NASA’s Perseverance rover finds ancient lake bed on Mars

admin 2024年3月5日

Beginner

science & technology, science & technology - beginner

©REUTERS

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Do you believe that humans will be able to live on another planet someday?
Have you heard about recent discoveries related to space exploration?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

mainly /MEYN-lee/

[adverb] – indicates that something is predominantly or primarily the case
She mainly enjoys spending her weekends outdoors, hiking, and exploring nature.

scientist /SAHY-uhn-tist/

[noun] – an expert who studies or works in one of the sciences
Marine scientists explore the depths of the ocean to understand and protect underwater ecosystems.

surprisingly /ser-PRAHY-zing-lee/

[adverb] – unexpectedly or in a way that is unusual
The experiment’s results were surprisingly positive, exceeding the researchers’ expectations.

rock /rok/

[noun] – the dry solid part of the earth’s surface, or any large piece of this that sticks up out of the ground or the sea
Geologists study the layered rocks to understand the geological history of the region.

planet /PLAN-it/

[noun] – an extremely large, round mass of rock and metal, such as Earth, or of gas, such as Jupiter, that moves in a circular path around the sun or another star
Earth is the only planet known to support life in our solar system.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

In a big discovery, NASA’s Perseverance rover found clues of old lake materials on Mars, mainly in a place called Jezero Crater. This exciting news comes from looking at information collected by the rover’s special radar. Teams from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Oslo studied this data, and their findings are in the journal Science Advances.

In 2022, the rover, like a car, went around Mars using its radar to look under the ground. The special scans found dirt in Jezero Crater, hinting that Mars was once warmer and wetter. Scientists are happy because they can study Jezero’s old materials, around 3 billion years old, with samples collected by Perseverance. They want to bring these samples back to Earth. Surprisingly, samples from February 2021 showed volcanic rocks, not dirt. But both studies fit together, showing the rocks also changed with water. Recent radar findings tell about the ground before and after the dirt layers, giving a better look at Jezero Crater’s complicated history. This news makes scientists more sure about their Mars exploration and helps them learn more about the Red Planet.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

The Perseverance rover discovered evidence of old lake materials on Venus.
The findings of the research are published in the journal Science Advances.
In 2022, the rover moved around Mars using its RIMFAX radar.
The scans found evidence of dirt in Jezero Crater, suggesting a cold and lifeless past for Mars.
Recent radar findings do not provide insights into Jezero Crater’s geological history.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

mainly

scientist

surprisingly

rock

planet

As a renowned __________ in the field of astronomy, she discovered a new celestial phenomenon.
__________, the new technology proved to be more efficient than anticipated.
Telescopes allow astronomers to observe distant __________ in other solar systems.
The restaurant’s menu __________ features vegetarian dishes, with a few options for meat lovers.
The coastal area is known for its unique __________ formations, shaped by years of erosion.