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Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars(火星),and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
Images of the Mars caves from Northern
Arizona University
The first caves discovered beyond the Earth appear as seven mysterious black dots on the pictures sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter.Each as large as a football field,they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars,there is a good chance you’d find it in caves,”said Jut Wynne,one of the researchers who noticed the features while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke,a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia,yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm,suggesting hot air trapped during the day is flowing out.
“I said:‘Wow,that’s a cave’,”Dr.Clarke said excitedly.“People have been looking for these for a long time;now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves would be perfect places to hunt for life escaping from the bitterly cold,radiation-soaked(充满辐射的),dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,”he said.“If there are gases coming out,they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria.A cave is also a protection from radiation;the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago.The outside of the tubes cooled,forming solid walls,while something hotter inside allowed the remaining lava to flow out,forming caves.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.How the caves were formed on Mars.
B.How scientists found these caves on Mars.
C.Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign of life.
D.Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.
2.We can learn from the passage that _______.
A.water has already been found on Mars
B.the scientists found all the caves at night
C.it is certain that there is life in these caves
D.the surface of Mars is bitterly cold,radiation-soaked and dry
3.According to the passage,Dr.Clarke was so excited because _______.
A.such caves could provide energy for life
B.they had finally found the caves on Mars
C.such caves would be perfect places to hunt for life
D.scientists had long been looking for these caves
4.Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include _______.
A.lava and energy
B.water and radiation from space
C.gases and lava
D.water and protection from radiation
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NASA scientists have found evidence of flowing water on Mars. This opens up the possibility of___ and wonders we can’t begin to imagine. The____undoubtedly is an astonishing achievement.
We may be excited by the thought of living things on another ______, but we seem to have lost _______in our own. In the past four decades, the world has____50% of its vertebrate( 脊 椎 )wildlife. But across the latter half of this period, there has been a steep___ in media coverage (报道)of the subject.
Think of what would change if we valued_____ on the earth as much as we value the possibility water on Mars._____ 3% of the water on this planet is fresh and of that, two-thirds is frozen. Yet we lay waste to the ___part. Sixty percent of the water used in farming is____by careless irrigation. Rivers, lakes and aquifers ( 地 下 蓄 水 层 )are sucked dry, while what remains is often so bad that it____the lives of those who drink it. As for salty water, which so______us when apparently detected on Mars, however, on Earth, we express our___ by destroying it. A new report suggests fish numbers have halved since 1970. Coral reefs are under such___ that most could be gone by 2050.
A couple of weeks ago, I launched a column focusing on extreme consumption, and___ suggestions. They have flooded in. Here are just a few of the _____:wigs(假发)for babies, to allow “baby girls with little or no ___at all the opportunity to have a beautifully realistic hair style”; The iPotty, which _____little children to keep playing while toilet training; a smartphone for dogs to take pictures of themselves....
As clever new ways of wasting stuff are continually___ , we become more and more used to the___ consumption of the world’s precious resources. Isn’t it time for us to have second thoughts about our lifestyle?
1.A.peace B.trust C.life D.danger
2.A.appearance B.discovery C.performance D.operation
3.A.planet B.stage C.level D.island
4.A.courage B.hope C.pride D.interest
5.A.spread B.lost C.ignored D.found
6.A.climb B.turn C.increase D.decline
7.A.water B.plants C.animals D.air
8.A.Often B.Only C.Even D.Last
9.A.private B.public C.unclear D.accessible
10.A.checked B.chosen C.wasted D.polluted
11.A.saves B.threatens C.enriches D.changes
12.A.interests B.satisfies C.frightens D.terrifies
13.A.complaint B.doubt C.appreciation D.surprise
14.A.pressure B.control C.guidance D.attention
15.A.made B.considered C.invited D.followed
16.A.benefits B.reasons C.features D.products
17.A.time B.hair C.help D.knowledge
18.A.allows B.promises C.persuades D.advises
19.A.criticized B.reported C.replaced D.created
20.A.expensive B.limited C.pointless D.stable
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It is not until recently ______ the scientists have found proof of there being water on Mars.
| A．when | B．that | C．how | D．what |
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Why do people like what they like? Scientists have taken on the task of solving this mystery(奥秘)for ages. In the 1960s, psychologist Robert Zajonc conducted a series of experiments where he showed people nonsense words and random shapes. Afterward he asked his subjects which they preferred out of ever thing they had been shown. In study
after study, people always chose the words and shapes they had seen the most. Their preference was for familiarity.
This discovery was one of the most important findings in modern psychology. But the preference for familiarity has clear limits. People get tired of even their favorite songs and movies. On one hand, humans seek familiarity, because it makes then feel safe. On the other hand, people love the thrill of something new. This change between familiarity and discovery affects ns all the time- not just our preferences for pictures and songs, but also our preferences for ideas and even people.
For that reason, the power of familiarity seems to be strongest when a person isn’t expecting it. The opposite is also true: A surprise seems to work best when it contains some familiarity. Nobody knows this better than Raymond Loews, who is considered to be the "father of industrial design. He had a theory that he said could help artists sell anything to anyone. He called it MAYA --"Most Advanced Yet Acceptable""To sell something surprising, make it familiar; and to sell something familiar, make it surprising," he said.
One of Loewy’s final tasks was too add an element(要素)of familiarity to a truly new invention: NASA’s first space station. Loewy’s biggest contribution to the space station was that he insisted NASA install a window with a view of Earth. Today, tens of millions of people have seen this small detail in films about astronauts. It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of MAYA: a window to a new world can also show you home.
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Many of us have wondered what Earth is like beneath the surface. So have writers and scientists. In French novelist Jules Verne’s masterpiece Journey to the Center of the Earth, explorers go down to Earth’s center and discover amazing wonders.
But in real life, human beings haven’t even come close to the planet’s core (核心). The core is over 6,000 km down. The deepest hole ever created, according to the BBC, is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, which only goes 12.3 km down.
So how do we know about everything down below without any samples？
One good way to start is to think about the Earth’s density (密度), Simon Redfern of the University of Cambridge in the UK told the BBC.
“The density of the material on Earth’s surface is much lower than the average density of the whole Earth, so that tells us there’s something that has greater density,” Redfern said.
The challenge is to find out which heavy materials the core is made of. And the main material scientists have found is iron. The idea is that when Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, a lot of iron made its way down to the core, taking up about 80 percent of it. Today scientists are still working on finding out which other materials the core could be made up of.
You might also wonder how we know the size of the core. There’s a one-word answer: seismology (地震学).
When an earthquake happens, seismic stations around the world record the shockwaves it sends throughout the planet. It’s like hitting one side of the planet with a huge hammer and listening on the other side for the noise.
Early research found that some shockwaves, called “S-waves”, went missing. S-waves can only travel through solid material, but not through liquid, so they must have found something molten in Earth’s center. By following the S-waves’ paths, scientists found out that rocks became liquid around 3,000 km down.
There are still many questions about the Earth’s core to answer. But the study of the dark world below isn’t just for scientists’ curiosity.
The movement of Earth’s molten iron core builds up a powerful magnetic (有磁力的) field. It protects us from radiation from the sun and is needed for compasses and GPS systems to work.
So perhaps none of us will ever set eyes on the core, but it’s good to know it’s there.
1.The author mentions Jules Verne’s novel Journey to the Center of the Earth in the first paragraph to .
A. discuss the possibility of going down to Earth’s center
B. show how much humans have discovered about Earth
C. paint a picture in our imagination of the dark world below
D. show humans’ deep interest in Earth’s center
2.We can learn from the article that “S-waves” .
A. are often used to predict earthquakes
B. cannot travel through liquid material
C. are the most noticeable shockwaves produced by earthquakes
D. can travel most rapidly at 3,000 kilometers below Earth’s surface
3.We can infer from the last three paragraphs that .
A. research into Earth’s core has hardly made any progress in recent years
B. improvements in GPS systems could help people find out more about Earth
C. Earth’s core helps to protect humans from harm
D. scientists are likely to reach Earth’s center within dozens of years
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Humans may not have landed on Mars (火星) just yet, but that isn’t stopping a European company from devising a plan to send four people to the Red Planet within the next few years．This project, called Mars One, aims to send a small group of people to Mars in 2022 and eventually establish a permanent colony on the planet.
“Everything we need to go to Mars exists,” said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp in March 2014．“We have the rockets to send people to Mars, the equipment to land on Mars, the robots to prepare the settlement for humans．For a one-way mission, all the technology exists.” Yet the four astronauts chosen for the trip will be stuck on Mars—forever．And despite Mars One’s thorough planning, there are a number of challenges that may prevent the mission from ever taking place．The biggest road block could be the mission's huge cost ($6 billion)．However, Lansdorp is confident that Mars One will be able to fund the project by selling the broadcast rights for the mission and subsequent experiences living on the planet.
Those broadcast rights will also play a part in helping to select the people who will be sent to Mars．Lansdorp said the company will hold a selection process similar to a reality show．Lansdorp is expecting at least 1 million applications from people around the world．In addition to the cost, several other potential problems could inhibit (阻止) the mission to Mars.
“It’s even more challenging to send people there with life support, with food, with air, with all the other things like books, entertainment, means of communication and of providing for their own resources for a long stay on Mars,” said Adam Baker, senior lecturer in space engineering at Kingston University in London．“The size of the rockets you’d need to do this would be absolutely colossal.”
1.According to Project Mars One, humans could send four people to Mars within the next ________years.
A． seven B． eight C． ten D． six
2.According to Bas Lansdorp, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A． Robots are prepared for the settlement for humans.
B． He could not come up with the fund for Mars One.
C． We humans have the rockets to send people to Mars.
D． The equipment is ready for humans to land on Mars.
3.The word “colossal” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___________.
A． very large
B． very small
C． medium
D． average
4.Which of the following is an appropriate title for this passage?
A． Ready for a Round Trip to Mars
B． Ready for a Short Visit to Mars
C． Ready for a One-way Trip to Mars
D． Ready for a Walk on Mars
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Humans may not have landed on Mars (火星) just yet, but that isn’t stopping a European company from devising a plan to send four people to the Red Planet within the next few years. This project, called Mars One, aims to send a small group of people to Mars in 2022 and eventually establish a permanent colony on the planet.
“Everything we need to go to Mars exists,” said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp in March 2014. “We have the rockets to send people to Mars, the equipment to land on Mars, the robots to prepare the settlement for humans. For a one-way mission, all the technology exists.” Yet the four astronauts chosen for the trip will be stuck on Mars—forever. And despite Mars One’s thorough planning, there are a number of challenges that may prevent the mission from ever taking place. The biggest road block could be the mission's huge cost ($6 billion). However, Lansdorp is confident that Mars One will be able to fund the project by selling the broadcast rights for the mission and subsequent experiences living on the planet.
Those broadcast rights will also play a part in helping to select the people who will be sent to Mars. Lansdorp said the company will hold a selection process similar to a reality show. Lansdorp is expecting at least 1 million applications from people around the world. In addition to the cost, several other potential problems could inhibit (阻止) the mission to Mars.
“It’s even more challenging to send people there with life support, with food, with air, with all the other things like books, entertainment, means of communication and of providing for their own resources for a long stay on Mars,” said Adam Baker, senior lecturer in space engineering at Kingston University in London. “The size of the rockets you’d need to do this would be absolutely colossal.”
1.According to Project Mars One, humans could send four people to Mars within the next ________years.
A. seven B. eight C. ten D. six
2.According to Bas Lansdorp, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Robots are prepared for the settlement for humans.
B. He could not come up with the fund for Mars One.
C. We humans have the rockets to send people to Mars.
D. The equipment is ready for humans to land on Mars.
3.The word “colossal” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___________.
A. very large B. very small
C. medium D. average
4.Which of the following is an appropriate title for this passage?
A. Ready for a Round Trip to Mars
B. Ready for a Short Visit to Mars
C. Ready for a One-way Trip to Mars
D. Ready for a Walk on Mars
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Humans may not have landed on Mars (火星) just yet, but that isn’t stopping a European company from devising a plan to send four people to the Red Planet within the next few years. This project, called Mars One, aims to send a small group of people to Mars in 2022 and eventually establish a permanent colony on the planet.
“Everything we need to go to Mars exists,” said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp in March 2014. “We have the rockets to send people to Mars, the equipment to land on Mars, the robots to prepare the settlement for humans. For a one-way mission, all the technology exists.” Yet the four astronauts chosen for the trip will be stuck on Mars—forever. And despite Mars One’s thorough planning, there are a number of challenges that may prevent the mission from ever taking place. The biggest road block could be the mission's huge cost ($6 billion). However, Lansdorp is confident that Mars One will be able to fund the project by selling the broadcast rights for the mission and subsequent experiences living on the planet.
Those broadcast rights will also play a part in helping to select the people who will be sent to Mars. Lansdorp said the company will hold a selection process similar to a reality show. Lansdorp is expecting at least 1 million applications from people around the world. In addition to the cost, several other potential problems could inhibit (阻止) the mission to Mars.
“It’s even more challenging to send people there with life support, with food, with air, with all the other things like books, entertainment, means of communication and of providing for their own resources for a long stay on Mars,” said Adam Baker, senior lecturer in space engineering at Kingston University in London. “The size of the rockets you’d need to do this would be absolutely colossal.”
1.According to Project Mars One, humans could send four people to Mars within the next ________years.
A. seven B. eight C. ten D. six
2.According to Bas Lansdorp, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Robots are prepared for the settlement for humans.
B. He could not come up with the fund for Mars One.
C. We humans have the rockets to send people to Mars.
D. The equipment is ready for humans to land on Mars.
3.The word “colossal” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___________.
A. very large B. very small
C. medium D. average
4.Which of the following is an appropriate title for this passage?
A. Ready for a Round Trip to Mars
B. Ready for a Short Visit to Mars
C. Ready for a One-way Trip to Mars
D. Ready for a Walk on Mars
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Humans may not have landed on Mars （火星） just yet, but that isn’t stopping a European company from devising a plan to send four people to the Red Planet within the next few years. This project, called Mars One, aims to send a small group of people to Mars in 2022 and eventually establish a permanent colony on the planet.
“Everything we need to go to Mars exists,” said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp in March 2014. “We have the rockets to send people to Mars, the equipment to land on Mars, the robots to prepare the settlement for humans. For a one-way mission, all the technology exists.” Yet the four astronauts chosen for the trip will be stuck on Mars—forever. And despite Mars One’s thorough planning, there are a number of challenges that may prevent the mission from ever taking place. The biggest road block could be the mission's huge cost （$6 billion）. However, Lansdorp is confident that Mars One will be able to fund the project by selling the broadcast rights for the mission and subsequent experiences living on the planet.
Those broadcast rights will also play a part in helping to select the people who will be sent to Mars. Lansdorp said the company will hold a selection process similar to a reality show. Lansdorp is expecting at least 1 million applications from people around the world. In addition to the cost, several other potential problems could inhibit （阻止） the mission to Mars.
“It’s even more challenging to send people there with life support, with food, with air, with all the other things like books, entertainment, means of communication and of providing for their own resources for a long stay on Mars,” said Adam Baker, senior lecturer in space engineering at Kingston University in London. “The size of the rockets you’d need to do this would be absolutely colossal.”
1.According to Project Mars One, humans could send four people to Mars within the next ________years.
A．seven B．eight C．ten D．six
2.According to Bas Lansdorp, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A．Robots are prepared for the settlement for humans.
B．He could not come up with the fund for Mars One.
C．We humans have the rockets to send people to Mars.
D．The equipment is ready for humans to land on Mars．
3.The word “colossal” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___________.
A．very large B．very small
C．medium D．average
4.Which of the following is an appropriate title for this passage?
A．Ready for a Round Trip to Mars
B．Ready for a Short Visit to Mars
C．Ready for a One-way Trip to Mars
D．Ready for a Walk on Mars
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In a surprising discovery about where higher life can survive, scientists have found a shrimp -like creature and a jellyfish swimming beneath an Antarctic ice sheet.
About 180 meters below the ice where no light can get through, scientists had figured nothing much more than a few microbes (微生物) could exist.
That’s why a NASA team was surprised when they lowered a video camera to get the first long look at the underbelly of an ice sheet in Antarctica. A curious shrimp-like creature came swimming by and then parked itself on the camera’s cable. Scientists also pulled up a tentacle (触须) they believe came from a jellyfish.
“We were operating on the presumption that nothing’s there.” said NASA ice scientist Robert Bindschadler. “It was a shrimp you’d enjoy having on your plate.”
“We were just gaga (狂热的) over it,” he said when talking about the 7.5cm long, orange creature starring in their two-minute video. Technically, it’s not a shrimp. It’s a Lyssianasid amphipod, which is distantly related to the shrimp.
The video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists thinking that if shrimp-like creatures can live below 180 meters of Antarctic ice in freezing dark water, what about other cold places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Cynan Ellis – Evans, a scientist of the British Antarctic Survey called the finding fascinating. He said it was possible the creatures swam in from far away and don’t live there permanently.
But Kim, who is a co-author of the study, doubts it. “The site in West Antarctica is at least 19 km from open seas. Bindschadler drilled a 20 cm-wide hole and was looking at a tiny amount of water. That means it’s unlikely that two creatures swam from great distances and were captured randomly in that small area,” she said.
“Yet scientists were puzzled at what the food source would be for these creatures. While some microbes can make their own food out of chemicals in the ocean, complex life like the shrimp can’t,” Kim said.
“So how do they survive? That’s the key question.” Kim said.
“It’s pretty amazing when you find a huge puzzle like that on a planet where we thought we know everything.” Kim said.
1.. Scientists had believed that harsh environments could only have been populated by ______ .
A. jellyfish B. mammals C. microbes D. shrimp-like creatures
2. According to Kim, the shrimp-like creature _________ .
A. swam great distances to Antarctic B. has always lived in the area
C. gradually evolved from shrimps D. has nothing in common with shrimps
3. The finding is significant in that __________.
A. it marks NASA’S first Antarctic biological study
B. it proves there is marine life in the Antarctic
C. it could inspire further study of life in harsh environments
D. it shows that Lyssianasid amphipod is closely related to shrimps
4.. The last three paragraphs suggest that __________.
A. researchers will look at the places the creatures came from
B. ice scientists will drill deeper to find more creatures
C. scientists know very little about the planet they live on
D. further research will be done about what the creatures live on