TwoChinesespacecraftssuccessfullycompletedChina’sfirstspacedocking(对接)earlyNovember32011whichhastakenthecountryastepclosertobuildingitsownspacestation.

NearlytwodaysafteritslaunchtheunmannedspacecraftShenzhouVIIIdockedwiththespacelabmoduleTiangongImorethan343kmabovetheearthsurface.ShenzhouVIIIandTiangongItookapartafterflyingtogetherfor12days.Onthe14thofNovemberthetwospacecraftsfinishedtheseconddocking.ThenShenzhouVIIIpartedfromTiangongIagainandreturnedtotheearthsafelyonthe17th.TiangongIisstilltravelingaroundtheearthinthespacewaitingforthearrivalofShenzhouIXandXandsooninthenearfuture.

ThatmarkedanothergreatleapforChina’sspaceprogramandmadeChinathethirdcountryintheworldaftertheUnitedStatesandRussiamasterthespacedockingtechnique(空间对接技术).

Theworld’sfirstspacedockingwasachievedin1966whenthemannedU.SspacecraftGemini8dockedwithanunmannedAgenaTargetVehicle.SpacedockingisnecessarytoexplorespacebeyondEarth’sorbit(轨道).“ThecapabilityincreasesChina’sabilitytoactindependentlyinspaceaswellasitsabilitytoworktogetherwithothers”saidGregoryKulackiaU.S.spacescientistandsenioranalyst.

“WiththesuccessofitsfirstspacedockingChinaisnowequippedwiththebasictechnologyandabilityrequiredfortheconstructionofaspacestation”saidZhouJianpingchiefdesignerofChina’smannedspaceprogram.”Thecountryisonitswaytobuildingapermanentmannedspacestationaround2020.”

1 WhatdidthesuccessofthefirstspacedockingmeantoChina?

A.ChinahascaughtupwiththeUnitedStatesinthespaceexplorationfield.

B.Chinatookastepclosertobuildingitsownspacestation.

C.Chinabecamethefirstcountrytomasterthespacedockingtechnique.

D.Chinahastheabilitytobuildapermanentmannedspacestationrightnow.

2 Whatdoestheunderlinedword“That”inthethirdparagraphreferto?

A.ShenzhouVIII B.TiangongI

C.TheSpaceStation D.ThesuccessofChina’sfirstspacedocking

3 Whatcanwelearnfromthepassage?

A.Tiangong