Mysterious space rock神秘的【星際旅行】來自何方

江蘇泗洪縣洪翔中學 陳 偉

精彩導讀

太空中最新發現了一個形同黃瓜的星球。它從哪里來，又到哪里去？

It's been described as looking like a giant cucumber（黃瓜）made from rock.

So just what is so interesting about Oumuamua,and why does it often make headlines?

It was first spotted in October last year,the name “Oumuamua” was given by the Hawaiian scientists who discovered it,and means“distant messenger”.

Since its discovery,it's been said that this unusual-looking object is anything from a comet（彗星）to an alien spacecraft.

But after using powerful telescopes to observe it,scientists“found no evidence that Oumuamua is anything other than a long lump （塊） of space rock”,reported the Guardian.

What makes this lump of space rock worthy of our attention,however,is that it's believed to be from outside of our solar system,and could be hundreds of millions of years old.

Scientists also believe that Oumuamua may even contain ice in its center,but it's moving too fast for a spacecraft to be sent to its surface to carry out tests.

The fact that it's the first discovered interstellar（星際的）object,however,is exciting enough for scientists.

“This history-making discovery is opening a new window to study the formation of solar system beyond our own,”NASA administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said in a news release.

閱讀掃障

Ⅰ.熱詞積累

1.release n.發布；釋放

2.be described as被描述成……

3.be made from 由……做成

4.other than 除……之外；而不是

5.be worthy of值得

Ⅱ.典句剖析

What makes this lump of space rock worthy of our attention,however,is that it__________（believe）to be from outside of our solar system...

翻譯：_____________________________________________

【點石成金】句中what引導的是主語從句，that引導的是表語從句。“It is believed to be...”構成的是“主語+be+過去分詞+to do...”句型，可以和“It be+過去分詞+that...”句型轉化，用在本句型中的動詞還有think、hope、say、report，及 consider等。