Question

For many centuries，countless scholars have asked the question：What is beauty? As designers update the latest fashions and artists create their masterpieces, what is considered beautiful changes at an alarming pace. Fifty years ago, the full-figured American actress Marilyn Monroe was a symbol of the American aesthetic(美學(xué)的)value；today, many Hollywood actresses different in appearance from Marilyn’s have taken her place. However，aesthetic values not only differ from generation to generation，but do so along cultural lines as well. Often, what is considered hating one civilization is just the aesthetic appeal in another. Thus it is difficult to give an absolute definition(定義)of beauty.

As fundamental(基礎(chǔ)的)physicists，my colleagues and I like to believe that we are involved in a search for a beauty that affects definition. The beauty that we search for is not what is set up through the work of people and subject to the tastes, but rather what has been laid down by nature Physics allows its students to look past outer appearances，into a deeper beauty. As a human being, I am attracted by the visual appeal of a wave crashing on the beach. As a physicist, however I am able to see the deeper beauty of the physical laws that govern such a phenomenon.

In truth，since Albert Einstein put forward the idea that there might be one main physical theory that governs the universe，aesthetics have become a driving force in modern physics. Einstein and other later physicists have discovered that：Nature, as its most fundamental level，is beautifully constructed. The extraordinary simplicity (樸素)of the laws that govern the universe is really breathtaking. As Einstein said, it would seem more likely that we should find ourselves living in a “chaotic (無秩序曲)world，in no way graspable（能理解的） through thinking”. Yet we are now closer than ever to a full understanding of the universe’s beautiful clockwork. As new discoveries and technologies allow us to examine the physical world on deeper and deeper levels，we find that the beauty itself becomes much deeper.

1.The reference to “Marilyn Monroe” in Paragraph 2 mainly serves to___________.

A. provide an example of today’s beauty standards

B. show there is no fixed definition of aesthetics

C. compare traditions of the East to the West

D. discuss her abilities as an actress

2.When appreciating a wave crashing on the beach，a physicist sees the beauty of_____.

A. the visual attraction

B. the powerful sounds

C. the physical laws behind

D. the lovely creatures

3.Why are Albert Einstein’s words mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A. To detail the functions of physical laws.

B. To highlight the range of Einstein’s influence.

C. To show that Einstein doubted the beauty of physics.

D. To stress the very simplicity of the laws of the universe.

4.The passage is mainly to___________.

A. present a special way of seeing beauty

B. emphasize the influence of physics

C. discuss the awareness of cross-culture

D. argue the traditional ideas on value

Answer 1

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

試題分析：作者在本文中主要討論的是在不同的年代中人們對于美的定義是有所區(qū)別的，并且在文章最后一段告訴我們一種很特殊的定義美的方法simplicity of the laws of the universe.

1. years ago, the full-figured American actress Marilyn Monroe was a symbol of the American aesthetic(美學(xué)的)value；today, many Hollywood actresses different in appearance from Marilyn’s have taken her place.（五十年前，一個肥胖的美國女演員Marilyn Monroe 曾是美國美學(xué)價值的象征；然而現(xiàn)今，許多在外表上與Marilyn有很大不同的好萊塢女演員卻取代了她的位置。）”，可知，對于美學(xué)的標(biāo)準在不同的年代有不同的標(biāo)準，是在不斷變化的。所以作者以此為例主要是說明美學(xué)標(biāo)準是沒有確定的定義的。故選B。

2. a human being, I am attracted by the visual appeal of a wave crashing on the beach. As a physicist, however I am able to see the deeper beauty of the physical laws that govern such a phenomenon.（作為普通人，我會被海浪沖撞上沙灘的視覺效果所吸引。然后，作為一個物理學(xué)家，我可能回看到這種現(xiàn)象所帶來的物理原理的深層美。）”可知，物理學(xué)家看到的海浪的美是背后的物理學(xué)原理，和我們所見到的是完全不一樣的東西。故選C。

3. and other later physicists have discovered that：Nature, as its most fundamental level，is beautifully constructed. The extraordinary simplicity (樸素)of the laws that govern the universe is really breathtaking. （愛因斯坦和之后的其他物理學(xué)家都發(fā)現(xiàn)了：當(dāng)自然處于它最基本的層面時是最美麗的結(jié)構(gòu)。支配世界的原理變得特別樸素時是最激動人心的。）”可知，作者用愛因斯坦的例子來說明真正的美是simplicity of the laws of the universe。故選D。

4.主旨大意題。作者在本文中主要討論的是在不同的年代中人們對于美的定義是有所區(qū)別的，并且在文章最后一段告訴我們一種很特殊的定義美的方法simplicity of the laws of the universe.故選A。

考點：考查日常生活類閱讀。