Question

NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid（小行星）by 2025 and then Mars in the 2030s—goals outlined in NASA’s official documents 2014．

Mars is a rich destination tor scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system．Future exploration could uncover evidence of life，answering one of the fundamental mysteries：Does life exist beyond Earth?

While robotic explorers have studied Mars for more than 40 years，NASA’s path for the human exploration of Mars begins in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station．Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions（任务）to deep space，including Mars．The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health．

Our next step is deep space，where NASA will send a robotic mission to catch and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon．Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the 2020s，returning to Earth with samples．This experience in human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit will help NASA test new systems，which we’ll need to send cargo（货物）as part of human missions to Mars．Beginning in FY 2018，NASA’s powerfull Space Launch System（SLS）rocket will enable these "proving ground" missions to test new technologies．Human missions to Mars will rely on Orion and an evolved version of SLS that will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown。

A lot of robotic spacecraft and rovers（探测器）already are on and around Mars，greatly increasing our knowledge about the Red Planet and paving the way of future human explorers．The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measured radiation on the way to Mars and is sending back radiation data from the surface．This data will help us plan how to protect the astronauts who will explore Mars．Future missions like the Mars 2020 rover，seeking signs of past life，also will demonstrate new technologies that could help astronauts survive on Mars．

Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars，and safely return home from the next giant leap for humanity．NASA also is a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap，working with international partners and the U．S．commercial space industry with human missions to the surface of Mars as the driving goal．

1.It can be learnt from the first three paragraphs that .

A．Mars is the perfect place for scientific discovery and human settlement

B．astronauts’physical changes in the space station should be recorded

C．NASA intends to send robotic explorers and humans to Mars in 2025

D．astronauts in the space station are testing technologies for better life on the Earth

2.The Orion Spacecraft_________.

A．will send cargo to Mars

B．was built to explore low-earth orbit

C．needs SLS rocket to finish its mission

D．will bring back samples of an asteroid

3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．the U.S．commercial space industry is a leader in exploration to Mars．

B．Many protective measures are needed when exploring Mars．

C．NASA is an agency that plans to explore Mars in secret．

D．Curiosity rover is the first rover to be sent to Mars．

4.Which can be the best title of this passage?

A．Future life on Mars

B．Research for the Solar System

C．NASA’s Journey to Mars

D．Exploration of life Beyond Earth

Answer 1

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】本文是一篇关于美国国家航天局计划探索太空的说明文，为了登上火星航天局做了很多准备，收集了很多的资料，确保登上太空的宇航员们能够收集到他们想要的。

1.

2. aboard the Orion spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the

2020s，returning to Earth with samples．Orion宇宙飞船上的宇航员将会在21世纪20年代探索小行星，带着小行星的样本返回地球。故选D

3.

4.

考点：考察说明文阅读