Space could solve water problems




Is there enough to say?

 

They only appeared about ten years ago but already they are everywhere, everyone’s got one. They are the wonder of the modern age — mobile phones, or cell phones, A _____________________. Apparently, mobile phones are now used by about 2.5 billion people worldwide, and about one billion new mobile phones are sold every year worldwide. Go back to 1997, and only 100 million were sold. As we can see, the mobile phone business B _____________________.

And the developments keep on coming. Once we could only make phone calls; now mobile phones C _____________________ and do many other useful things. Once we had to hold our mobile phones in our hand; now we can use throat microphones. What next? We are told that soon, tiny microphones will be implanted into our lips. We’ll be able to dial numbers just by saying them.

But surely we need to ask ourselves: What’s good about this? OK, we can talk to other people almost all the time now — but is that so great? Watch and listen to people when a plane has landed. Anxious D _____________________, dial a number, and then: “It’s me, I’m here. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Is this communication? Is this what all these years of technology have brought us to?

In the early days of communication there were letters. When they arrived at your house, you knew they had been delivered by a man E _____________________.

In those days, people would think very hard before they wrote a letter. You had to have a good reason to write — communication was serious. Now it’s not — people phone each other F _____________________. Once the phone was a way for people far away from each other to talk — now it’s just an excuse to talk.

 

1. has been developed very quickly

2. not understand why they are doing it for

3. as Americans call them

4. riding halfway across the country on a horse

5. just because they can

6. can also be used to take and send photos

7. fingers immediately switch on the mobile phone

 

Space could solve water problems

 

Have you ever tasted saltwater? I guess you have and if so, you will agree with me that it’s not very refreshing. In fact, drinking more than a few cups worth can kill you.

According to the United States Geological Survey, whose mission is to collect and disseminate reliable, impartial, and timely information that is needed to understand the nation’s water resources, about ninety-seven percent of the water on our planet is saltwater; the rest is stored in lakes, rivers, glaciers and aquifers underground. Moreover, only about one-third of the world’s potential fresh water can be used for human needs. As pollution increases, the amount of usable water decreases.

Water is the most precious and taken-for-granted resource we have on Earth. It is also one of the most threatened resources. Increased population and possible climate change will put more and more strain on supplies of this vital resource as time goes on. What could we do in this situation? Though it may seem like science fiction, the solution could lie in outer space.

I’m not saying we’re going to be teleporting to a spring on the other side of the galaxy or colonizing another planet just to have longer showers – it’s much more mundane than that. What we could achieve realistically in this century is the successful use of the solar system’s rare metals and water, barring the invention of the matrix.

You may be surprised to learn that the metal in your keys, coins, cell phone, computer, car and everywhere else, originally came to this planet from space. When Earth formed, the heavy metals sank to the center and formed a solid core. The lighter elements formed the mantle and the crust we live on. Asteroids and comets that struck the Earth brought water and metals to the surface.

There are thousands of asteroids orbiting near Earth. Most asteroids are made of rock, but some are composed of metal, mostly nickel and iron. Probes could be sent out to these to identify useful ones. Then larger probes could push them towards the Earth where they can be handled in orbit.

In order to fuel ships and probes, we simply need to find a source of water, such as a comet or the surface of the moon. We collect the water and pass an electric current through it from a solar panel. The water separates into oxygen and hydrogen, which in liquid form is a powerful rocket fuel.

Is this really possible? We may soon find out. Private company SpaceX has already started delivering equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is proof that countries once at each other’s throats, like America and Russia, can work together and pull off multi-billion dollar projects.

Recently, a company called Planetary Resources Inc. made the news for getting big names like Google and Microsoft to invest in exploring asteroids for material gain. Although it will take many decades, it is wise to put the gears in motion now.

We’ve already landed probes on the surface of asteroids and taken samples from them. We can put something as large as the ISS, which weighs just short of 500 tons, according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in orbit.

We can make a half-million-mile round-trip to get rocks from the moon. We can do all of these things already. They just need to be applied and developed in a smart way.

 

 

What problem is raised in the article?

 

1) Cooperation in space.

2) Threats of climate change.

3) Danger of drinking salt water.

4) Lack of water supplies on Earth.

According to the author, the information published in the US Geological Survey is meant to …

 

1) assure the nation that there is still enough of usable water.

2) help to monitor the state of the country’s water resources.

3) demonstrate the quality of water the nation uses.

4) warn the public about the dangers of water pollution.

 

The author thinks that outer space …

 

1) is dangerous because of asteroids.

2) is a source of important supplies.

3) is not studied properly.

4) should be colonized.

According to the author, the space water sources may be used for …

 

1) fuel production.

2) water supplies for spaceships.

3) moon exploration.

4) the production of electricity.

The Google and Microsoft (paragraph 9) are mentioned to …

 

1) explain how Planetary Resources Inc. became famous.

2) prove that asteroids can be commercially attractive.

3) show that space research is important for computer science.

4) prove that asteroids can interfere with the Internet.

 

The expression “put the gears in motion” in “…it is wise to put the gears in motion now” (paragraph 9) means …

 

1) to explore.

2) to begin.

3) to move.

4) to invest.

What idea is stressed in the last two paragraphs?

 

1) There is room for further achievements in space exploration.

2) Asteroids are unique objects for scientific research.

3) Only smart administration can manage space programs.

4) International Space Station is the heaviest object in space.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово BEGIN так, чтобы оно грамматически соответствовало содержанию текста.

Zanzibar history

 

In 1896, Said Khalid seized power in Zanzibar. A British fleet soon arrived at the port of Zanzibar and ordered him out of the royal palace. Khalid refused to leave. At 9:02 on the morning of August 27, British ships started a fire on the palace, a war between Britain and Zanzibar__________.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово SEE так, чтобы оно грам­ма­ти­че­ски соответствовало со­дер­жа­нию текста.

 

Since then Teotihuacan _____ the Aztecs, the Spanish invasion and many other people and events.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово NOT FORGET так, чтобы оно грам­ма­ти­че­ски со­от­вет­ство­ва­ло со­дер­жа­нию текста.

 

After the tour they had so many questions for the senator! I could not help smiling at the interesting topics they raised. I’m sure they __________________ this great experience for a long time…

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово GREAT так, чтобы оно грамматически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China runs for 6,700 kilometers from east to west of China. It is one of the __________________ wonders of the world.

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово BUILD так, чтобы оно грамматически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

The Great Wall __________________ in order to protect the country form different aggressors.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово THEY так, чтобы оно грамматически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

But the tradition of honoring those who died in defense of ______ country goes back to the Civil War. The tradition to hold memorial services, visit the cemeteries, decorate the graves with flowers and wreaths originated in Waterloo, New York, in 1866.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово BECOME так, чтобы оно грамматически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

Since then, the Great Wall of China ______ a Symbol of wisdom and bravery of the Chinese people and a monument to Chinese nation for many hundreds of years.

 

Образуйте от слова NATURAL од­но­ко­рен­ное слово так, чтобы оно грам­ма­ти­че­ски и лек­си­че­ски со­от­вет­ство­ва­ло со­дер­жа­нию текста.

 

 

Robots of the future

Robotic engineers are designing the next generation of robots to look, feel and act more human, to make it easier for us to warm up to a cold machine.

Realistic looking hair and skin with embedded sensors will allow robots to react __________ in their environment.

 

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово DRAW так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

Leonardo da Vinci made the first real studies of flight in the 1480s. He had over 100 ___________ that illustrated his theories on flight.

 

Образуйте от слова POSSIBLE однокоренное слово так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

You may think it is______ but three centuries from now there may be over one hundred and thirty trillion people.

Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово SERIOUS так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

The UK also works to improve the global environment and has taken global warming __________________ ever since scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer.

 

Образуйте от слова PROTECT однокоренное слово так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

In 1997, the UK subscribed to the Kyoto Protocol binding developed countries to reduce emissions of the six main greenhouse gases. The Protocol declares environmental ______.

 

Образуйте от слова POSSIBLE однокоренное слово так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

 

А major breakthrough in crossword puzzle development came with the personal computer. Although many computer specialists used to say that it was ______ for a computer to create a crossword puzzle, software was developed which allows any person to construct their own crossword puzzles.

 



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