Question

【题目】The seats are comfortable. The walls are padded(覆软垫的) and white, and there are handles(把手) all over the place for the floating astronauts to hold.

But it’s the windows, the largest ever in space, that are the main advantage of the spaceship that Jeffrey Bezos showed off on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In a year or more—Bezos said the timing hasn’t yet been decided-his space company Blue Origin plans to begin flying tourists past the edge of space, 62 miles high, where they’ll experience the the excitement of weightlessness and view the beauty of Earth.

“Everybody says that when you go to space, it changes you, ” said Bezos, the founder of Amzon. com. “All the astronauts come back with stories like that. It’s very fantastic to see the thin layer of the atmosphere surrounding the blue planet.”

Blue Origin is one of the several companies that are seeking to lower the cost of access to space. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, for example, also plans to fly tourists to space.

Bezos said while his “only focus is people in space, ” the flight-testing program will require a great deal of effort.

“We are not racing, ” he said. “This vehicle is going to carry humans. We’re going to make it as safe as we can.”

The goal of Blue Origin, the space company Bezos founded in 2000, is to one day help millions of people enjoy their life outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Space tourism is the first step on that journey, Bezos said.

The tourist flights would require some training, he said, and be quick, just 10 or 11minutes. As many as six passengers would board the spacecraft about 30 minutes before liftoff. It would then be taken into space by a rocket, which, after they separated, would fly back and land on the ground. The capsule(太空舱) would continue climbing, allowing the passengers to get out of their seats and float without weight in the capsule for about four minutes before the return flight down.

【1】What impressed those astronauts according to Bezos’ words in Paragraph 4?

A. The Earth’s amazing beauty.

B. The damage to the atmosphere.

C. The excitement of taking a spacecraft.

D. The experience of feeling weightlessness.

【2】How does Bezos look at the development of the spacecraft?

A. It is not a hard task for Blue Origin.

B. It will be finished in one or two years.

C. It must be done in a careful, unhurried way.

D. It cannot be completed by just one company.

【3】Why did Bezos start the company Blue Origin?

A. To make visiting space possible for everyone.

B. To help people know about space tourism.

C. To provide money for research on space.

D. To protect the Earth’s atmosphere.

【4】How long will tourists experience weightlessness in space?

A. For about an hour.

B. For about ten minutes.

C. For about half an hour.

D. For about four minutes.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】本文主要介绍了宇宙飞船的发展进程。

【1】细节理解题。由It’s very fantastic to see the thin layer of the atmosphere surrounding the blue planet.可知地球令人惊异的美丽给宇航员留下了深刻的印象，选A。

【2】推理判断题。由Bezos said while his “only focus is people in space, ” the flight-testing program will require a great deal of effort.可知宇宙飞船的发展需要小心，从容不迫的进行，选C。

【3】推理判断题。由Blue Origin is one of the several companies that are seeking to lower the cost of access to space. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, for example, also plans to fly tourists to space.可知Bezos开公司的目的是为了让每个人登上太空成为一种可能，选A。

【4】细节理解题。由allowing the passengers to get out of their seats and float without weight in the capsule for about four minutes before the return flight down.可知选D。