1 . China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft, in orbit around Mars’ has dropped its lander and rover (巡视器), named Zhurong after a Chinese god of fire, completing the most dangerous stage of its ten-month mission.

This is China’s first mission to Mars, and makes the country only the third nation to have landed a spacecraft there. It included an orbiter, a lander and a rover—making it the first to send all three elements to the planet.

“The mission is a big leap for China because they are doing in a single go what NASA took decades to do,” says Roberto Orosei, a planetary scientist at the Institute of Radio Astronomy of Bologna in Italy.

At a speed of 4.8 kilometers per second, the spacecraft departed Earth in July 2020 and arrived at Mars in February 2021, but the landing was the biggest test yet of China’s rising outer space exploration capabilities.

Landing on Mars is extremely difficult, because engineers back on Earth have no control over it in real time, and must leave pre-programmed instructions to carry on. Many missions have been lost, or have crashed on arrival.

Utopia Planitia, where Zhurong now sits, is a wide, flat area in a vast basin that formed when a smaller object crashed into Mars billions of years ago, “If the researchers are really fortunate, they might find some very ancient rocks, which could offer a window into our own planet’s history,” says Joseph Michalski, a planetary scientist at the University of Hong Kong, “Most of the similar evidence here on Earth has been destroyed by plate tectonics (板块运动).”

Zhurong will also be the first rover equipped with an instrument to measure the magnetic field (磁场) nearby. The instrument could provide insights into how Mars lost its strong magnetic field, an event that transformed the planet into a cold, dry place, uninviting to life.

A successful Mars landing could motivate more-advanced Chinese missions—including a sample-return one, which is planned to take place by 2030.

1. What makes Tianwen-1 mission unique?

A．Its multi-task in one try.	B．Its long completion time.
C．The danger of the landing.	D．The speed of its spacecraft.

2. Why is it so hard for the spacecraft to land on Mars?

A．The landing ground is not flat.

B．Instructions are too complicated.

C．It may crash into smaller objects.

D．Engineers have no live control over it.

3. What can researchers learn according to Joseph Michalski?

A．More of the Earth’s history.

B．The formation of vast basins.

C．The discovery of ancient rocks.

D．The destruction of evidence on Earth.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Zhurong landed on Mars successfully.

B．Zhurong measured Mars’ magnetic field.

C．Tianwen-1 spacecraft orbited around Mars.

D．Tianwen-1 spacecraft returned to the Earth.

2 . Shining just 12 light-years from Earth, the star Tau Ceti so resembles the sun that it has appeared in numerous science- fiction stories and was the first star astronomers ever searched for signs of intelligent life, half a century ago. In 2012 Tau Ceti grew still more interesting when astronomers reported five possible planets somewhat larger than Earth circling closer to the star than Mars orbits (围绕……运动) the sun—one of which is in the star’s habitable zone. Newly released images taken by the Herschel Space Observatory provide even more insight about Tau Ceti’s solar system: greater detail about its dust belt.

Dust arises when asteroids and comets (小行星和彗星) crash into one another, so its location reveals where these dust- creating objects—which are too small to be seen directly—orbit a star. In Tau Ceti’s case, “it’s quite a wide dust belt,” says Samantha Lawler of the University of Victoria in British Columbia. As her team reported in November, the belt’s inner edge is roughly two to three astronomical units (AUs) from the star, which is the position of our own sun’s asteroid belt. (An AU is the distance from Earth to the sun.) Tau Ceti’s dust belt extends out to 55 AU, which would be just beyond our system’s main Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, the zone of small bodies whose largest member is probably Pluto. Presumably full of asteroids and comets, Tau Ceti’s dust belt most likely lacks a planet as large as Jupiter, Lawler says. The gravity of such a massive planet would have driven away most small space rocks.

Within a year a new series of radio telescopes in Chile called ALMA should provide a sharper view of the disk, especially of its inner edge. The ALMA images will help astronomers confirm whether the star’s five proposed planets are indeed real. If the disk overlaps the planets’ hypothesized (假设的) orbits, then they probably do not exist; they would have kept away most asteroids near the star, removing the source of dust.

If those planets do exist, however, Lawler’s team suggests that Tau Ceti’s planetary system may resemble what our solar system would have looked like had the four giant planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune- never formed: small planets orbiting close to the star, and nothing but asteroids, comets and dust beyond.

1. According to astronomers, the five possible planets of Tau Ceti________.

A．resembled Earth in size

B．functioned like a solar system

C．were located in Tau Ceti’s habitable zone

D．were nearer to Tau Ceti than Mars to the sun

2. Which of the following is true of Tau Ceti’s dust belt?

A．It is narrower than the asteroid belt in our system.

B．The bodies inside it are all smaller than Jupiter.

C．The gravity of Tau Ceti makes it get denser.

D．It is over 55 astronomical units in width.

3. According to the passage, the five planets are most likely to exist if________.

A．they don’t move into the dust belt while orbiting Tau Ceti

B．they have kept away most asteroids and comets

C．they don’t crash into any asteroid or comet

D．they can be seen clearly by ALMA

4. It can be inferred from the passage that Tau Ceti’s dust belt________.

A．is useful because it stops asteroids or comets crashing into the star

B．makes Tau Ceti different from the sun because it extends farther

C．is interesting because it keeps other planets away from Tau Ceti

D．plays a role in helping decide whether the five planets are real

5 . For the first few months of 2021, Mars was crowded with new “visitors” from Earth. First, it was the UAE Space Agency’s Hope, followed by the Chinese Tianwen-1. The name comes from the long poem Tianwen, written by Qu Yuan, a great poet of ancient China. In Tianwen, this name conveys China’s steady effort in pursuing truth and culture of exploring the universe.

The Tianwen-1 rover landing has orbiting, landing and roving (巡视) components—the first mission to include all three on its first attempt. Landing on Mars is extremely dangerous. It requires entering the atmosphere at very high speeds, then slowing down before landing. As to Tianwen-1, a heat shield (防热护罩) protected the spacecraft during the fiery (燃烧的) landing, after which the mission safely parachuted (使空降) down to the Utopia Planitia (乌托邦平原). The landing platform fired small, downward-facing rocket engines to slow down during the last few seconds.

China’s Mars rover, called Zhurong after an ancient Chinese fire god, sent back images of the surface of Mars captured by a camera on its front, which functions as an “eye” to detect barriers and get around them. The Utopia Planitia, where Tianwen-1 landed, has long been believed to contain vast amounts of water ice. Zhurong will first and foremost study Martian soil and atmosphere and search for signs of water ice, which suggests the existence of life.

Tianwen-1 is China’s first interplanetary (行星间的) mission. Meanwhile, China is working with Russia on a sample-return mission scheduled to launch in 2024. China is open and inclusive in the development of its space technology to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

1. Why was China’s “visitor” to Mars named Tianwen?

A．To emphasize the value of exploring Mars.

B．To arouse readers’ interest in reading classics.

C．To illustrate the long history of writing poems.

D．To show China’s constant struggle in space exploration.

2. Which of the following contributed to the safe landing on Mars?

A．The heat shield on the spacecraft.

B．The camera on the front of Zhurong.

C．The flat landscape of the Utopia Planitia.

D．The rocket engines above the landing platform.

3. What is the primary target of Zhurong on Mars?

A．To build a shared future for mankind.

B．To look for signs of life on the red planet.

C．To push the boundaries of space exploration.

D．To inform people of our achievements in space.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．China is the first country to land a rover on Mars.

B．China is confident of the existence of life on Mars.

C．Tianwen-1 proves joint efforts matter in space research.

D．Tianwen-1 marks the start of China’s interplanetary exploration.

6 . The far side of the moon is a strange and wild region, quite different from the familiar and mostly smooth face we see nightly from our planet. Soon this rough space will have even stranger features: it will be crowded with radio telescopes.

Astronomers are planning to make the moon's distant side our newest and best window on the cosmic(宇宙的) dark ages, a mysterious era hiding early marks of stars and galaxies. Our universe was not always filled with stars. About 380,000 years after the big bang, the universe cooled, and the first atoms of hydrogen formed. Gigantic hydrogen clouds soon filled the universe. But for a few hundred million years, everything remained dark, without stars. Then came the cosmic dawn: the first stars flickered, galaxies came into existence and slowly the universe's large­scale structure took shape.

The seeds of this structure must have been present in the dark­age hydrogen clouds, but the era has been impossible to probe using optical(光学的) telescopes—there was no light. And although this hydrogen produced long­wavelength(or low­frequency) radio emissions,radio telescopes on Earth have found it nearly impossible to detect them. Our atmosphere either blocks or disturbs these faint signals; those that get through are drowned out by humanity's radio noise.

Scientists have dreamed for decades of studying the cosmic dark ages from the moon's far side. Now multiple space agencies plan lunar missions carrying radio­wave­detecting instruments—some within the next three years—and astronomers' dreams are set to become reality.

“If I were to design an ideal place to do low­frequency radio astronomy, I would have to build the moon,” says astrophysicist Jack Burns of the University of Colorado Boulder. “We are just now finally getting to the place where we're actually going to be putting these telescopes down on the moon in the next few years.”

1. What's the purpose of building radio telescopes on the moon?

A．To research the big bang.	B．To discover unknown stars.
C．To study the cosmic dark ages.	D．To observe the far side of the moon.

2. What does the underlined word “probe” in Paragraph 3 possibly mean?

A．Explore.	B．Evaluate.
C．Produce.	D．Predict.

3. Hydrogen radio emissions can't be detected on Earth because ________．

A．there was no light in the dark ages

B．they cannot possibly get through our atmosphere

C．gigantic hydrogen clouds no longer fill the universe

D．radio signals on Earth cause too much interference

4. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．Scientists have to rebuild the moon.

B．We will finally get to the moon's distant side.

C．The moon is a perfect place to set up radio telescopes.

D．A favorable research environment will be found on the moon.

7 . Avi Loeb, a scientist, believes that we are not alone in the universe. The belief fits with Loeb’s alien (外星的) spaceship theory that at least one alien spaceship might be flying over the orbit (轨道) of Jupiter, which won the international attention last year.

Astronomers in Hawaii found the first known interstellar (星际的) object in late 2017. It was a bit of light moving so fast past the sun that it could only have come from another star. Almost every astronomer on the planet was trying to figure out how the object, called “Oumuamua” got to our far-away, part of the Milky way galaxy. “One possibility is that ‘Oumuamua’ is debris (碎片) from an advanced technological equipment,” Loeb said. “Technology comes from another solar system just showed up at our door.”

“‘Oumuamua’ is not an alien spaceship,” Paul Sutter, another scientist wrote. He suggested Loeb was seeking publicity. Most scientists think “Oumuamua” is some sort of rock. They think it could be an icy wandering comet.

Loeb says that “Oumuamua’s” behavior, means it can’t be a block of rock shaped like a long photo. He thinks it's more likely an object that’s very long and thin, perhaps like a long pancake or a ship’s sail. Loeb says that if someone shows him evidence that contradicts his beliefs, he will immediately give in.

Loeb believes himself a truth-teller and risk- taker in an age of very safe, too-quiet scientists. “The worst thing that can happen to me is that I would be relieved of my management duties, and that would give me even more time to focus on science,” Loeb says. He said he wouldn’t mind giving up all the titles he had and returning to the Israeli farming village where he grew up.

1. What does Loeb say about “Oumuamua”?

A．It is an icy comet.

B．It looks like a long photo.

C．It is actually some sort of rock.

D．It may come from another alien civilization.

2. What does the underlined word “contradicts” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Searches for.	B．Depends on.
C．Turns to.	D．Goes against.

3. What do you think of Loeb?

A．He is foolish.

B．He is unsatisfied with his titles.

C．He is a firm believer in scientific truth.

D．He is uncertain about his career future.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Have Aliens Paid a Visit in Spaceships?

B．Do We Really Know about Space Theory?

C．Scientists Are Working on High Technology

D．Astronomers Are Encouraging Space Travel

8 . In the magnificent range of mountains of northern California, 42 radio telescopes point towards the stars, scanning for signs of life. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence （SETI） Institute has been listening for a signal here since it was founded in 1984. Jill Tarter, its co — founder, says the programmed aim is not just to communicate with remote civilisations. It is also to remind human beings of its own modest, fragile （脆弱的）place in the universe. Thus, for the first time, SETI is cocking its ear towards Earth to look for a signal that can be sent into space to represent the species.

Felipe Perez Santiago, a Mexican musician and composer, has an idea of what might work.Since songs, like the human voices, are common to all languages and nations, he and Ms. Tarter have designed the “Earthling Project”-a call to people everywhere to upload extracts （精华）of song that he plans to melt into a collective human chorus. An initial composition will be launched into space this summer, recorded on a virtually indestructible disk. Future plans and dreams include an eventual landing on Mars.

Human music has been sent to the heavens in 1977. Distant beings can in theory already enjoy Peruvian panpipes, a Navajo chant, Bach, Beethoven and more. But no previous offering, and perhaps no composition undertaken anywhere, has tried to encompass the entire diversity of human song.

Mr. Santiago says he is thrilled about bringing together contributors from around the globe. Unlike other recordings sent into space, says Mr. Santiago, “Everyone's invited. You don't have to be one of the main composers of our history like Beethoven, just someone singing in their shower.” Download the “Earthling Project" app, sing up to three songs of 30 seconds each, and your voice will be sent into the sky.

1. Why does SETI look for a signal to be sent into space?

A．To stand for species on the earth.

B．To scan for other liveable planets.

C．To respond to the call of the universe.

D．To stress the importance of the earth.

2. What can we infer about the "Earthling Project”?

A．It is a world music organization.

B．It intends to create a human chorus.

C．It tries to develop a universal language.

D．It aims to search for signals from space.

3. What does the underlined word “encompass" in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Include.	B．Appreciate.
C．Work out.	D．Relate to.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To inspire people to become composers.

B．To call on people to protect our planet.

C．To encourage people to explore space.

D．To invite people to join a programme.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

China and the United Arab Emirates(UAE) sent    1    (they) first spacecraft to Mars this week. A Chinese spacecraft went into orbit(轨道) around Mars on Wednesday. It followed a UAE's spacecraft that    2    (successful) entered orbit on Tuesday. China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft spent seven months on the trip to Mars    3     traveled nearly 475 million kilometers. Tianwen, the name of    4    ancient poem, means “Quest for Heavenly Truth”. The UAE's spacecraft is called Amal.Amal is the Arabic word for Hope.

The trips to Mars come at a time when both countries have made quick progress in space programs.China's space program brought moon rocks back to Earth in December.That is the first time that a spacecraft    5    (return) to Earth with moon rocks since the 1970s.China was also the first country to manage    6    (land) a spacecraft on the little-explored far side of the moon in 2019.

China's spacecraft will send a vehicle, called a rover, to land on the Marian surface. The goal is to search for    7    (sign) of life in the area named Utopia Planitia,    8    the U.S. Viking 2 lander landed in 1976. Along with Tianwen-1, Amal will join six other spacecraft already    9    (operate) around Mars. Among them, three    10    (be) from the United States.