The cost of reaching orbit is now falling faster than steamship freightdid during the 1800s, a shift that economists say will transform global commerce.Sending cargo (货物) into space ___1___ (expect) to cost much less by 2030.The cost could fall by around 93% by 2040, a new Cambridge-led study shows.

Sending a kilogram of payload(有效载荷) into low Earth orbit cost ___2___ average of $3,868 last year.Researchersanalysed the largest global dataset of rocket launches yet assembled, ___3___ (cover) more than 4,400 launches between 1960 and 2025, to project future trends.

Lower launch costs could see new ___4___ (commerce) activity emerge, from zero-gravity research and orbital tourism to factories exporting fibre-optic cables back to Earth.However, economists warn that corporate monopolies combined with geopolitical tensions could delay the next stage of the space age.The launch market is already dominated by one firm, SpaceX, ___5___ accounts for roughly 80% of total annual payload sent into orbit.

The study found that the cost of reaching orbit fell 96% ___6___ 1960 and 2025.Launch costs remained stable until the early 1990s, when the end of the Cold War ___7___ (see) big private companies enter the industry.In fact, costs fell 2.5 times ___8___ (fast) after 1989 than during the Cold War era of government support.

Terzi and ___9___ (he) colleague Dr Francesco Nicoli forecast that the space economy could almost double by 2030. “Ever cheaper launch costs could open the way for people to live and work in space,” said Terzi, who led the study.He thinks the amount of payload sent into orbit could hit 32,000 ___10___ (ton) a year by 2040.

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1.1.

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解析：选is expected。is expected 考查一般现在时被动语态。主语Sending cargo into space为动名词短语，谓语用单数；be expected to do sth表示“预计……”。故填is expected。

2.2.

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解析：选an。an 考查冠词。average以元音音素开头，且an average of为固定搭配，意为“平均”，故填an。

3.3.

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解析：选covering。covering 考查非谓语动词（现在分词作状语）。covering为现在分词短语，补充说明dataset的范围；也可理解为which covers...的非限制性定语简化。故填covering。

4.4.

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解析：选commercial。commercial 考查词性转换（名词→形容词）。commerce（商业）在句中修饰名词activity，需变为形容词commercial（商业的），故填commercial。

5.5.

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解析：选which。which 考查定语从句关系词。先行词为SpaceX（公司），定语从句accounts for...缺主语，故用which引导非限制性定语从句。

6.6.

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解析：选between。between 考查介词。between...and...意为“在……和……之间”，连接两个年份1960和2025，故填between。

7.7.

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解析：选saw。saw 考查动词时态（一般过去时）。从句描述冷战结束（过去事件）时的情况，主语为the end of the Cold War，故用see的过去式saw。

8.8.

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解析：选faster。faster 考查副词比较级。fast在此修饰动词fell，比较级为faster。故填faster。

9.9.

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解析：选his。his 考查代词变形。提示词he在句中作定语修饰colleague，需用形容词性物主代词his，故填his。

10.10.

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解析：选tons。tons 考查名词复数。ton（吨）为可数名词，32,000后需用复数形式tons，故填tons。