ZNO practice. Reading | Тест з англійської мови

Запитання 1

Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from sentences A-H the one which fits best each gap. There is one extra sentence.

NASA, the government-owned space program, once aimed to develop a re-usable rocket.1 ___ It plans to launch a manned expedition to an asteroid by 2025 and since this will require different technology, it is more likely that people outside the NASA program will develop re-usable rocket design.

Rick Tumlinson, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF),has spent the past two decades pushing for human exploration and settlement of the solar system. Space News magazine described him as one of the 100 most influential people in the space industry. Tumlinson has always maintained that businesses should get involved, and views NASA as a bit of a dinosaur.

варіанти відповідей

A At the same time, the SFF accepts that NASA's missions could bring other scientific benefits.

B More than one such firm has developed impressive solutions for getting into space and back cheaply

C Commercial activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing.

D However, the USA's priorities have changed in the 21st century.

.

E Here again, private companies may well prove them wrong in | the very near future

F The SFF's own view has always been that it is impossible for NASA to offer an 'open frontier'.

G In an early article he wrote about the government-owned space program, he made the following observation.

H SpaceX is prepared to meet this need - and at less than half the cost.

Запитання 2

2 ___25 years after the Wright brothers flew a plane for the first time, people could buy a commercial plane ticket, but 25 years after landing on the Moon, we sat around watching old astronauts on TV talking about the good old days.'

варіанти відповідей

A At the same time, the SFF accepts that NASA's missions could bring other scientific benefits.

B More than one such firm has developed impressive solutions for getting into space and back cheaply

C Commercial activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing.

D However, the USA's priorities have changed in the 21st century.

E Here again, private companies may well prove them wrong in | the very near future .

F The SFF's own view has always been that it is impossible for NASA to offer an 'open frontier'.

G In an early article he wrote about the government-owned space program, he made the following observation.

H SpaceX is prepared to meet this need - and at less than half the cost.

Запитання 3

Using his high profile, Tumlinson is going to try to prove a point. Space is our destiny, be says, so why not get on with it? He and his colleagues encourage any business that shares this aim. 3 ___ For example, in December 2010, SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) launched their re-usable space capsule Dragon. After circling the planet twice, it returned with parachutes, landing as planned in the Pacific Ocean. Tumlinson immediately congratulated the company on successfully completing the world's first commercial orbital space flight and recovery, saying, 'This flight will go down in history as a turning point for the opening of space to regular people.'

варіанти відповідей

A At the same time, the SFF accepts that NASA's missions could bring other scientific benefits.

.

B More than one such firm has developed impressive solutions for getting into space and back cheaply

C Commercial activity such as this is what the private sector should be doing.

D However, the USA's priorities have changed in the 21st century.

E Here again, private companies may well prove them wrong in | the very near future .

F The SFF's own view has always been that it is impossible for NASA to offer an 'open frontier'.

G In an early article he wrote about the government-owned space program, he made the following observation.

H SpaceX is prepared to meet this need - and at less than half the cost

Запитання 4

While it was a significant technical achievement for SpaceX as a company, the flight was also highly significant for the American taxpayer. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, the United States has an urgent need for commercial manned space flight. Until that happens, NASA will be totally dependent on the Russian Soyuz to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, at a price of over $50 million per seat. 4 ___ They submitted their proposal to NASA just days after Dragon returned to Earth.