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Inventor, physicist, surveyor, astronomer, biologist, artist… Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century. In the course of his work, he cooperated with famous men of science like Isaac Newton, and the great architect Christopher Wren.
Hooke's early education began at home, under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of 13, and from there went to Oxford, where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skills at designing experiments and inventing instruments. In 1662, at the age of 28, he was named Curator of Experiments at the newly formed Royal Society of London — meaning that he was responsible for demonstrating (展示) new experiments at the society’s weekly meeting. Hooke accepted the job, even though he knew that the society had no money to pay him!
Watching living things through a microscope was one of his favourite pastimes. He invented a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork (软木塞) under a microscope, he saw honeycomb-like structures. There were cells — the smallest units of life. In fact, it was Hooke who invented the term “cell” as the box-like cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery (修道院).
Another achievement of Hooke’s was his book Micrographia, which introduced the enormous potential of the microscope. It contains fascinating drawings of the thing he saw under the microscope. The book also includes, among other things, ideas on gravity, light and combustion (燃烧) that may have helped scientists like Newton when they were developing their own theories on these phenomena.
Hooke made a valuable contribution to astronomy too. A crater (火山口) on the moon is named after him in honour of his services to this branch of science.
1.Which is the possible reason why Hooke accepted the job as Curator of Experiments?
A.He liked designing experiments.
B.His family needed his support.
C.He wanted to please the famous scientists in England.
D.His parents couldn’t afford his education.
2.What does the underlined word “pastimes” in paragraph three mean?
A.Jobs B.Experiments
C.Hobbies D.Structures
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.Hooke went to Oxford in 1645.
B.Hooke was well paid in the Royal Society of London.
C.Hooke made a contribution to medicine.
D.Hooke's book Micrographia may have helped Newton.
4.The last paragraph is to prove that ________.
A.Hooke was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century
B.Hooke was good at making discoveries
C.Hooke's contributions were not limited to one field
D.Hooke was one of the greatest astronomers
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Inventor，physicist，surveyor，astronomer，biologist，artist... Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century. Once he worked with renowned（有名声的） men of science like Christian Huygens，Antony van Leeuwenhoek，Robert Boyle，Isaac Newton and the great architect，Christopher Wren.
Hooke’s early education began at home，under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of thirteen，and from there he went to Oxford，where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skill at designing experiments and devising（发明） instruments. In 1662，at the age of twenty－eight，he was named Curator of Experiments of the newly formed Royal Society of London. Hooke accepted the job，even though he knew that it had no money to pay him!
Watching living things through the microscope was one of his favorite occupations. He devised a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork (软木) under a microscope，he saw honeycomb－like structures. They were cells—the smallest units of life.In fact，it was Hooke who coined the term “cell” as the boxlike cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery(修道院)．
Perhaps because of his varied interests，Hooke often left experiments unfinished. Others took up where he left off and then claimed sole(独占的)credit. This sometimes led to quarrels with colleagues. One work that he finished was his book MICROGRAPHIA，a volume that reveals the immense potential of the microscope. The book also includes，among other things，ideas on gravity and light which may have helped scientists like Newton while they were developing their own theories on these phenomena.
Hooke made valuable contributions to astronomy too. A crater(陨石坑) on the moon is named after him in appreciation of his services to this branch of science.
1.From the first paragraph，we can know that Robert Hooke __________.
A．was famous because he worked with many scientists
B．liked making friends with the famous people
C．received a lot from other scientists
D．made contributions to many different fields
2.Robert Hooke probably went to school in __________.
A．1647 B．1634 C．1662 D．1640
3.Robert Hooke made himself known to some of the best scientists in England by __________.
A．learning by himself with his father’s help
B．introducing himself to them
C．designing experiments and instruments
D．refusing any reward from Royal Society of London
4.Robert Hooke couldn’t get along well with his colleagues because __________.
A．he couldn’t finish his work on time sometimes
B．he had all kinds of interests in his daily life
C．he was too proud to look up to them
D．the other scientists took the fruits of his experiments
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Unlike chemists and physicists, who usually do their experiments using machines, biologists and medical researchers have to use living things like rats. But there are three Nobel prize-winning scientists who actually chose to experiment on themselves – all in the name of science, reported The Telegraph.
● Werner Forssmann (Nobel prize winner in 1956)
Forssmann was a German scientist. He studied how to put a pipe inside the heart to measure the pressure inside and decide whether a patient needs surgery (手术).
Experiments had been done on horses before, so he wanted to try with human patients. But it was not permitted because the experiment was considered too dangerous.
Not giving up, Forssmann decided to experiment on himself. He anaesthetized (麻醉) his own arm and made a cut, putting the pipe 30 centimeters into his vein (血管). He then climbed two floors to the X-ray room before pushing the pipe all the way into his heart.
● Barry Marshall (Nobel prize winner in 2005)
Most doctors in the mid-20th century believed that gastritis was down to stress, spicy food or an unusually large amount of stomach acid (胃酸). But in 1979 an Australian scientist named Robin Warren found that the disease might be related to a bacteria (细菌) called Helicobacter pylori. So he teamed up with his colleague, Barry Marshall, to continue the study. When their request to experiment on patients was denied, Marshall bravely drank some of the bacteria. Five days later, he lost his appetite and soon was vomiting (呕吐) each morning – he indeed had gastritis.
● Ralph Steinman (Nobel prize winner in 2011)
This Canadian scientist discovered a new type of immune system cell (免疫细胞) called the dendritic cell. He believed that it had the ability to fight against cancer.
Steinman knew he couldn’t yet use his method to treat patients. So in 2007, when doctors told him that he had cancer and that it was unlikely for him to live longer than a year, he saw an opportunity.
With the help of his colleagues, he gave himself three different vaccines (疫苗) based on his research and a total of eight experimental therapies (疗法). Even though Steinman eventually died from his cancer, he lived four and a half years, much longer than doctors had said he would.
1. The main purpose of the article is to ______.
A. list some famous Nobel prize winners.
B. introduce a few Nobel prize winners who did experiments on themselves.
C. describe some dangerous experiments that Nobel prize-winners did on themselves.
D. list some difficulties that scientists go through to make important discoveries in biology .
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A. Forssmann’s experiment ended in failure.
B. Forssmann had the pipe pushed all the way into his heart.
C. Barry Marshall succeeded by drinking some Helicobacter pylori.
D. Barry Marshall was given full responsibility for the study on gastritis at first.
3. The underlined word “gastritis” in Paragraph 5 probably means ______.
A. a kind of stomach disease
B. a kind of immune cell
C. a new type of therapy
D. a type of leg cancer
4.From the text, we can conclude that Ralph Steinman ______.
A. had his request to experiment on patients denied
B. believed that cancer comes from stress and spicy food
C. discovered a new type of cancer cell called the dendritic cell
D. tried different therapies containing the dendritic cell on himself
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Born in Italy, Galileo Galilei, was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist. He is closely associated with the 36(science) revolution. For his great achievements, he has been referred to as the “father of modern astronomy”, as the “father of modern physics”, and as “father of science”. The work of Galileo 37(consider) to be a significant break from that of Aristotle. In addition, his conflict with the Roman Catholic Church is taken as 38major early example of the conflict of authority and freedom of thought, particularly with science, 39Western society. He was a man 40experimented—never did he take anything for granted. Instead, he despised（蔑视） the prejudices and book learning of the Aristotelians and drew his 41(conclude) fearlessly. He had been the first 42(turn) a telescope to the sky, and he had seen there evidence enough to overthrow（推翻） Aristotle and Ptolemy together. Although Galileo found 43difficult for him to make people 44(convince) of his theories, he still stuck to his views. His observations showed the theory that the earth moves around the sun was right. It was only many years later 45the world recognized his greatness.
高二英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析
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When most people think of artists, they usually forget the part about the artist being a surveyor of beauty. This is because most people do not realize that there is actually a sort of process when it comes to making art so much so that lots of individuals(个人) cannot understand why true artists take their time when creating brilliant works.
The reason as to why artists take their time when creating their works is because they will first have to look for something beautiful which will inspire them. This is because an artist is someone who appreciates beauty and captures(捕获) the said beauty in a portrait, a song, a novel, and any other forms of artistic medium available to man. Rather than those commercial artists who simply paint a picture because they are paid to do so, a true artist will only work if he or she is inspired. The true artist shall not compromise his or her work because of earth temptations(诱惑) and as such they run the risk of being ridiculed(嘲弄)in exchange for their happiness. History has however shown that the true artist who correctly appreciates beauty is one whose works will end up being celebrated.
How does a true artist spot beauty? The only possible way to go about doing this is to actually look at the world. This means that the true artist is someone who loves to walk around and look at new things. Whatever it may be, the point here is that the artist does take a bit of time out to survey the world and find something beautiful which would inspire him. At times it even happens that the object that inspires the artist is not a thing but rather a person. At the end of the day, it must be said that each artist has his own views of what is beautiful and what is not. The true artist is someone who appreciates beauty.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Most people know little about how artists work.
B. People understand only how true artists work.
C. Most people appreciate the work of artists.
D. People tend to ignore the works of artists.
2.True artists are ridiculed because they .
A. have a strange lifestyle
B. resist earth temptations
C. refuse to live a happy life
D. search for something beautiful
3.What is the author's attitude towards true artist?
A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.
C. Appreciative. D. Disapproving.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. tell us the result of a survey
B. make a comparison
C. make a suggestion
D. argue for a point
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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When most people think of artists, they usually forget the part about the artist being a surveyor of beauty. This is because most people do not realize that there is actually a sort of process when it comes to making art so much so that lots of individuals(个人) cannot understand why true artists take their time when creating brilliant works.
The reason as to why artists take their time when creating their works is because they will first have to look for something beautiful which will inspire them. This is because an artist is someone who appreciates beauty and captures(捕获) the said beauty in a portrait, a song, a novel, and any other forms of artistic medium available to man. Rather than those commercial artists who simply paint a picture because they are paid to do so, a true artist will only work if he or she is inspired. The true artist shall not compromise his or her work because of earth temptations(诱惑) and as such they run the risk of being ridiculed(嘲弄)in exchange for their happiness. History has however shown that the true artist who correctly appreciates beauty is one whose works will end up being celebrated.
How does a true artist spot beauty? The only possible way to go about doing this is to actually look at the world. This means that the true artist is someone who loves to walk around and look at new things. Whatever it may be, the point here is that the artist does take a bit of time out to survey the world and find something beautiful which would inspire him. At times it even happens that the object that inspires the artist is not a thing but rather a person. At the end of the day, it must be said that each artist has his own views of what is beautiful and what is not. The true artist is someone who appreciates beauty.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Most people know little about how artists work.
B. People understand only how true artists work.
C. Most people appreciate the work of artists.
D. People tend to ignore the works of artists.
2.True artists are ridiculed because they .
A. have a strange lifestyle
B. resist earth temptations
C. refuse to live a happy life
D. search for something beautiful
3.What is the author's attitude towards true artist?
A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.
C. Appreciative. D. Disapproving.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. tell us the result of a survey B. make a comparison
C. make a suggestion D. argue for a point
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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And then there were nine
The past two decades have seen astronomers’ catalogue of planets expand over two hundred times, as new techniques and better telescopes have found more than 2,000 of them orbiting stars other than the sun. But in the solar system itself, the list of planets has actually shrunk, Pluto（冥王星）having been downgraded from that status in 2006. The number of the sun’s planetary companions has thus fallen from nine to eight.
Now, a pair of astronomers from the California Institute of Technology think they have evidence that will restore the sun’s record to its previous value. Their analysis of objects orbiting in the Kuiper Belt（柯伊伯带）, a ring of frozen asteroids（小行星）that circle beyond the orbit of Neptune (and of which Pluto is now regarded as the largest member), suggests to them that something about ten times as massive as Earth has changed those orbits. If you knew where to look, this planet-sized object would be visible through a suitable telescope. And Konstanin Batygin and Michael Brown believe they do know.
As they write in the Astronomical journal, they have analyzed the orbits of Kuiper Belt objects and found six that behave in a peculiar way. As the diagram shows, the points of closest approach of these objects to the sun, known as their perihelia（近日点）, almost coincide. Moreover, these perihelia all lie near the ecliptic（黄道）---the plane of Earth’s orbit and also, approximately, that of the other planets---while the objects’ orbits are all angled at 30° below the ecliptic. The chance of all this being a coincidence, the two researchers estimate, is about seven in 100,000. If it is not a coincidence, it suggests the six objects have been guided into their orbits by the gravitational intervention of something much larger.
A computer analysis Dr Batygin and Dr Brown performed suggests this something is a planet weighing 5-15 times as much as Earth, whose perihelion is on the opposite side of the sun from the cluster, and which thus orbits mainly on the other side of the solar system from the objects its orbit has affected. This planet’s perihelion would be 200 times farther from the sun than Earth’s, and the far end of its orbit might be as much as six times that distance away. This gives a search zone, and Dr Batygin and Dr Brown are using Subaru, a Japanese telescope, to perform that search.
Given other demands on Subaru’s time, it might take five years for this search to find (or not find) the hypothetical planet. But looking at some existing data from. The Widefield Infrared Survey Explore, a satellite, might also show it, if it is there to be seen.
Ironically, it was Dr Brown as much as anyone who was responsible for Pluto’s downgrading, for he discovered Eris, an object almost as big as Pluto, in 2005.
That discovery did much to damage Pluto's planetary proof. By his own admission, he was skeptical that the anomalies he and Dr Batygin have investigated actually would point to the existence of a replacement ninth planet. He is a skeptic no longer. Whether he is actually right may soon become apparent.
1.According to Dr Batygin and Dr Brown’s research, it is quite possible that ________.
A. Pluto will restore its status as a planet of the solar system
B. the six objects in the Kuiper Belt sharing some similarities is a mere coincidence
C. there are nine planets in the solar system
D. Eris is a replacement ninth planet of the solar system
2.Which of the following is NOT true about the hypothetical planet?
A. It may have changed the orbits of six objects in the Kuiper Belt.
B. You can see it through a domestic telescope if you know where to look.
C. Compared to earth, the distance from its perihelion to the sun is about 200 times larger.
D. A satellite may be able to provide some evidence of its existence.
3.What does the underlined word anomalies stand for?
A. Six objects behaving in a peculiar way.
B. Pluto’s downgrading.
C. The discovery of Eris.
D. Some existing data.
4.The purpose of the third paragraph is to ________.
A. explain why the scientists believe there is an unfound planet
B. show how the scientists analyze the orbits of Kuiper Belt objects
C. tell us that the perihelia of the six objects almost coincide
D. introduce the two scientists’ article in the Astronomical Journal
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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Astronomers （天文学家） say they are on the point of finding planets like Earth orbiting other stars, which is a key step in determining if we are alone in the universe．
A top NASA official and other leading scientists say that within four or five years they should discover the first Earth-like planet where life could develop, or may have already．A planet close to the size of Earth could even be found sometime this year．
At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery involving so-called “exoplanets” —those outside our solar system — pointed to the same conclusion：Quiet planets like Earth where life could develop probably are plentiful．
NASA’s Dew Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive exoplanet field caused noticeable buzz at the meeting．Scientists are talking about being at “an incredible special place in history” and closer to answering the question．“Are we alone? For the first time, there’s an optimism that sometime in our lifetimes we’re going to get to the bottom of that,” said Simon Worden，an astronomer who heads NASA’s Ames Research Center．“If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet we’re not alone．”
“These are big questions that reflect upon the meaning of the human race in the universe,” the director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev．Jose Funes, said Wednesday in an interview at this week’s conference．
Worden told The Associated Press: “I would certainly expect in the next four or five years we’d have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable （可居住的） zone．”
1.What is very important in determining if we are alone in the universe?
A．Finding an Earth-like planet． B．Orbiting other stars．
C．Developing new telescopes． D．Finding more exoplanets．
2.What’s an exoplanet?
A．It’s a planet like Earth． B．It’s a planet outside our solar system．
C．It’s a planet orbiting the sun． D．It’s a planet where life have developed．
3.The underlined phrase “get to the bottom of” probably means “__________”．
A．understand fully
B．make full use of
C．search for
D．do more research on
4.From the passage we can learn that __________．
A．an Earth-like planet has been found
B．it’s been proved we are not alone in the universe
C．Jose Funes has found the meaning of the human race in the universe
D．the discovery of an Earth-like planet could happen in the near future
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Astronomers have captured(捕获) the first direct image of a planet being born.
Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.
The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Called LkCa 15b, it’s the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.
Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Observing planets while they’re forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.
Planets can change orbits(轨道) after forming, so it’s difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.
“These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now,” Kraus said.
Scientists hadn’t been able to see such young planets before because the stars they’re circling around outshine(光亮强过) them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.
One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion(扭曲) created by the Earth’s atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.
The star LkCa 15—the planet is named after its star—was the team’s second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star.
1.The research on younger planets helps scientists _____________.
A. study why planets change orbits after forming
B. understand how planets move around their stars
C. answer questions about the age of stars and planets
D. know the relationship between planets and their stars
2.Why are young planets like LkCa 15b hard to discover?
A. Their stars are brighter than them.. B. They are very far from the earth.
C. They are generally too small. D. They rarely form.
3.According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _____________.
A. have been working in the same university
B. observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii
C. used two new methods in the observation
D. cut holes in the mirrors when observing
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Youngest planet seen as it’s forming.
B. Planet 450 light years away discovered.
C. World’s first direct image of a planet taken.
D. New technique helps discover young planets.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The newly discovered star was named ___a Chinese astronomer ____ honor of his contributions to astronomy.
A. for; in B. after; for C. as; in D. after; in
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析