An extremely rare manuscript(手稿) signed by English naturalist Charles Darwin is expected to fetch up to $790,00at a Sotheby’s auction next month. The document contains a passage from the famous 1859 work On the Origin of Species, in which Darwin put forth his theory of evolution.
The document was once thought to be a deserted page from an earlier manuscript of the work. But experts now understand it was written in 1865 and sent to the editor of the Autographic Mirror who had requested a signed writing sample from Darwin.
“While some of Darwin's notes and manuscript pages have survived over the last hundred or more years, he was known to keep revising his publications, often throwing away pages from working drafts as waste paper, making them extremely rare,” Sotheby's said in a statement.
On the Origin of Species was voted the most influential academic book of all time in a public poll held during Academic Book Week in 2015.The book offers Darwin's revolutionary idea that species evolve over generations in the process of natural selection.
Darwin backed up his theory with evidence collected during his 1831—1836 voyage on the H.M S. Beagle, during which he observed and collected specimens (标本) from a number of species. On the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, Darwin noted that the finches(鸣雀)on the island were similar to finches on the mainland; however, the availability of different foods in each area had led to differences in beak shapes.
The manuscript will be placed on display at Sotheby's in New York between Nov.30 and Dec 8, and online bids will be accepted between Now.25 and Dec.8.The auction house estimates that the document will fetch between $600,000 and $790,000.
The auction, which is titled Age of Wonder, will also include a first edition of On the Origin of Species and a copy of scientific paper by Darwin and another naturalist.
4. What do we know about the manuscript?
A.It’s a page of On the Origin of Species. | B.It’s a draft of Darwin's scientific paper. |
C.It’s a signed writing sample to an editor. | D.It’s waste paper from Darwin's study. |
5. What makes Darwin's On the Origin of Species the most influential academic book?
A.His methods of research. | B.His adventure on the sea. |
C.The rare manuscript. | D.His theory of evolution. |
6. What does the underlined phrase “backed up” mean in Paragraph 5?
A.supported | B.explained | C.declared | D.created |
7. What is the purpose of the auction?
A.To put the manuscript on sale. |
B.To display Darwin's works. |
C.To vote the best academic books. |
D.To release a new discovery. |