Question

【题目】Who Owns the Moon?

Within the next ten years, the US, China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does that give them property rights?

A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international law signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies(天体) are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs.

But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don’t own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions(派遣团) to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.

“This is a very relevant discussion right now. We’ve got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world,” said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA’s Co Lab, a collaborative(协力的) public-private working group. He was peaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency.

To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission.

【1】In the passage the writer seems to be worrying that .

A. the US will live on the moon forever

B. the moon will not be able to hold all mankind

C. the potential land rush will become more and more frequent

D. no one can answer the question “Who owns the moon?”

【2】The “Google Lunar X Prize” aims to .

A. encourage private groups to land on the moon

B. help NASA host a discussion about land rush on the moon

C. help some developing countries complete their lunar projects

D. reward some countries or private groups which haven’t stepped on the moon

【3】The underlined word “that” in the first paragraph refers to .

A. the Outer Space Treaty B. if and when they plant a flag

C. the NASA working group D. monks from the Middle Ages

【4】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. The US astronauts will live on the moon for a longer time.

B. Many countries and private groups plan to go to the moon.

C. Why some private groups wish to land on the moon.

D. It is easy to gain some property rights onthe moon.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】B

【4】B

【解析】

试题分析：本文叙述了各国及私人团体的登月计划。都想拥有月球的主权。《公约》规定月球及其资源是全人类的共同财产，“包括月球在内的外层星体不得由任何国家依据主权要求，通过利用或占领、或以任何其他方法据为己有。”因为任何国家都没有、也不能对月球主张主权。就像任何人不能对公海主张所有权一样，对月球同样不能主张所有权。因为那将意味着一场个人对全人类的战争。如果有人宣布月球及其宇宙星体属于他个人，就会剥夺了全人类的共同财产，这其实也是一种违法行为。

【1】C细节理解题。根据space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.故选C。

【2】A细节理解题。根据And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize.为了鼓励人们登上月球，故选A。

【3】B词义猜测题。根据if and when they plant a flag, does，如果把旗插到月球上就能给他们财产权利吗？故选B。

【4】B段意归纳题。根据本段叙述了各国或私人团体的登月计划，故选B。