From the first use of the rocket to carry satellites into space to the setting up of space stations, human beings have been putting great effort into space research. And so far, we have achieved many successes. But there are still numerous tasks in front of us and we should not stop trying to progress.
The international space station (ISS) is an important step we should take in space exploration. It is not only helpful but also essential. It provides a proper space environment for many experiments that we have wanted to do for a long time. It is also a base for the observations of the earth and the universe. It could also be an important base for later travel to the moon and Mars. In a word, if we want to explore space more, the first thing we should do is to set up a space station.
As the space station costs a lot of money, it is hard for one country alone to establish one. The USA seems to be the only country that has the ability to build a space station alone，and it has tried to do so, but not very successful. So it aggregated many other countries to work on it together. Though it is still extremely expensive, it is much cheaper than doing it alone. It is really a job that needs everyone’s effort and will benefit everyone.
Led by the U.S. and Russia, the ISS is a joint project between six space agencies involving 16 countries. Called the greatest achievement in human cooperation, the ISS has come to the end of a ten-year’s hard work in construction. China has applied for participation in (taking part in) the project many times. Unfortunately all the applications were rejected, which drove China onto the path of independent development. As the Long March Ⅱ-F/T1 carrier rocket blasted off (leave the ground) and successfully carried the Tiangong-1 into space on September 29, 2011, China takes a big step toward its Space Station Era.
Some West media suggested that the successful launch of Tiangong-1 would disturb the balance of global space power, raising concerns (关注) about “China threat”. China’s space project is not designed for military (军事的) purpose but for developing space technology to explore space resources and make use of them for mankind’s well-being.
小题1:From Paragraph 2 we learn that ________.A．the necessity of building the international space station is not realized nowB．many experiments have been done in the international space stationC．the international space station is necessary for people to explore space moreD．people have traveled to Mars from the international space station小题2:Which of the following is NOT a reason for countries’ cooperation in building the international space station?A．That it requires a lot of money.B．That it needs everyone’s effort.C．That it will benefit every participating country.D．That it is too far away from the earth.小题3:The underlined word “aggregated” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “________”．A．unitedB．scoldedC．allowedD．forbade小题4:China wants to build its space station in order to __________.A．break the balance of global space powerB．show that China can build space station aloneC．raise international concerns about “China threat”D．make use of space peacefully for mankind’s well-being