Educational worksheet on comets for reading comprehension practice.

Reading Comprehension: "What is a Comet?"

#### Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the questions.

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Paragraph Summary:

- A comet is a small object that orbits the Sun.
- It is made of ice, dust, and rocky particles.
- The word "comet" comes from Greek, meaning "hair of the head."
- When close to the Sun, comets develop a fuzzy outline (coma) due to sublimation of ice and other compounds.
- Comets can have tails.
- Comets are classified as short-term (periodic) or long-term based on their orbital periods:
- Short-term comets orbit the Sun in less than 200 years.
- Long-term comets take more than 200 years.
- Halley's Comet is the best-known example of a short-term comet, with an orbital period of about 75–76 years.
- Humans have observed Halley's Comet for thousands of years; it was last visible in 1986 and will next be visible in 2061.

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Questions and Answers:

#### 1. What is another word for “short term comet”?
- Answer: B. periodic comet
- Explanation: The paragraph states that short-term comets are also called "periodic comets." This means they have a regular, predictable orbit around the Sun.

#### 2. How did comets get their name?
- Answer: Comets were named by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who thought comets were “stars with hair.” The word “comet” comes from a Greek word meaning “hair of the head.”
- Explanation: The paragraph explicitly mentions that Aristotle named comets and explains the etymology of the word "comet."

#### 3. When was the last time Halley’s Comet was visible?
- Answer: 1986
- Explanation: The paragraph states, "The last time it appeared was in 1986."

#### 4. When will Halley’s Comet be visible again?
- Answer: 2061
- Explanation: The paragraph states, "It won’t be visible to us again until 2061."

#### 5. What is a comet and how is it formed?
- Answer: A comet is a fairly small object that orbits the Sun. It is made up of ice, dust, and small rocky particles. When a comet gets close enough to the Sun, the heat causes the ice and other compounds on its surface to sublimate (change from solid to gas), forming a fuzzy outline called a coma. If the comet has a tail, it is formed by solar wind pushing the gases away from the comet's nucleus.

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Final Answers:

1. B. periodic comet
2. Comets were named by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who thought comets were “stars with hair.” The word “comet” comes from a Greek word meaning “hair of the head.”
3. 1986
4. 2061
5. A comet is a small object that orbits the Sun, made of ice, dust, and rocky particles. When close to the Sun, the ice and other compounds sublimate, forming a coma. Tails are formed by solar wind pushing gases away from the comet.

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Boxed Final Answer:

\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
1. & \text{ B. periodic comet} \\
2. & \text{ Comets were named by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who thought comets were “stars with hair.” The word “comet” comes from a Greek word meaning “hair of the head.”} \\
3. & \text{ 1986} \\
4. & \text{ 2061} \\
5. & \text{ A comet is a small object that orbits the Sun, made of ice, dust, and rocky particles. When close to the Sun, the ice and other compounds sublimate, forming a coma. Tails are formed by solar wind pushing gases away from the comet.}
\end{aligned}
}