第2单元课后答案

Unit 2

I. Background to Text 1

biography: an account of a person’s life, usually written by someone else and

published or intended for publication. As a literary form it has become increasingly popular since the second half of the 17th century. It was rare

before. The origins of biography are to be found in the early accounts of monarchs and heroes, for example in the Greek, Celtic and Scandinavian epics and sagas. During the Middle Ages there little biography. But at the renaissance biography, like autobiography—written by oneself acquired considerable interest. The 17th century was the most important period for the development of English biography. Since the 1950s the art of biography has burgeoned, and biography has become a major publishing industry. Scores of new biographies have been written each year. There is a vast quantity of historical and political biography, and majority of those have become prominent in the performing arts and in sports. Literary biography has become immensely popular. Literary biography is usually long and reads like novels. Most of the biographies such as we see in encyclopedia are condensed, recording only the most important events or achievements which the subject is remembered for.

II. Detailed study of the text

1. …“one of the great names in the history of human thought,”… (L.4) one of the great thinkers in human history… 2. grammar school (L.12): formerly a English secondary school emphasizing the

study of academic rather than technical subjects 3. He was considered a poor student (L.13).

He was thought of as a student who did badly in his study. This implies that it was not true since he turned out to be a great scientist. 4. sundial (L.16): an instrument that uses sunlight to tell the time, by the changing

position of the shadow that a vertical arm that casts on a horizontal plate with graded markings 5. He showed no exceptional ability during his college career, and was

graduated in 1665 without any particular distinction. (L.19)

As a college student he did not show any special ability and graduated like anybody else without special honours. 1) exceptional: (adj) unusually good; outstanding 2) distinction: special consideration or honour 6. …as a fellow of Trinity College…