A
It seems we can't get off the planet fast enough.Two thirds of NASA's money is spent on manned space exploration，and that number will grow with the USA's decision to send a man to Mars in 2037.We've seen all there is to see on Earth，right？Wrong.The final place is here，under the surface of the sea.
Heading down into the ocean，human limits are quickly reached.At 200 metres，the water is as black as a moonless night.Most nuclear submarines (核潜艇) would implode (内爆) before they reach 1 km down.At 3 km—still less than the average depth of the ocean—there's a good chance that you'll discover a new species.The deepestdiving whales go no further.At the very bottom，about 11 km down，lies the Challenger Deep，the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.Eighteen humans have walked on the Moon，but only three have seen the Deep with their own eyes.
Yet things live down there.Big things.A very loud sound was once heard and scientists suggested that it was produced by an animal bigger than a blue whale，the largest creature known on the planet.
In the late 1990s，a deepwater submarine was dropped in the Southern Ocean，and passing 4，000 metres，it discovered something huge passing under it.Surprised？Don't be.The ocean covers 70% of the planet's surface and we've studied less than 5% of it.We know more about the dark side of the Moon than about the bottom of the sea.
One reason that we explore space is to find evidence of other life forms.The search for life outside of Earth is important，but robots can look under the dry rocks of Mars better than humans.They're absolutely important for doing ocean research too，but they can't look under the sea.The cost of exploration is rising，but the results would benefit all our lives.Understanding the oceans will help us find new sources of food，drugs and energy.
Perhaps now it's time to begin a new period of sea exploration.Manned exploration of space is science fiction.The adventure of the deep sea is science fact.
【语篇解读】 这是一篇说明文。文章通过对the Mariana Trench和Southern Ocean海底勘探的描述，指出人类对深海的探索或许比对太空的探索更具现实意义。
1．What do the examples in Paragraph 2 suggest?
A．Sea exploration is no easy task.
B．Nuclear submarines need to be improved.
C．The ocean is far deeper than people expected.
D．The condition under the sea is similar to that on the Moon.
A [细节理解题。由第二段中的“Eighteen humans have walked on the Moon，but only three have seen the Deep with their own eyes.”可知，比起探索太空，人类对于深海的探索更艰难。故选A项。]
2．What do we know about the Challenger Deep?
A．Blue whales live there.
B．No one has ever been there.
C．People are terrified by the sight of it.
D．It is the deepest known location on Earth.
D [细节理解题。由第二段“At the very bottom，about 11 km down，lies the Challenger Deep，the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.”可知，the Challenger Deep位于海底大概11千米的位置，是the Mariana Trench最深的部分。与 D项相符，故选D项。]
3．What does the author think of the discovery in the Southern Ocean?
A．It's surprising. B．It's no wonder.
C．It's worrying. D．It's no success.
B [细节理解题。由第四段“it discovered something huge passing under it.Surprised？...about the bottom of the sea.”可知，对于在Southern Ocean中的发现，作者并不感到惊讶，地球表面70%被海水覆盖，人类对于它的研究还不到5%。对月球阴暗面的了解都比海底多。故选B项。]
4．What does the author want to tell us?
A．Space exploration is of little value.
B．We spend too much money on space travel.
C．Humans' success lies in how much they explore the sea.
D．The ocean is the place where we should make our efforts.
D [主旨大意题。由倒数第二段最后两句话可知探索海底，虽然费用高一些，但可以帮人类找到更多食物、药品和能量来源，对人类的实际意义更大。故选D项。]
