Without the sun’s light ______ the earth’s surface, it would

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第三篇

“Life Form Found" on Saturn ' s Titan

Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life on the Saturn'5 moon.The discovery of a sort of
life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,
which pointed to the existence of methane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.
Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are"breathing"in Titan's
dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.
They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane
lakes and rivers.This,they say,points to the existence of some"bugs"consuming the hydrogen at the surface
of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.
"We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar
to the way we consume oxygen on Earth,"says NASA scientist Chris McKay."If these signs do turn out to be
a sign of life,it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from
water-based life on Earth."
To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-water-based
microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan,where
temperatures are around minus 17 Kelvin(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methane-based organism would
have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes,but not water itself. Water is frozen
solid on Titan'5 surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.
Scientists had expected the Sun'5 interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of
acetylene on Titan'5 surface.But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.
The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explana-
tion,said Mark Allen,a principal investigator of the NASA Titan team.
"Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-
biological explanations are addressed,"Allen said."We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-bio-
logical explanations.It is more likely that a chemical process,without biology,can explain these results."

What do scientists claim to have found about Saturn?
A: Water-based life on it.
B: Methane-based life on its biggest moon.
C:A new moon moving around it.
D:Earthlike life on its biggest moon.

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So Many"Earths"
The Milky Way（银河）contains billions of Earth-sized planets that could support life.That's the finding of a new study.It draws on data that came from NASA's top planet-hunting telescope.
A mechanical failure recently put that Kepler space telescope out of service.Kepler had played a big role in creating a census of planets orbiting some 170,000 stars.Its data have been helping astronomers predict how common planets are in our galaxy.The telescope focused on hunting planets that might have conditions similar to those on Earth.
The authors of a study,published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,conclude that between 14 and 30 out of every 100 stars,with a mass and temperature similar to the Sun,may host a planet that could support life as we know it.Such a planet would have a diameter at least as large as Earth's,but no more than twice that big.The planet also would have to orbit in a star's habitable zone.That's where the surface temperature would allow any water to exist as a liquid.
The new estimate of how many planets might fit these conditions comes from studying more than 42,000 stars and identifying suitable worlds orbiting them.The scientists used those numbers to extrapolate（推算） to the rest of the stars that the telescope could not see.
The estimate is rough,the authors admit.If applied to the solar system,it would define as habitable a zone starting as close to the Sun as Venus and running to as far away as Mars.Neither planet is Earthlike (although either might have been in the distant past).Using tighter limits,the researchers estimate that between 4 and 8 out of every 100 sunlike stars could host an Earth-sized world.These are ones that would take 200 to 400 days to complete a yearly orbit.
Four out of every 100 sunlike stars doesn't sound like a big number.It would mean,however,that the Milky Way could host more than a billion Earth-sized planets with a chance for life.

The main task of the Kepler space telescope is to find out planets with similar conditions to Earth's.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned

共用题干
第三篇

“Life Form Found" on Saturn ' s Titan

Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life on the Saturn'5 moon.The discovery of a sort of
life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,
which pointed to the existence of methane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.
Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are"breathing"in Titan's
dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.
They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane
lakes and rivers.This,they say,points to the existence of some"bugs"consuming the hydrogen at the surface
of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.
"We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar
to the way we consume oxygen on Earth,"says NASA scientist Chris McKay."If these signs do turn out to be
a sign of life,it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from
water-based life on Earth."
To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-water-based
microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan,where
temperatures are around minus 17 Kelvin(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methane-based organism would
have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes,but not water itself. Water is frozen
solid on Titan'5 surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.
Scientists had expected the Sun'5 interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of
acetylene on Titan'5 surface.But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.
The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explana-
tion,said Mark Allen,a principal investigator of the NASA Titan team.
"Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-
biological explanations are addressed,"Allen said."We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-bio-
logical explanations.It is more likely that a chemical process,without biology,can explain these results."

Which of the following statements about Titan is true?
A:It is as large as the Earth.
B:There is acetylene on its surface.
C:Water on it acts as a life supporting medium.
D:Hydrogen consumption is reported to be on it.

共用题干
So Many"Earths"
The Milky Way（银河）contains billions of Earth-sized planets that could support life.That's the finding of a new study.It draws on data that came from NASA's top planet-hunting telescope.
A mechanical failure recently put that Kepler space telescope out of service.Kepler had played a big role in creating a census of planets orbiting some 170,000 stars.Its data have been helping astronomers predict how common planets are in our galaxy.The telescope focused on hunting planets that might have conditions similar to those on Earth.
The authors of a study,published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,conclude that between 14 and 30 out of every 100 stars,with a mass and temperature similar to the Sun,may host a planet that could support life as we know it.Such a planet would have a diameter at least as large as Earth's,but no more than twice that big.The planet also would have to orbit in a star's habitable zone.That's where the surface temperature would allow any water to exist as a liquid.
The new estimate of how many planets might fit these conditions comes from studying more than 42,000 stars and identifying suitable worlds orbiting them.The scientists used those numbers to extrapolate（推算） to the rest of the stars that the telescope could not see.
The estimate is rough,the authors admit.If applied to the solar system,it would define as habitable a zone starting as close to the Sun as Venus and running to as far away as Mars.Neither planet is Earthlike (although either might have been in the distant past).Using tighter limits,the researchers estimate that between 4 and 8 out of every 100 sunlike stars could host an Earth-sized world.These are ones that would take 200 to 400 days to complete a yearly orbit.
Four out of every 100 sunlike stars doesn't sound like a big number.It would mean,however,that the Milky Way could host more than a billion Earth-sized planets with a chance for life.

The Earth is a planet orbiting in the Sun's habitable zone.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned

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第三篇

“Life Form Found" on Saturn ' s Titan

Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life on the Saturn'5 moon.The discovery of a sort of
life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,
which pointed to the existence of methane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.
Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are"breathing"in Titan's
dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.
They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane
lakes and rivers.This,they say,points to the existence of some"bugs"consuming the hydrogen at the surface
of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.
"We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar
to the way we consume oxygen on Earth,"says NASA scientist Chris McKay."If these signs do turn out to be
a sign of life,it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from
water-based life on Earth."
To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-water-based
microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan,where
temperatures are around minus 17 Kelvin(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methane-based organism would
have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes,but not water itself. Water is frozen
solid on Titan'5 surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.
Scientists had expected the Sun'5 interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of
acetylene on Titan'5 surface.But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.
The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explana-
tion,said Mark Allen,a principal investigator of the NASA Titan team.
"Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-
biological explanations are addressed,"Allen said."We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-bio-
logical explanations.It is more likely that a chemical process,without biology,can explain these results."

It can be inferred from Mark Allen's address that_____________.
A:scientists are trying to confirm these is life on Titan
B:scientists agree that a chemical process is a convincing explanation
C:scientists share the opinion that a biological explanation is reasonable
D:scientists are arguing over whether there is life on Titan

Mercury’s（ ）is so much greater than the Earth’s that it completes more than four revolutions around the Sun in the time it takes the Earth to complete one.

A.velocity
B.orbit
C.weight
D.diameter