The first private astronaut crew to visit the International Space Station (ISS) has returned safely to Earth. The team flew to the ISS and back on the spaceship Crew Dragon. The SpaceX company vehicle landed as planned in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida on Monday. SpaceX also provided the Falcon 9 rocket that carried the team to orbit.

The return to Earth marked the end of a two-week science mission aboard the ISS. The flight was the first to be organized and operated by a private company involving a completely commercial astronaut crew. “Welcome back to planet Earth,” SpaceX Mission Control said in a radio message to the crew. “We hope you enjoyed the extra few days in space.” The ISS mission was supposed to last just over a week. But weather conditions kept the crew in space for more than two weeks.

Before departing the space station on Sunday night, the group thanked their seven ISS hosts, including three NASA astronauts whose own mission will end soon.

The crew was led by Michael Lopez-Alegria, a retired astronaut for the American space agency NASA. He now works as the vice president of Axiom Space, which organized and operated the ISS mission. The 63-year-old Lopez-Alegria was described as the mission commander. He was joined by the mission pilot, Larry Conner, a 72-year-old businessman and private pilot from Ohio. The other members were 64-year-old Israeli man Eytan Stibbe, a fighter pilot and 52-year-old Mark Pathy, a Canadian businessman. Stibbe and Pathy served as mission specialists.

After being helped out of the capsule(返回舱), the crew members were picked up by a recovery ship and given a quick health examination. The team was then flown to NASA in Florida for more detailed medical check-ups. “Everybody looks great and is doing reasonably well,” Axiom operations director Derek Hassmann told reporters. He described the astronauts as being “in great spirits”.

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1.What role did the SpaceX company play in the mission?

A It offered the astronaut crew financial support.

B It produced the Falcon 9 rocket for the mission.

C It provided material supply for the astronaut crew.

D It was in charge of the transportation to and from space.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据第一段的“The team flew to the ISS and back on the spaceship Crew Dragon.”可知，该小组乘坐“龙飞船”来回国际空间站。由此说明太空探索技术公司(SpaceX) 负责往返太空的交通。故选D。

2.The astronaut crew’s return to Earth was put off due to _____.

A weather reasons

B operational errors

C technical problems

D crew’s health conditions

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第二段的“But weather conditions kept the crew in space for more than two weeks.”可知，由于天气原因，太空旅客们在太空停留了两周多。故选A。

3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A The title of each crew member.

B The specialty of the crew members.

C The introduction of the crew members.

D The profile of six NASA astronauts.

解析：选C。C 段落大意题。第四段主要介绍了这四名太空旅客的姓名及身份，分别为已退役的美国国家航空航天局(NASA)前宇航员洛佩斯·阿莱格里亚(Michael Lopez-Alegria)、企业家和特技飞行员拉里·康纳(Larry Conner)、以色列前战斗机飞行员伊尔坦·施蒂(Eytan Stibbe)以及加拿大商人马克·帕西(Mark Pathy)。故选C。

4.What will the crew members be engaged in in Florida?

A They will attend a press conference.

B They will participate in a celebration party.

C They will have an interview with major media.

D They will get a comprehensive medical examination.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“The team was then flown to NASA in Florida for more detailed medical check-ups.”可知，该团队随后被送往佛罗里达州的NASA进行更详细的体检。故选D。