Question

    Usually, the Full Moon shines brightly all night long, lighting homes, trees, cities, and fields. Sometimes, though, a strange event happens. The Full Moon turns dark in a lunar eclipse. Lunar means “about the Moon”, and an eclipse is a blocking(遮蔽) of light.

A lunar eclipse often impresses people so much because the Moon is bright and nearby. It is the closest heavenly body(天体) to Earth. When the Moon turns dark, we notice! It’s closer to us than Mars or any other planet, and closer than the Sun or any other star. On average, the Moon is 239,000 miles away from Earth’s center. The Sun is almost 400 times farther.

What causes a lunar eclipse? The first key is that the Sun makes light, but the Moon doesn’t. When you see the Moon shining at night, you’re seeing sunlight bouncing off(反射) the Moon.

The second key is that the Moon, which is smaller than Earth, goes around us about once a month. Once a month, the moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. Then the Sun fully lights the side of the Moon that we see. We call this event a Full Moon. That’s when the Moon shines brightest.

The third key is that, during a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way. When you go outside on a sunny day, your body blocks some of the sunlight and casts a shadow(投射影子) over things that lie on the opposite side of you from the Sun. Earth also casts a shadow, and sometimes it falls on the Moon. Then we have a lunar eclipse.

A lunar eclipse happens only during a Full Moon, since that’s the only time when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Usually, though, there’s no eclipse because the Full Moon passes above or below Earth’s shadow.

阅读以上信息，用恰当的单词完成下面的短文，每空一词。

The article introduces “lunar eclipse” to us. First it tells us the 1. of “lunar eclipse”. Then it explains why people love watching a moon eclipse. On one hand, the changing of its 2. catches people’s attention. On the other hand, it’s easier for people to enjoy a moon eclipse because among the 3., the moon is the closest to the earth.

At last, the article shows three keys cause a lunar eclipse. The first key is that the sunlight is seen bouncing off the Moon at night. The second key is that there should be a full Moon. The third key is that the 4. casts a shadow over the moon. In a word, a lunar eclipse happens only during a Full Moon, since that’s the only time when the Sun, the earth and the Moon are in a 5..

Answer

1.meaning

2.light/color

3.planets

4.Earth

5.line

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，向读者科普了一种常见的天文现象——月食。

1.

根据原文Lunar means “about the Moon”, and an eclipse is a blocking(遮蔽) of light可知，文章首先科普了月食的定义。空格处应填入意为“意思”的名词meaning，故答案为meaning。

2.

根据原文When the Moon turns dark, we notice可知，当月亮的光线（或颜色）发生变化时，人们都会察觉到。空格处应填入意为“光线（或颜色）”的名词light/ color，故答案为light/ color。

3.

根据原文It is the closest heavenly body(天体) to Earth可知，月球是离地球最近的一个行星。空格处应填入意为“行星”的复数名词planets，故答案为planets。

4.

根据原文The third key is that, during a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way … Earth also casts a shadow, and sometimes it falls on the Moon. Then we have a lunar eclipse可知，形成月食的关键是之一是地球投射到月球上的阴影。空格处应填入意为“地球”的专有名词Earth，故答案为Earth。

5.

根据原文A lunar eclipse happens only during a Full Moon, since that’s the only time when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon可知，月食只发生在满月期间，因为只有此时太阳、地球、月亮的位置在一条直线上。空格处应填入意为“线条”的名词line，故答案为line。