The motivation for deep-space travel is shifting from discovery to economics. The past year has seen a flurry of proposals aimed at bringing celestial riches down to Earth. No doubt this will make a few billionaires even wealthier, but we all stand to gain: the mineral bounty and spin-off technologies could enrich us all.
But before the miners start firing up their rockets, we should pause for thought. At first glance, space mining seems to sidestep most environmental concerns: there is (probably!) no life on asteroids, and thus no habitats to trash. But its consequences — both here on Earth and in space — merit careful consideration.
Part of this is about principles. Some will argue that space’s “magnificent desolation” is not ours to despoil, just as they argue that our own planet’s poles should remain pristine. Others will suggest that glutting ourselves on space’s riches is not an acceptable alternative to developing more sustainable ways of earthly life.
History suggests that those will be hard lines to hold, and it may be difficult to persuade the public that such barren environments are worth preserving. After all, they exist in vast abundance, and even fewer people will experience them than have walked through Antarctica’s icy landscapes.
There’s also the emerging off-world economy to consider. The resources that are valuable in orbit and beyond may be very different to those we prize on Earth. Questions of their stewardship have barely been broached — and the relevant legal and regulatory framework is fragmentary, to put it mildly.
Space miners, like their earthly counterparts, are often reluctant to engage with such questions. One speaker at last week’s space-mining forum in Sydney, Australia, concluded with a plea that regulation should be avoided. But miners have much to gain from a broad agreement on the for-profit exploitation of space. Without consensus, claims will be disputed, investments risky, and the gains made insecure. It is in all of our long-term interests to seek one out.
1. The central claim of the passage is that space mining has positive potential but ( ).
2. As used in the sentence underlined (Paragraph 4), “hold” most nearly means ( ).
3. According to the passage the off-planet economy such as the future of space mining in future ( ).
4. Which of the following statements provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
问题1选项
A.it will end up encouraging humanity’s reckless treatment of the environment
B.its effects should be thoughtfully considered before it becomes a reality
C.such potential may not include replenishing key resources that are disappearing on Earth
D.experts disagree about the commercial viability of the discoveries it could yield
问题2选项
A.maintain
B.grip
C.restrain
D.withstand
问题3选项
A.is inconsistent with the sustainable use of space resources
B.will be difficult to bring about in the absence of regulations
C.cannot be attained without technologies that do not yet exist
D.seems certain to affect Earth’s economy in a negative way
问题4选项
A.Some will argue that space’s “magnificent desolation” is not ours to despoil, just as they argue that our own planet’s poles should remain pristine.
B.The resources that are valuable in orbit and beyond may be very different to those we prize on Earth.
C.One speaker at last week’s space-mining forum in Sydney, Australia, concluded with a plea that regulation should be avoided.
D.Without consensus, claims will be disputed, investments risky, and the gains made insecure.
第1题:
【选项释义】
The central claim of the passage is that space mining has positive potential but ( ). 这篇文章的中心观点是太空采矿有积极的潜力，但是（ ）。
A. it will end up encouraging humanity’s reckless treatment of the environment A. 它最终将鼓励人类对环境的鲁莽对待
B. its effects should be thoughtfully considered before it becomes a reality B. 在它成为现实之前，应该仔细考虑它的影响
C. such potential may not include replenishing key resources that are disappearing on Earth C. 这种潜力可能不包括补充地球上正在消失的关键资源
D. experts disagree about the commercial viability of the discoveries it could yield D. 专家们对它可能产生的商业可行性持不同意见
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】根据文章第二段尾句But its consequences — both here on Earth and in space — merit careful consideration.（但其后果——无论是在地球上还是在太空中——都值得仔细考虑），结合后文提到的管理问题可知太空采矿虽然可以带来很高的受益，但这个项目存在很多问题，需要谨慎。因此B选项“在它成为现实之前，应该仔细考虑它的影响”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项均未在文中体现，属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
As used in the sentence underlined (Paragraph 4), “hold” most nearly means ( ). 划线句中的“hold”（第四段）的意思最接近（ ）。
A. maintain A. 保持
B. grip B. 紧握
C. restrain C. 抑制
D. withstand D. 经受住
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词hold定位文章第四段首句History suggests that those will be hard lines to hold, and it may be difficult to persuade the public that such barren environments are worth preserving.（历史表明，这将是一条很难hold的路，而且可能很难说服公众相信这样贫瘠的环境值得保护），根据后半句的意思可以推断出此处表示这条路很难保持下去，maintain“保持”与hold意思相吻合，因此A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项均未在文中体现，属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
According to the passage the off-planet economy such as the future of space mining in future ( ). 根据文章内容，对地球以外的经济如未来的太空采矿（ ）。
A. is inconsistent with the sustainable use of space resources A. 不符合空间资源的可持续利用
B. will be difficult to bring about in the absence of regulations B. 在没有规章制度的情况下会难以实现
C. cannot be attained without technologies that do not yet exist C. 没有尚不存在的技术是无法实现的
D. seems certain to affect Earth’s economy in a negative way D. 似乎肯定会对地球经济产生负面影响
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词regulations定位文章倒数第二段尾句Questions of their stewardship have barely been broached — and the relevant legal and regulatory framework is fragmentary, to put it mildly.（他们的管理问题几乎没有被提出——委婉地说，相关的法律和监管框架是支离破碎的）可知地球以外的经济缺乏相关的法律和监管框架，故难以实现，与“会在没有规章制度的情况下难以实现”表述相符，因此B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项均未在文中体现，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following statements provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? 下列哪项陈述为上一个问题的答案提供了最好的证据？
A. Some will argue that space’s “magnificent desolation” is not ours to despoil, just as they argue that our own planet’s poles should remain pristine. A. 有些人会说，太空的“壮丽荒凉”不是我们可以掠夺的，就像他们认为我们自己星球的两极应该保持原始状态一样。
B. The resources that are valuable in orbit and beyond may be very different to those we prize on Earth. B. 轨道上和轨道外的宝贵资源可能与我们在地球上珍视的资源大不相同。
C. One speaker at last week’s space-mining forum in Sydney, Australia, concluded with a plea that regulation should be avoided. C. 上周在澳大利亚悉尼举行的太空采矿论坛上，一位发言者最后呼吁避免监管。
D. Without consensus, claims will be disputed, investments risky, and the gains made insecure. D. 没有共识，索赔就会有争议，投资就会有风险，收益也会变得不安全。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】题干中的上一个问题指的是文章倒数第二段中提到的管理问题，也就是没有公认的规章制度来对地球外的经济进行管理和约束。“没有共识，索赔就会有争议，投资就会有风险，收益也会变得不安全”在原文中的倒数第一段尾句中有直接体现，进一步证明了这样的管理问题存在的事实，因此D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项分别在文章第三段、倒数第二段以及尾段中有所体现，但均与题干无关，属于答非所问。
