You may know the word “astronaut”．But do you know the word “taikonaut”? It means “Chinese astronaut” in English．It comes from the Chinese pinyin “taikong” and the English word “astronaut”．In 1998, a Malaysian Chinese scientist used the word for the first time．Since then, because of the fast development of China’s space industry（工业）, more and more people all over the world have known the word．In September, 2008, taikonauts caught many people’s eyes again．

The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft（宇宙飞船）that carried three taikonauts took off from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 25th．It’s the third time for China to send people into space．During the flight in space, some tasks were completed and the 20-minute spacewalk was the most exciting one．With the help of his two teammates Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng, Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang completed China’s first spacewalk．China has become the third country to finish such an outer space activity following Russia and the U．S．A．All the Chinese people are proud of our country．

1． What does “taikonaut” mean in English?

A． Chinese astronaut．                      B． Chinese scientist．

C． Chinese center．                            D． Chinese space industry．

2． Who completed China’s first spacewalk?

      A． Jing Haipeng．                          B． Liu Boming.

C． Zhai Zhigang．                                 D． Yang Liwei．

3． Which countries have finished such an outer space activity?

A． Russia and the U．S．A．             B． Russia and China．

C． China and the U．S．A．               D． Russia, the U．S．A． and China．

4． Which sentence is NOT true according to the passage?

      A． It’s the third time for China to send people into space．

      B． Russia and the U．S．A． have already finished outer space activity．

C． The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft was sent into space on September 25th, 2008．

D． Zhai Zhigang completed 20-minute spacewalk without the help of his two teammates．

5． The best title of this passage is _________．

      A． The Shenzhou-7 Spacecraft

B． Chinese Taikonaut’s First Spacewalk

      C． How the Word “taikonaunt” Comes from

      D． The Fast Development of China’s Space Industry

At 9 a.m. on October 15, 2003, our country launched (发射) its first manned (有人的) space-ship, Shenzhou V, into space at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province. It took Yang Liwei and his spaceship about 21 hours to circle the earth 14 times. Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut. He comes from Liaoning Province, and he has been an air force pilot(飞行员) since 1983. He was chosen from 14 pilots after many difficult tests.
The life of an astronaut is hard to imagine for many people. To put on a space suit takes 15 minutes with the help of others. Sleeping in space is not easy, either. He has to sleep in a special sleeping bag on the wall because there is no gravity. Yang can eat chicken and rice. It’s especially made to eat in space but it doesn’t taste nice.
“I’m feeling very good in space, and it looks wonderful here,” said Yang, “I have looked at our beautiful earth and I have recorded all that I have seen here.”
China has become the third country in the world to send a person into space after the former Soviet Union(前苏联) and the United States. China is now planning its next launch. Shenzhou VI will be into space within(在……之内) the next years, it may take three astronauts. We are all proud of our motherland.
【小题1】Shenzhou V was launched into space _____.

At 9 a.m. on October 15, 2003, our country launched (发射) its first manned (有人的) space-ship, Shenzhou V, into space at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province. It took Yang Liwei and his spaceship about 21 hours to circle the earth 14 times. Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut. He comes from Liaoning Province, and he has been an air force pilot(飞行员) since 1983. He was chosen from 14 pilots after many difficult tests.

The life of an astronaut is hard to imagine for many people. To put on a space suit takes 15 minutes with the help of others. Sleeping in space is not easy, either. He has to sleep in a special sleeping bag on the wall because there is no gravity. Yang can eat chicken and rice. It’s especially made to eat in space but it doesn’t taste nice.

“I’m feeling very good in space, and it looks wonderful here,” said Yang, “I have looked at our beautiful earth and I have recorded all that I have seen here.”

China has become the third country in the world to send a person into space after the former Soviet Union(前苏联) and the United States. China is now planning its next launch. Shenzhou VI will be into space within(在……之内) the next years, it may take three astronauts. We are all proud of our motherland.

1.Shenzhou V was launched into space _____.

2.Yang Liwei is a(n) ______.

3.Yang Liwei is from _______.

4.Which of the following is true?

5.We can know there are _____ countries in the world which can send man into space.

完形填空

　　At 9 a. m. on October 15, 2003, our country launched (发射) its first manned (载人的) spaceship, Shenzhou V, into space at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province. It 1 Yang Liwei and his spaceship about 21 hours to circle the earth 14 times. Yang Liwei, 38, 2 Liaoning Province. He is China's first astronaut, and 3 a pilot (飞行员) since 1983. He 4 from 14 pilots after many difficult tests not long ago.

　　The life of an astronaut is hard to imagine for many people. To put on a space suit takes 5 15 minutes with the help of others. Sleeping in space is not easy, 6 . he has to sleep in a special sleeping bag on the wall 7 there is no gravity (引力). Yang can eat in space but tastes just like the real thing. “I'm feeling very good in 8 , and it looks wonderful here,” said Yang, “I have looked at our beautiful earth and recorded (记录) all that I have seen here.”

　　China has become the 9 country in the world to send a person into space after the former Soviet Union (前苏联) and the United States. China is now planning its 10 launch. Shenzhou VI will go into space with in (在……之内) the next two years, it may take three astronauts. We are all proud of our motherland.