Use of English PRO

An eclipse (0)OCCURS when the shadow of one planet or moon falls on another. In (1) ............ times an eclipse was a bad omen. Even today in some places, the eclipse of the sun is a signal that something is not right in nature. It may not be that the gods are dissatisfied with the human (2) ............ but it does seem that the end of the world may be coming. Today, astronomers can (3) ............ very accurately when an eclipse will take place and how long it will last. They can also tell us whether the eclipse is total or partial. In a solar eclipse the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. It will eventually end up by covering the whole of the sun. Such an eclipse is only (4) ............ from a few places around the world. Observers in certain parts of the world will see the eclipse begin at one time, WHILE in other regions it will start a short time later. Astronomers advise people not to look directly at the sun, because it can cause (5) ............ eye damage. The safest way is to project the image on to a light surface with binoculars or a telescope, but without looking through the lenses directly. It is even dangerous to look at a partial eclipse. In the first place, if you don't look up at the sky you won't (6) ............ it's even happening, because your eyes will get used to the lower level of light. And people think that SINCE only part of the sun is covered it is all right to look at it. People who do not follow the advice and look at the sun directly may end up with a (7) ............ blind spot on the back of the retina. At the very worst they will blind themselves. A total eclipse is a (8) ............ thing. The last time most of Europe witnessed one was back in August 1999.