Are we humans alone in space? Scientists have been working on this question for a long time. And recently, new discoveries offer more hope that some form of life existed on Mars in the past, and perhaps is still there at present.
According to a new report in the book Science, the Mars Explorer Curiosity has found more methane (甲烷) in the Martian air. It might suggest the possibility of life.
During the last 20 months, Curiosity has found methane many times, and four of them, it tested at a level 10 times higher than usual. “It’s a great increase,” said Christopher Webster, the lead scientist.
This new finding has made a big change. In September 2013, Curiosity found almost no sign of methane on Mars. Just weeks later, however, the explorer picked up the gas.
Methane is also found in Earth’s air, and comes from animal and plant life, as well as from the environment itself. If there’s methane in Mars’ air, where is it coming from? Scientists aren’t sure.
“There are many possible sources, such as actions between water and rock,” guessed Sushil, a scientist of the Curiosity team.
But the scientists have left the possibility open that microbes (微生物) could be the methane’s source. Also, for the first time, Curiosity found other organisms (有机物) in the rocks of Mars. Organisms are thought to be the basis to form life. Scientists aren’t sure where these organisms come from. They could either have formed on Mars or landed on Mars by meteorites (陨石).
For the next three years, Curiosity will keep looking for more organisms in rocks and exploring Mars.
【小题1】Where did Curiosity recently find methane?A.In the Martian air. | B.In the air on Earth. | C.In rocks on Mars. | D.In the water on Mars. |
A.methane is a sign of life | B.astronauts sent to Mars have seen signs of life |
C.the Mars Explorer has taken some photos of animals | D.the environment on Mars is similar to that on Earth |
A.rocks | B.meteorites | C.methane | D.organisms |
A.scientists are sure to have found life on Mars | B.methane is the basis to form life |
C.there is more to learn about Mars | D.there are no rocks and water on Mars |
What is inside Mars(火星)? Perhaps I may give you the answer in the near future. I am InSight(洞察号).I am a spacecraft. On Nov 27,I arrived on Mara. In fact, I am the eighth spacecraft in my family to successfully land on Mars. But I'm the first to study the things inside it.
What do I look like? I have an arm, It is 1.8 metres long. At work, if I need to move the things from my body to the ground, the arm helps me. On my arm, I have my single eye. You are right-it's a camera. I can use it to take pictures of Mars. As for navigation(导航),I will be led to the right place because scientists on the Earth keep telling me about directions. With three legs, I can stand well. And look at my two big “wings". Actually the get lots of power from the sun to make me work.
For the next 24 months-about one Martian year, I will stay on this red planet. Unlike brothers or sisters, I don't move a lot when I'm working on Mars. I will Just stay at one place use my heat probe(探热仪)to explore nearly 5 meters deep inside Mars. This way, I can get a lot of information about the inside without damaging the planet. Then I will send the information back to Earth. This may help scientists find out how Mars started.
【小题1】Before InSight,_________ spacecrafts landed on Mars successfully.A.six | B.seven | C.eight | D.nine |
A.move the things it needs t work | B.use its camera to find the way |
C.stand well on Mars | D.take pictures of Mars |
A.about one year | B.twelve months | C.about one Martian year | D.twenty-four years |
A.InSight gets its power for work from Mars |
B.several spacecrafts are studying the inside of Mars |
C.InSight won't damage Mars because it won't move a lot on the planet |
D.the scientists' ambition is to find out how Mars started |
A.New Lander on Mars | B.The Inside of Mars | C.A Red Planet-Mars | D.Exploring Mars |
Scientists have long believed that there is a black hole in the center of our galaxy(星系), the Milky Way. But last Thursday, scientists released the first image(画像) ever of this black hole. The scientists hope the image will help them learn more about black holes and how they work.
All the stars you see in the night sky are part of our galaxy. And in the center of our galaxy is a black hole. It’s called Sagittarius (人马座) A.
A black hole is a place where matter is so dense that the pull of its gravity(引力) is very, very strong. The gravity from a black hole is so strong that even light cannot get away from it.
The scientists actually take a picture of its shadow and the ring of light around the hole called the “event horizon(视界)”. It’s between the hole and the light that is beyond the pull of the hole’s gravity.
The scientists responsible for the picture of the black hole are part of a group called the Event Horizon Telescope project. About 300 scientists in 20 countries have been working on the project for over 12 years.
The telescope the scientists use isn’t really a telescope, but several large radio telescopes around the world. This allows the scientists to later use computers to process the radio signals from the telescopes into a single image.
Sagittarius A is much closer than many other black holes in space, since it’s in our own galaxy. However, it’s changing very rapidly. One scientist described getting a good image of it as “like trying to take a clear picture of a dog quickly chasing its tail”.
The information for the picture of Sagittarius A was collected at the same time. But it took far longer to process the information to create the new image.
Now the scientists have successfully captured the image!
【小题1】What is Sagittarius A according to the passage?A.All the parts of our galaxy. | B.One of the stars in the night sky. |
C.The center of our solar system. | D.A black hole in our galaxy. |
A.遥远的 | B.密集的 | C.古老的 | D.稀薄的 |
A.They took the picture of the black hole directly. |
B.It took them a lot of time and effort to get the image. |
C.They actually processed lots of radio signals into one image. |
D.They have been working on the project for over 12 years. |
A.Scientists’ new study about our galaxy. | B.Facts about black holes and how they work. |
C.First picture of the Milky Way’s black hole. | D.Event Horizon Telescope project. |
Alysaa Carson is a 17-year-old girl. She dreams of going to Mars. She was first interested in becoming an astronaut at the age of three. At that time, she was watching a cartoon called The Backyardigans. The characters in the cartoon went to Mars many times for different tasks. She also wanted to be one of them.
After knowing the serious pollution and the large population on Earth. Alyssa thinks people may look for another planet to live on in the future. She thinks humans may choose to live on Mars in the future. That’s because it’s a planet similar to the earth in some aspects (方面). What’s more, people will be able to use the technologies to get there at that time. Alyssa dreams of going to Mars and working in the field of astrobiology (天体生物学).
Her father believes that parents should help children achieve their dreams. He thinks that it doesn’t matter if the dreams change a lot or how crazy they are. And he doesn’t think it’s too young to get a pilot’s license (执照) for a 17-year-old girl. Perhaps it’s very dangerous for his daughter to go to Mars. But he believes that she can achieve her dream one day. What he can do is to let his daughter work hard for her dream.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “them” refer to?A.Alyssa’s family. | B.Alyssa’s classmates. | C.The characters in the cartoon. |
A.Because people can live a happier life there. |
B.Because mars has something in common with the earth. |
C.Because it’s a planet with many new lives. |
A.He respects his daughter’s dream. |
B.He used to be a pilot when he was young. |
C.He works in the field of astrobiology now. |
A.It’s easy for a 17-year-old girl to get a pilot’s license. |
B.Alyssa’s dream of going to Mars lasts for a long time. |
C.We can ask parents for help when we meet trouble. |
A.Interest is the best teacher for every child. |
B.It’s never too late for people to learn something new. |
C.Parents should work hard for their children’s dreams. |
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