PTE考生目前最大的问题之一就是练习题缺乏。除了有限的基本官方书（PLUS，Testbuilder, OG）之外，就没有题了。很多英语基础不是很扎实的同学很难找到练习材料。墨尔本文波雅思PTE培训学校专门为墨尔本，悉尼PTE考生准备了适合PTE听力阅读练习的科学60秒。各位PTE同学可以练习PTE听力中的summarise spoken text和PTE口语中的retell lecture，练习记笔记技巧和复述。废话少说，下面开始：
60秒科学：Half-Century Anniversary of a Mars Mishap
听力内容：
60秒科学节目（SSS）是科学美国人网站的一套广播栏目，英文名称：Scientific American – 60 Second Science,节目内容以科学报道为主，节目仅一分钟的时间，主要对当今的科学技术新发展作以简明、通俗的介绍，对于科学的发展如何影响人们的生活环境、健康状况及科学技术，提供了大量简明易懂的阐释。
In recent days both the unmanned Antares rocket and the Virgin Galactic space plane had catastrophic failures. Because space is a very risky business°™and it always has been. November 5th marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of Mariner 3, America’s first mission to Mars. But don’t expect any NASA celebrations. The mission failed completely.
When Mariner 3 reached space, it was supposed to unfurl solar panels. But a glitch kept the panels tucked away. With only battery power, the spacecraft went dead just eight hours and 43 minutes later. So Mariner 3 fell silent, although it presumably did fly past the Red Planet months later.
Fortunately, NASA had an identical spacecraft ready for Mars. After hasty modifications to prevent the same problem, Mariner 4 blasted off on November 28th, 1964. The following July it became the first ship to fly past our planetary neighbor°™that we’re sure of.
But this successful mission shocked researchers. Back in 1964 even some respected scientists thought Mars was home to primitive life°™if not the intelligent beings that colorful astronomers like Percival Lowell imagined. And the cameras on Mariner 4 sent back pictures of a barren, cratered world, devoid of any obvious Martians.
-written by Ken Croswell, voiced by Steve Mirsky
