Question

    A planet the size of Jupiter has been discovered and it is one of the hottest ones known to us. This has made scientists think about how planets are formed.

Planets such as Earth have more oxygen than carbon, but what if the composition（组成）is just the opposite? This is a question opened up by a recent discovery of a diamond planet by US and UK scientists. The planet is 1200 light years away from Earth and was observed using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr Marek Kukula explained that researchers initially used the Super WASP(Wide Angle Search for Planets) robotic observatories operating continuously, all year around. They detected the planet, then it was observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which detected the heat coming from the planet, and from that heat signature they can tell what this planet is made from.

The planet is very different to Earth. "It's giant planet," explains Dr Kukula, "a gas planet, a bit like Jupiter in our solar system. But the interesting thing that they've discovered is that it has a very different composition to the planets in our solar system. This planet has more carbon than oxygen." This suggests that there is more than one way to make a solar system and the range of planets in the universe could be much wider than previously thought.

Dr Kukula says that if there are smaller planets in the same solar system with a similar composition, rich in carbon, their rocks could be rich in minerals such as carbon and diamonds, unlike Earth which has silica（硅石）, the sand that rocks on Earth are made from. "This is where this diamond planet idea comes from; they haven't actually detected a diamond planet yet," explains Dr Kukula.it' s hypothetical（假设的）, "but you can imagine strange landscapes with black graphite rocks lying around and the surface could be covered with sticky liquids instead of water".

1.What planet has been discovered recently?

A.A planet with more oxygen. B.A planet with more carbon

C.A planet hotter than others. D.A planet bigger than Jupiter.

2.How do scientists decide a planet's composition?

A.By its heat. B.By its size.

C.By telescope. D.By distance.

3.What can we learn about the new planet from paragraph 3?

A.It is in our solar system. B.It looks like Earth.

C.It is completely different from Jupiter. D.It contains a lot of gas.

4.Why do scientists call the planet "a diamond planet"?

A.It is rich in carbon. B.It is rich in silica.

C.It is rich in water. D.It is rich in sticky liquids.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.A

【解析】

本文是说明文。一颗木星大小的行星已经被发现，它是迄今为止人类发现的最热的行星之一。

1.推理判断题。根据第三段This planet has more carbon than oxygen."得知本文介绍了最近发现的一颗富含碳元素的行星，故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段They detected the planet, then it was observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which detected the heat coming from the planet, and from that heat signature they can tell what this planet is made from.得知，用斯皮策太空望远镜探测这个星球的热量，从这个热量他们可以得知这个星球是由什么制成的。可以推断出科学家们通过行星的热量来决定它的组成结构。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段The planet is very different to Earth. "It's giant planet," explains Dr Kukula, "a gas planet, a bit like Jupiter in our solar system.得知，这个行星含有很多气体，A选项错误，它没在我们的太阳系里，B选项说像地球，与be different to是相悖的，C项说它不像木星，是错误的，故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据最后第一段Dr Kukula says that if there are smaller planets in the same solar system with a similar composition, rich in carbon, their rocks could be rich in minerals such as carbon and diamonds, unlike Earth which has silica（硅石）, the sand that rocks on Earth are made from. "This is where this diamond planet idea comes from;得知科学家称这个行星为钻石之星是因为它富含碳元素，它上面的岩石富含如碳和钻石的物质，故选A。