years in the ultra­hostile (极端恶劣的) environment of space? What, for instance, will they eat?

　　Agricultural researchers at a Dutch university say they are taking the first steps towards providing an answer.

　　They are growing vegetables in soils similar to those found on the Moon and Mars, looking for ways of helping space pioneers grow their own crops. "When people go to the Moon and Mars they also have to eat, and it's easiest for them to grow their own food，" said Wieger Wamelink, surrounded by several dozen plants in a special greenhouse at Wageningen, an agricultural university in central Netherlands.

　　"We wanted to use real Martian and lunar soil, to see if plants would actually grow in it，" Wamelink told reporters.

　　Of course, getting real lunar and Martian potting soil is an impossible task. But an Internet search revealed an unlikely supplier: NASA.

　　"The US space agency makes ground similar to that on the Moon from sand found in an Arizona desert, while Mars' crimson 'soil' is scooped (舀；掏) from a volcano in Hawaii，" Wamelink told reporters.

　　The first experiments started in 2013 after Wageningen received an order of 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of NASA's imitation "space soil" - at a hefty price of 2,000 euros (＄2,285).

　　"To work in this soil was very special. Nobody, not even NASA, could tell us what would happen, even just by simply adding water，" he said. The imitation ground at first was a little "reluctant" (勉强的) to absorb water, but soon turned out to be good potting soil.

　　"Especially in the Martian soil, plants were growing very fast and very good. They even started to flower, something that we never anticipated (预料，预见)，" Wamelink said.

　　Section_ⅠWarming Up & Reading - Pre­reading

　　A PIONEER① FOR ALL PEOPLE

Although he is one of China's most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself a farmer, for he works the land② to do his research. Indeed, his sunburnt③ face and arms and his slim, strong body are just like those of millions of Chinese farmers, ④for whom he has