Question

In 1969, as US astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon, he famously declared, ‘That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.’ And as many countries come together to celebrate World Space Week from Oct 4-10, it seems that there are still many leaps to take.

During ancient times, our only steps were back and forth across the surface of our own planet. We climbed to the top of mountains, or sailed in boats across oceans. But we didn’t, and couldn’t, leave the surface of our planet.

It’s not surprising that back then, the so-called heavens fascinated(使著迷) us so much. How could they not? How could people not be obsessed with the great object in the sky that arrived each day with light and then left, taking the light with it? Or the mysterious moon, stars and planets that lit up the night sky? Compared with us, these things seemed so free and exciting. Different cultures created stories about the heavens. The Chinese referred to a ‘King of the Sky’ who created the heavens and decorated them with stars; the ancient Greeks had ‘the Sky Gods’ who controlled the weather.

Few of us believe those stories anymore – science has taught us better. And yet the heavens, or what we now call ‘space’ and ‘outer space’, are still a source of mystery and fascination for us. Yes, there are space stations, satellites and trips to other planets. None of this modern science, however, has made space any less fascinating to us.

As the American scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson said, ‘The universe is under no obligation (義務(wù)) to make sense to you.’ The more we know, the more our curiosity grows.

Even today, the most popular novels and movies are set on other planets, solar systems (太陽(yáng)系) or galaxies (星系). Space is still mysterious, as it was for the ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans. And perhaps it always will be.

1.The author used Neil Armstrong’s story to ______.

A.describe how the celebration of World Space Week began

B.draw attention to great achievements in space exploration

C.explain why human beings are curious about outer space

D.predict(預(yù)報(bào)) future space programs that might change history

2.The underline word ‘obsessed’ in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

A.happy B.interested C.satisfied D.bored

3.Compared with modern people, ancient Greeks ______.

A.didn’t leave many records of space objects

B.believed the King of the Sky controlled the weather

C.shared a similar curiosity about the universe

D.showed little respect for the power of nature

4.What’s the article mainly about?

A.Important events in space exploration history.

B.Human’s unchangeable interest in space.

C.Ancient stories inspired(激發(fā)，產(chǎn)生) by the heavens.

D.What we have learned about the universe.

Answer 1