搜索
ConversationoneM:Hey,Ijustreadagreatbookaboutphysics.Ithinkyou'dlikeit.ItiscalledThePhysicsoftheWorld.ItiswrittenbyascientistnamedSylviaMundus.W:OhIreadthatbook.Itwasgreat.Thewriterisawarmandcompetentguidetothemysteriesofphysics.Ithinkitpromisesenrichmentforanyreaderfromthosewhoknowlittleaboutsciencetothecareerphysicist.M:Andit'srefreshingtoseeastrongcuriouscleverwomanaddinghervoicetothescientificdiscourseandafieldthathasbeentraditionallydominatedbymen.Ithinkshehastobecommendedformakinganefforttoincludeanecdotesaboutlittleknownfemalescientists.Youknow,theywereoftenvictimsofagenerationfirmlyconvincedthatthewomen’splacewasinthehome.W:Ilikehowthebookisclearlywrittenwitheachchapterbroughttolifebypiecesoffascinatingknowledge.Forexampleinonechapter,sheexposesamyththatI’veheardtaughtbyuniversityphysicsprofessors.I’veoftenheardthatmedievalglasswindowsarethickeratthebottombecauseglassflowslikefluid.This,sheshows,isnottrue.Thedistortionisactuallythankstoapeculiarityoftheglassmakers’process.M:Yeah,IlikehowshecultivatesscientificengagementbyprovidingthehostofDoItYourselfexperimentsthatbringthesamefoundationofprinciplesofclassicalphysicsthatgoverneverythingfromthesolarsystemtoyourkitchentable.Fromusingcomplexlawsofpsychicstotestwhetheraspinningeggiscooked,tomeasuringatmospherepressurebyliftingapieceofcardboard.Herhands-onexamplesmakeherbookatrulyinteractiveread.W:Yes,Imustsaythisequation-freebookisanidealreadforscientistsofallstripes,anyoneteachingscienceandevenpeoplewhodislikepsychics.Questions1-4arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.Q1:Whatdoesthewomansayaboutthebookthemanrecommended?Q2:Whatcanwefindinthebookthemanrecommended?Q3:Howdoestheauthorbringherbooktolife?Q4:Howdoesthebookcultivatereaders’interestinpsychics?ConversationTwoM:Hiprofessor!IwashopingIcouldhaveamomentofyourtime,ifyouarenottoobusy.I'mhavingsomeproblemsgettingstartedonmydissertationandIwashopingyoucouldgivemesomeadviceonhowtobegin.W:Sure.Ihavequiteafewstudentsthough.Socanyouremindmewhatyourtopicis?M:ThegeneraltopicIchoseisaesthetics.Butthat'sasfarasI'vegot.Idon'treallyknowwheretogofromthere.W:Yeah,that'smuchtoolargeatopic.Youreallyneedtonarrowitdowninordertomakeitmoreaccessible,otherwiseyouwillbewritingabook.M:Exactly.That'swhatIwantedtoaskyouabout.Iwashopingitwouldbepossibleformetochangetopics.I'mreallymoreinterestedinnaturethanbeauty.W:I'mafraidyouhavetoadheretotheassignedtopic.Still,ifyouareinterestedinnature,thenthatcertainlycanbeworkedintoyourdissertation.We'vetalkedaboutHumebeforeinclassright?M:Ohyeah.He'sthephilosopherwhowroteaboutwhereourideasofbeautycomefrom.W:Exactly.Isuggestyougotothelibraryandgetacopyofhisbiography.Startfromthere.Butremembertosticktotheparametersoftheassignment.Thispaperisalargepartofyouraccumulativegrade,somakesuretofollowtheinstructions.Ifyoutakealookathisbiography,youcangetagoodideaofhowhislifeexperiencesmanifestthemselvesinhistheoriesofbeauty,specifically,thewayhelookedtowardsnatureastheoriginofwhatwefindbeautiful.M:Great!Thanksfortakingthetimetoanswermyquestions,professor.I'llletyougetbacktoclassnow.W:Ifthereisanythingelseyouneed,pleasecomeseemeinmyofficeanytime.Questions5-8arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.Q5:Whatistheman'sproblem?Q6:Whatdoestheprofessorthinkoftheman'stopic?Q7:Whatisthemanreallymoreinterestedin?Q8:Whatdoestheprofessorsaythemanhastodo?Passage1:DuringtheArcticwinterfromOctobertoMarch,theaveragetemperatureinthefrozennorthtypicallyhoversaroundminus20degreesCelsius.Butthisyear,theArcticisexperiencingmuchhighertemperatures.OnFebruary20th,thetemperatureinGreenlandclimbedabovefreezingorzerodegreeCelsiusanditstayedthereforover24hours.Then,onFebruary24th,thetemperatureonGreenlandnortherntipreached6degreeCelsius.Climatescientistsdescribedthephenomenonasstunning.WeatherconditionsthatdrivethisbizarretemperaturesurgehavevisitedtheArcticbefore.Theytypicallyappearaboutonceinadecade.However,thelastsuchincreasingtemperaturetookplacetwoyearsago.ThisistroublingasclimbingArctictemperaturescombinedwithrapidsea-icelossarecreatinganewtypeofclimatefeedbackloopwhichcouldaccelerateArcticwarming.Indeed,sea-icecoverintheArcticismeltingfasterthanexpected.Withoutthosemassesofcoolingseaice,warmairbroughttotheArcticcanpenetratefurtherinlandthaniteverdidbefore.Theaircanstaywarmer,andlongertoo.Thisdrivesadditionalmelting.Overall,Earthiswarmingatarapidpace—2014through2017rankasthehottestyearsonrecord—andtheArcticiswarmingtwiceasfastasanyplaceelseonEarth.ThisraisesuniquechallengesforArcticwildlifeandindigenouspeoplewhodependonArcticecosystemstosurvive.Previously,climateforecastspredictedthatArcticsummericewoulddisappearentirelybyaround2060.Butbasedonwhatscientistsareseeingnow,theArcticmaybefacingsummerswithouticewithin20years.Q9:Whatdidclimatescientistsdescribeasstunning?Q10:WhatdoesthepassagesayaboutthetemperaturesurgeintheArctic?Q11:Whatmayoccurin20yearsaccordingtoscientists'recentobservations?Passage2Agooddoseofwillpowerisoftennecessarytoseeanytaskthrough,whetherit’sstickingtoaspendingplanorfinishingagreatnovel.Andifyouw