Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, on January 8, 1942. At the age of 17, he entered University College, Oxford. He wanted to study mathematics, but took up the study of physics when math was unavailable. He received a Ph.D. in physics despite being diagnosed with Ameliotrophic Lateral Sclerosis while at Oxford in 1963. In 1985 he became ill with pneumonia , and since then has required 24-hour nursing. Dr. Hawking's determination, along with the help of his family and associates, has allowed him to continue to work. In 1970 he began studying black holes. His research led him to predict that black holes send out radiation in the X-ray to gamma-ray range of the spectrum . In the 1980s he returned to an earlier interest, the origins of the universe. He has co-authored many publications, such as 300 Years of Gravity and The Large Scale Structure of Space time. Dr. Hawking has also written books such as A Brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes and other Essays, The Universe in a Nutshell and others. He continues to give lectures, despite having been unable to speak since 1985, with the aid of a speech synthesizer and a portable computer. He currently holds Isaac Newton's chair as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in England. When did Hawking enter University College, Oxford? A) in 1942 B) in 1970 C) in 1959 D) in 1963
C
(Question)
The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn, was breathless in its praise. "At 14, he has accomplished something many adults can't achieve," the reporter said, "Ben is a twice-published author." But Ben's two "Velvet Black" books, describing a fictional rock band, were not picked from a pile of manuscripts by an eagle eyed publisher. They were self-published, at the cost of $400 by Ben's parents. Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to avoid the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a "published author." The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy equipment for a promising baseball player. But others see self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about hardship and perseverance. Mr. Robbins, a critic, thinks it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worries self-publishing sends the wrong message. "There are no prodigies in literature," he said. "Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not." Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran, suggested parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make a better. Ben's father, Ken, said Ben's ambitions "weren't to knockHarry Potteroff the list," but "to get that good feeling inside that you've done something." Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. "Being a published author," she said, "was always a dream of mine." Her new dream: three books by age 15. Why do some children self-publish works according to the last part? A) Just to achieve their dreams. B) Just to earn more money. C) Just to gain self-confidence. D) Just to satisfy their parents.
(Answer)
A
Ques: A new study has found some secrets of people's understanding of large numbers. Researchers studied a group of people who were born deaf and never learned any spoken language or a formal sign language, but they have developed a gesture system to communicate with people around them. The gestures let them express approximate amounts, but not exact numbers. "Up to three, they're fine," says Elizabet Spaepen, a researcher at the University of Chicago and an author of the study. "But past three, they start to fall apart." In one test, Spaepen would knock her fist against a study participant's fist a certain number of times and then ask them to respond with the same number of knocks. "If I were to knock four times on their fist, they might knock on my fist five times," she says. The finding offers a clue to just how much language affects our understanding of numbers. That has been a big question since 2004, when other researchers published data on two tribes in the Amazon whose members also lack words for big numbers. "What they have are words that mean one and two," Spaepen says, "and then they have a word to mean many." Members of the Amazonian tribes also had trouble matching numbers larger than three or four. But some scholars felt that these earlier studies failed to prove that language was the reason. They pointed out that the tribes lived in groups that didn't use money and had no need for exact numbers. The new research appears to answer that criticism. "It proves that the kinds of problems in understanding numbers that we found in the Amazonian tribes are not due to just the cultural or environmental circumstances," says Peter Gordon of Columbia University, one of the researchers involved in the earlier studies. The tribes involved in earlier studies _ . A) often dealt with big numbers. B) didn't use money in their daily life C) didn't have their own language D) often made trouble for the researchers
Ans: B
Welcome to enj oy the Mattaponi powwow(meeting oi North America Indians)and culture day! Created in Virginia,America,the Mattaponi Indian Museum sits on a cliff overlooking the Mattaponi River.The Matta--ponis have worked hard to keep their ancient way of life,customs and ceremonies. One purpose of their yearly powwow is to share these traditions with you. MATTAPONI POWWOW AND CULTURE DAY:May 18 ADMISSION:Adult--$6.00 Children(under 12)--Free Come and spend the day with us on the shores of the Mattaponi River for an educational experience presenting the customs and beliefs of the Mattaponi.During this special day,American Indians will dance and play drums while dressed in tribal clothing.This year visitors may join in the dancing and trumming.Visitors will be able to observe artists and craftsmen as they show their basket-making and tool-making skills.American storytellers will help you see how their habits and beliefs are passed on to their children through stories. Enjoy Activities *Taste American Indian foods *Purchase crafts and souvenirs *Play American Indian children's games *Watch ceremonial dances and listen to ceremonial songs Important Cautions *No pets *Bring your own chairs and blankets *Tickets may be purchased in advance although no refunds will be allowed For more information,please visit http: //www.hemattaponireservation.com/main. Visitors coming to enjoy the Mattaponi powwow and culture day can do all the following EXCEPT _ . A) enjoy American Indian foods B) watch ceremonlal dances C) play American Indian children's games D) get crafts and souvenirs for free
D