A tip for testing: Read the questions before reading the passage on reading comprehension questions. If you read the questions first, you'll know what information to look for when reading the passage.
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Question 1
Halley’s Comet
For centuries comets have been one of our biggest mysteries.
They are among the most beautiful and interesting sights in the
universe. People from all over the world have been surprised—
and often scared—by the sight of a comet blazing across the sky. Edmund Halley, an astronomer in the late 1600s, was very
interested in comets. He studied them for most of his life.
Part of Halley’s studies involved measuring the paths of
comets through the night sky. Halley learned that comets move
around the Sun in the path of an ellipse. (An ellipse is like a
circle that has been stretched out in one direction.) He ascertained that because comets travel in an elliptical path, the same comet
could be seen from Earth again and again. This was a brand new
concept during his time.
In 1682, Halley noticed a comet that was especially bright and large. He spent a long time studying it.
Then it disappeared from view. Based on his calculations, Halley predicted that this bright comet would return
in 1758 or 1759. This was about 75 years after he first saw the comet. However, Halley died in 1742. Thus,
he was not able to see that he was correct. This same bright comet returned right on time. Not long after that,
because Halley had learned so much about it, the comet was named “Halley’s comet” in his honor.
Scientists who had been following Halley’s work began to look back through history. They learned that
for centuries there had been mention of a comet in the sky about every 75 years, going all the way back to
467 B.C. Often, the return of Halley’s comet seemed to coincide with important events in history. For many
years people believed that Halley’s comet caused catastrophes, from sicknesses to war.
Since then, scientists have learned more about comets. They now know that comets do not cause bad
events. They have also learned what comets are like. All comets consist of a head and a tail. Some comet tails
are longer than others. The head is made mostly of ice, plus some dust and pieces of rock. U.S. astronomer
Fred Whipple coined the phrase “dirty snowballs” to describe comets. Comets move through the sky very
quickly. However, their speed depends on how close they are to the Sun. When Halley’s comet is farthest
from the Sun, or at its aphelion, it moves about 2,040 miles per hour. When it is closest to the Sun, or at its
perihelion, it moves at an amazing 122,000 miles per hour!
For a long time scientists wondered where comets came from. Today, most scientists believe that comets
come from an unseen cloud of particles called the Oort cloud. This cloud probably surrounds our solar system.
It may contain somewhere between 10 and 100 trillion comets.
People today remain fascinated by this celestial time-traveler. The most recent visit from Halley’s comet was in 1985-1986. This time, scientists all over the world studied the comet. Two Soviet spacecraft, the Vega 1 and Vega 2, got a close look at the comet as it raced around the Sun. Halley’s comet should next return in 2061. Who knows what high-tech equipment will be around to study it then? However, other comets are periodically discovered making a once-in-a-lifetime visit. If you get the chance to study one of these stellar fireballs, do so. You’ll be thrilled!
1. Which of these is an opinion from this passage?
A. Halley’s comet should return next in 2061.
B. Halley’s comet returns about every 75 years.
C. Comets are made mostly of ice, dust, and rocks.
D. You’ll be thrilled by the sight of a comet.
