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1、MBA英语阅读理解(精读精解)Themarveloustelephoneandtelevisionnetworkthathasnowenmeshedthewholeworld,makingallmenneighbours,cannotbeextendedintospace.Itwillneverbepossibletoconversewithanyoneonanotherplanet.Evenwithtoday'sradioequipment,themessageswilltakeminutes-sometimeshours-
2、ontheirjourney,becauseradioandlightwavestravelatthesamelimitedspeedof186,000milesasecond.TwentyyearsfromnowyouwillbeabletolistentoafriendonMars,butthewordsyouhearwillhavelefthismouthatleastthreeminutesearlier,andyourreplywilltakeacorrespondingtimetoreachhim.Insuchci
3、rcumstances,anexchangeofverbalmessagesispossible-butnotaconversation.Toaculturewhichhascometotakeinstantaneouscommunicationforgranted,aspartoftheverystructureofcivilizedlife,this"timebarrier"mayhaveaprofoundpsychologicalimpact.Itwillbeaperpetualreminderofuniversalla
4、wsandlimitationsagainstwhichnotallourtechnologycaneverprevail.Foritseemsascertainasanythingcanbethatnosignal-stilllessanymaterialobject-canevertravelfasterthanlight.Thevelocityoflightistheultimatespeedlimit,beingpartoftheverystructureofspaceandtime.Withinthenarrowco
5、nfinesofthesolarsystem,itwillnothandicapustooseverely.Attheworst,thesewillamounttotwentyhours-thetimeittakesaradiosignaltospantheorbitofPluto,theouter-mostplanet.Itiswhenwemoveoutbeyondtheconfinesofthesolarsystemthatwecomefacetofacewithanaltogetherneworderofcosmicre
6、ality.Eventoday,manyotherwiseeducatedmen-likethosesavageswhocancounttothreebutlumptogetherallnumbersbeyondfour-cannotgrasptheprofounddistinctionbetweensolarandstellarspace.Thefirstisthespaceenclosingourneighbouringworlds,theplanets;thesecondisthatwhichembracesthosed
7、istantsuns,thestars,anditisliterallymillionsoftimesgreater.Thereisnosuchabruptchangeofscaleintheterrestrialaffairs.Manyconservativescientists,appalledbythesecosmicgulfs,havedeniedthattheycaneverbecrossed.Somepeopleneverlearn;thosewhosixtyyearsagoscoffedatthepossibil
8、ityofflight,andtenyearsagolaughedattheideaoftraveltotheplanets,arenowquitesurethatthestarswillalwaysbebeyondourreach.Andagaintheyarewrong,