Leonardo da Vinci and Nature
In the modern world, art and science are two very separate activities, but in Leonardo’s time they were closely connected. Science meant mathematics and medical studies. 1. Mathematics included practical work like surveying land for making maps as well as measuring the movements of the stars in the sky. An artist might need to measure the different parts of the body. He could also use mathematics to place things in relationship to each other in a drawing or painting so the scene looked correct. 2.
Mathematics was also connected to music because musical sounds have a fixed relationship with each other that can be described in numbers. 3. More than this, though, Leonardo believed that numbers were a part of all things in the world, including music, and he said that “without them nothing can be done.”
“Nature has kindly given us things everywhere to copy,” wrote Leonardo. In all his activities, Leonardo was trying to discover the rules that control nature. In his search for those rules, he looked very carefully at a lot of examples and details. Actual experience was more important to him than opinion, and he worked from facts to ideas. 4. His purpose was to examine the world so he could copy it in beautiful paintings and sculptures. He also wanted to learn from the clever solutions of nature.
5. His quick little sketches (素描), often done while wandering outside, helped him to catch a movement or a shape. More careful drawings would be done at a desk with a pen and ruler. In July 2001, a small drawing by Leonardo was sold for $12 million. It was the most expensive drawing in the world.
A.Leonardo was always drawing.
B.How could these be connected with art?
C.Leonardo’s ideas were vastly ahead of his time.
D.Mathematicians and doctors worked to discover the unknown.
E.Above all, Leonardo wanted to understand how and why things worked.
F.You will see a good example of such positioning in the painting of The Last Supper.
G.Leonardo himself was a very good musician and liked to play an instrument and sing.
Let’s begin with the story: King Hiero contracts the ancient Greek polymath Archimedes (阿基米德) to detect fraud in the manufacture of a golden crown. Archimedes accepts the challenge and, during a subsequent trip to the public baths, realizes that the more his body sinks into the water, the more water is displaced — making the displaced water an exact measure of his volume.
Realizing he has hit upon a method to determine whether the King’s crown was made of gold or silver, the young Greek leaps out of the bath and rushes home naked crying “Eureka! Eureka!” Or, translated: “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”
Too bad, however, Archimedes probably never uttered the phrase in that way.
First and foremost, Archimedes himself never wrote about this episode, although he spent plenty of time detailing the laws of buoyancy (浮力). The oldest authority for the naked-Archimedes eureka story is Vitruvius, a Roman writer, who included the tale in his introduction to his ninth book of architecture. “Vitruvius may have gotten it wrong,” says Chris Schmitt, a mathematician at the University of Berlin and a self-described Archimedes fan. “The method attributed to Archimedes in the story works in theory so it sounds right, but when you actually try it, you find that the real world gets in the way.”
In fact, Schmitt is one of a long line of scientists, including Galileo, who have read the account and thought, “That can’t be right.” As Galileo wrote, Archimedes could have achieved a far more precise result using his own law of buoyancy and an accurate scale. In fact, the surface tension of water can make the volume of a light object like a crown immeasurable. “There may be some truth to it,” Schmitt adds. “Archimedes did measure the volume of things but the eureka moment was maybe due to his original discovery concerning buoyance, not to sitting in the bathtub and then running through the streets naked.”
Much like Newton’s apple, the exclamation persists because of the enduring power of the story: a golden crown, a life in the balance, a naked mathematician. The suspect foundations of the eureka moment take nothing away from the word’s ability to uniquely and concisely convey the flash of inspiration.
1.According to the first paragraph, how would Archimedes measure the volume of the crown?
A.He would weigh himself with and without the crown.
B.He would weigh the crown first and then put it into water.
C.He would go to the public baths wearing the crown on his head.
D.He would sink the crown into water and measure the water displaced.
2.What did Galileo probably think of the naked-Archimedes eureka story?
A.He believed the word “eureka” was said in another situation.
B.He suspected Archimedes didn’t run through the street naked.
C.He doubted Archimedes carried out the experiment independently.
D.He thought Archimedes would not have used the method described.
3.What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
A.The word “eureka” is still widely used today.
B.The word “eureka” is now a formal scientific term.
C.Most people accept the authenticity of the original story.
D.People are still inspired by the achievements of Archimedes.
4.What is the purpose of this text?
A.To introduce the famous scientist Archimedes.
B.To examine the credibility of the eureka story.
C.To explain how the word “eureka” was created.
D.To urge people not to use the word “eureka” anymore.
The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.
The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.
The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.
So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.
Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. Whilst this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils.
1.The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _____.
A.making huge profits B.traveling the Silk Road
C.exchanging goods and ideas D.connecting different civilizations
2.Why was the Gobi Desert easier to cross than other deserts?
A.The desert’s surface was easier to walk on.
B.Camels for transportation were easier to find.
C.It was smaller and could be crossed in less time.
D.There were more natural water sources available.
3.What can we guess about the rest stops in the Gobi Desert?
A.Travelers were offered free accommodation.
B.They were located around the edges of the desert.
C.Travelers staying there were often attacked by criminals.
D.They were shared by travelers from different countries.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The origins of the Silk Road.
B.The benefits of the Silk Road.
C.The difficulties faced by Silk Road travelers.
D.The cultural exchanges among Silk Road travelers.
1.What is true about the Milky Way?
A.There are only stars inside it.
B.There is a black hole at its center.
C.It’s the biggest spiral galaxy in the universe.
D.It takes 100,000 years to get there from Earth.
2.Which of the following is the main factor in categorizing galaxies?
A.Shape. B.Size.
C.Number of stars. D.Distance from the sun.
3.Which of the following galaxies can be classified as irregular?
A.Whale Galaxy — similar to the Milky Way both in size and shape.
B.Cygnus A (3C 405) Galaxy — the brightest egg shape we can observe.
C.Cigar Galaxy — long and narrow galaxy that looks like an ashy cloud.
D.Sunflower Galaxy — galaxy with multiple arms radiating from its bright core.
Mama and I spend mornings cleaning up the dirt that blows into our house. Mama says all the dust is due to the drought. The dirt sifts into everything. It covers our clothes. We have to wash the dishes before each meal. We rarely drive the truck because Papa fears the dust from the road will ruin the motor.
When my sister, Faye, and I walk to school, we wear kerchiefs over our mouths so we don’t breathe in the dirt. On days when the air is so bad that they close the school, we stay home and help Mama put wet sheets over the windows. But the dirt always finds a way in.
Last Sunday, there was no dirt in the air, only bright spring sunshine and a clear blue sky. After lunch, Papa headed out to the field to check on the cattle while I played with Faye in the yard. The temperature suddenly dropped. I looked to the west and saw a huge black cloud of dust.
All the birds flew away. “I must warn Papa,” I thought to myself. To avoid her panicking, I gently told Faye to go back inside where she would be safe, and then headed off to the field.
The storm hit so fast, and in an instant the day turned into night. By the time I entered the cow field the fine sand was whipping across my face. I screamed for Papa, hoping my voice would lead him back.
The dirt and sand stung my skin like a thousand bees. Although I was terrified, I refused to turn back. My dad was stranded and needed my help. Covering my face with one hand, I groped my way toward the truck and opened the door. First I tried turning the truck’s lights on and off, hoping that Papa would see them flashing, but the sandstorm let no light escape. Then I pushed the horn again and again, so Papa would hear it. I pushed until I had no more strength in my arms.
Suddenly, Papa’s face appeared at the window. My heart leaped with surprise and relief. He opened the door and climbed onto the seat next to me. He then pulled me into his arms and said, “Oh, Iris, you saved me!”
Finally, the wind subsided and the dust began to settle. Dirt was piled up to the window on one side of the truck and halfway up the door on the other. Papa kicked against the door, opening it far enough to let us out.
Sand and soil drifts were everywhere, but we were safe.
1.What is the main function of the first two paragraphs?
A.It describes a problem the characters must solve.
B.It establishes the setting where the story takes place.
C.It introduces the characters that will follow in the story.
D.It explains the motivations for the characters’ later actions.
2.Why did Papa go to the field that Sunday?
A.He was trying to get to his truck.
B.He needed to prepare the field for harvest.
C.He wanted to make sure the animals were fine.
D.He planned to bring in the cattle before the storm.
3.How did Iris save her father?
A.By warning him to run away. B.By turning on the truck’s lights.
C.By guiding him towards the shelter. D.By screaming his name at the top of her voice.
4.Which of the following words best describe Iris?
A.Brave and calm. B.Experienced and confident.
C.Adventurous and careful. D.Fearless and sympathetic
单词填空
1.Peter and Paul had got p______________ from their parents to camp in a field close to their farm.
2.The girl could learn from the living examples to e____________ (建立) a sense of security.
3.The accident left the boy s___________ (严重地) brain-damaged and almost totally relied on others.
4.Most of us are aware that we must take care of the environment, and the m__________ (大多数) of us take steps to save energy and reduce waste and pollution.
5.He never a_________ (采纳) others’ advice so that he always makes mistakes.
6.Don’t worry. I have already arranged the t_____________ from the airport to your hotel. The drive will give you a call when he arrives.
7.They wanted to find out whether there was a doctor a___________(prep.) the ship.
8.This small town is the country’s top mountain-hiking d______________.
9.The government has taken some measures to prevent some factories from r____________ poisonous gases into the air
10.Too much screen time may d______________ (损坏) children’s eyesight.
11.The students usually have lunch in the school c_______________ (学校食堂).
12.S_______________ (可持续的) development is the common target of human beings.
13.Don’t give up. Instead, you should always take a positive a_____________ towards your future.
14.This holiday b_____________ (小册子) can give you all the information you need.
15.I have no time to e____________ (参与) in gossip (闲话，流言), so please don’t come to me with your rumors and complaints.
