NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth Wednesday, after spending a record-breaking 355 days in low-Earth orbit. Vande Hei shared a spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts as tensions between the Russia and the U.S. continue amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Vande Hei returned in a Soyuz spacecraft with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, making a landing at 7:28 a.m. in Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan(哈萨克斯坦). The trio had departed the International Space Station at 3:21 a.m. ET.

Vande Hei broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a NASA astronaut by 15 days. The record was previously held by retired astronaut Scott Kelly. On this spaceflight, Vande Hei completed 5,680 orbits of the Earth and a journey of more than 150 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 312 trips to the Moon and back. This trip gave Vande Hei a lifetime total of 523 days in space.

“Mark’s mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a press release. “Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development.” According to NASA, Vande Hei contributed to dozens of studies from the hundreds conducted during his mission. As NASA plans to return to the Moon, under the Artemis program, and prepares for the exploration of Mars, the agency said Vande Hei’s extended mission will provide researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans.

After the crew goes through post-landing medical checks, they will be flown to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, on Russian helicopters. Vande Hei will then board a NASA plane to Cologne, Germany, for refueling, prior to his return home. Shkaplerov and Dubrov will be flown home to Star City, Russia, on a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft.

1.The underlined “The trio” in the first paragraph may refer to ______.

A the NASA astronaut

B the Russia-Ukraine war

C the low-Earth orbit

D the three spacemen

解析：选D。D 词意指代题。根据文章第一段第三句的 “Vande Hei returned in a Soyuz spacecraft with Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov”可知，三个宇航员（Vande Hei，Pyotr Dubrov和Anton Shkaplerov）在早晨7:28分降落，而他们三人是在凌晨3:21离开的国际空间站，即“The trio”指的是这三名宇航员。故选D。

2.How long had Scott Kelly spent in the space?

A For 355 days.

B For 340 days.

C For 312 days.

D For 15 days.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据第一段第一句“NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth Wednesday, after spending a record-breaking 355 days in low-Earth orbit.”可知Mark Vande Hei在空间站待了355天；结合第二段第一二句“Vande Hei broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a NASA astronaut by 15 days. The record was previously held by retired astronaut Scott Kelly.”可知Mark Vande Hei比Scott Kelly在太空多待了15天，即Scott Kelly在太空度过了340天。故选B。

3.What can we know about Vande Hei in Paragraph Three?

A He is ready to explore the Moon.

B He will be sent to the Mars soon.

C He contributed much to space research.

D He provided chances of observing the space.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据文章第三段的“Mark’s mission is...paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond”“make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development”以及“Vande Hei contributed to dozens of studies from the hundreds executed during his mission”可知，Vande Hei为太空研究做出了巨大的贡献。故选C。

4.What will Vande Hei do before returning home?

A Recover his body in Kazakhstan.

B Fly to the Training Center in Russia.

C Go through medical checks in Russia.

D Fly to Cologne of Germany for recovery.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段的“After the crew goes through post-landing medical checks, they will be flown to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, on Russian helicopters”可知，这三人在完成着陆后的医疗检查后，他们将乘坐俄罗斯直升机飞往哈萨克斯坦的卡拉干达康复中心进行身体康复。故选A。