今天小编为大家分享的是托福听力背景材料之宇航员。备考托福听力就要把听力文本吃透分析彻底。这样不仅能积累背景材料，还能把听力的专业词汇积累起来一块背诵。下面跟小编一起学习水晶球中电视的未来这篇文章吧!
Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment. Lee Billings reports. Outer space may look mostly empty, but it’s actually packed with cosmic radiation—gamma rays and charged particles produced by exploding stars, black holes and other violent astrophysical phenomena. Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field keep us safe from the worst of this steady barrage of subatomic bullets. But cosmic radiation would be a constant concern for astronauts on lengthy interplanetary voyages.
NASA and other space agencies have known for decades that this radiation can cause cancer and other cell damage. However, possible effects on mental functioning have been difficult to test. But a new study shows that, in mice at least, cosmic radiation likely causes cognitive impairment. The research is in the journal Science Advances.
The researchers mimicked cosmic-radiation exposure by briefly bombarding the brains of lab mice with high-energy particles. Six weeks later, the mice scored poorly on tests of learning and memory—they displayed less curiosity and more confusion than an unexposed control group. Analysis of their brains revealed inflammation and decreased numbers of dendrites, which transmit signals between nerves.
If humans are similarly susceptible, astronauts on voyages to Mars could suffer permanent cognitive impairment that could hinder their abilities to recall information and to think on their feet. Faster transits, new antiradiation drugs and better spacecraft shielding should help. But until those solutions are developed, sending brain-damaged humans to Mars would be a dim-witted thing to do.
疑难词汇：
akin to 同类，近似
cognitive impairment认知损害
cosmic radiation宇宙辐射
gamma ray n. 伽马射线，γ射线
astrophysical adj. 天体物理学的
magnetic adj. 地磁的;有磁性的;有吸引力的
barrage n. 弹幕;阻塞;齐射式攻击;[水利] 拦河坝vt. 以密集炮火进攻vi. 以密集火力阻击
interplanetary adj. 太阳系内的;行星间的
inflammation n. [病理] 炎症;[医] 发炎;燃烧;发火
dendrite 树突;树枝石;模树石
antiradiation 抗辐射的
dim-witted傻的 adj. 笨的
mimicked v. 模仿(活象)
长难句解析：
1. If humans are similarly susceptible, astronauts on voyages to Mars could suffer permanent cognitive impairment that could hinder their abilities to recall information and to think on their feet.
难句类型：
If引导的条件状语从句+that引导的定语从句
句子主干：
astronauts on voyages to Mars could suffer permanent cognitive impairment
难句拆分：
If humans are similarly susceptible，If引导的条件状语从句;that could hinder their abilities to recall information and to think on their feet，that引导的定语从句修饰impairment.
2. Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment.
难句类型：
What引导的名词性从句
句子主干：
Mice exposed to radiation
难句拆分：
what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment，What引导的名词性从句作to的宾语。
文本结构特点：
本篇文章主要讲的是研究表明宇航员在太空里的累计辐射很高，会遇到两种可能导致健康风险的辐射照射，这些问题是一定要解决的。
好了，以上就是小编为大家整理的备考托福听力背景材料以及专业词汇的学习。大家学会了吗?希望能在备考托福的路上助大家一臂之力。最后，小编祝大家在托福考试中取得好成绩!
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