The Discovery Of Uranus - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 02 General Training Reading Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
Read the following passage and answer Questions 27-40.
The Discovery of Uranus
Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely theory. Throughout the Earth's annual revolution around the sun there is one point of space always hidden from our eyes. This point is the opposite part of the Earth's orbit, which is always hidden by the sun. Could there be another planet there, essentially similar to our own, but always invisible?
If a space probe today sent back evidence that such a world existed it would cause not much more sensation than Sir William Herschel's discovery of a new planet, Uranus, in 1781.
Herschel was an extraordinary man—no other astronomer has ever covered so vast a field of work—and his career deserves study. He was born in Hanover in Germany in 1738, left the German army in 1757, and arrived in England the same year with no money but quite exceptional music ability. He played the violin and oboe and at one time was organist in the Octagon Chapel in the city of Bath. Herschel's was an active mind, and deep inside he was conscious that music was not his destiny; he therefore read widely in science and the arts, but not until 1772 did he come across a book on astronomy. He was then 34, middle-aged by the standards of the time, but without hesitation he embarked on his new career, financing it by his professional work as a musician. He spent years mastering the art of telescope construction, and even by present-day standards his instruments are comparable with the best.
Serious observation began in 1774. He set himself the astonishing task of 'reviewing the heavens', in other words, pointing his telescope to every accessible part of the sky and recording what he saw. The first review was made in 1775; the second, and most momentous, in 1780-1781. It was during the latter part of this that he discovered Uranus. Afterwards, supported by the royal grant in recognition of his work, he was able to devote himself entirely to astronomy. His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until his death in 1822.
Among these there was one sent to the Royal Society in 1781, entitled An Account of a Comet. In his own words:
On Tuesday the 13th of March, between ten and eleven in the evening, while I was examining the small stars in the neighbourhood of H Geminorum, I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet.
Herschel's care was the hallmark of a great observer; he was not prepared to jump to any conclusions. Also, to be fair, the discovery of a new planet was the last thought in anybody's mind. But further observation by other astronomers besides Herschel revealed two curious facts. For a comet, it showed a remarkably sharp disc; furthermore, it was moving so slowly that it was thought to be a great distance from the sun, and comets are only normally visible in the immediate vicinity of the sun. As its orbit came to be worked out the truth dawned that it was a new planet far beyond Saturn's realm, and that the 'reviewer of the heavens' had stumbled across an unprecedented prize. Herschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III of Great Britain. The planet was later for a time called Herschel in honour of its discoverer. The name Uranus, which was first proposed by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode, was in use by the late 19th century.
Uranus is a giant in construction, but not so much in size; its diameter compares unfavourably with that of Jupiter and Saturn, though on the terrestrial scale it is still colossal. Uranus' atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen and helium, with a trace of methane. Through a telescope the planet appears as a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. In 1977, while recording the occultation of a star behind the planet, the American astronomer James L. Elliot discovered the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus. Four more rings were discovered in January 1986 during the exploratory flight of Voyager 2. In addition to its rings, Uranus has 15 satellites ('moons'), the last 10 discovered by Voyager 2 on the same flight; all revolve about its equator and move with the planet in an east-west direction. The two largest moons, Titania and Oberon, were discovered by Herschel in 1787. The next two, Umbriel and Ariel, were found in 1851 by the British astronomer William Lassell. Miranda, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.
Glossary:
occultation: in astronomy, when one object passes in front of another and hides the second from view, especially, for example, when the moon comes between an observer and a star or planet
Voyager 2: an unmanned spacecraft sent on a voyage past Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter in 1986, during which it sent back information about these planets to scientists on earth
Questions
Questions 27–31 Table Completion
Complete the table below.
Write a date for each answer.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| William Herschel was born | 1738 |
| Herschel began investigating astronomy | 27 |
| Discovery of the planet Uranus | 28 |
| Discovery of the moons Titania and Oberon | 29 |
| First discovery of Uranus' rings | 30 |
| Discovery of the last 10 moons of Uranus | 31 |
Questions 32–36 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?
write
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Questions 37–40 Sentence Completion
Complete each of the following statements with a name from the Reading passage.
- The suggested names of the new planet started with 37.
- The new planet was then named 38 before finally settling on Uranus.
- The first five rings around Uranus were discovered by 39.
- From 1948 until 1986, the moon 40 was believed to be the moon closest to the surface of Uranus.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | 1772 | he therefore read widely in science and the arts, but not until 1772 did he come across a book on astronomy. He was then 34, middle-aged by the standards of the time, but without hesitation he embarked on his new career | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that Herschel read a lot about science, but he only found a book specifically about astronomy in 1772. Once he found it, he did not wait and started his new job in that subject right away. Answer Explanation: The answer 1772 is the year William Herschel started learning about space and began his new work as an astronomer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1772 because the text explains that after reading many books, he finally found one about astronomy in that year. After finding this book, he immediately began his new career. The word 'embarked' means he started something new, in this case, his investigation into astronomy. |
| Q28 | 1781 | Sir William Herschel's discovery of a new planet, Uranus, in 1781 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the famous scientist William Herschel found a new planet named Uranus in the year 1781. Answer Explanation: The answer is the year 1781, which is when the planet Uranus was first seen by William Herschel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1781 because the passage states that Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in that year. Although he initially thought it might be a comet, this date marks the official time of the find. Look for keywords like 'discovery', 'planet', and 'Uranus' to find this specific year. |
| Q29 | 1787 | The two largest moons, Titania and Oberon, were discovered by Herschel in 1787 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the two biggest moons of Uranus, named Titania and Oberon, were found by Herschel in the year 1787. Answer Explanation: The answer 1787 is the year when a man named Herschel found the two largest moons orbiting the planet Uranus. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1787 because the passage lists several events and their dates. In the section about moons (satellites), it clearly states that the two biggest ones, Titania and Oberon, were discovered by William Herschel in 1787. To find this answer, you can look for the specific names 'Titania' and 'Oberon' and the word 'discovered'. |
| Q30 | 1977 | In 1977, while recording the occultation of a star behind the planet, the American astronomer James L. Elliot discovered the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that in 1977, an astronomer named James L. Elliot was watching a star pass behind Uranus when he found five rings around the planet's middle. Answer Explanation: The answer 1977 refers to the year scientists first saw rings around the planet Uranus. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1977 because the text explains that the first groups of rings (five of them) were found by James L. Elliot in that year. While more rings were discovered later in 1986, 1977 marks the initial discovery of the ring system around Uranus. |
| Q31 | 1986 | Four more rings were discovered in January 1986 during the exploratory flight of Voyager 2. In addition to its rings, Uranus has 15 satellites ('moons'), the last 10 discovered by Voyager 2 on the same flight; all revolve about its equator and move with the planet in an east-west direction | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that in January 1986, the Voyager 2 spacecraft was studying Uranus. During that same trip, it discovered four more rings and the final ten moons (satellites). Answer Explanation: The answer is the year 1986, which is when scientists discovered the last 10 moons of the planet Uranus. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1986 because the text explains that the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus in January of that year. During this flight, it found four new rings and the final 10 moons of the planet. |
| Q32 | YES | Someone once put forward an attractive though unlikely theory. Throughout the Earth's annual revolution around the sun there is one point of space always hidden from our eyes. This point is the opposite part of the Earth's orbit, which is always hidden by the sun. Could there be another planet there, essentially similar to our own, but always invisible | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains a theory that a planet might be hidden from us on the other side of the sun, but it calls this idea 'unlikely,' meaning it is probably not reality. Answer Explanation: The answer is YES because the author of the text believes that the idea of a planet being hidden behind the sun is not very likely to be true. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the writer uses the word 'unlikely' to describe the theory about a hidden planet. In English, 'unlikely' and 'improbable' mean the same thing: that something is probably not true or will not happen. Therefore, the statement agrees with the writer's claim that this idea is improbable. |
| Q33 | NO | I perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest; being struck with its uncommon magnitude, I compared it to H Geminorum and the small star in the quartile between Auriga and Gemini, and finding it to be much larger than either of them, suspected it to be a comet | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when Herschel first saw the object, he compared it to other stars and, because of its size, he believed it was a comet rather than a planet. Answer Explanation: The answer "NO" means that the statement is false according to the text; Herschel did not know right away that what he found was a planet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "NO" because the text clearly states that Herschel first thought the object was a comet. In his own notes, he mentions that after seeing something larger than the surrounding stars, he "suspected it to be a comet." The passage also mentions that he was a very careful scientist who was "not prepared to jump to any conclusions," and that at that time, nobody was even thinking about finding a new planet. It was only later, after more observations, that astronomers realized it was actually a planet. |
| Q34 | NOT GIVEN | But further observation by other astronomers besides Herschel revealed two curious facts | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage mentions that other scientists who study stars looked at the same discovery, but it never mentions if these people worked together with Herschel or worked separately. Answer Explanation: The answer "NOT GIVEN" means that the text does not contain enough information to decide if Herschel worked with other astronomers or if he worked by himself. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "NOT GIVEN" because while the passage mentions that other astronomers looked at the object Herschel found, it does not say that they were his partners or that he worked as part of a team. Because the text is silent on whether he teamed up with others or stayed independent, we cannot say if the statement is true or false. |
| Q35 | YES | furthermore, it was moving so slowly that it was thought to be a great distance from the sun, and comets are only normally visible in the immediate vicinity of the sun | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that since the object was moving slowly, it was believed to be far from the sun. It adds that usually, comets can only be seen when they are very close to the sun. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that the passage agrees with the statement that the object Herschel found was thought to be at a distance from the sun that was unusual for a comet. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage explicitly mentions that astronomers noticed the object moved very slowly, which meant it was far away from the sun. It then explains that comets are typically only seen when they are close to the sun. This mismatch in distance and visibility led astronomers to realize it was not actually a comet. The use of the word 'vicinity' (meaning the area near a place) helps confirm that being far away made it an unlikely candidate for a comet. |
| Q36 | NOT GIVEN | If a space probe today sent back evidence that such a world existed it would cause not much more sensation than Sir William Herschel's discovery of a new planet, Uranus, in 1781 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that finding a hidden planet today would be just as exciting as Herschel finding Uranus was in 1781, but it does not claim that his discovery is the most significant event in the last few centuries. Answer Explanation: The answer means the text does not give enough information to say if the writer thinks this discovery was the most important one in the last 300 years. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage explains that the discovery was a 'sensation' (something very exciting) and an 'unprecedented prize' (something special that had never happened before). However, the author never compares it to every other discovery from the last three hundred years to say it is the 'most important.' Since that specific comparison is missing, we cannot know the writer's opinion on this. |
| Q37 | georgium sidus / Star of George | Herschel wanted to call it georgium sidus (Star of George) in honour of his royal patron King George III of Great Britain | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Herschel planned to name the new planet georgium sidus to show respect to the king at that time. Answer Explanation: The answer is the very first name that was chosen for the planet by the man who found it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the text describes the names given to the planet over time. It explicitly mentions that William Herschel, the person who discovered it, 'wanted to call it' georgium sidus first. This happened before it was called 'Herschel' or finally 'Uranus'. |
| Q38 | Herschel | The planet was later for a time called Herschel in honour of its discoverer | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that for a while, people used the name Herschel for the planet to show respect for the man who found it. Answer Explanation: The answer Herschel is the name that was used for the planet Uranus for a certain period of time before its current name was officially chosen. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Herschel because the text describes the naming history of the planet. It mentions that while the discoverer first wanted to call it 'georgium sidus', it was later known as Herschel to honor him. This happened before the name Uranus became widely used toward the end of the 1800s. |
| Q39 | James L. Elliot | In 1977, while recording the occultation of a star behind the planet, the American astronomer James L. Elliot discovered the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in 1977, an American person who studies the stars named James L. Elliot found five rings around the middle area of the planet Uranus. Answer Explanation: The answer is the name of the American scientist who found the first five rings around the planet Uranus. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is James L. Elliot because the text directly states that he discovered five rings around the equator of Uranus in 1977. While more rings were found later by a spacecraft called Voyager 2, he is the individual credited with finding the initial five. |
| Q40 | Miranda | Miranda, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was discovered in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage confirms that people believed Miranda was the closest moon to Uranus until the year 1986, and it was first found in 1948. Answer Explanation: The answer Miranda is the name of one of the moons that circles the planet Uranus. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Miranda because the text explains it was discovered in 1948. It also mentions that until 1986, this moon was considered the 'innermost' moon. The word 'innermost' is a synonym for 'closest to the surface' when talking about objects like moons around a planet. |