我國計劃在明年發射火星探測器。在這次任務中，探測器在火星表面着陸是關鍵的一步，所以上個星期國家航天局做了探測器着陸的模擬試驗。
China's Mars ambition is one step closer
by David Culver, Lily Lee and Katie Hunt
China has completed its first public test of a Mars lander, keeping the country on track for an unmanned exploration mission to the red planet in 2020.
Mars /mɑːz/ n. 火星
lander /ˈlændə(r)/ n. 着陸器（由land加上表示人或物的後綴-er）
on track 在正軌上
unmanned /ʌnˈmænd/ adj. 不載人的、無人的
exploration /ˌekspləˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 探索（由explore加後綴-ation變成名詞）
mission /ˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 使命、重要任務
The trial took place Thursday in the mountainous landscape of Hebei province, about an hour and a half drive north of Beijing. Chinese officials said the landscape mirrored the slopes and craters（環形山） of the planet Mars.
trial /traɪəl/ n. 試驗（由try加後綴-al變成名詞）
mountainous /ˈmaʊntɪnəs/ adj. 多山的（由mountain加後綴-ous變成形容詞）
landscape /ˈlændskeɪp/ n. 地形、地貌
province /ˈprɒvɪns/ n. 省
drive /draɪv/ n. 駕車路程
official /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ n. 官員
mirror /ˈmɪrə(r)/ v. 反映、映照
slope /sləʊp/ n. 斜坡
The lander was suspended 70 meters above the ground on 36 huge steel cables, which rose up to 140 meters into the air. The test started with a loud boom and the spacecraft hovered（懸停） and then descended, coming to a stop a few meters short of the ground.
suspend /səˈspend/ v. 懸掛、吊起
steel /stiːl/ n. 鋼
cable /ˈkeɪb(ə)l/ n. 線纜
boom /buːm/ n. 轟鳴、巨響
spacecraft /ˈspeɪskrɑːft/ n. 太空船
descend /dɪˈsend/ v. 下降、降落
short /ʃɔːt/ adj. 不及
How to safely land on Mars is one of the biggest challenges facing the Mars mission, which officials said was on course to launch next year. If successful, China will be only the second country in the world to achieve the feat.
face /feɪs/ v. 面臨、面對
course /kɔːs/ n. 發展過程
launch /lɔːntʃ/ v. 發射
feat /fiːt/ n. 壯舉、偉業
According to officials, the trial was designed to test the lander's ability to hover and avoid obstacles, as well as monitoring how well it operated in a similar environment to Mars, where the pull of gravity is one-third of the Earth's gravitational（重力的） force.
obstacle /ˈɒbstək(ə)l/ n. 障礙物
as well as = and also
monitor /ˈmɒnɪtə(r)/ v. 監測
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 運作
gravity /ˈɡrævəti/ n. 重力
force /fɔːs/ n. 力
China invited diplomats and international media to witness the test. The Chinese government told the dozens of watching journalists that the test had been a success. "This simulation is a critical milestone for the development of the Mars probe," said Wu Yanhua, vice administrator of the China National Space Administration.
diplomat /ˈdɪpləmæt/ n. 外交官
media /ˈmiːdiə/ n. 媒體、新聞媒體
witness /ˈwɪtnəs/ v. 目睹、見證
journalist /ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst/ n. 記者
simulation /ˌsɪmjuːˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 模擬
critical /ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)l/ adj. 關鍵性的
milestone /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ n. 里程碑
probe /prəʊb/ n. 探測器
vice /vaɪs/ administrator /ədˈmɪnɪstreɪtə(r)/ 副局長
China National Space Administration 中國國家航天局
China developed the powerful Long March 5 rocket to launch the Mars spacecraft next year. However, a test of that rocket failed in 2017, threatening to delay the country's push to become a leading space power. Reports suggest that another test will take place before the end of this year.
Long March 長征
rocket /ˈrɒkɪt/ n. 火箭
threaten /ˈθret(ə)n/ v. 威脅
power /ˈpaʊə(r)/ n. 強國
suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 暗示
China was late to the space race – it didn't send its first satellite into space until 1970, just after the United States put the first man on the moon. But in the decades since, China has pumped billions of dollars and other resources into research and training.
satellite /ˈsæt(ə)laɪt/ n. 人造衛星
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
pump /pʌmp/ v. 輸送、注入
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十億
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 資源
In addition to the Mars mission, China has been actively pursuing lunar exploration. The Chang'e-4 lunar probe successfully touched down on the far side of the moon in January, a historic first and major achievement for China's space program.
in addition to 除了…之外
actively /ˈæktɪvli/ adv. 積極主動地（由active加後綴-ly變成副詞）
pursue /pəˈsjuː/ v. 追求、致力於
lunar /ˈluːnə(r)/ adj. 月亮的
touch down 着陸、落地
historic /hɪˈstɒrɪk/ adj. 有歷史意義的
major /ˈmeɪdʒə(r)/ adj. 主要的、重大的
achievement /əˈtʃiːvmənt/ n. 成就（由achieve加後綴-ment變成名詞）
program /ˈprəʊɡræm/ n. 計劃、方案
In 2020, the next lunar mission is due to land on the moon, collect samples and return to Earth, while preliminary plans are underway for a manned lunar mission in the 2030s. If successful, China would become only the second country, after the United States, to put a citizen on the moon.
due /djuː/ adj. 預定的
sample /ˈsɑːmp(ə)l/ n. 樣品、樣本
preliminary /prɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)ri/ adj. 初步的
underway /ˌʌndəˈweɪ/ adj. 進行中
manned /mænd/ adj. 載人的
citizen /ˈsɪtɪz(ə)n/ n. 公民
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