It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction (预言) of what comet would happen in the future.He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758.There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested.In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky.Halley did not see it, for he has died some years before.Ever since then that comet has been called Halley's comet, in his honor.

　　语篇解读：本文主要介绍了200多年前英国科学家哈雷以及他的发现。

　　5．Halley made his discovery ________.

　　A．by doing experiments

　　B．by means of his own careful observation

　　C．by using the work of other scientists

　　D．by chance

　　解析：选C　细节理解题。由文中第三段"He figured out (解决；计算出) the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists."可知应选C。

　　6．Halley made a surprising, but correct prediction in the year ________.

　　A．1704　　　　　　　　 B．1705

　　C．1706 D．1707

　　解析：选B　数字计算题。由最后一段中的"He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758.There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested."可知，他预言彗星出现的时间是1758年，而这个预言还要经过53年才能验证，由此可以推断出哈雷做出这个预言的时间是1705年。

　　7．This passage in general is about ________.

　　A．Halley and other scientists

　　B．the orbit of a comet

　　C．Newton and Halley

　　D．Halley and his discovery

　　解析：选D　主旨大意题。本文主要介绍了哈雷以及他的发现。

　　8．Which of the following is TRUE?

　　A．Edmund Halley was an American scientist.

　　B．Halley made his discovery by doing experiments.

　　C．Newton was a famous mathematician.

　　D．The orbit of a comet had the shape of a circle.

　　解析：选C　细节理解题。从文章首句可以看出A项错误；从第三段的分析中可知B项也错误；由第二段可知，牛顿告诉哈雷彗星的轨道是椭圆形的，可排除D项。