A
Emilia Dobek’s interest in space and the universe started in third grade when she and her father watched a blooded moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食) — outside their Skokie house. “It was just really cool how the universe can change and how something like that happens,” Dobek said.
Now a seventh grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Generation Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for traveling to Mars.
Dobek competed by handing in a two-minute video where she presented her design.
“My design will not only ensure the safety of the astronauts (宇航员) but also make sure their comfort is out of this world,” she says in her video.
Dobek’s design calls for building the Mars Storage Station to store plentiful supplies. In the video, Dobek explains how her spacecraft (宇宙飞船) — the Adventure — will land in a space station. Dobek’s design includes physical activity for the astronauts. Astronauts can choose their exercise machine and virtual (虚拟的) reality environment. So astronauts will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth such as their home.
Dobek said she began her project by performing her research and then she constructed the design over three weeks to a month, working on it whenever she could including on weekends.
When Andrea Smeeton, her teacher, saw the video and her design before they were sent, she said she had a feeling she could win. “I don’t know why but maybe it was the excitement and the detail in the project,” Smeeton said. “I have taught for a long time and many of my students are gifted but this project was just very creative and it gave hope to a space program.”
Dobek and her parents traveled to Washington D. C. in April where they learned Dobek had won. When she texted her teacher the happy results, Smeeton admitted that she cried.
“I want to tell other kids to follow their dreams,” Dobek said. “Whatever they want to do, they should kind of just push for it. They should always try their best. ”
1. What change did Dobek show after watching the lunar eclipse?
A. She determined to be a scientist. B. She took to working with her father.
C. She was interested in the universe. D. She gave up wanting to be an astronaut.
2. What can be learned about Dobik’s design?
A. It replaced the role of the Adventurer.
B. It enabled astronauts to connect with their family.
C. It ensured the safety of the supplies in the spacecraft.
D. It aimed to make life in the Mars space station comfortable.
3. How did Smeeton feel about Dobek’s design after seeing it?
A. It was pretty amazing. B. It was a little disappointing.
C. It was less fun than she expected. D. It was as good as other students.
4. What kind of girl is Dobek?
A. Energetic and friendly. B. Productive and selfless.
C. Strong-willed and generous. D. Forward-thinking and inventive.
【答案】1. C 2. D 3. A 4. D
【解析】
这是一篇说明文。本文讲述了女孩Dobek对太空有很大的兴趣，并且通过设计一个去火星的空间站赢得了大奖。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第一段第一句Emilia Dobek’s interest in space and the universe started in third grade when she and her father watched a blooded moon — a total lunar eclipse — outside their Skokie house.可知，Emilia Dobek对太空和宇宙的兴趣始于三年级，当时她和父亲在他们的房子外观看了一次血月——一场月食。由此可知，Dobek对太空和宇宙的兴趣始于她和父亲观看的一次月食。故选C。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第四段中My design will not only ensure the safety of the astronauts but also make sure their comfort is out of this world.可知，我的设计不仅能确保宇航员的安全，还能确保他们的舒适度。由此可知，Dobek的设计不仅能确保宇航员的安全，还能使他们在火星空间站的生活变得舒适。故选D。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中“I don’t know why but maybe it was the excitement and the detail in the project,” Smeeton said. “I have taught for a long time and many of my students are gifted but this project was just very creative and it gave hope to a space program.”可知，“我不知道为什么，但可能是因为项目的刺激和细节吧，” Smeeton说。“我教了很长时间，我的很多学生都很有天赋，但这个项目非常有创意，它给太空计划带来了希望。”由此可推知，Dobek的老师Smeeton对Dobek的设计很有信心，并且认为她的设计给太空计划带来了希望。所以她应是认为Dobek的设计非常让人惊讶。故选A。
【4题详解】
推理判断题。根据本文内容可知，Dobek对太空非常有兴趣，并且设计一个去火星的空间站，她的老师认为这个设计给太空计划带来了希望，由此可知，Dobek非常具有远见和创造力。故选D。
