Following news of the potential for life on the recently-discovered TRAPPIST-1 system, there may be another competitor ready to take its place.
With the help of the Cassini spacecraft, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists have picked up the first evidence that chemical reactions are taking place deep below the surface of Enceladus, Saturn’s (土星的) sixth-largest moon. This means that there could be life in Enceladus’ warm underground seas.
An early study found that liquid oceans exist miles below Enceladus’ surface. But to reveal what is happening down there, scientists must rely on the plumes (股) of water that spray (喷射) through cracks in Enceladus’ icy surface. In October 2015, NASA sent Cassini into a deep dive into one of the plumes.
Cassini’s findings, published on April 13 in the journal Science, showed that hydrogen (氢) not only exists on Enceladus, but is also responsible for a chemical reaction between hot rocks and water in the ocean beneath its surface.
This same process on Earth provides energy for entire ecosystems around volcanic vents (火山口). There, tiny creatures are able to survive without sunlight, using hydrogen and carbon dioxide as fuel in a process known as “methanogenesis (甲烷生成)”.
The discovery of this chemical energy source on Enceladus means it could be a very good candidate to host life.
“Confirmation (确认) that the chemical energy for life exists within the ocean of a small moon of Saturn is an important milestone (里程碑) in our search for habitable (可居住的) worlds beyond Earth,” Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at NASA, told the Daily Mail.
Alien life was once only thought possible on habitable planets within the “Goldilocks zone” – far enough from our sun not to be a fireball, but not so far as to be freezing.
Research on Enceladus is still in its early stages, but the recent findings have important meanings for future exploration.
“At present, we know of only one genesis (诞生) of life, the one that led to us,” David Rothery, professor of planetary geosciences (行星与地球科学) from the Open University in the UK, told The Telegraph.
“If we knew that life had started independently in two places in our solar system, then we could be pretty confident that life also got started on some of the tens of billions of planets and moons around other stars in our galaxy,” he said.
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. The connection between the TRAPPIST-1 system and Enceladus.
B. The potential for life on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus.
C. The chemical energy source on Enceladus.
D. Scientists’ constant search for life in the solar system.
2.Scientists assume that there could be life on Enceladus because ______.
A. there is evidence of a warm ocean under Enceladus’ surface
B. hot rocks and water have been discovered on Enceladus
C. hydrogen discovered on Enceladus could be a chemical energy source
D. the entire ecosystems of Enceladus are somewhat similar to those of Earth
3.According to David Rothery, the recent findings on Enceladus could mean that ______.
A. there is only one genesis of life in our galaxy
B. there could be many habitable planets, but all in the “Goldilocks zone”
C. it won’t be long before scientists find a habitable planet beyond Earth
D. alien life could exist on some other planets if it existed on Enceladus
It used to be a matter of fact when Peter Pan – a character from James Matthew Barrie’s 1911 book – said: “All children, except one, grow up.”
But this “fact” doesn’t seem to apply to today’s world anymore.
According to the NPD Group, a US market research company, sales of toys to adults in the UK increased by more than 20 percent in 2016, three times the pace of the children’s toy market itself. These toys ranged from puzzles and Lego building sets to vehicle models and action figures. And more than half of the sales came from millennials – people born between the 1980s and 2000s.
“Adults of the 21st century are channeling (疏导) their inner child, one toy at a time,” commented website Koreaboo. This is also why these adults are sometimes referred to as “kidults”.
According to Frederique Tutt, an analyst at NPD, the motivation of these grown-ups is to escape the stress of today’s fast-paced world. They are driven toward the more immediate pleasures brought by toys than those brought by, say, getting a promotion, which is far less easy to achieve.
“It reminds me of the playful side of life,” Rob Willner, a 25-year-old PhD student in the UK, told The Telegraph when talking about his love for Lego, which he said brings him both comfort and entertainment.
Despite this, some social scientists see the trend as disturbing. To Frank Furendi, a professor at the University of Kent in the UK, the fact that so many adults are pursuing “the thrills (刺激) of youth” is the evidence that “adulthood has got nothing attractive about it anymore”, he told The New York Times.u “That’s actually quite sad.”
But scientists are probably just worrying too much. According to Canadian comic book artist Todd McFarlane, collecting toys could simply be a way for people to express their individuality (个性).
“It’s just pop culture stuff. It’s stuff that says, ‘I like a little of this and I like a little of that’,” he told ABC News. “[It’s] no big deal.”
So now that over 100 years have passed since Peter Pan, perhaps it’s time to introduce a new “fact”, as stated in the tagline (品牌宣传词) of the UK fashion brand KIDULT: “Growing old is mandatory (强制性的), but growing up is optional.”
1.The author mentions Peter Pan in the text mainly to ______.
A. show the influence of the character on millennials
B. explore the similarities Peter Pan and millennials share
C. lead up to the trend of millennials’ love for toys
D. analyze what has made many millennials refuse to grow up
2.Why do many adults feel like collecting toys, according to Frederique Tutt?
A. They find it brings them both comfort and inspiration.
B. They consider it a way to relieve stress.
C. They want to make up for the pleasures they missed during childhood.
D. They usually don’t get along well in their lives and need an emotional outlet.
3.What can we conclude from the article about kidults?
A. They are well-known for their pursuit of independence and freedom.
B. Social scientists feel worried about them because they take nothing seriously.
C. In Todd McFarlane’s eyes, their interest in toys is a way to express their identity.
D. They refuse to make efforts to become promoted at work as they don’t want to grow up.
假设你是小明的好朋友李华，小明参加了一个英语演讲比赛，他对比赛非常担心，向你求助，请你根据以下内容给他写一封建议信。
赛前准备 | 做好充分准备：如平时可对着镜子练习
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用语简练, 使评委印象深刻 | |
比赛时 | 保持微笑 |
忘词时不紧张，继续演讲 |
[写作内容]
1. 说明回信的意图；
2. 向小明提出建议；
3. 预祝小明比赛成功。
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1.It was in the park where an accident happened to the old man.
2.I'm sorry for that I said.
3.The email play an important part in our communication.
4.The criminal has admitted to put the time bomb inside the railway station.
5.We've replaced the old adding machine for a computer.
6.The Asian Games are hosted each four years.
7.Edison is based his ideas on scientific experiment.
8.Your wife as well as you are friendly to me.
9.The company is in charge of Tom when the boss is away.
10.He used to getting up late but now he is used to getting up early.
1.She had a ____________(painful) in her right side.
2.Most middle-aged pay more attention to ____________(physics)health.
3.Let us combine our two firms against our ______(compete)．
4.How does one gain ____________(admit)to the Buckingham Palace?
5.One of the secrets of good health is ________(regularly)exercise.
6.We want some ____________(volunteer)to help in the hospital.
7.You should take ____________(responsible)for what you said.
8.They attended a party ________(host)by the president of the company.
9.We held a heated discussion on the ________(base)of fact.
10.Would you like to join us in ________(sing)?
Every one complains. Even if you argue that you are the happiest person in the world, you still complain sometimes. Sometimes you complain: without even realizing it, but rarely is it ever helpful. 1.Here are some tips to stop complaint and give up the negative thoughts:2.When you find yourself thinking or saying a negative comment about something or someone, stop and force yourself to say something positive instead. Seek the help of a cheerful friend to change you when you complain and help you to see the positive in the situation.
Make a list of things we are grateful for.
We often complain about the things we don't have without noticing those things we already have. Be grateful for what we have in our life because we are lucky simply for being ourselves. 3.
Learn to adapt to the changes. There are many things we can't change.4. Always find the positive side of each situation, regardless of however difficult the situation is. With parents' and friends' support, we can survive any life changes.
Allow yourself to vent（发泄）your feelings every once in a while.
Constantly ignored negative thoughts could add up. If you are really going through a rough time, don't be afraid to share your feelings with a close friend or family member or see a therapist.
Find what makes you happy.
5.Maybe it is time to make the hard decision to move on to another job or career.Uncover what your biggest complaints are about and see if you can change the situation to make you happy. Choose happiness, focus on the positive, and be kind always!
A. Sometimes this list can be easy, full of hobbies you enjoy.
B. Are you constantly complaining about your present job?
C. So how can you manage to force yourselves to end complaining?
D. Set down things we are thankful for and we'll see that we don't have any reason to complain.
E. Change the way you think.
F. The best and only thing we can do is to accept them.
G. Make positive people friends.
