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One of the rarest of celestial events, the total solar eclipse, happen
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09 Dec 2022, 10:33
09 Dec 2022, 10:33
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Question Stats:
56% (00:54) correct
43% (00:50) wrong based on 79 sessions
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One of the rarest of celestial events, the total solar eclipse, happens only when the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, fully (i)________ the view of the sun from a particular location on Earth. Because the Moon is relatively small, in celestial terms, and its umbra, the central part of the Moon’s shadow caused by its blocking the sun, traces only a narrow path on the Earth, total eclipses are such (ii)________ occurrences that they have been known to draw hundreds of thousands of onlookers.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. secularizes | D. atypical |
| B. epitomizes | E. desultory |
| C. occludes | F. momentous |
Re: One of the rarest of celestial events, the total solar eclipse, happen
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11 Dec 2022, 00:29
11 Dec 2022, 00:29
1
First blank: The total solar eclipse, which is one of the rarest events, happens when the moon fully obscure the view of the sun.
Since eclipse means obscure and solar means sun, so we could say that the moon fully obscure the view of the sun.
so occludes work
Second blank: total eclipses are such rare occurrences – this I got from the first sentence (One of the rarest of celestial events) and another hint is that "they have been known to drawn hundreds of thousands of onlookers", so it must be rare in order to draw many observers to look at this event.
atypical works since it is not normal; it's rare
Since eclipse means obscure and solar means sun, so we could say that the moon fully obscure the view of the sun.
so occludes work
Second blank: total eclipses are such rare occurrences – this I got from the first sentence (One of the rarest of celestial events) and another hint is that "they have been known to drawn hundreds of thousands of onlookers", so it must be rare in order to draw many observers to look at this event.
atypical works since it is not normal; it's rare
Re: One of the rarest of celestial events, the total solar eclipse, happen
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11 Dec 2022, 04:00
11 Dec 2022, 04:00
Expert Reply
OE
The first blank describes what the Moon does to the Sun; the second sentence tells you that the Moon’s shadow is caused by blocking the sun, so you are looking for a word that means blocks. Of the choices, only occludes means blocks; secularizes means separates from religious connection and epitomizes means typifies. The second blank describes the occurrence, and the clue is in the first line of the passage: one of the rarest of celestial events. Therefore, you need a word that means rare. Of the choices, only atypical means rare; desultory means random, but not necessarily rare, and momentous means of far-reaching importance.
The first blank describes what the Moon does to the Sun; the second sentence tells you that the Moon’s shadow is caused by blocking the sun, so you are looking for a word that means blocks. Of the choices, only occludes means blocks; secularizes means separates from religious connection and epitomizes means typifies. The second blank describes the occurrence, and the clue is in the first line of the passage: one of the rarest of celestial events. Therefore, you need a word that means rare. Of the choices, only atypical means rare; desultory means random, but not necessarily rare, and momentous means of far-reaching importance.
