题目内容
— Is Jay coming by bus? — He should, but he ____ not. He likes cycling along. |
D |
An astronomer is making a case for launching pop singer Justin Bieber into suborbital(亚轨道的)space aboard a private rocket ship. The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager — he would come back down to Earth eventually, after all — but rather to help jump-start the emerging suborbital spaceflight industry.
It would generate a lot of public interest, which would help commercial spaceflight pick up some much-needed momentum, said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, California. “If there’s more interest, there are more customers. If there are more customers, there's more technical development. It's a positive feedback loop, and obviously that's good.”
Such missions would return to Earth without completing a full lap around the planet. Instead, the flights would hit the edge of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, experience a few minutes of weightlessness, then re-enter the atmosphere and land back at a spaceport.
None of these firms are ready to fly customers yet, but some are getting close. For instance, Virgin Galactic hopes to begin powered test flights of its SpaceShipTwo vehicle later this year, with commercial operations perhaps beginning in 2013 or 2014. It is SpaceShipTwo that reportedly grabbed the attention of Beyonce and Jay-Z.
Virgin Galactic has collected deposits from nearly 500 customers willing to pay $200,000 for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo, and both Virgin and XCOR have inked deals to fly scientists and their experiments on research flights. So a suborbital market already exists — but Shostak is thinking about ways to make it grow.
A celebrity launch isn't Shostak’s only idea. Suborbital firms should also promote their activities aggressively via social media, Shostak said, and they should make sure their spaceships are bristling(充满)with cameras both inside and out, to give the public dramatic views of every mission.
Some observers view commercial suborbital spaceflight as a potentially transformative industry, saying it could serve as a stepping stone to the exploration and exploitation of space on an unprecedented scale. While the industry’s success is far from assured, Shostak offered some reason for optimism: The American public remains keen on space.
【小题1】Why may Justin Bieber be sent into suborbital space?
A.To show his bravery and make him a role model for teenagers. |
B.To arouse the American public’s interest. |
C.To help reform the spaceflight industry. |
D.To film an advertisement about space. |
A.A trip will return to Earth before finishing a lap. |
B.The whole trip will leave passengers weightless. |
C.Each trip can take 500 passengers. |
D.The trip will be too expensive even for celebrities. |
A.SpaceShipTwo will be the first to fly. |
B.Famous people will be the main passengers in the future. |
C.The space trip is still in preparation. |
D.Every space trip will be made into a film. |
A.space is too mysterious to explore |
B.the suborbital market is promising |
C.the spaceflight industry is more successful than people think |
D.developing the industry is risky |
A.To predict a change in the space market. |
B.To discuss a recent launch. |
C.To introduce the status of the spaceflight industry. |
D.To remove public doubt about the spaceflight industry. |
Interview with a president
While many teenagers may dream of meeting with pop star Jay Chou or NBA hero Yao Ming, Li Jing had a far more powerful person on her mind. The Senior 2 from Beijing No.35 High School dreamt of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After more than a year of hard work and with a little good luck,Li fulfilled her dream.On October 11,2004,the 16-year-old girl joined a team of Chinese journalists who went to Kremlin,in Moscow,to interview Putin.
Li felt nervous before talking to Putin. “But his greeting and warm smile put me at ease,” she said.
Li admired Putin very much,because of his strong will and style of leadership. “He looks very cool,” Li said.During her interview,Li asked Putin whether he plans to educate his two daughters to be officials in the future.Putin smiled and answered he hopes they can do whatever job suits their interests and personalities.
Although li would only have several minutes,she started working on her interview questions last August after applying for the opportunity. “Journalists” work is by no means easy.You need to do lots of homework on your “interviewee,”she said.She read many books about Putin and Russia in her spare time.
Li’s parents encouraged her to be a student journalist. “We fully supported her,as long as it does not affects her studies,” said her father.Previously in her job for a student magazine, Chinese Young Journalists, she wrote a letter to President Hu Jintao during the SARS epidemic.
Li has learnt a lot from her experience.She said learning to manage her time and develop the confidence to speak with important people were not things she could learn in class.
1.The underlined word “interviewee”in the fifth paragragh probably means_____.
A.the person who interviews |
B.the person who is interviewed |
C.the person who knows how to interview |
D.the person who plans to interview a famous people |
2.Which of the following best descibes Li Jing’s parents’attitude towards her being a student journalist?
A.They think to be a student journalist is purely a waste of time. |
B.they worry that to be a student journalist will affect her study. |
C.They consider it is quite good for Li Jing on the condition of not striking her study. |
D.They neither support it nor object to it. |
3.Li Jing is different from those students of her age in that______.
A.she doesn’t like pop star Jay Chou |
B.she hates meeting with the NBA hero Yao Ming |
C.she wants to meet neither Jay Chou or Yao Ming |
D.she dreams of meeting the present powerful Russian leader |