16．
Comets（彗星） are parts of our solar system（太陽(yáng)系）．Like the planets，they go around the sun．
But comets are not made of solid rock like planets．A comet is a ball of dust，stones，and ice．Many people call comets dirty snowballs．
The"snowball"may be only a few miles across．But when the sun heats the"snowball，"much of it is changed to gases．The gases spread out and form the comet's head，which may be thousands of miles across．
***
A comet moves fast in its trip around the sun．But when we see it，the comet does not seem to move．That's because it is so far away．The moon moves fast，but when you look at it，you can't see any motion．That's because the moon is far away．
So comets do not rush across the sky．You cannot see any motion．But if you look night after night，you can see that a comet changes position among the stars．If you watch the moon night after night，you'll see that it also changes position．
Each year astronomers discover new comets．Some of them are seen only
once．They make one trip around the sun and then go way out into space．The sun's gravity（重力、引力）cannot hold them．
Other comets，like Halley，keep returning．They have been captured by the sun．Halley's earliest visit was probably 3，000years ago．It may keep returning for another 3，000years．
But every time a comet goes around the sun，the comet loses part of itself．Gases and dust are pulled out of the comet．That's why Halley is now dimmer than it used to be．Next time it visits us，in 2062，it may be even dimmer．Each visit it may get dimmer and dimmer，until it finally disappears．
54．What is this passage mostly about？D
A．Comets and the sun．
B．Why comets are like snowballs．
C．Who discovered the first comet．
D．Facts about comets．
55．According to the passage，some comets have been"captured by the sun．"What does the underlined phrase mean？C
A．The comets are rushing into the sun．
B．The comets have been brightened by the sun．
C．The comets are stuck in the sun's gravity．
D．The comets have been burned by the sun's heat．
56．How does the author help the reader understand what a comet looks like？D
A．By telling about a famous one．
B．By explaining how far away it is．
C．By describing how fast it moves．
D．By describing it as a dirty snowball．
57．What is the most likely reason the author wrote this passage？A
A．To give information about comets．
B．To tell readers about famous comets．
C．To explain the importance of comets．
D．To encourage readers to look for comets．
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