题目内容：

Venus is close to the earth. It is the second planet from the sun. The earth is the third planet from the sun. Venus is similar (相似的) to the earth in size and mass (质量). It is often described as the earth’s “sister”.

Scientists have been learning about Venus for a long time. First they looked at Venus through telescopes (望远镜). But Venus is covered with thick clouds. Scientists could not see Venus well through the clouds. So they made guesses about it.

For a long time, scientists thought that Venus had water and plants. They thought Venus might have animals too. But they didn’t know for sure.

Then scientists found a way to learn more about Venus. In the 1960s, they began sending probes (航天探测器) to Venus. The probes flew through the thick clouds. They took pictures of Venus up close. They found out many things too. The probes sent the pictures and things they found out back to the scientists.

The scientists learned a lot from the probes. First they learned that most of their guesses were not right. And they learned that Venus is very hot.

After that, scientists knew they could not send people to Venus. But they still wanted to know more about it. So they sent new probes. These new probes took great pictures of the planet. The pictures showed that Venus has plains (平原) and mountains! And in some ways, Venus looks like the earth.

根据材料内容完成下列任务。

任务一：简要回答下列问题。

1.How are Venus and the earth similar?

________________________________________

2.Why is it hard to see Venus well through a telescope?

________________________________________

任务二：判断正(T)误(F)。

3.Scientists began to send probes to Venus over 60 years ago.

4.With new probes’ help, scientists found that Venus has mountains and plants.

任务三：选择最佳答案。

5.Where does the passage probably come from?

A. A diary.

B. A storybook.

C. A science magazine.

D. A medical dictionary.