All That Is Hot新闻微阅读三篇

王燕

1 An asteroid will hit Earth

一顆小行星将撞击地球

If all goes according to plan， scientists will hit Earth withpart of an asteroid. That is less alarming than it sounds， for thechunk of rock in question weighs at most a few hundred grams.It will arrive in a small capsule［太空舱］， complete with parachute，that will drift gently to the ground in the Utah desert. Therock is from an asteroid named Bennu， which was visitedin 2018 by an American spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx.The probe will drop its cargo off enroute to anotherasteroid， Apophis， at which it is due to arrive in2029. Astronomers take a great interest inasteroids. The solar system was formedaround 4.5 billion years ago， whena cloud of dust and gas collapsedunder its own gravityinto a disc， which in turnagglomerated［凝聚］ into the sun and itsplanets. Asteroids are leftover［剩余的］ chunksthat never accrued enough mass to becomeplanets. Studying them thus offers a window intothe ancient astronomical past. This will not be the firsttime that bits of asteroids have been brought to Earth.In 2010 Hayabusa， a Japanese spacecraft， visited anasteroid called Itokawa and returned with less than amilligram of it. Its successor， Hayabusa2， was able toprocure five grams of rock from an asteroid namedRyugu in 2020. OSIRIS-RExs dig did not go quiteaccording to plan. Some of the excavated materialis thought to have jammed its digger， allowingsome of the sample to fall back out. But NationalAeronautics and Space Admiristraion（NASA）is confident that the mission has exceededits minimum target of 60 grams.Compared with previousmissions， that will be abounty.

如果一切按计划进行，科学家们将用一颗小行星的一部分撞击地球。这并没有听起来那么骇人，因为这块岩石最多只有几百克重。它将被装在一个小太空舱里，连同降落伞一起抵达犹他州沙漠，缓缓飘至地面。这块岩石来自一颗名为“贝努”的小行星，2018 年，美国OSIRIS-REx 探测器曾造访过这颗小行星。探测器将在前往另一颗小行星阿波菲斯的途中投放货物，预计将于2029 年抵达。天文学家对小行星很感兴趣。太阳系大约形成于45 亿年前，当时一团尘埃和气体云在自身引力的作用下坍缩成一个圆盘，然后又聚集成太阳及其行星。那些没有积累到足够质量成为行星的剩余部分，形成了小行星。因此，研究它们是了解古代天文学历史的一扇窗。这将不是人类第一次把小行星的碎片带到地球上。2010 年，日本的“隼鸟”探测器访问了一颗名为“糸川”的小行星，并在返回时带回了不到一毫克的样本。它的后继者“隼鸟2 号”于2020 年从一颗名为“龙宫”的小行星上获取了5 克岩石。OSIRIS-REx 的挖掘工作并没有完全按计划进行。一些被挖掘出来的材料被认为卡住了挖掘机，使得一些样本又掉了出来。但美国国家航空航天局相信，这项任务已经超过了60克的最低目标。与之前的任务相比，这次的收获已经相当丰厚了。

Fill in the blanks：

The chunk of rock will arrive in a small capsule， complete with parachute， that will ________ gently to the ground in the desert.

2 The prevalence of myopia among Chinese children and teenagers was showing a decline

我国儿童和青少年近视率呈下降趋势

The prevalence［流行率］ of myopia among Chinesechildren and teenagers was showing a decline， accordingto the statistics released by the National Disease Controland Prevention Administration. The statistics showedthat the overall myopia rate among Chinese children andadolescents［青少年］ was 51.9 percent in 2022， a fall of 0.7percentage points from 52.6 percent in 2021， and alsodropped by 1.7 percentage points from the 53.6 percentof the results of the national myopia survey conducted in2018. Among the students with myopia， the proportions ofmild， moderate， and high myopia were 53.3 percent， 37percent， and 9.7 percent， respectively［分别的；各自的］， with adrop in the proportion of high myopia. The overall myopiarates for primary school， junior high school， and seniorhigh school were 36.7 percent， 71.4 percent， and 81.2percent， respectively. According to the National DiseaseControl and Prevention Administration， the country willcontinue to promote myopia prevention and control work，further strengthening the monitoring and assessment of myopiaamong children and adolescents. Techniques suitable for myopiaprevention and control will be promoted. It will also carry outpromotion work to popularize science， enabling students， parentsand teachers to learn about how to use and protect eyes， andhelping the children and teenagers develop healthy eye habits.

根据国家疾病预防控制局发布的统计数据，中国儿童和青少年的近视率呈下降趋势。数据显示，2022 年中国儿童和青少年的总体近视率为51.9%，较2021 年的52.6% 下降了0.7 个百分点，也比2018 年全国近视调查结果的53.6% 下降了1.7 个百分点。在近视学生中，轻度、中度和高度近视的比例分别为53.3%、37%和9.7%，高度近视比例有所下降。小学、初中和高中学生的总体近视率分别为36.7%、71.4% 和81.2%。国家疾病预防控制局表示，国家将继续推进近视防控工作，进一步加强对儿童和青少年近视的监测和评估。国家将推广适合近视防控的技术，还将开展科普宣传工作，使学生、家长和教师了解如何正确使用和保护眼睛，帮助儿童和青少年养成良好的用眼习惯。

Fill in the blanks：

It will also carry out promotion work to help the younger generation develop healthy ________habits.

3 A new world record

一項新的世界纪录

Russian Federal Space Agency says cosmonaut Oleg Kononenkohas broken the world record for total time spent in space. Kononenkopassed the record after spending more than 878 days and 12 hours inorbit aboard the International Space Station（ISS）. Kononenko said hisrepeated space trips represent the realization of a childhood dreamto become a cosmonaut. “I fly into space to do what I love， not to setrecords，” he told Information Telegraphic Agency of Russia-TASS. Headded that his continued interest in living and working in orbit “motivates”him to keep flying. Kononenko said he worked out often aboard the ISSto help him deal with the physical effects of weightlessness. He said oneof the most difficult things about being a cosmonaut is getting ready foreach new space flight.

俄罗斯联邦航天局表示，宇航员奥列格·科诺年科打破了太空总时间的世界纪录。科诺年科在国际空间站的轨道上度过了878 天12 小时，打破了这一纪录。科诺年科说，他的多次太空旅行代表着儿时成为宇航员的梦想的实现。他告诉塔斯社：“我飞上太空是为了做我喜欢的事，而不是为了创造纪录。”他补充说，他对在轨道上生活和工作的持续兴趣“激励”他继续飞行。科诺年科说，他经常在国际空间站上锻炼，以帮助他应对失重带来的身体影响。他说，作为一名宇航员，最困难的事情之一就是为每次新的太空飞行做好准备。

Fill in the blanks：

Kononenko worked out often aboard the ISS to help him deal with the ________ effects of weightlessness.