（本節目所用的音頻資源于2022年5月發表。）

美國國家航空航天局（NASA）的 “毅力號”（Perseverance）漫游探測器在火星的任務迎來了一個重要時刻。

This is the sound of Nasa's Perseverance rover hard at work on the surface of the Red Planet. It landed on Mars 15 months ago. Since then, it's been on the move, trundling more than seven miles across the dry and dusty terrain.

這是美國國家航空航天局的 “毅力號” 漫游探測器在火星表面努力工作時的聲音。它在15個月前登陸火星。自那以后，它爭分奪秒地進行探測任務，已經在干燥多塵的地表上行駛了七英里多。

Now it's reached its target: a delta where a river once flowed into a huge lake billions of years ago. Scientists think the sediments there could contain signs of ancient life, possibly microbes that once lived in the Martian waters.

現在它到達了目的地：一個三角洲，數十億年前一條河流曾在這里流入一個大湖。科學家認為，那里的沉積物可能含有古代生命的跡象，有可能是曾經生活在火星水域的微生物。

The rover will climb up the front of the delta and search for the most promising rocks, drilling into them to collect samples. And some of these could be heading back to Earth – a future mission is currently being planned to retrieve them.

探測器將爬上三角洲的前端，尋找可能與微生物有過接觸或被微生物改變的巖石，在它們上面鉆孔收集樣本。“毅力號” 采集的一些樣本可能會被送到地球，目前正在計劃一個未來的任務將樣本一一取回。

詞匯表

rover 探測器
trundling 慢慢地移動
dusty 多塵的
sediments 沉積物
microbes 微生物
Martian 火星的
drilling 鉆孔，打眼

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. According to the article, how long ago did the rover land on Mars?

2. What nickname for Mars is used in the text?

3. How far has the rover travelled since it arrived?

4. What is the rover's target destination?

答案  

1. According to the article, how long ago did the rover land on Mars?
The rover arrived 15 months ago.

2. What nickname for Mars is used in the text?
Mars is referred to as the Red Planet.

3. How far has the rover travelled since it arrived?
The rover has travelled seven miles.

4. What is the rover's target destination?
The rover is heading to a delta where a river once flowed into a huge lake billions of years ago.