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第二章8篇长阅读Passage1Thedefinitionofaestheticpleasureisapopularsubjectformanydifferentfields.Inthefollowing,adaptedfromanarticlefoundinasciencejournal,aphysicistdiscussestheuniqueperspectivethathisdisciplineallowshim.Sincetimeimmemorial,countlessscholarshaveaskedthequestion:Whatisbeauty?Asphilosophersengageinwelghtydiscourses,designersupdatethelatestfashions,andartistscreatetheirmasterpieces,whatisconsideredbeautifulchangesatanalarmingpace.Fiftyyearsago,thefull-figuredMarilynMonroeembodiedtheAmericanaestheticvalue;today,alegionofHollywoodactressesvastlydifferentin5appearancefromMarilyn'shavetakenherplace.However,aestheticvaluesnotonlydifferfromgenerationtogeneration,butdosoalongculturallinesaswell.TheconventionsthatgovernpaintingandmusicvarygreatlyfromEasttoWest.Often,whatisconsideredrepellenttoonecivilizationisthepinnacleofaestheticappealinanother.Thus,whenlefttothesphereofhumandesign,thesearchforanabsolute10definitionofbeautyremainsanelusiveoneatbest.Asfundamentalphysicists,mycolleaguesandIliketobelievethatweareinvolvedinasearchforabeautythatdoesnotremainimpervioustodefinition.Thebeautythatwesearchforisnotthatwhichislaiddownthroughtheworkofpeopleandsubjecttoephemenltastes,butratherthatwhichhasbeenestablishedby15Nature.Thosenotinvolvedwithphysicstendtothinkofitasapreciseandpredictivescience-certainlynotafieldofstudyfitforthecontemplationofthebeautiful.Yetoneofphysics'greatestgiftsisthatitallowsitsstudentstolookpastextrinsicappearances,intoamoreoverwhelmingbeauty.Asahumanbeing,Iamcaptivatedbythevisualappealofawavecrashingonthebeach.Asaphysicisthowever,Ipossesstheabilitytobecaptivatedbythemuchdeeperbeautyofthephysicallawsthatgovemsuchaphenomenon.Wherethenon-physicistseesalovelybutinexplicableevent,thewell-schooledphysicistisabletoperceiveabrilliantdesign.Intruth,sincethedaythatAlbertEinsteinfirstproposedthenotionthattheremightbeoneoverarchingphysicaltheorythatgovernstheuniverse,aestheticshavebecomeadrivingforceinmodernphysics.WhatEinsteinandwe,ashisintellectualdescendants,havediscoveredisthis:Nature,asitsmostfundamentallevel,isbeautifullyconstructed.Theremarkablesimplicityofthelawsthatgoverntheuniverseis,attimes,nothingshortofbreath-taking.Andateverystep,asnewdiscoveriesandtechnologiesallowustoexaminethephysicalworldondeeperanddeeperlevels,wefindthatthebeautyitselfbecomesmoreprofound.AsEinsteinhimselfsaid,itwouldseemmorelikelythatweshouldfindourselveslivinginachaoticworld,innowaygraspablethroughthinkingYethereweare,closerthanevertoafullunderstandingoftheuniverse'sbeautifulclockwork1.ThereferencetoMarilynMonroeinline4primarilyservestoA)provideanexampleoftoday'sstandardsofbeautyB)discussherabilitiesasanactressC)demonstratehowsusceptibleaestheticsaretochangeD)comparetraditionsofEastandWestE)illustratethatthestandarddefinitionofbeautyremainsconstant2Theauthor'sassemoninlines9-10(whatisconsideredrepellent...inanother)suggeststhatA)culturesarenaturallydestinedtoclashB)manyavilizationsarepronetodisgustingbehaviourC)differentsocietiesaretiedtogetherbyanappreciationforphysicsD)itisnearlyimpossibletosaywhatistrulybeautifulE)individualstendtodisagreeonwhattheyfindbeautiful3.Asusedinline14,thephraselaiddownmostnearlymeansA)restedB)sleptC)createdD)setE)secured4.TheauthorusesthewordsephemeralandNature(lines15-16)inordertoA)contrasttheconceptofimpermanentbeautywiththebeautyforwhichphysicssearchesB)evaluatetheeffectivenessofphysicsasanartformC)discusshowphysicistsvisualizebeautyD)argueagainsttherelevanceoftraditionalformsofbeautyE)criticizepeoplewhodon'tunderstandphysics5.Inthecourseofoutliningthevariousgiftsofphysics,theauthorcitesallofthefollowingEXCEPTA)theabilitytolookforabeautythatisunchangingB)appreciatingthevisualbeautyofawavecrashingC)understandingbothextrinsicandintrinsicbeautyD)agreatercomprehensionofNature'swaysE)seeingadeeperdesigninnaturalevents6.Inthethirdparagraph,AlbertEinstein'sproposalofanoverarching...theorysuggeststhatA)theauthorbelievesthatthereisbeautyinsimplicityB)theuniverseisinfinitelycomplexC)aestheticshasnoplaceinphysicsD)thephysicsworldwillneverbeunderstoodrationallyE)thediscoveryofafullunderstandingoftheuniverseisimminent7.Asusedinline26,drivingmostnearlymeansA)leadingB)controllingC)travelingD)escapingE)pounding8.TheauthorquotesAlbertEinsteininline34inordertoA)detailthewayphysicallawsaffectchaosB)emphasizethescopeofEinstein'sinfluenceC)suggestthatEinsteinmighthavedoubtedthebeautyofphysicsD)stressjusthowremarkabletheorderoftheuniversereallyisE)castdoubtuponEinstein'sabilities9.ThepassageisprimarilyconcemedwithA)discussingthewayvariousculturesassessbeautyB)explainingthebeautythatisunmaskedthroughanunderstandingofphysicsC)demonstratingthewayconceptsofbeautychangeovertimeD)recountingtheachievementsofAlbertEinsteinE)findingnewrelevancefordifferentphysicallawsPassage2ThePassageistakenfromTheRuleoftheRoad,anessaywriUenbyatwentiethcenturyessayist.AstoutoldladywaswalkingwithherbasketdownthemiddleofastreetinPetrogradtothegreatconfusionofthetrafficandwithnosmallperiltoherself.Itwaspointedouttoherthatthepavement