“中国天眼”正式开启地外文明搜索，寻找来自宇宙深处的高智慧生命 | TEENS好文精选
“TEENS好文精选”定期推送《21世纪学生英文报》（TEENS）中的精选文章，部分文章配有音频或视频、知识点解析、测试题、课件或课程等学习和教学资源，内容丰富、形式多样~
今天的精选文章“Searching for alien lifeforms “中国天眼”正式开启地外文明搜索，寻找来自宇宙深处的高智慧生命。”来自《21世纪学生英文报·高一》第792期第4-5版。
Searching for alien lifeforms
“中国天眼”正式开启地外文明搜索，
寻找来自宇宙深处的高智慧生命。
Are you curious of looking up at the stars and wondering if there’s intelligent life out there? So is Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST, 500米口径球面射电望远镜), China’s mega-science (大科学) project and the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope.
On April 28, FAST, nicknamed “China’s Eye of Heaven”, embarked on its search for extraterrestrial intelligence (ET, 外星生物).
As the news went viral (走红) on social networking sites, someone commented saying: “Do not answer! Do not answer! Do not Answer!”
It seems that The Three-Body Problem (《三体》), a science fiction novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin, has influenced minds so deeply that people are worried about the possibility of the Earth being invaded (入侵) by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization.
That worry is, at least for now, unnecessary. Of the 1,800 planets that have been discovered, less than 20 are capable of supporting life, and the nearest among them, Gliese 581, is 20.4 light-years away.
According to Robin Hanson’s Great Filter theory, there is less than a one in a million chance of any extraterrestrial life form evolving (进化) into higher intelligence or a civilization. And since their distance from China could even be millions or billionsof light-years away, if they travel at the speed of light, it would take them at least millions of years to reach us.
However, that does not mean FAST’s job is meaningless. As mankind’s most sensitive (敏感的) radio telescope, FAST can best collect signals from the universe. Researchers can distinguish even a 4 Hz difference in the signals received, meaning it can best distinguish between manmade and ET-made signals. Even the signals from a non-ET civilization are useful, because they might contain some hidden information leading to the discovery of new stars or planets.
With FAST joining the cause, mankind can browse (搜索) the universe more deeply than ever before and increase knowledge about the universe. And whatever it achieves is the best evidence of China’s advanced technology in astronomy (天文学) and the study of the universe.
CHINA DAILY-TEENS
Learning FAST
Located in a naturally deep and round depression (洼地) in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) was completed in September 2016 and started regular operations earlier this year.
As big as 30 soccer fields, FAST is the world’s largest radio telescope. Until now, it has made great achievements in exploring space and assisting in the search for alien life. On May 1, FAST captured new fast radio bursts (FRB, 快速射电暴), which are quite short – only several milliseconds in duration. As FRBs are believed to be mysterious signals from distant space, the discovery will be significant to exploring the universe.
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测试题
Choose the best answer
01
What does the underlined phrase “embarked on” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. ended
C. released
B. began
D. continued
点击空白处查看答案
D
02
What does the “Do not answer!” comment show?
A.The popularity of Liu Cixin’s book.
B. Excitement at the news about FAST.
C. People worrying about being attacked by ETs.
D. The influence of science fiction novels on people.
点击空白处查看答案
C
03
What do Paragraphs 5-6 want to tell us?
A. What makes a planet suitable for intelligent life.
B. People tend to worry much more than they need to.
C. Extraterrestrial life forms will not threaten life on Earth.
D. There is a slight possibility that an extraterrestrial civilization exists.
点击空白处查看答案
D
04
What is the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
A. The importance of FAST’s job.
B. How FAST distinguishes between signals it collects.
C. How the FAST radio telescope works.
D. China’s advanced technology in astronomy.
点击空白处查看答案
A
