Question

    On Tuesday, China announced it had grown the first ever plants on the moon, days after landing on the moon’s “far side” Von Karman crater. The cotton seed sprouts (新芽) seemed to have withstood the tough lunar conditions: freezing temperatures, lower gravity levels, and radiation.

But by Thursday, the new cotton seed sprouts had dead already, according to Liu Hanlong, the experiment leader, in a government press conference statement.

After Chang’e-4 landed on the far side of the moon earlier this month, the probe (探测器) was sent a command to remotely water the plants and start the growing process. A tube directed natural light on the surface of the moon into the small container to allow the plants to grow. The probe entered a sleep mode on Sunday, the first lunar night after the probe’s landing.

Professor Xie Gengxin, professor at Chongqing University and chief designer of the experiment, told CNN that it ended after nine days when the control team shut down the power. Xie said temperatures inside the biosphere had grown too abnormal and reached extremes that would likely kill all life, including the seeds and eggs during the lunar night. Xie didn’t confirm why temperatures had risen to levels unbearable for the plants in spite of the measures taken by the research team.

Even though the experiment was quickly terminated, Xie considered it a success. The cotton were the only seeds to sprout, however, and despite many assumptions about the future possibility of moon clothes, the cotton plant’s main purpose this time was to give researchers the valuable data on how to cultivate life in the moon’s tough conditions. The eventual ability to grow plants on the moon could prove useful for long-term space missions, like a trip to Mars. Astronauts could theoretically harvest their own food in space, avoiding the need to return to Earth to resupply.

Aside from the apparent failure of the biological or plant experiment, the rest of China’s mission to the far side of the moon appeared on track as of Thursday. The historic mission is intended to accomplish a range of tasks, including conducting the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment and exploring whether there is water at the moon’s poles.

Chang’e-4 is the latest step in China’s robotic lunar-exploration program, named after a moon goddess in Chinese mythology. China plans to launch the Chang’e-5 sample-return mission sometime this year.

1.What does the underlined word “withstood” mean?

A.Appreciated. B.Suffered from.

C.Tolerated. D.Been subject to.

2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.The measures of the research team. B.The cause of ceasing the experiment.

C.The reason for the extreme temperature. D.The failure and impact of the experiment.

3.What is the major target of the plant experiment?

A.To make moon clothes possible.

B.To ensure its value for long-term space missions.

C.To enable astronauts to harvest their own food without returning to Earth to resupply.

D.To accumulate the priceless data on how to grow life in the moon’s severe conditions.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.China’s moon plants have died

B.China’s mission to the far side of the moon

C.The Chang’e-5 sample-return mission

D.Astronauts’ efforts to cultivate life in the moon

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。文章主要说明了周二，中国宣布在月球“远侧”Von Karman陨石坑着陆几天后，首次在月球上种植植物，但是周四，实验负责人在政府新闻发布会上说中国在月球上的棉籽芽已经死亡，且描述了与之相关的原因、意义等。

1.词义猜测题。根据第二段But by Thursday, the new cotton seed sprouts had dead already, according to Liu Hanlong, the experiment leader, in a government press conference statement.可知，但据试验负责人刘汉龙在政府新闻发布会上的声明，到周四，新的棉籽芽已经死亡。由此推知，周二发布的消息的时候，棉籽芽还活着。再根据划线词后的the tough lunar conditions: freezing temperatures, lower gravity levels, and radiation.(严酷的月球环境：冰冻的温度、较低的重力水平和辐射)可知，棉籽芽似乎忍受住了严酷的月球环境。由此可知，withstood意思为“忍受”。故选C。

2.主旨大意题。根据第四段中Xie said temperatures inside the biosphere had grown too abnormal and reached extremes that would likely kill all life, including the seeds and eggs during the lunar night. Xie didn’t confirm why temperatures had risen to levels unbearable for the plants in spite of the measures taken by the research team.可知，谢说，生物圈内的温度已经变得太不正常了，达到了可能会杀死所有生命的极端温度，包括在月夜期间的种子和鸡蛋。谢没有证实为什么尽管研究小组采取了措施，温度还是上升到了让植物无法忍受的水平。由此可知，第四段主要讲了停止实验的原因。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第五段中The cotton were the only seeds to sprout, however, and despite many assumptions about the future possibility of moon clothes, the cotton plant’s main purpose this time was to give researchers the valuable data on how to cultivate life in the moon’s tough conditions.可知，棉花是唯一能发芽的种子，然而，尽管对未来月球衣服的可能性有很多假设，棉花植物这次的主要目的是为研究人员提供如何在月球艰苦条件下培育生命的宝贵数据。由此可知，植物实验的主要目标是积累关于如何在月球恶劣条件下生命生长的宝贵数据。故选D。

4.主旨大意题。根据第二段But by Thursday, the new cotton seed sprouts had dead already, according to Liu Hanlong, the experiment leader, in a government press conference statement.可知，但据试验负责人刘汉龙在政府新闻发布会上说，到周四，新的棉籽芽已经死亡。结合文章主要说明了周二，中国宣布在月球“远侧”Von Karman陨石坑着陆几天后，首次在月球上种植植物，但是周四，实验负责人在政府新闻发布会上说中国在月球上的棉籽芽已经死亡，且描述了与之相关的原因、意义等。故A选项“中国的月球植物已经死亡”符合文章标题。故选A。