Unit 5 Force of NatureText Comprehension1. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose.A.To display Marie Curie's career as a Nobel Prize winner.B.To honor Marie Curie who made magnificent contribution in science.C.To unfold Marie Curie's complex life as glorious and tragic.D.To introduce Marie Curie and her family.Key: [ C ]2. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false.1). At first I only knew that Marie Curie, a brilliant woman scientist, was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. [ T ]2). Marie Curie was obsessively engaged in her research after her daughters were born. [ F ]3). As governess to a wealthy family, Marie Curie fell in love with Casimir Zorawski, the young master. As his father threatened to disinherit him, she left Warsaw with courage for Paris, where her new life began. [ T ]4). Marie Curie left Warsaw for Paris at the age of 18. [ F ]5). The place where the Curies were working was dark, damp, shabby, and sad, more like a stable than a lab. [ T ]6). The Curies became world famous, especially after they won a Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 for the discovery of radium and polonium. [ F ]7). Eve Curie, a year old when her father died, wrote that Pierre's death marked a crucial moment in her mother's life. [ F ]8). Shortly after her husband's funeral, Madame Curie went into the lab immediately though she should have stayed with her family and friends. [ T ]9). A second Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to the Curies for isolating the elements radium and polonium. [ F ]10). According to the author, Madame Curie conquered colossal obstacles in science, but paid an enormous personal price. Her life was so complex that her glory was mingled with tragedy. [ T ]Writing StrategiesThis text is a biographical sketch of the great woman scientist Marie Curie. Except for the first three paragraphs, which make up the introductory part of the story, the narration of the major events in Madame Curie's life follows the chronological order. To make her narration and description more graphical and impressive, the author has used some metaphorical expressions and sentences. For example, the expression 'drag by' used in paragraph 4 immediately makes the reader share the way Marie felt about those four long years of waiting.Can you find more instances of metaphorical language used in the text?More instances of metaphorical language found in the text:Paragraph 1: “her arms wrapped around her daughters”Paragraph 3: Also she was a woman driven by passions, fighting battles much of her life withwhat a doctor now would probably diagnose as severe depression.Paragraph 5: “walked into history”.Paragraph 7: “The reality was a lot grittier”Paragraph 9: For the Curies, though, their triumph contained the seeds of their tragedy.Paragraph 10: "A cape of solitude and secrecy fell upon her shoulders forever."While the purpose of writing a biographical sketch or a biography is to present the major events that happen during the lifetime of the person concerned, it is also common for the writer to offer his/her own personal assessment. Madame Curie is recognized by the whole world as a renowned scientist, but she appeals to the author not just as a great scientist, but, perhaps more essentially, as a woman. This point is made clear in the sentence in the last paragraph: The Marie Curie that I discovered was no icon but a flesh-and-blood woman.Can you find some supporting evidence of this point in the introductory part of the text?→Elaboration of this point is mainly found in the second paragraph of the text:Looking back, I think I admired that photo so much, not because of Marie Curie and what she stood for but because she seemed so exotic -- or maybe because of how her arms encircled her girls. My own mother lay in the hospital, recovering from a grave injury in a car crash. I wanted her to hold me, but she couldn't. So, instead, I idolized Marie, who in my mind became the strongest and most capable woman in the world.Language Work1. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.1). I didn't know very much about Curie beyond the basics.→ except the most important aspects of her life2). I was just a girl with little direction…→ having no concrete goals or purposes to attain3). Marie Curie's own daughters grew into accomplished women in their own right.→ because of their own efforts and talents4). …for months she'd find places to hide so she could cry her eyes out.→ cry to her heart's content5). …where sh e changed her name, enrolled at the Sorbonne -- and walked into history.→ and thus launched her journey to become sb. to remember6). …Pierre's death marked the defining moment in her mother's life.→ represented the most crucial change2. Fill in each blank with one of the two words from each pair in their appropriate forms and note the difference of meaning between them.glistening luminousExplanation: Luminous describes a source of light, indicating the brightness or clarity, but it can also specifically suggest a soft or barely perceivable radiance or one enclosed within or seen through something else. Glistening is almost exclusively restricted to reflected light, althoughsometimes it does suggest in addition to dimness an undulating reflection or a moist surface.1). The luminous wallpaper had attractive silhouettes of young women.2). The luminous stars in the clear northern night sky brought back all the beautiful memories of her childhood.3). A six-person shower was full of glistening naked bodies and a tangle of arms and legs.4). He could see the gunners, their eyes hidden behind goggles and their faces glistening with sweat.More: brilliant: very bright, splendid, or showy in appearance.radiant: sending out light or heat in all directions, shinning; (of a person) showing loveand happinessshiny: esp. of a smooth surface looking as if polishedbright: giving out or throwing back light very strongly; fully light; famous, gloriousgrave seriousBoth words emphasize something that is urgent or crucial and that promises to have an extremely undesirable outcome. Grave is the more restricted of the two, specifically suggesting something that may well have a fatal conclusion. Serious is more general and it suggests the crucial, ponderous, or solemn, but with less emphasis on urgency and even less on negative eventualities.1). The AIDS patient finally couldn't survive the grave illness and left his five helpless children at the mercy of charity.2). This is a serious and good-faith effort to try to engage in a dialogue.3). The US finally became serious about toppling Saddam and the devastating war began.4). We had to tip up the bed and the model was in grave danger of falling off it.More: significant: a significant amount or effect is large enough to be important or affect a situation to a noticeable degreesolemn: someone or something that is solemn is very serious rather than cheerful orhumorousbasic: if one thing is basic to another, it is absolutely necessary to it, and the secondthing cannot exist, succeed, or be imagined without itfantasy imaginationBoth words refer to the mind's power to call up images, to picture or conceive things that are not actually before the eye or within the experience. Fantasy is imagination divorced from reality. The creations of fantasy may be delightfully bizarre or may be weird and grotesque, as in the case of science-fiction stories depicting monstrous beings from Mars. Engaged in fantasy, the imagination projects unreal images or imaginary scenes on the screen of the mind, creating a dream world. 1). In lives that are always difficult to comprehend, we are all accustomed to retreating into a world of fantasy, illusion and omnipotence.2). Seeing the dome at close quarters, I was struck by its failure of imagination, its sheer ugliness.3). She tortured herself with fantasies of Bob and his new girlfriend.4). Doomsday fantasies have haunted the popular imagination of this century, from nuclear Armageddon to alien invasions.More: fiction: fiction refers to books and stories about imaginary people and events, rather than books about real people or eventsfallacy: a fallacy is an idea which many people believe to be true, but which is in factfalse because it is based on incorrect information or reasoningprominent outstandingBoth words refer to something of unusual distinction or relevance by reason of its excellence or motivating force. Outstanding, besides its general meaning of being excellent, suggests a feature that is sharply distinct from its surroundings. Prominent carries less suggestions of excellence than outstanding, and it may point to status gained on other grounds entirely, or suggest merely familiarity to a wide audience.1). Tina was presented with a trophy for her outstanding contribution to the music industry.2). The Fords' family is wealthy and socially prominent, and now intends to enter into politics.3). It has to be the most beautiful clubhouse in Denmark, and the restaurant is quite outstanding.4). Prominent American educators, such as Horace Mann, Henry Barnard, etc. sought to increase educational opportunity for all children by creating the common-school movement.3. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase taken from the box, using its appropriate form.obsessively congeal icon luminousmetamorphosis fete pernicious definitelyretreat devastating a shred of a fleet of1). A useful definition of an air pollutant is a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmosphere in such quantities as to affect humans, animals, vegetation, or materials.2). The most distant luminous objects seen by telescopes are probably ten thousand million light years away.3). "Want some wine?" she asked. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and retreated again into his silence.4). The self-educated son of a Delaware farmer, Evans became obsessed by the possibilities of mechanized production and steam power.5). Stone carvers engraved their motifs of skulls and crossbones and other religious icons of death, into the gray slabs that we still see standing today in old burial grounds.6). The employment department has undergone several metamorphoses over the past few years.7). Respect is never given freely; every shred of it has to be earned and you earn it by how well you treat others.8). The professor argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds.4. Make a sentence of your own for each of the given words with meanings other than those used in the text. You may change the part of speech of these words.1). upHe suddenly stopped talking, and his friends knew something was up.2). crash→ The angry wife dropped the tray of bowls and plates with a crash.3). accomplished→Numerous experiments have shown that once the concept of self is changed, other things consistent with the new concept of self, are accomplished easily and without strain.4). stroke→ She looked down at her lap while one hand absently stroked the other.5). stable→ Nothing is fixed and permanently stable. There must be movement forward, which is progress of a sort, or movement backward, which is decay and deterioration.6). defining→Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem.5. Rewrite the following sentences in such a way as to avoid dangling non-finite clauses.1). Reading in bed, my hands often get very cold.→ When I read in bed, my hands often get very cold.2). While cleaning his gun it went off unexpectedly.→ He was cleaning his gun when it went off unexpectedly.3). When carrying a gun it should never be pointed at anyone.→ When carrying a gun, you should never point it at anyone.4). Falling from such a height, we thought he would never survive.→ We thought falling from such a height he would never survive.5). Tied to a post, the sea was tossing the boat up and down.→ Tied to a post, the boat was tossed up and down by the sea.6). Barking furiously, I led the dog out of the room.→ Barking furiously, the dog was led out of the room.7). Reading the letter a second time, the meaning becomes clearer.→ Being read a second time, the letter becomes clearer in meaning.8). Wondering where to go, an advertisement caught her eye.→ As she was wondering where to go, an advertisement caught her eye.9). While sitting at the foot of a cliff a stone fell on him.→ He was sitting at the foot of a cliff when a stone fell on him.10). When planting these flowers care must be taken not to damage the roots.→ When planting these flowers you must take care not to damage the roots.Translation1. Translating Sentences1). 研究人员建议，人到老年应该多参加个人或集体的心理和生理活动。