2016年职称英语考试理工类B级阅读理解练习题

　　2016年职称英语考试理工类B级阅读理解练习题：

ntists Confirm Water on Mars

NASA scientists said that Mars was covered once by vast lakes,flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life.

Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample; the lander’s robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.

"We have water," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona,lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer,or TEGA."This is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted."

The robotic arm is a critical part of the Phoenix Mars is needed to trench" into the icy layers of northern polar Mars and deliver samples to instruments that will analyze what Mars is made of,what its water is like,and whether it is or has ever been a possible habitat for life.

The soil sample came from a trench approximately 2 inches the robotic arm first reached that depth,it hit a hard layer of frozen attempts to deliver samples of icy soil on days when fresh material was exposed were foiled when the samples became stuck inside the of the material in Wednesday's sample had been exposed to the air for two days,letting some of the water in the sample vaporize away and making the soil easier to handle.

"Mars is giving us some surprises," said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona."We're excited because surprises are where discoveries come surprise is how the soil is ice-rich layers stick to the scoop when poised in the sun above the deck,different from what we expected,from all the Mars simulation testing we’ve done so far."

Since landing on May 25,Phoenix has been studying soil with a chemistry lab,TEGA,a microscope,a conductivity probe and science team is trying to determine whether the water ice ever thaws enough to be available for biology and if carbon-containing chemicals and other raw materials for life are present.

The mission is examining the sky as well as the ground.A Canadian instrument is using a laser beam to study dust and clouds overhead.

"It's a 30-watt light bulb giving us a laser show on Mars," said Victoria Hipkin of the Canadian Space Agency.

A full-circle,color panorama of Phoenix's surroundings also has been completed by the spacecraft.

"The details and patterns we see in the ground show an ice-dominated terrain as far as the eye can see," said Mark Lemmon of Texas A & M University,lead scientist for Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager camera."They help us plan measurements we’re making within reach of the robotic arm and interpret those measurements on a wider scale."

　　 was discovered by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars?

lakes

ing rivers

r in a soil sample.

ng things

　　 did the first two attempts to deliver samples fail?

sample vaporized away

h material was exposed to the air

samples got stuck inside the scoop

robotic arm hit a hard rock

　　h one of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?

ntists have been trying to break the ice-rich layers of soil on Mars.

ntists have been surprised by how the soil on Mars behaves

ntists have been trying to find out if there is life supporting material on Mars

ntists have been trying to know if water ice will melt

　e are the scientists involved in the research from?

are from America

are from Canada

are from both America and Canada.

are from neither America nor Canada

　h of the following do you think is the best description of Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager Camera,according to your understanding of the passage?

imitates human vision and is able to capture three-dimensional images.

imitates human voice and is able to record slight sounds while taking photos

takes clear photos that show every detail of the object

is this particular type of camera that can take wide angle pictures

参考答案：

31-35 CCACA