THE FATHER OF CHINA’S AEROSPACE
Perhaps no other scientist has had a greater impact on China’s aerospace science than Qian Xuesen. Described by the authors of the Story of Qian Xuesen as a man with “great scientific thought and scientific spirit” who was patriotic and served his homeland with effort, achievement, and devotion, Qian was an extremely well-respected man.
Born in Hangzhou in 1911, Qian attended schools in Beijing and then entered Shanghai Jiao Tong University to study Railway Mechanical Engineering. However, after the Songhu Battle broke out in 1932, Qian made the decision to switch his major to aviation because he realised that China needed its own powerful air force to protect and defend the country.
Qian went to the United States in 1935 to pursue his graduate studies. Over the course of the 1930s and 1940s, Qian became a pioneer in American jet and rocket technology. As a graduate assistant at the California institute of Technology during the 1930s, Qian helped conduct important research into rocket propulsion, and in the 1940s, he and several other people founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, now one of NASA’S leading space-exploration centres.
After overcoming some difficulties during his final few years in the US Qian returned to China in 1955. He received a hero’s welcome from his homeland and was put in charge of not only developing China’s rocket science but also its space and missile programme. At that time, China was poor and its rocket science was undeveloped. No institute or university in China offered rocket science as a major, and there were no talents or experts in this field in China. Nevertheless, Qian did not let that discourage him from taking on the challenge. When asked “Can we Chinese possibly make missiles?” his reply was a determined “Why not? We Chinese are able to make the same things that other people make.”
Under Qians leadership, China developed the Dongfeng missiles, followed by the first generation of Long March rockets. In 1970, China successful launched its first man-made satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, from a Long March rocket. Because much of the technology behind the Shenzhou rockets can also be traced back to Qian’s research, Qian earned the name of “the father of Chinas aerospace.”
Qian read a lot and was extremely knowledgeable, especially in the area of frontier science research. However, what might have made him such an outstanding and creative scientist was probably his strong interest in other things, such as music and drawing. His deep appreciation for art often gave him inspiration in his scientific research.
On 31 October 2009, the whole country was saddened by Qians death, and people honoured and remembered him in different ways.
A WORLD OF PURE THOUGHT
Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous and gifted scientists in physics. Most people are familiar with images of him in his wheelchair unable to move and using a computer to talk. Since he came down with a disease which caused him to lose the use of most of his muscles his world became one of abstract thought.
Hawking first achieved fame when he was still healthy enough to walk, as a graduate student in physics at Cambridge University in 1964. In general there were two main theories on the origin of the universe. The first was the steady state theory, which holds that the universe has no beginning or end. The other was the big bang theory, which holds that the universe began at a single point in time and space. The biggest champion of the steady state concept was Fred Hoyle, a professor at Cambridge. During the question and answer period after one of Hoyle’s lectures, Hawking stood up and pointed out that Hoyle had made a mistake in his maths. Once the maths was corrected, it showed that the big bang theory — and not the steady state theory — was true. Hawking’s own work on the big bang theory was soon proven by astronomers with telescopes. A star was born.
So, what made Stephen Hawking a genius? Besides being brilliant, he was brave, though sometimes careless in what he said or did. He was willing to say what others were afraid to say, and to dream of what others were afraid to dream about. Furthermore, he was quite determined. This had helped him as a scientist, and had helped him even more in his fight against his disease. Above all, Hawking was willing to admit his faults. This odd combination of characteristics had made him one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Ⅰ. 阅读文章，明确文章主旨。
1. The text is mainly about2. The Father of China’s Aerospace
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Ⅱ. 根据文章，回答以下问题。
4. Why was Qian called “the father of China’s aerospace”?相似题推荐
Mental health experts have long been aware that even mild, repeated stress can contribute to the development of depression and other mood disorders in animals and people. Scientists have also known that exercise seems to cushion against depression. But precisely how exercise, a physical activity can reduce someone’s risk for depression, a mood state, has been mysterious. So for the new study, researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied the brains and behavior of mice in a complicated and novel fashion.
We can’t ask mice if they are feeling cheerful or in low spirits. Instead, researchers have pictured certain behaviors that indicate depression in mice. If animals lose weight, stop seeking out a sugar solution when it’s available — because, probably, they no longer experience normal pleasures — or give up trying to escape from the cold-water zone just freeze in place, they are categorized as depressed. And in the new experiment, after five weeks of frequent but low-level stress, such as being lightly shocked, mice displayed exactly those behaviors. They became depressed.
The scientists could then have tested whether exercise blunts (延缓) the risk of developing depression after stress by having mice run first. But, frankly, from earlier research, they wanted to know how, so they bred pre-exercised mice. A wealth of earlier research by these scientists and others had shown that aerobic exercise, in both mice and people, increases the production within muscles of an enzyme (酶) called PGC-1alpha. The Karolinska scientists suspected（怀疑） that this enzyme somehow creates conditions within the body that protect the brain against depression. Then, the scientists exposed the animals, which without exercising, were in high levels of PGC-1alpha to five weeks of mild stress. The mice responded with slight symptoms of worry. But they did not develop depression. They continued to seek out sugar and fought to get out of the cold-water zone. Their high levels of PGC-1alpha appeared to make them depression-resistant（抵抗的. Finally, to ensure that these findings are relevant to people, the researchers had a group of adult volunteers complete three weeks of frequent endurance training, consisting of 40 to 50 minutes of moderate cycling or jogging. The scientists conducted muscle biopsies (活体检查) before and after the program and found that by the end of the three weeks, the volunteers’ muscle cells contained substantially more PGC-1alpha than at the study’s start.
The finding of these results, in the simplest terms, is that “you reduce the risk of getting depression when you exercise,” said Maria Lindskog, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute.
1. The researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm conducted the new study hoping to know ________.
| A．if exercise cushions against depression |
| B．what can lead to depression in animals and people |
| C．if stress can contribute to the development of depression |
| D．how exercise contributes to reducing someone’s risk for depression |
| A．they attempt to escape from the cold-water zone |
| B．they stop searching for the sugar water |
| C．they stand still in place |
| D．they can’t experience normal pleasures any longer |
| A．know if exercise can help to safeguard the mind against depression |
| B．know if they can endure 40 to 50 minutes of moderate cycling or jogging |
| C．ensure they can lose weight after moderate cycling or jogging |
| D．confirm the findings above are also relevant to people |
| A．the mice with high levels of PGC-1alpha are easier to develop depression |
| B．athletes are more likely to develop depression than ordinary people |
| C．the enzyme called PGC-1alpha helps to reduce depression |
| D．in the past mental health specialists didn’t know exercise could help reduce depression |
【推荐2】Mapping Antarctica
Antarctica was on the map long before anyone ever laid eyes on it. Nearly 2,400 years ago, ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle believed that a great continent must exist at the bottom of the world. They though it was needed to balance out the continents at the top of the world. In the 1500s, mapmakers often included a fanciful continent they referred to as Terra Incognita(Latin for “unknown land”) at the bottom of their maps. But it was not until the 1800s -----after explorers had sighted and set foot on Antarctica----- that mapmakers got down to the business of really mapping the continent, which is one—and—a –half times rhe size of the U.S..
While the coastline could be mapped by ships sailing around the continent, it took airplanes—and later, satellites---to chart Antarctica’s vast interior(内陆). That job continues today. And it is a job that still require a mapmaker, or cartographer, to put on boots and head out into the wild.
Cole Kelleher is familiar with that. He is a cartographer with the Polar Geospatial Center(PGC), which is based at the University of Minnesota and has a staff at McMurdo Station. PGC teamed up with Google to use the company’s Trekker technology to capture images of Antarctica for the Internet giant’s popular feature, Street View. A Trekker camera, which is the size of a basketball, is set about two feet above a backpack. The camera records image in all directions. “It weighs about 50 pounds. I was out for two and a half days, hiking 10 to 12 hours each day,” says Kelleher. It was hard work, but really an incredible experience.” According to Kelleher there are plans to use the technology to create educational apps for museums.
The PGC staff at McMurdo Station provides highly specialized mapmaking services for the U.S. Antarctic Program. For one project, Kelleher used satellite images to map huge cracks in the ice. That helped a team of researchers know whether they could safely approach their field camp on snowmobiles. Another recent project was to help recover a giant, high—tech helium(氦气) balloon used to carry scientific instruments high into the atmosphere. These balloons are launched in Antarctica because there is no danger that they will hurt anyone when they fall back down to Earth. Using satellite images, Kelleher and colleagues created maps of where the balloon could be found.
Antarctica may no longer be Terra Incognita, but it still holds countless mysteries. Cartographers and the maps they make will continue to be essential in helping scientists unlock those secrets.
1. From the passage, we can infer that Antarctica was on the map in the 1500s when________.| A．mapmakers knew it was much larger than the U.S. |
| B．Aristotle named the continent Terra Incognita |
| C．no one had ever seen or been to the continent |
| D．it was such an interesting continent as was often referred to |
| A．It needs much work for the mapmakers to head out into the wild. |
| B．The interior can only be mapped by planes and satellites. |
| C．It is relatively easy to map Antarctica’s coastline by ship. |
| D．Antarctic is a vast but still mysterious continent. |
| A．to capture images of Antarctica for Street View |
| B．to test the company’s Trekker technology |
| C．to create educational apps for museums |
| D．to hike for an incredible experience |
| A．satellite images which are used to map huge cracks in the ice |
| B．a high-tech helium balloon for carrying scientific instruments |
| C．how to safely approach the researcher’s field camp and the balloon |
| D．the specialized mapmaking services provided by the PGC staff |
【推荐3】In a paper published in Nature Communications, a team led by scientists from the University of California, using climate models and satellite data, reveal for the first time how protecting tropical forests can yield climate benefits that enhance carbon storage in nearby areas.
Many climate scientists use computer simulations (模拟) to mimic the planet's climate as it exists today and how it may exist in the future as humanity keeps emitting greenhouse gases. Such models rely on accurate measurements of all the moving parts of the climate system, from how much sunlight hits and warms the climate, to the response of forest biomass (生物量) to changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Jim Randerson, UCI professor of Earth system science, said, “This paper shows that avoiding deforestation yields carbon benefits in nearby regions as a consequence of climate feedbacks.”
He explained that for a new patch of deforestation in the Amazon, the regional climate changes that happen as a result led to an additional 5.1 percent more loss of total biomass in the entire Amazon basin. In the Congo, the additional biomass loss from the climate effects of deforestation is about 3.8 percent. Tropical forests store about 200 petagrams of carbon in their aboveground biomass. Since 2010, deforestation has been removing about 1 petagram of that carbon every year. (One petagram is equal to 1 trillion kilograms.)
Until now, climate modelers have, for lack of data, not considered tree mortality (死亡率) in their climate simulations. But by combining satellite data with climate variables, they obtained information about how sensitive carbon stored in vegetation is to climatic changes that result from tree mortality and fire.
1. What determines the results of the models?| A．Accuracy of computer simulators. |
| B．Precise calculations by researchers. |
| C．Precise measurement of the climate system. |
| D．Accurate measurement of global temperature. |
| A．By simulating climate changes. | B．By giving warnings. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By listing figures. |
| A．Because it is of little value. |
| B．Because of data shortage. |
| C．Because of lack of enough trees. |
| D．Because it is up to his expectation. |
| A．Protecting Tropical Trees Is Beneficial To Humans |
| B．Tropical Trees Are Experiencing Severe Damages |
| C．Computer Simulations Can Predict Climate Change |
| D．Protecting Tropical Trees Makes For Carbon Storage |
The price of a piece of history
A fresh lemon can be purchased for less than $1. But in 2008, Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati sold a lemon blackened with age for $2,350.
What was so special about this lemon?
Two thousand dollars is a lot to pay for produce, even from the estate of a founding father. This sale, however, just might be considered a bargain compared with prices paid for other historical collectibles in recent years.
Collecting a piece of history, or an object associated with a famous person, is not brand new. Ordinary objects with extraordinary stories have increasingly been coming to auction and achieving high prices, says Thomas Venning, director of Christie's department of books and manuscripts in London. Prices are being driven up, he says, by collectors in the U.S. and, increasingly, in Asia. The Hawking wheelchair, for example, was purchased by a private museum in China.
Katie Horstman, head of Cowan's American History department, says she could find no comparable items for the lemon as she prepared the piece for its auction. Ms. Horstman nevertheless eventually arrived at the estimated value at $3,000 to $4,000, she says, by researching auction records for objects somehow associated with Washington that had appeared on the market.
Cowans ended up estimating the value of the lemon at $3,000 to $4,000, according to description on its website. Objects associated with Washington these days, Ms. Horstman says, can sell for anywhere from 1,000 up to tens of thousands of dollars.
| A．Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair fetched 296, 750 at a sale at Christie's in London last November. |
| B．Yet determining potential values of such objects isn't easy. |
| C．It was said to be from a tree planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon. |
| D．The auction result surely drew the attention from both the business and economics worlds. |
| E．The uniqueness of many of these objects further complicates efforts to put a value on them. |
| F．Therefore the unique value of many objects proved the worth of collection. |
【推荐2】This year’s United Nations Prize for Research in the Life Sciences（UNPRLS）goes to a Chinese scientist, Tu Youyou, for the discovery of artemisinin（青蒿素）and its use in the treatment of malaria（疟疾）—a medical advance that has saved millions of lives across the globe, especially in the developing world.
Tu’s pioneering work on malaria began on May 23, 1967 when the Chinese government started a program aimed at finding a cure for the deadly disease.
Tu combed the Chinese traditional medicine texts for possible treatments, and by 1972, had made 380 extracts（提取物）from 200 herbs. Her team then tested the extracts one by one on the malaria-infected mice. One of the extracts from Qinghao—or sweet wormwood—sharply reduced malaria growth in the animals.
At a March 1972 meeting of the project’s key participants, Tu reported that the natural plant extract wiped out the malaria in mice and monkeys. Later that year it proved effective in treating human patients.
The first English-language scientific journal（期刊）mentioning successful clinical trials for artemisinin appeared in late 1979 and two years later, Tu presented her discovery at an international meeting at the World Health Organization（WHO）and it was immediately recognized as a breakthrough. In 2015, she was finally awarded the Nobel Prize for her discovery.
Artemisinin is still the most powerful anti-malarial drug presently available, and an artemisinin-based drug combination is now the standard drug for the disease. The WHO lists artemisinin and related drugs in its catalog of “Essential Medicines”
“It is clear that Tu’s work has saved millions of lives, particularly in the developing world, and continues to bring about long-term medical benefits in the ongoing fight against this deadly disease,” the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization（UNESCO）prize committee writes in a statement published today.
1. What has served as the major inspiration for Tu’s discovery？| A．The English-language scientific journals. |
| B．Exchanges with scientists at international meetings. |
| C．Her malaria-fighting experience in the developing countries. |
| D．Her extensive reading of the Chinese traditional medicine books. |
| A．About 6 years. | B．About 7 years. | C．About 9 years. | D．About 43 years. |
| A．It has to be taken from the natural plants in China. |
| B．It is still the most effective drug in curing malaria. |
| C．It must be combined with other drugs for treatment. |
| D．It is the only anti-malarial medicine used in the world. |
| A．Her pioneering work has rid the world of malaria. |
| B．Her drug has promoted the use of natural herbs. |
| C．Her team discovered artemisinin and tested it successfully. |
| D．Her discovery has helped to save millions of lives in the world. |
【推荐3】Role models are important for inspiring scientists, but new research suggest that scientists who are known for their hard work are more encouraging than scientists who are viewed as naturally brilliant.
In a series of studies, researchers found that young people were more motivated by scientists whose success was connected with efforts than those whose success was because of natural intelligence, even if that scientist was Albert Einstein.
Danfei Hu, a doctoral student at the Pennsylvania State University, and Janet N. Ann, an assistant professor of Psychology at William Paterson University, said the findings—recently published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology—will help deal with the certain secret about what it takes to succeed in science.
According to the researchers, there is concern in the science community with the number of students who run after careers in science during school only to drop out of those career paths once they graduate from college. To help solve the problem, Hu and Ann wanted to research role models, who give the students specific goals, behavior or strategies they can follow.
The researchers performed studies with 176 and 162 participants in each study respectively. In the first study, all participants read the same story about common struggles a scientist met in his science career. However, half were told the story was about Einstein, while half were told it was about Thomas Edison. Although the stories were the same, participants were more likely to believe natural brilliance was the reason for Einstein’s success. In addition, the participants who believe the story was about Edison were more motivated to complete a series of maths problems.
“This proved that people generally seem to view Einstein as a genius, with his success commonly linked to extraordinary talent,” Hu said. “Edison, on the other hand, is known for failing more than 1,000 times when trying to create the light bulb, and his success is linked to his efforts.” Hu added, “Knowing that something great can be achieved through hard work and efforts, more students will step into the science career confidently.”
1. What kind of scientist is more encouraging?| A．Those who are famous around the world. |
| B．Those who are viewed as naturally brilliant. |
| C．Those who are famous for their hard work. |
| D．Those who are viewed as great inventors. |
| A．There are fewer role models for students to follow. |
| B．Some scientists cannot give students specific goals. |
| C．The students will drop out of school soon. |
| D．Fewer students will work on science. |
| A．They knew the problems were given by Edison. |
| B．They believed they could solve the problems by working hard. |
| C．They believed they were as intelligent as Einstein. |
| D．They knew they were to work together with Einstein and Edison. |
| A．Einstein Is Less Encouraging Than Edison |
| B．Edison’s Achievements Are Greater |
| C．How to Be a Great Scientist |
| D．Einstein’s Success Story |
