On August 19, 2026, China made history in space. At 7:35 in the morning, the Zhuque-3 rocket took off from a launch site in Gansu Province. Six minutes later, something amazing happened: the first stage of the rocket turned around in the sky and landed safely back on the ground. It stood on the landing pad like a tall building. This was the first time China successfully recovered a rocket on land.
Why is this so important? In the past, most rockets were used only once. After sending a satellite into space, the expensive part fell into the ocean or was destroyed. But a reusable rocket can fly again and again. This cuts the cost of launching greatly. Scientists say that a rocket that can be reused may save a large amount of money, which makes space travel cheaper for everyone.
China is now one of the few countries in the world that can do this. The Zhuque-3 is a new type of rocket that uses liquid oxygen and methane as fuel, which is cleaner and cheaper. Its body is made of stainless steel. The company behind it, LandSpace, is a private space company. This shows that private companies are playing a bigger role in China’s space program.
Recovering a rocket is not easy. The rocket must slow down from very high speed and land at an exact point. One small mistake could cause a crash. But after years of hard work, Chinese engineers made it work.
This success opens a new age for space travel. Cheaper rockets mean more satellites, more experiments, and more chances for ordinary people to touch space. The sky is no longer the limit. China is ready for a new era of space exploration.
Words to know:
- recover (v.) 回收；恢复
- reusable (adj.) 可重复使用的
- launch (v./n.) 发射
- satellite (n.) 卫星
- reduce (v.) 减少
- exact (adj.) 精确的
- era (n.) 时代
- exploration (n.) 探索
长难句拆解 · 定语从句与 which 指代整句
① The Zhuque-3 is a new type of rocket that uses liquid oxygen and methane as fuel, which is cleaner and cheaper. 主干是 The Zhuque-3 is a new type of rocket（朱雀三号是一种新型火箭）。第一个 that 引导定语从句修饰 rocket，从句内 use…as fuel 是固定搭配，译作「用……作燃料」；第二个 which 引导非限制性定语从句，先行词是液氧甲烷这种燃料，所以谓语用单数 is，译作「它更清洁也更便宜」，两个从句一限制、一补充，层次分明。
② Scientists say that a rocket that can be reused may save a large amount of money, which makes space travel cheaper for everyone. 主干是 Scientists say that…（科学家表示……）。that 从句里嵌套了第二个 that 从句 that can be reused 修饰 a rocket，从句主干为 a rocket may save a large amount of money；句末的 which makes space travel cheaper 是非限制性定语从句，先行词是前面「省下大笔资金」这整件事，故用单数 makes，是「一个句子套两个定语从句」的典型长难句。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
题干与原文之间隔着一层「同义变装」。先抓信号词，再回原文找替身，定位更快更稳。本文可迁移的替换组：
- made history → achieved a landmark first
- landed safely back on the ground → touched down safely on land
- cuts the cost greatly → slashes the expense sharply
- can fly again and again → can be flown repeatedly
- a large amount of money → a substantial sum
- playing a bigger role → taking on a greater part
- opens a new age → ushers in a new era
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The Zhuque-3 rocket took off from Gansu Province on August 19, 2026.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — What is the Zhuque-3’s body made of?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — LandSpace is a state-owned space company.
参考答案与解析
- T — 首段原文「On August 19, 2026… the Zhuque-3 rocket took off from a launch site in Gansu Province」，时间与地点一一对应，属原文直述。
- Stainless steel. — 原文「Its body is made of stainless steel」，用 body 定位，答表材料的短语即可。
- F — 原文「The company behind it, LandSpace, is a private space company」，题目把民营说成国有，属「偷换性质」式干扰项。
中文译文
2026年8月19日，中国在太空领域创造了历史。清晨7点35分，朱雀三号火箭从甘肃某发射场升空。六分钟后，令人惊叹的一幕发生了：火箭的一级在空中掉头，稳稳落回地面，像一栋高楼般矗立在着陆台上。这是中国首次成功实现火箭陆地回收。
这为何如此重要？过去，大多数火箭只用一次。把卫星送上天之后，昂贵的箭体便坠入大海或被销毁。但可重复使用火箭能反复飞行，这大幅降低了发射成本。科学家表示，可重复使用的火箭能省下大笔资金，从而让每个人的太空之旅都更便宜。
如今，中国已成为世界上少数几个能够做到这一点的国家之一。朱雀三号是一种新型火箭，以液氧甲烷为燃料，更清洁也更便宜。它的箭体由不锈钢制成。背后的公司蓝箭航天是一家民营航天企业。这表明，民营公司正在中国航天事业中扮演越来越重要的角色。
回收火箭并非易事。火箭必须从极高的速度降下来，并精准落在指定点位。一个小小失误就可能导致坠毁。但经过多年努力，中国工程师做到了。
这一成功开启了太空旅行的新时代。更便宜的火箭意味着更多卫星、更多实验，以及普通人触碰太空的更多机会。天空已不再是极限。中国已准备好迎接太空探索的新纪元。