Question

【題目】Who Owns the Moon?

Within the next ten years, the US, China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does that give them property rights?

A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international law signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies(天體) are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs.

But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don’t own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions(派遣團) to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.

“This is a very relevant discussion right now. We’ve got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world,” said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA’s Co Lab, a collaborative(協(xié)力的) public-private working group. He was peaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency.

To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission.

【1】In the passage the writer seems to be worrying that .

A. the US will live on the moon forever

B. the moon will not be able to hold all mankind

C. the potential land rush will become more and more frequent

D. no one can answer the question “Who owns the moon?”

【2】The “Google Lunar X Prize” aims to .

A. encourage private groups to land on the moon

B. help NASA host a discussion about land rush on the moon

C. help some developing countries complete their lunar projects

D. reward some countries or private groups which haven’t stepped on the moon

【3】The underlined word “that” in the first paragraph refers to .

A. the Outer Space Treaty B. if and when they plant a flag

C. the NASA working group D. monks from the Middle Ages

【4】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. The US astronauts will live on the moon for a longer time.

B. Many countries and private groups plan to go to the moon.

C. Why some private groups wish to land on the moon.

D. It is easy to gain some property rights onthe moon.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】B

【4】B

【解析】

試題分析：本文敘述了各國及私人團體的登月計劃。都想擁有月球的主權�！豆�約》規(guī)定月球及其資源是全人類的共同財產(chǎn)，“包括月球在內(nèi)的外層星體不得由任何國家依據(jù)主權要求，通過利用或占領、或以任何其他方法據(jù)為己有。”因為任何國家都沒有、也不能對月球主張主權。就像任何人不能對公海主張所有權一樣，對月球同樣不能主張所有權。因為那將意味著一場個人對全人類的戰(zhàn)爭。如果有人宣布月球及其宇宙星體屬于他個人，就會剝奪了全人類的共同財產(chǎn)，這其實也是一種違法行為。

【1】C細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.故選C。

【2】A細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize.為了鼓勵人們登上月球，故選A。

【3】B詞義猜測題。根據(jù)if and when they plant a flag, does，如果把旗插到月球上就能給他們財產(chǎn)權利嗎？故選B。

【4】B段意歸納題。根據(jù)本段敘述了各國或私人團體的登月計劃，故選B。