英语听力精选进阶版 6379

We might not be alone in the universe. Actually, it may be confirmed as a very crowded place by new computer models developed to help identify habitable planets.

Estimates of places that can sustain life have been based on the likelihood of them having surface water. But software recently developed by the Aberdeen University allows researchers to identify planets with underground water kept liquid by planetary heat.

Water is fundamental for life and planets too close to the sun lose water to the atmosphere through evaporation¹. On the other hand, planets located in distant reaches from their star have their surface water locked away as ice.

Sean McMahon, who is carrying out the work, explained: "Traditionally people have said that if a planet is in this Goldilocks zone - not too hot and not too cold - then it can have liquid water on its surface and be habitable."

But this perception might change when considering that planets can receive two sources of heat - heat direct from the star and heat generated deep inside the planet.

It is easy to observe it in our own planet. As you descend² through the crust of the Earth, the temperature gets higher and higher. Even when the surface is frozen, water can exist below ground.

There could be immense quantities of water in fact - teeming³ with primitive⁴ life.

Professor John Parnell, also from Aberdeen University said: "There is a significant habitat for microorganisms below the surface of the Earth, extending down several kilometres".

"And some believe that the bulk of life on Earth could even reside in this deep biosphere⁵."

So the Aberdeen team are developing models to predict which far-flung planets might harbour underground reservoirs of liquid water with the possibility of alien life.

Quiz 测验

What sign suggests to scientists that a planet can sustain life?

The existence of water.

Where might the heat in a planet come from?

The heat can come directly from its star or be generated deep inside the planet.

Is the following statement true, false or not given? Even at high temperatures there is plenty of life deep below the surface of the Earth.

True.

What phrasal verb in the article means to put something in a place from where it cannot be removed easily?

To lock away

What word is used to refer to beings that are very small?

Microorganisms

Glossary 词汇表

computer model 计算机模型

habitable 可居住的

to sustain 维持

likelihood 可能性

surface 地表

underground 地下

fundamental 基本的

atmosphere 大气层

evaporation 蒸发，挥发

on the other hand 另一方面

locked away 锁了起来

Goldilocks zone 宜居带，可居住地区

to descend 向下

crust of the Earth 地球的地壳

to teem 充满

habitat 生存环境

microorganism 微生物

biosphere 生物圈

far-flung 遥远的

to harbour 隐藏

reservoir 水库

1 evaporation   

n.蒸发，消失

参考例句：

• Be careful not to lose too much liquid by evaporation.小心不要因蒸发失去太多水分。
• Our bodies can sweat,thereby losing heat by evaporation.我们的身体能出汗，由此可以蒸发散热。

2 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

3 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

4 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

5 biosphere   

n.生命层，生物圈

参考例句：

• The entire biosphere was becoming more transparent.整个生物圈越来越透明。
• The impact of modern technology on the biosphere is evident worldwide.现代技术对生物圈的影响在全世界是明显的。