Task 3

本刊试题研究中心

The United States space agency sent a spacecraft to explore the sun more closely than ever before in 2018. NASAs Parker Solar Probe （航天探测器） would fly through the hot solar atmosphere and come within just 6 million kilometers of the suns surface.

The Parker Solar Probe would get almost seven times closer to the sun than earlier spacecraft. To do this， it would fly past Venus （金星） seven times over seven years. Each pass would change the probes orbit by providing a gravity push. It would move ever closer to the sun and straight into the corona （日冕）， the suns outermost atmosphere.

By exploring the suns corona， scientists hoped to learn why it is hundreds of times hotter than the suns surface. They would also study what drives the solar wind.

The project was proposed in 1958， the same year NASA was established. “Now， its becoming a reality，” said project manager Andy Driesman.

The Parker spacecraft has a 2.4 meter heat shield （护罩） that is 11 centimeters thick. It is made of two carbon sheets. The front has a white coating to reflect sunlight. It was expected to shine red when it experiences the extreme solar heat. Almost everything on the spacecraft would be behind this shield to keep its scientific instruments relatively cool.

Besides， the spacecraft would also be traveling at a high speed. The probe would reach 690，000 kilometers per hour in the corona. The spacecraft would make its first flight past Venus in early October. Its first pass by the sun was expected in November.

The Parker Solar Probe is the first NASA spacecraft to be named after someone who is still alive. Eugene Parker is a 94?year⁃old professor at the University of Chicago. He predicted the existence of solar wind 63 years ago. He planned to be at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the southern state of Florida to see the launch.

1. Whats the advantage of the Parker Solar Probe compared to the earlier ones？

A. It can change the orbit by flying past the sun.

B. It can get closer to the sun and into the corona.

C. It can study the effect of solar wind.

D. It can fly through the hot solar atmosphere without protection.

2. What can be inferred from the text？

A. Human has little achievements in exploring the sun.

B. Eugene Parker is the first one to study the sun.

C. The Parker Solar Probe has to get close to the sun with the help of Venus.

D. Human can get close to the suns surface within 6 million kilometers today.

3. What can we learn about Eugene Parker？

A. He started NASA.

B. He foresaw the solar wind when he was 31.

C. He designed the Parker spacecraft.

D. He will study the sun using the Parker spacecraft.

4. Where is this text likely to be taken from？

A. A story book.        B. An advertisement.

C. A science fiction novel.  D. A news report.