Humans may not have landed on Mars (火星) just yet, but that isn’t stopping a European company from devising a plan to send four people to the Red Planet within the next few years. This project, called Mars One, aims to send a small group of people to Mars in 2022 and eventually establish a permanent colony (殖民地)on the planet.
“Everything we need to go to Mars exists,”said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp in March 2014. “We have the rockets to send people to Mars, the equipment to land on Mars, the robots to prepare the settlement for humans. For a one-way mission(任务), all the technology exists.” Yet the four astronauts chosen for the trip will be stuck on Mars—forever. And despite Mars One’s thorough planning, there are a number of challenges that may prevent the mission from ever taking place. The biggest road block could be the mission’s huge cost ($6 billion). However, Lansdorp is confident that Mars One will be able to fund the project by selling the broadcast rights for the mission and subsequent experiences living on the planet.
Those broadcast rights will also play a part in helping to select the people who will be sent to Mars. Lansdorp said the company will hold a selection process similar to a reality show. Lansdorp is expecting at least 1 million applications from people around the world. In addition to the cost, several other potential problems could inhibit (阻止) the mission to Mars.
“It’s even more challenging to send people there with life support, with food, with air, with all the other things like books, entertainment, means of communication and of providing for their own resources for a long stay on Mars,”said Adam Baker, senior lecturer in space engineering at Kingston University in London. “The size of the rockets you’d need to do this would be absolutely colossal.”
29. According to Bas Lansdorp, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Robots are prepared for the settlement for humans.
B. He could not come up with the fund for Mars One.
C. We humans have the rockets to send people to Mars.
D. The equipment is ready for humans to land on Mars.
30. The word “colossal” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___________.
A. very large B. very small C. medium D. average
31.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. Ready for a Round Trip to Mars B. Ready for a Short Visit to Mars
C. Ready for a One-way Trip to Mars D. Ready for a Walk on Mars