China has switched on its artificial sun for a test. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is located west of Shanghai and is a nuclear facility that is designed to hopefully one day create unlimited clean energy.

Officials decided to ring in 2022 with a test of the machine and it managed to reach temperatures of up to 70 million degrees Celsius. As you can imagine, our Sun, the one that Earth moves around in the solar system, only burns at roughly 15 million degrees C. That means China’s EAST machine can burn almost five times hotter than the thing that is literally keeping everyone on Earth alive. Morning Post has revealed the latest test lasted 1,056 seconds, or 17 minutes, 36 seconds.

The test started in December and will last until June this year. Gong Xianzu, a researcher at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua News Agency: “The recent operation lays a solid scientific and experimental foundation towards the running of a fusion reactor.” Institute of Plasma Physics director Song Yuntao added: “The experiment once again challenged the world record. We have comprehensively confirmed the technology, driving it a major step forward from basic research to engineering applications.”

That world record was set last year by EAST when it managed to burn plasma(等离子气体) at an incredible 120 million degrees C, according to the New York Post. That test only lasted 101 seconds, however it was enough to represent a new milestone in the mission to find clean energy. The machine is called an “artificial sun” because it imitates the reactions that are seen on our central celestial body(天体). When it gets into those extremely high temperatures, it boils hydrogen isotopes(氢同位素) into a plasma and then joins them together to release energy. If they’re able to work out how to keep a machine like this running for longer than 20 minutes then it could provide clean electricity to loads of people. Song Yuntao is hopeful they will be able to achieve this by 2040. 

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1.What is the aim of the EAST?

A To take the place of sun.

B To try out a new energy.

C To set up a large factory.

D To understand the sun.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第一段第二句的“...is a nuclear facility that is designed to hopefully one day create unlimited clean energy”可以得知EAST是为了创作出一种新能源。故选B。

2.Why does the author mention the Sun’s burning temperature?

A To show how hot the EAST is.

B To tell the movement of the Sun.

C To remind people of energy crisis.

D To make people read Morning Post.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据文章第二段第一句的it managed to reach temperatures of up to 70 million degrees Celsius可以得知这个设备的温度达到了七千万摄氏度，而太阳的温度也只有一千五百万摄氏度，作者利用太阳的温度进行比较是为了说明这种设备所达到的温度之高。故选A。

3.How did Song Yuntao think of the experiment?

A It was invalid.

B It was comprehensive.

C It was interesting.

D It was successful.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据文章第三段中Song Yuntao所说的话“challenged the world record”以及“driving it a major step forward”可以推断，他认为该实验是很成功的。故选D。

4.Why was the EAST called an “artificial sun”?

A It could provide people with electricity.

B It worked in the similar way as the Sun.

C It would be a milestone to find energy.

D It kept the machine running for long.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段第三句“The machine is called an “artificial sun” because it imitates the reactions that are seen on our central celestial body”可以得知是因为其工作原理像我们的中心天体太阳，所以才被称为“人造太阳”。故选B。