The discovery of uranus егэ ответы

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.

ВОПРОС 1 – 2
ВОПРОС 2 – 2
ВОПРОС 3 – 1
ВОПРОС 4 – 2
ВОПРОС 5 – 2
ВОПРОС 6 – 3
ВОПРОС 7 – 3

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.

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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 5 on the following pages.

The Discovery of Uranus

Paragraph 1

Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely 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?

Paragraph 2

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 born 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.

Paragraph 3

Serious observation began 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. His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822. 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 I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet”.

Paragraph 4

Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not prepared to jump 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 the 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. Herschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III 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.

Paragraph 5

Uranus is a giant in construction, but not so much in size; its diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus’ atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. Through a telescope the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, 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 2 2 , 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, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.

Glossary:

‘Occultation’: in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between an observer and a star or planet.

‘Voyager 2’: an unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 1986; during which it sent back information about these planets to scientists on earth.

Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely 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 born 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 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. His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822. 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 I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet.

Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not prepared to jump 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 the 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. Herschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III 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, but not so much in size; its diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus’ atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. Through a telescope the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, 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 2 2 , 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, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.

Glossary:
‘Occultation‘ : in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between an observer and a star or planet .
Voyager 2‘  : an unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 1986; during which it sent back information about these planets to scientists on earth .

Questions 1-5

omplete the table below. Write a date for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

Event                                                                       Date

Example

William Herschel was born

Answer

1738

Herschel began investigating astronomy 1
Answer: 1772
Discovery of the planet Uranus 2
Answer: 1781
Discovery of the moons Titania and  Oberon 3
Answer: 1787
First discovery of Uranus’ rings 4
Answer: 1977
Discovery of the last 10 moons of Uranus 5
Answer: 1986

Questions 6-10

Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet write

YES              if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO               if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example                                                       Answer
Herschel was multi-talented                             YES

6    It is improbable that there is a planet hidden behind the sun.
Answer: YES
7   Herschel knew immediately that he had found a new planet.
Answer: NO
8   Herschel collaborated with other astronomers of his time.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
9   Herschel’s newly-discovered object was considered to be too far from the sun to be a comet.
Answer: YES
10    Herschel’s discovery was the most important find of the last three hundred years.
Answer: NOT GIVEN

Questions 11-14

Complete each of the following statements (Questions 11-14) with a name from the Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.

The suggested names of the new planet started with 11
Answer: georgium sidus, then 12
Answer: Herschel, before finally settling on Uranus. The first five rings around Uranus were discovered by 13
Answer: James L. Elliot. From 1948 until 1986, the moon 14
Answer: Miranda was believed to be the moon closest to the surface of Uranus.

IELTS Academic Reading Sample 18 — The Discovery of Uranus

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You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27 — 40

The Discovery of Uranus

Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely 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 born 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. His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822. 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 I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet.

Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not prepared to jump 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 the 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. Herschel wanted to call it Georgian sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III 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, but not so much in size; its diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus’ atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. Through a telescope, the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, 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 22. 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, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.

Glossary:
  ‘OCcultation‘: in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between an observer and a star or planet.

Voyager 2‘: an unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 1986; during which it sent back information about these planets to scientists on earth.

Questions 27-31

Complete the table below. Write a date for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

Event                                                                     

 Date

Example

William Herschel was born

Answer

1738

Herschel began investigating astronomy

(27)………….

Discovery of the planet Uranus

(28)………….

Discovery of the moons Titania and  Oberon

(29)………….

First discovery of Uranus’ rings

(30)………….

Discovery of the last 10 moons of Uranus

(31)………….

Questions 32-36
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?
In boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet write

YES              if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO               if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example                                                       Answer
Herschel was multi-talented                             YES

32   It is improbable that there is a planet hidden behind the sun.
33   Herschel knew immediately that he had found a new planet.
34   Herschel collaborated with other astronomers of his time.
35   Herschel’s newly-discovered object was considered to be too far from the sun to be a comet.
36   Herschel’s discovery was the most important find of the last three hundred years.

Questions 37-40
Complete each of the following statements (Questions 37-40) with a name from the Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.


The suggested names of the new planet started with …….. (37) …….., then …….. (38) ……., before finally settling on Uranus. The first five rings around Uranus were discovered by …….. (39) ……… From 1948 until 1986, the moon …….. (40)…….. was believed to be the moon closest to the surface of Uranus.

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IELTS Reading Practice 18

ielts reading practice 18

You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27 – 40

The Discovery of Uranus

Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely 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 born 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 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. His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822. 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 I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet.

Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not prepared to jump 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 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. Herschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III 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, but not so much in size; its diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus’ atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. Through a telescope the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, 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 2 2 , 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, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.


Glossary:
Occultation‘ : in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between an observer and a star or planet .
Voyager 2‘  : an unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 1986; during which it sent back information about these planets to scientists on earth .


Questions 27-31

Complete the table below. Write a date for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

Event                                                                      Date
Example

William Herschel was born

Answer

1738

Herschel began investigating astronomy (27)………….
Discovery of the planet Uranus (28)………….
Discovery of the moons Titania and  Oberon (29)………….
First discovery of Uranus’ rings (30)………….
Discovery of the last 10 moons of Uranus (31)………….

Questions 32-36

Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?

In boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet write

YES              if the statement reflects the claims of the writer

NO               if the statement contradicts the writer

NOT GIVEN  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example: Herschel was multi-talented

Answer: YES

32. It is improbable that there is a planet hidden behind the sun.

33. Herschel knew immediately that he had found a new planet.

34. Herschel collaborated with other astronomers of his time.

35. Herschel’s newly-discovered object was considered to be too far from the sun to be a comet.

36. Herschel’s discovery was the most important find of the last three hundred years.

Questions 37-40

Complete each of the following statements Questions 37-40 with a name from the Reading Passage.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

The suggested names of the new planet started with …….. (37) …….., then …….. (38) ……., before finally settling on Uranus. The first five rings around Uranus were discovered by ……..(39)……… From 1948 until 1986, the moon …….. (40)…….. was believed to be the moon closest to the surface of Uranus.

Answer: 27. 1772, 28. 1781, 29. 1787, 30. 1977, 31. 1986, 32. YES, 33. NO, 34. NOT GIVEN, 35. YES, 36. NOT GIVEN, 37. georgium sidus, 38. Herschel, 39. James L. Elliot, 40. Miranda

You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27 — 40

The Discovery of Uranus

Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely 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 born 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 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. His final achievements spread from
the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds),
and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822. 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 I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H
Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest;
being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum
and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and
finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a
comet.

Herschel’s care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not
prepared to jump 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 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. Herschel wanted to
call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron
King George III 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, but not so much in size; its
diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though
on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus’ atmosphere
consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane.
Through a telescope the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with
a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a
star behind the planet, 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 2 2 , 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,
thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by
the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.

Glossary:
  ‘Occultation‘ :
in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the
second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between
an observer and a star or planet .

  ‘Voyager 2‘  : an
unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in
1986; during which it sent back information about these planets to
scientists on earth
.

Questions 27-31
Complete the table below. Write a date for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

Event                                                                     

 Date

Example

William Herschel was born

Answer

1738

Herschel began investigating astronomy

(27)………….

Discovery of the planet Uranus

(28)………….

Discovery of the moons Titania and  Oberon

(29)………….

First discovery of Uranus’ rings

(30)………….

Discovery of the last 10 moons of Uranus

(31)………….

Questions 32-36
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?
In boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet write

YES             
if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO               if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example                                                      
Answer

Herschel was
multi-talented                   
         YES

32   It is improbable that there is a planet hidden behind the sun.
33   Herschel knew immediately that he had found a new planet.
34   Herschel collaborated with other astronomers of his time.
35   Herschel’s newly-discovered object was considered to be too far from the sun to be a comet.
36   Herschel’s discovery was the most important find of the last three hundred years.

Questions 37-40
Complete each of the following statements (Questions 37-40) with a name from the Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

The suggested names of the new planet started with …….. (37) …….., then …….. (38) ……., before finally settling on Uranus. The first five rings around Uranus were discovered by …….. (39) ……… From 1948 until 1986, the moon …….. (40)…….. was believed to be the moon closest to the surface of Uranus.

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