The Discovery of Uranus - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
The IELTS reading section examines a candidate’s comprehending skills within the stipulated amount of time. The reading section comprises passages followed with different kinds of questions to holistically judge a student’s grasping abilities while reading. This particular IELTS Reading Practice Test has a passage on- “The Discovery of Uranus”, which consists of the following type of question:
- Yes/No/Not given
- Fill in the blanks
- Choose the correct answer
The IELTS Reading Practice Tests contain a variety of sample passages with different kinds of questions which will equip a student with all the possible dimensions of this section. These practice tests should be taken with utmost seriousness to perform brilliantly on the D-Day.
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
The Discovery of Uranus IELTS Reading Sample
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.
The 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 1780-81. 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 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 the 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 Georgian 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’s 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 1 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 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.
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Section 2
Solution With Explanation
Questions 27-31
Complete the table below. Write a date for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Example: William Herschel was born | Answer: 1738 |
| Herschel began investigating astronomy | 27________ |
| Discover of the planet Uranus | 28________ |
| Discovery of the moons Titania and Oberon | 29________ |
| The first discovery of Uranus’s rings | 30________ |
| Discovery of last 10 moons of Uranus | 31________ |
27.
Answer: 1772
Supporting Sentence: Herschel 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.
Keyword: astronomy
Keyword Location: 2nd paragraph, 8th line
Explanation: until 1772, Hershel widely read books related to science and arts. He was sure that music was not his future destination. In 1772 he came across a book on astronomy when he became deeply interested in it and started investigating it. Hence, 1772 is the appropriate answer.
28.
Answer: 1781
Supporting Sentence: The first review was made in 1775; the second, and most momentous, was in 1780-81. It was during the latter part of this that he discovered Uranus.
Keyword: Uranus
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, 4th line
Explanation: Hershel began observations in 1774, where he used his telescope to access every part of the sky. He made his first review in 1775 and in the latter part of the second review, in 1780-1781, Herschel discovered Uranus. Hence, 1781 is the appropriate answer.
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29.
Answer: 1787
Supporting Sentence: The two largest moons, Titania and Oberon, were discovered by Herschel in 1787.
Keyword: moon
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 9th line
Explanation: Uranus has 15 moons that revolve around its equator. These moons were explored with the help of an aircraft Voyager 2 in 1787. In these 15 moons, the two largest moons were Titania and Oberon. Hence, 1787 is the appropriate answer.
30.
Answer: 1977
Supporting Sentence: In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, the American astronomer James L. Elliot discovered the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus.
Keyword: rings
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 5th line
Explanation: when accessed with the help of a telescope, the Uranus had a small bluish-green disc with a faint green periphery. And in 1977, an American astronomer James L. Elliot found about five rings around Uranus. Hence, 1977 is the right answer.
31.
Answer: 1986
Supporting Sentence: Four more rings were also discovered in January 1986 during the exploratory flight of Voyager 22. In addition to its rings, Uranus has 15 satellites ('moons'), the last 10 moons were discovered with the help of Voyager 2 on the same flight; all revolve around its equator and move with the planet in an east-west direction.
Keyword: moons
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 7th line
Explanation: With the discovery of the rings around Uranus, 15 moons revolving around the Uranus as the satellites were found. In these 15 moons, the last ten moons were explored by Voyager 2 in the same year 1986. Hence, 1986 is the right answer.
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Questions 32-36
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer of the Reading Passage?
In boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet 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
- It is improbable that there is a planet hidden behind the sun.
Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: 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.
Keyword: sun
Keyword Location: 1st paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: As given in the paragraph, during the revolution of the planets around the sun, only a part of the planets revolving is hidden from our eyes behind the sun. So, only a part of these planets is hidden behind the sun, not the entire surface of the planet. Hence, this statement is correct.
- Herschel knew immediately that he had found a new planet.
Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: The first review was made in 1775; the second, and most momentous, was in 1780-81. It was during the latter part of this that he discovered Uranus.
Keyword: Uranus
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, 4th line
Explanation: Herschel used a telescope to access every part of the sky and the first review was made by him in 1775. Later in the second review in 1780-81, Herschel discovered Uranus. Herschel did not discover Uranus immediately. Hence, the statement is not correct.
- Herschel collaborated with other astronomers of his time.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
- Herschel's newly-discovered object was considered to be too far from the sun to be a comet.
Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: His final achievements spread from the sun and moon to remote galaxies (of which he discovered hundreds), and papers flooded from his pen until he died in 1822. Among these, there was one sent to the Royal Society in 1781, entitled An Account of a Comet.
Keyword: comet
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, 8th line
Explanation: after the discovery of Uranus, Herschel made many explorations in this field from the sun and moon to faraway galaxies of the universe and all these achievements were supported by Royal Grant. He has published different papers and one of them was sent to Royal Society in 1781 entitled 'An Account of a Comet' where he mentioned that his newly explored object was much large to be considered a comet. Hence the statement is correct.
- Herschel's discovery was the most important find of the last three hundred years.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
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Questions 37-40
Complete each of the following statements (Questions 37-40) with a name from the Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
The suggested names of the new planet started with ........ (37) ........, then ........ (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.
37.
Answer: georgium sidus
Supporting Sentence: Herschel wanted to call it Georgian sidus (Star of George) in honor of his royal patron King George III of Great Britain.
Keyword: planet
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 9th line
Explanation: after finding that planet, Sir William Herschel wanted to name that newly found planet Georgium Sidus in the honor of the King of Great Britain, George III. But later the name Uranus was propounded by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode. Hence, the right answer here is georgium sidus.
38.
Answer: Herschel
Supporting Sentence: The planet was later for a time called Herschel in honor 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.
Keyword: Uranus
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 9th line
Explanation: after Herschel has discovered the planet, names were proposed for that discovered planet, second name suggested for that explored planet was Herschel after the name of the discoverer Sir William Herschel. Hence, Herschel is the right answer.
39.
Answer: James L. Elliot
Supporting Sentence: In 1977, while recording the occultation 1 of a star behind the planet, an American astronomer James L. Elliot found the presence of five rings encircling the equator of Uranus.
Keyword: rings
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 5th line
Explanation: An American astronomer James L. Elliot found some five rings around Uranus while recording the occultation of the stars in 1977. Hence, James L. Elliot is the right answer.
40.
Answer: Miranda
Supporting Sentence: Miranda, thought before 1986 to be the innermost moon, was explored in 1948 by the American astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper.
Keyword: Miranda, moon
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 11th line
Explanation: out of the 15 moons found by scientists encircling Uranus, the innermost moon was Miranda, which was found by an American astronomer, Gerard Peter Kuiper in 1948. Until before 1948, it was found to be the innermost moon. Hence, Miranda is the right answer.
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