四、阅读理解
NASA has a new job listing，and it's no joke. The US space agency is looking for a "joker" to join their planned task to Mars.
A task to Mars is no laughing matter. On average，the red planet is 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. A trip there would take around eight months in a small spacecraft. And Mars has a communications delay (延迟) of 20 minutes. This means that astronauts will have to wait 20 minutes for a reply，when an emergency happens.
"When you're living with others in a confined space for a long period of time，such as on a task to Mars，problems are likely to occur，" Jeffrey Johnson，a scientist at the University of Florida，told The Guardian.
This is probably why NASA wants an astronaut with a sense of humor. "These are people that have the ability to pull everyone together，" Johnson said.
In stressful situations，perhaps humor is a way to know we aren't alone. By laughing together，we share our stress. Then we can fix on our jobs instead of just worrying.
There are other examples of team "clowns". One example is the journey to the South Pole led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It was a difficult journey，full of danger. Adolf Lindstrom，a cook at Amundsen's team，was a "clown". He made people laugh through the whole journey. Amundsen later wrote that Lindstrom was the most valuable member of the team.
But if you're hoping that your favorite TV comedian will fly to Mars，▲.
"Being funny won't be enough to land somebody the job，" Johnson said. "They also need to be an excellent scientist and engineer."
Besides，they must be in top physical condition.
()1. What kind of astronaut does NASA want to find?
A. A healthy engineer with a sense of humor.
B. An excellent scientist with great a talent.
C. A good person who likes laughing.
D. A strong astronaut with stress.
()2. What does a confined space in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. A crowded space.
B. An empty space.
C. An open space.
D. A small space.
()3. How does the writer think humor can help astronauts?
A. It can stop them from feeling worried.
B. It can encourage teamwork on a task.
C. It can help them forget everything dangerous.
D. It can help them know themselves better.
()4. What's the writer's purpose of giving the example of the cook?
A. To tell us that what explorers eat on their journey is very important.
B. To prove that a cook can play a more important role than an explorer.
C. To make the point that humorous people can cheer people up in difficult situations.
D. To explain that a task to Mars is more difficult than a journey to the South Pole.
()5. Which of the following can be the most suitable for ▲?
A. that probably won't happen
B. that is a good idea
C. that has ever happened
D. that is true
NASA has a new job listing，and it's no joke. The US space agency is looking for a "joker" to join their planned task to Mars.
A task to Mars is no laughing matter. On average，the red planet is 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. A trip there would take around eight months in a small spacecraft. And Mars has a communications delay (延迟) of 20 minutes. This means that astronauts will have to wait 20 minutes for a reply，when an emergency happens.
"When you're living with others in a confined space for a long period of time，such as on a task to Mars，problems are likely to occur，" Jeffrey Johnson，a scientist at the University of Florida，told The Guardian.
This is probably why NASA wants an astronaut with a sense of humor. "These are people that have the ability to pull everyone together，" Johnson said.
In stressful situations，perhaps humor is a way to know we aren't alone. By laughing together，we share our stress. Then we can fix on our jobs instead of just worrying.
There are other examples of team "clowns". One example is the journey to the South Pole led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It was a difficult journey，full of danger. Adolf Lindstrom，a cook at Amundsen's team，was a "clown". He made people laugh through the whole journey. Amundsen later wrote that Lindstrom was the most valuable member of the team.
But if you're hoping that your favorite TV comedian will fly to Mars，▲.
"Being funny won't be enough to land somebody the job，" Johnson said. "They also need to be an excellent scientist and engineer."
Besides，they must be in top physical condition.
()1. What kind of astronaut does NASA want to find?
A. A healthy engineer with a sense of humor.
B. An excellent scientist with great a talent.
C. A good person who likes laughing.
D. A strong astronaut with stress.
()2. What does a confined space in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. A crowded space.
B. An empty space.
C. An open space.
D. A small space.
()3. How does the writer think humor can help astronauts?
A. It can stop them from feeling worried.
B. It can encourage teamwork on a task.
C. It can help them forget everything dangerous.
D. It can help them know themselves better.
()4. What's the writer's purpose of giving the example of the cook?
A. To tell us that what explorers eat on their journey is very important.
B. To prove that a cook can play a more important role than an explorer.
C. To make the point that humorous people can cheer people up in difficult situations.
D. To explain that a task to Mars is more difficult than a journey to the South Pole.
()5. Which of the following can be the most suitable for ▲?
A. that probably won't happen
B. that is a good idea
C. that has ever happened
D. that is true
答案
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. A
