英语听力精选进阶版 6366

Do you appreciate the small things in life?

In physics, infinitely¹ 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 nucleus² of an atom is made up of protons and neutrons³, 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 minuscule⁴ 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 microscopic⁵ 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 ongoing⁶.

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

1 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• 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。

2 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• 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。

3 neutrons   

n.中子( neutron的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 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》

4 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• 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。

5 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• 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。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。