豪放2020年高考英语外刊时事命题阅读理解：天外不速之客撞击地球？An asteroid heads for our pla

2021年1月14日发(作者：时立军)
Anasteroidheadsforourplanet
天外不速之客撞击地球？
CoulditbetimetosaygoodbyetoEarth?AccordingtoNASA,a giantasteroid
(行星),whenwesayheadingforEarth,we< br>actuallymeanitsheadingforEarth’svicinity(周边),pa ssingwithin3,908,791miles
ofourplanet.
Offic iallyclassifiedas52768(1998OR2),thenear-misshasbee npredictedto
ingtoNASA,theasteroidistravelingto wardusat19,461
milesperhourandisabouthalfthesiz eofMountQomolangma.
Thespaceagencyfirstdiscover edtheobjectin1998andsaiditwouldbe“large
enought ocauseglobaleffects”pitebeingclassedas
“potenti allyhazardous(有危险的)”,scientistssaiditisnotonthelis tofpotential
futureEarthimpactevents.
Curren tly,theagencyhasidentified20,e,onlya
fewarecons ideredpotentialimpactors,whichNASAtracksviatheirau tomated(自动
化的)SentrySystem.
Thenear-miss1998 OR2mightnotposeathreat,butmanyscientistsagreeit’s< br>onlyamatteroftimebeforeamega(巨大的)asteroidcollid es(撞击)withEarth.
CardiffUniversityscientistIanM cDonaldtoldBBCToday,“Doomsday(
末日
)
aster oidhitsaren’realwaysrocksflyingthroughspace.
On eofthesewillhitusanditwillhaveprettydramaticeffect s.”
ThelastEarthimpactwasin2013,andterrifyingly nobodysawitcoming.
Dubbed(被称为)theChelyabinskmet eor,itexplodedjust30kilometersfromEarth’s
surfa ce,shattering(震碎)windowsandrockingbuildingsforover 500square
kilometers,accordingtotheBBC.w
Thi simpactinjuredaround950peopleinRussia,butitjustgoe stoshowhow
precariouslifeonEarthisandhowitcould bedevastated(毁坏的)bylargerfuture
impacts.
（选自
NASA
）
nwelearnabout1998OR2?
largeasM ountQomolangma.
adingforEarthat3,908,791mph.
kelytooccurattheendofMarch.
timatednottobeathr eattoEarth.
uldMcDonaldprobablyagreewith?
sl ittlechancethatthedoomsdayasteroidhitsEarth.
st eroidcouldunavoidablythreatenEarthoneday.
ialim pactorscouldbetrackedanddestroyed.
teroidscould collidewithEarthmoreofteninthefuture.