People have long wondered: Is there life beyond Earth? Scientists may have found an important clue. A team from China and Germany discovered a new planet called Kepler-725c. This planet orbits a sun-like star 2,472 light years away. The discovery was published in Nature Astronomy. Chinese scientists from Yunnan Observatories led the work. They used a special method called the Transit Timing Variation (TTV) technique. This method helps find “invisible” planets.
Kepler-725c is very interesting. It is ten times heavier than Earth. It travels around its star every 207.5 days. That is similar to Earth’s yearly trip around the Sun. Most importantly, it sits in the star’s “habitable zone”. This means temperatures might allow liquid water — a key need for life. The planet’s star looks like our Sun. But it is younger, only 1.6 billion years old. It also shows stronger magnetic (磁的) activity.
How did scientists find this hidden planet? They watched another planet in the same system. That planet, Kepler-725b, is a large gas giant. It circles its star every 39.64 days. By measuring tiny changes in Kepler-725b’s movements, scientists found clues about Kepler-725c. Researcher Wang Xiaobin explained it simply: Like noticing if a clock runs fast or slow to guess if someone touched it. This TTV method is good for finding small planets far from their stars. It solves problems other methods have.
This discovery helps China’s future space projects. These include the China Space Station Telescope (CSST) and the Earth 2.0 (ET) project. European missions like PLATO will also use this method. Together, they hope to find more Earth-like worlds.
Next, scientists will study if such planets really can support life. They will work with international teams. Their search for cosmic neighbors continues with new tools and global teamwork.
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1.1. What did the team discover?
A A new star.
B A hidden planet.
C A space tool.
D A life form.
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。第一段明确提到“found a new planet called Kepler-725c”，且后文说明这是一颗通过TTV技术发现的“隐藏行星”。干扰项A（新恒星）是行星环绕的主体，C（太空工具）指 TTV 技术，D（生命形式）文中未提及。故选B。
2.2. Why is the habitable zone important for life?
A It may have liquid water.
B It has suitable sunlight.
C It is close to the star.
D It supports strong magnetic activity.
解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据第二段的“Most importantly, it sits in the star’s ‘habitable zone.’ This means temperatures might allow liquid water”可知，它位于该恒星的“宜居带”内。这意味着这颗行星的温度可能允许液态水存在——这是生命的关键要素。故选A。
3.3. What does the TTV method help do?
A Study gas planets.
B Fix clock problems.
C Find faraway planets.
D Measure star sizes.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。第三段末句明确说“TTV method is good for finding small planets far away”TTV方法对发现遥远的小行星很有用。干扰项A（研究气态行星）是方法的途径，B（解决时钟问题）是类比的表面含义（望文生义），D（测量恒星大小）未提及（无中生有）。故选C。
4.4. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A China works alone in space.
B The method will be used widely.
C No more planets will be found.
D The method isn’t favored in Europe.
解析：选B。B 推理判断题。第四段提到中国和欧洲的项目“will also use this method”，可推断TTV技术将被广泛应用。干扰项A（中国独自研究）与后面提到的“international team” 不符（主观臆断），C（不再发现行星）与“hope to find more”矛盾（颠倒黑白），D（这种方法在欧洲不受欢迎）无依据（无中生有）。故选B。
5.5. What will scientists do next?
A Work only in China.
B Develop new tools.
C Stop searching.
D Study with others.
解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据末段中的“work with international teams”可知，未来科学家们将与更多的伙伴合作。A项与“global teamwork”矛盾（以偏概全）；B项将工具作为手段而非目的（偷梁换柱）；C项完全违背文意（颠倒黑白）。故选D。
