Question

【题目】

In 1997, a spaceship called Cassini was sent to explore Saturn (土星) and its moons. Now Cassini’s mission (使命) has come to an end. Scientists made it fall and bum up in 2017. But before that happened, the spaceship had made many trips between Saturn and its rings, sending photos and other information back to the Earth.

Cassini was a project carried out by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. It took Cassini about seven years to reach Saturn.

Scientists have learned many exciting things from Cassini. In 2005, Cassini sent a space probe (探测器) to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, so scientists could get a closer look at the moon’s surface. One of the most important discoveries Cassini made was that there is warm liquid water (液态水) under the ice that covers one of Saturn’s smaller moons, Enceladus. Scientists believe conditions on Enceladus could be similar to the conditions that led to the development of life on Earth.

Cassini’s mission was supposed to be ended in 2008, but because it was still in good shape, scientists increased its life to 2017. Cassini performed the last task of its mission on September 15, 2017.

When Cassini ran out of its fuel (燃料) and entered Saturn’s atmosphere (大气层), it burned up. Scientists said it was necessary for Cassini to be totally destroyed (毁坏) so there was no chance that microbes (微生物) from the Earth could be harmful to any possible life on Saturn.

【1】What made scientists think that there might be life on Enceladus?

A. Animals’ waste was found.

B. They heard strange sounds.

C. Some ice was seen to cover it.

D. There is warm liquid water on it.

【2】What might happen if Cassini wasn’t totally destroyed?

A. It might destroy Saturn’s surface.

B. It will fall onto the Earth.

C. The microbes from the Earth might be bad for Saturn’s possible life.

D. It will continue to send back information.

【3】Which of the following things about Cassini is NOT mentioned?

A. Its findings. B. Its lasting time.

C. Its burning. D. Its later use.

【4】What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Cassini was a very successful and useful spaceship.

B. Cassini has stayed in Saturn for ten years.

C. The project of exploring Saturn was carried out by America alone.

D. Enceladus is the biggest moon of Saturn.

【5】What is the passage mainly about?

A. The process (过程) of sending Cassini to Saturn.

B. The moons and rings of Saturn.

C. The end of Cassini’s mission.

D. The life on Saturn.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】 D

【2】 C

【3】 D

【4】 A

【5】 C

【解析】

短文大意：本文是一篇科普文，介绍了卡西尼号飞船从1998开始用了7年时间到达火星，对火星上是否存在生命进行探测，发现Enceladus上的环境可能与导致地球上生命发展的环境相似，2017年9月15日它完成了最后一项任务。

【1】题意：是什么让科学家们认为Enceladus上可能有生命?考查细节理解题。根据One of the most important discoveries Cassini made was that there is warm liquid water (液态水) under the ice that covers one of Saturn’s smaller moons, Enceladus. “卡西尼”号最重要的发现之一是，在土星较小的卫星Enceladus的冰层下存在着温暖的液态水，可知选D。

【2】题意：如果卡西尼号（Cassini）没有被完全摧毁会发生什么?考查细节推断题。根据科学家的解释Scientists said it was necessary for Cassini to be totally destroyed so there was no chance that microbes from the Earth could be harmful to any possible life on Saturn. “卡西尼”号必须被完全摧毁，这样一来，来自地球的微生物就不可能对土星上的任何生命造成伤害，可知来自地球的微生物可能对土星上可能存在的生命造成伤害，故选C。

【3】题意：关于卡西尼，下列哪一件事没有提到?考查细节理解题。A. Its findings. 调查结果。B. Its lasting time.持续时间。C. Its burning. 它的燃烧。D. Its later use.它的后续使用。根据短文内容，对于卡西尼号被摧毁后的处理没有提到，可知选D。

【4】题意：从文章中可以推断出什么?考查细节推断题。A. Cassini was a very successful and useful spaceship. 卡西尼号是一艘非常成功和有用的飞船；根据Scientists have learned many exciting things from Cassini.结合短文内容，可知说法正确。B. Cassini has stayed in Saturn for ten years.卡西尼号已经在土星停留了十年；根据In 1997, a spaceship called Cassini was sent to explore Saturn (土星) and its moons. 和Cassini performed the last task of its mission on September 15, 2017.，可知说法错误。C. The project of exploring Saturn was carried out by America alone. 探测土星的计划是由美国独自执行的；根据Cassini was a project carried out by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.，可知说法错误。D. Enceladus is the biggest moon of Saturn. Enceladus是土星最大的卫星；根据One of the most important discoveries Cassini made was that there is warm liquid water under the ice that covers one of Saturn’s smaller moons, Enceladus.，可知说法错误。综合以上分析，故选A。

【5】题意：这篇文章主要讲的是什么?考查主旨理解题。根据短文内容，介绍的是卡西尼号飞船对火星生命的探测，结合Now Cassini’s mission (使命) has come to an end. Scientists made it fall and bum up in 2017.，可知选C。