Question

Throughout history scientists have risked their health and their lives in their search for the truth.

Sir Isaac Newton, the seventeenth century scientist, was very smart, but that didn’t stop him from doing some pretty stupid things. In his laboratory in Cambridge he often did the strangest experiments. Once, while testing how light passes through lenses (晶状体), he put a long needle into his eye, pushed it to the back, and then moved it around just to see what would happen. Luckily, nothing long-lasting did. On another occasion he stared at the sun for as long as he could bear, to discover what effect this would have on his sight. Again he escaped suffering permanent damage, though he had to spend some days in a darkened room before his eyes recovered.

In the 1750s the Swedish chemist Karl Scheele was the first person to find a way to produce phosphorus (磷). He in fact discovered eight more chemical elements including chlorine (氯), though he didn’t get any praise for them. He was a very clever scientist, but his one failing was a curious habit of tasting a little of every substance he worked with. This risky practice finally caught up with him, and in 1786 he was found dead in his laboratory surrounded by a large number of dangerous chemicals, any of which might have been responsible for his death.

Eugene Shoemaker was a respected geologist. He spent a large part of his life studying craters (火山口) on the moon, and how they were formed, and later did research into the comets of the planet Jupiter. In 1997 he and his wife were in the Australian desert where they went every year to search for places where comets might have hit the earth. While driving in the Tanami desert, normally one of the emptiest places in the world, another vehicle crashed into them and Shoemaker was killed on the spot. Some of his ashes (骨灰) were sent to the moon aboard the Lunar Prospector spacecraft and left there — he is the only person who has had this honor.

1.What does the underlined word “permanent” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. Brief.    B. Slight.

C. Lasting.    D. Ordinary.

2.What did Karl Scheele like doing when performing experiments?

A. Tasting chemicals.    B. Staying in the empty lab.

C. Experimenting in darkness.    D. Working together with others.

3.What special honor was Shoemaker given after his death?

A. He was buried in the Tanami desert.

B. Some of his ashes were placed on the moon.

C. One comet of Jupiter was named after him.

D. A spacecraft carrying him traveled around Jupiter.

4.The text is mainly about three great scientists’ _____.

A. special honors    B. great achievements

C. famous experiments    D. suffering in the job

Answer

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. D

【解析】

作者在本文中介绍了三位科学家Issac Newton、Karl Scheele和Eugene Shoemaker，详细说明了他们的研究以及在研究的过程中所受到的痛苦。

1.猜测词义题。根据划线词前一句On another occasion， he stared at the sun， for as long as he could bear， to discover what effect this would have on his sight.可知Sir Issac Newton想知道长时间盯着太阳看会对他的视力有多大的影响，他盯着太阳看了能够忍受的足够长时间。然后躲在暗室里，避免阳光对她的视力产生持久的伤害。故划线词意为lasting。故C项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第三段第三句He was a very clever scientist， but he had a strange habit of tasting a little of every substance he studied.可知Karl Scheele有品尝他研究的物质的习惯。故A项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据文章最后一句Some of his ashes(骨灰)were sent to the moon by the Lunar Prospect or, a spacecraft. and he is the only person who has this honor.可知Shoemaker死后，他的骨灰被撒在了月球上。故B项正确。

4.主旨大意题。作者在本文中介绍了三位科学家Issac Newton、Karl Scheele和Eugene Shoemaker，详细说明了他们的研究以及在研究的过程中所受到的痛苦。故D项正确。