While scientists are searching the cause of the Columbia disaster， NASA is moving ahead with plans to develop a new craft that would¹ replace shuttles on space station missions by 2012 and respond quickly to space station emergencies.

    The space agency released the first set of mission needs and requirements several days ago for the orbital space plane， which would be designed to transport a crew of four to and from the International Space Station.

    Although it includes few specifics2， the plan stipulates the orbiter will be safer， cheaper and require less preparation time than the shuttle. It would be able to transport four crew members by 2012 – though it would be available for rescue missions by 2010. NASA says the craft should be able to transport injured or ill space station crew members to “definitive medical care3” within 24 hours.

    The release of the requirements showed NASA remains focused on the long-term priorities of space exploration， even as questions linger concerning the loss of Columbia and its seven-member crew on February 1，20034.

    Experts at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville， Alabama， have been working for years on a successor to the shuttle. The project， known as the Space Launch Initiative， was divided last year into two parts – one focusing on a future launch vehicle， the other on a space station orbiter. The orbiter is expected to be ready sooner.

    The program’s managers say NASA officials have told them not to alter Space Launch Initiative in light of the Columbiadisaster.

    U.S. President George W. Bush asked Congress for about US$1 billion for Space Launch Initiative in 2004， funds that would be almost equally split between the Orbital Space Plane and Next Generation Launch Technology.

词汇

shuttle["ʃʌtl] n.（织机的）穿梭机; 

initiative[ɪ"nɪʃətɪv] n.创始，倡议;

orbiter[ˈɔ:bɪtə(r)] n.轨道航天飞机

in light of 鉴于，由于

linger ["lɪŋɡə(r)]v.继续存留

注释：

1．would:这是虚拟语气的用法，表示未来可能发生的事。下面第三段出现的两个would也属这种用法。

2．few specifics:（谈到）很少细节。specific意为“详情，细节”时，一定要用复数形式的specifics o

3．"definitive medical care”：“最权威的医疗机构”

Besides the main missions stipulated by NASA,the orbiter would also be used as____.

A:a space hospital B:a medical research center C:a medicine-transporting vehicle D:a space ambulance

Besides listening to your opponent, you must also closely observe his or her gestures.

Besides applying for breathing space from creditors, managers in American firms can also ______.

A:take advantage of legal procedures. B:ask for the government's interventions. C:damage the creditors' potential assets. D:talk with their stern debtors abroad.

In every cultivated language there are two great classes of words which, taken together, comprises the whole vocabulary. First, there are those words (1) which we become acquainted in daily conversation, which we (2) , that is to say, from the (3) of our own family and from our familiar associates, and (4) we should know and use (5) we could not read or write. They (6) the common things of life, and are the stock in trade of all who (7) the language. Such words may be called "popular", since they belong to the people (8) and are not the exclusive (9) of a limited class.
On the other hand, our language (10) a multitude of words which are comparatively (11) used in ordinary conversation. Their meanings are known to every educated person, but there is little (12) to use them at home or in the market-place. Our (13) acquaintance with them comes not from our mother’s (14) or from the talk of our school-mates, (15) from books that we read, lectures that we (16) , or the more (17) conversation of highly educated speakers who are discussing some particular (18) in a style appropriately elevated above the habitual (19) of everyday life. Such words are called "learned", and the (20) between them and the "popular" words is of great importance to a right understanding of linguistic process.

A:besides B:and C:or D:but

Many of the activities performed during the preliminary investigation are still being conducted in （）, but in much greater depth than before. During this phase, the analyst must become fully aware of the （） and must develop enough knowledge about the （） and the existing systems to enable an effective solution to be proposed and implemented. Besides the （） for process and data of current system, the deliverable from this phase also includes the （） for the proposed system.

A:logical models B:physical models C:design models D:implementation models

Besides heat, fuel, and oxygen, which of the following is necessary for a fire to exist?

A:Chain reaction B:Thermal action C:Chemical occlusion D:Pyrotechnical reaction

In boilers, besides maintaining the burner atomizers, air diffuser vanes, fuel temperature, forced draft fan, fuel pump and other hardware in good condition, there are some adjustments on the ______ that can produce a good flame for the most efficient operation.

A:fuel-air ratio B:compression ratio C:fuel rack D:viscosity index

In some type of two-stroke engines, besides some small holes for , starting valve, safety valve, indicator cock, and central opening in each cylinder cover for mounting the .

A:fuel valves; exhaust valve B:exhaust valves; inlet valve C:fuel valves; inlet valve D:exhaust valves; fuel valve