Astronomy is about studying space, the universe, stars and the planets in our solar system. Astronomers are scientists who try to find answers to questions relating to our universe. They observe planets, faraway stars and galaxies as well as certain events that occur in space. They examine the structure of the universe and try to find out how it all began.
Ancient Astronomy
Astronomy has been around for thousands of years. In ancient times, people observed the sun and the stars on a daily basis. They planted crops and held certain events relating to the movement of objects in the sky.
Ancient civilizations, like the Greeks and Romans, however did not have the instruments that later generations had. They had to observe the skies and stars with their naked eye. It helped them navigate the seas and guide them to other places.
They saw that stars were arranged in patterns that looked like humans or animals.
In ancient times, people thought that the Earth was the centre of the universe and that everything revolved around it. Towards the end of the Middle Ages some astronomers were not quite convinced about this theory. In the early 16th century Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, was the first to show that in fact the sun was the centre of the solar system and planets revolved around it. Almost a century later Italian astronomer Galileo used the first telescope to observe space. His studies supported Copernicus’ theories. German mathematician Johannes Kepler proved that planets travel around the sun in elliptical paths. Isaac Newton used Kepler’s findings to explain how gravity worked.
Hubble Telescope Witnesses a Supernova
Modern astronomy
The discovery of the telescope changed the way scientists could observe space. While ancient people only were able to see objects near Earth, telescopes were able to find Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, the distant planets of our solar system.
Astronomers also found that an asteroid belt moves around the sun between the Earth and Mars. With the help of powerful telescopes, they were able to map the surface of the moon and other planets in great detail.
Modern astronomy uses powerful telescopes on earth to see objects far away from our solar system. It also relies on images sent to earth from orbiting telescopes, like the Hubble Space Telescope, which has been in operation since 1990.
Unmanned spacecraft that land on the moon and other planets give astronomers large amounts of data and images that they can use for their work. Astronomers also study samples of rocks that spacecraft have brought back to Earth.
Today, astronomers use computers to simulate movements and events that may happen in space. For example, they can predict how close an asteroid can come to earth or when certain comets appear.
Astronomers measure distances in light years – how far light can travel in one year, which is about 6 trillion miles (9.4 trillion km). They have found out that our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of 100,000 light years. The nearest star is Proxima Centauri, about four light years away from Earth.
Large telescopes in New Mexico — Hajor
Related Topics
Related Topics - The Milky Way
- The Solar System
- Gravity
- Black Holes
- Isaac Newton — A Great Scientist
- Stars — Great Balls of Gas in the Universe
- Hubble Space Telescope
- First Planet From Outside Our Galaxy Found
- Hubble Sees Asteroid Break Up
- Astronomers Use New Methods in Search of Life in Our Universe
- Mars One
- Near EarthAsteroids — How Dangerous They Are
- Astronomers Discover Earth-Sized Planets Around Nearby Star
- Voyager Spacecraft Continues Mission to Outer Space
Words
- amount = quantity
- ancient = old, long ago
- arrange = to put into a special position or order
- asteroid belt = many small planets that move around the sun
- century = a hundred years
- certain = special
- convince = to prove to someone that what you say or think is true
- crop = plant, like wheat, corn or rice, which is grown by farmers and used as food
- daily basis = every day
- data = information
- diameter = straight line from one side of a circle to the other
- discovery = when you find something new, that was not known before
- distant = far away
- elliptical path = route that moves around an object in an ellipse
- examine = look at very carefully
- finding = discovery, result
- galaxy = one of the large group of stars that make up our universe
- great detail = here: to put in a lot of information
- guide = lead, show
- however = but
- image = picture
- later =future
- map = draw
- measure = to find out how far away something is
- movement = when an object moves
- naked eye = to see something without anything to help you
- navigate = steer ; find the way
- observe = watch closely
- occur = happen
- orbit = move around
- pattern =design, shape
- predict = tell that something will happen in the future
- prove = to show that something is true
- relate = about something
- revolve = move around
- sample = piece of something
- scientist = person who has studied science and works in a laboratory
- simulate =to make something feel real
- solar system = the sun and the planets that move around it
- studies = the work that someone does to find out more about a topic
- support = back up, help
- surface = the top parft of something
- trillion = 1,000,000,000,000,000
- unmanned spacecraft = object that can travel into space without anybody guiding it
Прочитайте
текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна
из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя. Занесите цифры, обозначающие соответствующие
части предложений, в таблицу.
The discovery of three planets
In 1781, William Herschel, viewing the sky, recognized that
an object in the constellation of Gemini was moving against the background of
stars. At first, he thought he was looking at a new comet, but upon further
investigation realized A _____________________.
Herschel named his discovery ‘the Georgian planet’ after
his patron,
George III. Other names proposed included Herschel and Uranus. Eventually
Uranus became the universally accepted name. Uranus is similar in composition
to Neptune, and both B _____________________ larger gas giants Jupiter
and Saturn.
In the 19th century it became evident that the orbit of
Uranus did not follow Newton’s law of Gravitation. Many astronomers began to
question whether Newton’s theory applied to an object so far from the sun.
However, two astronomers, John Couch Adams in England and Urbain Le Verrier in
France, both independently came up with the theory C _____________________ by a more distant planet.
Working to Le Verrier’s calculations, astronomers at the
Berlin Observatory D _____________________. They had discovered the
eighth planet of the solar system, Neptune. It was observed on 23 September
1846 by Johann Galle, and its largest moon, Triton, was discovered shortly
thereafter, though none E _____________________
telescopically until the 20th century.
After the discovery of Neptune, astronomers F _____________________ the solar system for a ninth planet.
In 1930, an American astronomer discovered the last of the known worlds of our
solar system, Pluto.
| 1. |
of them realized |
| 2. |
were able to identify this planet |
| 3. |
that he was looking at a new planet |
| 4. |
that the orbit of Uranus had been disturbed |
| 5. |
started to look further into the depths of |
| 6. |
are of different chemical composition than the |
| 7. |
of the planet’s remaining 12 moons were located |
Выпускники могут сдавать экзамены по английскому, немецкому, испанскому и французскому языкам на выбор. Однако наибольшей популярностью пользуется английский язык. ЕГЭ по иностранным языкам в этом году будет содержать письменную и устную части, в письменной части нужно ответить на вопросы теста и написать письмо другу.
АиФ.ru предлагает тест по английскому языку, составленный по материалам ЕГЭ прошлых лет. Свои результаты и правильные ответы вы узнаете после нажатия кнопки «Отправить» внизу страницы.
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1) Преобразуйте, если это необходимо, слово ONE так, чтобы оно грамматически соответ-ствовало содержанию текста: «People who study the sun, moon, planets and stars are called astronomers. Cave people were some of the … astronomers».
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one -
first -
one of -
the one
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2) Выберите, к какой рубрике относится текст для туристов, приезжающих в Ирландию: «Most buses in big cities in Ireland have conductors who collect the money, but in small places passengers pay the driver».
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People -
Climate -
Transport -
Food
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3) Выберите верную форму пропущенного слова: «The extreme north is a cold bare region — the tundra. For more than six months it … in snow».
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was bury -
is buring -
is buried -
were bury
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4) Выберите заголовок, который соответствует тексту: «Most people put a lot of focus on a holiday’s specific destination. Others have something else in mind. They want five-star hotels, fine dining and other niceties at their fingertips. Who needs to go sightseeing when you can just get a deep massage, swim in a heated pool or have chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to your table?»
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Lap of luxury -
Simple pleasures -
The high seas -
Frozen wonders
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5) Выберите верную форму выделенного слова: «For instance, he wore a striped orange T-shirt. Nobody else HAVE a shirt like that, just Little Sassy Sam. Where on earth could anybody get that kind of a shirt?
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have -
had -
have had -
has
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6) Образуйте от слова ARCHAEOLOGY однокоренное слово так, чтобы оно грамматиче-ски и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста: «Professional historians, … and architects look at historic remains all over Britain and recommend how to protect them».
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archaeologists -
archaeologers -
archaeologer -
archaeologiests
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7) Выберите вопрос, на который даётся ответ в рекламном объявлении: «The museum tells about common people who worked in industries, trades and services, looking at their work and pastimes and uses reconstructed scenes, objects and photographs to bring their story to life».
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Which museum is more than a century old? -
Which museum is named after a man who loved Asian art? -
Which museum gives an idea of what George Washington looked like? -
Which museum collects things of working class people?
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Ответить
Смотрите также: Мужик и водка. Какие слова пришли в английский язык из русского? →
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Установите соответствие тем A—G текстам 1-6. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую букву только один раз. В задании одна тема лишняя. TEST 07 (part 1) |
A. UNEXPLAINED EVENTS
B. SPACE TOURISTS 3
C. DISTANT WORLD 5
D. ANCIENT SCIENCE 6
E. FAILED HOPES 1
F. SPECTACULAR SIGHT 4
G. SERIOUS RISKS 2
1. When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon in July 1969, many people around the world thought that it was the beginning of mankind’s journey to the stars. They expected to see people living on the Moon in special bases. However, it wasn’t to be. Getting to the Moon was expensive and of limited scientific value. Those who were expecting a golden age of space exploration were disappointed.
Ожидание новой эры в исследовании космоса. FAILED HOPES
2. Astronauts face many dangers in space. The take-off and landing are dangerous, and there’s always a chance that a meteor is going to hit your spacecraft. Other threats come from something you can’t see: radiation. X-rays and other forms of radiation can cause health problems for astronauts above the protection of Earth’s atmosphere.
Опасности. с которыми сталкиваются астронавты. SERIOUS RISKS
3. For the first time, it’s possible to buy yourself a ticket to space — that’s if you’ve got $20 million to spend. Dennis Tito, an American businessman, and Mark Shuttleworth, a businessman from South Africa, have both visited the International Space Station. They were taken up on Russian Soyuz rockets and enjoyed a week of weightlessness before returning to Earth.
Сейчас можно полететь в космос за деньги. SPACE TOURISTS
4. Look up into the sky at the right time and the right direction and you’ll see Saturn. It will look like a bright star, but a pair of binoculars or a small telescope will give you an amazing view. Saturn has rings around it, giving it a beautiful appearance unlike anything else in the night sky. No wonder Saturn has been called the ‘Jewel of the Solar System’.
Прекрасный вид Сатурна. SPECTACULAR SIGHT
5. Discovered in 1930, the planet Pluto circles the Sun at a distance of approximately six billion kilometres. That’s about forty times further away from the Sun than the Earth is! At that distance, the Sun looks just like a bright star and provides very little heat. A spacecraft launched from the Earth would take twelve or thirteen years to get to Pluto, so don’t expect to see close-up photographs any time soon !
Плутон находится далеко от Солнца. DISTANT WORLD
6. We’re used to the idea of modern telescopes giving us views of the universe and astronauts flying to the space station and back again. But did you know that the roots of astronomy go back thousands of years? The Egyptians studied the night sky, as did the original people of North America. The famous circle of stones at Stonehenge in Britain shows that people there knew about the movements of the Sun and the Moon at least 2,500 years before Christ was born.
Люди очень давно начали изучать космос. ANCIENT SCIENCE
| № текста | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| тема | E | G | B | F | C | D |
ВСЕ ТЕСТЫ
Задание №8762.
Чтение. ЕГЭ по английскому
Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.
The discovery of three planets
In 1781, William Herschel, viewing the sky, recognized that an object in the constellation of Gemini was moving against the background of stars. At first, he thought he was looking at a new comet, but upon further investigation realized ___ (A).
Herschel named his discovery ‘the Georgian planet’ after his patron, George III. Other names proposed included Herschel and Uranus. Eventually Uranus became the universally accepted name. Uranus is similar in composition to Neptune, and both ___ (B) larger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.
In the 19th century it became evident that the orbit of Uranus did not follow Newton’s law of Gravitation. Many astronomers began to question whether Newton’s theory applied to an object so far from the sun. However, two astronomers, John Couch Adams in England and Urbain Le Verrier in France, both independently came up with the theory ___ (C) by a more distant planet.
Working to Le Verrier’s calculations, astronomers at the Berlin Observatory ___ (D). They had discovered the eighth planet of the solar system, Neptune. It was observed on 23 September 1846 by Johann Galle, and its largest moon, Triton, was discovered shortly thereafter, though none ___ (E) telescopically until the 20th century.
After the discovery of Neptune, astronomers ___ (F) the solar system for a ninth planet. In 1930, an American astronomer discovered the last of the known worlds of our solar system, Pluto.
1. of them realized
2. were able to identify this planet
3. that he was looking at a new planet
4. that the orbit of Uranus had been disturbed
5. started to look further into the depths of
6. are of different chemical composition than the
7. of the planet’s remaining 12 moons were located
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
Решение:
Пропуску A соответствует часть текста под номером 3.
Пропуску B соответствует часть текста под номером 6.
Пропуску C соответствует часть текста под номером 4.
Пропуску D соответствует часть текста под номером 2.
Пропуску E соответствует часть текста под номером 7.
Пропуску F соответствует часть текста под номером 5.
Показать ответ
Источник: ФИПИ. Открытый банк тестовых заданий
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Тест с похожими заданиями
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Установите соответствие тем A — G текстам 1-6. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую букву только один раз. В задании одна тема лишняя. TEST 02 (part 1) |
A. DIFFERENT SUBJECTS 5
B. MANY STUDENTS 1
C. TWO SECTIONS 3
D. DIFFERING OPINIONS 2
E. USEFUL FACTS 6
F. IMPORTANT LESSON
G. EASIER ANSWERS 4
1. Oxford University has been a centre of learning for over 900 years. Today, there are over 16,000 people studying at Oxford, but they are not all British. About 4,000 of them come from other countries. In fact, there are currently students from over 130 countries studying there. Every student at Oxford is a member of a ‘college’. There are 39 main colleges, and each college is in a different part of the town.
Студенты из разных стран учатся в Оксфордском университете. MANY STUDENTS
2. What’s the best age for a child to learn how to read? Some people believe that children should learn at as young an age as possible. Because of this, some parents start teaching their children when they are about three years old. Other people believe it’s better for a teacher at school to teach a class of children how to read, so many children don’t learn to read until they are five or six years old.
Разные мнения по поводу того, когда лучше начинать детей учить читать. DIFFERING OPINIONS
3. In most countries, you are only allowed to drive a car on a public road if you have a driving licence. You usually have to pass a driving test in order to get the licence. In European countries, this test is in two parts. The first part is a ‘theory’ test. You have to answer questions about road safety. The second part is a ‘practical’ test. You are in a car with an examiner, who tells you where to drive and asks you to do various things, such as parking or reversing around a corner.
Из каких частей состоит экзамен на водительские права в Европе. TWO SECTIONS
4. When was Mozart born? What’s the capital of Nigeria? Before the Internet, if we wanted to find out the answers to these questions, we’d have to look them up in reference books, such as encyclopaedias. If we couldn’t find the information in books at home, we’d have to go to a public library. This kind of research would often take a very long time. Now, however, as long as you have a computer connected to the Internet, you can find the answers to questions like these in seconds.
Сейчас можно быстро находить ответы на любые вопросы. EASIER ANSWERS
5. Although people sometimes confuse astronomy and astrology, they are completely different. Astronomy is the scientific study of the universe. Astronomers study stars, planets and other things in space, such as comets, and record their findings scientifically. Astrology, which is based on the belief that the position of the planets affects human behaviour, is not a science. It is astrologers who write horoscopes in magazines, telling us what they think is going to happen to us in the future.
Разница между астрологией и астрономией. DIFFERENT SUBJECTS
6. A guide book can be extremely helpful when you’re visiting a place for the first time. Guide books provide loads of practical information, such as the opening times and entrance fees of the main attractions, and often recommend sights to visit and places to stay. They can also provide interesting information about the history of the place and famous people who lived there.
| № текста | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| тема | B | D | C | G | A | E |
ВСЕ ТЕСТЫ
Для выполнения заданий 1–9 прослушайте диалог. Выберите один из трех предлагаемых вариантов ответа. Выберите один из трех вариантов ответа. В задании 10 установите соответствие между текстами A–G и заголовками 1–8. В задании 11 прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя.
Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
При выполнении заданий 19–25, преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Записывайте ответы без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов; не копируйте слова-ответы из браузера, вписывайте их, набирая с клавиатуры.
При выполнении заданий 26–31, образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами однокоренные слова так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Записывайте ответы без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов; не копируйте слова-ответы из браузера, вписывайте их, набирая с клавиатуры.
Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами 32–38. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Если вариант задан учителем, вы можете вписать ответы на задания части С или загрузить их в систему в одном из графических форматов. Учитель увидит результаты выполнения заданий части В и сможет оценить загруженные ответы к части С. Выставленные учителем баллы отобразятся в вашей статистике. Тексты недостаточного объема, а также часть текста, превышающая требуемый объем, не оцениваются.
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The discovery of Uranus
Someone once put forward an attractive theory. Throughout the Earth’s annual revolution around the sun there is one point of space always hidden from our eyes. This point is the opposite part of the Earth’s orbit, which is always hidden by the sun. Could there be another planet there, essentially similar to our own, but always invisible? If a space probe today sent back evidence that such a world existed it would cause not much more sensation than Sir William Herschel’s discovery of a new planet, Uranus, in 1781.
Herschel was an extraordinary man – no other astronomer has ever covered so vast a field of work – and his career deserves study. He was bom in Hanover in Germany in 1738, left the German army in 1757, and arrived in England the same year with no money but quite exceptional music ability. He played the violin and oboe and at one time was organist in the Octagon Chapel in the city of Bath. Herschel’s was an active mind, and deep inside he was conscious that music was not his destiny; he therefore read widely in science and the arts, but not until 1772 did he come across a book on astronomy. He was then 34, middle-aged by the standards of the time, but without hesitation he embarked on his new career, financing it by his professional work as a musician. He spent years mastering the art of telescope construction, and even by present-day standards his instruments are comparable with the best.
Serious observation began in 1774. He set himself the astonishing task of‘reviewing the heavens’, in other words, pointing his telescope to every accessible part of the sky and recording what he saw. The first review was made in 1775; the second, and most momentous, in 1780-81. It was during the latter part of this that he discovered Uranus. Afterwards, supported by the royal grant in recognition of his work, he was able to devote himself entirely to astronomy.
Papers flooded from HerscheFs pen and among these there was one sent to the Royal Society in 1781, entitled An Account of a Comet. In his own words, on Tuesday the 13th of March, between ten and eleven in the evening, while he was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, he perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; he suspected it to be a comet.
Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he wasn’t prepared to jump to any conclusions. Also, to be fair, the discovery of a new planet was the last thought in anybody’s mind. But further observation by other astronomers besides Herschel revealed two curious facts. For a comet, it showed a remarkably sharp disc; furthermore, it was moving so slowly that it was thought to be a great distance from the sun, and comets are only normally visible in the immediate vicinity of the sun. As its orbit came to be worked out the truth dawned that it was a new planet far beyond Saturn’s realm, and that the ‘reviewer of the heavens’ had stumbled across an unprecedented prize. Hcrschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George 111 of Great Britain. The planet was later for a time called Herschel in honour of its discoverer. The name Uranus, which was first proposed by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode, was in use by the late 19th century.
Uranus is a giant in construction. Uranus’ atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. In 1977, the American astronomer James L. Elliot discovered the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus, four more rings were discovered in January 1986 during the exploratory flight of Voyager In addition to its rings, Uranus has 15 satellites (‘moons’), the last 10 discovered by Voyager 2 on the same flight; all revolve about its equator and move with the planet in an east-west direction. The two largest moons, Titania and Oberon, were discovered by Herschel in 1787. The next two, Umbriel and Ariel, were found in 1851 by the British astronomer William Lassell. Miranda was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.
1. According to the first paragraph the discovery of a new planet hidden from our eyes
1) is a matter of fact.
2) would not be more sensational than the discovery of Uranus.
3) is quite probable.
4) needs some time to prove.
2. Herschel thought of himself as
1) an amateur musician.
2) a scientific mind.
3) a professional astronomer.
4) a person devoted to the arts and music.
3. Herschel discovered Uranus
1) during his second observation.
2) during his first review.
3) after many years of observing the sky.
4) when he was 34.
4. When Herschel saw a new ‘star’ he
1) immediately wrote to other astronomers.
2) thought of it as a comet.
3) knew that was a new planet.
4) made an immediate conclusion.
5. “The ‘reviewer of the heavens’ had stumbled across an unprecedented prize” means that Herschel
1) was offered a high position at the Royal Society.
2) accidentally discovered a planet.
3) was given an honor to name the new planet.
4) had anticipated the discovery of a new planet before.
6. The new planet was called Uranus by
1) other astronomers of the Royal Society.
2) King George III of Great Britain.
3) Johann Elert Bode.
4) Herschel himself.
7. Uranus’s two largest moons were discovered by
1) William Lassell.
2) Gerard Peter Kuiper.
3) Herschel.
4) Voyager 2.
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