Question

【题目】 When it comes to long-distance space travel, the biggest problem is that spaceships can only get as far as the fuel onboard allows. In 1964, a British writer Clarke came up with the idea of “solar sailing” in his science fiction. He wrote of large, mirror-like sails that collect power from the sun and free spaceships from the limitation of fuel.

This sci-fi idea was first successful brought to reality in 2010 by Japan’s IKAROS satellite. Ever since then, the technology has improved mission by mission, with the latest being NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail 3(ACS3). NASA has recently announced that it’s going to team up with Lithuania’s satellite-building company NanoAvionics to test its new sail in Low-Earth Orbit.

To many, a solar sail may look like a giant solar panel, but it actually works very differently. While solar panels take in energy from the sun and change it into power, solar sails use Photons given off by the sun to create direct power. Besides, solar panels are big and heavy to carry, while solar sails are just the opposite.

According to Abbott, the CEO of NanoAvionics, the upcoming Low-Earth Orbit trial with NASA, if successful, will be followed with deep-space missions that involve larger solar sails. These are ideal for low-cost and long-distance space travel because fuel will no longer be a problem.

“It started as a sci-fi dream,” Popular Mechanics reporter Jennifer Leman wrote. “Now it could be the future of space flight.”

【1】What can we say about solar sailing according to the first two paragraphs?

A.It was widely used in space travel.

B.It was tried by IKAROS satellite.

C.It was from the creative idea by Clarke.

【2】Which of the following words best describe solar sails compared with solar panels?

A.Big and heavy.B.Small and light.C.Powerful and large.

【3】What does the underlined word These in paragraph 4 refer to?

A.Larger solar sails.B.Deep-space missions.C.Long-distance space flights.

【4】What is the best title for the text?

A.Solar Sail: the Latest Technology

B.Solar Sail: from Dream to Reality

C.Solar Sail: a New Kind of Spaceship

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】B

【3】A

【4】B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了“太阳风帆”由一种概念变为现实的过程。

【1】

题意：根据前两段内容，对于“太阳风帆”我们能知道什么？

细节理解题。根据原文In 1964, a British writer Clarke came up with the idea of “solar sailing” in his science fiction可知，“太阳风帆”概念是由小说家英国作家克拉克提出来的。C选项It was from the creative idea by Clarke“这是来自克拉克的创意”符合题意，故选C。

【2】

题意：与太阳能电池板相比，下列哪一项的单词能最好地描述太阳风帆？

细节理解题。根据原文Besides, solar panels are big and heavy to carry, while solar sails are just the opposite可知，与太阳能电池板相比，太阳风帆又小又轻。B选项Small and light“又小又轻”符合题意，故选B。

【3】

题意：第4段中画线单词“These”指的是什么？

词句猜测题。根据原文if successful, will be followed with deep-space missions that involve larger solar sails. These are ideal for low-cost and long-distance space travel because fuel will no longer be a problem可知，此处These指的是前面提到的更大的太阳风帆。A选项Larger solar sails“更大的太阳风帆”符合题意，故选A。

【4】

题意：本文的最佳标题是什么？

最佳标题。通读本文最后一段内容It started as a sci-fi dream和Now it could be the future of space flight可知，本文主要说的是“太阳风帆”从概念走向现实的过程。B选项Solar Sail: from Dream to Reality“太阳风帆：从梦想到现实”符合题意，故选B。