这篇
文章出处：This passage was adapted from a 1995 book about astronomy.
文章类型：有关天文科学
Apart from the Moon and occasional comets and asteroids, Venus is often our nearest neighbor. Its orbit brings it closer to Earth than any other planet—only 26 million miles away at certain times. Despite that proximity, for a long time it was generally termed "the planet of mystery." This is because the atmosphere of Venus is so dense and so cloud-laden that its surface is permanently hidden from sight.
The first attempt to learn more about Venus was to analyze its upper atmosphere using spectroscopic methods. In size and mass, Venus is almost the equal of Earth, and its gravitational field is only slightly weaker than ours, so that logically it might be expected to have the same kind of atmosphere—but this is emphatically not so. Scientists found that the main constituent of its atmosphere is carbon dioxide. Since this is a heavy gas that would be expected to sink, it was reasonable to assume that carbon dioxide made up most of the atmosphere down to ground level. Carbon dioxide acts in the manner of a greenhouse, trapping the Sun's heat, so it followed that Venus was likely to be a very torrid sort of world.
Yet opinions differed. According to one theory, the clouds contained a great deal of water. It was even claimed that the surface might be largely ocean covered, in which case the atmospheric carbon dioxide would have fouled the water and produced seas of soda water. Another intriguing theory made Venus very similar to the Earth of over 200 million years ago. There would be marshes, luxuriant vegetation of the fern and horsetail variety, and primitive life-forms such as giant dragonflies. If so, then Venus might presumably evolve the same way Earth has done.
In 1962 the American probe Mariner 2 bypassed Venus at less than 22,000 miles and gave us our first reliable information. The surface proved to be very hot indeed; we now know that the maximum temperature is almost 500°C. The atmosphere really is almost pure carbon dioxide, and those shining clouds are rich in sulfuric acid. All ideas of a pleasant, oceanic Venus had to be abandoned. In 1975 Venera 9, a Russian automatic lander, visited Venus and sent back pictures direct from the surface. The scene— a rocky, scorched landscape—could hardly be more hostile. Subsequent probes have confirmed this impression.
Why is Venus so unlike Earth? The answer can only lie in its lesser distance from the Sun. It seems that in the early days of the solar system the Sun was less luminous than it is now, in which case Venus and Earth may have started to evolve along the same lines, but when the Sun became more powerful the whole situation changed. Earth, at 93 million miles, was just out of harm's way, but Venus, at 67 million, was not. The water in oceans vaporized, the carbonates were driven out of the rocks, and in a relatively short time on the cosmic scale, Venus was transformed from a potentially life-bearing world into the inferno of today.
10.The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) criticize the lack of research on a topic of mystery
(B) speculate about life on another world
(C) lament the demise of a compelling theory
(D) illustrate the principles of planetary research
(E) discuss attempts to understand an astronomical enigma
11.The statement in lines 11-14 ("In size . . . so") functions primarily to
(A) dismiss a plausible supposition
(B) mock an outrageous claim
(C) bolster an accepted opinion
(D) summarize a particular experiment
(E) undermine a controversial hypothesis
12.The primary purpose of the third paragraph (lines 22-31) is to
(A) provide evidence in support of a controversial theory
(B) challenge two popular misconceptions about Venus
(C) show why a particular hypothesis was misguided
(D) suggest that Venus has been romanticized throughout history
(E) present two distinct theories about Venus
13. In order for the hypothesis in lines 28-30 ("There would . . . dragonflies") to be correct, which statement could NOT be true of conditions on Venus?
(A) The environment is generally warm and humid.
(B) The atmosphere is pure carbon dioxide.
(C) It is possible for evolutionary change to occur.
(D) There is enough light for photosynthesis to occur.
(E) Creatures are able to fly with ease.
14. The statement in lines 32-34 ("In 1962 .. . information") suggests that the
(A) quality of the data surprised the scientists
(B) evidence collected earlier was relatively untrustworthy
(C) records had been lost for a long time before scientists rediscovered them
(D) probe allowed scientists to formulate a completely new theory
(E) data confirmed an obscure and implausible theory
15. The tone of the statement in lines 43-44 ("The answer... Sun") is best described as
(A) regretful
(B) guarded
(C) skeptical
(D) decisive
(E) amused
题目难度类型分析：这类题目难度不是很大，但是需要考生做题的时候能够清晰一些单词的意思，比如Venus的多重意思，以及一些比较级的用法，文章中的less than 要清楚比较和被比较者前后的关系再去动手答题。
题目技巧分析：首先大家第一眼开始先把首段读一遍，清楚文章讲解的是天文科学关于金星的，然后通过回答问题仔细阅读每一个问题后带着问题去阅读，迅速找到题目的切入口便可迎刃而解。