Darwin was not a bright boy. He was much slower than his younger sister, and he was in many ways a naughty boy. However, at the age of eight he was trying to make out the names of all plants he saw, and he was busy collecting all sorts of things and he even imagined producing coloured roses by watering them with certain coloured liquids. Once he read the book Wonders of the World, he wished to work wonders himself some day.
One summer vacation Darwin became a great collector of beetles (甲虫). At that time he only collected them but made no scientific study of them. One day on tearing off the bark (树皮) he saw some unusual beetles, and seized one in each hand, then he saw a third and new kind, which he didn’t want to lose, so he put the one that he held in his right hand into his mouth. But it sent out some gas, which burned his tongue. He was forced to spit it out. It was lost, so was the third one.
Darwin accepted the offer by the navy (海军) to go on a voyage to explore the Southern Sea in the name of the government on a warship at the age of twenty-two. He was on board for five years. And during the long voyage he collected a great many of facts in Natural Science.
1. In his early years, Darwin was _________ in producing coloured roses.A.successful | B.helped | C.interested | D.not interested |
A.to have a wonderful job |
B.to work with surprising results |
C.to make something difficult to understand |
D.to produce beautiful things |
A.taste the gas it sent out | B.spare his right hand to catch the third one |
C.save the life of the beetle | D.eat it as he was hungry |
A.“Wonders of the world” was his famous work. |
B.He was forced to explore the Southern Sea by the government. |
C.When he was young he showed interest in natural science. |
D.He ran much slower than his younger sister. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Albert was an ordinary worker in an oil company in America. His workmates gave a nickname (绰号) “Four dollars a bucket (桶)” to him, for he was always used to leaving an advertisement of his company “Four dollars a bucket of oil” below his name whenever and wherever he wrote down his name.
As time went by, people forgot his real name. Later, when Rockefeller, the board chairman of the oil company, heard of it, he was very surprised, so he invited Albert to come to his office.
“Some people give you a nickname for ‘Four dollars a bucket’. Why aren’t you angry?” asked Rockefeller with some puzzlement in his eyes.
“Oh! Mr. Rockefeller! I like this nickname very much, because ‘Four dollars a bucket’ is our company’s advertisement. As long as someone calls me ‘Four dollars a bucket’ once, I think it’s a free advertisement for our company. I have no reason to get angry. Don’t you think so, Mr. Rockefeller?”
“Oh! What a fantastic man!” Rockefeller said excitedly when hearing Albert’s words. “Young man, work harder! You must succeed in the future! I believe in you!”
Five years later, Albert became the second board chairman after Rockefeller.
Later Albert said in one of his reports, “I don’t think we should feel frustrated when we have no way to do the world-shaking things. We should treat every thing actively because maybe our future success will begin from a small thing!”
1. What was Albert in the oil company at the beginning?A.A chairman. | B.A worker. | C.A manager. | D.An assistant. |
A.He could become famous. |
B.He liked to have a nickname. |
C.It could make his workmates happy. |
D.It could advertise for his company for free. |
A.Surprised. | B.Puzzled. | C.Excited. | D.Interested. |
A.Ways to Make Advertisements | B.Albert and Rockefeller |
C.Four Dollars a Bucket | D.The Second Board Chairman |
【推荐2】On July 28, I retired from my position. After teaching for many years, I looked forward to kayaking (划独木舟) with my grandsons, seeing friends and traveling for leisure with my husband. But my body had other plans for me. A broken spine (脊椎) in my back took me down a path that upended my plans.
I have long had back pain. However, I pushed through the pain to do my work, which worsened my condition. Doctors urged an operation when increased disability meant I could not sit, stand or walk for a long time. But I wanted to see whether physical therapy (治疗) could create an easier option.
Indeed, hard work with a great physical therapist has let me improve my mobility, sitting and standing. But X-rays told a different story. My spine was unstable and bending. After careful consideration and a second opinion from another professional, I agreed to surgery yet in the near term. Needless to say, the past months have been tough and the way ahead will be even tougher. Kayaking with my grandsons in the peacefulness of the lake is all out of reach, for now.
When I met my physical therapist for the first time, I was a mess. He listened to me outline my history with tears and then calmly said, “You have to make friends with your body.” I have repeated that line to myself daily and worked to embrace my body. I have focused on gratitude. I’m grateful that I do not have a fatal disease. I’m grateful that the body I have remains alert to the world, loved by family and friends. I’m grateful that I am still myself.
I don’t know exactly how the future will play out. The surgeon assures me that I should be able to get in my kayak by summer. But I may have to make friends with a different body, one that is mine regardless of the shape.
1. Why did the author’s condition become worse?A.She disliked physical therapy. |
B.She hurt her back when kayaking. |
C.She still worked despite back pain. |
D.She was unwilling to have an operation. |
A.She forgot to kayak with her grandsons. |
B.She decided to accept an operation right away. |
C.She completely recovered after physical therapy. |
D.She asked another doctor for advice on the operation. |
A.Her wish to enjoy retirement life. |
B.Her physical therapist’s advice. |
C.Her worsening physical condition. |
D.Her love for her family and friends. |
A.Learning to accept my body |
B.Enjoying my retirement life |
C.Fighting against my back pain |
D.Being grateful for what I have |
【推荐3】It was my first day of sixth grade. I looked at my schedule and saw that I had Mrs.Foxwell and this made me happy. Over the next three years, Mrs.Foxwell taught me many important things that I will never forget.
Of all of the teachers and coaches I have had in my life, Mrs.Foxwell has been my favorite leader. In her class, she taught me how to be a successful leader. She also taught me that good leaders earn everyone’s respect.
Mrs.Foxwell is one of the most respected and respectful people I know. She is always kind to everyone and she treats others the way that she wants to be treated. She taught me respect in many different ways, but mainly how to be respectful in the business world. She told me that I needed to have a firm handshake and that I should always look people in the eye when I talk to them. Mrs.Foxwell also taught me that you could earn someone’s respect by working hard to achieve your goals.
In addition to working at Brandywine Springs, Mrs.Foxwell once worked at a bank as a manager but she gave that up to teach kids how to be successful. Mrs.Foxwell told our class how she would cry because of the amount of work she had to do in very little time. She taught our class that working all night at something you don’t love is very stressful, so you should try and do something you love. In the end, she taught me that you have to keep your head high and pull through. I don’t think I have ever worked as hard in any class as I did in her class. We created our own 28-page business plan to share with her, our parents, other teachers and our classmates. Although creating a business from nothing was a lot of hard work, I really enjoyed it and learned several lessons that will help me throughout life.
I have had a lot of role models in my life, but one of the biggest is Eva Foxwell. She taught me leadership qualities, how to be respectful and why you should work hard. She changed my life for the better and I desire to be like her.
1. Mrs.Foxwell taught the writer to show respect by_________.A.working hard to achieve goals | B.looking at people’s laces |
C.shaking people’s hands firmly | D.greeting people with joy |
A.used to be a bank manager | B.was a business planner |
C.never cried while lacing difficulties | D.insisted on doing everything well |
A.outgoing and polite | B.kind and patient |
C.gentle and humorous | D.admirable and helpful |
A.engineer and coworker | B.educator and role model |
C.parent and leader | D.coach and manager |
【推荐1】Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius. “There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wandered about the secrets of nature. Nature he often said, is full of secrets, He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years dd. someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
1. According to the first paragraph, it is true that ________.A.Edison invented the electric light with the help of other American inventors |
B.Edison was satisfied that he was regarded as the greatest genius of his age |
C.the invention of the electric light by Edison has changed the lives of many people |
D.the lives of many people would have been the same without Edison’s inventions |
A.he could be happy if he was a genius |
B.hard work could do better than genius |
C.genius plays the most important part in one’s success |
D.genius could do better than hard work |
A.Edison made 100 inventions in his life |
B.Edison was able to live and work for 100 years |
C.People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work |
D.Life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings |
【推荐2】“I want to work full-time in China, honey.” An overseas call awakened the wife from sound sleep. “Why?” asked the wife with surprise, in a drowsy (昏昏欲睡的) voice, from the other side of the ocean.
In the United States, he had a great future ahead. At the age of 36, he became the youngest professor in the history of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, for his academic achievements. At 40, he became a tenured (终身的) chair professor at Princeton.
When everything seemed perfect and admirable to others, he firmly decided to say goodbye to Princeton University, to an affluent life in the United States, and return to China.
The news spread explosively. Many expressed confusion, many persuaded him, many made fun of him, and still many waited to have a good laugh at him.
He said patriotism is the plainest feeling of a person. Who doesn’t love his motherland, after all? In his heart, the American dream is already something past; the Chinese dream is rising.
After returning to China, he devoted all his energy, worked like crazy, and determined to do something big. He formed a life science research team. Every day, he works 12 to 16 hours at his laboratory. He is Shi Yigong, nicknamed “Da Niu” (someone with extraordinary achievements) by Tsinghua students. His given name, Yigong, comes from an idiom that means “devoted to public interest whole-heartedly”. “So far as I’m concerned, awards are of no special meaning.” Shi says calmly.
In his 18 years of study in the United States, he never forgot his Chinese dream. In the next 18 years, the Chinese dream will be more beautiful and greater by the efforts of Shi Yigong and the likes of him.
1. Why was Shi determined to return to China?A.To serve his motherland. | B.To reunite with his wife. |
C.To live a quieter life. | D.To make more money. |
A.Normal. | B.Miserable. | C.Wealthy. | D.Adventurous. |
A.His decision was well-received. | B.He doesn’t care much about fame. |
C.He is the youngest professor in history. | D.His Chinese dream will be realized in 18 years. |
A.To support his life science research. | B.To praise his honesty. |
C.To introduce his endless energy in work. | D.To show his unusual achievements. |
【推荐3】Jagadish Chandra Bose was born in Bikrampur (now in present-day Bangladesh) on November 30, 1858. His father believed that it was important for him to get a good education in his native language, which is Bengali, before being sent to an English-medium school. Thus, Bose received his early education completely in Bengali. He then attended St. Xavier’s School and later college, at Calcutta, where his interest in science was developed. He graduated from University of Calcutta in 1879.
Bose wanted to take the Indian Civil Service (文官) exams but his father insisted that he should take up a more academic pursuit (学术追求). Thus he went to study medicine at the University of London, England but could not complete his studies because of his ill health. He went on to study Natural Science at Christ's College, Cambridge.
He returned to India in 1885 and began teaching physics at Presidency College. His salary (工资), however, was half of what English professors earned at the time so he refused to accept his salary for three years until the administration gave in and gave him his previous salary as well. Another way in which he was discriminated (歧视) against was being asked to do unnecessary, unimportant work and not being provided with proper research facilities and support such as equipment for conducting experiments. Bose often had to buy equipment with his own money and conducted experiments late into the night after he had finished his tough daily tasks.
Though in the face of those challenges, he made great contributions in the study of plant nervous systems. He successfully showed that plants and animals have similar responses to stimuli in London on May 10, 1901. His discovery was extremely significant but was laughed at by many of his colleagues at first. However, his contributions are now widely accepted throughout the world. Bose's another great achievement is research into wireless technology and short radio waves. IEEE named him one of the fathers of radio science.
Bose published various journals and books, and founded the Bose Institute in 1917 for research in various fields such as physics, chemistry and microbiology. He received numerous honors. He died on November 23, 1937.
1. What can we learn about Bose’s early schooling?A.It was conducted in Bengali. |
B.It went against his father’s will. |
C.It turned out challenging for Bose. |
D.It was started at St. Xavier’s School. |
A.To find a job. |
B.To see a doctor. |
C.To learn English. |
D.To continue his education. |
A.Cultural shock. |
B.Unfair treatment. |
C.Poor mental health. |
D.Lack of family support. |
A.His approaches to teaching physics. |
B.His fight against racial discrimination. |
C.His contributions to Western medicine. |
D.His research into plant nervous systems. |