高考总复习英语模拟演练：1-3-4a必修3unit 4　astronomy the science of the stars 含解析.docVIP

Ⅰ.阅读理解(建议用时16′)

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[2017·复旦附中高三检测]Spaceexplorationhasalwaysbeentheprovinceeq\a\vs4\al(W1)ofdreamers:Thehumanimaginationreadilysoarswhilehumaningenuity(创造力)strugglestofollow.AVoyagetotheMoon,oftencitedasthefirstsciencefictionstory,waswrittenbyCyranodeBergeracin1649.Cyranowasdeadandburiedforagoodthreecenturiesbeforethefirstmannedrocketsstartedtofly.

In1961,whenPresidentKennedydeclaredthatAmericawouldsendamantothemoonbythedecadesend,thosewords,too,hadadreamlikequality.Theyresonatedwithoptimismandambitioninmuchthesamewayasthemostfamousdreamspeechofall,deliveredeq\a\vs4\al(W2)byMartinLutherKingJr.twoyearslater.Bytheendofthedecade,bothvisionshadyieldedconcreteresultsandtransformedAmericansociety.Andyetinmanywaysthetwodreamsendedupatoddswitheachother.Thefightforracialandeconomicequalityisintenselypragmatic(讲求实用的)andimmediateinitsimpact.Theurgetoexplorespaceisjusttheopposite.Itisfigurativelyandliterallyotherworldlyinitsaims.

Whenthedustsettled,thespacedreamerslostout.Therewasnograndfollow－uptotheApollomissions.Thetechnologicallycompromisedeq\a\vs4\al(W3)spaceshuttleprogramhasjustcometoanendeq\a\vs4\al(P1)，withnosuccessor.Theperpetualargumentisthatfundsaretight,thatwehavemorepressingproblemshereonEarth.Amidthecurrentconcernsaboutthefederaldeficit,reachingtowardthestarsseemsadispensableluxury—asifsavingone－thousandthofasingleyearsbudgetwouldsolveourproblems.

Buthumaningenuitystruggleson.NASAisdevelopingaseriesofroboticprobesthatwillgetthemostbangfromabuck.TheywillserveasmodernMagellans,mappingoutthesolarsystemforwhateverexplorersfollow,whethermanormachine.Ontheflipside,companieslikeVirginGalacticareplottingabottom－upassaultonthespacedreambymakingitarealitytot