They asked Katherine Johnson for the moon, and she gave it to them. With little more than a pencil, a slide rule and one of the finest mathematical minds in the country, Mrs. Johnson, who died at 101 on Monday, calculated the precise track that would let Apollo 11 land on the moon in 1969 and, after Neil Armstrong’s history—making moonwalk, let it return to Earth.
Yet throughout Mrs. Johnson’s 33 years in NASA and for decades afterwards, almost no one knew her name.
Mrs. Johnson was one of several hundred strictly educated, supremely capable yet largely unrecognized women who, well before the modern feminist movement, worked as NASA mathematicians. But it was not only her sex that kept her long unsung. For some years at midcentury, the black women were subjected to a double segregation (隔离)：They were kept separate from the much large group of white women who in turn were segregated from the agency’s male mathematicians and engineers.
Mrs. Johnson broke barriers at NASA. In old age, Mrs. Johnson became the most celebrated of black women who served as mathematicians for the space agency. Their story was told in the 2016 Hollywood film Hidden Figures, which was nominated for three Oscars, including best picture.
In 2017, NASA dedicated a building in her honor. That year, The Washington Post described her as “the most high- profile of the computers”—“computers” being the term originally used to describe Mrs. Johnson and her colleagues, much as “typewriters” were used in the 19th century to represent professional typists.
She “helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space,” NASA’s administrator, Jim Bridenstine, said in a statement on Monday, “even as she made huge steps that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space.”
As Mrs. Johnson herself was fond of saying, her term at Langley—from 1953 until her retirement in 1986—was “a time when computers wore skirts.”
1.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.To present the Apollo moon mission. B.To stress Mrs. Johnson’s contributions
C.To honour Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk. D.To mourn a great woman—Mrs. Johnson.
2.Which of the following was the toughest thing Mrs. Johnson had to overcome?
A.The difference between male and females in this field.
B.People’s not recognizing her talent.
C.Inequality in gender and race.
D.The hardships before the modern feminist movement.
3.Why were Mrs. Johnson and her colleagues described as “computers”?
A.Because they used computers to keep their work secret.
B.Because they were the agency’s human calculators.
C.Because computer systems engaged them deeply.
D.Because they calculate precisely using computers.
4.What can we learn from Mrs. Johnson’s experience?
A.Don’t judge a person by his appearance.
B.The world awaits our discovery.
C.Use knowledge to wipe out ignorance.
D.Never be limited by the labels attached by others.
While many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered.” “Summer” is clearly a noun, more precisely, a verbed noun.
Way back in our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a tidy definition, it was easy to spot the difference. Not so in adulthood, where we are expected to “foot” bills, “chair” committees, and “dialogue” with political opponents. Chances are you didn’t feel uncomfortable about the sight of those verbed nouns.
“The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia O’Conner, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts estimate that 20 percent of all English verbs were originally nouns. And the phenomenon seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40 percent of all new verbs have come from nouns.
Even though conversion (转化) is quite universal, plenty of grammarians object to the practice. William Strunk Jr. and E.B.White, in The Elements of Style — the Bible for the use of American English — have this to say: “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but all are suspect.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care.
“Sometimes people object to a new verb because they resist what is unfamiliar to them,” says O’Conner. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” a noun if it’s easily replaceable by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says.
In the end, however, style is subjective. Easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries; it is one of the processes that make English “English.” Not every coinage (新创的词语) passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it.
1.What can we learn about the verbing of nouns?
A.It hasn’t recently been opposed by many grammarians.
B.It is more commonly accepted by children than adults.
C.It hasn’t been a rare phenomenon in the past century.
D.It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice
2.What is most leading experts’ attitude towards the practice of the verbing of nouns?
A.Cautious. B.Satisfied.
C.Disappointed. D.Unconcerned.
3.What does the author think of ending the verbing of nouns?
A.Predictable. B.Practicable.
C.Approaching. D.Impossible.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Are 40 Percent of all new verbs from nouns？
B.Are Summering and Medaling Annoying?
C.Are You Comfortable about a New Verb?
D.Are There Any Rules for Verbing?
Stewart Island Ferry Services
While most visitors spend at least one night on Stewart Island, it is also readily accessible by ferry as a day excursion(远足) from Invercargill and Bluff. Experience Foveaux Strait in comfort and style on board our express catamarans(快艇). During the one-hour crossing between Bluff and Stewart Island keep a lookout for wildlife, especially seabirds.
Free tea and coffee on board.
Interpretation handouts are available (English only).
Wheelchair access available.
Personal baggage is carried free on the ferries—max. two bags per person. Additional baggage is by advance arrangement.
Vehicle parking available at Bluff (extra cost—reservations recommended).
FERRY TO STEWART ISLAND Depart Bluff All year 9:30 a.m. Sep—May 5:00 p.m. Oct—Apr 11:00 a.m. Jun—Aug 4:30 p.m. Late Dec—mid Jan 8:00 a.m. | FERRY TO BLUFF Depart Stewart Island All year 8:00 a.m. Sep—May 3:30 p.m. Oct—Mar 6:00 p.m. Apr 5:00 p.m. Jun—Aug 3:00 p.m. Late Dec—mid Jan 9:30 a.m. |
Other departures as locally advertised Duration 1hr Check in 30 minutes before to the scheduled departure time. (Check-in and boarding gates are closed 10 minutes before to times stated above.) |
Attention
Buy 2 or more different excursions and SAVE 20% off all lower priced!
Kids Go FREE on selected departures during NZ School Holidays!
Kids Go FREE for travel 20 April—5 May 2020!
1.If leaving a car at Bluff, a traveler had better _____.
A.refer to the handouts first B.use wheelchair access
C.make a reservation D.park it 30 minutes before departure time
2.On Dec. 28th, John got to the ferry dock at 7:55 a.m. When did he most probably leave Bluff for Stewart Island?
A.At 8:00 a.m.. B.At 9:30 a.m..
C.At 11:00 a.m.. D.At 3:00 p.m..
3.Which of the following is not mentioned about the ferry services?
A.Tea and coffee are free for passengers.
B.Children go free for travel for about 15 days.
C.Travelers can see some seabirds during the crossing.
D.Passengers have to pay extra cost for extra pieces of luggage.
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Throughout history, music spread among people of different cultures. In today's technologic advanced society, however, people spread music online, sometimes without an artist's permission. This can lead to many problems, and music companies are now dealing with this practice. Sharing music online without permission is theft (盗窃).
Sharing music online prevents recording companies from making money from their efforts. They say that sharing music online has led to a huge drop in profits and sales over the past 10 years. People who find music for free online are not paying for CDs or every MP3 downloaded. To truly understand the influence of music piracy (盗版) on creators, we must understand how many people are involved in the recording process. For the sale of each album, profits must be shared between musicians, sound engineers, music producers, managers, advertisers, and the company selling the product. Many people believe sharing music only affects the recording artist, but the reality is that sharing hurts business for all companies involved.
There are many people who don't see the harm in sharing music online and even think they have the right to do it. One online blogger states that he originally paid for an entire CD and that he should be able to do with the material whatever he wants. While he may have legally paid for the music, he does not have the right to provide permission, which means people like the blogger are thieves.
Although we don't spread today's music the same way we did before, there's no doubt that people around the word love to share music. However, Internet piracy would prevent musicians from continuing producing albums for fear of theft. Therefore, if people want to continue listening to their favorite artists, they need to buy their music so that artists will make enough profits to continue their music careers.
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假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Peter即将作为交换生到福建某中学学习，他向你咨询中国高中生课余时间经常参加的活动以及你喜欢的课外活动。请根据以下要点给他回一封邮件：
1. 欢迎他来中国学习；
2. 高中生常参加的课外活动；
3. 你喜欢的课外活动。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
A robot used for housework was tested out in a family. He looked like a tall and handsome man with smooth hair, 1. (speak) in a deep voice. Larry was going to be away from home so he hired such a robot 2. (accompany) his wife Claire. Claire didn’t like the idea at the beginning, 3. she agreed to it at last. 4. her first sight of Tony, Claire was alarmed. When Tony offered to help her get dressed, Claire 5.(embarrass). 6.(gradual), Tony began to win Claire’s trust. He helped Claire realize her dreams by making her home elegant, giving her a new haircut, changing the makeup she 7.(wear) and giving her advice on her dresses. Therefore, at the party the guests 8. were invited were filled with admiration when they saw her house was completely changed. After the test, the company 9.(satisfy) with Tony’s report because he had successfully made a woman regain her 10.(confident).
Cloning has always been with us and is here to stay. It’s a way of making 11.exact copy of another animal or plant. Cloning has two major uses. Firstly, gardeners use it all the time to produce commercial quantities of plants. Secondly, it’s 12.(value) for research on new plant species and for medical research on animals. Cloning animals is a difficult task 13.(undertake). At last the determination and patience of the scientists paid off in 1996 with a breakthrough — the cloning of Dolly the sheep. The fact 14. she seemed to develop normally was very 15.(encourage). Then came the disturbing news that Dolly had become seriously ill and she only lived six and a half years.
Dolly’s appearance raised a storm of 16.(object) and had a great impact 17. the media and public imagination. Newspapers told stories of evil leaders hoping to clone 18.(they) to attain their ambitions. Religious leaders raised moral questions. Now some governments have 19.(forbid) research into human cloning, 20. others think cloning is useful for humans.
