NANJING, June 13,2009 (Xinhua) – China will see the longest total solar eclipse (日食) in 500 years on July 22, a scientist said Saturday. The most important time of the total eclipse was expected to
begin from 9:00 a.m. to 9:38 a. m. (Beijing Time), said Wang
Sichao, a research fellow with the Nanjing – based Purple
Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“The total eclipse will l ast up to six minutes, which is the longest
one that can be seen in China in almost 500 years from 1814 to 2309,” Wang said.
He said viewers in parts of eleven provinces in China's southwestern, central-southern and eastern areas, such as Tibet, Hunan and Jiangsu, will be able to witness the total solar eclipse, while in most parts of Shanghai, viewers can see the spectacular phenomenon. For viewers in other provinces, including Beijing, they can observe a partial eclipse, he said.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is caught between the sun and the earth while each of them moves along their fixed orbits. In a total solar eclipse, the sun, the moon and the earth are directly aligned as the sun swings into the cone of shadow cast by the moon.
Wang said the next total solar eclipse that can be seen in China will fall on March 20 th, 2034. "But it can only be seen remote provinces, such as Tibet and Qinghai. It cannot not be compared with the upcoming one -- in terms of duration and number of cities that can see the eclipse," he added. The last total solar eclipse visible in China took place on Aug. 1 last year. It was observed in northwest China and lasted two minutes in Yiwu County of northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the best place to see the phenomenon.
72．According to the report, the total eclipse on July the 22 nd will last
.
A．over a month B．about 38 minutes
C．about 6 minutes D．less than 30 minutes
73．Viewers can possibly witness the total solar eclipse in
.
A．Liaoning B．Sichuan C．Beijing D．Xinjiang
74．When a total solar eclipse happens,
.
A．the moon goes into the shadow cast by the sun
B．the earth stays between the sun and the moon
C．the sun temporarily moves into the moon’s orbit
D．the sun is in a line with the moon and the earth
75．Which is the best title for this report?
.
A．China to witness longest total solar eclipse in 500 years
B．The most important total solar eclipse will favor China
C．The beginning time of the total solar eclipse is expected
D．China has been the best place to witness the solar eclipse