2022年托业考试模拟阅读材料1

2022年托业考试模拟阅读材料1MarsisthefourthplanetfromtheSunandiscommonlyreferredtoastheRedPlanet.Therocks,soilandskyhavearedorpinkhue.Thedistinctredcolorwasobservedbystargazersthroughouthistory.ItwasgivenitsnamebytheRomansinhonoroftheirgodofwar.Othercivilizationshavehadsimilarnames.TheancientEgyptiansnamedtheplanetHerDeschermeaningtheredone.Beforespaceexploration,Marswasconsideredthebestcandidateforharboringextraterrestriallife.Astronomersthoughttheysawstraightlinescrisscrossingitssurface.Thisledtothepopularbeliefthatirrigationcanalsontheplanethadbeenconstructedbyintelligentbeings.In1938,whenOrsonWellesbroadcastedaradiodramabasedonthesciencefictionclassicWaroftheWorldsbyH.G.Wells,enoughpeoplebelievedinthetaleinvadingMartianstocauseanearpanic.AnotherreasonforscientiststoexpectlifeonMarshadtodowiththeapparentseasonalcolorchangesontheplanet’ssurface.ThisphenomenonledtospeculationthatconditionsmightsupportabloomofMartianvegetationduringthewarmermonthsandplantlifetobecomedormantduringcolderperiods.InJulyof1965,Mariner4,transmitted22close-uppicturesofMars.Allthatwasrevealedwasasurfacecontainingmanycratersandnaturallyoccurringchannelsbutnoevidenceofartificialcanalsorflowingwater.Finally,inJulyandSeptember1976,VikingLanders1and2toucheddownonthesurfaceofMars.ThethreebiologyexperimentsaboardthelandersdiscoveredunexpectedandenigmaticchemicalactivityintheMartiansoil,butprovidednoclearevidenceforthepresenceoflivingmicroorganismsinthesoilnearthelandingsites.Accordingtomissionbiologists,Marsisself-sterilizing.Theybelievethecombinationofsolarultravioletradiationthatsaturatesthesurface,theextremedrynessofthesoilandtheoxidizingnatureofthesoilchemistrypreventtheformationoflivingorganismsintheMartiansoil.ThequestionoflifeonMarsatsometimeinthedistantpastremainsopen.Otherinstrumentsfoundnosignoforganicchemistryateitherlandingsite,buttheydidprovideapreciseanddefinitiveanalysisofthecompositionoftheMartianatmosphereandfoundpreviouslyundetectedtraceelements.MarsisthefourthplanetfromtheSunintheSolarSystem.TheplanetisnamedafterMars,theRomangodofwar.Itisalsoreferredtoasthe“RedPlanet“becauseofitsreddishappearance,duetoironoxideprevalentonitssurface.Marsisaterrestrialplanetwithathinatmosphere,havingsurfacefeaturesreminiscentoftheimpactcratersoftheMoonandthevolcanoes,valleys,desertsandpolaricecapsofEarth.UnliketheEarth,Marsisnowageologicallyinactiveplanetwithnotectonicactivity.ItisthesiteofOlympusMons,thehighestknownmountainintheSolarSystem,andofVallesMarineris,thelargestcanyon.ThesmoothBorealisbasininthenorthernhemispheremaybeagiantimpactfeaturecovering40%oftherotationalperiodandseasonalcyclesarelikewisesimilartothoseofEarth.UntilthefirstflybyofMarsbyMariner4in1965,manyspeculatedthattheremightbeliquidwaterontheplanetssurface.Thiswasbasedonobservedperiodicvariationsinlightanddarkpatches,particularlyinthepolarlatitudes,whichlookedlikeseasandcontinents,whilelong,darkstriationswereinterpretedbysomeasirrigationchannelsforliquidwater.Thesestraightlinefeatureswerelaterexplainedasopticalillusions.Still,oftheplanetsintheSolarSystemotherthanEarth,Marsisthemostlikelytoharborliquidwater,andthusmaycontainlife.GeologicalevidencegatheredbyunmannedmissionssuggeststhatMarsoncelarge-scalewatercoverageonitssurface,whilesmallgeyser-likewaterflowsmayhaveoccurredduringt