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Elon Musk, 45, is a businessman, an engineer, an inventor and an explorer. He was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. At age 10, he developed an interest in computers. After teaching himself programming, Musk created his first piece of software before he turned 13. At 17, he moved to Canada to attend Queen’s University. He later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania to study economics and physics.

Musk became a multimillionare after he sold his start-up company, Zip2, in 1999. He established SpaceX in 2002. In 2012, SpaceX launched the first commercial spacecraft. Since then, the company has sent numerous successful unmanned missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The company has plans to carry two astronauts there in late 2017.

Musk has set his sights on more than just the stars. He’s aiming to transform life on Earth. One of his greatest successes is Tesla Motors, which he founded in 2004. Tesla designs and manufactures sleek, high-performance electric cars. The cars are expensive now, but Musk’s goal is to find a way to produce electric vehicles that are affordable to more people.

Musk is also pursuing a high-speed mode of travel called the Hyperloop. The plan is for passengers to board aluminum(铝) pods that would be shot through steel tubes at about 800 miles per hour. The 380-mile trip from Los Angeles, California, to San Francisco, California, would take about 35 minutes. The project will cost $6 billion.

In November, he introduced a new kind of solar paneling for roofs that will be cheaper than traditional roofing material. It’ll allow homeowners to collect energy from the sun. “I believe in working super hard and not giving up,” Musk told TIME. “As long as I can see a path to success, I’ll keep going.”

1.What can be learned about young Musk?

A He had strong self-learning abilities.

B He fell in love with computer at high school.

C He entered an American university in 1988.

D He joined in designing a lot of software.

解析：选A。推理判断题。根据第一段After teaching himself programming, Musk created his first piece of software before he turned 13.可推断他有很强的自学能力，故选A。

2.What happened to Elon Musk when he was 31?

A He sold his first company.

B He updated his first software.

C He became the founder of SpaceX.

D He got a commercial spacecraft launched.

解析：选C。细节理解题。综合第一段He was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa和第二段He established SpaceX in 2002.可知他31岁的时候成立了SpaceX公司，故选C。

3.According to the passage, it seems impossible to expect Musk to ____.

A achieve his life goals

B be passionate about charity

C explore modern technology further

D stop dreaming big anytime soon

解析：选D。推理判断题。根据第三段Musk has set his sights on more than just the stars. He’s aiming to transform life on Earth再根据下文对他层出不穷的奋斗目标可判断他很难放弃大的梦想，故选D。

4.What achievement has Musk already made so far?

A The Hyperloop.

B The new solar paneling.

C The commercial spacecraft.

D The cheap electric vehicles.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第二段In 2012, SpaceX launched the first commercial spacecraft.可判断选C。

5.What does the passage focus on?

A Musk’s achievements in space exploration.

B Musk’s ambitions to improve human life.

C Musk’s excellent educational background.

D Musk’s interest in science and technology.

解析：选B。主旨大意题。根据第二段The company has plans to carry two astronauts there in late 2017.和第三段Musk has set his sights on more than just the stars. He’s aiming to transform life on Earth再结合下文对他层出不穷的奋斗目标的描述可推断全文重点描述他的雄心抱负，故选B。