 . Do you think alien beings exist somewhere in the universe? It seems like Mars, our closest neighbor, has inspired the most science fiction as the place where aliens are most likely to come from. Recent Mars probes (探测) have shown us that there is no life on that planet—at least not now. But that does not mean that life does not exist elsewhere—after all, the universe is really big. A lot of scientific research is going on in the search for “extraterrestrial life”.
Think about it—why should the seven billion people on this little planet be the only living beings in the universe? It would, in fact, seem logical that this is not the case. So scientific research in this matter is based around the idea of finding other planets that have environments that can support life —environments similar to the Earth. The search is on for the evidence of the existence, or earlier existence of life: from very wise beings to simple organisms (有机物).
So far, there have been a number of theories as to which planetary bodies may have an atmosphere that can support such life and therefore deserve closer attention. As for places within our own Milky Way Galaxy, it has been assumed over the decades that Mars and Venus, as well as some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, may have been hosts for life. Now, as technologies have improved and we can obtain measurements of the composition of the atmosphere on extra-solar planets, the chances of finding “alien” life forms are increasing.
There has been a theory that some of the planets in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 581 may be able to support life. In 2007, scientists discovered exoplanet Gliese 581c—and felt that its atmosphere was most suitable for supporting life. But further research revealed that it would not. Now, attention has been turned to Gliese 581d, at the outer edge of the star’s habitable zone. The main standards for deciding whether a planetary body can be life-supporting are atmospheric conditions which allow the existence of water. Gliese 581 is about 20. 4 light years away from the Earth, so even if life does exist there, the distance would mean that communication would be unlikely.
Having said this—who says alien life forms (if they exist) need water?
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Life existing outside of the Earth. |
| B．The evidence of the existence of life. |
| C．Other faraway planets in the universe. |
| D．Creatures known from science fictions. |
| A．Modern scientific theories. | B．Atmospheric conditions. |
| C．Environments similar to the Earth. | D．Advanced technologies. |
| A．the atmosphere of Gliese 581c was most suitable for life |
| B．it is not certain whether alien life forms need water or not |
| C．the 7 billion people on the Earth are the only beings in the universe |
| D．the distance of 20. 4 light years makes it impossible to find life on Gliese 581d |
| A．Do Aliens Exist? | B．Is Mars Suitable for Life? |
| C．Are Alien Life Forms Various? | D．Can We Communicate with Aliens? |
6 . NASA said its Kepler spacecraft has spotted ''Earth's bigger, older cousin'': the first nearly Earth-size planet to be found in the habitable zone of a star similar to our own.
Though NASA can’t say for sure whether the planet is rocky like ours or has water and air, it's the closest match yet found.
The planet, Kepler-452b, is about 60% bigger than Earth, NASA says, and is located in its star's habitable zone, where life-sustaining liquid water is possible on the surface of a planet.
A visitor there would experience gravity about twice that of Earth's, and scientists say the possibility of it having a rocky surface are ''better than ever''. While it's a bit farther from its star than Earth is from the sun, its star is brighter, so the planet receives about the same amount of energy from its star as Earth does from the sun.
Kepler researcher Jeff Jenkins said, ''The planet almost certainly has an atmosphere, although scientists can't say what it's made of. But if the assumptions are correct, kepler-452b's atmosphere may be thicker than Earth's. ''
It takes 385 days for the planet to orbit its star. ''Because it has spent so long orbiting in this zone—6 billion years—it's had plenty of time to brew life,'' Jenkins said.
''That's an opportunity for life to arise, if all the necessary ingredients and conditions for life exist on this planet, '' he said in a statement.
Kepler-452b is too far away for humans to visit. But the discovery of this new Earth-like planet can tell us a lot about what’s possible for the future of space travel. ''The next step in the process is to do follow-up missions to find planets similar to kepler-452b, but much closer to Earth, '' said Peter Coughlin, a Kepler research scientist. ''We could do a lot more research into those planets, and even start to think about visiting one day. ''
1. The researchers are sure that Kepler-452b ________．| A．is larger than Earth | B．has an atmosphere |
| C．has air and water | D．has many rocks |
| A．They are both located in the sun's habitable zone． |
| B．Their distances from the sun are almost the same． |
| C．Their atmospheres are made of the same compositions． |
| D．They get almost the same amount of energy from their stars.． |
| A．improve | B．endanger |
| C．produce | D．protect |
| A．Kepler-452b Is Compared to the Earth. |
| B．NASA Discovers a New Earth-Like Planet. |
| C．A Spacecraft Was Launched to Find Super-Earth. |
| D．A New Planet With Life Is Discovered. |
7 . Scientists who study the Sun watch for sunspots—violent storms that can affect communications，navigation systems and even electric power stations on the Earth.
Sunspots are a product of huge electromagnetic storms on the Sun. Scientists on the Earth are able to observe sunspots eight minutes after they happen. That is how long it takes for the Sun’s light to reach us.
The first electrically charged particles (颗粒）from a sunspot enter the Earth’s atmosphere about 20 to 30 minutes after the storm happens. These particles can harm human beings. So before they arrive, astronauts on the International Space Station move into special areas designed to protect them from their effects.
About a day or two later, the biggest part of the storm arrives. It is called a coronal mass ejection. “That is billions of tons of solar material that's blown away from the Sun. It’s traveling millions of kilometers an hour, but that is relatively slow.” says Alex Young, the Associate Director for Science at NASA's Heliophysics Science Division.
Several civilian government agencies and the U.S. Air Force watch weather conditions in space 24 hours a day. NASA does so because it must protect its astronauts and the electronic devices on its spacecraft.
Scientists are also trying to understand why the number of sunspots rises and falls at almost regular intervals every 11 years. In other words, scientists can almost predict the amount of solar activity. Sometimes the intensity (强度）is higher，sometimes lower，For example, the current solar cycle, as it is called, is much lower than the previous one.
Several satellites watch the Sun and the environment between the Sun and tho Earth. Pictures and other information from the satellites tell scientists what is happening on and near the Sun.
Alex Young says we have only been looking at the Sun with powerful instruments for about 30 to 40 years. Thai is a very short time compared to ll\o four billion years that tho star has been shining.
1. Why do astronauts on International Space Station move into special area?| A．To avoid being harmed. | B．To charge the battery. |
| C．To watch the Sun closely | D．To protect devices on the spacecraft. |
| A．About 8 minutes. | B．About 20 to 30 minutes |
| C．About 11 years. | D．About 30 to 40 minutes |
| A．Environmental changes. | B．Good weather conditions |
| C．Advanced instruments. | D．Government agencies |
| A．The role of satellites. | B．findings about sunpots |
| C．Observation of space. | D．Communication on the earth. |
8 . The United States space agency, NASA. says its Mars exploration vehicle recently recorded a high level of methane (甲烷) gas on the planet. The discovery is exciting because the presence of methane gas could support the case for life on Mars.
NASA's Curiosity vehicle recently recoded the largest level of methane ever measured during its seven-year Mars mission.
Methane has no color or smell. A special instrument on Curiosity's Man Science Laboratory recorded the increased gas level. The device measures levels of chemical elements and gases in the Marian atmosphere. In addition to methane, the instrument can record levels of water and carbon dioxide.
Nearly all the methane gas found in Earth's atmosphere is produced by living thing. It usually comes from animal and plant life. But it can also be formed by geological(地质的) processes, such as interactions. between rocks and water.
It was not the first time Curiosity had found methane gas in the Martian atmosphere. About a year ago, NASA announced that Curiosity had discovered sharp seasonal increases in the gas. This time, NASA said the measured methane gas level was clearly larger than any others observed in the past. "It's exciting because microbial (微生物的) life is an important source of methane on Earth," NASA said in a statement announcing the discovery.
However, Curiosity's team carried out a follow-up methane experiment that showed a sharp drop in levels of the gas. That number was "close to the background levels Curiosity sees all the time." NASA said. The rise and fall of the methane gas levels left NASA scientists with more questions than answers.
"The methane mystery continues," said Ashwin Vasavada. Curiosity's project scientist, "We're more motivated than ever to keep measuring and put our brains together to figure out how methane behaves in the Marian atmosphere."
1. What do we know about methane go?| A．It is a must to living things. | B．It can be found everywhere. |
| C．It smells like carbon dioxide. | D．It's mainly from biological activity. |
| A．Humans have known much about Mars. |
| B．There will be more methane gas on Mars. |
| C．There is no progress in the 7 year's research. |
| D．The level of methane gas on Mars is not stable. |
| A．There may exist life on Mars. |
| B．Methane gas on Mars has a sudden increase. |
| C．The mystery about Mars will be solved soon. |
| D．They're known how methane as is formed on Mans. |
| A．Aimless. | B．Confident. |
| C．Stressed. | D．Serious. |
9 . Many of us have read stories or seen films about space creatures(生物). They come to the Earth in spaceships that look like flying saucers. These spacecreatures do not look like human beings at all, but they are usually very intelligent(聪明). In one film, they were tiny little men with large heads. When they landed on the Earth, they knew exactly what to do. They went straight to the President's palace and made him their prisoner!
The stories about space creatures are, of course, not true. Spacecreatures exist only in story books and films, just like giants and fairies. But many scientists are asking this question--“Is there life on other planets?” There are millions of planets in the universe, and the Earth is just one of them. Could there be living things on other planets? Many people believe that the other planets in the universe are most suitable for living things.
Are scientists sure that there is no life on other planets?
At this stage we still cannot be sure. All the planets, except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them.
1. The BEST title for the passage is“________”.| A．Scientific Wonders- Spacecreatures | B．Is There Life on Other Planets? |
| C．Are Scientists Sure? | D．Stories about Spacecreatures |
| A．all the planets, except the moon, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them |
| B．all the planets are too far to reach |
| C．all the planets,except the moon and Mars, are so far away that it will take hundreds of years for our spaceships to reach them |
| D．all the planets are only too far to reach |
| A．The stories about spacecreatures are true. | B．Spacecreatures are in stories. |
| C．Spacecreatures are in films. | D．Many scientists are asking if there is life on other planets. |
| A．upright (直立的) | B．level |
| C．directly | D．honest |
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have fixed a hole in the shell of its outer wall. The ISS is a large satellite in space
The hole was in a Russian Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. NASA said it could have been caused
A NASA official said the crew on the ISS are
