阅读理解。
If you watch the sky for about an hour after the sun goes down, you may see some "moving stars". But
they're not really stars. They're man-made satellites. And the biggest of all is the International Space
Station (ISS). From May to July is the best season to watch the ISS flying over the earth. And people
can see it with their eyes.
The ISS is the biggest satellite (人造卫星) and scientists want to live on it. They think that the best way
to learn more about space is to live there.
When the space station is finished, it will be like a city in space. People will stay and study there with
many of the things they have at home. Laboratories, living rooms and power stations are being built. The
ISS is the most expensive space program. Billions of dollars are being spent on it every year.
Scientists hope that the ISS will be a stepping stone for future space exploration (探测). "The ISS will
help us understand the human body better, explore space and study the earth. It can help us make life on
the earth better," said Kathryn Clark, an ISS scientist.
Sixteen countries are part of the program: the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, Brazil and 11 European
countries. China isn't an ISS country, but it has helped with some of the experiments. In 2003, China sent
some rice up to the ISS to find out what space would do to it.
1. The International Space Station _____ .
A. is really a big city in space
B. is the biggest man-made satellite
C. can only help us explore space
D. is mainly built by the USA and Russia
2. From the passage we know that _____.
A. building the ISS is only for scientists to live there
B. scientists can do anything they like there
C. people can see the Space Station at any time
D. sixteen countries are members of the space program
3. The phrase "a stepping stone" probably means _____.
A. 滑梯
B. 巅峰
C. 垫脚石
D. 走廊
4. China sent some rice up to the ISS is probably to _____.
A. be used as astronauts' food
B. sell it to aliens
C. do some science experiments
D. make it grow better in space
5. Which of the following isn't mentioned in this passage?
A. China will join the ISS in the future.
B. The scientists are building living rooms for them in the ISS.
C. The ISS will be more useful in the future.
D. The ISS costs the members of 16 countries plenty of money every year.
