2. 外语
  3. The Internet has made some men so rich and ambitious that Earth no longer seems large enough to contain their fortunes or egos.

The Internet has made some men so rich and ambitious that Earth no longer seems large enough to contain their fortunes or egos.

admin2019-10-13  60
问题    The Internet has made some men so rich and ambitious that Earth no longer seems large enough to contain their fortunes or egos. That is the simplest explanation for the revival of interest in space exploration. But exploring space has always been a noble and inspiring pursuit undertaken for motives that were neither. The first space race, which resulted in the moon landings, was also a struggle for military edge. This was not just a matter of missile technology. There are at least 350 military satellites orbiting the world today. The widely-used GPS system was developed for military purposes. If the moon has been largely abandoned, this is because it has no economic or military use.
   The second space race sounds more justified. Mr. Musk, for example, promotes his SpaceX enterprise as something that saves humanity from potential extinction if we stay on one planet. It is possible that a nuclear war could destroy all human civilization or all human life on Earth. But a colony on Mars could hardly survive without constant contact and reinforcement from Earth, and it will still be full of human beings as short-sighted and quarrelsome as those who destroyed their original home. The universe is expanding very fast but it will never get fast enough that we could leave all our imperfections behind.
   There is an economic rationale to these private space programs: SpaceX is now a profitable company and private enterprises can accomplish things that governments no longer can. The effectiveness of this argument is little diminished by the fact that it is not true: the private competition builds on and relies on the publicly funded work. But it is quite clear that what drives the second space race is not really economics; there are much more effective ways to make money The real reason is the powerful human desire for exploration and adventure beyond what anyone else has achieved in those fields.
   We go into space to advance the frontiers of science and to provide a new perspective on humanity’s place in the universe. In doing so, we fuel scientific curiosity and inspire generations. Billionaires may be leading that charge, but Pluto is not just for the plutocrats. A better solution may be a collective one: The UN "Office for Outer Space Affairs" is offering space trips for nations that can’t afford them. The heavens are not just left to rich men.
One of the purposes of the first space race was to______.
选项 A、find other inhabitable planets
B、store fortunes on the moon
C、gain military superiority
D、prove the self-worth of humans
答案C
解析 文章第一段第四句有…was also a struggle for military edge(军事优势的竞争)。
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