Famous ScientistsScientific discoveries over ...

Famous Scientists

Scientific discoveries over the centuries have helped shape the way we live today. Without pioneering scientists working towards cures for diseases, new inventions, and better ways to do things, life today would be different. Here are some of the most famous scientists, who have made important contributions to our everyday lives.

Hippocrates

Nationality: Greek

Known for: Father of Medicine

He was credited with writing the Hippocratic Oath that today’s medical professionals still follow in their practice. He had the theory of the vapors, which stated that many diseases were the result of a bad diet.

Aristotle

Nationality: Greek

Known for: Theory of Three Psyches, Scientific Method

He wrote about many scientific topics, including biology, physics and zoology. His ideas helped shape western scientific thoughts into the Renaissance until they were replaced with Newtonian physics.

Archimedes

Nationality: Greek

Known for: Archimedes Principle, Archimedes Screw

He was an astronomer, a scientist, and a physicist with several inventions to his name. He created a formula (公式) to calculate the area of the underside of a parabola (抛物线). He also designed many ancient machines.

Galen

Nationality: Roman

Known for: Father of Medicine

Galen was best known as Galen of Pergamon. He was a famous philosopher and surgeon among the Romans. His works contributed greatly to the knowledge of pharmacology (药物学), logic and philosophy.

1.Which Greek scientist contributed much to medicine?

A.Galen. B.Aristotle.

C.Archimedes. D.Hippocrates.

2.What was Aristotle’s achievement?

A.He influenced western scientific thoughts.

B.He designed lots of ancient machines.

C.He invented many chemicals.

D.He produced the theory of the vapors.

3.What did these scientists have in common?

A.Having good luck in the field of science.

B.Making important contributions to science.

C.Writing many poems about science.

D.Experiencing many difficulties.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Over the centuries the French have lost a number of famous battles with the British. However, they’ve always felt superior in the kitchen. France has for centuries had a reputation for cooking excellence, and Britain for some of the worst cooking in the world. But according to a recent survey, that reputation may no longer reflect reality.

In the survey, 71% of the Britons said they cook at home every day, while only 59% of the French said they cook daily. British home cooks spend more time cooking each week and also produce a greater variety of dishes than French home cooks.

The reaction in London was predictably enthusiastic. British food has greatly improved since the 1990s. Once upon a time, the menu for many family meals would have been roast beef, potatoes and over-cooked vegetables, but not now. Home cooks are experimenting with the huge range of ingredients now available in British supermarkets and are preparing all kinds of new dishes, using the cookbooks that sell millions of copies every year. As a result, there’s much more diversity in British food now, compared to French food, which tends to be very traditional.

Some French people say that the survey did not show the whole picture. They agree that during the week French women don’t cook as much as they used to because most of them work and don’t have much time. They tend to buy ready-made or frozen dishes, but many of them make up for it on the weekend. There’s also a difference between Paris and the countryside. It’s true that people in Paris don’t cook much, but elsewhere, cooking is still at the heart of daily life.

For many French people, opinions about British food have not changed. When Bernard Blier, the food editor at a magazine, was asked about British food, he replied: “I don’t go out of my way to try it. It is not very refined. You can say that I’m not a fan at all.”

1.According to the passage, nowadays British people ______.

A.cook less at home than the French every day.

B.no longer eat roast beef and over-cooked vegetables.

C.are more willing to try cooking all kinds of new foods.

D.buy more cookbooks than French people do.

2.What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?

A.French women cook less often now.

B.The French prefer ready-made dishes.

C.French women seldom cook on the weekend.

D.Cooking is at the heart of people’s life in Paris.

3.What is Bernard’s attitude towards British food?

A.He would love to try it. B.He shows no interest in it.

C.He considers it worse than before. D.He considers it better than before.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.The history of British food. B.The history of French food.

C.The change in British food. D.The change in French food.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the ______ discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.

A. extreme　　 B. complex　　 C. dull　　 D. remarkable

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

At the beginning of this century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery: we are built not just of flesh(肌肉) and blood but also of time. They were 21  to show that we all have a ‘body clock’ 22  us, which controls the 23  and fall of our body energies, 24  us different from one day to the next.

The 25  of a ‘body clock’ should not be too 26  since the lives of most living things are controlled 27  the 24-hour night-and-day cycle(循环). We feel 28  and fall asleep at night and become 29  and energetic during the day. If the 24-hour cycle is 30  most people experience unpleasant 31 . For example, people who are not 32  to working at night can find that 33  of sleep causes them to 34  badly at work.

35  the daily cycle of sleeping and 36 , we also have other cycles which 37  longer than one day. Most of us would 38  that we feel good on some days and not so good on 39 ; sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they 40  do not exist.

1.

A. anxious            B. careful            C. able           D. proud

2.

A. around            B. inside           C. between         D. on

3.

A. rise              B. supply           C. use              D. movement

4.

A. showing            B. treating       C. changing          D. making

5.

A. idea              B. opinion        C. story              D. invention

6.

A. difficult        B. exciting         C. interesting        D. surprising

7.

A. from              B. over           C. by                 D. during

8.

A. dull               B. dreamy         C. tired              D. peaceful

9.

A. regular            B. excited        C. clear              D. lively

10.

A. shortened          B. disturbed      C. reset              D. troubled

11.

A. moments            B. senses         C. feelings         D. effects

12.

A. used               B. allowed        C. expected         D. prevented

13.

A. miss              B. none            C. need             D. lack

14.

A. show              B. perform         C. manage            D. control

15.

A. With               B. Except         C. As well as         D. Rather than

16.

A. waking             B. moving         C. living             D. working

17.

A. repeat             B. remain         C. happen              D. last

18.

A. believe            B. agree          C. realize            D. allow

19.

A. others             B. the other          C. all other          D. other

20.

A. only              B. just               C. still              D. yet

高二英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析

At the beginning of this century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery; we are built not just of flesh and blood but also of time. They were ________ to show that we all have “a body clock” ________ us, which controls the ________ and fall of our body energies, ________ us different from one day to the next.

The ________ of “a body clock” should not be too ________ since the lives of most living things are controlled ________ the 24 hour night-and-day cycle. We feel ________ and fall asleep at night and become ________ and energetic during the day. If the 24 hour-cycle is ________ , most people experience unpleasant ________ . For example, people who are not ________ to working at night can find that ________ of sleep causes them to ________ badly at work.

the daily cycle of sleeping and ________ , we also have other cycles which ________ longer than one day. Most of us would ________ that we feel good on some days and not so good on  ________ ; sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they ________ do not exist.

1.A．anxious    B．able    C．careful               D．proud

2.A．inside       B．around        C．between           D．on

3.A．movement        B．supply          C．use                D．rise

4.A．showing   B．treating       C．making               D．changing

5.A．invention B．opinion        C．story             D．idea

6.A．difficult    B．exciting       C．surprising          D．interesting

7.A．from         B．by        C．over         D．during

8.A．dull         B．tired C．dreamy        D．peaceful

9.A．regular     B．excited        C．lively        D．clear

10.A．disturbed       B．shortened   C．reset        D．troubled

11.A．moments        B．feelings       C．senses              D．effects

12.A．prevented      B．allowed       C．expected    D．used

13.A．miss       B．none   C．lack          D．need

14.A．perform          B．show   C．manage            D．control

15.A．With       B．As well as    C．Except              D．Rather than

16.A．working         B．moving        C．living        D．waking

17.A．repeat   B．remain         C．last           D．happen

18.A．agree     B．believe        C．realize              D．allow

19.A．other     B．the other    C．all other           D．others

20.A．just         B．only    C．still           D．yet

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientific discoveries have changed man's life a great deal during the past century. First of all, they have greatly improved material well-being in several areas of life. In the field of medicine, cures for life threatening diseases have enabled people to live longer. In communication, the telephone and e-mail have made it possible for us to communicate with anyone in the world without leaving our homes or offices. Advances in transportation allow businessmen to fly across the ocean in the morning and return home the same evening. Space technology has put men on the moon. More efficient ways of using available resources, such as coal and solar power, have been explored.

Scientific discoveries have also changed man's moral atmosphere. Ethical (伦理的) issues are raised by these discoveries. Should we keep a terminally ill person alive through drugs and machines or should we allow him to die in dignity? With advances in transportation had come the problem of pollution for nearly every major city in the world. If cities become uninhabitable, then such technical advances may come with too great a price to pay. Many people also question the wisdom of sending men to the moon when there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth. During future years, increasing attention must be given to the moral as well as the practical applications of science.

1.Scientific discoveries have improved man's life in several fields. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

A. medicine              B. communication and transportation

C. education              D. space technology

2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Scientific discoveries have only changed man's moral atmosphere.

B. Scientific discoveries have only changed man's material well-being.

C. Scientific discoveries have helped people find efficient ways of using available resources.

D. Men are sent to the moon because there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth.

3.At the end of the passage the author says that increasing attention must be given to _________.

A. the moral applications of science    B. the practical applications of science

C. urgent problems on the earth        D. both A and B

4.The best title for the passage is __________.

A. Science discoveries                B. Science and daily life

C. Advances in transportation          D. City pollution

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States, yet she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. As she once said to herself: " I would never sit back in a rocking chair, waiting for someone to help me." No one could have had a more productive old age.

She was born Anna Mary Robertson on a farm in New York State, one of five boys and five girls. At twelve she left home and was in domestic service until, at twenty--seven, she married Thomas Moses, the hired hand of one of her employers. They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. She had ten children, of whom five survived; her husband died in 1927.

Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery (刺绣) pictures as a hobby, but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time. Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted. Three of the pictures exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York. Between the 1930's and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: detailed and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. "I think really hard till I think of something really pretty, and then I paint it" she said.

1.According to the passage, Grandma Moses began to paint because she wanted to_______.

2.Grandma Moses spent most of her life ________.

3.The underlined word “portrayals ” means ________.

A. expressions       B explanations     C. descriptions  .  D. impressions

4.From Grandma Moses' description of herself in the first paragraph, it can be inferred that she was ________.

5.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When it comes to the most famous 20th century painters of the United States, Grandma Moses should be mentioned, although she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. As she once said to herself , “I would never sit back in a rocking chair, waiting for someone to help me”. No one could have had a more active old age．

She was born on a farm in New York State, one of five boys and five girls. At 12 she left home and was in domestic service until at 27 she married Thomas Moses, the hired hand of one of her employers. They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. She had ten children, of whom five survived; her husband died in 1927．

Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery (刺绣) pictures as a hobby, but only changed to oils in old age because her hands became too stiff (僵硬的) to sew and she still wanted to keep busy and pass the time. Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought all that she painted. Three of the pictures were exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York. Between the 1930’s and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: careful and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. “I think really hard till I think of something really pretty, and then I paint it” she said．

1.What can we learn about Moses?

A.She stopped painting in her late seventies.

B.She still led an active life when she was old.

C.Her marriage life was not happy.

D.She painted oils as a child.

2.What did Grandma Moses spend most of her life doing?

A.Embroidering. B.Farming.

C.Nursing. D.Painting.

3.What does the underlined word “portrayals ” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Directions. B.Stages.

C.Surveys. D.Descriptions.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？

A.Grandma Moses: the Best Woman Painter

B.Grandma Moses and Her Farm Life

C.Grandma Moses and Her Exhibition

D.Grandma Moses : A Famous Woman Painter of 20th Century

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the 13^th century, the famous Italian traveler, Marco Polo, traveled a long way to China. During his stay in China, he saw many wonderful things. One of the things he discovered was that the Chinese used paper money. In western countries, people didn’t use the paper money until 15^th century. However, people in China began to use paper money in the 7^th century.

A Chinese man called Cai Lun invented paper almost 2,000 years ago. He took the wood from trees and made it into paper. He then put these pieces of paper together and made them into a book.

Now paper still comes from trees. We use a lot of paper every day. If we keep on wasting so much paper, there will not be any trees left on the earth. If there are no trees, there will be no paper. Every day, people throw away about 2,800 tons of paper in our city. It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper. This means that we are cutting nearly 48,000 trees every day. Since it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow, we must start using less paper now.

So how can we save paper? We can use both sides of every piece of paper, especially when we are making notes. We can use cotton handkerchiefs and not paper ones. When we go shopping, we can use fewer paper bags. If the shop assistant gives us a paper bag, we can save it and reuse it later.

Everyone can help to save paper. If we all think carefully, we can help protect trees. But we should do it now, before it is too late.

1. When he was in China, Marco Polo ____________.

A. discovered Cai Lun invented paper  B. learned to make paper

C. saw many wonderful things        D. read a lot of books

2. Which of the following is not a way of saving paper?

A. To use both sides of every piece of paper

B. To use fewer paper bags when shopping

C. To use cotton handkerchiefs instead of paper ones

D. To grow more trees

3. Which of the following is not true?

A. If we keep on wasting paper, we will have no paper to use one day.

B. The Chinese used paper money much earlier than people in western countries.

C. About 48,000 trees can be used to make 2,800 tons of paper.

D. It is never too late to plant trees for paper.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Saving Paper                       B. The History of Paper

C. Cotton Handkerchiefs Back Again    D. Cai Lun, the Inventor

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Over the centuries, people have created many rituals (仪式) to accompany the consumption of their favourite drinks, tea and coffee. Just think of the Japanese tea ceremony, British afternoon tea or the morning coffee ritual in countless societies. Why are these drinks so popular? 1. In the modern world, the new caffeine delivery systems are canned energy drinks. And the more modern our world gets, the more we seem to need caffeine.

Most people don’t think twice about their caffeine intake. 2. So the widespread use of caffeine is now a cause for concern among scientists and public health authorities. One result of this concern is that you are not allowed to sell energy drinks in France or Denmark. And in other European countries, manufacturers have to label cans with warnings. The United States has no such rule, but many canned energy drinks sold in the USA carry warnings anyway. 3. Studies have shown it helps relieve pain, reduces asthma (哮喘）symptoms and increases reaction speed. Despite this, a study in Ireland recommended that children and pregnant women, among other groups, shouldn’t drink energy drinks.

4. “For most of human existence, the pattern of sleeping and waking has followed sunrise and sunset.” explains Charles Czeisler, a neuroscientist（神经学家） at Harvard Medical School. “Then, the way we work changed from a schedule built around the sun to an indoor job timed by a clock, and consequently humans had to adapt. Electric light, and caffeinated food and drink allowed people to follow a work schedule set by the clock, not by daylight or the natural sleep cycle. 5. Without enough sleep the human body will not function at its best, physically, mentally, or emotionally.”

A. The answer is their secret ingredient --- caffeine.

B. But we need coffee to get us out of bed and back to work.

C. The main reason that people want caffeine is to stay awake.

D. But research suggests that caffeine may have benefits for human health.

E. Nevertheless, there is a heavy price to pay for all this extra wakefulness.

F. However, it raises blood pressure and thus increases the risk of heart disease.

G. Most babies in the developed world are born with traces of caffeine in their bodies.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析