阅读理解
Do you think alien beings
exist somewhere in the universe? It seems like Mars, our closest neighbor, has
inspired the most science fiction as the place where aliens are most likely to
come from. Recent Mars probes (探测) have shown us that there
is no life on that planet—at least not now. But that does not mean that life
does not exist elsewhere—after all, the universe is really big. A lot of
scientific research is going on in the search for "extraterrestrial
life".
Think about it—why should
the seven billion people on this little planet be the only living beings in the
universe? It would, in fact, seem logical that this is not the case. So
scientific research in this matter is based around the idea of finding other
planets that have environments that can support life —environments similar to
the Earth. The search is on for the evidence of the existence, or earlier
existence of life: from very wise beings to simple organisms (有机物).
So far, there have been a
number of theories as to which planetary bodies may have an atmosphere that can
support such life and therefore deserve closer attention. As for places within
our own Milky Way Galaxy, it has been assumed over the decades that Mars and
Venus, as well as some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, may have been hosts
for life. Now, as technologies have improved and we can obtain measurements of
the composition of the atmosphere on extra-solar planets, the chances of
finding "alien" life forms are increasing.
There has been a theory
that some of the planets in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Gliese 581
may be able to support life. In 2007, scientists discovered exoplanet Gliese
581c—and felt that its atmosphere was most suitable for supporting life. But
further research revealed that it would not. Now, attention has been turned to
Gliese 581d, at the outer edge of the star's habitable zone. The main standards
for deciding whether a planetary body can be life-supporting are atmospheric
conditions which allow the existence of water. Gliese 581 is about 20. 4 light
years away from the Earth, so even if life does exist there, the distance would
mean that communication would be unlikely.
Having said this—who says
alien life forms (if they exist) need water?
(1)
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?
A . Life existing outside of the Earth.
B . The evidence of the existence of life.
C . Other faraway planets in the universe.
D . Creatures known from science fictions.
(2)
What makes it possible for people to find "alien beings"?
A . Modern scientific theories.
B . Atmospheric conditions.
C . Environments similar to the Earth.
D . Advanced technologies.
(3)
From the passage, we know that .
A . the atmosphere of Gliese 581c was most suitable for life
B . it is not certain whether alien life forms need water or not
C . the 7 billion people on the Earth are the only beings in the universe
D . the distance of 20. 4 light years makes it impossible to find life on Gliese 581d
(4)
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A . Do Aliens Exist?
B . Is Mars Suitable for Life?
C . Are Alien Life Forms Various?
D . Can We Communicate with Aliens?
答案: A
D
B
A