Question

Even the closest star to us, Proxima Centauri, is very far away.

Scientists would love to get a closer look at this star and its planets. But the fastest spaceship ever built would take nearly 75,000 years to get there. That's just too long!

Scientists have come up with a plan-send a group of very tiny spaceships. Why tiny? The smaller something is, the easier it is to make it go fast. They're hoping a group of stamp-sized ships(Star Chips)could travel fast enough to reach Proxima Centauri in just 20 years. There they could take pictures and collect information. If there is any life there, the Star Chips might be able to find it-and say hello from Earth.

Each Star Chip will carry a tiny camera, thrusters, and sensors. It will ride a sail about the size of a picnic table. The plan is to send many, in case some don't make it.

Scientists hope that their tiny Star Chips will be able to reach a speed of 134 million miles(216 million km)an hour. First, the rocket will take the Star Chips to space. Once in space, they will open their shining sails. Then, people on Earth will shoot out lasers at the sails. All those lasers shot at the sails will push the Star Chips so fast that they will reach the moon in just two minutes.

The computer chip at the heart of each Star Chip is tiny like the ones in mobile phones. None of the other technologies has been built yet. The hardest part will be the lasers, which have to be extremely powerful. The team will also need to invent a light, strong, and very shiny material for the sails, and tiny cameras powerful enough to take pictures of planets. And they'll have to find a way to send those pictures back to Earth. There's a lot of work ahead. But if they succeed, the heart of a mobile phone may be the very first interstellar traveler.

1.Scientists plan to invent the Star Chip mainly because it .

A.could send messages to other planets B.could take photos and collect information

C.could find life in other stars and planets D.could be small enough to travel much faster

2.Powerful lasers will be shot at Star Chips to .

A.make sure Star Chips won't be hit in space B.send Star Chips to space from Earth safely

C.open the strong and shining sails of Star Chips D.give Star Chips enough energy to travel in space

3.What technologies about Star Chips are still waiting to be built?

①The way to send pictures back to Earth.

②The strong and shiny material for the sails.

③The tiny cameras able to take photos of planets.

④The chip as small as the ones in mobile phones.

A.①②③ B.②③④

C.①②④ D.①③④

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A.A Chip with Great Power B.A New Coming Spaceship

C.A Big Problem about Star Chips D.A Great Trip to Proxima Centauri

Answer 1