Question

Why is a full moon, yellower and bigger when it is coming up than when it is higher in the sky?

That's a good question about something that we all can see. Let's talk about the moon's color first.
We see the moon only because of the sunlight that falls on it and is reflected. Actually, the moon is not a very good reflector, because its surface is all rocks and dirt. We see it in almost its true color when it is high in the sky.
When the moon first comes up, its light reaches our eyes after an extra-long path through the atmosphere (大气). There are lots of particles (微粒) scattering (分散) light in that long path. Blue light is scattered more than other colors, which means that it doesn't reach your eyes. The light that is left over looks yellow to your eye.
Now about the other question—why the moon seems to change in size. That's more complicated. It's not an effect of the atmosphere, the way color is; it's not caused by something fooling your eyes. It seems, instead, to be caused by something that fools your brain—an illusion(错觉).
Here's a drawing that creates an illusion. The two cones(圆锥体) are really the same size. But the rest of the drawing makes the right-hand cone seem farther away. Your brain knows that faraway objects are really larger than they look. It decides that the right-hand cone must be larger because it seems to be farther away.
Similarly, when you see the moon just come up over a line of trees or houses—or whatever makes the horizon(地平线)—it may be that your brain decides that the moon must be larger because it seems to be farther away

1. 1.
   The moon doesn't reflect the sunlight very well because________________
   1. A.
      it is high in the sky
   2. B.
      its surface is rough
   3. C.
      its surface is white
   4. D.
      it isn't a good reflector
2. 2.
   Which statement is true according to the passage?
   1. A.
      In the course of its rising, the moon is getting smaller and smaller
   2. B.
      The size of the moon is more complicated than its color
   3. C.
      The atmosphere has the same effect on the moon's size as on its color
   4. D.
      The change in the moon's size is caused by an illusion while that in its color is caused by the atmosphere
3. 3.
   After reading this passage, you can possibly answer one of the following questions. Which one? ______
   1. A.
      Why is the sun bigger when it rises over the horizon?
   2. B.
      Why does the sun look bigger when it rises over the horizon?
   3. C.
      Why does the sun look golden?
   4. D.
      Why does the sun rise in the east?
4. 4.
   Who do you think probably wrote this passage?________
   1. A.
      A novelist
   2. B.
      A reporter
   3. C.
      A science editor
   4. D.
      An English teacher．

Answer 1

BDBC
试题分析：文章介绍了月亮知识，包括颜色，大小，表面的状况等。
1.细节题：从第三段的句子：because its surface is all rocks and dirt.可知月亮表面太粗糙，所以不能很好反射太阳光。选B
2.细节题：第四段讲的四月亮的颜色改变是大气造成的，第五段讲月亮大小改变是人的错觉。选D
3.从最后一段的句子：it may be that your brain decides that the moon must be larger because it seems to be farther away.可知是回答为什么月亮从地平线起来时看起来更大。选B。
4.这是一篇介绍月亮知识的文章，属于科普类短文，作者也是。选C
考点：考查科普类短文
点评：文章比较抽象，但题目并不难，集中考查了细节题，题目设置较为合理，涵盖了全篇文章内容，在做题的时候，准确确定考点，准确判断就行。