人类首次！中国在月球上种出第一株植物！
Cotton seeds carried to the moon by a Chinese probe have sprouted, marking what could be the first plant to ever grow there. In the announcement Tuesday, Chinese researchers showed pictures from the probe showing the tiny plant growing in a small pot inside the spacecraft, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the Earth.
The Chang’e 4 lunar mission is intended to accomplish a range of tasks, including conducting the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment and exploring whether there is water at the moon’s poles. Another purpose of the mission was to test whether plants could grow in a low-gravity environment, which appears to have already produced results.
While human beings have grown plants in space before, they’ve never attempted to grow one on the moon. Xie Gengxin, the chief designer of the experiment, praised the achievement on the university’s blog. “This (mission) has achieved the first biological experiment on the moon of human history. And with time moving on, it’ll be the first plant with green leaves on the moon,” Xie said.
Chinese scientists are also attempting to grow seeds from rapeseed, potato and mouse-ear cress, and are trying to hatch fruit fly eggs. The experiment will show how life develops in low gravity and strong radiation environments. It could even help provide a blueprint for growing resources during a future moon colony established by humans.
China’s ambitions for space and lunar exploration aren’t limited to the current mission. On Monday, China’s space agency announced the Chang’e 5 lunar mission would be launched by the end of the year with a goal to bring moon samples back to Earth. The country’s first mission to Mars is scheduled for around 2020, Wu Yanhua, deputy head of China National Space Administration, said at a news conference in Beijing Monday.
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1.Where did the cotton seeds carried to the moon sprout?
A In a small pot in the research center.
B In a small pot inside the spacecraft.
C In a small pot outside the spacecraft.
D In a small pot on the moon surface.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第一段第二句In the announcement Tuesday, Chinese researchers showed pictures from the probe showing the tiny plant growing in a small pot inside the spacecraft, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the Earth.可知棉花种子是在宇宙飞船中的一个小罐子中生长的。故选B。
2.Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the Chang’e 4 lunar mission?
A To carry out the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment.
B To find whether there is water on the moon’s poles.
C To plant a lot of the green trees on the moon.
D To test whether plants could grow in a low-gravity environment.
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第二段的内容可知，文中没有提到在月球上种树。故选C。
3.What did Xie Gengxin think of the experiment?
A It was profitable.
B It was difficult.
C It was expensive.
D It was successful.
解析：选D。推理判断题。根据第三段第二句Xie Gengxin, the chief designer of the experiment, praised the achievement on the university’s blog.可知谢更新对这个实验进行了表扬，据此可以推知他认为实验是成功的。故选D。
4.What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?
A Chinese scientists have successfully grown other seeds on the moon.
B Life can’t grow in low gravity and strong radiation environments.
C China has great ambitions for space and lunar exploration.
D The Chang’e 5 lunar mission will be the first mission to Mars.
解析：选C。推理判断题。通读最后两段的内容可知，中心句是最后一段的首句，即中国对太空和月球探索有着远大的追求。故选C。