单选题 Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career, including three space flights 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 (推进) 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 seals 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) 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 is 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】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 该题的答案见第一段的最后一句：Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seals could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.(但是，这对美国航空航天局来说很重要，因为密封蜡一旦破裂，将给航天飞机上的宇航员带来灾难性的后果。)句中的it指的是上文提到的Voss在这个项目中的任务，即分析航天飞机上的液体燃料泵这次为什么没出问题，而以前用的为什么出了问题。

单选题 The great significance of Voss"s findings lies in ______.
Ⅰ. strengthening his determination to join in space flights
Ⅱ. furthering his understanding of NASA
Ⅲ. consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 该题的答案为第二段的最后一句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.这句话很直接地告诉我们因为参与了ASEE项目，Voss加深了对NASA的了解，加强了他参与太空飞行的愿望，使他更想申请做一名宇航员。这与Ⅰ，Ⅱ的含义相符。
该句还传达了另一条信息：Voss当时还不是宇航员，因此还谈不上要“巩固”这一地位，据此我们可以排除Ⅲ。故D项为正确答案。

单选题 How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully?

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】[解析] 该题的答案见第四段Voss所说的话：It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time.文中的it指的就是上文所说的the ASEE program。Voss认为，ASEE项目对所有参与者都有好处，这个项目将学术界的人聚集在一起，在一定时间内，这些人成为NASA的一份特殊的财富。ASEE给予NASA的财富是来自学术界的人，而非American colleges和universities，因此，除了D项之外，选项A、B和C都可以得到印证。