Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.

A welcoming planet

Scientists say Earth’s neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth’s size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.

Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles(裝置). Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft(航天器) and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.

But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.

_____________________________________

But before you start packing your bags, let’s consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.

Scientists already know that time away from Earth’s gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?

And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won’t survive very long in their new home.

Tiny Dangers

There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.

Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .

Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星細(xì)菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.

Worth the $$$?

A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion(萬(wàn)億). How can we justify spending that much when so many problems—poverty, disease—could use the cash here on Earth?

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the “A welcoming planet” part?

A. Mars is a little bigger than Earth.       

B. There are flowing rivers on Mars.

C. People haven’t been to Mars so far.  

D. Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars.

2.Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage?

A. Living in space.                         B. Limited resources.

C. Extreme conditions.                    D. Interesting challenges.

3.By “Tiny dangers” the author means ________________.

A. there is no serious danger                  

B. people won’t be in any danger

C. it’s difficult for people to realize the danger   

D. the danger may be caused by very small things 

4.Which may cause the biggest danger?

A. Martian germs may be different from those on Earth.  

B. Martian germs may be brought back to Earth.

C. People may carry germs to Mars.                  

D. There may be germs on Mars.

5.Which section of a newspaper is the passage most probably taken from?

A. People        B. History        C. Science         D. Business

 

【答案】

 

1.C

2.C

3.D

4.B

5.C

【解析】

試題分析:火星移民到底能不能實(shí)現(xiàn)?科學(xué)家目前對(duì)火星進(jìn)行了許多研究,并認(rèn)為目前移民是很困難、有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的;鹦堑沫h(huán)境和地球差距很大,但是并不代表未來(lái)不可行。這吸引了人們的執(zhí)著追尋。

1.細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由“ Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.”可知讓人們登上火星還要等到21世紀(jì)年30年代中期。 故選C。

2.推理判斷題。這一部分主要講了前往火星最主要的困難,因此是極端的條件。Living in space.                  生活在太空;Limited resources.有限的資源;Extreme conditions.極端的條件;Interesting challenges.有趣的條件。故選C。

3.推理判斷題。由“There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.”可知,微生物對(duì)火星和地球都是潛在的威脅,但是它們太小以至于看不見(jiàn)。故選D。

4.細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)“Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星細(xì)菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out. ”可知,火星帶回來(lái)的細(xì)菌很可能是致命的。故選B。

5.推理判斷題。本文主要講了火星移民的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)和困難,是一篇科普性質(zhì)的文章,因此來(lái)源于“科學(xué)”  報(bào)。故選C。

考點(diǎn):科普類閱讀。   

 

練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:上海市崇明縣2012屆高三上學(xué)期期末考試英語(yǔ)試題 題型:050

Read the following three passages.Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D.Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

  How the Grand Canyon was created remains one of the geology’s greatest mysteries.Some evidence suggests that the process was a gradual one in which the Colorado River(which runs through the canyon)slowly cut deeper and deeper into the ground over millions of years.But volcanic(火山的)rock samples taken from the canyon(峽谷)now suggest that the canyon was downcut instead.

  Downcutting is when a flood of water rushes over a landscape with enough force to cut deeply into the ground and leaves behind a canyon.Such a flood is usually released when a natural or artificial dam bursts.

  Robert Webb, a research geologist with U.S.Geological Survey, says natural dams seem to have formed and broken across the Colorado River several times during the last million years.The dams were built when lava(熔巖)from the eruptions(爆發(fā))of nearby volcanoes flowed into the river.The lava hardened into hard rocks and blocked the river, causing it to back up and form a lake.Each time the lake grew so huge that it broke the rock dam, releasing a flash flood that furthered the downcutting process and deepened the canyon.The most recent dam break happened 165,000 years ago, says Webb, and released 15 million cubic(立方)feet of water per second.

  Downcutting is not just an earthly event.Satellite photos sent back from Mars(a planet)suggest that the process has happened there, too, say researchers at the National Air and Space Museum.

  The photos, taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that an enormous lake existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago.The lake, which was big enough to flood Texas and California, eventually spilled into a large nearby hole.One edge of the hole broke, releasing a flash flood that quickly carved out a grand canyon about 2,100 meters deep and 885 kilometers long.Astronauts call the canyon MA’adim Vallis.

  The existence of downcutting on Mars is just one more piece of evidence that the cold, dry planet was once warm and wet.

(1)

In the past, deep canyons were believed to have formed ________.

[  ]

A.

as a result of a sudden break of volcanoes

B.

due to river flows over millions of years

C.

owing to the collapse of artificial dams

D.

thanks to our ancestors’ creative work

(2)

From the passage we can guess that ________.

[  ]

A.

several volcanoes broke out in the Colorado River

B.

several great lakes existed on the upper parts of the Colorado River

C.

people built high dams on the upper parts of the Colorado River

D.

the Colorado River crossed the Grand Canyon millions of years ago

(3)

From the last three paragraphs we learn that ________.

[  ]

A.

there are great lakes on Mars

B.

there are active volcanoes on Mars

C.

there might be cities on Mars

D.

there might be life on Mars

(4)

The passage can be titled as ________.

[  ]

A.

Lakes on Earth and Mars

B.

The Cause of Lake Formation

C.

The Force of Dam Breaking

D.

Canyons-Results of Flood Cutting

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:2012-2013學(xué)年浙江省寧波市高一上學(xué)期期末英語(yǔ)試卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解

For many writers, writing stories or plays is a part-time job: to support themselves they take on other jobs, such as teaching. It is one sign of August Wilson’s success that for many years he has been able to make a living only by writing plays.
Wilson was born in Pittsburgh and dropped out of school in the ninth grade. He was a good reader, however, and continued his education by reading library books, learning about black nationalist movements of the time, and closely observing(觀察) the lives of the poor people.
In the late 1960’s Wilson set up a theater company called Black Horizons and began to think of ways to describe African-American life on the stage. He had the idea of a cycle of plays, each of which was set in a different decade(十年) of the 20th century, showing how African-American life has developed.
The first successful play of this series was Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom about black musicians in Chicago in the 1920s, who are not accepted by white society. Other plays in the series include Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, about blacks in the 1910s who had moved north to Pittsburgh in search of a new identity; Fences, which focuses on a father–son conflict(沖突) in the1950s; and The Piano Lesson, about a 1930s family that was uncertain about whether to sell the family’s treasure. For the last two of these plays Wilson was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.
Wilson has written eight plays in his cycle, the most recent being King Hedley the Second, a play set in the 1980s. His plays are enjoyed by both the blacks and the whites and engage anyone who is interested in African-American experience.
【小題1】Wilson won Pulitzer Prizes for ________.

A.The Piano Lesson & Fences
B. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom & Fences
C.The Piano Lesson & King Hedley the Second
D.King Hedley the Second & Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
【小題2】 It is possible that in his series of the 20th –century plays, Wilson plans to write ________.
A.no moreB.two more C.three moreD.four more
【小題3】The underlined word “engage” in the last paragraph means ________.
A.a(chǎn)ward B.benefitC.pleaseD.a(chǎn)ttract
【小題4】What’s the passage mainly about?
A.The life of August Wilson.B.The growth of August Wilson.
C.A cycle of plays of August Wilson.D.August Wilson’s theater company.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:2015屆浙江省寧波市高一上學(xué)期期末英語(yǔ)試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

For many writers, writing stories or plays is a part-time job: to support themselves they take on other jobs, such as teaching. It is one sign of August Wilson’s success that for many years he has been able to make a living only by writing plays.

Wilson was born in Pittsburgh and dropped out of school in the ninth grade. He was a good reader, however, and continued his education by reading library books, learning about black nationalist movements of the time, and closely observing(觀察) the lives of the poor people.

In the late 1960’s Wilson set up a theater company called Black Horizons and began to think of ways to describe African-American life on the stage. He had the idea of a cycle of plays, each of which was set in a different decade(十年) of the 20th century, showing how African-American life has developed.

The first successful play of this series was Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom about black musicians in Chicago in the 1920s, who are not accepted by white society. Other plays in the series include Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, about blacks in the 1910s who had moved north to Pittsburgh in search of a new identity; Fences, which focuses on a father–son conflict(沖突) in the1950s; and The Piano Lesson, about a 1930s family that was uncertain about whether to sell the family’s treasure. For the last two of these plays Wilson was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.

Wilson has written eight plays in his cycle, the most recent being King Hedley the Second, a play set in the 1980s. His plays are enjoyed by both the blacks and the whites and engage anyone who is interested in African-American experience.

1.Wilson won Pulitzer Prizes for ________.

A.The Piano Lesson & Fences

B. Ma Raineys Black Bottom & Fences

C.The Piano Lesson & King Hedley the Second

D.King Hedley the Second & Joe Turners Come and Gone

2. It is possible that in his series of the 20th –century plays, Wilson plans to write ________.

A.no more          B.two more          C.three more        D.four more

3.The underlined word “engage” in the last paragraph means ________.

A.a(chǎn)ward            B.benefit           C.please            D.a(chǎn)ttract

4.What’s the passage mainly about?

A.The life of August Wilson.                 B.The growth of August Wilson.

C.A cycle of plays of August Wilson.           D.August Wilson’s theater company.

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:2014屆廣東省汕頭市高二下學(xué)期期中英語(yǔ)試卷(解析版) 題型:其他題

Ma Wendi graduated from a veterinary(獸醫(yī)的) school several years ago. And now she is used to  1  (glance) at curiously when she walks six dogs at the same time. They are not all  2 . The 25-year-old veterinary graduate is a full-time dog walker.

“I have to take care of twelve dogs at most,” said Ma. She charges 500 yuan a month per dog, and most customers leave their dogs at her house for a week. The  3  (busy) time is around the Spring Festival, because many people go back to their hometowns for family reunions  4  go traveling.

“Compared with people who have to be in their offices during the day, I don’t have to get up early to squeeze into the subway carriages in rush hour, and I still make  5  decent(體面的) salary. It seems to give me great 6  (encourage) to go on with my job. ” she said.

“But it’s still a tiring job. Whenever there are dogs at home, I can’t leave them alone. I have to work and caring them is bound to be busy,  7  means that I have no time to enjoy myself. Sometimes I want to go out for a meal or shopping, but I can’t do so because I worry about them, and it really makes me  8 (annoy) ” she said.

Most of the dogs seem to adapt  9  the life there. Ma knows all the dogs’ names, and when she calls one’s name, the dog instantly knows she  10  (refer) to it.

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源: 題型:閱讀理解

For many writers, writing stories or plays is a part-time job: to support themselves they take on other jobs, such as teaching. It is one sign of August Wilson’s success that for many years he has been able to make a living only by writing plays.
Wilson was born in Pittsburgh and dropped out of school in the ninth grade. He was a good reader, however, and continued his education by reading library books, learning about black nationalist movements of the time, and closely observing(觀察) the lives of the poor people.
In the late 1960’s Wilson set up a theater company called Black Horizons and began to think of ways to describe African-American life on the stage. He had the idea of a cycle of plays, each of which was set in a different decade(十年) of the 20th century, showing how African-American life has developed.
The first successful play of this series was Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom about black musicians in Chicago in the 1920s, who are not accepted by white society. Other plays in the series include Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, about blacks in the 1910s who had moved north to Pittsburgh in search of a new identity; Fences, which focuses on a father–son conflict(沖突) in the1950s; and The Piano Lesson, about a 1930s family that was uncertain about whether to sell the family’s treasure. For the last two of these plays Wilson was awarded Pulitzer Prizes.
Wilson has written eight plays in his cycle, the most recent being King Hedley the Second, a play set in the 1980s. His plays are enjoyed by both the blacks and the whites and engage anyone who is interested in African-American experience

  1. 1.

    Wilson won Pulitzer Prizes for ______.

    1. A.
      The Piano Lesson & Fences
    2. B.
      Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom & Fences
    3. C.
      The Piano Lesson & King Hedley the Second
    4. D.
      King Hedley the Second & Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
  2. 2.

    It is possible that in his series of the 20th –century plays, Wilson plans to write ______.

    1. A.
      no more
    2. B.
      two more
    3. C.
      three more
    4. D.
      four more
  3. 3.

    The underlined word “engage” in the last paragraph means ______.

    1. A.
      award
    2. B.
      benefit
    3. C.
      please
    4. D.
      attract
  4. 4.

    What’s the passage mainly about?

    1. A.
      The life of August Wilson
    2. B.
      The growth of August Wilson
    3. C.
      A cycle of plays of August Wilson
    4. D.
      August Wilson’s theater company

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案