Original article

“MIT student team CERBERUZ wins NASA LunaRecycle Centennial Challenge, turning lunar trash into tools” — Rachel Ornitz, MIT News, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Published October 20, 2026.

Original article: https://news.mit.edu/2026/mit-student-team-cerberuz-wins-nasa-lunarecycle-centennial-challenge-1020

Access checked: October 23, 2026 (UTC+8). The complete English article was readable without payment or login. Read it at the source; the exercises below are original.

这篇报道发表于 10 月 20 日，并非今日新闻；文中获奖更早，系统尚未在月球运行。

Reading plan

难度：B2–C1（编辑估计，非官方 IELTS 分级）。 建议用时：原文 10–12 分钟，答题 6–8 分钟。

重点：流程排序、材料用途、细节判断，以及区分已经完成的演示和未来可能的应用。首遍阅读先跳过生词，第二遍再定位答案。

Introduction

MIT students developed a recycling system for future lunar bases. Follow the manufacturing sequence, then examine how limited resources shape the design.

Vocabulary

  • outpost — 偏远地区的基地或前哨站。
  • upcycle — 将废弃物改造成价值或用途更高的产品。
  • thermoplastic — 热塑性塑料，受热可软化或熔融并再次成形。
  • composite — 复合材料，由不同材料结合而成。
  • feedstock — 生产过程中投入的原料。
  • constraint — 限制条件。
  • warpage — 翘曲，材料或零件偏离预定形状。
  • shrinkage — 收缩，尺寸减小。

Reading comprehension

These are practice questions written for this article, not official IELTS questions. Answer from the article, not outside knowledge.

1. Short answer: Why recycle waste at a lunar base?

Reference answer
To reduce rubbish and dependence on expensive deliveries.

2. Process ordering: Arrange these stages: molding; sorting; grinding and mixing; heating.

Reference answer
Sorting → grinding and mixing → heating → molding.

3. True / False / Not Given: Every material in the mixture melts during processing.

Reference answer
FALSE. The thermoplastics melt; other materials remain suspended.

4. True / False / Not Given: The article specifies the system’s daily processing capacity.

Reference answer
NOT GIVEN. No daily throughput is stated.

5. Short answer: How could DEIMOS help astronauts conserve resources?

Reference answer
By predicting manufacturing problems before scarce materials are used.

Reusable expressions

以下为可迁移的表达和自拟例句，不是原文引文。

reduce reliance on … — 减少对……的依赖。

Example: Better public transport can reduce reliance on private cars.

within practical limits — 在现实条件允许的范围内。

Example: Designers must improve performance within practical limits.

Review

做完后，用三句话复述：What problem is being addressed? How does the process work? What remains a future application?