1 . German physicist Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists of all time, the personification of genius and the subject of a whole industry of scholarship. In The Einsteinian Revolution, two experts on Einstein’s life and his theory of relativity — Israeli physicist Hanoch Gutfreund and German historian of science Jürgen Renn — offer an original and penetrating (犀利的) analysis of Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to physics and our view of the physical world.
For the first time ever, by setting Einstein’s work in the long course of the evolution of scientific knowledge, Gutfreund and Renn discover the popular misconception of Einstein as an unconventional scientific genius who single-handedly created modern physics — and by pure thought alone.
As a large part of the book explains, Einstein typically argued that science progresses through steady evolution, not through revolutionary breaks with the past. He saw his theory of relativity not as something from scratch, but a natural extension of the classical physics developed by pioneers such as Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and English physicist Isaac Newton in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as nineteenth-century physicists.
The authors highlight how classical physics cannot be separated cleanly from modern Einsteinian physics. The book also includes substantial sections on Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo whose methods inspired Einstein. When Einstein considered himself as standing on their shoulders, he meant that, without their contributions, he would not have formulated (阐述) the theory of relativity.
The Einsteinian Revolution is an important and thought-provoking contribution to the scholarly literature on Einstein and his surprising scientific creativity between 1905 and 1925. Gutfreund and Renn might not have given the final answer as to why Einstein, of all people, revolutionized physics in the way that he did. But they argue in fascinating detail that, to understand his genius, one must take into account not just the earlier history of physics but also the history of knowledge more broadly. Although not always an easy read, the book will interest physicists and historians alike.
1. What’s the attitude of Gutfreund and Renn to the popular viewpoint on Einstein?| A．Opposing. | B．Favorable. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．From nothing. | B．Up to a certain standard. |
| C．By learning from others. | D．With previous knowledge. |
| A．Their ideas were rejected by Einstein. |
| B．Their devotion to physics impressed Einstein. |
| C．Their research contributed to Einstein’s success. |
| D．Their hard work deserved the worldwide respect. |
| A．A guidebook to a course. | B．An introduction to a book. |
| C．An essay on Albert Einstein. | D．A review of physics development. |
2 .
Bathing in Hot Chocolate Do you like chocolate? How about bathing in it? There is a chocolate hot spring (温泉) in Japan! Families go there together. They paint their bodies with sweet chocolate sauce (酱). They get chocolate skincare masks (护肤面膜). It looks a little scary, but hot chocolate is good for our skin! Finding the Best Pigeon  The UK holds the pigeon show every January. More than 2,500 pigeons join it. They are the best in the country. Around 25,000 fans of pigeons come together and choose (选择) the best. A good pigeon should have strong bones, thick feathers, big wings and bright eyes. ____________________  In Italy, there are not just ice cream and pizza. There are fancy masks (面具), too! Venice is a city in Italy. Every year from February to March, Venice holds a big carnival (狂欢节). People wear masks. They walk on the streets and dance in parties. Why wear masks? Masks in Venice are beautiful! Some people wear them to perform (表演). Some people wear them to have fun. |
| A．travel | B．sports | C．nature | D．fashion |
| A．Put Your Masks on | B．Carnival in March |
| C．Beautiful Venice | D．Performance or Fun |
| A．let pigeon join it | B．attract people to the UK |
| C．pick out the best pigeon | D．sell pigeon to the fans |
| A．over 25,000 pigeons will join the pigeon show |
| B．sweet chocolate sauce can be used for skincare |
| C．Italy is best-known for its ice cream and pizza |
| D．it’s not easy to set the standard (标准) for a good pigeon |
| A．people like wearing masks | B．there aren’t ice cream and pizza in Italy |
| C．carnival is popular in Italy | D．we should learn more language |
3 . Success is often considered to be the opposite of failure. To teenagers, it is the achievement of a goal or completion of something they really need, such as good grades and the ability to get along well with their classmates. Some schools used to agree with most parents who measured (判定) the success of their children according to grades, but now they pay special attention to moral (道德的) education and character-building to make sure teenagers achieve success in building human relationships.
Schools give chances to students to discover their hidden ability so that they can enjoy some form of success. For example, those good at speaking skills are advised to take part in speech competitions while those interested in arts are expected to perform in front of their classmates. Teenagers also get the pleasure of success when they join their favorite clubs.
Teenagers are often told that success is not easy to achieve and that success lies in hard work. Great efforts have to be put into project work. Doing things much later than planned should be avoided as this will lead to a mountain of work which finally makes them nervous. Another good quality (品质) is a sense of responsibility which makes them remember that a task has to be completed.
Sticking to moral values is the key to success too. Honest teenagers will win the trust of friends leading to good relationships. Self-motivation (自我激励) is another quality to be developed, for self-motivated teenagers will have the strong will and drive to perform a task and finally get to enjoy a sense of achievement.
1. What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 1 refer to (指代)?| A．Their classmates. | B．Some schools. | C．Most parents. | D．Their children. |
| A．To get good grades. | B．To improve speaking ability. |
| C．To express their love for arts. | D．To get the pleasure of success. |
| A．Project work makes teenagers nervous. |
| B．Good qualities will lead to a happy life. |
| C．Teenagers are advised to complete tasks in time. |
| D．Taking responsibility will make work much easier. |
| A．Honesty. | B．Self-motivation. | C．Communication. | D．Friends’ trust. |
| A．The Value of Moral Education | B．The Key to Discovering Hidden Ability |
| C．The Meaning of Success to Teenagers | D．The Way to Communicate with Others |
4 . Touch down to Earth
China welcomed three heroic astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu home on April 16. This return ended the Shenzhou XIII astronauts’ six-month space mission. It also marks a major (重大的) breakthrough for China’s efforts in space.
In order to return home safety, they did a lot of preparation before leaving the space station.
If you are coming home after a long journey, you have to pack up. For astronauts in space, besides their personal belongings, they “packed” experimental data (数据) and samples, so they would be further researched on Earth.
The astronauts had to tidy up a large number of materials, including goods on the Tianzhou 3 cargo (货物) spacecraft, according to Zhong Weiwei, a researcher at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
Since the space station had no room service, the three astronauts needed to “clear the house” themselves. They collected a great amount of waste. This included leftover foods, sanitary (卫生) waste and waste from in-orbit experiments. The waste was then put into the orbital module (轨道舱), which burnt up as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere.
They also had to put all equipment in place correctly since there would be a gap of more than one month before the astronauts of Shenzhou XIV enter the space station, according to Zhong. They needed to make sure some items, such as gym equipment, were fixed to the walls to avoid floating and slipping (滑落).
Astronauts experienced microgravity for long periods of time during their stays on the space station, which had an effect on their bodies. This included a loss of fluid (体液) muscle atrophy (萎缩) as well as bone loss.
To ensure their safe and sound return, the three astronauts had been doing physical exercises to train their muscles for the return to Earth. Based on their in-orbit physical examinations and data, experts had customized (定制) exercise plans for each of them to ensure a safe landing.
Just like a house that will be vacant (空着的) for a long time must have it’s water and power switched off, astronauts checked everything before they left. Based on experience at home and abroad, they checked and adjusted 40 to 50 items to ensure that the space station could transmit valid parameters (参数) to the ground during subsequent unmanned missions.
1. When did the three astronauts return to earth safety?2. What did they “pack” experimental data and samples for?
3. Where did they put the waste they collected?
4. How did experts help the three astronauts return?
5. What do you think of staying in space? Why do you think so?
Rocky neighbours
Avebury is near the far more famous Stonehenge (巨石阵). What is interesting about it is that a village has grown up around a collection of stones, unlike Stonehenge, which stands alone. Avebury and Stonehenge are just two of about 1,300 stone circles all over the UK. Many of them are in fantastic locations.
Stone circles through history
Some of them are UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) sites, and several have local stories connected to them. For example, the Merry Maidens in West Cornwall is a group of 19 stones. According to the story, they were young women maidens who became stones for dancing on a Sunday. This story shows some of the effects of Christianity (基督教) in the fourth and fifth centuries AD.
When and why?
Early historians thought that the stone circles were temples (寺庙) for the Druids, the priests (牧师) of people who arrived in the UK in about 500 BC. Later research has shown that they are far older than that-at least 4, 000 years old. Stonehenge could have been built 5,000 years ago. Some experts believe they acted like calendars and have shown that some stones line up with sunrise or sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year. Others believe they were places for the dead bodies of the local rich and powerful.
Can I see one?
We may never know their original purpose, but each one leaves the visitor with a strong sense of the shortness of our existence in the sea of history. There are groups of stone circles and other prehistoric monuments (历史遗迹) throughout the British Isles, so wherever you are staying, you must make at least one to be part of your tour.
Title: Stone Circles in the UK
| Avebury VS Stonehenge | Avebury is far A village has developed around the stones in Avebury |
| Cultural background | Some are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Several are related to local stories. For example, the Merry Maidens — a group of 19 girls were |
| Time and | Early historians: They were temples for the Druids in about 500 BC. Later research: over 4000 years old; Some believe they acted like calendars, others think they were tombs of the local rich and powerful. |
| Conclusion | They show the shortness of our existence in the history. You should |
6 . Three Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship returned to the Earth after completing their six-month mission. One of their major goals was to prepare the station for future groups of taikonauts（中国航天员）who will complete theassemblyof the space station.
Thanks to a new quick return procedure carried out for the first time, Shenzhou-13’s return trip lasted about nine hours rather than the 24-hour trip for Shenzhou-12, with the return capsule only circling the Earth five times before entering its final return orbit instead of 11 times as in past missions.
The Shenzhou-13 crew was responsible for taking out some of the science instruments to be used for experiments on the station. They also performed two spacewalks, conducted more than 20 different science experiments in addition to delivering two live educational lectures.
Taikonaut Wang Yaping, who gave the first public class from the Tiangong-1 space station, gave two such classes on this trip to Tiangong-2, which were viewed by millions of school children in China.
In addition, the taikonauts were sent questions from 20 schools in 13 U.S. states by American school children. The pre-recorded questions and responses were shared with students, parents and teachers at a “My Questions to Taikonauts” event on April 9 sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
This was the first six-month mission, which will give those on the ground the opportunity to study the effects of the longer duration mission on the taikonauts, especially on the ageing process. The six-month stay will be common for astronauts in the future.
Visiting the Wenchang Space Launch Center on April 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the facility serves China’s new-generation, heavy-lift carrier（运载）rockets and plays a significant role in the country’s deep-space exploration. The Chinese President called for efforts to achieve “world-leading standards” for China’s spacecraft launch facilities.
1. What does the underlined word “assembly” probably mean?| A．Building. | B．Discovery. | C．Invention. | D．Imagination. |
| A．It lasted about nine hours with the return capsule circling the Earth eleven times. |
| B．It lasted about 24 hours with the return capsule circling the Earth eleven times. |
| C．It lasted about nine hours with the return capsule circling the Earth five times. |
| D．It lasted about 24 hours with the return capsule circling the Earth five times. |
| A．delivered two live educational lectures |
| B．studied the effects of ageing process |
| C．answered questions from American children |
| D．conducted many different science experiments |
| A．The Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Taiyuan Space Launch Center. |
| B．China’s spacecraft launch facilities have become “world-leading standard”. |
| C．The six-month stay will be common for astronauts in the future. |
| D．The facility is important for the country’s deep-space exploration. |
| A．The Online Lectures in Shenzhou-13 | B．The Return of Shenzhou-13 to the Earth |
| C．The Lives of Shenzhou-13 Astronauts in Space | D．The World-leading Spacecraft: Shenzhou-13 |
7 . Does blue light actually influence your health? Blue light before bedtime can make it harder to sleep, and the screens on phones, computers and televisions give out a lot of blue light. It is true. But if you think blue light as a main problem influencing your sleep or your eye health, it’s time to think in another way.
A researcher says that blue light is part of sunlight, and your eyes are under the sunshine all the time. You’re fine. There are studies of mice that have found blue light can be bad for the eyes, but mice are nocturnal creafures(夜行性动物) whose eyes are different from ours. In a sense, their eyes can protect themselves.
However, adding more protection isn’t likely to help. You can buy glasses to stop the blue light, but the researcher points out that the way will waste your money. You could get the same effect just by holding your phone far from your face. Try it now and see if you notice a difference. No? Then it shouldn’t surprise you that a recent research result said that blue—blocking(防蓝光的) glasses have no special effect(影响) on sleep quality(质量).
If you’re worried about your eye health or your ability to get to sleep on time, you already know what to do: put the screens away at bedtime. Read a book or find something else to do. While you’re using screens, take a 20—second break every 20 minutes.
1. We can avoid being in fluenced by blue light when we ________.| A．use phones | B．watch TV | C．go out at night | D．stay at home |
| A．mice can protect their eyes | B．mice can’t see things clearly at day time |
| C．blue light is harmful to mice’s eyes | D．mice have the same eyes with humans |
| A．hold phones far from our face | B．eat more vegetalbes every day |
| C．have a pair of normal glasses | D．do eye exercises before sleeping |
| A．Putting your phone away | B．Reading a book |
| C．Taking breaks | D．Having a conversation |
| A．that blue light influences our health | B．the facts about blue light |
| C．how to take care of our eyes | D．that blue light is bad for nocturmal creatures |
8 . Loudness in the air
BOOM! That’s a word we often use to describe a loud sound. It’s also part of the term “sonic boom (音爆)”, which is something that happens when air is pushed so strongly and quickly that it creates a loud noise.
On March 20, rare daytime meteor (流星) created sonic boom over parts of the UK and France, according to Live Science. The meteor flew through the sky so fast that it could hardly be seen—but it could definitely be heard.
So how exactly are sonic booms made? You can think of air as being like water. When something moves through water, you can see ripples (波纹). If the object moves very quickly, the ripples start to run into each other.
The same thing happens in the air, even if it can’t be seen. When the object moves faster than the speed of sound, the air is pushed hard, and it compresses (压缩) like the ripples on water. This will create a sound wave that is very loud, which is a sonic boom.
Actually, lots of things can make sonic booms. When you go to the park and see people play with whips and tops (鞭子和陀螺), you might hear a tiny sonic boom when they crack (重击) the whip. Aircraft (飞机) that travel faster than the speed of sound can also make sonic booms.
A strong sonic boom can cause damage to windows or buildings, although the possibility of this is very low, according to the US Air Force. The loud sound can also influence people on the ground and even cause hearing loss. That’s why supersonic aircraft are only allowed in times of war.
1. When can a sonic boom happen?2. What created a sonic boom over parts of the UK and France on March 20?
3. Can you usually see a sonic boom in the air?
4. How can an aircraft create sonic booms?
5. What can a sonic boom cause?
9 . Friendships change over time for the simple reason that people change over time. As we move through the different roles we play in life, from a child to a teenager, a young adult, and so on, our sense of self also changes and so do our needs. Our hobbies and interests during the teenage years are often quite different from those when we are older. And that’s perfectly normal.
Typically, friendships develop as a result of one of three factors（因素）: ●Proximity（邻近）: We might develop friendships with our neighbors, for example, because of their proximity to our own home. However, when one of you moves away, the friendship might “move away”, too. ●Shared activities: As our interests and time for certain shared activities changes, we might let go of some relationships that were centered on（集中在）the activity. ●Life events: Life events often bring new friends into our lives, such as new classmates. However, once we move into the next stage, these friends might not be as close as before. |
If your friend is always canceling plans, you should take it as a sign that there might be something wrong. Also, if you find yourself begin ignoring（忽视）texts, that’s your own “red flag” that the relationship isn’t bringing you what it once did. Friendships are relationships of choice. So if you no longer choose to spend time with someone, listen to your inner voice. You don’t have to end a relationship in a hurry, but you might want to do some self-reflection（自我反思）or even talk with the friend to see if you can find a better way to renew（恢复）it.
However, sometimes you may feel you’re under too much stress. Keeping your trouble all locked inside can make you feel like you’re carrying around the weight of the world. It’s a good idea to pour out your heart and it’s a good way to reconnect with an old friend or get into a different friendship circle.
1. Why do friendships change over time according to the first paragraph?2. What are the three factors that can influence friendships?
3. What is the sign that your relationship with a friend may have changed?
4. What are you advised to do before you end a relationship?
5. What will you do when you feel you are under too much stress? Why?
（根据自身实际情况回答）
10 . Self-disciplined (自律的) people are not all outstanding (杰出的) people. But nearly all outstanding people are self-disciplined people. Some of them read every day. Some of them never run late. The real difference between an elite person and an ordinary (普通的) person is that an elite person can manage his or her time well. That’s where their success comes from. What people call self-discipline is in fact self-management.
One example is staying fit. Never underestimate (低估) someone who is in good shape. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it’s not easy. It’s even harder to avoid putting weight back on. If someone is in good shape, it shows that he knows the principles (原则) of staying fit and is able to stick to a plan that uses these principles.
If someone is in good shape, it means that this person is good at managing themselves and their time. Whether it is natural or acquired, it is a great skill. It also shows that this person is able to keep persevering (坚定不移的) and can balance long-term goals with short-term goals.
So if someone is in good shape, he or she is more than just healthy.
How do you learn self-management? First of all, set a goal and write down your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Create a list of all the things you need to do to achieve this goal and start to work on them one at a time. With self-discipline, small things in life will no longer trouble you. Only through self-discipline can you truly own your future.
1. “An elite person” means ________.| A．a manager | B．an ordinary person |
| C．an outstanding person | D．a person from outer space |
| A．it is quite difficult to lose weight |
| B．keeping in good shape requires self-management |
| C．one can be fit if he knows the principles of staying fit |
| D．a person who is in good shape is much healthier than others |
| A．后天的 | B．加工的 | C．所需的 | D．个体的 |
| A．Ordinary people are still special. |
| B．Setting a goal is the key to self-discipline. |
| C．Self-discipline can be developed through practice. |
| D．Try to complete small tasks first if you want to achieve your big goals. |
| A．How to be outstanding | B．Keep fit to be in good shape |
| C．Steps to achieve your goals | D．Be more strict with yourself |
