NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland has been given the nod to lead a robotic lunar mission in 2008—a key step in President George W. Bush’s recently announced space vision strategy. The lunar reconnaissance orbiter would likely be geared to investigate the potential for water ice trapped at the Moon’s poles. This type of investigation may involve powerful radar to scan the always darkened craters, thought by some scientists to contain bountiful quantities of water ice.
Water ice is believed to have been brought to the Moon by impacting comets. Both NASA’s Lunar Prospector and the Pentagon’s Clementine spacecraft offered tantalizing data interpreted by some experts as indicative of water ice deposits.
A number of alterative, fast-track approaches are under review at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to build the lunar orbiter. A newly formed GSFC lunar study team held their first meeting Thursday to begin scoping out how best to move the project forward.
President Bush has directed NASA to undertake lunar exploration activities to enable sustained human and robotic exploration of Mars and more distant destinations in the solar system. Starting no later than 2008, the Bush plan calls for initiating a series of robotic missions to the Moon to prepare for and support future human exploration activities. A follow-on robotic lunar lander is also slated for 2009. The White House space directive states that the first extended human expedition to the lunar surface could occur as early as 2015, but no later than the year 2020.
In reestablishing and reenergizing NASA’s Moon program, the White House envisions lunar exploration activities to further science, and to develop and test new approaches, technologies, and systems, including use of lunar and other space resources, to support sustained human space exploration to Mars and other destinations.
1. On the robotic lunar mission which is to be led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the lunar orbiter ____
2. On the robotic lunar mission, ____ will be explored to search for water ice.
3. According to the third paragraph of the passage, why a newly formed GSFC lunar study team held their first meeting on Thursday?
4. Federal government of the U.S. states in its space directive that ____.
5. One of the purposes of NASA’s Series lunar exploration missions is to ____.
问题1选项
A.would possibly investigate whether there is water ice at the Moon’s pole.
B.would announce the president’s space vision strategy to the whole world.
C.would likely extend human expedition to the lunar surface for the first time.
D.would offer tantalizing data interpreted by some experts as space resources.
问题2选项
A.impacting comets near the Moon
B.the darkened craters on the Moon
C.a robotic lunar lander on the Moon
D.NASA’s Moon program
问题3选项
A.To build the lunar orbiter as soon as possible.
B.To move the NASA’s Moon programs forward.
C.To search for the best approach to build the lunar orbiter.
D.To discuss the scope the lunar orbiter is to explore.
问题4选项
A.the first human landing on the lunar surface would occur no later than 2020
B.the first long-time human expedition to the lunar surface would occur in 2015
C.the first human extended expedition to the moon would occur before 2021
D.the first human survival on the lunar surface would occur no later than 2020
问题5选项
A.further investigate impacting comets that have brought water ice to the Moon
B.scope out how best to move the Pentagon’s Clementine spacecraft project forward
C.prepare for and support Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to build the lunar orbiter
D.develop and test new technologies to support human space exploration to Mars
第1题:A
第2题:B
第3题:A
第4题:A
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
On the robotic lunar mission which is to be led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the lunar orbiter ____. 在由美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心领导的机器人月球任务中，月球轨道器____。
A. would possibly investigate whether there is water ice at the Moon’s pole A. 可能会调查月球极点是否有水冰
B. would announce the president’s space vision strategy to the whole world B. 会向全世界宣布总统的太空愿景战略
C. would likely extend human expedition to the lunar surface for the first time C. 有可能第一次将人类的探险扩展到月球表面
D. would offer tantalizing data interpreted by some experts as space resources D. 会提供一些专家认为是太空资源的诱人数据
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“the lunar orbiter”定位到第一段第二句“月球勘测轨道飞行器（The lunar reconnaissance orbiter）将用于探测月球两极是否存在水冰（to investigate the potential for water ice）。”故A选项“可能会调查月球极点是否有水冰”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“会向全世界宣布总统的太空愿景战略”定位到第一段第一句“这是美国总统George W. Bush最近发表的‘太空构想战略’的核心内容（President George W. Bush’s recently announced space vision strategy）”，所以宣布太空愿景战略的人是布什总统，而不是月球轨道器，属于张冠李戴；
C选项“有可能第一次将人类的探险扩展到月球表面”的“for the first time（第一次）”文章没有提及，只是说“a key step in extend human expedition to the lunar surface”，属于无中生有；
D选项“会提供一些专家认为是太空资源的诱人数据”定位到第二段第二句“美国宇航局的月球探勘者号（Lunar Prospector）和美国国防部的克莱门汀号（Clementine）太空船都提供了诱人的数据”，所以提供数据的是“Lunar Prospector”和“Clementine”，属于张冠李戴。
第2题:
【选项释义】
On the robotic lunar mission, ____ will be explored to search for water ice. 在机器人登月任务中，____将被探索寻找水冰。
A. impacting comets near the Moon A. 撞击月球附近的彗星
B. the darkened craters on the Moon B. 月球上黑暗的环形山
C. a robotic lunar lander on the Moon C. 在月球上的机器人登月器
D. NASA’s Moon program D. 美国宇航局的月球计划
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】文章第一段最后一句讲“这种类型的调查可能需要强大的雷达来扫描总是黑暗的陨石坑（the always darkened craters），一些科学家认为陨石坑中含有大量的水冰。”由此可知，B选项“月球上黑暗的环形山”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“撞击月球附近的彗星”定位到第二段第一句“水冰被认为是通过撞击彗星而带到月球上的。”由此可知，水冰是存在于月球上的，而不应该探索撞击月球附近的彗星来寻找水冰，属于曲解原文；
C选项“在月球上的机器人登月器”定位到第四段倒数第二句“一个后续的机器人月球着陆器（A follow-on robotic lunar lander）也定于2009年”，是说要启动一系列的机器人进行登月任务，与本题无关，属于出处错位；
D选项“美国宇航局的月球计划”可定位到最后一段，该段讲的是白宫通过重建和振兴NASA的月球计划来促进科学研究，与本题无关，属于出处错位。
第3题:
【选项释义】
According to the third paragraph of the passage, why a newly formed GSFC lunar study team held their first meeting on Thursday? 根据文章第三段，为什么GSFC新成立的月球研究团队在周四举行了他们的第一次会议？
A. To build the lunar orbiter as soon as possible. A. 为了尽快建造月球轨道飞行器。
B. To move the NASA’s Moon programs forward. B. 为了推进NASA的月球计划。
C. To search for the best approach to build the lunar orbiter. C. 为了寻找建造月球轨道飞行器的最佳途径。
D. To discuss the scope the lunar orbiter is to explore. D. 讨论月球轨道器将要探索的范围。
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】第三段讲“戈达德太空飞行中心（GSFC）正在审查一些替代的、快速的方法（alterative, fast-track approaches）来建造月球轨道器（to build the lunar orbiter）。周四，GSFC新成立的月球研究小组召开了第一次会议，开始研究如何最好地推进该项目（to begin scoping out how best to move the project forward）。”由此可知，他们要推进的项目就是上一句提及的“审查一些替代的、快速的方法来建造月球轨道器”，所以举行会议的目的是为了尽快建造月球轨道飞行器，故A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“为了推进NASA的月球计划”在文章最后一段提及，与本题无关，属于出处错位；
C选项“为了寻找建造月球轨道飞行器的最佳途径（the best approach）”与原文“审查一些替代的、快速的方法（alterative, fast-track approaches）来建造月球轨道器”不相符，属于偷换概念；
D选项“讨论月球轨道器将要探索的范围”原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Federal government of the U.S. states in its space directive that ____. 美国联邦政府在其太空指令中表示____。
A. the first human landing on the lunar surface would occur no later than 2020 A. 人类首次登陆月球表面将不迟于2020年
B. the first long-time human expedition to the lunar surface would occur in 2015 B. 人类首次对月球表面的长期探索将于2015年进行
C. the first human extended expedition to the moon would occur before 2021 C. 人类第一次探月将在2021年之前进行
D. the first human survival on the lunar surface would occur no later than 2020 D. 人类首次在月球表面生存将不迟于2020年
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】文章第四段最后一句讲“白宫太空指令称，人类最早可能在2015年对月球表面进行首次扩展探险，但不迟于2020年（but no later than the year 2020）。”由此可知，A选项“人类首次登陆月球表面将不迟于2020年”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“人类首次对月球表面的长期探索将于2015年进行”说法过于肯定，原文说的是“人类最早可能在2015年对月球表面进行首次扩展探险”，属于推理过度；
C选项“人类第一次探月将在2021年之前进行”与第四段最后一句“人类最早可能在2015年对月球表面进行首次扩展探险，但不晚于2020年”不相符，属于曲解原文；
D选项“人类首次在月球表面生存将不迟于2020年”原文没有提及“人类首次在月球表面生存”，说的是“人类首次登陆月球表面进行探险”，属于偷换概念。
第5题:
【选项释义】
One of the purposes of NASA’s Series lunar exploration missions is to ____. NASA系列探月任务的目的之一是____。
A. further investigate impacting comets that have brought water ice to the Moon A. 进一步研究撞击给月球带来水冰的彗星
B. scope out how best to move the Pentagon’s Clementine spacecraft project forward B. 研究如何最好地推进五角大楼的克莱芒蒂娜宇宙飞船项目
C. prepare for and support Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to build the lunar orbiter C. 准备和支持GSFC建造月球轨道器
D. develop and test new technologies to support human space exploration to Mars D. 开发和测试支持人类火星太空探索的新技术
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】文章最后一段讲“在重建和振兴NASA的月球计划的过程中，白宫设想月球探测活动将进一步促进科学研究，开发和测试新的方法、技术和系统，包括利用月球和其他空间资源，以支持人类对火星和其他目的地的持续太空探索（to develop and test new approaches, technologies, ...to support sustained human space exploration to Mars and other destinations）。”由此可知，D选项“开发和测试支持人类火星太空探索的新技术”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“进一步研究撞击给月球带来水冰的彗星”、B选项“研究如何最好地推进五角大楼的克莱芒蒂娜宇宙飞船项目”和C选项“准备和支持GSFC建造月球轨道器”原文均没有提及，属于无中生有。
