Question

【題目】It just may be the world’s most costly vacuum cleaner (吸塵器). The price of CleanSpace One is eleven million dollars. But yet, it has a big job to do. Recently, researchers in Switzerland said they planned to build this new cleaning machine.

CleanSpace One will not be for use in homes or businesses. It will be shot into space to help remove thousands of pieces of space junk floating around up there.

Last year, we reported on the problem of space junk. Over time, many unused spacecraft have hit each other far above the Earth. Big pieces break into thousands of small pieces. Sometimes they fall back into the atmosphere (大氣層) and burn up. But when they do not, it creates big problems.

Scientists fear that if something is not done to remove these objects, it may soon become too dangerous to send people and machines into space. There is a large chance that they might hit some of this junk. So that is why the Swiss researchers are developing the new machine.

CleanSpace One is not really a vacuum cleaner. It will not be used to take away space junk. But scientists plan to move it close to an old satellite that is no longer being used. Then a claw-like instrument will catch the satellite, and force it back through the atmosphere. There, the satellite will be destroyed by the heat of friction (摩擦) with the air.

Researchers say that all they need to do is slow down the speed of some of these unwanted objects. Once they begin to move more slowly, they will fall back to the Earth. There is little chance that they will fall through the atmosphere and harm the people or things below.

【1】Space junk is created when ____________.

A. unused spacecraft hit each other

B. people in space throw away rubbish

C. a new spaceship is sent up

D. an old spaceship creates friction with the air

【2】What’s the danger of space junk?

A. It will pollute space. B. It will hurt people on the Earth.

C. It will hit a spaceship. D. It will burn in the atmosphere.

【3】Unwanted objects will fall back to the Earth when _______ .

A. they are made to move slowly B. they meet other objects in space

C. they are not used for years D. they are near the atmosphere

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】A

【解析】本文講述是如何銷毀未使用的航天飛機(jī)和其他漂浮在地球上空的物體——太空垃圾。

【1】A

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段提到Over time, many unused spacecraft have hit each other far above the Earth. Big pieces break into thousands of small pieces. Sometimes they fall back into the atmosphere (大氣層) and burn up. But when they do not, it creates big problems.隨著時(shí)間的推移，許多未使用的航天飛機(jī)在地球上空互相撞擊。大型碎塊分解成數(shù)千快小型碎塊，有時(shí)他們會(huì)回到大氣層中并自然銷毀，但在這個(gè)過(guò)程中將會(huì)造成大問(wèn)題。故選A。

【2】C

推理判斷題。根據(jù)第四段提到Scientists fear that if something is not done to remove these objects, it may soon become too dangerous to send people and machines into space. There is a large chance that they might hit some of this junk.科學(xué)家們擔(dān)心，如果不能消除這些物體，發(fā)射載人航天飛機(jī)或衛(wèi)星進(jìn)入太空變得十分危險(xiǎn)。他們將有很大機(jī)會(huì)撞擊到一些太空垃圾。故選C。

【3】A

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段提到Once they begin to move more slowly, they will fall back to the Earth. There is little chance that they will fall through the atmosphere and harm the people or things below.一旦這些東西開(kāi)始緩慢移動(dòng)，他們將回落到地球。有很小的幾率，他們將降落并穿過(guò)大氣層，傷害大氣層下面的人或物體。根據(jù)句意可知選A。