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Reading Comprehension
part A
Read the following two texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A.B.C or D. When was helium in the University formed?
The elements other than hydrogen and helium exist in such small quantities that it is accurate to say that the universe is somewhat more than 75 percent hydrogen.
Astronomers have measured the abundance of helium throughout our galaxy and in other galaxies as well. Helium has been found in old stars, in relatively young ones, in interstellar gas, and in the distant objects known as quasars. Helium nuclei have also been found to be constituents of cosmic rays that fall on the earth (cosmic “rays” are not really a form of radiation; they consist of rapidly moving particles of numerous different kinds). It doesn’t seem to make very much difference where the helium is found. Its relative abundance never seems to vary much. In some places, there may be slightly more of it; in others, slightly less, but the ratio of helium to hydrogen nuclei always remains about the same.
Helium is created in stars. In fact, nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen to helium are responsible for most of the energy that stars produce. However, the amount of helium that could have been produced in this manner can be calculated, and it turns out to be no more than a few percent. The universe has not existed long enough for this figure to be significantly greater. Consequently, if the universe is somewhat more than 25 percent helium now, then it must have been about 25 percent helium at a time near the beginning.
However, when the universe was less than one minute old, no helium could have existed. Calculations indicate that before this time temperatures were too high and particles of mater were moving around much too rapidly. It was only after the one-minute point that helium could exist. By this time, the universe had cooled sufficiently that neutrons and protons could stick together. But the nuclear reactions that led to the formation of helium went on for only a relatively short time. By the time the universe was a few minutes old, helium production had effectively ceased.
1.What does the passage mainly explain?
A.How stars produce energy.
B.The difference between helium and hydrogen.
C.When most of the helium in the universe hydrogen.
D.Why hydrogen is abundant.
2.According to the passage, helium is ____.
A.the second-most abundant element in the universe
B.difficult to detect
C.the oldest element in the universe
D.the most prevalent element in quasars
3.Why does the author mention “cosmic rays” in paragraph 2?
A.as part of a list of things containing helium.
B.As an example of an unsolved astronomical puzzle.
C.To explain how the universe began.
D.To explain the abundance of hydrogen in the universe.
4.The creation of helium within stars ____.
A.cannot be measured
B.produces energy
C.produces helium to be much more abundant in old stars than in young stars.
5.Most of the helium in the universe was formed _____.
A.in interstellar space
B.in a very short time
C.during the first minute of the universe’s existence
D.before most of the hydrogen
解析：
1.C
本文的题目是When was helium in the University formed?根据题目并结合文章的内容，我们可以判断，本文主要介绍的是氦元素是何时在宇宙中形成的。
2.A
在第一段中我们知道：宇宙中除了氢和氦的数量比较多之外，其它元素的数量都很少。而且，氢在宇宙元素总量中占75%，所以氦元素在宇宙中一定是占第二位，仅次于氦。
3.A
文章第二段中介绍了许多包含氦的物质，包括in old stars, in relatively young ones, in interstellar gas, and in the distant objects known as quasars同时作者还提到了宇宙射线，并告诉我们宇宙射线中也包含氦。因此，作者在这里也提到了cosmic rays的目的是要使人们知道另外一种包含氦的物质，具体而言，就是说宇宙射线也是众多包含氦元素的物质中的一部分。
4.B
第三段开头有这样一句话：In fact, nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen to helium are responsible for most of the energy that stars produce. 这句话的意思是，星体产生的多数能量来源与巴氢转变为氦的原子核反应。也就是说，星体上的氢转变为氦的原子核反应产生了能量，这与选项A中的“星体中的氦的创造过程中产生了能量”是一致的。
5.B
文章的末尾有这样一句话：But the nuclear reactions that led to the formation of helium went on for only a relatively short time. 这句话的意思是，但是由于导致氦形成的原子核反应持续的时间相对较短。文章在最后指出，在宇宙形成的早期，氦并不存在，因为那时的温度太高。后来随着温度逐渐降低，中子和质子才得以粘在一起。原子核反应形成了氦，但这一过程进行的时间很短。到了the universe was a few minutes old的时候，氦的生产就停止了。