托福阅读机经背景科学类：移民到外星球.docx

智课网TOEFL备考资料托福阅读机经背景科学类：移民到外星球 其它星球可能存在着生命一直以来都是科幻电影的主题。现在，这种可能性有可能变成现实。据天文学家说，他们已经发现了一个适合人类居住的星球。这个星球围绕着临近恒星运转且距地球只有20光年。 The possibility of life on other planets has been a staple of science fiction for decades. Now that possibility has taken a step closer to reality as astronomers say they have found a planet orbiting a star a mere 20 light-years away that has the right conditions for life to exist. Scientists are calling it the first Goldilocks planet, as its temperature seems to be just right to harbor life. 由于这个行星可能具备适合生命居住的条件，于是科学家便把这个新发现的行星叫做“Goldilocks”。 The planet has to be the right distance from the star so its not too hot and not too cold that liquid water can exist, says Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. And then the planet has to have the right surface gravity. 来自华盛顿卡内基学院的保罗?巴特勒说：“由于这颗行星距临近恒星的距离恰好合适，所以这个星球上的温度既不太热也不太冷。这正好使液态水能很好的保存下来。如此以来，这个星球表面就有一定的重力存在。” Butler spoke Wednesday afternoon at a news conference organized by the National Science Foundation, the organization that funded Butlers research. Astronomers have found hundreds of planets orbiting other stars in the past decade, but they have all been so far from their suns that any water would be solid ice or so close that liquid water would boil away. 星期三下午，巴特勒在由美国国家科学基金会组织的新闻招待会上发表了上述演讲。这个组织给他的项目研究提供了一定资金上的支持。其实在过去的几十年里，科学家已经发现了成百上千围绕其它恒星运转的行星，但它们都因距离太阳太远而致使其星球上的液态水都凝固成了固态水，或蒸发不见了。 The new planet, called Gliese 581-g, is different. But Butler has no direct evidence that Gliese 581-g actually has water. 这个叫做Gliese 581g的行星很特别。但巴特勒目前还没有获得任何证明这个行星上存在水的直接证据。 What we know is that this planet exists at the right distance for liquid water, and that it has the right amount of mass to hold onto an atmosphere and to protect its liquid water on the surface, he says. And of course, any subsequent discussion about life is purely speculative. 巴特勒说：“据我们所知，现在这个行星所处的位置正好位于保留住液态水存在的最好位置。这样，这个行星就具备合适的质量以支撑大气层并维持其地面上液态水的存在。当然，任何关于这个星球上存在生命这类的后续话题都纯属人们的推测罢了。”