书城外语《21世纪大学英语》配套教材.阅读.2
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第24章 Unit Six(5)

His many publications include The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime with G F R Ellis, General Relativity: An Einstein Centenary Survey, with W Israel,and 300 Years of Gravity, with W Israel.Stephen Hawking has two popular books published;his best seller A Brief History of Tim e, and his later book,Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays.

Professor Hawking has twelve honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982, and was made a Companion of Honour in 1989.He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Stephen Hawking continues to combine family life (he has three children and one grandchild),and his research into theoretical physics together with an extensive programme of travel and public lectures.

1.From the passage we know that.

A.most people studied cosmology at that time.

B.Hawking s parents studied in Oxford.

C.his best seller is Black Holes and Baby Universes.

D.Hawking went to university at an early age.

2.The following statements are true except that.

A.many people had babies during the World War Two in the Oxford.

B.Hawking wanted to do physics as he enters Oxford.

C.he was awarded a first class honours degree in Natural Science.

D.Stephen Hawking got his PhD in cosmology.

3.The word“chair”in paragraph just means.

A.a piece of furniture consisting of a seat,legs, back, and often arms.

B.a seat of office, authority, or dignity, such as that of a bishop.

C.an office or position of authority, such as a professorship.

D.the electric chair.

4.Hawking continues his life.

A.as a research fellow.

B.with a new interest in medicine.

C.with his black hole theory.

D.with two children and one grandchild.

The Wizard of Menlo Park

Like Ben Franklin, Thomas Alva Edison was also a scientist and an inventor.Born in 1847, Edison would see tremendous change take place in his lifetime.He was also to be responsible for making many of those changes occur.When Edison was born,society still thought of electricity as a novelty, a fad.By the time he died,entire cities were lit by electricity.Much of the credit for that progress goes to Edison.In his lifetime, Edison patented 1, 093 inventions, earning him the nickname“The Wizard of Menlo Park”. The most famous of his inventions was an incandescent light bulb.Besides the light bulb,Edison developed the phonograph and the“ kinetoscope”,a small box for viewing moving films.He also improved upon the original design of the stock ticker, the telegraph,and Alexander Graham Bell s telephone.He believed in hard work, sometimes working twenty hours a day.Edison was quoted as saying,“Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”In tribute to this important American, electric lights in the United States were dimmed for one minute on October 21, 1931, a few days after his death.

1.When Edison was born, society still thought of electricity as.

A.a commonplace B.a rare treasure.

C.a novelty, a fad D.a useful power.

2.Edison patented 1,093 inventions, earning him the nickname.

A.“the finest man alive” B.“the greatest genius”

C.“the heir to Einstein” D.“The Wizard of Menlo Park”

3.Edison proved his saying of“Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”by.

A.many inventions B.many patents.

C.many improvements D.hard work.

4.Which of the following is not invented by Edison?A.Incandescent light bulb. B.Phonograph.C.Bell s telephone. D.Kinetoscope.

Global Citizen

Einstein was uncomfortable with his fame.He told one biographer,“In the past it never occurred to me that every casual remark of mine would be snatched up and recorded.Otherwise I would have crept further into my shell.”But Einstein recognized that his fame made it possible for him to serve as a powerful advocate for his deeply held political beliefs.A passionate humanitarian, he emerged from his shell to argue for the protection of human rights around the world.

Many of Einstein s political ideas seemed simple: prevent war through cooperation among nations, treat everyone equally.But he knew that“the problem is to get people to act”on these ideas.He supported the creation of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East but stressed the need for cooperation between Jews and Arabs.He worried that the United Nations did not have the authority to prevent war.He emphasized the need to safeguard civil rights and freedom of expression.

Einstein s views on other issues, including socialism, McCarthyism and racism,were controversial - so controversial, in fact, that the US government considered him a possible Communist spy.Yet Einstein never backed down from his commitment to the principles of freedom and justice.“We have to do the best we can,”he remarked.“This is our sacred responsibility.”

1.What is not included in Einstein s political ideas?A.Humanitarianism. B.Preventing wars.C.Treating everyone equally. D.Socialism.

2.According to the author, in what sense is Einstein a global citizen?A.He enjoys world fame.B.He exerts world in fluence.

C.He argues for the protection of human rights around the world.D.He shows sympathy with communism.

3.What is Einstein s attitude toward the creation of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East?A.He showed sympathy with it.B.He supported it.

C.He worried it.D.He supported it but stressed the need for cooperation.

4.How do you understand“shell”in paragraph one?A.The usually hard outer covering that encases certain organisms, such as mollusks, insects.

B.An external, usually hard, protective or enclosing case or cover.

C.An attitude or a manner adopted to mask one s true feelings.

D.A shield.