单选题 {{B}}Text 3{{/B}}

Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career, including three spaceflights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound (为地球引力所束缚的) experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss, then a science teacher at West Point, was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them. "I worked a bit with NASA engineers," says Voss, "but I did it mostly by analysis. I used a handheld calculator, not a computer, to do a thermodynamic(热力学的) analysis." At the end of the summer, he, like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall, summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA, deepened his desire to fly in space, and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly, and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50-year-old Army officer, who lives in Houston, is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. "It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA, and establishes a link with our colleges and universities," Voss explains. "There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important."
For the academic side, Voss says, "the ASEE program also brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom."

单选题 Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[精解] 细节题。题干意为“为什么液压燃料泵对航天飞机那么重要?”A的意思是“因为以前的密封圈都出厂问题”；B的意思是“因为在实施航天项目时它非常复杂”；C的意思是“因为必须十分注意液压燃料泵的密封性”；D的意思是“因为密封圈上的任何裂缝对宇航员都会带来灾难性的后果。”第一段最后一句的后半句为本题依据。原文中的destructive对应选项C中的disastrous。

单选题 The great significance of Voss' findings lies in ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[精解] 细节题。题干意为“Voss研究结果的重要意义是什么?”A的意思是“加强他加入太空飞行的决心”；B的意思是“进一步理解NASA”；C的意思是“巩固他在NASA项目中的宇航员的地位”；D的意思是“A和B”由第二段可知，暑假快完时，他像其他的在马歇尔航天飞行中心的NASA—ASEE工作人员一样用正规的陈述和详细的论文总结了他的发现，对于Voss来说那是一个珍贵的时刻，因为ASEE项目比他对 NASA有了更多的了解，增强了他对翱游太空的渴望，同时也使他申请宇航员的申请书的份量加重，所以C为错误选项，因为当时他并没有被录取成为宇航员。

单选题 How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starts in July 2000?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[精解] 推断题。题干意为“如果Voss成功完成始自2000年 7月为期四个月的飞行，他一共进行了几次飞行?”由第三段可知，自1978年以来Voss已经三次参与太空项目，目前他正在接受训练，准备作为宇航员从2000年7月起被送往国际站并在那里逗留四个月。文中提到的那个50岁的，住在休斯顿的老军官指的就是Voss，所以这应是第四次。

单选题 Which of the following is NOT true according to what Voss said on the ASEE program?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[精解] 细节题。题干意为“根据Voss在ASEE项目中所说的一翻话来看，下列哪一选项不对?”在第四段中，Voss说， ASEE项目对所有参与者对很有意义。这个项目将学述界的人聚集在一起，于是在一定时间内令这些人成为NASA的一笔特殊的财富。所以special property指的是人而不是大学，因此D“美国的大学是NASA的一笔特殊财富”不对。