Astronomers have captured(捕获) the first direct image of a planet being born.

Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.

The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.

Called LkCa 15b, it’s the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.

Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Observing planets while they’re forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.

Planets can change orbits(轨道) after forming, so it’s difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.

“These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now,” Kraus said.

Scientists hadn’t been able to see such young planets before because the stars they’re circling around outshine(光亮强过) them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.

One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion(扭曲) created by the Earth’s atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.

The star LkCa 15—the planet is named after its star—was the team’s second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star.

1.The research on younger planets helps scientists _____________.

A. study why planets change orbits after forming

B. understand how planets move around their stars

C. answer questions about the age of stars and planets

D. know the relationship between planets and their stars

2.Why are young planets like LkCa 15b hard to discover?

A. Their stars are brighter than them..      B. They are very far from the earth.

C. They are generally too small.           D. They rarely form.

3.According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _____________.

A. have been working in the same university

B. observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii

C. used two new methods in the observation

D. cut holes in the mirrors when observing

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. Youngest planet seen as it’s forming.

B. Planet 450 light years away discovered.

C. World’s first direct image of a planet taken.

D. New technique helps discover young planets.

 

If you plan on visiting to Fiji, you are probably looking for some fun things to do. Below are four unusual places.

The Poseidon Resort

   The Poseidon resort is an underwater resort that gives visitors a beautiful view of sea life. This resort covers 255 acres. It’s covered and surrounded by a lagoon (咸水湖) that covers 5,000 acres and is about 90 feet under water, giving you a beautiful view of sea life right before your eyes. This resort even has a hotel for those who would prefer to have the unusual experience of sleeping and waking up to the beautiful scenery all around them.

The Sabeto Mud Pool

   If you’re looking for something unusual to do, you can’t pass up the mud pool at Sabeto. It is located in a mountain range with a huge group of Geothermal (地热的) pools full of nice, warm mud. Getting down and into the mud in the pool is believed to have benefits for healthy skin. This is unusual, but adults and especially kids will love it.

Fire Walking

   Fire walking in Fiji is believed to have originated on the island of Beau. Fire walking is when you walk on white-hot stones barefoot. To do this, you have to be mentally prepared for it. Trust me; there is a lot of preparation and strict rules that travelers follow in order to do this safely.

The Fiji Museum

   The Fiji museum is unusual due to all the amazing artifacts you’ll see dating back 3,000-4,000 years. This museum has a certain attraction that makes it funny—a shoe. It’s been said that a man named Thomas Baker was eaten by the locals several centuries ago and the only thing left was his shoe. This unusual museum is a great idea if you bring the whole family to Fiji.

1.Visitors who have the unusual experience of sleeping at the Poseidon resort can _________.

   A. enjoy the excellent service in the hotel

   B. open windows to see sea life swimming

   C. see sea life around them in the room

   D. only watch videos about sea life

2.Why do adults like to get down into the mud pool?

   A. To float on the warm mud

   B. To make them strong

   C. To play with the warm mud

   D. To keep their skin healthy

3. Which of the following things needs more courage and stricter rules?

   A. Trying fire walking

   B. Visiting the Poseidon resort

   C. Getting into the Sabeto Mud Pool

   D. Visiting the Fiji museum

4.The underlined word “artifacts” in Paragraph 5 means__________.

   A. historic things made by man

   B. things invented not long ago

   C. things that look very strange

   D. useful things in people’s daily life

 

It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?

Viti Levu – Great Fiji – is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.

Whit less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate(气候) that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.

 From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.

Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious(宗教的) songs. From market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional(传统的) sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.

So why not join us for the experience of a life me?

Where is the international airport of Fiji?

A. In Suva.

B. In Sydney.

C. On the island of Vatoa.

D. On the island of Viti Levu.

What does the text tell us about Fijian people?

A. They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.

B. They stick to a traditional way of life.

C. They like to travel from place to place.

D. They love taking adventures abroad.

One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is _______.

A. it’s comfortable hotels

B. its good weather all year round

C. its exciting football matches

D. its religious beliefs

Where can we most probably read this text?

A. In a personal diary                B. In a science report

C. In a travel magazine               D. In a geography textbook

If you plan on visiting to Fiji, you are probably looking for some fun things to do. Below are four unusual places.

The Poseidon Resort

   The Poseidon resort is an underwater resort that gives visitors a beautiful view of sea life. This resort covers 255 acres. It’s covered and surrounded by a lagoon (咸水湖) that covers 5,000 acres and is about 90 feet under water, giving you a beautiful view of sea life right before your eyes. This resort even has a hotel for those who would prefer to have the unusual experience of sleeping and waking up to the beautiful scenery all around them.

The Sabeto Mud Pool

   If you’re looking for something unusual to do, you can’t pass up the mud pool at Sabeto. It is located in a mountain range with a huge group of Geothermal (地热的) pools full of nice, warm mud. Getting down and into the mud in the pool is believed to have benefits for healthy skin. This is unusual, but adults and especially kids will love it.

Fire Walking

   Fire walking in Fiji is believed to have originated on the island of Beau. Fire walking is when you walk on white-hot stones barefoot. To do this, you have to be mentally prepared for it. Trust me; there is a lot of preparation and strict rules that travelers follow in order to do this safely.

The Fiji Museum

   The Fiji museum is unusual due to all the amazing artifacts you’ll see dating back 3,000-4,000 years. This museum has a certain attraction that makes it funny—a shoe. It’s been said that a man named Thomas Baker was eaten by the locals several centuries ago and the only thing left was his shoe. This unusual museum is a great idea if you bring the whole family to Fiji.

1.Visitors who have the unusual experience of sleeping at the Poseidon resort can _________.

A. enjoy the excellent service in the hotel   

B. open windows to see sea life swimming

C. see sea life around them in the room     

D. only watch videos about sea life

2.Why do adults like to get down into the mud pool?

A. To float on the warm mud              B. To make them strong

C. To play with the warm mud             D. To keep their skin healthy

3.Which of the following things needs more courage and stricter rules?

A. Trying fire walking                   B. Visiting the Poseidon resort

C. Getting into the Sabeto Mud Pool        D. Visiting the Fiji museum

4.The underlined word “artifacts” in Paragraph 5 means__________.

A. historic things made by man            B. things invented not long ago

C. things that look very strange            D. useful things in people’s daily life

 

The following are introductions to some programs that BBC I London will show on TV．

12:25 a．m．Tuesday	The Real Swiss Robinson Family Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life．They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods．
11:00 a．m．Wednesday	Orangutan Diary A Team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby apes who were captures one of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest．Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals．
7:50 p．m．Thursday	Lost Buildings of Britain Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbruy Abbey（修道院），which , before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained-glass of its age．It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire．Eventually, it was the king’s envy of the abbey’s wealth that changed the abbey’s fate．
10:35 p．m．Thursday	Nigella Express Nigella presents ideas for impromptu（即兴的）cooking, from new recipes and suggestions for taking advantage of the food you have to making quick, simple and impressive meals．

68．Why is Laura worried?

A．Life on the Cook Islands is too simple.

B．Her husband faces difficulties in his business.

C．Storms are approaching her hometown.

D．Her children may not know how to cherish life.

69．Jim enjoys TV programmes of people or organizations that take care of animals. He should probably watch TV at       .

A．10:35 p.m. on Thursday  B．7:50 p.m. on Thursday

C．11.00 a.m. on Wednesday       D．12:25 a. m. on Tuesday

70．We can learn from the text that        .

A．David is a farmer          

B．Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey

C．Nielsen is an animal-lover

D．Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass

71．Elizabeth, who likes trying out new recipes, may be most interested in        .

A．Nigella Express              B．Lost Buildings of Britain

C．Orangutan Diary             D．The Real Swiss Robinson Family