Astronaut selection is critically important to make a mission successful. It requires individuals who are capable of dealing with isolation from family and friends, crowded living conditions, great pressure to succeed and extreme danger.
What are the criteria for an ideal astronaut? Generallyt a person must be athletic and must possess both technical and interpersonal skills. Technical skills are particularly important. Astronauts need to be able to competently carry out scientific and technical tasks during the mission. They must be capable of taking accurate measurements and making observations while living in a weightless environment.
Interpersonal skills are also critically important. Studies have shown that ideal astronauts are people who can be either introverts （内向的人）or extroverts. Introverts tend to be withdrawn, which helps them put up with isolation from family and respect the privacy of others. On the other hand, extroverts are outgoing and provide social stimulation for a crew. Both character types are necessary for different reasons. There are many seemingly contradictory traits that astronauts should possess： introverted yet at times extroverted, leaders yet capable of being led, and so on. An astronaut s ability to adapt to different situations is most important.
As the duration of space missions increases, human factors become even more important. A manned mission to Mars would require a compatible crew that would ensure mission success* and of course• mission safety. Behavioral studies have been conducted in space analogs. which are environments similar to the confinement and isolation of space. These studies have shown that long periods of isolation can lead to sleep disturbances, emotional instability and depression一all things that would disrupt the work performance of a crew of astronauts. In order to minimize the chances of such conditions developing, the selected crew must get along extremely well. Easier said than done.
Scientists at NASA used the analogy (类比)of a jigsaw puzzle to describe the relationship of a crew of astronauts. The members of space crews bear a certain resemblance to the pieces in jigsaw puzzles： what is important is not so much the shape and color of each individual piece, but the way the different pieces fit together. There has been much debate over how a space crew for a potential mission to Mars should be selected, but currently a three-phase system is favored. In this selection process, the first phase is selecting a large group of people who satisfy the needed technical skills. The second phase is to pick out the individuals with the best interpersonal skills. The third phase is to group the individuals into mini-crews and then monitor those crews for compatibility as they undergo training for a mission. Finally, the most well-formed, smoothly-functioning crew of astronauts is selected as the best crew for the mission.
Astronaut selection is a difficult process. Many potential candidates nearly perfect for the job are rejected because of minor details. However, if you dream of becoming an astronaut> don't be discouraged by the odds, If the job description of an astronaut appeals to you, and you feel you have the “right stuff” for the job, then reach for the stars. In this case, the sky is not the limit.
The first phase of selecting the best crew for a mission to Mars is picking out those _____.
A、with good interpersonal skills
B、with excellent physical qualities
C、who function well together as a group
D、who can perform many scientific tasks
【正确答案】：D
【题目解析】：事实细节题。挑选到火星执行太空任务的宇航员的第一步是挑选那些怎样的宇航员。A为“那些交际能力强的人”；B为“那些身体素质好的人”；C为“那些团队合作能力强的人"；D为“那些能够执行许多科考任务的人"，与文章倒数第二段In this selection process，the first phase is selecting a large group of people who satisfy the needed technical skills符合。答案为D。
