第一步: 分析文章标题A Star Is Born
标题中的星星到底是什么?结合文章开头的句子：
1 The VLT(Very Large Telescope)is the world’s largest telescope(望远镜)and is taking astronomers(天文学家)further back to the Big Bang than they ever thought possible.Located 2,600 meters up to the Chilean Andes，it has four huge mirrors，each about the size of a London bus.The VLT is so powerful it Can spot a burning match 10.000 kilometers away.
文章第一段中没有出现Star这个词， 但是根据文章中出现的中文注释：望远镜，天文学家，星系， 宇宙(第二段)等词， 可以知道文章标题中的Star应该是指宇宙中的某颗星星。从标题内容来看，这篇文章应该是说明文， 可能将具体讲述某颗星星的诞生过程。
解题第2步：结合文章主题(文章标题所揭示的内容)分析概括大意被选项之间的关系。
A. Events that took place before the earth existed
B. Power of the telescope
C. Details of Eta Carinae
D. Invention of a time machine
E. Biggest telescope
F Birth of the new worlds
被选项中B和E都涉及到“telescope(望远镜)”， 因此推测这两个选项中应该至少有一个是答案(提示： 相关选项中通常出答案); F 与文章主题(一颗星星的诞生)呼应， 所以成为答案的可能性较大， C中出现了特征词Eta Carinae， 所以C在解题中容易被判断。
第3步： 直接解题， 在解题中注意各种解题技巧的巧妙运用。
A. Events that took place before the earth existed
B. Power of the telescope
C. Details of Eta Carinae
D. Invention of a time machine
E. Biggest telescope
F Birth of the new worlds
1. Paragraph 1 ___.
1 The VLT(Very Large Telescope)is the world’s largest telescope(望远镜)and is taking astronomers(天文学家)further back to the Big Bang than they ever thought possible.Located 2,600 meters up to the Chilean Andes，it has four huge mirrors，each about the size of a London bus.The VLT is so powerful it can spot a burning match 10.000 kilometers away.
1. E. 分析: 段落中VLT(大望远镜)中反复出现(第2句中的代词it也是指VLT), 因此判断VLT是该段核心词, 比较被选项B和E, 判断E是答案(VLT是大望远镜, 段落中也是在强调望远镜的“大”(段落中出现了Large， largest， huge))， 因此判断E是答案。
解题线索： 利用段落中的核心词直接判断段落主题。
A. Events that took place before the earth existed
B. Power of the telescope
C. Details of Eta Carinae
D. Invention of a time machine
F Birth of the new worlds
2. Paragraph 2 ___.
2 This astonishing power will allow astronomers to see events in space from the birth of stars to the collision(碰撞)of galaxies(星系)on the edge of the cosmos(宇宙).The VLT is giving astronomers their best-ever view of the cosmos.The power of the VLT to see the smallest detail at the furthest distances makes its designers amazed.
2. B。 分析：段落中VLT(大望远镜) 和power(能量)反复出现， 因此这两个词是该段主题词， 因此判断B是答案。
解题线索： 利用段落中的核心词直接判断段落主题。
A. Events that took place before the earth existed
C. Details of Eta Carinae
D. Invention of a time machine
F Birth of the new worlds
1.Paragraph 3 ___.
3 Take the case of Eta Carinae，one of the most explosive stars in the universe.This star produces ultraviolet laser rays(紫外线)and it will destroy itself in a few million years’time.It is five times brighter than the sun and when it explodes it is going to be a sight worth waiting for!
3. C。 分析：整个段落围绕Eta Carinae进行介绍： 段落中的This star和代词it都是指Eta Carinae， 因此Eta Carinae是段落的主题词， 因此判断C是答案。
解题线索： 利用段落中的核心词直接判断段落主题。
A. Events that took place before the earth existed
D. Invention of a time machine
F Birth of the new worlds
2.Paragraph 4 ___.
4But it(it指代前段中的Eta Carinae) is at distances of millions，even billions，of light years that the VLT really shows its power.The VLT can detect light that set out on its journey before the earth even existed.This gives astronomers their first—ever detailed views of events that took place in the earliest days of the cosmos.
4.A. 分析： 比较被选项： D说“时光机器”， 可是该段落提到的仪器是VLT(大望远镜)， 不是“时光机器”， 因此D不是答案; A中的状语结构“before the earth existed”在该段第2句中出现了， 该句中没有提到A中的核心词Events(事件/事情)， 但是在该段落的最后一句中出现了Events(事件)， 该句说“这就使天文学家有史以来第一次观察到了宇宙早期发生的事情”， 结合这个句意来看A是答案。
解题线索： 被选项中的核心词应该在段落中有呼应的词语或结构。
A。 its detecting power
B. millions of light years away in space
C. the location of VLT
D. as an example
E. the birth of the earth
F. the rotation of the earth
6. The VLT will allow scientists to see events ___.
6.B. 分析： 解题思路1： 借助句子句意判断答案： 空格前面内容说“VLT允许科学家观察事件…”, 判断B最合适:B作定语修饰前面的events, 整个句子大意是“VLT允许科学家观察发生在距离是数百万光年以外的事件”。解题思路2： 借助句子中的特征词scientists和VLT作为答案线索， 这样找到答案相关句：
1 The VLT(Very Large Telescope)is the world’s largest telescope(望远镜)and is taking astronomers(天文学家)(与scientists是近义词)further back to the Big Bang than they ever thought possible.带领天文学家回到远古的大爆炸时代， 这是他们从没想象到的.这句话没有直接揭示答案, 接续看后面的句子,
2 This astonishing power (指代VLT的惊人能力)will allow astronomers (与scientists是近义词)to see events in space from the birth of stars to the collision of galaxies(星系)on the edge of the cosmos.该句也没有直接揭示答案, 接续看后面的句子: The VLT is giving astronomers their best-ever view of the cosmos.The power of the VLT to see the smallest detail at the furthest distances makes its designers amazed.该句说“VLT能使天文学家看见宇宙中最远地方发生的最小的事情， 这使它的设计者很吃惊。” 该句间接的揭示了答案。
考点：考察考生对文章中重要细节内容的归纳总结。VLT是文章中涉及到的重要细节。
A。 its detecting power
C. the location of VLT
D. as an example
E. the birth of the earth
F. the rotation of the earth
6. The designers of the VLT are surprised at ___.
6. A。分析：借助搭配结构特点： 空格处需要名词性的结构或代词作介词at的宾语， 所以D肯定不是答案; 利用句子中的核心词designers of the VLT 和修饰词surprised作为答案线索， 这样找到答案相关句：
The power of the VLT to see the smallest detail at the furthest distances makes its designers amazed(surprised的近义词)， 判断A是答案。
考点： 考察近义词的替换。
C. the location of VLT
D. as an example
E. the birth of the earth
F. the rotation of the earth
7. Eta Carinae is taken ___.
7. D。分析： 可以直接借助常见的搭配结构： take…as…(把…看成是…)判断D是答案. 也可以利用句子中的核心词(也是特征词)作为答案线索, 这样找到答案相关内容: Take the case of Eta Carinae，one of the most explosive最容易爆炸的stars in the universe. “Take the case of …”是“以…为例”, 判断D是答案.
C. the location of VLT
E. the birth of the earth
F. the rotation of the earth
8. Scientists believe the VLT will tell us more about ___.
8. E。分析: 有两个选项(E和F)提到了“地球”， 因此判断它们中出答案的可能性较大， 利用“the earth”作为答案线索， 同时注意句子中出现的比较结构， 查找答案相关句：
6 The VLT can detect light that set out on its journey before the earth even existed. 该句中没有比较结构出现， 所以不看， 继续看后面的句子：(文章最后一句) One day, we might be able to say we have traveled back to the beginning of time，and we will have a much clearer picture of how our planet (指地球)was born.该句中出现了“地球”， 而且也出现了比较级结构， 该句说“有一天， 我们可以说我们已经返回到时间开始的时候， 而且我们将对我们所在的星球是如何诞生的有 更加清楚的理解。”，借助该句判断E是答案。
提示：相关的选项中往往出答案。
文章中的难句和长句：
1. Located 2,600 meters up to the Chilean Andes，it has four huge mirrors，each about the size of a London bus.
2. The VLT is so powerful it can spot a burning match 10.000 kilometers away.
spot – see --watch
3. It is five times brighter than the sun and when it explodes it is going to be a sight worth waiting for!
4. The effects of these past collisions can now be seen by scientists，and astronomers believe the telescope will reveal more about these exciting events in the years to come.