（本節(jié)目所用的音頻資源于2022年5月發(fā)表。）

美國(guó)國(guó)家航空航天局（NASA）的 “毅力號(hào)”（Perseverance）漫游探測(cè)器在火星的任務(wù)迎來了一個(gè)重要時(shí)刻。

This is the sound of Nasa's Perseverance rover hard at work on the surface of the Red Planet. It landed on Mars 15 months ago. Since then, it's been on the move, trundling more than seven miles across the dry and dusty terrain.

這是美國(guó)國(guó)家航空航天局的 “毅力號(hào)” 漫游探測(cè)器在火星表面努力工作時(shí)的聲音。它在15個(gè)月前登陸火星。自那以后，它爭(zhēng)分奪秒地進(jìn)行探測(cè)任務(wù)，已經(jīng)在干燥多塵的地表上行駛了七英里多。

Now it's reached its target: a delta where a river once flowed into a huge lake billions of years ago. Scientists think the sediments there could contain signs of ancient life, possibly microbes that once lived in the Martian waters.

現(xiàn)在它到達(dá)了目的地：一個(gè)三角洲，數(shù)十億年前一條河流曾在這里流入一個(gè)大湖。科學(xué)家認(rèn)為，那里的沉積物可能含有古代生命的跡象，有可能是曾經(jīng)生活在火星水域的微生物。

The rover will climb up the front of the delta and search for the most promising rocks, drilling into them to collect samples. And some of these could be heading back to Earth – a future mission is currently being planned to retrieve them.

探測(cè)器將爬上三角洲的前端，尋找可能與微生物有過接觸或被微生物改變的巖石，在它們上面鉆孔收集樣本。“毅力號(hào)” 采集的一些樣本可能會(huì)被送到地球，目前正在計(jì)劃一個(gè)未來的任務(wù)將樣本一一取回。

詞匯表

rover 探測(cè)器
trundling 慢慢地移動(dòng)
dusty 多塵的
sediments 沉積物
microbes 微生物
Martian 火星的
drilling 鉆孔，打眼

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. According to the article, how long ago did the rover land on Mars?

2. What nickname for Mars is used in the text?

3. How far has the rover travelled since it arrived?

4. What is the rover's target destination?

答案  

1. According to the article, how long ago did the rover land on Mars?
The rover arrived 15 months ago.

2. What nickname for Mars is used in the text?
Mars is referred to as the Red Planet.

3. How far has the rover travelled since it arrived?
The rover has travelled seven miles.

4. What is the rover's target destination?
The rover is heading to a delta where a river once flowed into a huge lake billions of years ago.