European researchers say they have created a process that can produce oxygen from moon dust. The process could provide a major source of oxygen for humans taking part in moon exploration activities in the future. Researchers from the European Space Agency（ESA）carried out the experiments and reported their results in a study.

The team says ESA’s experimental “plant” was able to successfully produce oxygen from simulated moon dust. The dust is part of a material known as regolith, which holds about 45 percent oxygen. However, the oxygen’s form is very strange, so it is hard to produce.

ESA’s long -term goal is to design an oxygen -producing “pilot plant” to work fulltime on the moon. Beth Lomax of the University of Glasgow was a lead researcher on the project. “Being able to get oxygen from resources found on the moon would certainly be hugely useful for future lunar settlers,” she said.

The researchers reported that the process also produced some usable metal materials. ESA researcher Alexandre said the finding that a number of metals are left behind was an important discovery.

ESA and the U. S. space agency NASA are both working on plans to return human beings to the moon. NASA has set a goal for 2024, with the aim to keep humans on the moon for long periods.

Word Bank simulated仿造的；mineral矿物质；regolith月壤； lunar settlers月球移民；moon dust月尘；

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
【小题1】How will the process do good to humans according to the study?

A．By creating warm air for researchers on the moon.

B．By providing rocks for the production of minerals.

C．By testing the weight of the oxygen in the moon dust.

D．By offering oxygen for people doing some research on the moon.

【小题2】What makes oxygen difficult to produce during the ESA’s experiment?

A．The quality is poor.	B．The size is small.
C．The form is uncommon.	D．The weight is heavy.

【小题3】Why does the author mention Beth Lomax’s words in the third paragraph?

A．To show the history of ESA’s pilot plant.

B．To show the importance of ESA’s study.

C．To tell the plan of ESA’s research.

D．To present the process of ESA’s experiment.

【小题4】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．ESA has discovered new materials on the moon.

B．ESA and NASA plan to land man on the moon again.

C．NASA will send more astronauts to the moon in 2024.

D．NASA and ESA will make a study together on the moon.

【小题5】Where is the text most probably from?

A．A movie poster.	B．A picture book.
C．A travel guide.	D．A science magazine.