Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milk Way? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach your destination. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut-eye. They would have to sleep for years.
European researchers are now conducting hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a space flight to distant planets. If there was an effective technology, it could make deep-space travel a reality, said Mark Ayre of the European Space Agency last month.
What seems like science fiction is not pletely unlikely. Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleep-like state where they don't age. They have now moved on to small, non-hibernating mammals like rats. The results will be out by the end of 2004.
A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, whereas body organs are far more plex.
It's like moving from a simple Apple puter to a superputer, said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy's University of Pavia.
Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person's metabolism (新陈代谢) to lower so they would need less energy.
Medical research, however, is just half of a space flight hibernation system.
There is the challenge of designing a suitable protective shelter. Such a shelter would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor (监控) life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator.
According to Ayre, the six-person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission to Jupiter's moon (木星的卫星) Callisto, could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six humans on a five-year flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045.
【小题1】European researchers are conducting hibernation experiments to . A．ensure astronauts to get a plete sleepB．find the secret of some creaturesC．make preparations for the journey to Jupiter’s moon CallistoD．know if man can sleep for years【小题2】The sentence “What seems like science fiction is not pletely unlikely” means . A．Science fiction is people’s imagination. B．Science fiction is imaginative, but it can be realized. C．Things seem impossible may e true. D．Things described in science fiction are sure to bee true.【小题3】The passage implies that . A．putting living cells into a sleep-like state is full of failureB．Biggiogera is confident with the experimentC．human’s hibernation needs no energyD．medical research is the key to space flight hibernation system【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage?A．Six humans to fly to CallistoB．Human hibernation improves healthC．Space travel attracts peopleD．Deep sleep for deep space travelD
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(答案→)D
解析：文章大意：很多人都梦想到其它星球上去旅行，但是这需要花费好几年的时间才能到达，这样的话就得在途中睡觉休息，所以科学家在研究怎样才能让人们在途中睡觉。
【小题1】D推理判断题。根据第二段The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a space flight to distant planets.可以推知研究的目的是想看看人是否能睡几年，所以答案选D。
【小题2】 C 推理判断题。 该句意思是：看似科幻的东西并不是完全不可能。说明，似乎不可能的事情可能会实现。所以正确答案为C。
【小题3】B 推理判断题。根据句子It's like moving from a simple Apple puter to a superputer, said Marco Biggiogera.他说就像从简单的苹果电脑发展成高级的电脑一样，说明这是极可能实现的。Biggiogera对此非常有信心。所以答案选B。根据句子The results will be out by the end of 2004. 排除A答案，不能说完全失败。根据句子so they would need less energy.排除答案C。根据句子Medical research, however, is just half of a space flight hibernation system. 排除答案D。
【小题4】D 主旨大意题。整篇文章都是在介绍一项研究，研究如何在去太空旅游的路途中睡觉的问题。所以答案选D、太空长途旅行的熟睡问题。