英语听力精选进阶版 6366
时间：2019-02-21 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力精选进阶版
Do you appreciate the small things in life?
In physics, infinitely 1 small things are problematic. If a structure can be infinitely divided into smaller parts, can there be such a thing as a smallest possible space or does this division go on eternally? Does nature have a limit for the tiniest possible unit?
The Greek philosopher Democritus suggested that matter was made of minute, round particles that he called 'atoms'. JJ Thomson discovered that atoms could be split further into smaller parts and extracted electrons from these. Experiments since have revealed that the nucleus 2 of an atom is made up of protons and neutrons 3, which, in turn, are composed of quarks. It's hard to imagine just how small these particles are, but to give you an idea: there are more atoms in each of us than there are stars in the universe.
Each time we discover a smaller unit, this, in turn, is composed of even more minuscule 4 parts. But scientists haven't been able to split quarks or electrons - not even with the help of the Large Hadron Collider, the particle accelerator that is used to study the smallest known particles. Forces in nature get stronger at shorter distances; the smaller they are, the harder it is to separate them.
It's not just size that matters, but also shape. If the Large Hadron Collider ever allows us to study the smallest possible objects, would they be round? Or would they look like microscopic 5 bits of string, as the String theory suggests?
The search for the smallest building blocks challenges our understanding of the very nature of space and time. And that's why the smallest thing in the universe is a pretty big deal.
Quiz 测验
Find words in the article that mean 'small'.
Tiny, minute, minuscule, microscopic.
Who coined the term 'atom'?
The Greek philosopher Democritus invented the concept of small, round particles and called these 'atoms'.
Is the following statement true, false or not given? "We’ll never know what the smallest thing in the universe is."
Not given. The quest for the smallest thing is ongoing 6.
What is an atom composed of?
An atom is composed of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, which in turn are made of quarks.
Which phrase in the article means 'the basic units used to build something'?
Building blocks.
Glossary 词汇表
infinitely 无限的
tiniest 最微小的
minute 极微小的
atom 原子
electron 电子
nucleus （原子）核
proton 质子
neutron 中子
quark 夸克
particle 粒子
unit 单位
minuscule 极小的
microscopic 微观的
building blocks 基础材料
big deal 至关重要的大事, 非同小可
- There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
- The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。
- These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
- These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。
- The neutrons and protons form the core of the atom. 中子和质子构成了原子核。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- When an atom of U235 is split,several neutrons are set free. 一个铀235原子分裂时，释放出几个中子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
- As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。
- It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
- A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。