A
I am a reporter and I feel privileged to have been a witness to history being made. Every time I watch taikonauts salute as the rocket carries them thunders away and flies toward the skies, my heart beats faster and my eyes begin to moisten.
When Yang Liwei, a former fighter jet pilot, displayed the flags of China and the United Nations together during the Shenzhou V mission in 2003 and wrote, “To make use of outer space peacefully and for the benefit of all humankind, the Chinese came to outer space.” He was remembered in the history of China as the person who fulfilled the nation’s l,000-year-old dream of “flying to the heavens”.
In the years that followed, I saw Zhai Zhigang floating out of his spacecraft and waving a Chinese flag among the stars; Jing Haipeng entering China’s first space lab; Wang Yaping demonstrating the beauty of physics to 60 million students far outside the Earth’s atmosphere; and Nie Haisheng creating the China’s record for the longest stay in space.
However, few people realize how taikonauts prepare themselves to be qualified. They need to study advanced mathematics, aerodynamics, astronomy, space science and technology, English, environmental science, medicine, psychology and many other theoretical courses, all in one year, a superhuman task equal to shortening a normal college student’s four-year study plan to 12 months.
Apart from theoretical study, taikonauts must undergo a large amount of physical training. In a pressure chamber, they go through a simulated ascent from ground level to an altitude of 5,000 meters in five minutes, with all the dizziness, sickness and even shock. While training for spacewalks in a weightless environment, they wear a suit weighing over 160 kilograms and stay underwater for four hours at a time, losing two kilograms or more in each period.
I have once interviewed Huang Weifen, who is in charge of taikonauts training. ''Without exceptional perseverance, they don't make it," she said. “Our space knows no boundary, and our exploration will never end.”
21. Which of the following is correct about Yang Liwei according to the passage?
A. He was remembered as the greatest taikonaut in China.
B. He thought space exploration could make the world peaceful.
C. He was the first taikonaut to realize China’s dream of flying to space.
D. He once floated out of spacecraft and displayed the flags of China and the UN.
22. What preparations do taikonauts make to be qualified?
A. 12-month course study.
B 5000-meter climbing task.
C. Two-kilogram weight loss.
D. Four-hour underwater walk.
23. Why does the author write this passage?
A. To comment on taikonauts’ achievements.
B. To introduce some extraordinary taikonauts.
C. To present the huge development of China’s space exploration.
D. To praise taikonauts’ commitment to China’s space exploration.
【答案】21. C 22. A 23. D
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇记叙文，文章作者以一名记者的角色，讲述了中国航天的发展简史，一名又一名宇航员成功登上了太空，取得了新的突破；接着作者讲述了航天员为取得成功，幕后所付出的艰辛，他们要学习大量的理论课程，进行近乎极限的体能训练，“没有非凡的毅力，他们不会成功。”
【21题详解】
细节理解题。根据原文第二段He was remembered in the history of China as the person who fulfilled the nation’s l,000-year-old dream of “flying to the heavens”（他在中国历史上被铭记，因为他实现了中华民族1000多年的“飞天梦”）可知，他是第一个实现中国飞天梦的宇航员（He was the first taikonaut to realize China’s dream of flying to space.），C选项符合原文，故选C。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。文章第四段开始讲述宇航员的幕后故事，描述他们所做的准备，根据“However, few people realize how taikonauts prepare themselves to be qualified. They need to study…all in one year, a superhuman task equal to shortening a normal college student’s four-year study plan to 12 months.”（然而，很少有人意识到宇航员为了能够胜任，是如何准备的。他们需要在一年内完成……等许多理论课程的学习，这是一项超人般的任务，相当于把一个普通大学生四年的学习计划缩短到12个月），抓住关键词qualified（胜任的，有资格的），all in one year（一年之内）和12 months（12个月）可知，要获得宇航员的资格，能够胜任，就必须参加12个月的课程学习（12-month course study），以上关键词与题目呼应，综上本题选A。
【23题详解】
推理判断题。本题要求探寻作者的写作目的，纵观全文，作者先从中国航天的飞速发展，一位又一位宇航员登上太空，取得突破的卓越成就说起，接着话锋一转，第四段首句进行了过渡，“However, few people realize how taikonauts prepare themselves to be qualified.”（然而，很少有人了解到宇航员为了能够胜任，是如何准备的），接着介绍了超人般的理论课程学习和近乎极限的体能训练这两个方面，结尾处更是直接引用了“Without exceptional perseverance, they don't make it”（没有非凡的毅力，他们不会成功）作结，综合以上分析，文章的落脚点在宇航员身上，目的是讴歌赞扬中国宇航员对中国航天探索的巨大贡献（To praise taikonauts’ commitment to China’s space exploration.），综上本题选D。
