CNN新闻：木星的95颗卫星及其生命潜力

Jupiter’s 95 Moons and Potential for Life

常速| 六级 中等 | 355词 | 2分28秒

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. Based on the text, what is unique about Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons?

A. It is the hottest moon in the solar system.

B. It is larger than the planet Mercury.

C. It has volcanoes similar to Earth’s.

D. It is the only moon without water.

Q2. What maneuver will the Juice mission use to reach Jupiter?

A. A direct flight path from Earth to Jupiter.

B. A double gravity assist maneuver involving Earth and Venus.

C. A series of small propulsion adjustments.

D. A free-fall trajectory through the asteroid belt.

Q3. How is Jupiter different from the sun, despite being similar in certain ways?

A. Jupiter does not have a magnetic field whereas the sun does.

B. Jupiter fuses hydrogen into helium to create energy.

C. Jupiter is a gas giant but doesn't fuse hydrogen atoms into helium.

D. Jupiter is hotter than the sun due to its core composition.

Q4. What was revealed by the 1996 Galileo spacecraft mission regarding Europa’s surface?

A. It contains active volcanic regions.

B. It is completely dry and barren.

C. It is composed mainly of rocky terrain.

D. It has an ocean beneath its icy exterior.

Q5. Why do plumes of water on Europa suggest the potential for life?

A. They provide evidence of possible microbial life due to the presence of water, carbon, and hydrogen.

B. They show that Europa’s surface is hospitable for human life.

C. They indicate volcanic activity that can support life.

D. They reveal an advanced ecosystem similar to Earth’s marine environments.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Jupiter’s 95 Moons and Potential for Life

According to astronomers, how many moons does Jupiter have?

One, two, three, or 95?

The current count is 95 confirmed moons for Jupiter, (Q1) including the largest moon in our solar system, Ganymede, which is larger than the planet Mercury.

Scientists have been studying Jupiter’s moons for decades, sending probes to peruse them since the 1970s. After discovering some of these moons have actual oceans under their icy surfaces, the European Space Agency and NASA want to know, can these celestial bodies support life?

celestial adj. 天体的，天空的

Well, the Juice mission, named after the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft, is going to use some pretty cool physics (Q2) to perform the first double gravity assist maneuver.

(Q2) This week, the spacecraft will use Earth’s gravity to slingshot towards a Venus flyby in 2025, and putting it on track to scope out Jupiter and its moons by July of 2031.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jupiter has three moons with oceans underneath their icy shells. They’re called Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. Earthlings have been curious about these moons and their potential to house life for a long time.

earthling n. 地球人（科幻小说中外星人用语）

NASA first sent probes in part to get a closer look in 1977. Jupiter is a gas giant. That means it doesn’t have a surface. It’s a swirl of gases that can dense into a smoldering ocean of hydrogen at its core. It’s very similar to our sun in this way. (Q3) But unlike the sun, it doesn’t fuse hydrogen atoms into helium to create energy and heat.

helium n. 氦（化学元素）

Now back to those first NASA probes, they observed long lines and dark spots on the moon Europa. Typically, moons have cratered surfaces. But these images tipped scientists off that there might be an ocean beneath Europa’s icy exterior.

(Q4) In 1996, that theory was confirmed when the Galileo spacecraft reached Europa. It was the first ocean discovered on another planet. Then, in 2012 and 2016, the Hubble Space Telescope showed water plumes erupting from the warmest parts of Europa.

(Q5) Scientists don’t know much about the plumes. But if Europa has water and elements like carbon and hydrogen, it could mean that microbial life once formed there or even still exists.

microbial adj. 微生物的

Part III. KEY

Q1. B. 细节题。根据“including the largest moon in our solar system, Ganymede, which is larger than the planet Mercury.”可知Ganymede太阳系中最大的卫星，它比水星还大。因此答案为B。

Q2. B. 细节题。根据“...to perform the first double gravity assist maneuver ... the spacecraft will use Earth’s gravity to slingshot towards a Venus flyby in 2025, and putting it on track to scope out Jupiter and its moons by July of 2031.”可知该航天器将使用双重重力助推机动，先利用地球的引力在2025年进行一次金星飞越，并在2031年7月之前瞄准木星及其卫星。因此答案为B。

Q3. C. 细节题。根据“But unlike the sun, it doesn’t fuse hydrogen atoms into helium to create energy and heat.”可知两者的不同的在于，木星不像太阳那样通过氢原子聚变成氦来产生能量和热量。因此答案为C。

Q4. D. 细节题。根据“In 1996, that theory was confirmed when the Galileo spacecraft reached Europa. It was the first ocean discovered on another planet.”可知1996年，当伽利略号航天器到达木卫二欧罗巴时，该理论得到证实。这是在另一颗行星上首次发现的海洋。因此答案为D。

Q5. A. 推理题。根据“Scientists don’t know much about the plumes. But if Europa has water and elements like carbon and hydrogen, it could mean that microbial life once formed there or even still exists.”可知科学家对这些羽状物知之甚少。但是如果Europa确实水和碳氢等元素，这可能意味着微生物生命曾经形成过，甚至仍然存在。这表明他们可能支持微生物生命的存在。因此答案为A。

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