Passage 1 is adapted from Michael Slezak, “Space mining ：the Next Gold Rush?” ○C 2013 by New Scientist.
Passage 2 is from the editors of New Scientist, “Taming the Final Frontier.” ○C2013 by New Scientist.
Passage 1
Follow the money and you will end up in space. That’s the message from a first-of-its-kind
forum on mining beyond Earth.
Convened in Sydney by the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, the event brought together mining companies, robotics experts, lunar scientists, and government agencies that are all working to make space mining a reality.The forum comes hot on the heels of the 2012 unveiling of two private asteroid-mining firms.Planetary Resources of Washington says it will launch its first prospecting telescopes in two years,while Deep Space Industries of Virginia hopes to be harvesting metals from asteroids by 2020.
Another commercial venture that sprung up in 2012, Golden Spike of Colorado, will be offering trips to the moon, including to potential lunar miners.Within a few decades, these firms may be meeting earthly demands for precious metals,such as platinum and gold, and the rare earth elements vital for personal electronics, such as yttrium and lanthanum. But like the Gold rush pioneers who transformed the Western United States, the first space miners won’t just enrich themselves. They also hope to build an off-planet economy free of any bonds with Earth, in which the materials extracted and processed from the moon and asteroids are delivered for space-based projects.
In this scenario, water mined fro other worlds could become the most desired commodity.
“In the desert, what’s worth more: a kilogram of gold or a kilogram of water?” asks Kris Zacny of HoneyBee Robotics in New York. “Gold is useless. Water will let you live.”
Water ice from the moon ‘s poles could be sent to astronauts on the International Space Station for drinking or as a radiation shield. Splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen makes spacecraft fuel, so ice-rich asteroids could become interplanetary refueling stations.Companies are eyeing the iron, silicon, and aluminium in lunar soil and asteroids, which could be used in 3D printers to make spare parts or machinery. Others want to turn space dirt into concrete for landing pads, shelters, and roads.
Passage 2
The motivation for deep-space travel is shifting from discovery to economics. The past year has seen a flurry of proposals aimed at bringing celestial riches down to Earth. No doubt this will make a few billionaires even wealthier, but we all stand to gain: the mineral bounty and spin-off technologies could enrich us all.
But before the miners start firing up their rockets, we should pause for thought. At first glance, space mining seems to sidestep most environmental concerns: there is (probably!) no life on asteroids, and thus no habitats to trash. But its consequences-both here on Earth and in Space-merit careful consideration.Part of this is about principles. Some will argue that space’s “magnificent desolation” is not ours to despoil, just as they argue that our own planet’s poles should remain pristine. Others will suggest that glutting ourselves on space’s riches is not an acceptable alternative to developing more sustainable ways of earthly life.
History suggests that those will be hard lines to hold, and it may be difficult to persuade the public that such barren environments are worth preserving. After all, they exist in vast abundance, and even fewer people will experience them than have walked through Antarctica’s icy landscapes.
There’s also the emerging off-world economy to consider. The resources that are valuable in orbit and beyond may be very different to those we prize on Earth. Questions of their relationship have barely been broached-and the relevant legal and regulatory framework is fragmentary, to put it mildly.Space miners, like their earthly conterparts, are often reluctant to engage with such questions. One speaker at last week’s space-mining forum in Sydney, Australia, concluded with a plea that regulation should be avoided1. But miners have much to gain from a broad agreement on the for-profit exploitation of space. Without consensus, claims will be disputed, investments risky, and the gains made insecure. It is all of our long-term interest to seek one out.
42. In lines 6-10, the author of Passage 1 mentions several companies primarily to
(A) note the technological advances that make space mining possible.
(B) provide evidence of the growing interest in space mining.
(C) emphasize the large profits to be made from space mining.
(D) highlight the diverse ways to carry out space mining operations.
正确答案：B
分析：文章 1 的作者列举了很多公司，例如“Planetary Resources of Washington”“Deep Space Industries of Virginia” 和“Golden Spike of Colorado”，主要目的是支持他的观点：很多对太空
开发感兴趣的公司，正在将太空开发变成现实。
43. The author of Passage 1 indicates that space mining could have which positive effect?
(A) It could yield mateirals important to Earth’e economy
(B) It could raise the value of some precious metals on Earth
(C) It could create unanticipated technological innovations.
(D) It could change scientists’ understanding of space resources.
正确答案：A
分析：文章 1 的作者明确提到，太空开发的一个巨大好处是可以获得地球上的稀缺金属和要素, 例如金、铂等。这些稀缺金属对于经济发展是重要的。
44. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
(A) Lines 11-13(“Within …lanthanum”)
(B) Lines 14-16(“They…projects”)
(C) Line 17(“In this…commodity”)
(D) Lines 23-24(“Companies …machinery”)
正确答案：A
分析：见 43 题解释。
45. As used in line 11,”demands” most nearly means
(A) offers
(B) claims
(C) inquiries
(D) desires
正确答案：D
分析：原文中讲述到太空开发能够满足人们对于稀缺金属的需求(meet earthly demands for precious metals),因此这里的 demands 是需求、欲望的意思。
46. What function does the discussion of water in lines 20-23 serve in Passage 1?
(A) It continues an extended comparison that begins in the previous paragraph.
(B) It provides an unexpected answer to a question raised in the previous paragraph.
(C) It offers hypothetical examples supporting a claim made in the previous paragraph.
(D) It examines possible outcomes of a proposal put forth in the previous paragraph
正确答案：C
分析：文章 17 行提到从太空中开采出的水资源是特别有价值的。20-23 行通过叙述太空水资源可以怎样被有效利用(for drinking or as a radiation shield)来“支持太空水资源有价值”这一观点。
47. The central claim of Passage 2 is that space mining has positive potential but
(A) it will end up encouraging humanity’s reckless treatment of the environment.
(B) its effect should be thoughtfully considered before it becomes a reality.
(C) such potential may not include replenishing key resources that are disappearing on Earth.
(D) experts disagree about the commercial viability of the discoveries it could yield.
正确答案：B
分析：作者在文章2 中反复提到：太空开发应该三思而后行(But before the miners start firing up their rockets, we should pause for thought.)
48. As used in line 38, “hold” most nearly means
(A) maintain
(B) grip
(C) restrain
(D) withstand
正确答案：A
分析：作者先是提到反对太空开发的环境顾虑。但是面对着太空开发的的经济回报时，那些环境顾虑就很难再起作用(hard to hold).
49. Which statement best describes the relationship between the passages?
(A) Passage 2 refutes the central claim advanced in Passage 1
(B) Passage 2 illustrates the phenomenon described in more general terms in Passage 1.
(C) Passage 2 argues against the practicality of the proposals put forth in Passage 1.
(D) Passage 2 expresses reservations about developments discussed in Passage 1.
正确答案：D
分析：文章 1 的作者积极支持太空开发，并且列举了太空开发所能带来的各种经济回报;
文章 2 的作者虽然承认太空开发的好处，但是仍然表达出“三思而后行”的顾虑。
50. The author of Passage 2 would most likely respond to the discussion of the future of space
mining in lines 11-16, Passage 1, by claiming that such a future
(A) is inconsistent with the sustainable use of space resources.
(B) will be difficult to bring about in the absence of regulations
(C) cannot be attained without technologies that do not yet exist.
(D) seems certain to affect Earth’s economy in a negative way.
正确答案：B
分析：11-16 行中，作者表达出太空开发的各种好处，文章 2 的作者则认为，在没有形成规章制度的情况下，太空开发会引起各种分歧。
51. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
(A) Lines 34-35 (“Some…pristine”)
(B) Lines 42-43 (“The resources…Earth”)
(C) Lines 47-48(“One…avoided”)
(D) Lines 49-50(“Without …insecure”)
正确答案：D
分析：见 50 题解释。
52. Which point about the resources that will be highly valued in space is implicit in Passage 1 and explicit in Passage 2?
(A) They may be different resources from those that are valuable on Earth.
(B) They will be valuable only if they can be harvested cheaply.
(C) They are likely to be primarily precious metals and rare earth elements.
(D) They may increase in value as those same resources become rare on Earth.
正确答案：A
分析：文章 1 和文章都表达出太空中珍贵资源不同于地球上珍贵资源的观点。文章2在42-43 行明确提到：太空轨道中的珍贵资源不同于地球上的珍贵资源。但是文章 1 却没有这样的观点。而文章 1 没有这么直接，只是间接提到太空中的水资源，甚至比地球上的稀缺金属还珍贵。
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