Taking a closer look at the sun

There is an ancient Chinese story about a giant man named Kua Fu who chases the sun. He drains the Yellow and Wei Rivers during his race and finally dies of dehydration (脱水). His failure has reminded people of the 【小题1】 (stop) power of the sun for centuries. And yet, scientists throughout history 【小题2】 (try) to better understand the most important star in our sky. On Aug. 12, NASA punched the Parker Solar Probe (探测器), marking 【小题3】 start of its trip to the sun.

The probe itself is as big as a car and needs the help of a powerful rocket 【小题4】 (escape) Earth’s orbit, change direction and reach the sun. In order to reach the sun, the probe must complete seven flybys (探测飞行) of Venus, using the power of the planet’s gravity to change 【小题5】 (it) path, sending it towards the sun. But that’s not the only difficult part of the journey. As the probe 【小题6】 (approach) the sun’s corona (日冕), it will have to bear temperatures reaching 1,400 ℃, as well as deal with serious radiation.

If everything goes well 【小题7】 planned. the probe will reach a speed of 692,018 kilometers per hour as it orbits the sun, setting a new record for the 【小题8】 (fast) man-made object ever in history, NBC noted.

The “mission to touch the sun” will “not only make history by answering question 【小题9】have puzzled scientists for decades, but it may also lead to the 【小题10】 (discover) of new phenomena that are completely unknown to us now,” Raouafi told CNN reporters. “This mission has the potential to push solar research into a new direction,” he added.

The sun at the center of our Solar System is one of the big reasons for【小题1】we're here today, but it can also be a big trouble from time to time. Coronal mass ejections(CMEs) (日冕物质喷发) can seriously damage human 【小题2】(communicate) systems.

For years, researchers【小题3】(attempt) to forecast and predict CMEs in 【小题4】hope that warnings could help prevent damage to electronics and the power grid (电网). As it turns【小题5】that a CME is more like a sneeze. Professor Mathew Owens of the University of Reading explains, "The research team and I have found they are more like an 【小题6】(expand) dust cloud or sneeze. "

When the solar wind acts on the CME as it moves through space, it causes the shape and behavior of the energy explosion 【小题7】(become) unpredictable. "Therefore if we want to protect【小题8】 (we) from solar eruptions, we need to understand more about the solar wind,"Owens says.

The research team suggests that solar wind readings should 【小题9】 (include) in the forecasting and prediction of future CMEs. This study could help scientists more【小题10】(accurate) assess the risk that the ejections bring to human technology and potentially help reduce the damage they cause.

No one knows exactly 【小题1】 the earth began. However, according to a widely accepted theory, the universe began 【小题2】 a “Big Bang”. Then the dust 【小题3】(settle) into a solid globe. As the earth cooled down, water began to appear on its surface. Many 【小题4】(science) believe that it was the presence of water that allowed the earth to dissolve 【小题5】(harm) gases and acids into oceans and seas, which made it possible for life to develop.

Millions of years later, the first small plants appeared on the surface of the water. Their development 【小题6】(follow) by early shellfish, all sorts of fish, green plants and land animals. Reptiles 【小题7】(produce) young generally by laying eggs while mammals gave birth to young baby animals. Dinosaurs existed on the earth for over 140 million years before they suddenly disappeared. The reason 【小题8】 they disappeared still remains a mystery.

Finally, humans appeared and spread all over the earth. But they are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which prevents heat from 【小题9】(escape) from the earth into space. As a result of this, people believe the earth may become too hot to live on. So 【小题10】 life will continue on the earth will depend on how this problem can be solved.