Many of us grow up dreaming of becoming an astronaut. Ever wonder what it takes to be one?

Take NASA for example.

In order to catch NASA's eye, would-be astronauts must not only stand out in required skills and pass physical and psychological exams, but also find unique ways to【小题1】 themselves from the harsh competition.

NASA's requirements for becoming an astronaut have changed over the years. Originally, it 【小题2】 candidates with a military flight background, with at least 1,000 hours spent in command of a jet aircraft. In 1978, however, NASA【小题3】 its focus to a more varied group of astronauts:scientists and engineers with at least three years of experience in their 【小题4】 fields.

During the years of shuttle missions, everyone had a【小题5】 : some would focus on robotics,others on spacewalks or maintenance. To work on the space station, astronauts must be able to perform all tasks, which encourage applicants to acquire different experiences. Jeanette Epps, an astronaut, studied aerospace engineering, worked at Ford Motor Company and took a job with the CIA before joining NASA. She says astronauts’ varied backgrounds 【小题6】 to their ability to adapt and learn anything quickly.

After ensuring that candidates are U. S. citizens and that they satisfy basic education and experience requirements, the selection committee enters a gray area.“We’re not really looking for one thing, just a good 【小题7】 of things,”said Duane Ross, the manager for astronaut candidate selection and training.

To the committee, candidates who take on【小题8】 outside of the workplace demonstrate curiosity and energy. Many astronauts who don't have a military background do hold a(n)【小题9】piloting license. Some are enthusiastic mountain climbers, scuba divers or skiers. Others are musicians, dancers, or play competitive sports. Choosing to【小题10】 themselves to different, extreme environments counts as another way to stand out from the crowd.

My First Job

I grew up in a rural community where it was common for kids to help out on the nearby farms. When I was about fifteen or sixteen, I started working Saturdays picking potatoes. We’d be 【小题1】 at seven in the morning and driven out to the fields, where we’d walk behind these huge machines and bag all the potatoes they’d dig up. It was 【小题2】, but I enjoyed being outside and we all had a laugh together. Of course, as a teenager, I provided cheap labour, but that didn’t bother me. The £30 I earned every week — cash-in-hand, of course — felt like a(n) 【小题3】 back then.

I did politics at university and I really wanted to go and see more of Europe, so I   【小题4】 I needed a part-time job. A friend of mine did market research for this local company and she put in a good word for me. I mostly worked weekends, but once in a while they’d asked me to do the odd evening as well. I【小题5】 went door to door asking specific questions what people drank, who they were planning to vote for, all sorts. It was fun to begin with, meeting so many new people, and the money was quite good too, but the 【小题6】 soon wore off. It soon got very repetitive. I don’t   【小题7】 it, though. I learned that a smile goes a long way — and as I know that some people were lazy and made up their data, I’ve learned not to take statistics for granted too!

I joined the army after leaving school because I was a restless person and didn’t like ‘academic’ things. Funnily enough, I’ve actually spent quite a lot of time in a classroom since I joined, as we get training for things like logistics. It’s OK, though — you see the 【小题8】 benefits more than at school, so I don’t regret joining at all. And if I wasn’t in the army, I would never have gone somewhere like Haiti. I went there as part of a UN humanitarian mission. For sure, people associate the army with war, but nowadays it’s more about peacekeeping and helping people involved in   【小题9】. My area — logistics — is really about solving problems and communication. I’m certainly staying in the army and 【小题10】 I’ll achieve a high rank.

As a journalist, not only does Li Qiang have a good nose for news, but he also has admirable professional skills. Before every 【小题1】, he makes good preparations for it. In the process of an interview, he can 【小题2】 the information he need depending on what the interviewee answers and 【小题3】 comes up with the next question. But one day he was 【小题4】of getting the wrong end of the stick, which made him very 【小题5】.