Scientific station on the moon 中国将在月球建科研站

张剑玉

月球是距离地球最近的天体，凭借其独特的空间位置和广阔的科学探索前景，月球成为人类地外天体探测和资源利用的首选目标。

China plans to establish a scientific station on the moon and has started preparatory research， according to a key figure in the countrys lunar exploration program.

“The next steps in our lunar exploration endeavor will be challenging and demanding as we aim to set up a scientific outpost on the moons south pole. In the near future， we will also send our astronauts to land on the moon，” said Wu Weiren， chief designer of Chinas lunar exploration program and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

He is now working on the planning and feasibility research on the proposed station and the lunar programs fourth step.

In Chinas most recent lunar mission， the Change 4 robotic probe， which consists of an unmovable lander and a rover named Yutu 2， was lifted atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket in December 2018 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest Chinas Sichuan Province， marking the countrys fourth lunar exploration and the worlds first expedition to the far side of the moon.

The probe made a soft landing on the far side on Jan. 3， 2019， and then released Yutu 2 to roam and survey the landing site in the South Pole?Aitken basin.

So far， the lander and rover have operated for more than 610 days. Yutu 2 has traveled about 520 meters on the lunar soil.

The Change 4 mission has produced a great deal of scientific results that have helped scientists around the globe deepen their knowledge and understanding of the silver sphere.

Reading Check

1. Where will the scientific station be set up？

A. On the moons north pole.

B. On the moons centre.

C. On the moons south pole.

D. On the moons east.

2. What did Wu Weiren think of the lunar exploration task？

A. Easy.       B. Bright.       C. Necessary.      D. Difficult.

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about？

A. A long March 3B carrier.

B. Yutu 2.

C. An unmovable lander.

D. The launch of Change 4.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs？

A. The probe made a hard landing.

B. The lander and rover have operated for two years.

C. Yutu 2 has traveled more than 500 metres.

D. The lander and rover have stopped their work.

Languag Study

问君能有几多“义”，soft的不同含义猜起来！

Match the underlined word “soft” in each sentence on the left with the proper meaning on the right.

1. He has a soft heart.                                A. weak

2. The fur is soft to touch.                            B. not loud

3. His voice is soft now.                            C. not brave

4. Cook the onions until they go soft.                    D. kind

5. Dont be soft—just jump into the pool.                E. smooth

6. If you appear to be soft， people will take advantage of you.    F. not hard