单选题 The number of permanent crew on the International Space Station will be increased, and possibly doubled, from 2006 by providing it with an extra "lifeboat". The move, announced in Japan last week by the ISS partner nations, means the space station crew will at last be able to do useful scientific research.
The number of crew on the ISS has been limited to three by the capacity of the Russian Soyuz capsules that would return them to Earth in an emergency. But running the ISS requires the full-time attention of more than two crew members, leaving just half the time of one of the crew free for research. This is woefully inadequate, and a NASA-commissioned report concluded in July that no meaningful research is possible with a three-person crew.
NASA originally planned to replace the Soyuz rescue capsule with a seven-person "crew return vehicle", which would have allowed the ISS to carry a significantly larger permanent crew. But faced with a $ 5 billion budget overrun, the agency cancelled the project last year.
Then last month NASA announced plans for an orbital spaceplane as a successor to the ageing fleet of space shuttles. This could double as a rescue vehicle for at least six people, but it will not be ready until 2010.
Waiting for the spaceplane could be a big problem as Soyuz capsules have only a six-month lifespan and the Russian agreement to supply them expires in 2006. This could leave a four-year gap with no guaranteed rescue vehicle for the ISS, and hence no crew. Russia has already warned that cash shortages could force it to stop making the capsules.
If the cash can be raised, however, the new plan is to permanently station two Soyuz capsules at the ISS, raising the rescue capacity to six. The ISS's Russian-built modules have three ports where Soyuz can dock, one of which is usually used for uncrewed cargo modules.

单选题 The first paragraph of the passage suggests that ______.

A、 a crew of six is ideal for ISS
B、 now crew at the ISS don't have adequate equipment to do research
C、 at present crew at the ISS do very little scientific research
D、 the ISS headquarters moved to Japan last week

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】推断引申题。本文第1段的最后一句中will at last be able to do useful scientific research这一部分暗示目前的3人编制根本无法进行科学试验。

单选题 Why has the ISS now had only three crew members?

A、 Because the Russian Soyuz capsules can't manage more.
B、 Because the ISS has only enough room for three people.
C、 Because three people are quite enough to run the ISS.
D、 Because NASA commissions report to limit the number to thre

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】具体细节题。解题的信息在第2段第一句中的limited by three by the capability of Russian Soyuz capsules that would return them to Earth in an emergency．

单选题 What does the word "capsule" in the passage possible mean?

A、 medicine
B、 crew
C、 cabin
D、 space station

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】capsule在文中是指太空舱，跟cabin机舱的意思较为接近，所以选C。

单选题 NASA cancelled its project of building a 7-person spacecraft because of ______.

A、 the limitation of technology
B、 lack of funding
C、 government's disapproval
D、 the insignificance of research work

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】具体细节题。见第3段第2句：But faced with a $5 billion budget overrun，the agency cancelled the project last year。

单选题 The biggest problem from now to the year 2010 for the ISS lies in that ______.

A、 Soyuz capsules are not safe enough
B、 the ISS will have a 4-year crewless gap
C、 more money is needed to maintain the normal operation
D、 the ISS partner nations can't reach agreement during this period

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本文在第5段描写到，俄罗斯同意把Soyez的使用寿命延长到2006年，但从2006—2010年间国际太空站将没有救生飞船，因此也不会有永久人员。这是a big problem。

单选题 Which of the following is the main idea of this passage?

A、 The crew life at the ISS should be made more enjoyable.
B、 More crew members at the ISS mean more disasters.
C、 The Soyuz capsules can only expire to the year 2006.
D、 The ISS is in need of more crew members.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】主旨大意题。综合各段的主题句的意思可以看出，本文主要是阐述如何增加国际太空站的人员编制，进行有用的科学研究。